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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 8, 2021.
Registration No. 333-257038
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 1 to
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
8071
26-1911522
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
2749 East Parleys Way
Suite 200
Salt Lake City, UT 84109
(801) 990-0520
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Sera Prognostics, Inc.
2749 East Parleys Way
Suite 200
Salt Lake City, UT 84109
(801) 990-0520
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Jonathan L. Kravetz
Megan N. Gates
Daniel H. Follansbee
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo, P.C.
One Financial Center
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 542-6000
Edwin M. O’Connor
Seo Salimi
Goodwin Procter LLP
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, New York 10018
(212) 813-8800
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement is declared effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☐
If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered
Amount to be
Registered(1)
Proposed Maximum
Offering Price
Per Share(2)
Proposed
Maximum Aggregate
Offering Price(3)
Amount of
Registration
Fee(4)
Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share
5,390,625
$ 17.00 $ 91,640,625 $ 9,998.00
(1)
Includes 703,125 shares that the underwriters have the option to purchase.
(2)
Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(3)
Includes the aggregate offering price of 703,125 shares that the underwriters have the option to purchase to cover over-allotments.
(4)
Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. $8,182.50 of this registration fee was previously paid by the Registrant in connection with the filing of its Registration Statement on Form S-1 on June 11, 2021.
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JULY 8, 2021
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
4,687,500 SHARES
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CLASS A COMMON STOCK
This is an initial public offering of shares of Class A common stock of Sera Prognostics, Inc. We are selling 4,687,500 shares of our Class A common stock. We currently expect that the initial public offering price will be between $15.00 and $17.00 per share of Class A common stock.
We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to an additional 703,125 shares of Class A common stock to cover over-allotments, if any.
We have applied to list our Class A common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “SERA.”
Following this offering, we will have two classes of common stock: Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The rights of the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion. Each share of Class A common stock will be entitled to one vote and shares of Class B common stock will be non-voting, except as may be required by law. Each share of Class B common stock may be converted at any time into one share of Class A common stock at the option of its holder, subject to the ownership limitations provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation which will be in effect upon the completion of this offering.
Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 14.
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined under the federal securities laws and, as such, we have elected to comply with certain reduced reporting requirements for this prospectus and may elect to do so in future filings.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Per Share
Total
Initial public offering price $                $               
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) $ $
Proceeds, before expenses, to Sera Prognostics, Inc. $ $
(1)
See the section titled “Underwriting” for additional information regarding compensation payable to the underwriters.
The underwriters expect to deliver the shares against payment on or about      , 2021.
Citigroup
Cowen
William Blair
Prospectus dated            , 2021.

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F-1
We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectuses we have prepared. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the shares offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus or in any applicable free writing prospectus is current only as of its date, regardless of its time of delivery or any sale of shares of our Class A common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
For investors outside of the United States: We have not, and the underwriters have not, done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than the United States. Persons outside of the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the shares of Class A common stock and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.
“Sera,” “PreTRM,” “The Pregnancy Company” and our logo are our trademarks. All other service marks, trademarks and trade names appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other companies. Solely for convenience, trademarks and tradenames referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate in any way that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, or that the applicable owner will not assert its rights, to these trademarks and tradenames. Unless the context otherwise requires, we use the terms “Sera,” “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” in this prospectus to refer to Sera Prognostics, Inc.
 
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus and does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making an investment decision. Before investing in our Class A common stock, you should carefully read this entire prospectus, including our financial statements and the related notes thereto and the information set forth under the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of this prospectus.
Overview
We are a women’s health diagnostic company utilizing our proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform to discover, develop and commercialize clinically meaningful and economically impactful biomarker tests, with an initial focus on improving pregnancy outcomes. We believe that our method of combining the disciplines of proteomics and bioinformatics with rigorous clinical testing and economic analysis enables us to provide physicians and patients with actionable data and information designed to result in better maternal and neonatal health at lower cost. Our vision is to deliver pivotal and actionable information to pregnant women, their physicians and healthcare payers to significantly improve maternal and neonatal health and to dramatically reduce healthcare costs. We have built an advanced, proprietary and scalable proteomics and bioinformatics platform to characterize the biology of pregnancy and to discover and validate key protein biomarkers found in blood that are highly accurate predictors of dynamic changes that occur during pregnancy. By incorporating our proprietary technology platform into our rigorous data-driven development process, we have created a differentiated approach for effectively addressing major conditions of pregnancy. We envision that our comprehensive approach will enable us to fully characterize one of the most important periods in the lives of women and children, and will help to improve their well-being. Our goal is to develop and commercialize tests that inform important decisions during all pregnancies. We also believe that the work we perform in pregnancy can ultimately be leveraged more broadly to address other areas in medicine and healthcare.
Our first commercial product, the PreTRM test, is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood-based biomarker test to accurately predict the risk of a premature delivery, also known as preterm birth. The PreTRM test is a non-invasive blood test given to a pregnant woman, carrying a single fetus, during weeks 19 or 20 of gestation that provides an accurate prediction of the expectant mother’s risk of delivering spontaneously before 37 weeks’ gestation. Our commercialization strategy includes conducting clinical trials to demonstrate the health and economic benefits of early and accurate detection of preterm birth risk coupled with well-recognized interventions in higher risk patients. Anthem, Inc., or Anthem, whose health plans cover more than 10% of U.S. pregnancies annually, will make our PreTRM test available to eligible pregnant members as part of this multi-year contract. Anthem is the nation’s second largest health insurer with greater than 43 million members nationwide. Through this collaboration, a significant number of physicians and patients in the U.S. gain access to early and accurate predictions of preterm birth to enable more informed decision-making during pregnancy. Sera believes that its commercial collaboration with Anthem further validates the clinical and economic value of its PreTRM test and significantly de-risks initial commercialization. Sera further expects this provides a pathway for broader market adoption through subsequent coverage decisions by other major payers. We are actively discovering and developing several additional biomarker tests to predict other major conditions of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, among others, that have the potential to offer significant health benefits to women and their babies.
There are approximately 140 million births globally each year. Of these, it is estimated that as many as 25% are affected by various complications, including: preterm birth, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, hypertension of pregnancy, gestational diabetes and others. In the United States, there are approximately 3.8 million births annually, and over 10% of those pregnancies result in preterm births with profound short- and long-term health consequences to the mother and baby. These health consequences are estimated to lead to associated costs of approximately $25 billion annually in the United States. Traditional methods to detect prematurity risk in time for proactive management have been limited and fail to identify the vast majority of women who will deliver prematurely. We believe our actionable blood-based biomarker test for prematurity risk can enable patients, physicians and payers to more proactively manage and mitigate the complications and associated costs of prematurity. Given that pregnancy is the launch point for the
 
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future health of babies and a key determinant in the future health of mothers and babies, we believe this area is ripe for innovation and better tools to improve patient outcomes.
Our Proprietary Technology Platform
The complexities of the biological processes occurring during pregnancy have been a major obstacle in developing effective tests for pregnancy-related conditions. We are working to overcome this obstacle through our development of a proprietary technology platform consisting of biobanks, advanced mass spectrometry and other proteomic analytic methods and bioinformatics, which enables superior characterization of the biology of pregnancy and more accurate prediction of pregnancy outcomes, as illustrated below.
Our Proprietary Technology Platform
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An analysis of protein pathways and expression at various points during pregnancy reveals the constantly evolving and dynamic changes affecting both the mother and the fetus. Earlier detection of changes in protein expression indicating the emergence of adverse pregnancy outcomes can enable proactive management of those conditions. A fundamental component of our platform is our proprietary and continually growing biobank consisting of comprehensive, clinically and demographically annotated blood samples collected from more than 10,500 pregnant U.S. women, representing broad demographic and geographic diversity inherent in the U.S. population. This differentiated resource enables us to develop and broadly validate our predictors. Further biobank diversity is also provided through our scientific collaborations with leading maternal fetal medicine experts around the globe, enabling us to analyze specimens collected from patients in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. In strict adherence to the authoritative National Academy of Medicine, or NAM, guidelines, we apply our innovative mass spectrometry and other proteomic analytical methods and our protein information network knowledge to probe biobank samples for meaningful protein expression changes. We then subject the data to detailed bioinformatics analysis and use advanced tools, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, to find relationships between various proteins and to discover important predictors.
Our Discovery, Development, and Commercialization Approach
Our product discovery and development approach is based on rigorous science and health-based economic analyses as we discover, develop and commercialize biomarker tests designed to transform pregnancy-related care for patients, doctors and payers. We have initially applied our platform and capabilities to address the problem of preterm birth, given its profound health and economic impacts worldwide. In the future, we may use this technology to develop products for a number of health conditions other than premature births.
We use the following multifaceted approach in our research, development and commercialization efforts:
 
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Significant Unmet Need.   We select specific conditions of pregnancy that are clinically meaningful and economically important and with significant unmet needs that lack effective solutions.

Proteomic and Bioinformatics Platform.   We utilize our platform to understand the biology underlying selected pregnancy-related conditions in order to discover, verify and broadly validate high-performing predictive biomarker tests.

Demonstrate Health and Economic Impact of Our Test and Treat Strategy.   We believe a critical element of our success will be to demonstrate the beneficial health and economic impacts of using the information provided by our biomarker tests.

Payer-Centric Reimbursement Coverage.   We have adopted what we believe is an innovative payer-centric approach for early commercialization of our biomarker tests, by seeking to leverage the health and economic benefits conferred by our biomarker approach to gain early reimbursement coverage from major health insurance payers.

Broader Market Adoption.   We are capitalizing on our innovative payer-centric reimbursement strategy to facilitate obtaining widespread commercial coverage of our biomarker tests from other healthcare payers.
Our Pipeline
We are developing a robust pipeline of novel blood-based biomarker tests for a number of major pregnancy related conditions beyond preterm birth by leveraging the biological insights provided by our proprietary technology platform. Our product candidates are designed to accurately predict and enable better management of a range of serious pregnancy-related conditions. We believe these product candidates, if successfully developed, have the potential to address significant unmet needs by providing more accurate detection of these pregnancy-related conditions and providing patients and physicians with earlier opportunities for interventional treatment. We retain worldwide development and commercialization rights to all of our product candidates.
Our biomarker pregnancy pipeline consists of the following:
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The PreTRM Test — Our Solution for Preterm Birth
Our first product, the PreTRM test, is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood-based biomarker test to accurately predict the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. Preterm birth, which occurs in approximately 15 million deliveries annually around the world, is defined as any birth before 37 weeks’ gestation and is a leading cause of illness and death in newborns. The 2020 March of Dimes Report Card
 
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shows that of the approximately 3.8 million babies born annually in the United States, more than one in 10 is born prematurely. Preterm births result in approximately $25 billion in economic costs in the United States per year, largely as a result of profound short- and long-term health consequences to the mother and baby. Major long-term medical complications associated with preterm birth include learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, chronic respiratory illness, intellectual disability, seizures and vision and hearing loss. These complications can generate significant costs throughout the lives of affected children.
The PreTRM test is a non-invasive blood test given to a pregnant woman during week 19 or 20 of gestation. The PreTRM test provides an accurate prediction of the expectant mother’s individualized risk, expressed as a percentage, of delivering spontaneously before 37 weeks’ gestation, as well as her relative risk compared to the average population risk. The great majority of single fetus, or singleton, preterm births are spontaneous, where the mother goes into labor and delivers without any apparent known pathology.
The protein biomarkers of preterm birth utilized in our PreTRM test have been extensively validated in multiple maternal fetal medicine centers located in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. In addition, we continue to build on our existing data to further demonstrate the clinical and economic benefits of intervening based on PreTRM test results. We believe our comprehensive approach to build evidence for our PreTRM test addresses key elements payers require in order to reimburse testing, including:

analytical validation of the testing platform, or measurement validity;

clinical validation, or test validity;

clinical utility of using validated predictions, or positive health benefit; and

economic utility, or cost effectiveness and healthcare savings.
Underscoring the benefits of the PreTRM test and treat strategy, evidence of the clinical and economic utility of the PreTRM test administered mid-pregnancy has been published by respected independent health economists in a leading maternal fetal medicine journal.
The strength of the data from our studies of the PreTRM test has enabled us to pursue an innovative and accelerated approach to commercialization. We have secured PreTRM test reimbursement through a major strategic payer, Anthem, representing an important step in achieving initial payer acceptance of our rigorous approach to prematurity, which we believe will help the PreTRM test obtain broader insurance coverage adoption. We believe that this collaboration significantly de-risks initial commercialization of the PreTRM test, as it provides reimbursement from a major payer covering more than 10% of U.S. pregnancies annually and provides a pathway for broader market adoption through subsequent coverage decisions by other major payers. The collaboration also enables us to generate more data to demonstrate the value of the PreTRM test and treat approach across diverse patient populations within Anthem’s insurance plans. In November 2020, we were awarded a unique CPT® PLA code by the AMA Editorial Board, specifically for the PreTRM test, which we believe will also help drive payment and coverage decisions for PreTRM testing.
Our Team
Our team brings extensive experience and expertise in building and running highly profitable molecular diagnostics companies. We are led by Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S., our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, who previously served as President of Myriad Genetic Laboratories; Douglas Fisher, M.D., our Chief Business Officer; Thomas Garite, M.D., our Vice President, Clinical Sciences, a past president of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine; Jay Boniface, Ph.D., our Chief Scientific Officer; and Nadia Altomare, our Chief Commercial Officer, all of whom have extensive leadership experience in the pharmaceutical, device and diagnostic companies. Jay Moyes, our Chief Financial Officer, or CFO, previously served as CFO with Myriad Genetics and has extensive experience in public and private financings, licensing transactions and acquisitions. We are supported by an experienced board of directors and clinical and scientific advisors that are leaders in the fields of maternal fetal medicine, bioinformatics, clinical trials and science-based businesses.
 
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Our Strengths
We attribute our success and future growth prospects to the following:

Our differentiated approach to understanding and addressing major conditions of pregnancy.   We take a focused and data-driven approach based on rigorous science to understand the biology of pregnancy and the health and economic impacts of major pregnancy conditions. Our approach involves conducting controlled trials and health economic analyses to demonstrate the beneficial health and economic impacts of using the information provided by our biomarker tests. We also work with leading health economists and organizations to build rigorous models that describe how the application of our tests impacts both health and economic outcomes. Leveraging the demonstrated short- and long-term health and economic benefits of our biomarker approach, we aim to gain early reimbursement coverage from major health insurance payers by working with them to demonstrate the benefits of using our biomarker tests based upon analysis of claims data in their own plans. We intend to capitalize on our innovative payer-centric reimbursement strategy to facilitate obtaining widespread commercial coverage of our biomarker tests from other healthcare payers.

Our proprietary and scalable proteomics and bioinformatics platform technology creates clinically meaningful and economically impactful predictions for pregnancy.   We believe our proprietary proteomic and bioinformatics technology platform has the potential to enable critical advances in the management of pregnancy and its outcomes. Our platform consists of biobanks, advanced mass spectrometry and other proteomic analytic methods and bioinformatics, which enables superior characterization of the biology of pregnancy and accurate prediction of pregnancy outcomes. We believe this platform has the potential to address significant unmet medical needs in the large, underserved market for the prediction of outcomes associated with pregnancy.

The PreTRM test is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood test proven to predict the risk of an individual woman to deliver prematurely.   The predictive performance of the PreTRM biomarkers has been extensively validated in diverse populations and geographies and enables earlier proactive care addressing higher preterm birth risk that occurs among the 3.8 million annual singleton pregnancies in the United States. We believe that based on our growing body of evidence regarding the clinical and economic benefits of the PreTRM test and our innovative collaboration with Anthem, as greater payer and physician adoption occurs throughout the United States, the PreTRM test has the potential to become an important standard of care for preterm birth.

Innovative and strategic partnership with Anthem.   We have secured early PreTRM test reimbursement through our strategic collaboration with Anthem, which represents an important step in achieving initial payer acceptance of our rigorous approach to prematurity and which we believe will help foster broader insurance coverage adoption. We launched this commercialization process in the first half of 2021, and from which we envision substantial penetration of Anthem’s network over the next few years. We believe this collaboration significantly de-risks initial commercialization of our PreTRM test, as it demonstrates reimbursement from a major payer covering more than 10% of U.S. pregnancies annually and provides a pathway for broader market adoption through subsequent coverage decisions by other major payers.

Broad pipeline covering additional significant conditions of pregnancy.   We are also developing a novel pipeline of blood-based biomarker tests for a number of major pregnancy-related conditions beyond preterm birth by leveraging the biological insights provided by our proprietary technology platform. We believe these product candidates, if successfully developed, have the potential to address significant unmet needs by providing more accurate detection of these pregnancy-related conditions and affording patients and physicians earlier opportunities for interventional treatment. We retain worldwide development and commercialization rights to all of our product candidates.

Deeply experienced team in biotechnology and molecular diagnostics test development and commercialization.   Our executive team has decades of experience in building and commercializing molecular diagnostics tests. We have worked to build a first-class scientific organization capable of harnessing and translating our platform technologies into innovative predictive solutions as we strive to deliver pivotal and actionable information to pregnant women, their physicians and
 
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payers to improve the health of patients as well as the economics of healthcare delivery. Our experienced discovery and development team performs rigorous bioinformatics analyses and strictly adheres to the authoritative guidelines published by the NAM on how to reliably develop and validate omics predictions made on complex biological data sets. Adhering to these guidelines, in the case of predicting preterm birth, we have been able to document generalizable biomarker predictive performance across independent cohorts of patients from the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. Reflective of the scientific rigor of our efforts, our scientists have published best practice recommendations for the analysis of preterm delivery data. We believe this will improve the quality of statistical analysis of research data related to proteomic test development, enabling the broad community of statisticians, researchers, clinicians and regulators to better validate predictions prior to their clinical use.
Our Strategy
Our vision is to deliver pivotal and actionable information to pregnant women, their physicians and healthcare payers to significantly improve maternal and neonatal health and to dramatically reduce healthcare costs. Our goal as The Pregnancy Company is to discover, develop and commercialize clinically meaningful and economically impactful biomarker tests designed to improve pregnancy outcomes. We believe it is critical to innovate products that will be viewed as cost-effective by payers in order to receive reimbursement for our tests. We aim to accomplish our vision by implementing the following strategies:

Accelerate the commercialization of the PreTRM test through our innovative strategic partnership with Anthem.

Expand coverage of the PreTRM test to additional payers to maximize the commercial opportunity.

Apply our platform capabilities to broaden our pipeline and develop novel and high-performing biomarker tests for pregnancy-related conditions and potentially other health conditions.

Continually enhance the value and capabilities of our proprietary technology platform through ongoing expansion and integration of our biobank and our proteomics and bioinformatics databases.

Rapidly build a dedicated women’s health commercial infrastructure.

Evaluate strategic partnerships to maximize the value of our product offerings.
Risk Factors
Our business is subject to a number of risks of which you should be aware before making an investment decision. These risks are discussed more fully in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus immediately following this prospectus summary. These risks include the following:

We have incurred net losses since our inception and we anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, which could harm our future business prospects. Operating our business requires a significant amount of cash, and our ability to generate sufficient cash depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control. We expect to need to raise additional capital after this offering, and if we cannot raise additional capital when needed, we may have to curtail or cease operations.

We have derived substantially all of our revenues to date from the PreTRM test, and if our efforts to further increase the use and adoption of the PreTRM test or to develop new products and services in the future do not succeed, our business will be harmed.

Our success depends on broad scientific and market acceptance of the PreTRM test, which we may fail to achieve.

In the near future, we expect to rely on sales to a limited number of direct customers, primarily Anthem, for a significant portion of our revenue from the sale of the PreTRM test, and the loss of Anthem as a customer could materially harm our business.

If our CLIA-certified laboratory facility becomes inoperable, we will be unable to perform our tests and our business will be harmed.
 
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Our business would be materially harmed if our proprietary biobank were to become contaminated, lost or destroyed.

If we are unable to successfully scale our operations, our business could suffer.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could materially affect our operations, as well as the business or operations of third parties with whom we conduct business. Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of other future health epidemics or pandemics in regions where we, or third parties on which we rely, have significant business operations.

Our estimates of total addressable market opportunity and forecasts of market growth may prove to be inaccurate, and even if the market in which we compete achieves the forecasted growth, our business could fail to grow at similar rates.

If third-party payers do not adequately reimburse for any new tests we may develop, our new tests may not be purchased or used, which may adversely affect our revenue and profits.

Our revenues may be adversely impacted if third-party payers withdraw coverage or provide lower levels of reimbursement due to changing policies, billing complexities or other factors.

Any failure to obtain, maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights could impair our ability to protect our proprietary technology and our brand.

Competition in the life science industry, including companies engaged in molecular diagnostics and proteomics, is intense. If we are unable to compete successfully with respect to our current or future products or services, we may not be able to increase or sustain our revenues or achieve profitability.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on January 17, 2008. Our principal executive offices are located at 2749 East Parleys Way, Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84109, and our telephone number is (801) 990-0520. Our website address is https://www.seraprognostics.com/. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not and shall not be deemed to be part of this prospectus. We have included our website address in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference. Investors should not rely on any such information in deciding whether to purchase our Class A common stock.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
We are an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended, or the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (2) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700.0 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or (4) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting requirements and is relieved of certain other significant requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies. As an emerging growth company,

we may present only two years of audited financial statements, plus unaudited condensed financial statements for any interim period, and related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in this prospectus;

we may avail ourselves of the exemption from the requirement to obtain an attestation and report from our auditors on the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

we may provide reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements; and
 
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we may not require stockholder non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements.
We have elected to take advantage of certain of the reduced disclosure obligations in the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and may elect to take advantage of other reduced reporting requirements in future filings. As a result, the information that we provide to our stockholders may be different than you might receive from other public reporting companies in which you hold equity interests.
In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, delaying the adoption of these accounting standards until they would apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards, and, therefore, we will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards at the same time as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies or those that have opted out of using such extended transition period, which may make comparison of our financial statements with such other public companies more difficult. We may take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, or, with respect to adoption of certain new or revised accounting standards, until we irrevocably elect to opt out of using the extended transition period. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting standards as of public company effective dates.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or 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 our Class A common stock and Class B common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or our annual revenue is less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and our Class A common stock and Class B common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter.
 
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The Offering
Class A common stock offered by us
4,687,500 shares.
Underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock offered by us
703,125 shares.
Total Class A and Class B common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering
30,508,941 shares (or 31,212,066 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full).
Use of proceeds
We estimate the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $68.0 million (or $78.5 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full), assuming an initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We intend to use the net proceeds from the offering for the following purposes: (i) commercialization activities relating to the PreTRM test; (ii) clinical studies supporting commercialization of the PreTRM test, including the Anthem/PRIME study, and for product discovery and development studies; (iii) increasing capacity and efficiency of our clinical laboratory and enhancing our information technology infrastructure; (iv) further development of our proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform and our pipeline programs; and (v) working capital and other general corporate purposes. See the “Use of Proceeds” section of this prospectus for additional information.
Voting Rights
Following this offering, we will have two classes of common stock: Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The rights of the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion. Each share of Class A common stock will be entitled to one vote and shares of Class B common stock will be non-voting, except as may be required by law. Each share of Class B common stock may be converted into one share of Class A common stock at the option of its holder, subject to the ownership limitations provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be in effect upon the completion of this offering. See the section titled “Description of Capital Stock” for additional information.
Risk factors
You should read the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus beginning on page 14 and other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of factors to consider carefully before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock.
Proposed Nasdaq Global Market symbol
SERA
 
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The number of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 25,821,441 shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021, after giving effect to the conversion of all of our outstanding shares of preferred stock, including the 3,115,657 shares of Series E convertible preferred stock issued in April 2021, into an aggregate of 23,839,358 shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock upon the completion of this offering, and excludes the following:

4,958,194 shares of our Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options as of March 31, 2021, having a weighted-average exercise price of $2.54 per share;

2,741,813 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2021, having a weighted-average exercise price of $12.79 per share;

81,543 shares of common stock (on an as-converted basis) issuable upon exercise of warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock as of March 31, 2021, having a weighted average exercise price of $7.20 per share;

1,411,038 shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, of which options to purchase 742,294 shares of Class A common stock having an exercise price of $8.88 per share were granted since March 31, 2021;

3,966,162 shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, which will become effective upon the completion of this offering; and

305,089 shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which will become effective upon the completion of this offering.
Except as otherwise indicated, all information contained in this prospectus assumes or gives effect to:

the automatic conversion of all of our outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of 23,839,358 shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock upon the completion of this offering;

no exercise by the underwriters of their option purchase up to an additional 703,125 shares of our Class A common stock;

no exercise of the outstanding options described above;

no exercise of the outstanding warrants described above;

a one for 2.079 reverse split of our Class A common stock and Class B common Stock effected on July 7, 2021; and

the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the adoption of our amended and restated by-laws immediately upon the completion of this offering.
 
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Summary Financial Data
You should read the following summary financial data together with our condensed financial statements and the related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus and the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of this prospectus. The summary statements of operations data for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, and the summary balance sheet data as of March 31, 2021 have been derived from the unaudited interim condensed financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. We have derived the statement of operations data and balance sheet data for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 from our audited financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The unaudited interim condensed financial statements were prepared on the same basis as our audited financial statements and reflect, in the opinion of management, all adjustments, which include only normal, recurring adjustments that are necessary to present fairly the results for the interim periods presented. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future, and our results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for any full year.
Three Months Ended March 31,
Year Ended December 31,
2021
2020
2020
2019
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
(unaudited)
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
Data:
Revenue
$ 13 $ 8 $ 25 $ 36
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenue
5 3 11 18
Research and development
2,396 2,050 7,782 9,353
Selling and marketing
1,350 868 3,645 2,963
General and administrative
2,287 1,379 6,558 4,278
Total operating expenses
6,038 4,300 17,996 16,612
Loss from operations
(6,025) (4,292) (17,971) (16,576)
Interest expense
(307) (437) (1,839) (1,972)
Other income (expense), net
(27) 33 (38) 2,027
Net loss and comprehensive loss
$ (6,359) $ (4,696) $ (19,848) $ (16,521)
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted(1)
$ (3.55) $ (3.08) $ (12.76) $ (10.89)
Weighted-average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1)
1,791,841 1,525,334 1,555,745 1,516,871
Pro forma net loss per share, basic and diluted (unaudited)(1)
$ (0.35) $ (1.15)
Pro forma weighted-average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted (unaudited)(1)
18,107,488 17,198,890
(1)
See Note 13 to our unaudited condensed financial statements and Note 15 to our financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus for details on the calculation of basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders. The unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were computed using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding, including the pro forma effect of the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock into shares of common stock on the later of January 1, 2021 or the date the equity instruments were issued. The unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the
 
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year ended December 31, 2020 were computed using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding, including the pro forma effect of the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock into shares of common stock on the later of January 1, 2020 or the date the equity instruments were issued. The unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders do not give effect to the issuance and sale of 3,115,657 shares of Series E convertible preferred stock in April 2021 for aggregate gross proceeds of $38.8 million or the forgiveness of the entire outstanding PPP loan payable of $1.1 million in June 2021.
As of March 31, 2021
(unaudited)
Actual
Pro forma(1)
Pro forma
as adjusted(2)
(in thousands)
Balance Sheet Data:
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 60,016 $ 98,816 $ 166,819
Working capital(3)
$ 56,709 $ 96,211 $ 164,984
Total assets
$ 62,744 $ 101,544 $ 168,146
Convertible preferred stock
$ 188,343 $ $
Accumulated deficit
$ (137,818) $ (136,768) $ (136,768)
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity
$ (130,390) $ 98,297 $ 165,670
(1)
The pro forma balance sheet data reflect the actual balance sheet data and give effect to: (i) the sale and issuance of 3,115,657 shares of our Series E convertible preferred stock in April 2021 for gross cash proceeds of $38.8 million; (ii) the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation immediately upon the completion of this offering; (iii) the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our convertible preferred stock, including the 3,115,657 shares of Series E convertible preferred stock issued in April 2021, into an aggregate of 23,839,358 shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock upon the consummation of this offering; and (iv) the forgiveness of the entire outstanding PPP loan payable of $1.1 million in June 2021.
(2)
The pro forma as adjusted balance sheet data give further effect to (1) above and to the issuance and sale of 4,687,500 shares of our Class A common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The pro forma as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will change based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total stockholders’ (deficit) equity by $4.4 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. An increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total stockholders’ (deficit) equity by $14.9 million, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price per share and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
(3)
We define working capital as current assets less current liabilities. See our financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus for further details regarding our current assets and current liabilities.
 
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, the section of this prospectus entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our financial statements and related notes, before investing in our Class A common stock. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that affect us. If any of the following risks occur, our business, operating results and prospects could be materially harmed. In that event, the price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital
We have incurred net losses since our inception and we anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future, which could harm our future business prospects.
We have incurred net losses each year since our inception in 2008. To date, we have financed our operations primarily through private placements of our equity and debt securities and bank loans. Our net loss for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $19.8 million and $16.5 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2021, we had an accumulated deficit of $137.8 million. Our losses may continue to increase in the future as we continue to devote a substantial portion of our resources to efforts to increase the adoption of, and reimbursement for, the PreTRM test, make improvements to this product, and research, develop and commercialize new products.
Other than revenues from the sale of the PreTRM test, we do not expect to generate revenues from other sources in the immediate future. It is possible that we will not generate sufficient revenue from the sale of our products to cover our costs, including research and development expenses related to furthering our product pipeline, and achieve or sustain profitability. A significant element of our business strategy is to increase and maintain our in-network coverage with third-party payers; however, the negotiated fees under contracts with third-party payers are typically lower than the list price of our tests, and in some cases the third-party payers with whom we may contract in the future may have negative coverage determinations for the PreTRM test and potential future offerings. Therefore, being in-network with third-party payers may have an adverse impact on our revenues especially if we are unable to increase the adoption of, and obtain favorable coverage reimbursement for, our products.
As there is a possibility that our company, any collaborators and/or licensees may not successfully develop additional products, obtain required regulatory authorizations for such products, manufacture such products at an acceptable cost or with sufficient quality or successfully market and sell such products with desired margins, our expenses may continue to exceed any revenues we may receive. Our operating expenses also will increase as, or if, among other factors:

our earlier-stage products move into later-stage development, which is generally more expensive than early-stage development;

we select additional technologies or products for development;

we increase the number of patents we are prosecuting or otherwise expend additional resources on patent prosecution or defense; or

we acquire or in-license additional technologies, product candidates, products or businesses.
Operating our business requires a significant amount of cash, and our ability to generate sufficient cash depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control. We expect to need to raise additional capital after this offering, and, if we cannot raise additional capital when needed, we may have to curtail or cease operations.
In the future, we expect to incur significant costs in connection with our operations, including, but not limited to, the development, marketing authorization, and commercialization of new tests, and other products. These development activities generally require a substantial investment before we can determine commercial viability, and the proceeds of this offering will not be sufficient to fully fund these activities. We
 
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expect to need to raise additional funds through public or private equity or debt financings, collaborations or licensing arrangements to continue to fund or expand our operations.
Our actual liquidity and capital funding requirements will depend on numerous factors, including:

our ability to achieve broad commercial success with the PreTRM test;

the scope and duration of, and expenditures associated with, our discovery efforts and research and development programs, including for our proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform;

the costs to fund our commercialization strategies for any product candidates which we launch and to prepare for potential product marketing authorizations, as required;

the costs of any acquisitions of complementary businesses or technologies that we may pursue;

potential licensing or partnering transactions, if any;

our facility expenses, which will vary depending on the time and terms of any facility lease or sublease we may enter into, and other operating expenses;

the scope and extent of the expansion of our sales and marketing efforts;

the commercial success of our products;

our ability to obtain more extensive coverage and reimbursement for the PreTRM test and other products, if any; and

our ability to collect our accounts receivable.
The availability of additional capital, whether from private capital sources, such as banks, or the public capital markets, may fluctuate as our financial condition and market conditions in general change. There may be times when the private capital sources and the public capital markets lack sufficient liquidity or when our securities cannot be sold at attractive prices, or at all, in which case we would not be able to access capital from these sources. In addition, any weakening of our financial condition or deterioration in our credit ratings could adversely affect our ability to obtain necessary funds. Even if available, additional financing could be costly or have adverse consequences.
Additional capital, if needed, may not be available on satisfactory terms or at all. Furthermore, any additional capital raised through the sale of equity or equity-linked securities will dilute our stockholders’ ownership interests and may have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock. In addition, the terms of any financing may adversely affect stockholders’ holdings or rights. Debt financing, if available, may include restrictive covenants. To the extent that we raise additional funds through collaborations and licensing arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to our technologies or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us.
If we are not able to obtain adequate funding when needed, we may be required to delay development programs or sales and marketing initiatives. If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on satisfactory terms, we may have to reduce our workforce and may be prevented from continuing our discovery, development and commercialization efforts and leveraging other corporate opportunities. In addition, it may be necessary to work with a partner on one or more of our tests or products under development, which could lower our economic value of those products. Each of the foregoing factors may harm our business, operating results and financial condition and may impact our ability to continue as a going concern.
Our quarterly and annual results may fluctuate from period to period, which could adversely impact the value of our Class A common stock.
Our quarterly and annual results of operations, including our revenues, gross margin, net loss and cash flows, may vary from period to period as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control, including those listed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section, and as a result, period-to-period comparisons of our operating results may not be meaningful. Our quarterly and annual results should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance. In addition, to the extent that we continue to spend considerably on our internal sales and marketing and research and development efforts, we expect to
 
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incur costs in advance of achieving the anticipated benefits of such efforts. We also face competitive pricing and reimbursement pressures, and we may not be able to maintain our premium pricing in the future, which would adversely affect our operating results. Fluctuations in quarterly and annual results and key metrics may cause our results to fall below our financial guidance or other projections or goals, or the expectations of analysts or investors, which could adversely affect the price of our Class A common stock.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
We have derived substantially all of our revenues to date from the PreTRM test, and if our efforts to further increase the use and adoption of the PreTRM test or to develop new products and services in the future do not succeed, our business will be harmed.
We currently receive and expect to continue to receive substantially all of our revenues from the sales of the PreTRM test. We intend to establish early reimbursement coverage for the PreTRM test by collaborating with payers to perform rigorous analysis to demonstrate the health and economic benefits of our biomarker tests based upon their own claims data in their plans, and then leveraging early payer reimbursement coverage determinations to obtain widespread commercial coverage of the PreTRM test from other health care payers and physician practices in the pregnancy market. If we are unable to execute on this commercial strategy and increase our revenues from the sale of the PreTRM test, our business may be materially adversely impacted. Our ability to increase sales of the PreTRM test and establish greater levels of adoption and reimbursement for the PreTRM test is uncertain for many reasons, including, among others:

we may be unable to demonstrate to clinics, clinicians, physicians, payers and patients that the PreTRM test is superior to alternatives with respect to value, convenience, accuracy, scope of coverage and other factors;

third-party payers may set the amounts of reimbursement at prices that reduce our profit margins or do not allow us to cover our expenses;

we may not be able to maintain and grow effective sales and marketing capabilities;

our sales and marketing efforts may fail to effectively reach customers or communicate the benefits of the PreTRM test;

superior alternatives to the PreTRM test may be developed and commercialized; we may not be able to compete against these alternatives;

we may face competitive pressures;

we may experience supply constraints, including due to the failure of our key suppliers to provide required sequencing instruments and reagents;

we may encounter difficulties with transportation logistics and regulations associated with shipping blood samples, including infrastructure conditions and transportation delays;

U.S. or foreign regulatory or legislative bodies may adopt new regulations or policies or take other actions that impose significant restrictions on our ability to market our products;

we may be unable to compete successfully with respect to our current or future products or services, as a result of which we may not be able to increase or sustain our revenues or achieve profitability; and

we may not be able to protect our intellectual property position.
If our market share for the PreTRM test fails to grow or grows more slowly than expected, our business, operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected.
Our success depends on broad scientific and market acceptance of the PreTRM test, which we may fail to achieve.
Our ability to achieve and maintain scientific and commercial market acceptance of the PreTRM test will depend on a number of factors. We expect that the PreTRM test will be subject to the market forces and adoption curves common to other new technologies. The market for proteomics and bioinformatics
 
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technologies and products is in its early stages of development. If widespread adoption of the PreTRM test or any other products that we commercialize in the future takes longer than anticipated, we will continue to experience operating losses. The success of life sciences technologies and products is due, in large part, to acceptance by the scientific and medical communities and their adoption of certain products in the applicable field of research. The life sciences scientific community is often led by a small number of early adopters and key opinion leaders who significantly influence the rest of the community through publications in peer-reviewed journals. In such journal publications, the researchers will describe their discoveries, and also the methods, and typically the products used, to fuel such discoveries. Mentions in peer-reviewed journal publications may be a driver for the general acceptance of products for the life sciences industry, such as the PreTRM test. In addition, continuing collaborative relationships with opinion leaders will be vital to maintaining any market acceptance we achieve. If too few researchers describe the use of our products, too many researchers shift to a competing product and publish research outlining their use of that product, or too many researchers negatively describe the use of our products in publications, it may drive customers away from our products. Other factors in achieving commercial market acceptance include:

our ability to market and increase awareness of the capabilities of the PreTRM test;

the ability of the PreTRM test to demonstrate comparable performance in intended use applications broadly in the hands of customers;

our customers’ willingness to adopt new products and workflows;

the PreTRM test’s ease of use and whether it reliably provides advantages over other alternative technologies;

the rate of adoption of the PreTRM test by patients, physicians, payers and the medical community at large;

the prices we charge for the PreTRM test;

our ability to develop new products and solutions for customers;

whether competitors develop and commercialize products that perform similar functions as the PreTRM test; and

the impact of our investments in product innovation and commercial growth.
We cannot assure that we will be successful in addressing each of these criteria or other criteria that might affect the market acceptance of any products we commercialize, particularly the PreTRM test. If we are unsuccessful in achieving and maintaining market acceptance of the PreTRM test, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.
In the near future, we expect to rely on sales to a limited number of direct customers, primarily Anthem, for a significant portion of our revenue from the sale of the PreTRM test, and the loss of Anthem as a customer could materially harm our business.
We expect that a significant portion of our revenue in the near future will be generated from sales to a limited number of customers, primarily Anthem, the loss of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Accordingly, we are subject to customer concentration risk. Furthermore, any termination of our relationship with Anthem would also adversely impact our strategy to rapidly accelerate commercialization of the PreTRM test and help incentivize broader market adoption.
If we are unable to establish sales and marketing capabilities, we may not be successful in commercializing the PreTRM test.
We have limited experience as a company in sales and marketing and our ability to achieve profitability depends on our being able to attract customers for the PreTRM test and our future products, once approved. Although members of our management team have considerable industry experience, we must expand our sales, marketing, distribution and customer service and support capabilities with the appropriate technical expertise in order to successfully commercialize the PreTRM test. To perform sales, marketing, distribution, and customer service and support successfully, we will face a number of risks, including:
 
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our ability to attract, retain and manage the sales, marketing and customer service and support force necessary to commercialize and gain market acceptance for our technology;

the time and cost of establishing a specialized sales, marketing and customer service and support force; and

our sales, marketing and customer service and support force may be unable to initiate and execute successful commercialization activities.
We may seek to enlist one or more third parties to assist with sales, distribution and customer service and support. There is no guarantee, if we do seek to enter into such arrangements, that we will be successful in attracting desirable sales and distribution partners or that we will be able to enter into such arrangements on favorable terms. If our sales and marketing efforts, or those of any third-party sales and distribution partners, are not successful, the PreTRM test may not gain market acceptance, which could materially impact our business operations.
Even if the PreTRM test achieves broad scientific and market acceptance, if we fail to improve it or introduce compelling new products, our future revenues and prospects could be harmed.
Even if we are able to achieve broad scientific and market acceptance for the PreTRM test, our ability to grow our business will depend in large part on our ability both to enhance and improve the PreTRM test and to introduce compelling new products, including for major pregnancy related conditions beyond preterm birth. The success of any enhancement to the PreTRM test or introduction of new products depends on several factors, including completion of certain clinical development requirements, timely completion and delivery of the product, competitive pricing, adequate quality testing, integration with existing technologies, appropriately timed and staged product introductions and overall market acceptance. Any new product or enhancement to the PreTRM test that we develop may not be introduced in a timely or cost-effective manner, may contain defects, errors or vulnerabilities or may not achieve the market acceptance necessary to generate significant revenue.
The typical development cycle of new life sciences products can be lengthy and complicated and may require new scientific discoveries or advancements, considerable resources and complex technology and engineering. Such developments may involve external suppliers and service providers, making the management of development projects complex and subject to risks and uncertainties regarding timing, timely delivery of required components or services and satisfactory technical performance of such components or assembled products. If we do not achieve the required technical specifications or successfully manage new product development processes, or if development work is not performed according to schedule, then such new technologies or products may be adversely impacted. To date, we have only completed the development process for one product. We cannot assure you that we will ever succeed in completing that process for another product, including for major pregnancy related conditions beyond preterm birth, or that even if we do, it will be launched successfully in the market and find commercial acceptance. If we are unable to successfully develop new products, enhance the PreTRM test to meet customer requirements, compete with alternative products or otherwise gain and maintain market acceptance, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be harmed.
Competition in the life science industry, including companies engaged in molecular diagnostics and proteomics, is intense. If we are unable to compete successfully with respect to our current or future products or services, we may not be able to increase or sustain our revenues or achieve profitability.
We are a women’s health diagnostic company utilizing our proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform to discover, develop and commercialize biomarker tests, and our first commercial product, the PreTRM test, is designed to accurately predict the risk of premature delivery. The proteomics and bioinformatics industry is characterized by rapid technological changes, frequent new product introductions, reimbursement challenges, emerging competition, intellectual property disputes and litigation, price competition, aggressive marketing practices, evolving industry standards and changing customer preferences. We cannot guarantee that research, discoveries or other advancements by other companies will not render our existing or potential products and services uneconomical or result in products and services that are superior or otherwise preferable to our current or future products and services.
 
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We face competition with respect to the PreTRM test and expect to face competition with respect to any product candidates that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the future. Many of the companies against which we are competing or may compete against in the future have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing and commercialization. Mergers and acquisitions in our industry may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Smaller and early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These third parties compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel and conducting clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our products and services.
To remain competitive over time, we will need to continually research and develop improvements to our products and services. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to develop and commercialize any improvements to our products and services on a timely basis. Our competitors may develop and commercialize competing or alternative products and services and improvements faster than we are able to do so, which would negatively affect our ability to increase or sustain our revenue or achieve profitability.
If our products do not perform as expected, our operating results, reputation and business will suffer.
Our success depends on the market’s confidence that we can provide reliable, high-quality testing results. There is no guarantee that the accuracy and reproducibility we have demonstrated to date will continue as our test volumes continue to increase and our product portfolio continues to expand. We believe that patients that rely on our tests are particularly sensitive to test limitations and errors, including inaccurate test results. As a result, if our tests do not perform as expected or favorably in comparison to competing tests, our operating results, reputation and business will suffer. We may also become subject to legal claims arising from such limitations, errors or inaccuracies.
The PreTRM test uses, and our future tests will use, a number of complex and sophisticated proteomic and bioinformatics processes and advanced mass spectrometry techniques, which are highly sensitive to external factors. An operational, technological or other failure in one of these complex processes may result in sensitivity or specificity rates that are lower than we anticipate. In addition, we regularly evaluate and refine our testing processes, and any refinements we make may not improve our tests as we expect and may result in unanticipated issues that may adversely affect our test performance as described above. Such operational, technical and other difficulties adversely affect test performance, may impact the commercial attractiveness of our products and may increase our costs or divert our resources, including management’s time and attention, from other projects and priorities. Furthermore, any changes to our testing process may require us to use new or different suppliers or materials with whom or which we are unfamiliar, and which may not perform as we anticipate, and could cause delays, downtime or other operational issues.
If our CLIA-certified laboratory facility becomes inoperable, we will be unable to perform our tests and our business will be harmed.
We currently operate a CLIA-certified laboratory facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, which processes the PreTRM test that represents the source of substantially all of our revenues. Our facility could be harmed or rendered inoperable, or our products or other assets could be damaged or destroyed, by natural or manmade disasters, including earthquakes, severe weather, flooding, power outages and contamination, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may render it difficult or impossible for us to operate our business and/or perform our tests for some period of time. The inability to perform our tests or the backlog of tests that could develop if our facility is inoperable — for even a short period of time — may harm our reputation and result in a material adverse effect on our revenues.
The marketing, sale and use of the PreTRM test and any other products that we develop in the future could result in substantial damages arising from product liability or professional liability claims, associated with product recalls or otherwise, that exceed our resources.
The marketing, sale and use of the PreTRM test and any other products that we develop and commercialize in the future could lead to product liability claims against us if someone were to allege that the PreTRM test or any future product failed to perform as it was designed or as claimed in our promotional
 
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materials, was performed pursuant to incorrect or inadequate laboratory procedures, if we delivered incorrect or incomplete test results or if someone were to misinterpret test results. In addition, we may be subject to liability for errors in, a misunderstanding of, or inappropriate reliance upon, the information we provide, or for failure to provide such information, in connection with our marketing and promotional activities or as part of the results generated by the PreTRM test and other future tests. Even though the PreTRM test is highly accurate, it is not 100% accurate, and we may report false results. In such a scenario, the patient or her family may file a lawsuit against us claiming product or professional liability. In addition, any manufacturing or design defects in our products could lead to product recalls, either voluntary or as required by government authorities, which could result in the removal of a product from the market.
A product liability or professional liability claim could result in substantial damages and be costly and time-consuming for us to defend. Although we maintain product and professional liability insurance, our insurance may not fully protect us from the financial impact of defending against product liability or professional liability claims or any judgments, fines or settlement costs arising out of any such claims, or the financial and reputational consequences of a product recall. Any product liability or professional liability claim brought against us, with or without merit, could increase our insurance rates, cause our insurance coverage to be terminated or prevent us from securing insurance coverage in the future. As we attempt to bring new products to market, we may need to increase our product liability coverage, which would be a significant additional expense that we may not be able to afford. Additionally, any product liability or professional liability lawsuit could harm our reputation, result in a cessation of PreTRM testing or cause our partners to terminate our agreements with them, any of which could adversely impact our results of operations.
The results of our clinical trials may not support the use of our tests and other product candidates, or may not be replicated in later studies.
We have conducted and are currently conducting a variety of observational and interventional studies for the PreTRM test and our other tests in development that involve clinical investigators at multiple sites in the United States. We may need to conduct additional studies for the PreTRM test, as well as other tests we may offer in the future, to drive test adoption in the marketplace and reimbursement. Should we not be able to perform these studies, or should their results not provide clinically meaningful data and value for clinicians, adoption of our tests could be impaired.
The administration of clinical and economic utility studies is expensive and demands significant attention from certain members of our management team. Data collected from these studies may not be positive or consistent with our existing data, or may not be statistically significant or compelling to the medical community or payers. If the results obtained from our ongoing or future studies are inconsistent with certain results obtained from our previous studies, adoption of our products would suffer and our business would be harmed.
Peer-reviewed publications regarding our products and product candidates may be limited by many factors, including delays in the completion of, poor design of, or lack of compelling data from clinical studies, as well as delays in the review, acceptance, and publication process. If our products or product candidates or the technology underlying our current or future products or product candidates do not receive sufficient favorable exposure in peer-reviewed publications, or are not published, the rate of health care provider adoption of our tests and positive reimbursement coverage decisions for our tests and other products could be negatively affected. The publication of clinical data in peer-reviewed journals can be a crucial step in commercializing and obtaining reimbursement for tests, and our inability to control when, if ever, results are published may delay or limit our ability to derive sufficient revenues from any test that is the subject of a study. The performance achieved in published studies may not be repeated in later studies that may be required to obtain U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, marketing authorizations should we decide to do so for business reasons, or should we be required to submit applications to the FDA or other health authorities seeking such authorizations.
In addition, clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with applicable laws and subject to the oversight of Institutional Review Boards, or IRBs, at the medical institutions where the clinical trials are conducted. We rely on clinical trial sites to ensure the proper and timely conduct of our clinical trials and while we have agreements governing their committed activities, we have limited influence over their actual performance. We depend on our collaborators and on medical institutions to conduct our clinical trials in
 
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compliance with applicable human subject protection regulations and Good Clinical Practice, or GCP, requirements. To the extent our collaborators fail to enroll participants for our clinical trials, fail to conduct the study in compliance with applicable law and GCP requirements, or are delayed for a significant time in the execution of trials, including achieving full enrollment, we may be affected by increased costs, program delays, or both.
Interim, top-line and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient data become available and are subject to confirmation, audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.
From time to time, we may publicly disclose interim, top-line or preliminary data from our clinical trials, which is based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and these results and related findings and conclusions may be subject to change following a more comprehensive review of the data. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or have had the opportunity to fully and carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the interim, top-line or preliminary data that we report may differ from future results of the same trials, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Interim data from clinical trials are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available. Preliminary, interim or top-line data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary top-line data we previously published. As a result, preliminary, interim and top-line data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. Adverse differences between preliminary, interim and top-line data and final data could significantly harm our business prospects and may cause the price of our common stock to fluctuate or decline.
Further, payers, physicians and others may not accept or agree with our assumptions, estimates, calculations, conclusions or analyses or may interpret or weigh the importance of data differently, which could adversely impact the potential of the particular product or program, the prospects for commercialization of any product, and the business prospects of our company in general. In addition, the information we choose to publicly disclose regarding a particular study or clinical trial is derived from information that is typically extensive, and you or others may not agree with what we determine is material or otherwise appropriate information to include in our disclosure.
If the preliminary, interim or top-line data that we report differ from actual results, or if payers, physicians or others disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to commercialize our product candidates may be significantly impaired, which could materially harm our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition.
Our business would be materially harmed if our proprietary biobank were to become contaminated, lost or destroyed.
A fundamental component of our platform is our proprietary and continually growing biobank, consisting of comprehensive, clinically and demographically annotated blood samples collected from more than 10,500 pregnant U.S. women, representing the broad demographic and geographic diversity inherent in the U.S. population. This biobank is maintained at our facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a secure environment. If the samples and information contained in the biobank were to become compromised or destroyed, through contamination, theft, a cybersecurity breach, a natural disaster or otherwise, our ability to rely on the data represented in the biobank could be significantly impaired, which could materially harm our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition.
International expansion of our business will expose us to business, regulatory, political, operational, financial and economic risks associated with doing business outside the United States.
To the extent that we decide to market our products and services outside the United States, our business will be subject to the risks associated with doing business outside the United States, including an increase in our expenses and diversion of our management’s attention from the development of future products and services. Accordingly, our business and financial results in the future could be adversely affected due to a variety of factors, including:
 
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multiple, conflicting and changing laws and regulations such as privacy, security and data use regulations, tax laws, export and import restrictions, economic sanctions and embargoes, employment laws, anti-corruption laws, regulatory requirements, reimbursement or payer regimes and other governmental approvals, permits and licenses;

failure by us or our distributors to obtain any necessary regulatory clearance, authorization or approval for the use of our products and services in various countries;

additional potentially relevant third-party patent rights;

complexities and difficulties in obtaining intellectual property protection and maintaining, defending and enforcing our intellectual property outside the United States;

difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations;

employment risks related to hiring employees outside the United States;

complexities associated with managing multiple payer reimbursement regimes, government payers or patient self-pay systems;

difficulties in negotiating favorable reimbursement negotiations with governmental authorities;

logistics and regulations associated with shipping samples, including infrastructure conditions and transportation delays;

limits in our ability to penetrate international markets if we are not able to sell our products or conduct services locally;

financial risks, such as longer payment cycles, difficulty collecting accounts receivable, the impact of local and regional financial crises on demand and payment for our products and services and exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations;

natural disasters, political and economic instability, including wars, terrorism and political unrest, outbreak of disease, boycotts, curtailment of trade and other business restrictions;

regulatory and compliance risks that relate to maintaining accurate information and control over sales and distributors’ activities that may fall within the purview of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, its books and records provisions, or its anti-bribery provisions, or laws similar to the FCPA in other jurisdictions in which we may operate, such as the United Kingdom’s Bribery Act of 2010, or the U.K. Bribery Act; and

onerous anti-bribery requirements of several member states in the EU, the United Kingdom, Japan, and other countries that are constantly changing and require disclosure of information to which U.S. legal privilege may not extend.
Any of these factors could significantly harm our future international expansion and operations and, consequently, our revenue and results of operations.
We may not be able to obtain and maintain the third-party relationships that are necessary to develop and commercialize some or all of our tests.
We expect to depend on collaborators, partners, licensees and other third parties to support our test development and validation efforts, to deliver needed supplies, and to transport specimens for testing, among other things. Any problems we experience with any of these third parties could delay the development, validation, commercialization, and performance of our testing, which could harm our results of operations.
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to successfully negotiate agreements for, or maintain relationships with, collaborators, partners, licensees, and other third parties on favorable terms, if at all. If we are unable to obtain or maintain these agreements, we may not be able to develop, validate, obtain regulatory authorizations for, or commercialize any future tests, which will in turn adversely affect our business.
We expect to expend substantial management time and effort to enter into relationships with third parties and, if we successfully enter into such relationships, to manage these relationships. In addition,
 
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substantial amounts will be paid to third parties in these relationships. However, we cannot control the amount or timing of resources our future contract partners will devote to our business endeavors, and we cannot guarantee that these parties will fulfill their obligations to us under these arrangements in a timely fashion, if at all. In addition, while we manage the relationships with third parties, we cannot control all of the operations of and protection of intellectual property by such third parties.
We rely on third parties for sample collection, including phlebotomy services, and commercial courier delivery services, and if these services are disrupted, our business will be harmed.
We rely on third parties to perform sample collection, including phlebotomy services, and to transport samples to our laboratory facility in a timely and cost-efficient manner. Disruptions in these services, whether due to any natural or other disasters, pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, shipping embargoes, labor unrest, political instability or similar events could adversely affect specimen integrity and our ability to process samples in a timely manner and to service our customers, and ultimately our reputation and our business. In addition, if we are unable to continue to obtain expedited delivery services on commercially reasonable terms, our operating results may be adversely affected.
In addition, our relationships with these service providers could be scrutinized under federal and state health care laws such as the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law, and their implementing regulations, to the extent, for example, that these services provide a financial benefit to or relieve a financial burden for a potential referral source. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws and regulations, we may be subject to administrative, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, individual imprisonment, refunding of payments received by us and curtailment or cessation of our operations, among other potential penalties, any of which could harm our reputation and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
We rely on a limited number of suppliers or, in some cases, single suppliers, for some of our laboratory instruments and materials and may not be able to find replacements or immediately transition to alternative suppliers on a cost-effective basis, or at all.
We source components of our technology from third parties and certain components are sole sourced. Obtaining substitute components may be difficult or require us to re-design our products. Any natural or other disasters, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, acts of war or terrorism, shipping embargoes, labor unrest or political instability or similar events at our third-party suppliers’ facilities that cause a loss of manufacturing capacity or a reduction in the quality of the items manufactured would heighten the risks that we face. Changes to, failure to renew or termination of our existing agreements or our inability to enter into new agreements with other suppliers could result in the loss of access to important components of our tests and could impair, delay or suspend our commercialization efforts. Our failure to maintain a continued and cost-effective supply of high-quality components could materially and adversely harm our business, operating results, and financial condition.
If we are unable to successfully scale our operations, or to attract and retain highly skilled employees, our business could suffer.
As our test volumes grow and we develop future product offerings, we will need to continue to ramp up our testing capacity and implement increases in scale, such as increased headcount, additional or upgraded equipment, additional qualified laboratory personnel, increased office and laboratory space, expanded customer service capabilities, improved billing and systems processes, enhanced controls and procedures and expanded or internal quality assurance program and technology platform. The value of the PreTRM test and our other testing products that we may develop in the future depends on our ability to perform, and our reputation for performing, the tests on a timely basis and at an exceptionally high standard of quality. Failure to implement necessary procedures, transition to new facilities, equipment or processes or to hire the necessary personnel in a timely and effective manner could result in higher processing costs or an inability to meet market demand or could otherwise affect our operating results.
To execute our growth plan, we must attract and retain highly qualified personnel. Competition for these personnel is intense, especially for sales, scientific, medical, laboratory, research and development and other technical personnel, and the turnover rate of such personnel can be high. We may, from time to time,
 
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experience difficulty in hiring and retaining employees with appropriate qualifications. Many of the companies with which we compete for highly qualified personnel have greater resources than we have. If we hire employees from competitors or other companies, their former employers may attempt to assert that these employees or our company have breached their legal obligations to their former employers, which occurs from time to time. Furthermore, to the extent that we are unable to retain our employees and they leave our company to join one of our competitors, we cannot assure you that any invention, non-disclosure or non-compete agreements we have in place will provide meaningful protection against a departing employee’s unauthorized use or disclosure of our confidential information.
In addition, our growth may place a significant strain on our operating and financial systems and our management, sales, marketing and administrative resources. As a result of our growth, our operating costs may escalate faster than we anticipate, we may face difficulties in obtaining additional office or laboratory space and some of our internal systems may need to be enhanced or replaced. If we cannot effectively manage our expanding operations and our costs, we may not be able to grow successfully or we may grow at a slower pace, and our business could be adversely affected.
We may engage in acquisitions, dispositions or other strategic transactions that could disrupt our business, cause dilution to our stockholders or reduce our financial resources.
From time to time, we may enter into transactions to acquire or dispose of businesses, products or technologies or to engage in other strategic transactions. Because we have not made any such acquisitions to date, our ability to do so successfully is unproven. Even if we identify suitable transactions, we may not be able to complete such transactions on favorable terms or at all. Any acquisitions or other strategic transactions we consummate may not strengthen our competitive position, and these transactions may be viewed negatively by customers or investors. We may decide to incur debt in connection with an acquisition or issue shares of our common stock or other equity securities to the stockholders of the acquired company, which would cause dilution to our existing stockholders. We could incur losses resulting from such strategic transactions, including undiscovered liabilities of an acquired business that are not covered by any indemnification we may obtain from the seller. In addition, we may not be able to successfully integrate any acquired personnel, technologies and operations into our existing business in an effective, timely and non-disruptive manner. Any dispositions may also cause us to lose revenue and may not strengthen our financial position. Strategic transactions may also divert management attention from day-to-day responsibilities, increase our expenses, result in accounting charges and reduce our cash available for operations and other uses. We cannot predict the number, timing or size of future strategic transactions or the effect that any such transactions might have on our operating results.
We may need to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings, corporate collaborations or licensing arrangements to continue to fund or expand our operations. Additional capital, if needed, may not be available on satisfactory terms or at all. Furthermore, any additional capital raised through the sale of equity or equity-linked securities, or grant of equity or equity-linked securities in connection with any debt financing, will dilute stockholders’ ownership interests in us and may have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock. In addition, the terms of any financing may adversely affect stockholders’ holdings or rights. To the extent that we raise capital through collaborations and licensing arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to our technologies or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us.
If we are not able to obtain adequate funding when needed, we may have to delay development programs or sales and marketing initiatives. In addition, we may have to work with a partner on one or more of our tests or programs, which could lower the economic value of those programs to our company.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could materially affect our operations, as well as the business or operations of third parties with whom we conduct business. Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of other future health epidemics or pandemics in regions where we, or third parties on which we rely, have significant business operations.
Our business and its operations, including, but not limited to, our laboratory operations, sales and marketing efforts, supply chain operations, research and development activities and fundraising activities, could be adversely affected by health epidemics in regions where we have business operations, and such health
 
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epidemics could cause significant disruption in the operations of third parties upon whom we rely. For example, in December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, causing a disease referred to as COVID-19, was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. Since then, COVID-19 has spread to other countries and throughout the United States. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, and the U.S. government imposed restrictions on travel between the United States, Europe, and certain other countries. Since March 2020, numerous state and local jurisdictions, including the jurisdictions where our headquarters and laboratory are located, have imposed, and others in the future may impose, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders, executive orders and similar government orders for their residents to control the spread of COVID-19.
In response to these public health directives and orders, we have implemented work-from-home policies for substantially all of our employees. The effects of the executive orders, the shelter-in-place orders, and our work-from-home policies may negatively impact productivity, disrupt our business and delay our clinical programs and timelines, the magnitude of which will depend, in part, on the length and severity of the restrictions and other limitations on our ability to conduct our business in the ordinary course. These and similar, and perhaps more severe, disruptions in our operations could negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition. We continue to monitor state and local quarantine, shelter-in-place orders, executive orders and similar government orders and have begun reopening our offices to allow certain employees to return to the office, as needed, in accordance with our reopening plan, which is based on a phased approach that is appropriately tailored for each of our offices, with a focus on employee safety and optimal work environment.
Quarantines, shelter-in-place orders, executive orders and similar government orders, or the perception that such orders, shutdowns or other restrictions on the conduct of business operations could occur, related to COVID-19 or other infectious diseases, could impact personnel at third-party manufacturing facilities, or the availability or cost of materials we use or require to conduct our business, which would disrupt our supply chain. In particular, some of our suppliers of certain materials used in our laboratory operations and research and development activities may be located in areas that are subject to executive orders and shelter-in-place orders. While many of these materials may be obtained from more than one supplier, port closures and other restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or future pandemics may disrupt our supply chain or limit our ability to obtain sufficient materials to operate our business.
In addition, our clinical trials could be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary impact to our business has been the early cessation of enrollment in our AVERT PRETERM TRIAL in March 2020, and the delayed commencement of enrollment in our PRIME study until November 2020. If COVID-19 continues to spread in the United States and elsewhere, we may experience additional disruptions that could severely impact our business, preclinical studies and clinical trials.
The spread of COVID-19, which has caused a broad impact globally, may materially affect us economically, including by causing a significant reduction in laboratory testing volumes. In addition, reimbursements for our tests may also be delayed if third-party payers’ processing is impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and work-from-home policies and other operational limitations mandated by federal, state, and local governments as a result of the pandemic. While the potential economic impact brought by COVID-19, and the duration of such impact, may be difficult to assess or predict, the widespread pandemic has resulted in significant disruption of global financial markets, which could reduce our ability to access capital and negatively affect our future liquidity. In addition, a recession or market correction resulting from the spread of COVID-19 and related government orders and restrictions could materially affect our business and the value of our common stock.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve rapidly. The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or a similar health epidemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not yet know the full extent of potential delays or impacts on our business, our clinical trials, health care systems or the global economy as a whole.
We cannot ensure that our employees will fully adhere to compliance policies and procedures.
We are in the process of implementing compliance policies and procedures intended to train our sales, billing, marketing and other personnel regarding compliance with state and federal laws applicable to our
 
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business. Our efforts to implement appropriate monitoring of compliance with such policies and procedures are likewise ongoing. Despite our compliance policies and procedures, and related training and monitoring, we may experience situations in which employees may have failed to fully adhere to our policies and applicable laws in the past or in which they fail to adhere to applicable policies and/or laws in the future. Such failures may subject us to administrative, civil, and criminal actions, penalties, damages, fines, individual imprisonment, exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, refunding of payments received by us and curtailment or cessation of our operations. In addition, commercial third-party payers may refuse to provide all or any reimbursement for tests administered, seek repayment from us of amounts previously reimbursed and harm our ability to secure network contracts with third-party payers. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our revenue, cash flow, and financial condition, and reduce our growth prospects.
If we lose the services of our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Scientific Officer or other members of our senior management team, we may not be able to execute our business strategy.
Our success depends in large part upon the continued service of our senior management team. In particular, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S., and John J. Boniface, Ph.D., our Chief Scientific Officer, are critical to our vision, strategic direction, culture, products and technology. In addition, we do not maintain key-man insurance for Dr. Critchfield or any other member of our senior management team. The loss of our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Scientific Officer or one or more other members of our senior management team could have an adverse effect on our business.
Our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
We have a significant amount of net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards that can be used to offset potential future taxable income and related income taxes. As of December 31, 2020, we had federal and state NOL carryforwards of approximately $125.1 million, of which, $70.2 million, if not utilized, begin to expire in 2028. Approximately $54.9 million of these federal NOLs can be carried forward indefinitely. Under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change” ​(generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in equity ownership over any three-year period), the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change NOL carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. We may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of shifts in our stock ownership, some of which may not be within our control. Our ability to use these carryforwards could be limited if we experience an “ownership change.”
Our estimates of total addressable market opportunity and forecasts of market growth may prove to be inaccurate, and even if the market in which we compete achieves the forecasted growth, our business could fail to grow at a similar rate.
Total addressable market opportunity estimates and growth forecasts are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may not prove to be accurate. Our publicly announced estimates and forecasts relating to the size and expected growth of our market may prove to be inaccurate. Even if the market in which we compete meets our size estimates and forecasted growth, our business could fail to grow at similar rates.
Risks Related to Reimbursement
If third-party payers do not adequately reimburse for any new tests we may develop, our new tests may not be purchased or used, which may adversely affect our revenue and profits.
In the United States and markets in other countries, patients generally rely on third-party payers to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their treatment or tests. Adequate coverage and reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and commercial payers is critical to new product acceptance. Our business depends on our ability to obtain or maintain adequate reimbursement coverage from third-party payers. We expect third-party payers such as third-party commercial insurers to be our most significant sources of payments in the near future. In particular, we believe that for our company to achieve commercial success, it will be necessary to gain acceptance from third-party payers for the PreTRM test, and to obtain positive coverage determinations and favorable reimbursement
 
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rates from third-party payers for our tests. In addition, we do not yet know whether and to what extent certain of our products, including those under development, will be covered or reimbursed. If we are unable to obtain or maintain coverage or adequate reimbursement from, or achieve in-network status with, third-party payers for our existing or future tests or other products, our ability to generate revenues will be limited. For example, health care providers may be reluctant to order our tests or other products due to the potential of a substantial cost to the patient if coverage or reimbursement is unavailable or insufficient. Such coverage and reimbursement may depend upon a number of factors, including the determination that the test and its use or administration for a particular patient are:

a covered benefit;

safe, effective, and medically necessary;

appropriate for the specific patient;

supported by guidelines established by the relevant professional college;

approved in any states where specific assay approval is necessary;

cost-effective; and

neither experimental nor investigational.
In the United States, the principal decisions about reimbursement for new tests may be made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, an agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS. Third-party payers often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates, and both CMS and other third-party payers may have sufficient market power to demand significant price reductions. Further, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of individuals have lost or will be losing employer-based insurance coverage, which may adversely affect our ability to commercialize our products.
Obtaining coverage and reimbursement approval for a test from each third-party payer is a time-consuming and costly process that could require us to provide to each payer supporting scientific, clinical and related data. We may not be able to provide data sufficient to satisfy third-party payers that the test should be covered and reimbursed. There is substantial uncertainty whether any particular payer will cover and reimburse the use of any test incorporating new technology. Even when a payer determines that a test is eligible for reimbursement, the payer may impose coverage limitations that preclude payment under certain circumstances or for certain patient populations. Moreover, eligibility for coverage does not imply that any test will be reimbursed in all cases or at a rate that allows us to make a profit or even cover our costs. Interim payments for new tests, if applicable, may also not be sufficient to cover our costs and may not be made permanent. In some instances, payment may only be obtained by engaging in lengthy and costly appeals processes. Reimbursement rates may vary, for example, according to the use of the test and the clinical setting in which it is used, and may reflect budgetary constraints and/or imperfections in Medicare, Medicaid or other data used to calculate these rates.
There have been, and we expect that there will continue to be, federal and state proposals to constrain expenditures for health care products and services, which may affect payments for our tests. Governmental and private entities that establish reimbursement policies, including CMS, frequently change coverage policies, product and service codes and payment methodologies and reimbursement values. Due in part to actions by third-party payers, the health care industry is experiencing a trend toward containing or reducing costs through various means, including lowering reimbursement rates and negotiating reduced payment schedules with service providers for certain products and/or services.
Our inability to promptly obtain coverage and profitable reimbursement rates from third-party payers for our tests could have a material and adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
In addition, leading professional societies may recommend alternatives to our tests, which may provide a basis for third-party payers not to cover or reimburse our tests. In making coverage determinations, third-party payers often rely on practice guidelines issued by professional societies. Test-ordering providers may also rely on such guidelines when deciding whether to order testing for their patients. If any relevant
 
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professional societies issue guidelines suggesting, or otherwise make recommendations, that providers not use our tests or instead use alternatives to our tests, payers may make unfavorable coverage and reimbursement decisions and test-ordering providers may not order our tests. Any such outcomes could have a material and adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.
New reimbursement methodologies applicable to the PreTRM test, and other future tests, including new CPT codes, may decrease reimbursement rates from third-party payers.
The American Medical Association, or AMA, generally assigns specific billing codes for laboratory tests under a coding system known as Current Procedure Terminology, or CPT, which we must use to bill and receive reimbursement for our tests. Once a CPT code is established, CMS establishes payment levels and coverage rules for that code under Medicare and Medicaid. Commercial insurers likewise establish their own payment rates and coverage rules for that code.
The AMA has issued a unique CPT® PLA code for the PreTRM test. Before the AMA issued a CPT PLA code for the PreTRM test, we submitted claims for reimbursement using CPT codes existing at the time based on the guidance of outside coding experts and legal counsel.
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to negotiate favorable rates for our unique code, nor can we guarantee that we will receive reimbursement at all, especially if we are unable to collect and publish additional data and obtain positive coverage determinations for the PreTRM test or our other future tests.
We do not currently have specific CPT codes assigned for any of our other tests under development and there is a risk that we may not be able to obtain such codes or, if obtained, we may not be able to negotiate favorable rates for such codes.
Finally, third-party payers may not establish positive coverage policies for our tests or adequately reimburse for any CPT code we may use, or seek recoupment for testing previously performed, which is a common occurrence in our industry.
Billing disputes with third-party payers, including disagreement regarding the selection and use of CPT codes when submitting claims, may decrease realized revenue and may lead to requests for recoupment of past amounts paid.
It is possible that payers could dispute our billing or coding from time to time. Payers may likewise request recoupments of our business, and we expect that these disputes and requests or recoupment may arise. Third-party payers may also decide to deny payment or recoup payment for testing that they contend to have been not medically necessary, against their coverage determinations, or for which they have otherwise overpaid. There is also a risk that the CPT codes we previously submitted, are currently submitting, or will submit in the future on claims will be rejected or withdrawn or that third-party payers will seek refunds of amounts that they claim were inappropriately billed based on, for example, the CPT code used, the modifier attached or the number of units billed. Claims for recoupment require the time and attention of our management and other key personnel, which can be a distraction from operating our business.
If third-party payers deny payment for testing, reimbursement revenue for our testing could decline. If a third-party payer successfully challenges that payment for prior testing was in breach of contract or otherwise contrary to policy or law, they may recoup payment, which amounts could be significant and would impact our operating results and financial condition, and it may decrease reimbursement going forward. We may also decide to negotiate and settle with a third-party payer in order to resolve an allegation of overpayment. Any of these outcomes, including recoupment or reimbursements, might also require us to restate our financials from a prior period, any of which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Failure to comply with laws and regulations related to submission of claims for our services could result in substantial financial penalties and/or potential civil or criminal liability.
We are subject to a variety of complex federal and state laws and regulations applicable to the submission of claims for payment for our services. If a third-party payer or a regulatory or enforcement agency, or, in some cases, qui tam relators, believe or allege that we engaged in improper billing practices, including, but not
 
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limited to, submitting improper CPT codes, multipliers or modifiers on our claims, we may be subject to investigation and/or enforcement actions under federal and/or state law.
Responding to and defending such investigations and/or enforcement actions may require significant time and attention from management and key personnel, include significant expenditures, and result in significant penalties, damages, fees, and reputational harm, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition. See “— Risks Related to Government Regulation — If we, or our employees or contractors on our behalf, engage in conduct that violates health care laws, are suspected or accused of engaging in such conduct, or are subject to investigation for actual or alleged such conduct, we could face substantial penalties and damage to our reputation, and our business operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.”
“Most favored nation” provisions in contracts with third-party payers may limit potential for revenue growth and may lead to claims for recoupment.
Some of our contracts with third-party payers may in the future contain “most favored nation” provisions, pursuant to which we typically agree that we will not bill the third-party payer more than we bill any other third-party payer. These contract provisions limit the amount we are able to charge for our products and can negatively impact revenue. We monitor our billing and claims submissions for compliance with these contractual requirements with third-party payers. If we do not successfully manage compliance with these most favored nation provisions, we may be required to forego revenues from some third-party payers or reduce the amount we bill to each third-party payer with a most favored nation clause in its contract that is violated, which would adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition. This situation could also subject us to claims for recoupment, which could ultimately result in an obligation to repay amounts previously earned.
When third-party payers deny coverage, we are often unable to collect from the patient or any other source and risk disputes if we attempt to do so.
If a third-party payer denies coverage, or if the patient has a large deductible or co-insurance amount, it may be difficult for us to collect from the patient, and we may not be successful in doing so. If we are in-network, we may be contractually prohibited from seeking payment from the patient. If we are out-of-network, we may be unable to collect the full amount of a patient’s responsibility, despite our good faith efforts to collect. As a result, we may not always be able to collect the full amount due for our tests if third-party payers deny coverage, cover only a portion of the invoiced amount or the patient has a large deductible, which could cause payers to raise questions regarding our billing policies and patient collection practices.
We believe that our practices with respect to billing and collecting patient responsibility amounts are compliant with applicable laws; however, we may in the future receive inquiries from third-party payers regarding our practices in these areas. There is no guarantee that we will be successful in addressing such concerns, and if we are unsuccessful, this may result in a third-party payer deciding to reimburse for our tests at a lower rate or not at all, seeking recoupment of amounts previously paid to us, or bringing legal action to seek reimbursement of previous amounts paid. Any of such occurrences could cause reimbursement revenue for our testing, which constitutes the large majority of our revenue, to decline. Additionally, if we were required to make a repayment, such repayment could be significant, which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Our revenues may be adversely impacted if third-party payers withdraw coverage or provide lower levels of reimbursement due to changing policies, billing complexities or other factors.
If we become an in-network provider by entering into an agreement with any of the third-party payers from which we receive reimbursement, this means that we will have an agreement that governs approval or payment terms. However, such a contract would not guarantee reimbursement for all testing we perform.
In addition, the terms of any such agreement may require a physician or qualified practitioner’s signature on test requisitions or require other controls and procedures prior to conducting a test. In particular, third-party payers have been increasingly requiring prior authorization to be obtained prior to
 
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conducting a test as a condition to reimbursing for the test. If the payers were to do so for the PreTRM test, it could place a burden on our billing operations and require us to dedicate resources to monitor that these prior authorization requirements are met. To the extent we or the health care providers ordering our tests do not follow the prior authorization requirements, we may be subject to claims for recoupment of reimbursement amounts previously paid to us, or may not receive some or all of the reimbursement payments to which we would otherwise be entitled. This may occur in the future, which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.
If we are considered to be an out-of-network provider, which we expect to be the case with at least some of the largest third-party payers from which we may receive reimbursement in the future, such third-party payers could withdraw coverage and decline to reimburse for our tests, for any reason. They can also impose prior authorization requirements through the terms of the patients’ health plans. Managing reimbursement on a case-by-case basis is time-consuming and contributes to an increase in the number of days it takes us to collect on accounts, which also increases our risk of non-payment. Negotiating reimbursement on a case-by-case basis also typically results in the receipt of reimbursement at a significant discount to the list price of our tests.
Even if we are being reimbursed for our tests, third-party payers may unilaterally review and adjust the rate of reimbursement, require co-payments from patients or stop paying for our tests. Both government health care programs and private insurers continue to increase their efforts to control the cost, utilization and delivery of health care services by demanding price discounts or rebates and limiting coverage of, and amounts they will pay for, molecular tests. These measures have resulted in reduced payment rates and decreased utilization in the clinical laboratory industry. Because of these cost-containment measures, governmental and commercial insurers — including those that may reimburse our tests in the future — may reduce, suspend, revoke or discontinue payments or coverage at any time. Reduced reimbursement of our tests may harm our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Billing for clinical laboratory testing services is complex. We perform tests in advance of payment and without certainty as to the outcome of the billing process. In cases where we expect to receive a fixed fee per test due to our reimbursement arrangements, we may nevertheless encounter variable reimbursement, leading to disputes over pricing and billing. Each third-party payer typically has different billing requirements, and the billing requirements of many payers have become increasingly difficult to meet. Among the factors complicating our billing of third-party payers are:

disparity in coverage among various payers;

disparity in information and billing requirements among payers, including with respect to prior authorization requirements and procedures and establishing medical necessity; and

incorrect or missing billing information, which is required to be provided by the ordering health care provider.
These risks related to billing complexities, and the associated uncertainty in obtaining payment for our tests, could harm our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Status as an out-of-network provider with a large commercial insurer may cause health care providers to avoid recommending our tests.
We may be considered to be an out-of-network provider with respect to the large commercial insurers from which we may receive reimbursement from in the future. Physician groups and other health care providers may view this negatively and may insist upon only using reference laboratories that are in-network with their patients’ insurance companies. These types of decisions could reduce our revenue and harm our financial condition.
Changes in government health care policy could increase our costs and negatively impact coverage and reimbursement for our tests by governmental and other third-party payers.
The U.S. government is pursuing health care reform and aiming to reduce health care costs. Government health care policy has been, and will likely continue to be, a topic of extensive legislative and executive activity in the U.S. federal government and many U.S. state governments. As a result, our business could be
 
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affected by significant and potentially unanticipated changes in government health care policy, which could in turn substantially impact our revenues, increase costs, and divert management attention from our business strategy. We cannot predict the impact of governmental health care policy changes on our future business, operating results, and financial condition.
In the United States, the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, was signed into law in March 2010 and significantly impacted the U.S. pharmaceutical and medical device industries, including the diagnostics sector, in a number of ways. The ACA restricts insurers from charging higher premiums or denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions, and requires insurers to cover certain preventative services without charging any copayment or coinsurance, including screening for lung, breast, colorectal and cervical cancers. The ACA also created a new system of health insurance “exchanges” designed to make health insurance available to individuals and certain groups through state- or federally-administered marketplaces in addition to existing channels for obtaining health insurance coverage. In connection with such exchanges, certain “essential health benefits” are intended to be made more consistent across plans, setting a baseline coverage level. The states (and the federal government) have some discretion in determining the definition of “essential health benefits” and we do not know whether our tests or other products will fall into a benefit category deemed “essential” for coverage purposes across the plans offered in any or all of the exchanges. If any of our tests are not covered by plans offered in the health insurance exchanges, our business, operating results and financial condition could be adversely affected.
There have been multiple attempts to repeal the ACA or significantly scale back its applicability, which could negatively impact reimbursement for our testing, adversely affect our test volumes and adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition. In December 2018, a U.S. District Court Judge in the Northern District of Texas, or the Texas District Court Judge, ruled that the entire ACA is invalid based primarily on the fact that as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Congress repealed the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the ACA commonly referred to as the “individual mandate.” The repeal of this mandate means that fewer consumers will carry insurance coverage and therefore may be less likely to elect to receive our testing because they would be required to pay out of pocket for such tests.
In December 2019, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Texas District Court’s ruling that the individual mandate was unconstitutional and remanded the case back to the Texas District Court to determine whether the remaining provisions of the ACA were nonetheless valid. On March 2, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court granted petitions for writs of certiorari to review this case and oral arguments occurred on November 10, 2020; although it is unclear how the Supreme Court will rule, a decision is expected in Spring 2021. Because it is unclear whether or how the ACA may change, and whether and to what extent clinical laboratory testing may be affected, especially given the new administration, we are uncertain how our business may be impacted.
In addition to the ACA, various health care reform proposals have also emerged from federal and state governments. The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, or PAMA, for example, introduced a multi-year pricing program for services payable under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, or CLFS, that is designed to bring Medicare allowable amounts in line with the amounts paid by private payers. The rule issued by CMS to implement PAMA required certain laboratories to report third-party payer rates and test volumes.
The implementation of Medicare rates pursuant to PAMA has negatively impacted overall pricing and reimbursement for many clinical laboratory testing services and may do so in the future. Since January 1, 2018, the Medicare payment rate for these tests is equal to the weighted median private payer rate reported to CMS, which for many tests is lower than the previous CLFS payment rates due to the often lower negotiated private insurer rates applicable to large commercial laboratories that were required to report data to CMS. Likewise, because private insurers often base their pricing for laboratory testing on a percentage of the price set on the CLFS, PAMA has in turn affected rates paid by private insurers.
Although we do not presently submit claims to Medicare or other state and federal health care programs, the rates paid by these programs have been the subject of controversy in the industry, including a lawsuit by the American Clinical Laboratory Association, and it is unclear whether and to what extent the new rates may change.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. In August 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created
 
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measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2013 through 2021, was unable to reach required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. This includes aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers up to 2% per fiscal year, and, due to subsequent legislative amendments, will remain in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken. Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, as well as subsequent legislation, these reductions have been suspended from May 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Proposed legislation, if passed, would extend this suspension until the end of the pandemic.
We cannot predict whether future health care initiatives will be implemented at the federal or state level or how any such future legislation, regulation, or initiative may affect us. Current or potential future federal legislation and the expansion of government’s role in the U.S. health care industry, as well as changes to the reimbursement amounts paid by third-party payers for our current and future tests, may adversely affect our test volumes and adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.
If the validity of an informed consent from a patient is challenged, we could be precluded from billing for such patient’s testing, be forced to stop performing certain tests, forced to exclude the patient’s data or samples from clinical trial results or be subject to lawsuits or regulatory enforcement.
We are required to ensure that all clinical data and blood samples that we receive have been collected from subjects who have provided appropriate informed consent for us to perform our testing, both commercially and in clinical trials. Among other things, in our consent forms, we seek to ensure that the subjects from whom the data and samples are collected do not retain or have conferred on them any proprietary or commercial rights to the data or any discoveries derived from them. A subject’s informed consent could be challenged in the future, and the informed consent could prove invalid, unlawful or otherwise inadequate for our purposes. Any such findings against us, or our partners, could deny us access to, or force us to stop, testing samples in a particular territory or could call into question the results of our clinical trials. We could also be precluded from billing third-party payers for tests for which informed consents for such tests are challenged, or we could be requested to refund amounts previously paid by third-party payers for such tests. We could become involved in legal challenges or regulatory enforcement, which could require significant management and financial resources and adversely affect our operating results.
Risks Related to Government Regulation
We may be adversely impacted by changes in laws and regulations, or in their application.
The healthcare industry in which we operate is highly regulated, and failure to comply with applicable regulatory, supervisory, accreditation, registration or licensing requirements may adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. The laws and regulations governing our research and marketing efforts are extremely complex and in many instances there are no clear regulatory or judicial interpretations of these laws and regulations, which increases the risk that we may be found to be in violation of these laws.
Furthermore, the industry is growing, and regulatory agencies such as HHS or the FDA may apply heightened scrutiny to new developments. While we have taken steps to ensure compliance with current regulatory frameworks in all material respects as historically enforced by the applicable regulatory agencies, given the highly complex and often unclear guidelines, there could be areas where we are unintentionally and unknowingly noncompliant. Any change in the federal or state laws or regulations relating to our business may require us to implement changes to our business or practices, and we may not be able to do so in a timely or cost-effective manner. Should we be found to be noncompliant with current or future regulatory requirements, we may be subject to sanctions that could include changes to our operations, adverse publicity, substantial financial penalties and criminal proceedings, which may adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition by increasing our cost of compliance or limiting our ability to develop, market and commercialize our products.
In addition, there has been a recent trend of increased U.S. federal and state regulation of payments made to physicians, which are governed by laws and regulations including the Stark Law, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018
 
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and the federal False Claims Act, or FCA, as well as state equivalents of such laws. For example, the Stark Law and some state law equivalents include many requirements such as tracking and/or capping non-monetary compensation provided to referring physicians, unless an exception protects that compensation.
While we are implementing a compliance plan intended to address compliance with government laws and regulations, including applicable fraud and abuse laws and regulations such as those described in this risk factor, the evolving commercial compliance environment and the need to build and maintain robust and scalable systems to comply with regulations in multiple jurisdictions with different compliance and reporting requirements increases the possibility that we could inadvertently violate one or more of these requirements.
Changes in the way the FDA regulates the reagents, other consumables and testing equipment we use when developing, validating and performing our tests could result in delay or additional expense in bringing our tests to market or performing such tests for our customers.
Many of the sequencing instruments, reagents, kits and other consumable products used to perform our testing, as well as the instruments and other capital equipment that enable the testing, are offered for sale as analyte specific reagents, or ASRs, or for research use only, or RUO. ASRs are medical devices and must comply with FDA quality system requirements provisions and other device requirements, but most are exempt from premarket review by the FDA as an in vitro diagnostic product. Products that are intended for RUO and are labeled as RUO are exempt from compliance with most FDA requirements, including the approval or clearance and other product quality requirements for medical devices. A product labeled RUO but which is actually intended for clinical diagnostic use may be viewed by the FDA as adulterated and misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or the FD&C Act, and subject to FDA enforcement action. The FDA has said that when determining the intended use of a product labeled RUO, it will consider the totality of the circumstances surrounding distribution and use of the product, including how the product is marketed and to whom. The FDA could disagree with a supplier’s assessment that the supplier’s products are RUOs, or could conclude that products labeled as RUO are actually intended for clinical diagnostic use, and could take enforcement action against the supplier, including requiring the supplier to cease offering the product while it seeks appropriate marketing authorization from FDA. Suppliers of ASRs and RUO products that we employ in our tests may cease selling their respective products, and we may be unable to obtain an acceptable substitute on commercially reasonable terms or at all, which could significantly and adversely affect our ability to provide timely testing results to our customers or could significantly increase our costs of conducting business.
If we fail to comply with federal and/or state laboratory licensing requirements, we could lose the ability to perform our tests or experience disruptions to our business.
We are subject to CLIA, a federal law that regulates clinical laboratories that perform testing on specimens derived from humans for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of disease. CLIA regulations require clinical laboratories to obtain a certificate and mandate specific standards in the areas of personnel qualifications, administration, and participation in proficiency testing, patient test management and quality assurance. CLIA certification is also required in order for us to be eligible to bill many commercial insurers for our tests. To renew this certification, we are subject to survey and inspection every two years.
In addition to CLIA requirements, we elect to participate in the accreditation program of the College of American Pathologists, or CAP. CMS, which regulates clinical laboratories through CLIA, has deemed CAP standards to be equally or more stringent than CLIA regulations and has approved CAP as a recognized accrediting organization. Inspection by CAP is performed in lieu of inspection by CMS for CAP-accredited laboratories. Because we are accredited by the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program, we are deemed to also comply with CLIA. Many commercial insurers require CAP accreditation as a condition to contracting with clinical laboratories to cover their tests.
CMS has the authority to impose a wide range of sanctions, including revocation of the CLIA certification along with a bar on the ownership or operation of a CLIA-certified laboratory by any owners or operators of the deficient laboratory. Any sanction imposed under CLIA and its implementing regulations, including but not limited to those applicable to proficiency testing, or our failure to renew a CLIA certificate, could have a material and adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. If we
 
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were to lose our CLIA certification, we would not be able to operate our clinical laboratory or conduct our testing, which would adversely impact our business, operating results, and financial condition. Failure to maintain CAP accreditation could likewise have a material adverse effect on the sales of our tests and the results of our operations.
Moreover, several states require that we hold licenses to test samples from patients in those states. For example, in New York, our PreTRM test must be approved by the New York State Department of Health before it is offered in New York. As part of this process, the State of New York requires validation of our tests. New York State also requires additional regulatory approvals for laboratories producing clinical results through the oversight of the New York State Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (NYS-CLEP). We have obtained licenses from states where we believe we are required to be licensed. From time to time, we may become aware of other states that require out-of-state laboratories to obtain licensure in order to accept specimens from the state, and it is possible that other states do have such requirements or will have such requirements in the future. If we identify any other state with such requirements or if we are contacted by any other state advising us of such requirements, we expect to seek to comply with such requirements. However, there is no assurance that we will be able to obtain any such required license for the particular state.
If a clinical laboratory is out of compliance with state laboratory licensure laws and regulations, the state authority may suspend, restrict or revoke the license to operate the clinical laboratory, assess substantial civil money penalties, or impose specific corrective action plans. If we were to lose a required state licensure, we would not be able to operate our clinical laboratory and conduct our tests, in full or in particular states, which would adversely impact our business, operating results and financial condition. Any such actions could materially affect our business.
The FDA may undertake rulemaking to regulate Laboratory Developed Tests, or LDTs, or Congress may reform the current legal requirements applicable to LDTs, in which case we may become subject to extensive regulatory requirements and may be required to conduct additional clinical trials prior to continuing to sell our existing tests or launching any other tests we may develop, which may increase the cost of conducting, or otherwise harm, our business.
We currently market the PreTRM test as an LDT and may in the future market other tests as LDTs. The FDA has adopted a policy of enforcement discretion with respect to LDTs whereby the FDA does not generally actively enforce its regulatory requirements for such tests. However, in the past the FDA has stated its intention to modify its enforcement discretion policy with respect to LDTs. If there are changes in FDA regulations and legislative authorities such that the agency begins to exercise oversight over LDTs, or if the FDA disagrees that our marketed tests are within the scope of its criteria used for defining LDTs, we may become subject to extensive regulatory requirements and may be required to stop selling our existing test or launching any other tests we may develop and to conduct additional clinical trials or take other actions prior to continuing to market our tests. If the FDA allows our tests to remain on the market but there is uncertainty about our tests, if they are labeled investigational by the FDA or if labeling claims the FDA allows us to make are very limited, orders from health care providers or reimbursement for our tests may decline.
While we believe that we are currently in material compliance with applicable laws and regulations as historically enforced by the FDA with respect to LDTs, we cannot assure you that the FDA will agree with our determination. A determination that we have violated these laws and regulations, or a public announcement that we are being investigated for possible violations, could adversely affect our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
Moreover, if the FDA were to disagree with our conclusion that the PreTRM test falls within the scope of the agency’s LDT definition and that the PreTRM test is thus subject to FDA’s medical device authorities and implementing regulations, the agency could require that we obtain premarket approval or another type of device premarket authorization in order for us to commercialize the PreTRM test. As part of this process, we may also be required to conduct additional clinical testing before applying for commercial marketing authorization. Clinical trials must be conducted in compliance with FDA regulations in order to support a marketing submission to the agency for a regulated product, or the FDA may take certain enforcement actions or reject the data. Performing additional, new clinical studies and trials in order to obtain product approval from the FDA, if any were to become necessary, would take a significant amount of time and would substantially delay our ability to commercialize the PreTRM test, all of which would adversely impact our business.
 
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In addition, since 2017, Congress has been working on legislation to create an LDT and In Vitro Diagnostic, or IVD, regulatory framework that would be separate and distinct from the existing medical device regulatory framework. In March 2020, a bipartisan group of members from both chambers of Congress formally introduced the Verifying Accurate, Leading-edge IVCT Development, or VALID Act, which would codify the term “in vitro clinical test”, or IVCT, and create new medical product category separate from medical devices that includes products currently regulated as IVDs as well as LDTs, among other provisions. The VALID Act would also create a new system for laboratories to use to submit their tests electronically to the FDA for approval, which is aimed at reducing the amount of time it would take for the agency to approve such tests, and establish a new program to expedite the development of diagnostic tests that can be used to address a current unmet need for patients.
Most recently, HHS published a policy announcement in August 2020 stating that FDA must go through a notice-and-comment rulemaking process before requiring premarket review of LDTs as medical devices, rather than making such a change through guidance documents, compliance manuals, or other informal policy statements. Although the ultimate impact of HHS’s policy statement on the FDA’s plans for regulating LDTs and its current thinking relating to this category of diagnostic testing products is unclear, the August 2020 announcement appears to confirm that laboratories may commercialize LDTs for clinical use without submitting such tests for FDA premarket review and marketing authorization under the medical device regulatory framework. HHS’s policy statement does not affect proposed legislation for the regulation of LDTs, such as the VALID Act described above. It is also unclear whether the Biden Administration, which assumed control of the executive branch on January 20, 2021, will take the same position as the former administration or seek to revoke or revise the HHS policy announcement from August 2020.
If Congress were to pass the VALID Act or any other legislation applicable to the FDA’s regulation of LDTs, we will likely be subject to increased regulatory burdens such as registration and listing requirements, adverse event reporting requirements, and quality control requirements. Any legislation or formal FDA regulatory framework affecting LDTs is also likely to have premarket application requirements prohibiting commercialization without FDA authorization and controls regarding modification to the tests that may require further FDA submissions. Any such process would likely be costly and time-consuming.
The outcome and ultimate impact on our business of any changes to the federal government’s regulation of LDTs is difficult to predict. Potential future increased regulation of our LDTs could result in increased costs and administrative and legal actions for noncompliance, including warning letters, fines, penalties, product suspensions, product recalls, injunctions and other civil and criminal sanctions, which could have a material and adverse effect upon our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Furthermore, should it be required in the future, we cannot be sure that the PreTRM test, or any new tests that we may develop will be reviewed and authorized for marketing by the FDA in a timely or cost-effective manner, if authorized at all. Even if such tests are authorized for marketing by the FDA, the agency could limit the test’s indications for use, which may significantly limit the market for that product and may adversely affect our business and financial condition.
The Federal Trade Commission and / or state enforcement or regulatory agencies may object to the methods and materials we use to promote our tests and initiate enforcement against us, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, and/or state enforcement or regulatory agencies (including but not limited to the offices of state attorneys general) may object to the materials and methods we use to promote our current tests or other LDTs we may develop in the future, including with respect to the product claims in our promotional materials, and may initiate enforcement actions against us. Enforcement actions by the FTC may include, among others, injunctions, civil penalties, and equitable monetary relief.
Actual or perceived failures to comply with applicable data protection, privacy and security laws, regulations, standards and other requirements could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The global data protection landscape is rapidly evolving, and we are or may become subject to numerous state and federal laws, requirements, and regulations governing the collection, use, disclosure,
 
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retention, and security of personal information. Implementation standards and enforcement practices are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future, and we cannot yet determine the impact future laws, regulations or 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 or state laws or regulations, our internal policies and procedures or our contracts governing our use and disclosures of personal information could result in negative publicity, government investigations and enforcement actions, claims by third parties and damage to our reputation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial performance and business.
As our operations and business grow, we may become subject to or affected by new or additional privacy and security laws and regulations and face increased scrutiny or attention from regulatory authorities. In the United States, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH (collectively, HIPAA) requires organizations like ours to develop and maintain policies and procedures with respect to information that is protected under HIPAA, called protected health information, or PHI, that is used or disclosed in connection with our testing services, including the adoption of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect such information.
HIPAA further requires organizations subject to HIPAA, called “covered entities” to notify affected individuals “without unreasonable delay and in no case later than 60 calendar days following discovery, of certain unauthorized access, uses, or disclosures of PHI. If a breach affects 500 individuals or more, covered entities must report it to the HHS and local media contemporaneously with notice to affected individuals, and HHS will post information regarding the breach, including the name of the entity reporting the breach, on its public website. If a breach affects fewer than 500 individuals, the covered entity must notify HHS within the first 60 days of the following calendar year.
Penalties for failure to comply with HIPAA and HITECH are substantial and could include corrective action plans, and/or the imposition of civil monetary or criminal penalties. HIPAA also authorizes state attorneys general to enforce HIPAA on behalf of state residents. Courts can award damages, costs and attorneys’ fees related to violations of HIPAA in such cases. While HIPAA does not create a private right of action allowing individuals to sue us in civil court for HIPAA violations, its standards have been used as the basis for a duty of care claim in state civil suits such as those for negligence or recklessness in the misuse or breach of PHI.
Certain states have also adopted privacy and security laws and regulations, some of which may be more stringent than HIPAA and/or regulate information other than PHI. Such laws and regulations will be subject to interpretation by various courts and other governmental authorities, thus creating potentially complex compliance issues for us and our future customers and strategic partners. At the state level, for example, California recently enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, an extremely comprehensive and stringent privacy law. The CCPA took effect on January 1, 2020, and became enforceable by the Califronia Attorney General on July 1, 2020. It creates individual privacy rights for California consumers and increases the privacy and security obligations of entities handling certain personal data. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. CCPA does not apply to information that is protected by HIPAA, but CCPA still applies to other types of personal information held by HIPAA covered entities, such as personnel or marketing information. The regulations issued under the CCPA have been modified several times, and there is still some uncertainty about how the law will be interpreted and enforced.
In addition, California voters also approved a new privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA, on November 3, 2020. The CPRA will modify the CCPA significantly, potentially resulting in further uncertainty, additional costs and expenses stemming from efforts to comply, and additional potential for harm and liability for failure to comply. The CPRA imposes additional obligations on companies covered by the legislation and will expand consumers’ rights with respect to certain sensitive personal information. The CPRA also creates a new state agency that will be vested with authority to implement and enforce the CCPA and the CPRA. In addition, in February 2021, the Virginia legislature became the
 
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second to enact a state-specific law called the Consumer Data Protection Act, or CDPA, which includes key differences from California’s law, further complicating compliance by industry and other stakeholders. Many similar laws have also been proposed in other states and at the federal level.
The CCPA, the CDPA, and similar laws may increase our compliance costs and potential liability. Any liability from failure to comply with the requirements of these laws could adversely affect our financial condition. All U.S. states have implemented data breach notification laws that overlap and often conflict with HIPAA and apply simultaneously. We must comply with all of these laws simultaneously in the event of a data breach which is a complicated and expensive proposition.
The regulatory framework governing the collection, storage, use and sharing of certain information, particularly financial and other personal information, is rapidly evolving and is likely to continue to be subject to uncertainty and varying interpretations. It is possible that these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our existing practices. Any failure or perceived failure by us, or any third parties with which we do business, to comply with our privacy policies, changing expectations, evolving laws, rules and regulations, industry standards, or contractual obligations to which we or such third parties are or may become subject, may result in actions or other claims against us by governmental entities or private actors, the expenditure of substantial costs, time and other resources or the incurrence of significant fines, penalties or other liabilities. In addition, any such action, particularly to the extent we were found to be guilty of violations or otherwise liable for damages, would damage our reputation and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Although we work to comply with applicable laws, regulations and standards, our contractual obligations and other legal obligations, these requirements are evolving and may be modified, interpreted and applied in an inconsistent manner from one jurisdiction to another, and may conflict with one another or other legal obligations with which we must comply. Any failure or perceived failure by us or our employees, representatives, contractors, consultants, Contract Research Organizations, or CROs, collaborators, or other third parties to comply with such requirements or adequately address privacy and security concerns, even if unfounded, could result in additional cost and liability to us, damage our reputation, and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Security breaches, losses of data, and other disruptions could compromise sensitive information related to our business or prevent us from accessing critical information and expose us to liability, which could adversely affect our business and reputation.
In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store sensitive data, including PHI (such as patient medical records, including test results), and personally identifiable information. We also store business and financial information, intellectual property, research and development information, trade secrets and other proprietary and business critical information, including that of our customers, payers and collaboration partners. We manage and maintain our data utilizing a combination of on-site systems, managed data center systems and cloud-based data center systems. We are highly dependent on information technology networks and systems, including the internet, to securely process, transmit and store critical information. Although we take measures to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access or disclosure, our information technology and infrastructure, and that of our third-party billing and collections provider and other service providers, may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers, viruses, disruptions and breaches due to employee error or malfeasance.
A security breach or privacy violation that leads to unauthorized access, disclosure or modification of, or prevents access to, patient information, including PHI, could implicate state and federal breach notification laws, subject us to fines and mandatory corrective action and require us to verify the correctness of, or to reconstruct, database contents. Such a breach or violation also could result in legal claims or proceedings brought by a private party or a governmental authority, liability under laws and regulations that protect the privacy of personal information, such as HIPAA, HITECH and laws and regulations of various U.S. states, as well as penalties imposed by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council for violations of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. If we are unable to prevent such security breaches or privacy violations or implement satisfactory remedial measures, we may suffer loss of reputation, financial loss and civil or criminal fines or other penalties. In addition, these breaches and other forms of
 
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inappropriate access can be difficult to detect, and any delay in identifying them may lead to increased harm of the type described above.
Unauthorized access, loss or dissemination of information could disrupt our operations, including our ability to perform tests, provide test results, bill payers or patients, process claims and appeals, provide customer assistance services, conduct research and development activities, develop and commercialize tests, collect, process and prepare company financial information, provide information about our tests, educate patients and health care providers about our service and manage the administrative aspects of our business, any of which could damage our reputation and adversely affect our business. Any breach could also result in the compromise of our trade secrets and other proprietary information, which could adversely affect our competitive position.
In addition, health-related, privacy, and data protection laws and regulations in the U.S. are subject to interpretation and enforcement by various governmental authorities and courts, resulting in complex compliance issues and the potential for varying or even conflicting interpretations, particularly as laws and regulations in this area are in flux. It is possible that these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices. If so, this could result in government-imposed fines or orders requiring that we change our practices, which could adversely affect our business and our reputation. Complying with these laws could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices and compliance procedures in a manner adverse to our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Any failure or perceived failure by us or any third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants to comply with privacy, confidentiality, data security or similar obligations, or any data security incidents or other security breaches that result in the accidental, unlawful or unauthorized access to, use of, release of, or transfer of sensitive information, including personally identifiable information, or PHI, may result in negative publicity, harm to our reputation, governmental investigations, enforcement actions, regulatory fines, litigation or public statements against us, could cause third parties to lose trust in us or could result in claims by third parties, including class action lawsuits, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition or results of operations. While we have implemented data security measures intended to protect our information, data, information technology systems, applications and infrastructure, there can be no assurance that such measures will successfully prevent service interruptions or data security incidents or that these measures will be satisfactory to regulatory authorities in the event of an audit, investigation or complaint.
If we, or our employees or contractors on our behalf, engage in conduct that violates health care laws, are suspected or accused of engaging in such conduct or are subject to investigation for actual or alleged such conduct, we could face substantial penalties and damage to our reputation, and our business operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
We operate in one of the most highly regulated industries in the United States. Our business activities are, or may in the future be, subject to comprehensive compliance obligations under state and federal law, including:

CLIA’s and CAP’s regulation of our laboratory activities.

The federal Anti-Kickback Statute, or the AKS, which generally prohibits, among other things knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving any remuneration, directly or indirectly, in return for or to induce a person to refer an individual for any good, facility, item, or service reimbursable by a covered payer. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the AKS or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation. Violations are subject to civil and criminal fines and penalties for each violation, plus up to three times the remuneration involved, imprisonment, and exclusion from government healthcare programs. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the AKS constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA or federal civil money penalties.

The Stark Law, also known as the physician self-referral law, generally prohibits physicians from making referrals for certain services if the physician or an immediate family member has a prohibited financial relationship with the entity providing the services at issue. State enforcement agencies
 
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may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the state physician self-referral law constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of any state false claims statute. If we submit claims to Medicare or Medicaid in the future, our business activities will also be subject to the federal Stark Law.

The federal civil and criminal false claims laws and civil monetary penalty laws, such as the FCA, which impose criminal and civil penalties and authorize civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities for, among other things: knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent; knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false statement of record material to a false or fraudulent claim or obligation to pay or transmit money or property to the federal government or knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly avoiding or decreasing an obligation to pay money to the federal government (sometimes referred to as a “reverse” false claim). The FCA also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring actions on behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the FCA and to share in any monetary recovery.

HIPAA, which created new federal criminal statutes that prohibit a person from knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any healthcare benefit program, regardless of the payer (e.g., public or private) and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by any trick or device a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or representations in connection with the delivery of, or payment for, healthcare benefits, items or services relating to healthcare matters; similar to the AKS, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation;

HIPAA, as amended by HITECH and their respective implementing regulations, including the Final Omnibus Rule published in January 2013, which impose requirements on certain covered healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses as well as their respective business associates, independent contractors or agents of covered entities, that perform services for them that involve the creation, maintenance, receipt, use, or disclosure of, individually identifiable health information relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. HITECH also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce HIPAA and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, there are additional federal, state and non-U.S. laws which govern the privacy and security of health and other personal information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.

The Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018, or EKRA, which is an all-payer anti-kickback law that criminalizes the offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of any remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce referrals to, or in exchange for, patients using the services of a recovery home, a substance use clinical treatment facility, or laboratory, unless an exception applies. Most of the safe harbors applicable under the AKS are not reiterated under EKRA, thereby potentially expanding the universe of arrangements that could be subject to enforcement. A violation of EKRA is punishable by imprisonment and fines.

The federal health care fraud statute, which imposes criminal liability for executing or attempting to execute a scheme to defraud any health care benefit program and willfully embezzling or stealing from a health care benefit program (which include private insurers). Violations of this statute are punishable by imprisonment and fines, among other penalties.

State data privacy and security laws, which may be more stringent than HIPAA. For example, the CCPA creates individual privacy rights for California consumers and increases the privacy and security obligations of entities handling certain personal data. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches. The CCPA is expected to increase data breach litigation and may increase our compliance costs and potential liability.
 
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Many similar laws have been proposed at the federal level and in other states; in the event that we are subject to or affected by any such privacy and data protection laws, any liability from failure to comply with the requirements of these laws could adversely affect our financial condition.

Federal, state and local regulations relating to the handling and disposal of regulated medical waste, hazardous waste and biohazardous waste and workplace safety for health care employees.

Laws and regulations relating to health and safety, labor and employment, public reporting, taxation and other areas applicable to businesses generally, all of which are subject to change, including, for example, the significant changes to the taxation of business entities were enacted in December 2017.

Additionally, we are subject to state equivalents of each of the healthcare laws and regulations described above, among others, some of which may be broader in scope and may apply regardless of the payer. Many U.S. states have adopted laws similar to the AKS and FCA, which may apply to our business practices, including, but not limited to, research, distribution, sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving health care items or services reimbursed by non-governmental payers, including private insurers. In addition, some states have passed laws that prohibit fee-splitting state fraud and abuse laws, such as fee-splitting restrictions, insurance fraud laws, anti-markup laws, prohibitions on waiving coinsurance, copayments, deductibles and other amounts owed by patients, and prohibitions on the provision of tests at no or discounted cost to induce physician or patient adoption. Some states also prohibit certain health care practices, such as billing physicians for tests that they order and business corporations practicing medicine or employing or engaging physicians to practice medicine. There are ambiguities as to what is required to comply with these state requirements and if we fail to comply with an applicable state law requirement we could be subject to penalties. Finally, there are state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Because we develop our LDTs solely for use by or within our own laboratory, and because we do not currently submit claims to Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, we believe we are exempt from the reporting requirements imposed under the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, or the Sunshine Act. The Sunshine Act requires, among other things, certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics, and medical supplies reimbursed under Medicare, Medicaid or CHIP to annually report to CMS information related to payments and other transfers of value provided to physicians, certain other health care professionals beginning in 2022, and teaching hospitals and physician ownership and investment interests, including such ownership and investment interests held by a physician’s immediate family members. While we believe that the Sunshine Act does not apply to our business, we cannot assure you that the federal government or other regulators will agree with our determination. Moreover, we could become subject to Sunshine Act reporting requirements if (i) we begin submitting claims for reimbursement for our tests to an applicable government health care program; and (ii) the FDA requires us to obtain premarket authorization for our tests as medical devices or Congress enacts legislative reforms to the federal oversight of LDTs to subject them to FDA regulation and/or the reporting requirements of the Sunshine Act. A determination that we have violated these laws and related CMS regulations, or a public announcement that we are being investigated for possible violations, could adversely affect our business.
In addition, the rapid growth and expansion of our business may increase the risk of violating these laws or related internal compliance policies and procedures, as well as the possibility that we may be accused of and/or investigated for violating these laws, regulations, and related internal policies and procedures. We likewise may be accused of, and subject to investigation and/or enforcement for, violating these laws on the basis of conduct engaged in by our employees, contractors and/or other related third parties. Such accusations and investigations may stem from allegations made by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the FCA or state law equivalents, as well as investigative efforts undertaken by state and federal regulatory and enforcement agencies. The evolving interpretations of these laws and regulations by courts and regulators increase the risk that we may be alleged to be, or in fact found to be, in violation of these or other laws and regulations.
Because of the breadth of these laws and the narrowness of the statutory exceptions and safe harbors available, it is possible that some of our business activities could be subject to challenge and may not comply
 
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under one or more of such laws, regulations, and guidance. Law enforcement authorities are increasingly focused on enforcing fraud and abuse laws, and it is possible that some of our practices may be challenged under these laws. Efforts to ensure that our current and future business arrangements with third parties, and our business generally, will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. If our operations, including our arrangements with physicians and other healthcare providers are found to be in violation of any of such laws or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including, without limitation, administrative, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs (such as Medicare and Medicaid), and imprisonment, as well as additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results.
Companies in our industry occasionally receive investigative demands, subpoenas, or other requests for information from state and federal governmental agencies. We cannot predict the occurrence, timing, outcome or impact of any such investigations. Any adverse outcome in one or more of these investigations could include the commencement of civil and/or criminal proceedings, substantial fines, penalties, administrative remedies and/or entry into corporate integrity agreements with governmental agencies, among other penalties. In addition, resolution of any of these matters could involve the imposition of additional costly compliance obligations. These potential consequences, as well as any adverse outcome from government investigations, could have a material and adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
Any failure to obtain, maintain, and enforce our intellectual property rights could impair our ability to protect our proprietary technology and our brand.
Our success and ability to compete depend, in part, on our ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patents, trade secrets, trademarks and other intellectual property rights and to operate without having third parties infringe, misappropriate or circumvent the rights that we own or license. If we are unable to obtain, maintain and enforce intellectual property protection covering our current and future tests or technology, others may be able to make, use or sell tests or technology that are substantially the same as ours without incurring the sizeable development costs that we have incurred, which would adversely affect our ability to compete in the market. Our ability to stop third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing our tests or technology is dependent upon the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents that cover these activities. However, the patent positions of diagnostic companies, including ours, can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions for which important legal principles remain unresolved. The U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit have in recent years issued a number of decisions relating to the patent-eligibility of diagnostic method claims. We cannot predict what impact these decisions may have on our ability to obtain or enforce patents relating to diagnostic methods in the future. We believe that no consistent policy regarding the scope of valid patent claims in these fields has emerged to date in the United States. The patent situation in the diagnostics industry outside the United States also is uncertain at least in a number of countries. Moreover, U.S. patent laws frequently change, including changes regarding how patent laws are interpreted, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, frequently issues new procedures to the patent system. We cannot accurately predict future changes in the interpretation of patent laws or changes to patent laws that might be enacted into law. Those changes may materially affect our patents, our ability to obtain patents. Therefore, there can be no assurance that any current or future patent applications will result in the issuance of patents or that we will develop additional proprietary tests or technology which are patentable. Moreover, patents or pending applications that may issue in the future may not provide us with any competitive advantage. Our patent position is subject to numerous additional risks, including the following:

we may fail to seek patent protection for inventions that are important to our success;

any current or future patent applications may not result in issued patents;

we cannot be certain that we were the first to file patent applications for the inventions covered by pending patent applications and, if we are not, we may be subject to priority or derivation disputes;
 
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we may be required to disclaim part or all of the term of certain patents or part or all of the term of certain patent applications;

we may file patent applications but have claims restricted or we may not be able to supply sufficient data to support our claims and, as a result, may not obtain the original claims desired or we may receive restricted claims. Alternatively, it is possible that we may not receive any patent protection from an application;

we could inadvertently abandon a patent or patent application, resulting in the loss of protection of certain intellectual property rights in a particular country. We or our patent counsel may take action resulting in a patent or patent application becoming abandoned which may not be able to be reinstated or if reinstated, may suffer patent term adjustments;

the claims of our issued patents or patent applications when issued may not cover our tests or technology;

no assurance can be given that our patents would be declared by a court to be valid and enforceable or that a competitor’s test or technology would be found by a court to infringe our patents. Our patents or patent applications may be challenged by third parties in patent litigation or in proceedings before the USPTO or its foreign counterparts, and may ultimately be declared invalid or unenforceable, or narrowed in scope;

there may be prior art of which we are not aware that may affect the validity of a patent claim. There also may be prior art of which we are aware, but which we do not believe affects the validity or enforceability of a claim, which may, nonetheless, ultimately be found to do so;

third parties may develop tests or technology that have the same or similar effect as our tests and technology without infringing our patents. Such third parties may also intentionally circumvent our patents by means of alternate designs or processes or file applications or be granted patents that would block or hurt our efforts;

there may be patents relevant to our tests or technology of which we are not aware;

certain of our intellectual property was partly supported by a U.S. government grant awarded by the National Institutes of Health, and the government accordingly has certain rights in this intellectual property, including a non-exclusive, non-transferable, irrevocable worldwide license to use applicable inventions for any governmental purpose. Such rights also include “march-in” rights, which refer to the right of the U.S. government to require us to grant a license to the technology to a responsible applicant if we fail to achieve practical application of the technology or if action is necessary to alleviate health or safety needs, to meet requirements of federal regulations or to give preference to U.S. industry;

our patent counsel, lawyers or advisors may have given us, or may in the future give us incorrect advice or counsel;

the patent and patent enforcement laws of some foreign jurisdictions may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as laws in the United States, and many companies have encountered significant difficulties in protecting and defending such rights in foreign jurisdictions. If we encounter such difficulties or we are otherwise precluded from effectively protecting our intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions, our business prospects could be substantially harmed, and we may not pursue or obtain patent protection in all major markets; and

we may not develop additional tests or technology that are patentable.
Any of these factors could hurt our ability to gain patent protection for our tests and technology.
Issued patents covering our tests and technology could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged.
Our patents and patent applications may be subject to validity, enforceability and priority disputes. The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability. Some of our patents or patent applications may be challenged at a future point in time in opposition, derivation, reexamination, inter partes review, post-grant review or interference or other similar proceedings. Any
 
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successful third-party challenge to our patents in this or any other proceeding could result in the unenforceability or invalidity of such patents, which may lead to increased competition to our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, if we initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering our tests or technology, the defendant could counterclaim that such patent covering our tests or technology, as applicable, is invalid and/or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity or unenforceability are commonplace. There are numerous grounds upon which a third party can assert invalidity or unenforceability of a patent. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the relevant patent office, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. Third parties may also raise similar claims before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation. Such mechanisms include ex parte re-examination, inter partes review, post-grant review, derivation and equivalent proceedings in non-U.S. jurisdictions, such as opposition proceedings. Such proceedings could result in revocation of or amendment to our patents in such a way that they no longer cover and protect our tests or technology. With respect to the validity of our patents, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art of which we, our licensor, our or its patent counsel and the patent examiner were unaware during prosecution. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability during patent litigation is unpredictable. If a defendant or other third party were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on certain aspects of our tests and technology, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, regardless of the outcome, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license intellectual property or develop or commercialize current or future tests and technology.
We may not be aware of all third-party intellectual property rights potentially relating to our tests or technology. Publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until approximately 18 months after filing or, in some cases, not until such patent applications issue as patents. We might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by each of our pending patent applications and we might not have been the first to file patent applications for these inventions. To determine the priority of these inventions, we may have to participate in interference proceedings, derivation proceedings or other post-grant proceedings declared by the USPTO, or other similar proceedings in non-U.S. jurisdictions, that could result in substantial cost to us and the loss of valuable patent protection. The outcome of such proceedings is uncertain. No assurance can be given that other patent applications will not have priority over our patent applications. In addition, changes to the patent laws of the United States allow for various post-grant opposition proceedings that have not been extensively tested, and their outcome is therefore uncertain. Furthermore, if third parties bring these proceedings against our patents, regardless of the merit of such proceedings and regardless of whether we are successful, we could experience significant costs and our management may be distracted. Any of the foregoing events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our intellectual property may be infringed upon by a third party.
Third parties may infringe one or more of our patents, trademarks or other intellectual property rights. We cannot predict if, when or where a third party may infringe our intellectual property rights. To counter infringement, we may be required to file infringement lawsuits, which can be expensive and time consuming. There is no assurance that we would be successful in a court of law in proving that a third party is infringing one or more of our issued patents or trademarks. Any claims we assert against perceived infringers could also provoke these parties to assert counterclaims against us, alleging that we infringe their intellectual property. In addition, in a patent infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent of ours is invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, construe the patent’s claims narrowly and/or refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover the technology in question, any of which may adversely affect our business. Even if we are successful in proving in a court of law that a third party is infringing our intellectual property rights, there can be no assurance that we would be
 
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successful in halting their infringing activities, for example, through a permanent injunction, or that we would be fully or even partially financially compensated for any harm to our business. We may be forced to enter into a license or other agreement with the infringing third party at terms less profitable or otherwise commercially acceptable to us than if the license or agreement were negotiated under conditions between those of a willing licensee and a willing licensor. We may not become aware of a third-party infringer within legal timeframes for compensation or at all, thereby possibly losing the ability to be compensated for any harm to our business. Such a third party may be operating in a foreign country where the infringer is difficult to locate and/or the intellectual property laws may be more difficult to enforce. Some third-party infringers may be able to sustain the costs of complex infringement litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. Any inability to stop third-party infringement could result in loss in market share of some of our tests and technology or even lead to a delay, reduction and/or inhibition of the development, manufacture or sale of certain tests and technology by us. There is no assurance that a test or technology produced and sold by a third-party infringer would meet our or other regulatory standards or would be safe for use. Such third-party infringer tests or technology could irreparably harm the reputation of our tests or technology thereby resulting in substantial loss in our market share and profits.
Developments or uncertainty in the patent statute, patent case law or USPTO rules and regulations may impact the validity of our patent rights.
Our patent rights may be affected by developments or uncertainty in the patent statute, patent case law or USPTO rules and regulations. For example, the patent position of companies engaged in the development and commercialization of diagnostic tests are particularly uncertain. Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States or in other jurisdictions could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of patent applications and the enforcement or defense of issued patents. For instance, under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the America Invents Act, enacted in September 2011, the United States transitioned to a first inventor to file system in which, assuming that other requirements for patentability are met, the first inventor to file a patent application is entitled to the patent on an invention regardless of whether a third party was the first to invent the claimed invention. These changes include allowing third-party submission of prior art to the USPTO during patent prosecution and additional procedures to challenge the validity of a patent by USPTO administered post-grant proceedings, including post-grant review, inter partes review and derivation proceedings. The America Invents Act and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Various courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have rendered decisions that impact the scope of patentability of certain inventions or discoveries relating to the life sciences technology. Specifically, these decisions stand for the proposition that patent claims that recite laws of nature are not themselves patentable unless those patent claims have sufficient additional features that provide practical assurance that the processes are genuine inventive applications of those laws rather than patent drafting efforts designed to monopolize the law of nature itself. What constitutes a “sufficient” additional feature is uncertain. Furthermore, in view of these decisions, since December 2014, the USPTO has published and continues to publish revised guidelines for patent examiners to apply when examining process claims for patent eligibility.
In addition, U.S. Supreme Court rulings have narrowed the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances and weakened the rights of patent owners in certain situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that may have a material adverse effect on our ability to obtain new patents and to defend and enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future.
We cannot assure you that our patent portfolio will not be negatively impacted by the current uncertain state of the law, new court rulings or changes in guidance or procedures issued by the USPTO or other similar patent offices around the world. From time to time, the U.S. Supreme Court, other federal courts, the U.S. Congress or the USPTO may change the standards of patentability, scope and validity of patents within the
 
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life sciences technology and any such changes, or any similar adverse changes in the patent laws of other jurisdictions, could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship of our patents and other intellectual property.
We may be subject to claims that former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in our patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property as an inventor or co-inventor. For example, we may have inventorship disputes arise from conflicting obligations of employees, consultants or others who are involved in developing our tests and technology. In addition, counterparties to our consulting, sponsored research, software development and other agreements may assert that they have an ownership interest in intellectual property developed under such arrangements. In particular, certain software development agreements pursuant to which certain third parties have developed parts of our proprietary software may not include provisions that expressly assign to us ownership of all intellectual property developed for us by such third parties. As such, we may not have the right to use all such developed intellectual property under such agreements, we may be required to obtain licenses from third parties and such licenses may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or may be non-exclusive. If we are unable to obtain such licenses and such licenses are necessary for the development, manufacture and commercialization of our tests and technology, we may need to cease the development, manufacture and commercialization of our tests and technology. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship of our patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, intellectual property that is important to our business, including our software, workflows, consumables and reagent kits. In such an event, we may be required to obtain licenses from third parties and such licenses may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or may be non-exclusive. If we are unable to obtain and maintain such licenses, we may need to cease the development, manufacture and commercialization of our tests and technology. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees, and certain customers or partners may defer engaging with us until the particular dispute is resolved. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties.
We employ individuals who were previously employed at other biotechnology or diagnostic companies. We may be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed confidential information of our employees’ former employers or other third parties. We may also be subject to claims that former employers or other third parties have an ownership interest in our patents. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. There is no guarantee of success in defending these claims, and if we do not prevail, we could be required to pay substantial damages and could lose rights to important intellectual property. Even if we are successful, litigation could result in substantial cost and be a distraction to our management and other employees.
If we are not able to prevent disclosure of our trade secrets and other proprietary information, the value of our tests and technology could be significantly diminished.
We rely on trade secret protection to protect our interests in proprietary know-how and in processes for which patents are difficult to obtain or enforce, including the proprietary algorithm that we use for our tests and technology, including the PreTRM test. We may not be able to protect our trade secrets adequately. We have a policy of requiring our consultants, advisors and collaborators to enter into confidentiality agreements and our employees to enter into invention, non-disclosure and non-compete agreements. However, no assurance can be given that we have entered into appropriate agreements with all parties that have had access to our trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information. There is also no assurance that such agreements will provide for a meaningful protection of our trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information in the event of any unauthorized use or disclosure of information. Furthermore, we cannot provide assurance that any of our employees, consultants, contract personnel or collaborators, either
 
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accidentally or through willful misconduct, will not cause serious damage to our programs and our strategy, for example by disclosing important trade secrets, know-how or proprietary information to our competitors.
It is also possible that our trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information could be obtained by third parties as a result of breaches of our physical or electronic security systems. Any disclosure of confidential data into the public domain or to third parties could allow our competitors to learn our trade secrets and use the information in competition against us. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information. Any action to enforce our rights is likely to be time consuming and expensive, and may ultimately be unsuccessful, or may result in a remedy that is not commercially valuable. These risks are accentuated in foreign countries where laws or law enforcement practices may not protect proprietary rights as fully as in the United States or Europe. Any unauthorized disclosure of our trade secrets or proprietary information could harm our competitive position.
Risks Related to Our Class A Common Stock and This Offering
There has been no prior public market for our Class A common stock, an active trading market for our Class A common stock may not develop and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the initial public offering price.
Prior to this offering there has been no public market for shares of our Class A common stock. You may not be able to sell your shares quickly or at the market price if trading in shares of our Class A common stock is not active. The initial public offering price for our Class A common stock will be determined through negotiations with the underwriters, and the negotiated price may not be indicative of the market price of the Class A common stock after the offering. Although we intend to apply for our Class A common stock to be approved for listing on The Nasdaq Global Market, an active or liquid market in our Class A common stock may not develop upon the completion of this offering or, if it does develop, it may not be sustainable. As a result of these and other factors, you may be unable to resell your shares of our Class A common stock at or above the initial public offering price.
Further, an inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of our Class A common stock and may impair our ability to enter into strategic collaborations or acquire companies or products by using our shares of Class A common stock as consideration.
The price of our Class A common stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
The trading price of our Class A common stock following this offering is likely to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including limited trading volume. In addition to the factors discussed in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this prospectus, these factors include:

our ability to successfully meet our obligations under our commercial agreement with Anthem and obtain broader market adoption of our PreTRM test;

actual or anticipated variations in our and our competitors’ results of operations, as well as how those results compare to analyst and investor expectations;

our failure to successfully commercialize our product candidates;

announcements by us or our competitors of new products, significant acquisitions, other strategic transactions, including strategic and commercial partnerships and relationships, joint ventures, divestitures, collaborations or capital commitments;

changes in reimbursement practices by current or potential payers;

failure of analysts to initiate or maintain coverage of our company, issuance of new securities analysts’ reports or changed recommendations for our Class A common stock;

forward-looking statements related to our financial guidance or projections, our failure to meet or exceed our financial guidance or projections or changes in our financial guidance or projections;

actual or anticipated changes in regulatory oversight of our products;

development of disputes concerning our intellectual property or other proprietary rights;
 
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commencement of, or our involvement in, litigation;

announcement or expectation of additional debt or equity financing efforts;

any major change in our management;

our inability to establish collaborations, if needed;

additions or departures of key scientific or management personnel;

our ability to effectively manage our growth;

overall performance of the equity markets;

sales of our common stock by us or our stockholders in the future;

trading volume of our Class A common stock;

changes in accounting practices;

ineffectiveness of our internal controls;

general political and economic conditions; and

other events or factors, many of which are beyond our control.
In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for diagnostics companies in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of the companies, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our Class A common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. If the market price of our Class A common stock after this offering does not exceed the initial public offering price, you may not realize any return on your investment in us and may lose some or all of your investment. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities. This type of litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources.
We do not intend to pay dividends on our Class A common stock, so any returns will be limited to the value of our Class A common stock.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, future debt or other financing arrangements may contain terms prohibiting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our Class A common stock. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to the appreciation of their stock.
Our executive officers, directors and their affiliates and our principal stockholders own a significant percentage of our Class A common stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.
Based on shares outstanding as of June 30, 2021, and immediately following the completion of this offering, our executive officers, directors and our principal stockholders and their affiliates will beneficially hold, in the aggregate, approximately 81% of our outstanding Class A common stock, including shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of Class B common stock and excluding any shares purchased in this offering. These stockholders, acting together, would be able to significantly influence all matters requiring stockholder approval. These stockholders acquired their shares of Class A common stock (including shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock) for less than the price of the shares of Class A common stock being acquired in this offering, and these stockholders may have interests, with respect to their Class A common stock, that are different from those of investors in this offering and the concentration of voting power among these stockholders may have an adverse effect on the price of our Class A common stock. This concentration of ownership control may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock by:

delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control;
 
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entrenching our management and the board of directors;

impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us that other stockholders may desire; and/or

discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.
See “Principal Stockholders” for more information regarding the ownership of our outstanding common stock by our executive officers, directors, principal stockholders and their affiliates.
If you purchase our Class A common stock in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of your shares.
The initial public offering price was substantially higher than the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after this offering. Investors purchasing Class A common stock in this offering will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering. As a result, investors purchasing Class A common stock in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $10.57 per share, representing the difference between our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering and the initial public offering price. Further, investors purchasing Class A common stock in this offering will have contributed approximately 21% of the total amount invested by stockholders since our inception, but will own only approximately 15% of the shares of Class A common stock outstanding after this offering.
This dilution is due to our investors who purchased shares prior to this offering having paid substantially less when they purchased their shares than the price offered to the public in this offering. To the extent outstanding options are exercised, there will be further dilution to new investors. As a result of the dilution to investors purchasing shares in this offering, investors may receive significantly less than the purchase price paid in this offering, if anything, in the event of our liquidation. For a further description of the dilution that you will experience immediately after this offering, see “Dilution.”
The dual class structure of our common stock may limit your ability to influence corporate matters and may limit your visibility with respect to certain transactions.
The dual class structure of our common stock may limit your ability to influence corporate matters. Holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share, while holders of our Class B common stock are not entitled to any votes per share. Nonetheless, each share of our Class B common stock may be converted at any time into one share of our Class A common stock at the option of its holder by providing written notice to us, subject to the limitations provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to become effective upon the closing of this offering. Consequently, if holders of our Class B common stock following this offering exercise their option to make this conversion, this will have the effect of increasing the relative voting power of those prior holders of our Class B common stock, and correspondingly decreasing the voting power of the holders of our Class A common stock, which may limit your ability to influence corporate matters. Additionally, stockholders who hold, in the aggregate, more than 10% of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock, but 10% or less of our Class A common stock, and are not otherwise an insider, may not be required to report changes in their ownership due to transactions in our Class B common stock pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, and may not be subject to the short-swing profit provisions of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company, and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Class A common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an emerging growth company, or EGC, as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an EGC, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not EGCs, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this prospectus and our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation and stockholder
 
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approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We may remain an EGC or until the earlier of (a) the last day of the fiscal year (i) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (ii) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion or (iii) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which requires the market value of our Class A common stock that is held by non-affiliates to exceed $700.0 million as of the prior June 30th, and (b) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
We are also a smaller reporting company, meaning that the market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates plus the proposed aggregate amount of gross proceeds to us as a result of this offering is less than $700.0 million and our annual revenue is less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company after this offering if either (1) the market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million or (2) our annual revenue is less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our Class A common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million. If we are a smaller reporting company at the time we cease to be an EGC we may continue to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are available to smaller reporting companies. Specifically, as a smaller reporting company, we may choose to present only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and, similar to emerging growth companies, smaller reporting companies have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation.
We may choose to take advantage of some, but not all, of the available exemptions. We have taken advantage of reduced reporting burdens in this prospectus. In particular, we have not included all of the executive compensation information that would be required if we were not an EGC. We cannot predict whether investors will find our Class A common stock less attractive if we rely on certain or all of these exemptions. If some investors find our Class A common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Class A common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
Under the JOBS Act, EGCs can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies, which may make our financial statements less comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Substantial amounts of our outstanding shares of Class A common stock may be sold into the market when lock-up or market standoff periods end, which could cause the price of our Class A common stock to decline.
If our existing stockholders sell, or indicate an intention to sell, substantial amounts of our Class A common stock in the public market after the lock-up and other legal restrictions on resale discussed in this prospectus lapse, the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline. Based on shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021, upon the completion of this offering we will have outstanding a total of 29,103,682 shares of Class A common stock and 1,405,259 shares of Class B common stock. Of these shares, only the shares of Class A common stock sold in this offering by us, plus any shares sold upon exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, will be freely tradable without restriction in the public market immediately following this offering.
The lock-up agreements pertaining to this offering will expire 180 days from the date of this prospectus, subject to earlier release of all or a portion of the shares subject to such agreements by the representatives of the underwriters in this offering in their sole discretion. After the lock-up agreements expire, based upon the number of shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, on an as-converted basis, outstanding as of March 31, 2021, up to an additional 25,767,022 shares of Class A common stock, including 1,405,259 shares of Class B common stock upon conversion to 1,405,259 Class A common stock will be eligible for sale in the public market. Approximately 33% of these additional shares are beneficially held by directors, executive officers and their affiliates and will be subject to certain limitations of Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act.
In addition, shares of Class A common stock that are either subject to outstanding options or reserved for future issuance under our existing equity compensation plans will become eligible for sale in the public market to the extent permitted by the provisions of various vesting schedules, the lock-up agreements and Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act. If these additional shares of Class A common stock are
 
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sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold, in the public market, the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline. Additionally, the number of shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance under our 2021 Equity Plan will automatically increase on January 1 of each year, beginning on January 1, 2022, by 4% of the total number of shares of our capital stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, or a lesser number of shares determined by our board of directors or compensation committee. Furthermore, the number of shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan will automatically increase on January 1 of each year, beginning on January 1, 2022, by 1% of the total number of shares of our capital stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, or a lesser number of shares determined by our board of directors or compensation committee. Unless our board of directors elects not to increase the number of shares available for future grant each year, our stockholders may experience additional dilution.
After this offering, the holders of shares of our common stock will be entitled to rights with respect to the registration of their shares under the Securities Act as provided under the terms of an investors’ rights agreement between us and the holders of our redeemable convertible preferred stock, subject to the 180-day lock-up agreements described above. See “Description of Capital Stock — Registration Rights.” Registration of these shares under the Securities Act would result in the shares becoming freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act, except for shares held by affiliates, as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Any sales of securities by these stockholders could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock.
Our management team has broad discretion to use the net proceeds from this offering and its investment of these proceeds may not yield a favorable return. They may invest the proceeds of this offering in ways with which investors disagree.
We expect to use the net proceeds from the transaction for the following purposes: (i) commercialization activities of PreTRM testing; (ii) clinical studies supporting commercialization of the PreTRM test, including the Anthem/PRIME study, and for product discovery and development studies; (iii) increase capacity and efficiency of our clinical laboratory and enhance our information technology infrastructure; (iv) further development of our proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform; and (v) for working capital and other general corporate purposes. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to acquire, license and invest in complementary products, technologies or businesses, though we currently have no agreements or commitments to complete any such transaction. However, within the scope of our plan, and in light of the various risks to our business that are set forth in this section, our management will have broad discretion over the use of proceeds from this offering, and we could spend the proceeds from this offering in ways our stockholders may not agree with or that do not yield a favorable return, if any. If we do not invest or apply the proceeds of this offering in ways that improve our operating results, we may fail to achieve expected financial results, which could cause our stock price to decline.
We cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering. In addition, the amount, allocation and timing of our actual expenditures will depend upon numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control. Accordingly, we will have broad discretion in using these proceeds. In addition, until the net proceeds are used, they may be placed in investments that do not produce significant income or that may lose value.
Anti-takeover provisions under our charter documents and Delaware law could delay or prevent a change in control which could limit the market price of our Class A common stock and may prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, which are to become effective upon the completion of this offering, contain provisions that could delay or prevent a change in control of our company or changes in our board of directors that our stockholders might consider favorable. Some of these provisions include:

a board of directors divided into three classes serving staggered three-year terms, such that not all members of the board will be elected at one time;

a prohibition on stockholder action through written consent, which requires that all stockholder actions be taken at a meeting of our stockholders;
 
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a requirement that special meetings of stockholders be called only by the board of directors acting pursuant to a resolution approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office;

advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and nominations for election to our board of directors;

a requirement that no member of our board of directors may be removed from office by our stockholders except for cause and, in addition to any other vote required by law, upon the approval of not less than two-thirds of all outstanding shares of our voting stock then entitled to vote in the election of directors;

a requirement of approval of not less than two-thirds of all outstanding shares of our voting stock to amend any bylaws by stockholder action or to amend specific provisions of our certificate of incorporation; and

the authority of the board of directors to issue convertible preferred stock on terms determined by the board of directors without stockholder approval and which convertible preferred stock may include rights superior to the rights of the holders of common stock.
In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which may prohibit certain business combinations with stockholders owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. These anti-takeover provisions and other provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirers to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that are opposed by the then-current board of directors and could also delay or impede a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving our company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing or cause us to take other corporate actions you desire. Any delay or prevention of a change in control transaction or changes in our board of directors could cause the market price of our Class A common stock to decline.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our Class A common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. Securities and industry analysts do not currently, and may never, publish research on our company. If no securities or industry analysts commence coverage of our company, the trading price for our stock would likely be negatively impacted. In the event securities or industry analysts initiate coverage, if one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our stock or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price may decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of our company or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our stock could decrease, which might cause our stock price and trading volume to decline.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be effective upon the consummation of this offering designates certain courts as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will become effective upon the completion of this offering provides that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for any state law claims for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our current or former directors, officers and employees, to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our bylaws (in each case, as they may be amended from time to time), (iv) any action or proceeding to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, (v) any action or proceeding as to which the Delaware General Corporation Law confers jurisdiction
 
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to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (vi) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers or employees that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided, however, that this exclusive forum provision will not apply to any causes of action arising under the Exchange Act. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will further provide that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the United States District Court for the District of Utah will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. We have chosen the United States District Court for the District of Utah as the exclusive forum for such Securities Act causes of action because our principal executive offices are located in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our Class A common stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions. We recognize that the forum selection clause in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may impose additional litigation costs on stockholders in pursuing any such claims, particularly if the stockholders do not reside in or near the State of Delaware or the State of Utah, as applicable. Additionally, the forum selection clause in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a forum that they find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees even though an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders. The Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the United States District Court for the District of Utah may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments may be more or less favorable to us than our stockholders. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Because the applicability of the exclusive forum provision is limited to the extent permitted by applicable law, we do not intend that the exclusive forum provision would apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. We also acknowledge that Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder and that there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce an exclusive forum provision for actions arising under the Securities Act.
Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
Upon completion of this offering, we will become subject to certain reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to reasonably assure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and even if we are successful in remediating our material weakness, any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements or insufficient disclosures due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
We will incur significant increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.
As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. We will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, which will require, among other things that we file with the SEC annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as rules subsequently adopted by the SEC and The Nasdaq Global Market to implement provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, impose significant requirements on public companies, including requiring establishment and maintenance
 
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of effective disclosure and financial reporting controls and changes in corporate governance practices. Further, in July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, was enacted. There are significant corporate governance and executive compensation related provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act concerning areas such as “say on pay” and proxy access. EGCs are permitted to implement many of these requirements over a longer period, which may be up to five years from the pricing of this offering. Stockholder activism, the current political environment and the current high level of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations, which may lead to additional compliance costs and impact the manner in which we operate our business in ways we cannot currently anticipate.
We expect the rules and regulations applicable to public companies to substantially increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly. If these requirements divert the attention of our management and personnel from other business concerns, they could have an adverse effect on our business. The increased costs will decrease our net income or increase our net loss, and may require us to reduce costs in other areas of our business or increase the prices of our products or services. For example, we expect these rules and regulations to make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to incur substantial costs to maintain the same or similar coverage. We cannot predict or estimate the amount or timing of additional costs we may incur to respond to these requirements. The impact of these requirements could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors, our board committees or as executive officers.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, stockholders could lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our Class A common stock.
Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. In addition, any testing by us conducted in connection with Section 404, or any subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm, may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses or that may require prospective or retroactive changes to our financial statements or identify other areas for further attention or improvement. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our stock.
We will be required to disclose changes made in our internal controls and procedures on a quarterly basis and our management will be required to assess the effectiveness of these controls annually. However, for as long as we are an EGC, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404. We could be an EGC for up to five years. An independent assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting could detect problems that our management’s assessment might not. Undetected material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting could lead to restatements of our financial statements and require us to incur the expense of remediation.
 
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these words or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

estimates of our addressable market, market growth, future revenue, key performance indicators, expenses, capital requirements and our needs for additional financing;

our use of the net proceeds from this offering;

our expectations regarding the rate and degree of market acceptance of our PreTRM test;

the impact of our PreTRM test on the field of bioinformatics and proteomics and the size and growth of the addressable bioinformatics and proteomics market;

our ability to obtain funding for our operations;

our ability to manage and grow our business and commercialize our PreTRM test;

our ability to develop and commercialize new products;

our ability to retain the continued service of our key professionals and to identify, hire and retain additional qualified professionals;

the pricing and reimbursement of our products;

the implementation of our business model, strategic plans for our business, products and technology;

the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our product candidates and technology;

developments relating to our competitors and our industry;

the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, capital requirements and needs for additional financing;

the impact of COVID-19 on our business; and

our financial performance.
These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this prospectus. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this prospectus may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.
You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date of this prospectus, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this prospectus to conform these statements to new information, actual results or to changes in our expectations, except as required by law.
 
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You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part with the understanding that our actual future results, levels of activity, performance, and events and circumstances may be materially different from what we expect.
 
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MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA
Unless otherwise indicated, information contained in this prospectus concerning our industry and the markets in which we operate, including our general expectations, market position and market opportunity, is based on our management’s estimates and research, as well as industry and general publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. We believe that the information from these third-party publications, research, surveys and studies included in this prospectus is reliable. Management’s estimates are derived from publicly available information, their knowledge of our industry and their assumptions based on such information and knowledge, which we believe to be reasonable. This data involves a number of assumptions and limitations which are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Risk Factors.” These and other factors could cause our future performance to differ materially from our assumptions and estimates.
 
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that we will receive net proceeds of approximately $68.0 million from the sale of the shares of our Class A common stock in this offering, or approximately $78.5 million, if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, by approximately $4.4 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares of Class A common stock we are offering. An increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares we are offering would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, by approximately $14.9 million, assuming the initial public offering price stays the same.
The principal purposes of this offering are to increase our financial flexibility, create a public market for our Class A common stock and to facilitate our access to the public equity markets. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering as follows:

approximately $14.0 million to $20.0 million for commercialization activities relating to the PreTRM test;

approximately $21.0 million to $30.0 million for clinical studies supporting commercialization of the PreTRM test, including the Anthem/PRIME study, and for product discovery and development studies;

approximately $6.0 million to $8.0 million to increase capacity and efficiency of our clinical laboratory and enhance our information technology infrastructure;

approximately $2.0 million to $3.0 million for further development of our proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform including development of other product candidates in our pipeline; and

the balance for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
We believe opportunities may exist from time to time to expand our current business through acquisitions or in-licenses of complementary companies, products or technologies. While we have no current agreements, commitments or understandings for any specific acquisitions or in-licenses at this time, we may use a portion of the net proceeds for these purposes.
We believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months.
Although we currently anticipate that we will use the net proceeds from this offering as described above, there may be circumstances where a reallocation of funds is necessary. It is difficult to estimate with certainty the exact amounts of the net proceeds from this offering that may be used for the above purposes. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures will depend upon numerous factors, including our sales and marketing and commercialization efforts, demand for our products, our operating costs and the other factors described under the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus. Accordingly, our management will have flexibility in applying the net proceeds from this offering. An investor will not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial or other information on which we base our decisions on how to use the proceeds.
Pending their use as described above, we plan to invest the net proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.
 
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DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, for use in the operation of our business and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to declare and pay dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on various factors, including applicable laws, our results of operations, our financial condition, our capital requirements, general business conditions, our future prospects and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Our ability to pay cash dividends on our capital stock in the future may also be limited by the terms of any preferred securities we may issue or agreements governing any additional indebtedness we may incur. Investors should not purchase our common stock with the expectation of receiving cash dividends.
 
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CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of March 31, 2021:

on an actual basis;

on a pro forma basis to reflect (i) the sale and issuance of 3,115,657 shares of our Series E convertible preferred stock in April 2021 for gross cash proceeds of $38.8 million; (ii) the filing and effectiveness of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation immediately upon the completion of this offering; (iii) the conversion of all outstanding shares of our convertible preferred stock, including the 3,115,657 shares of Series E convertible preferred stock issued in April 2021, into an aggregate of 23,839,358 shares of our Class A  common stock and Class B common stock upon the completion of this offering; and (iv) the forgiveness of the entire outstanding PPP loan payable of $1.1 million that occurred in June 2021; and

on a pro forma as adjusted basis to additionally reflect the issuance and sale by us of 4,687,500 shares of our Class A common stock in this offering, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, at an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
Our capitalization following the completion of this offering will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of the offering determined at pricing. You should read this information together with our unaudited condensed financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus and the information set forth under the “Summary Financial Data” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections.
As of March 31, 2021
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Actual
Pro forma
Pro forma as
adjusted(1)
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 60,016 $ 98,816 $ 166,819
Loans payable
1,050
Preferred stock warrant liability
494
Capital lease obligation
179 179 179
Convertible Preferred Stock:
Junior convertible preferred stock, par value of $0.0001; 22,047,294 shares authorized, actual, 9,819,480 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted.
77,844
Senior convertible preferred stock, par value of $0.0001; 24,496,040 shares authorized, actual, 10,675,922 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted.
110,499
Stockholders’ (deficit) equity:
Preferred stock, par value $0.0001; no shares authorized, issued and
outstanding, actual; 5,000,000 shares authorized, and no shares issued and
outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted
Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value: 75,000,000 shares authorized,
actual, 1,982,083 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 80,000,000 shares
authorized, pro forma; 24,416,182 shares issued and outstanding,
pro forma; 150,000,000 shares authorized, pro forma as adjusted;
29,103,682 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted.
2 3
Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value: 3,000,000 shares authorized, actual, no shares issued and outstanding, actual; 3,000,000 shares authorized, pro forma; 1,405,259 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; 1,500,000 shares authorized, pro forma as adjusted; 1,405,259 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted
Additional paid-in capital
7,428 235,063 302,435
Accumulated deficit
(137,818) (136,768) (136,768)
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity
(130,390) 98,297 165,670
Total capitalization
$ 59,676 $ 98,476 165,849
 
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(1)
The pro forma as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the amount of cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ (deficit) equity and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by approximately $4.4 million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. Each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares offered by us would increase (decrease) cash and cash equivalents, total stockholders’ equity (deficit) and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by approximately $14.9 million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
The number of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021 excludes the following:

4,958,194 shares of our Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options as of March 31, 2021, having a weighted-average exercise price of $2.54 per share;

2,741,813 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2021, having a weighted-average exercise price of $12.79 per share;

81,543 shares of common stock (on an as converted basis) issuable upon exercise of warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock as of March 31, 2021, having a weighted average exercise price of $7.20 per share;

1,411,038 shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, of which options to purchase 742,294 shares of Class A common stock having an exercise price of $8.88 per share were granted since March 31, 2021;

3,966,162 shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, which will become effective upon the completion of this offering; and

305,089 shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which will become effective upon the completion of this offering.
 
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DILUTION
If you invest in our Class A common stock in this offering, your interest will immediately be diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share of our Class A common stock in this offering and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock immediately after this offering.
As of March 31, 2021, our historical net tangible book value (deficit) was $(131.8) million, or $(66.49) per share. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share is equal to our total tangible assets, excluding deferred offering costs, less our total liabilities and the carrying value of our convertible preferred stock, divided by the number of outstanding shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock as of March 31, 2021.
As of March 31, 2021, our pro forma net tangible book value was $96.9 million, or $3.75 per share. Pro forma net tangible book value is the amount of our total tangible assets, excluding deferred offering costs, less our total liabilities, after giving effect to: (i) the sale and issuance of 3,115,657 shares of our Series E convertible preferred stock in April 2021 for gross cash proceeds of $38.8 million; (ii) the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our convertible preferred stock, including the 3,115,657 shares of Series E convertible preferred stock issued in April 2021, into an aggregate of 23,839,358 shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock upon the consummation of this offering; and (iii) the forgiveness of the entire outstanding PPP loan payable of $1.1 million that occurred in June 2021. Pro forma net tangible book value per share represents pro forma net tangible book value divided by the total number of issued shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock as of March 31, 2021, after giving effect to the pro forma adjustments described above.
After giving further effect to the issuance and sale of 4,687,500 shares of Class A common stock in this offering, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, at an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2021, would have been approximately $165.7 million, or approximately $5.43 per share. This represents an immediate increase in the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of $1.68 to existing stockholders and immediate dilution of $10.57 in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share to new investors participating in this offering. Dilution per share to new investors is determined by subtracting pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering from the assumed initial public offering price per share paid by new investors. The pro forma as adjusted information below is illustrative only and will depend on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
The following table illustrates this per share dilution to new investors:
Assumed initial public offering price per share of our common stock
$ 16.00
Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share as of March 31, 2021, before giving effect to this offering
$ (66.49)
Increase in historical net tangible book value per share attributable to the pro forma transactions described in the preceding paragraphs
70.24
Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2021
3.75
Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors participating in this offering
1.68
Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering 5.43
Dilution per share to new investors participating in this offering
$ 10.57
The information discussed above is illustrative only, and the dilution information following this offering will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value by $0.14 per share and the dilution to new
 
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investors by $0.86 per share, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. An increase of 1,000,000 shares of Class A common stock offered by us would increase the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value by $0.30 per share and decrease the dilution to new investors by $0.30 per share, assuming the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated expenses payable by us. Similarly, a decrease of 1,000,000 shares offered by us would decrease the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value by $0.32 per share and increase the dilution to new investors by $0.32 per share, assuming the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated expenses payable by us.
If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock in full, the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2021, will increase to $176.1 million, or $5.64 per share, representing an increase to existing stockholders of $1.89 per share, and there will be an immediate dilution of $10.36 per share to new investors.
The following table summarizes as of March 31, 2021, on the pro forma as adjusted basis as described above, the differences between the number of shares of Class A common stock purchased from us, the total consideration and the average price per share paid by existing stockholders (giving effect to the conversion of all of our convertible preferred stock, including the 3,115,657 shares of Series E convertible preferred stock issued in April 2021, into 23,839,358 shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock upon the completion of this offering) and by investors participating in this offering, before deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses, at an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
Shares
Purchased
Total Consideration
Weighted
Average
Price/
Share
Number
Percent
Amount
Percent
Existing stockholders
25,821,441 85% $ 283,553 79% $ 10.98
Investors participating in this offering
4,687,500 15% $ 75,000 21% $ 16.00
Total
30,508,941 100% $ 358,553 100% $ 11.75
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by new investors by $4.7 million, and increase (decrease) the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by approximately 1%, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as listed on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of Class A common stock offered by us would increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by new investors by $16.0 million. An increase of 1,000,000 shares in the number of Class A common stock offered by us would increase the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by approximately 3% and a decrease of 1,000,000 shares in the number of Class A common stock offered by us would decrease the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by approximately 4%, assuming that the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, price remains the same.
The table above assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares in this offering. If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full, the number of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock held by existing stockholders would be reduced to 83% of the total number of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding after this offering, and the number of shares of our Class A common stock held by new investors participating in the offering would be increased to 17% of the total number of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding after this offering.
 
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The number of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 25,821,441 shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021, after giving effect to the conversion of all of our outstanding shares of preferred stock, including the 3,115,657 shares of Series E convertible preferred stock issued in April 2021, into an aggregate of 23,839,358 shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock upon the completion of this offering, and excludes the following:

4,958,194 shares of our Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options as of March 31, 2021, having a weighted-average exercise price of $2.54 per share;

2,741,813 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2021, having a weighted-average exercise price of $12.79 per share;

81,543 shares of common stock (on an as-converted basis) issuable upon exercise of warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock as of March 31, 2021, having a weighted average exercise price of $7.20 per share;

1,411,038 shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, of which options to purchase 742,294 shares of Class A common stock having an exercise price of $8.88 per share were granted since March 31, 2021;

3,966,162 shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, which will become effective upon the completion of this offering; and

305,089 shares of Class A common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which will become effective upon the completion of this offering.
To the extent that any options or warrants are exercised, new options or other securities are issued under our equity incentive plans, or we issue additional shares of common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to investors participating in this offering. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital because of market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe that we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of such securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.
 
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this prospectus, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and related financing, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, including those factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus, our actual results could differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis. You should carefully read the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus to gain an understanding of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. Please also see the section entitled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Overview
We are a women’s health diagnostic company utilizing our proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform to discover, develop and commercialize clinically meaningful and economically impactful biomarker tests, with an initial focus on improving pregnancy outcomes. We believe that our method of combining the disciplines of proteomics and bioinformatics with rigorous clinical testing and economic analysis enables us to provide physicians and patients with actionable data and information designed to result in better maternal and neonatal health at lower cost. Our vision is to deliver pivotal and actionable information to pregnant women, their physicians and healthcare payers to significantly improve maternal and neonatal health and to dramatically reduce healthcare costs. We have built an advanced, proprietary and scalable proteomics and bioinformatics platform to characterize the biology of pregnancy and to discover and validate key protein biomarkers found in blood that are highly accurate predictors of dynamic changes that occur during pregnancy. By incorporating our proprietary technology platform into our rigorous data-driven development process, we have created a differentiated approach for effectively addressing major conditions of pregnancy. We envision that our comprehensive approach will enable us to fully characterize one of the most important periods in the lives of women and children, and will help to improve their well-being. Our goal is to develop and commercialize tests that inform important decisions during all pregnancies. We also believe that the work we perform in pregnancy can ultimately be leveraged more broadly to address other areas in medicine and healthcare.
Our first commercial product, the PreTRM test, is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood-based biomarker test to accurately predict the risk of a premature delivery, also known as preterm birth. The PreTRM test is a non-invasive blood test given to a pregnant woman, carrying a single fetus, during week 19 or 20 of gestation that provides an accurate prediction of the expectant mother’s risk of delivering spontaneously before 37 weeks’ gestation. Our commercialization strategy includes conducting clinical trials to demonstrate the health and economic benefits of early and accurate detection of preterm birth risk coupled with well-recognized interventions in higher risk patients. Anthem, whose health plans cover more than 10% of U.S. pregnancies annually, will make our PreTRM test available to eligible pregnant members as part of this multi-year contract. Anthem is the nation’s second largest health insurer with greater than 43 million members nationwide. Through this collaboration, a significant number of physicians and patients in the U.S. gain access to early and accurate predictions of preterm birth to enable more informed decision-making during pregnancy. Sera believes that its commercial collaboration with Anthem further validates the clinical and economic value of its PreTRM test and significantly de-risks initial commercialization. Sera further expects this provides a pathway for broader market adoption through subsequent coverage decisions by other major payers. We are actively discovering and developing several additional biomarker tests to predict other major conditions of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, among others, that have the potential to offer significant health benefits to women and their babies.
Our operations are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, including a CLIA-certified laboratory. Since our inception, we have devoted the majority of our efforts and resources to performing research and development, acquiring product rights, raising capital, establishing facilities, conducting clinical trials, and establishing commercial operations to market the PreTRM test. During this period, we have incurred annual net losses. We have largely funded our operations with proceeds from the sale of convertible preferred stock, debt
 
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financings, and bank loans. Since inception through March 31, 2021, we have raised an aggregate of $207.1 million of gross proceeds from private placements of our equity and debt securities and bank loans. In April 2021, we received $38.8 million in gross proceeds from the sale and issuance of shares of Series E convertible preferred stock.
We have incurred significant operating losses over the last several years. Our net losses were $6.4 million and $4.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and $19.8 million and $16.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We expect to incur significant additional operating losses over at least the next year, principally as a result of our commercialization activities for the PreTRM test, and to support additional clinical studies, publications, and anticipated research and development activities.
We had no significant commercial revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021, and year ended December 31, 2020, and we have no recurring sources of licensing or other revenue. We have signed an agreement with Anthem, pursuant to which Anthem will purchase our PreTRM test, and we continue to negotiate private payer insurance contracts that could eventually result in revenues. If we are unable to secure payer contracts that result in significant revenues or access additional funds, we may be required to delay, scale back or abandon some, or all, of our development programs and other operations. Until such time as we can generate significant revenue from the sales of our products, if ever, we may need to continue to finance our cash needs through equity offerings, debt financings or other capital sources, potentially including collaborations or other similar arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interests will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a common stockholder. Debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making acquisitions or capital expenditures or declaring dividends and may require the issuance of warrants, which could potentially dilute your ownership interests. If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may have to significantly delay, reduce or eliminate some or all of our product development or future commercialization efforts, or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Our ability to access capital when needed is not assured and, if not achieved on a timely basis, will materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Without giving effect to the anticipated net proceeds from this offering, based on our current operating plan, we believe we have sufficient cash and cash equivalents on hand to support current operations for twelve months from the date of issuance of the financial statements.
Impact of COVID-19
The pandemic caused by an outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes a disease known as COVID-19, has resulted, and is likely to continue to result, in significant national and global economic disruption and has adversely impacted the manner in which we conduct our operations. The degree to which COVID-19 impacts our future business operations, research and development programs and financial condition will depend on future developments, including the ultimate duration and/or severity of the outbreak and any resurgences, actions by government authorities to contain the spread of the virus, the effectiveness of vaccines against the virus, and when and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. The ability of our employees and other business partners to travel and conduct other routine business activity has been and is likely to continue to be disrupted or adversely affected. The primary impact to our business has been the early cessation of enrollment in our AVERT study in March 2020, and the delayed commencement of enrollment in our PRIME study until November 2020. However, our laboratory has remained operational and, to the extent possible, we are conducting our other business operations with necessary or advisable modifications to employee travel and many of our employees working remotely. We will continue to actively monitor the rapidly evolving situation related to COVID-19 and may take further actions that alter our operations, including those that may be required by federal, state or local
 
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authorities, or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees and other third parties with whom we do business. At this point, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may affect our business, operations and development timelines and plans, including the resulting impact on our expenditures and capital needs, remains uncertain and is subject to change.
Collaboration Agreement with Anthem
On February 17, 2021, we entered into a Commercial Collaboration Agreement with Anthem relating to the commercialization of the PreTRM test. Under the agreement, we will provide PreTRM tests to eligible individuals enrolled in, or serviced or covered by, the health insurance products of Anthem. Pursuant to the agreement, Anthem will purchase a certain minimum number of tests from us for each of the first three years of the term of the agreement. Additionally, Anthem has agreed to pay us a certain minimum amount per year for the first three years of the term of the agreement. Anthem has been participating in our PRIME study, and at the conclusion of the PRIME study, we agreed to enter into Anthem’s standard lab provider agreement with longer term commercial pricing. See the “Business — Anthem Commercial Collaboration Agreement” section of this prospectus for a further description of this agreement.
Factors Affecting Our Performance
We believe there are several important factors that have impacted, and that we expect will continue to impact, our operating performance and results of operations, including:

our ability to further increase the use and adoption of the PreTRM test or to develop new products and services in the future, and to successfully commercialize the PreTRM test and other products in the future;

the continued development of the market for proteomics and bioinformatics;

our ability to secure payer contracts that result in significant revenues or to access additional funds, including our ability to perform our obligations under our agreement with Anthem;

raising substantial additional capital to continue operations and execute on our business plan, until such time as we can generate significant revenue from the sales of our products, if ever;

obtaining and maintaining intellectual property protection for our technology and products; and

other factors described in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this prospectus.
Key Components of Our Results of Operations
Revenues
We expect to derive substantially all our revenue in the near term from sales of the PreTRM test. To date, we have not generated material revenues from the commercial sale of the PreTRM test. We have signed an agreement with Anthem for the sale of the PreTRM test, and we continue to negotiate private payer insurance contracts that could eventually result in revenues.
Operating Expenses
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue reflects the aggregate costs incurred in delivering the proteomic testing results to clinicians and includes expenses for third-party sample collection and shipping costs, as well as our lab personnel, materials and supplies, equipment and infrastructure expenses associated with clinical testing, and allocated overhead including rent and equipment depreciation. We expect costs of revenue will generally move in line with the sales of the PreTRM test.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred for our research activities and development of our product candidates. These expenses include:
 
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clinical studies;

laboratory processes;

research and bioinformatic activities;

biobanking and publication efforts;

personnel-related expenses, including salaries, payroll taxes, employee benefits and stock-based compensation charges for employees, engaged in these research and development activities;

direct clinical study expenses incurred under agreements with clinical study sites or contract research organizations;

consultants engaged in our research and development efforts;

laboratory materials and supplies;

facilities costs; and

depreciation, amortization and other direct and allocated expenses, including rent, insurance and other operating costs, incurred as a result of our research and development activities.
We expense all research and development costs, both internal and external, in the period in which they are incurred. We expect that our research and development expenses will continue to increase for the foreseeable future as we support additional clinical studies, publications and other product development activities.
Selling and Marketing Expenses
Selling and marketing expenses consist primarily of salaries, payroll taxes, employee benefits and stock-based compensation charges for sales, marketing, and payer access personnel. Other significant costs include travel, consulting, public relations, and legal costs related to commercial efforts. We expect selling and marketing expenses to increase in the future as we incur additional expenses associated with the commercialization activities for the PreTRM test and related initiatives. Based on our commercial collaboration with Anthem, we are initially building our specialty OB-GYN commercial sales force to sell and support the PreTRM test in key territories in the United States where Anthem has a significant number of covered members. Upon further market adoption of the PreTRM test by other payers and the expansion of our pipeline, we expect to expand our dedicated sales force into additional territories in the United States to cover the entire U.S. OB-GYN sales channel.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries, payroll taxes, employee benefits and stock-based compensation charges for personnel in executive, finance, information technology, human resources, and other administrative functions. Other significant costs include facilities, corporate and intellectual property legal fees, accounting, insurance, consulting, and other professional fees.
We anticipate that our general and administrative expenses will increase in the future as we construct the appropriate infrastructure to support expanded commercialization efforts and ongoing research and development activities. We anticipate increased expenses related to audit, tax, and legal services associated with maintaining compliance with SEC requirements, as well as increased director and officer insurance premiums, board of director fees, and investor relations costs associated with operating as a public company.
Interest Expense
Interest expense represents interest expense incurred on our loans payable and convertible promissory note, and amortization of a discount feature on a convertible promissory note.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net consists of interest earned on our cash, grant income, periodic mark-to-market changes on liabilities carried at fair value, and other gains and losses.
 
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Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 and 2020
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020:
Three Months Ended March 31,
2021
2020
Change
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Revenue
$ 13 $ 8 $ 5
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenue
5 3 2
Research and development
2,396 2,050 346
Selling and marketing
1,350 868 482
General and administrative
2,287 1,379 908
Total operating expenses
6,038 4,300 1,738
Loss from operations
(6,025) (4,292) (1,733)
Interest expense
(307) (437) 130
Other income (expense), net
(27) 33 (60)
Net loss and comprehensive loss
$ (6,359) $ (4,696) $ (1,663)
Research and Development Expenses
The following table summarizes our research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020:
Three Months Ended March 31,
Change
2021
2020
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
Research and Development
Expenses:
Clinical studies
$ 693 $ 640 $ 53
Research and bioinformatics
732 655 77
Laboratory operations
971 755 216
Total research and development expenses
$ 2,396 $ 2,050 $ 346
Total research and development expenses increased by $0.3 million to $2.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to $2.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase was due primarily to a $0.2 million increase in laboratory operations costs. Clinical study and administrative costs associated with the PRIME study resulted in an increase of $53 thousand, in addition to a $77 thousand increase in research and bioinformatics expenses.
Selling and Marketing Expenses
Selling and marketing expenses increased by $0.5 million to $1.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to $0.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase was due primarily to an increase of $0.3 million of personnel-related costs, $0.1 million of consulting and outside services related to enhancing our reimbursement strategy, and $0.1 million of marketing programs and materials development.
 
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General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses increased by $0.9 million to $2.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to $1.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The increase was due primarily to an increase of $0.6 million of personnel expenses, $0.2 million of increased consulting and outside services, and $0.1 million of increased stock-based compensation expense.
Interest Expense
Interest expense was $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to $0.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. This decrease in interest expense between periods primarily relates to a lower average loan payable principal balance outstanding.
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
Change
(in thousands)
Revenue
$ 25 $ 36 $ (11)
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenue
11 18 (7)
Research and product development
7,782 9,353 (1,571)
Selling and marketing
3,645 2,963 682
General and administrative
6,558 4,278 2,280
Total operating expenses
17,996 16,612 1,384
Loss from operations
(17,971) (16,576) (1,395)
Interest expense
(1,839) (1,972) 133
Other income (expense), net
(38) 2,027 (2,065)
Net loss and comprehensive, loss
$ (19,848) $ (16,521) $ (3,327)
Research and Development Expenses
The following table summarizes our research and development expenses for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
Change
(in thousands)
Research and Development
Expenses
Clinical studies
$ 2,557 $ 4,537 $ (1,980)
Research and bioinformatics
2,473 2,157 316
Laboratory operations
2,752 2,659 93
Total research and development expenses
$ 7,782 $ 9,353 $ (1,571)
Total research and development expenses decreased by $1.6 million to $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $9.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The decrease was due primarily to the conclusion of the PREVENT study in October 2019 and cessation of enrollment in the AVERT study in March 2020, resulting in a decrease of $1.6 million of clinical study costs related to the
 
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PreTRM test, and a decrease of $0.4 million of administration costs related to these clinical studies. These changes were offset by a $0.3 million increase in research and bioinformatics, and a $0.1 million increase in laboratory operations costs.
Selling and Marketing Expenses
Selling and marketing expenses increased by $0.6 million to $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was due primarily to an increase of $0.3 million of consulting and outside services related to enhancing our reimbursement strategy and $0.2 million of personnel related expenses.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses increased by $2.3 million to $6.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $4.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was due primarily to an increase of $1.3 million of personnel expenses, $0.5 million for severance and recruiting expenses, $0.2 million of increased stock-based compensation expense, and $0.2 million of increased consulting and outside services.
Interest Expense
Interest expense was $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $2.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. This decrease in interest expense between periods primarily relates to a lower average loan payable principal balance outstanding.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Total other income (expense), net decreased from income of $2.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to an expense of $38 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020. The change primarily relates to a $2.2 million gain recognized on termination of a convertible note conversion liability, offset by a $0.1 million loss on extinguishment of debt in 2019.
The following table summarizes the components of Other income (expense), net for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:
December 31,
2020
2019
(in thousands)
Interest income
$ 42 $ 64
Fair value remeasurements
(80) (129)
Grant income
17
Other gains (losses), net
2,075
Other income (expense), net
$ (38) $ 2,027
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
Since inception, we have not generated a significant amount of commercial revenue from product sales or any other sources and have incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from operations. We anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. We have financed our operations primarily through private placements of preferred stock, debt financings, and bank loans, receiving in the aggregate gross proceeds of $207.1 million through March 31, 2021. As of March 31, 2021, we had cash and cash equivalents of $60.0 million and an accumulated deficit of $137.8 million. In April 2021, we received an aggregate of $38.8 million in net proceeds from the sale and issuance of shares of Series E convertible preferred stock.
 
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Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated:
Three Months Ended March 31,
Year Ended December 31,
2021
2020
2020
2019
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
(in thousands)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities
$ (6,950) $ (4,615) $ (16,868) $ (19,324)
Investing activities
(41) (8) (149) (6)
Financing activities
53,474 10,667 9,160 33,049
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
$ 46,483 $ 6,044 $ (7,857) $ 13,719
Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 and 2020
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $7.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to $4.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The net cash used in operating activities during the three months ended March 31, 2021 was primarily due to a net loss of $6.4 million offset by non-cash charges of $0.6 million and a decrease in operating assets and liabilities of $1.2 million. Non-cash charges during the three months ended March 31, 2021 primarily consisted of $0.2 million of interest expense, $0.2 million of depreciation expense and $0.2 million of stock-based compensation expense. The net cash used in operating activities during the three months ended March 31, 2020 was primarily due to a net loss of $4.7 million offset by non-cash charges of $0.7 million and a decrease in operating assets and liabilities of $0.6 million. Non-cash charges during the three months ended March 31, 2020 primarily consisted of $0.4 million of interest expense, $0.2 million of depreciation expense and $0.1 million of stock-based compensation expense.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $41 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to $8 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2020, representing purchases of property and equipment in both periods.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was $53.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to $10.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Net cash provided by financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was primarily due to net proceeds of $60.4 million from the sale of Series E convertible preferred stock, proceeds of $1.1 million from issuance of common stock warrants, $0.2 million proceeds from options exercised, offset by $3.1 million and $4.5 million of loan and notes repayments, respectively, and $0.6 million of deferred offering costs payments. Net cash provided by financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was primarily due to $10.7 million of net proceeds from the sale of Series D convertible preferred stock.
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities decreased to $16.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $19.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The net cash used in operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to a net loss of $19.8 million, offset by non-cash charges of $3.3 million and a decrease of $0.3 million in operating assets and liabilities. Non-cash charges during the year ended December 31, 2020 primarily consisted of $1.6 million of interest expense, $0.9 million of depreciation expense and $0.7 million of stock-based compensation expense. The net cash used in operating
 
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activities during the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily due to a net loss of $16.5 million, partially offset by non-cash charges of $0.8 million and a decrease of $3.7 million in operating assets and liabilities. Non-cash charges during the year ended December 31, 2019 primarily consisted of $1.5 million of interest expense, $0.9 million of depreciation and amortization expense and $0.4 million of stock-based compensation expense, offset with $1.3 million of other gains and $0.6 million of fair value adjustments.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities of $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $6 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2019. The change in cash used in investing activities was due primarily to $0.1 million of proceeds from the disposal of property and equipment in the year ended December 31, 2019 and no similar proceeds in the year ended December 31, 2020.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities decreased to $9.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 from $33.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily due to net proceeds of $10.7 million from the sale of Series D convertible preferred stock, proceeds of $1.1 million from a Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP loan payable, offset with $2.7 million of loan repayments. Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily due to $29.1 million of net proceeds from the sale of Series D preferred stock and $6.6 million of proceeds from convertible notes payable, offset with $3.3 million of loan repayments.
Future Funding Requirements
We expect to incur significant additional operating losses and negative cash flows for the foreseeable future. We expect our losses in the future to be principally as a result of our commercialization activities for the PreTRM test, and to support additional clinical studies and anticipated research and development activities. We had no significant commercial revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and year ended December 31, 2020, and we have no recurring sources of licensing or other revenue. There can be no assurance that we will eventually achieve significant revenues or profitability, or if achieved, can sustain either on a continuing basis. If we are unable to achieve significant revenues or raise additional funding, when needed, we may not be able to continue the development or commercialization of our diagnostic products and could be required to delay, scale back or abandon some or all of our development programs and other operations. Management believes that its existing financial resources are sufficient to continue operating activities at least one year past the issuance date of these condensed financial statements. No assurance can be given that we will be successful in raising the required capital at reasonable cost and at the required times, or at all. Any additional equity financing may not be available on favorable terms, most likely will be dilutive to our current stockholders, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants and dilutive financing instruments. Further, our operating plan may change, and we may need additional funds to meet operational needs and capital requirements for product development and commercialization sooner than planned. We currently have no credit facility or committed sources of capital. Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including the following:

the timing, receipt and amount of sales, if any, from the PreTRM test;

the cost and timing of establishing sales, marketing and other commercialization capabilities in the United States and abroad;

our ability to develop and commercialize other products;

the terms and timing of any collaborative, licensing and other arrangements that we may establish;

the cost, timing and outcomes of regulatory approvals;

the scope, rate of progress, results and cost of our clinical studies, and other related activities;

the cost of preparing, filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights;
 
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the extent to which we acquire or invest in businesses, products or technologies, although we currently have no commitments or agreements relating to any of these types of transactions;

partnerships and other strategic options for our product and other product candidates; and

other factors described in the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this prospectus.
We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2020:
Payments Due by Period
Total
Less Than
1 Year
1-3 Years
3-5 Years
More than
5 Years
(in thousands)
Bank Loan (including interest and fees)(1)
$ 3,159 $ 3,159
Convertible Note (including interest)(2)
5,490 5,490
PPP loan payable (including interest)(3)
$ 1,065 709 356
Operating leases(4)
1,099 545 554
Capital leases(5)
215 80 135
Total
$ 11,028 $ 9,983 $ 1,045
(1)
Our bank loan, which consists of the amounts borrowed under our loan agreement with Pacific Western Bank, bears interest at a floating annual rate equal to the greater of (i) the prime rate plus 1.0% (4.75% at December 31, 2020), and (ii) 4.75%. The amounts in the table above assume payment at our current interest rate of 4.75%, which is subject to change, and also reflect the final payment fee on the loan. On March 24, 2021, we repaid this bank loan, including principal and all accrued interest.
(2)
Our Convertible Note, which matured on March 28, 2021, was repaid, including principal, accrued interest and final fee on March 24, 2021.
(3)
In April 2020, we obtained a $1.1 million loan through a bank under the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, as amended, which may be forgiven. To the extent all or part of the PPP loan is not forgiven, we will be required to pay interest on the PPP loan at a rate of 1% per annum and principal and interest payments will be required through the maturity date in April 2022. This amount includes principal and all accrued interest.
(4)
Our operating lease obligations relate to our current corporate headquarters and laboratory space in Salt Lake City, Utah.
(5)
Some of our fixed assets have been acquired by capital lease, and the amounts above represent the contractual monthly payments of principal and interest.
We enter into contracts in the normal course of business with third-party contract research organizations and clinical trial sites for our clinical trials, and with supply vendors for other services and products for operating purposes. These contracts generally provide for termination after a notice period, and, therefore, are cancelable contracts that are not included in the table above.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Since our inception, we have not engaged in any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC.
 
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Critical Accounting Policies, Significant Judgments and Use of Estimates
Our management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based on our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported revenue and expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We believe that the accounting policies discussed below are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving management’s judgments and estimates.
Determination of Fair Value of Common Stock
We are required to estimate the fair value of the common stock underlying our stock-based awards. Since there has been no public market of our common stock to date, the fair value of the shares of common stock underlying our share-based awards was estimated on each stock-based award grant date by our board of directors. To determine the fair value of our common stock, our board of directors considered input from management, relied in part upon the valuations of our common stock, which we determined with the assistance of independent valuation specialists using approaches and assumptions consistent with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Statement on Standards for Valuation Services, and assessed additional factors that we believed were relevant or that may have changed from the date of the most recent valuation through the date of the grant. These factors include, but are not limited to:

our results of operations, financial position, and capital resources;

our stage of development and progress of our research and development activities;

our business conditions and projections;

the external market conditions affecting the life sciences and biotechnology industry sectors;

the trends and developments in our industry;

the valuation of publicly traded companies in our industry sectors, as well as recently completed mergers and acquisitions of peer companies;

the lack of marketability of our common stock as a private company;

the prices at which we sold shares of our convertible preferred stock to outside investors in arms-length transactions;

the rights, preferences, and privileges of our convertible preferred stock relative to those of our common stock; and

the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event for our security holders, such as an initial public offering or a sale of our company, given prevailing market conditions.
For our valuations performed as of dates prior to December 31, 2019, we used the option pricing method, or OPM, back-solve method. In an OPM framework, the back-solve method for inferring the equity value implied by a recent financing transaction involves making assumptions for the expected time to liquidity, volatility and risk-free rate and then solving for the value of equity such that value for the most recent financing equals the amount paid. This method was selected as management concluded that the contemporaneous financing transaction was an arms-length transaction.
For our valuations performed as of dates subsequent to December 31, 2019, we used a hybrid method of OPM and the Probability-weighted Expected Return Method, or PWERM. PWERM considers various potential liquidity outcomes. Our approach included the use of an initial public offering scenario and a scenario assuming continued operation as a private entity. Under the hybrid OPM and PWERM approach, the per share value calculated under OPM and PWERM are weighted based on expected exit outcomes and
 
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the quality of the information specific to each allocation methodology to arrive at a final estimated fair value per share of the common stock before a discount for lack of marketability is applied.
Following the completion of this offering, it will no longer be necessary for our board of directors to estimate the fair value of our common stock in connection with our accounting for stock-based awards we may grant, as the fair value of our common stock will be based on the closing price as reported on the date of grant on the primary stock exchange on which our common stock is traded.
Convertible Preferred Stock Warrant Liability
Freestanding warrants to purchase shares of our convertible preferred stock are accounted for as liabilities at fair value, because the shares underlying the warrants contain contingent redemption features outside our control. Warrants classified as liabilities are recorded on the balance sheets at their fair value on the date of issuance and re-measured to fair value on each subsequent reporting period, with the changes in fair value recognized as interest expense and other income (expense) in the statements of operations. The fair value of the warrant liability is calculated using a Black-Scholes option pricing model, which requires the use of subjective assumptions. These assumptions include fair value of preferred stock, expected term, expected volatility, risk free interest rate, and expected dividend yield. The fair value of our preferred stock was determined by the same process to determine valuations of our common stock, which valuations we determined with the assistance of a third-party valuation specialist using approaches and assumptions consistent with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Statement on Standards for Valuation Services. See the subsection titled “Determination of Fair Value of Common Stock” above.
Stock-based Compensation
We maintain a stock-based compensation plan as a long-term incentive for employees and non-employee consultants. The plan allows for the issuance of incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options.
We recognize stock-based compensation expense for stock options on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period and estimate forfeitures based on historical evidence. Our stock-based compensation costs are based upon the grant date fair value of options estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires the use of highly subjective assumptions to determine the fair value of stock-based awards. These assumptions include: the fair value of common stock, expected term, expected volatility, risk-free interest rate, and expected dividend yield.
Estimating the fair value of share-based awards as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model is affected by assumptions regarding a number of variables. Changes in the assumptions can materially affect the fair value and ultimately how much stock-based compensation expense is recognized. These inputs, which are subjective and generally require significant analysis and judgment to develop, include fair value of common stock, expected term, expected volatility, risk free interest rate, and expected dividend yield. We will continue to use judgment in evaluating the expected volatility, expected terms, and interest rates utilized for our stock-based compensation expense calculations on a prospective basis. As of March 31, 2021, there was $4.2 million of unamortized stock-based compensation cost related to unvested stock options which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.5 years.
JOBS Act and Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an EGC, as defined in the JOBS Act. We elected to use this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that we (1) are no longer an EGC or (2) affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the JOBS Act until such time as those standards apply to private companies, reduce disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and are exempt from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In particular, in this prospectus, we have provided only two years of audited financial statements and have not included all of the executive compensation-related information that would be required if we were not an EGC. As an EGC, we are also not required to
 
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have our internal control over financial reporting audited by our independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates and we are not required to provide auditor attestation regarding requirements of Section 404(b) of Sarbanes-Oxley.
We will remain an EGC until the earliest to occur of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have at least $1.07 billion in annual revenue; (2) the last day of the fiscal year in which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer,” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700.0 million as of the last business day of the second fiscal quarter of such year; (3) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period; and (4) the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary of this offering.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
A description of recent accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our financial position, results of operations or cash flows is disclosed in the notes to the accompanying financial statements also included in this registration statement.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Interest Rate Risk
Our cash and cash equivalents consist of cash held in an interest-bearing savings account. We do not hold any short-term investments. As a result, we believe that our exposure to interest rate risk is not significant, and a hypothetical 1.0% change in market interest rates during any of the periods presented would not have had a significant impact on the total value of our portfolio.
Foreign Currency
We do not regularly incur expenses with vendors outside the United States or that are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. We may incur such expenses in the future at which point exchange rate fluctuations might adversely affect our expenses, results of operations, financial position and cash flows. To date, exchange rate fluctuations have not had a material effect on our results of operations.
Effects of Inflation
Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor and clinical trial costs. We do not believe inflation has had a material effect on our results of operations during the periods presented and do not anticipate a material impact going forward.
 
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BUSINESS
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Seeking to improve the lives of mothers and babies
Overview
We are a women’s health diagnostic company utilizing our proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform to discover, develop and commercialize clinically meaningful and economically impactful biomarker tests, with an initial focus on improving pregnancy outcomes. We believe that our method of combining the disciplines of proteomics and bioinformatics with rigorous clinical testing and economic analysis enables us to provide physicians and patients with actionable data and information designed to result in better maternal and neonatal health at lower cost. Our vision is to deliver pivotal and actionable information to pregnant women, their physicians and healthcare payers to significantly improve maternal and neonatal health and to dramatically reduce healthcare costs. We have built an advanced, proprietary and scalable proteomics and bioinformatics platform to characterize the biology of pregnancy and to discover and validate key protein biomarkers found in blood that are highly accurate predictors of dynamic changes that occur during pregnancy. By incorporating our proprietary technology platform into our rigorous data-driven development process, we have created a differentiated approach for effectively addressing major conditions of pregnancy. We envision that our comprehensive approach will enable us to fully characterize one of the most important periods in the lives of women and children, and will help to improve their well-being. Our goal is to develop and commercialize tests that inform important decisions during all pregnancies. We also believe that the work we perform in pregnancy can ultimately be leveraged more broadly to address other areas in medicine and healthcare.
Our first commercial product, the PreTRM test, is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood-based biomarker test to accurately predict the risk of a premature delivery, also known as preterm birth. The PreTRM test is a non-invasive blood test given to a pregnant woman, carrying a single fetus, during weeks 19 or 20 of gestation that provides an accurate prediction of the expectant mother’s risk of delivering spontaneously before 37 weeks’ gestation. Our commercialization strategy includes conducting clinical trials to demonstrate the health and economic benefits of early and accurate detection of preterm birth risk coupled with well-recognized interventions in higher risk patients. Anthem, whose health plans cover more than 10% of U.S. pregnancies annually, will make our PreTRM test available to eligible pregnant members as part of this multi-year contract. Anthem is the nation’s second largest health insurer with greater than 43 million members nationwide. Through this collaboration, a significant number of physicians and patients in the U.S. gain access to early and accurate predictions of preterm birth to enable more informed decision-making during pregnancy. Sera believes that its commercial collaboration with Anthem further validates the clinical and economic value of its PreTRM test and significantly de-risks initial commercialization. Sera further expects this provides a pathway for broader market adoption through subsequent coverage decisions by other major payers. We are actively discovering and developing several additional biomarker tests to predict other major conditions of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, among others, that have the potential to offer significant health benefits to women and their babies.
There are approximately 140 million births globally each year. Of these, it is estimated that as many as 25% are affected by various complications, including: preterm birth, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, hypertension of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and others. In the United States, there are approximately 3.8 million births annually, and over 10% of those pregnancies result in preterm births with profound short- and long-term health consequences to the mother and baby. These health consequences are estimated to lead to associated costs of approximately $25 billion annually in the United States. Traditional methods to detect prematurity risk in time for proactive management have been limited and fail to identify the vast majority of women who will deliver prematurely. We believe our actionable blood-based biomarker test for prematurity risk can enable patients, physicians and payers to more proactively manage and mitigate the complications and associated costs of prematurity. Given that pregnancy is the launch point for the
 
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future health of babies and a key determinant in the future health of mothers and babies, we believe this area is ripe for innovation and better tools to improve patient outcomes.
Our Proprietary Technology Platform
The complexities of the biological processes occurring during pregnancy have been a major obstacle in developing effective tests for pregnancy-related conditions. We are working to overcome this obstacle through our development of a proprietary technology platform consisting of biobanks, advanced mass spectrometry and other proteomic analytic methods and bioinformatics, which enables superior characterization of the biology of pregnancy and more accurate prediction of pregnancy outcomes.
An analysis of protein pathways and expression at various points during pregnancy reveals the constantly evolving and dynamic changes affecting both the mother and the fetus. Earlier detection of changes in protein expression indicating the emergence of adverse pregnancy outcomes can enable proactive management of those conditions. A fundamental component of our platform is our proprietary and continually growing biobank consisting of comprehensive, clinically and demographically annotated blood samples collected from more than 10,500 pregnant U.S. women, representing broad demographic and geographic diversity inherent in the U.S. population. This differentiated resource enables us to develop and broadly validate our predictors. Further biobank diversity is also provided through our scientific collaborations with leading maternal fetal medicine experts around the globe, enabling us to analyze specimens collected from patients in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. In strict adherence to the authoritative National Academy of Medicine, or NAM, guidelines, we apply our innovative mass-spectrometry and other proteomic analytical methods and our protein information network knowledge to probe biobank samples for meaningful protein expression changes. We then subject the data to detailed bioinformatics analysis and use advanced tools, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, to find relationships between various proteins and to discover important predictors.
Our Discovery, Development, and Commercialization Approach
Our product discovery and development approach is based on rigorous science- and health-based economic analyses as we discover, develop and commercialize biomarker tests designed to transform pregnancy-related care for patients, doctors and payers. We have initially applied our platform and capabilities to address the problem of preterm birth, given its profound health and economic impacts worldwide. In the future, we may use this technology to develop products for a number of health conditions other than premature births.
We use the following multifaceted approach in our research, development and commercialization efforts:

Significant Unmet Need:   We select specific conditions of pregnancy that are clinically meaningful and economically important and with significant unmet needs that lack effective solutions.

Proteomic and Bioinformatics Platform:   We utilize our platform to understand the biology underlying selected pregnancy-related conditions in order to discover, verify and broadly validate high-performing predictive biomarker tests.

Demonstrate Health and Economic Impact of Our Test and Treat Strategy:   We believe a critical element of our success will be to demonstrate the beneficial health and economic impacts of using the information provided by our biomarker tests.

Payer-Centric Reimbursement Coverage:   We have adopted what we believe is an innovative payer-centric approach for early commercialization of our biomarker tests, by seeking to leverage the health and economic benefits conferred by our biomarker approach to gain early reimbursement coverage from major health insurance payers.

Broader Market Adoption:   We are capitalizing on our innovative payer-centric reimbursement strategy to facilitate obtaining widespread commercial coverage of our biomarker tests from other healthcare payers.
 
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Our Pipeline
We are developing a robust pipeline of novel blood-based biomarker tests for a number of major pregnancy related conditions beyond preterm birth by leveraging the biological insights provided by our proprietary technology platform. Our product candidates are designed to accurately predict and enable better management of a range of serious pregnancy-related conditions. We believe these product candidates, if successfully developed, have the potential to address significant unmet needs by providing more accurate detection of these pregnancy-related conditions and providing patients and physicians with earlier opportunities for interventional treatment. We retain worldwide development and commercialization rights to all of our product candidates.
Our biomarker pregnancy pipeline consists of the following:
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The PreTRM Test — Our Solution for Preterm Birth
Our first product, the PreTRM test, is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood-based biomarker test to accurately predict the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. Preterm birth, which occurs in approximately 15 million deliveries annually around the world, is defined as any birth before 37 weeks’ gestation and is a leading cause of illness and death in newborns. The 2020 March of Dimes Report Card shows that of the approximately 3.8 million babies born annually in the United States, more than one in 10 is born prematurely. Preterm births result in approximately $25 billion in economic costs in the United States per year, largely as a result of profound short- and long-term health consequences to the mother and baby. Major long-term medical complications associated with preterm birth include learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, chronic respiratory illness, intellectual disability, seizures, vision and hearing loss. These complications can generate significant costs throughout the lives of affected children.
The PreTRM test is a non-invasive blood test given to a pregnant woman during week 19 or 20 of gestation. The PreTRM test provides an accurate prediction of the expectant mother’s individualized risk, expressed as a percentage, of delivering spontaneously before 37 weeks’ gestation, as well as her relative risk compared to the average population risk. The great majority of single fetus, or singleton, preterm births are spontaneous, where the mother goes into labor and delivers without any apparent known pathology.
The protein biomarkers of preterm birth utilized in our PreTRM test have been extensively validated in multiple maternal fetal medicine centers located in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. In addition, we continue to build on our existing data to further demonstrate the clinical and economic benefits of intervening based on PreTRM test results. We believe our comprehensive approach to build evidence for our PreTRM test addresses key elements payers require in order to reimburse testing, including:
 
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analytical validation of the testing platform, or measurement validity;

clinical validation, or test validity;

clinical utility of using validated predictions, or positive health benefit; and

economic utility, or cost effectiveness and healthcare savings.
Underscoring the benefits of the PreTRM test and treat strategy, the clinical and economic utility of the PreTRM test administered mid-pregnancy has been published by respected independent health economists in a leading maternal fetal medicine journal.
The strength of the data from our studies of the PreTRM test has enabled us to pursue an innovative and accelerated approach to commercialization. We have secured PreTRM test reimbursement through a major strategic payer, Anthem, representing an important step in achieving initial payer acceptance of our rigorous approach to prematurity, which we believe will help the PreTRM test obtain broader insurance coverage adoption. We believe that this collaboration significantly de-risks initial commercialization of the PreTRM test, as it provides reimbursement from a major payer covering more than 10% of U.S. pregnancies annually and provides a pathway for broader market adoption through subsequent coverage decisions by other major payers. The collaboration also enables us to generate more data to demonstrate the value of the PreTRM test and treat approach across diverse patient populations within Anthem’s insurance plans. In November 2020, we were awarded a unique CPT® PLA code by the AMA Editorial Board, specifically for the PreTRM test, which we believe will also help drive payment and coverage decisions for PreTRM testing.
Our Team
Our team brings extensive experience and expertise in building and running highly profitable molecular diagnostics companies. We are led by Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S., our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, who previously served as President of Myriad Genetic Laboratories; Douglas Fisher, M.D., our Chief Business Officer; Thomas Garite, M.D., our Vice President, Clinical Sciences, a past president of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine; Jay Boniface, Ph.D., our Chief Scientific Officer; and Nadia Altomare, our Chief Commercial Officer, all of whom have extensive leadership experience in the pharmaceutical, device and diagnostic companies. Jay Moyes, our Chief Financial Officer, or CFO, served as CFO with Myriad Genetics and has extensive experience in public and private financings, licensing transactions and acquisitions. We are supported by an experienced board of directors and clinical and scientific advisors that are leaders in the fields of maternal fetal medicine, bioinformatics, clinical trials and science based businesses.
Our Strengths
We attribute our success and future growth prospects to the following:

Our differentiated approach to understanding and addressing major conditions of pregnancy.   We take a focused and data-driven approach based on rigorous science to understand the biology of pregnancy and the health and economic impacts of major pregnancy conditions. Our approach involves conducting controlled trials and health economic analyses to demonstrate the beneficial health and economic impacts of using the information provided by our biomarker tests. We also work with leading health economists and organizations to build rigorous models that describe how the application of our tests impacts both health and economic outcomes. Leveraging the demonstrated short- and long-term health and economic benefits of our biomarker approach, we aim to gain early reimbursement coverage from major health insurance payers by working with them to demonstrate the benefits of using our biomarker tests based upon analysis of claims data in their own plans. We intend to capitalize on our innovative payer-centric reimbursement strategy to facilitate obtaining widespread commercial coverage of our biomarker tests from other healthcare payers.

Our proprietary and scalable proteomics and bioinformatics platform technology creates clinically meaningful and economically impactful predictions for pregnancy.   We believe our proprietary proteomic and bioinformatics technology platform has the potential to enable critical advances in
 
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the management of pregnancy and its outcomes. Our platform consists of biobanks, advanced mass spectrometry and other proteomic analytic methods and bioinformatics, which enables superior characterization of the biology of pregnancy and accurate prediction of pregnancy outcomes. We believe this platform has the potential to address significant unmet medical needs in the large, underserved market for the prediction of outcomes associated with pregnancy.

The PreTRM Test is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood test proven to predict the risk of an individual woman to deliver prematurely.   The predictive performance of the PreTRM biomarkers has been extensively validated in diverse populations and geographies and enables earlier proactive care addressing higher preterm birth risk that occurs among the 3.8 million annual singleton pregnancies in the United States. We believe that based on our growing body of evidence regarding the clinical and economic benefits of the PreTRM test and our innovative collaboration with Anthem, as greater payer and physician adoption occurs throughout the United States, the PreTRM test has the potential to become an important standard of care for preterm birth.

Innovative and strategic partnership with Anthem.   We have secured early PreTRM test reimbursement through our strategic collaboration with Anthem, which represents an important step in achieving initial payer acceptance of our rigorous approach to prematurity and which we believe will help foster broader insurance coverage adoption. We launched this commercialization process in the first half of 2021, and from which we envision substantial penetration of Anthem’s network over the next few years. We believe this collaboration significantly de-risks initial commercialization of our PreTRM test, as it demonstrates reimbursement from a major payer covering more than 10% of U.S. pregnancies annually and provides a pathway for broader market adoption through subsequent coverage decisions by other major payers.

Broad pipeline covering additional significant conditions of pregnancy.    We are also developing a novel pipeline of blood-based biomarker tests for a number of major pregnancy-related conditions beyond preterm birth by leveraging the biological insights provided by our proprietary technology platform. We believe these product candidates, if successfully developed, have the potential to address significant unmet needs by providing more accurate detection of these pregnancy-related conditions and affording patients and physicians earlier opportunities for interventional treatment. We retain worldwide development and commercialization rights to all of our product candidates.

Deeply experienced team in biotechnology and molecular diagnostics test development and commercialization.   Our executive team has decades of experience in building and commercializing molecular diagnostics tests. We have worked to build a first-class scientific organization capable of harnessing and translating our platform technologies into innovative predictive solutions as we strive to deliver pivotal and actionable information to pregnant women, their physicians and payers to improve the health of patients as well as the economics of healthcare delivery. Our experienced discovery and development team performs rigorous bioinformatics analyses and strictly adheres to the authoritative guidelines published by the NAM on how to reliably develop and validate omics predictions made on complex biological data sets. Adhering to these guidelines, in the case of predicting preterm birth, we have been able to document generalizable biomarker predictive performance across independent cohorts of patients from the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. Reflective of the scientific rigor of our efforts, our scientists have published best practice recommendations for the analysis of preterm delivery data. We believe this will improve the quality of statistical analysis of research data related to proteomic test development, enabling the broad community of statisticians, researchers, clinicians and regulators to better validate predictions prior to their clinical use.
Our Strategy
Our vision is to deliver pivotal and actionable information to pregnant women, their physicians and healthcare payers to significantly improve maternal and neonatal health and to dramatically reduce healthcare costs. Our goal as The Pregnancy Company is to discover, develop and commercialize clinically meaningful and economically impactful biomarker tests designed to improve pregnancy outcomes. We believe it is critical to innovate products that will be viewed as cost-effective by payers in order to receive reimbursement for our tests. We aim to accomplish our vision by implementing the following strategies:
 
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Accelerate the commercialization of the PreTRM test through our innovative strategic partnership with Anthem.   Through our collaboration with Anthem, the second largest health benefits company in the United States with plans covering more than 10% of U.S. pregnancies annually, we intend to accelerate commercialization of the PreTRM test and generate revenue for our test in Anthem’s network. We believe that sizable early penetration of the market will lay a foundation for future expansion of our PreTRM test to other insurance plans. We believe that through this partnership, a significant number of physicians and patients in the U.S. will have access to early and accurate predictions of preterm birth to enable more informed decision-making during pregnancy. We launched this commercialization process in the first half of 2021, and we envision substantial penetration of our testing into Anthem’s network over the next few years.

Expand coverage of the PreTRM test to additional payers to maximize the commercial opportunity.    We believe that the Anthem collaboration significantly de-risks early PreTRM test commercialization by demonstrating the clinical and economic benefits of the PreTRM test and will help incentivize broader market adoption the PreTRM test as we approach other payers. We believe that growing coverage of the PreTRM test will drive physicians to more broadly offer the testing to their patients, thereby significantly expanding the number of U.S. pregnancies benefiting from our technology. We also believe that, based on our growing body of evidence regarding the clinical and economic benefits of the PreTRM test, our innovative collaboration with Anthem and the resulting anticipated greater payer and physician adoption throughout the United States, the PreTRM test has the potential to create a new standard of care in pregnancies.

Apply our platform capabilities to broaden our pipeline and develop novel and high-performing biomarker tests for pregnancy-related conditions and potentially other health conditions.   Our proprietary technology platform is designed to provide deep characterization of the biology of pregnancy, which we are using to develop additional accurate predictors of pregnancy outcomes, such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and other conditions. We plan to leverage the strength of our technology platform and expertise to discover and develop novel and high-performing protein biomarker tests that will provide women and their physicians more timely and actionable information for pivotal decisions, which will lead to improved maternal and newborn health. In the future, we aspire to expand our product offerings by deeply characterizing the biology of the pregnancy journey. Longer-term, we intend to explore the use of our platform to develop tests for medical conditions outside of pregnancy.

Continually enhance the value and capabilities of our proprietary technology platform through ongoing expansion and integration of our biobank and our proteomics and bioinformatics databases.   We believe that the breadth and depth of our databases, our unique proteomic analytical techniques and our bioinformatics approaches all position us to be the leader in providing important pregnancy information to patients and doctors. The continued expansion of our proprietary biobank, together with our innovative mass spectrometry, proteomic analytical methods and bioinformatics analyses, is designed to enable us to discover and broadly validate meaningful protein expression changes during pregnancy. We intend to further expand our product engine capabilities to enhance the reach and productivity of our approach to developing biomarker tests and services for pregnancy-related conditions.

Rapidly build a dedicated women’s health commercial infrastructure.   Based on our commercial collaboration with Anthem, we are initially building our dedicated specialty OB-GYN commercial sales force to sell and support the PreTRM test in key regions in the United States where Anthem has a significant number of covered members. Upon further market adoption of the PreTRM test by other payers and the expansion of our pipeline, we expect to expand our dedicated sales force into additional regions in the United States to cover the entire U.S. OB-GYN sales channel.

Evaluate strategic partnerships to maximize the value of our product offerings.   We may strategically enter into collaborations or other partnerships to maximize the commercial potential of the PreTRM test and our product candidates within or outside of the United States. We may explore strategic alliances or collaboration to accelerate the discovery, development, validation and commercialization of our product candidates.
 
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The Biology of Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a highly complex, dynamic process that leads to the formation of a human being. From its beginning, genes, proteins and metabolites are expressed in a coordinated fashion to enable the placenta, the uterus and the mother to support the development of a child during pregnancy. This duration of a full-term pregnancy is usually between 37 and 40 weeks.
At the inception of pregnancy, the placenta begins its development as a critical organ necessary for a healthy pregnancy for both the baby and the mother. The placenta initially forms and evolves during pregnancy to become a large, highly active metabolic organ conducting numerous vital biological functions through the time of delivery. The placenta is the means of communication between the mother and the fetus. Life-enabling exchanges of oxygen, nutrients and protective antibodies as well as elimination of wastes are effected by the placenta.
Proteins and protein expression are critical molecular elements in driving and carrying out key processes that take place during pregnancy in both the mother and the fetus. Protein expression can, in some cases, become disordered, leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, stillbirth and other conditions. There are approximately 140 million births globally each year. It is estimated that as many as 25% of pregnancies may have complications affecting the mother and/or the baby.
Maternal blood is a window through which maternal, fetal and placental communication can be deciphered. Subtle abnormalities in protein expression in the mother’s blood may provide insights into complications earlier in pregnancy that can be utilized to benefit the mother and the baby. These changes, if appropriately detected and understood, have the potential to predict that the mother and/or baby are trending toward adverse conditions in pregnancy, which can be serious and costly. Timely detection of these subtle changes can enable the application of specific interventions to address the emergence of such complications and thereby improve the health of mothers and babies.
To date, a deeper understanding of the abnormalities of protein expression has been limited by the lack of understanding of the molecular events of the biology of pregnancy. The development of meaningful predictions in pregnancy requires improved methods to better understand such biology.
Building clinically meaningful and economically impactful predictions for pregnancy requires a significant commitment of resources, the proper selection and application of state-of-the-art laboratory technologies, access to well-annotated biologic specimens and advanced bioinformatics capabilities.
Our Proprietary Technology Platform
We believe our proprietary proteomic and bioinformatics technology platform has the potential to enable critical advances in the management of pregnancy and its outcomes. Our platform consists of biobanks, advanced mass spectrometry and other proteomic analytic methods and bioinformatics, which enables superior characterization of the biology of pregnancy and accurate prediction of pregnancy outcomes. Our platform, built on differentiated tools and capabilities, provides pregnant mothers and their doctors more clinically meaningful and economically impactful predictions of adverse pregnancy outcomes to enable more timely intervention and improve the well-being of both mother and baby.
 
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Our Proprietary Technology Platform
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Proprietary Biobanks
We have built proprietary biobanks of blood samples and related data over a number of years, which are key resources required to develop a deeper understanding of the biology of normal and adverse pregnancy outcomes. By continuing to aggregate proprietary bioinformatics insights gained from analyses of comprehensively annotated biobank specimens, we are working to develop and commercialize a variety of clinically meaningful and economically impactful biomarker tests for pregnant women and their healthcare providers.
Our large proprietary U.S. biobank resource was built by collecting blood from more than 10,500 comprehensively annotated blood samples from patients, which cover a broad range of gestational ages and represent the broad demographic diversity and geographic distribution of pregnant women across the United States. We collected the samples in two large multi-center trials: our PAPR study, beginning in 2011, and our TREETOP study, beginning in 2016. These two studies prospectively collected samples, together encompassing weeks 17 through 28 of pregnancy, from women carrying a single baby, and, as “all comers” studies, collected information on a variety of important pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and other conditions. These samples and their associated data are carefully analyzed to discover and develop informative biomarker signatures for intended use pregnancy populations. We continuously work to add new samples to our biobanks in additional studies, generating greater opportunities for ongoing development of clinically meaningful and economically impactful biomarker predictions.
We believe our work on proprietary biobanks has established us as a leader in proteomic approaches to characterize pregnancy. We also conduct our bioinformatics analyses on additional specimens from other institutions in the United States and abroad. We analyze each specimen by conducting proteomic and other measurements in our laboratory, which generates large sets of biomarker data for each specimen. Through the analysis and evaluation of biomarkers with advanced bioinformatics approaches, we discover novel predictions for various adverse pregnancy outcomes. We then are able to apply these predictions to non-overlapping independent samples from different biobanks available to us to confirm and validate the accuracy and performance of the predictions. We add to our biobanks on an ongoing basis by continuously analyzing larger numbers of samples from our own sponsored studies as well as those from collaborations with maternal fetal medicine leaders around the world. We have validated proprietary biomarker signatures consisting of proteins and clinical variables in samples collected from the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. We believe that as our database and sets of predictions grow, verifying and validating the predictions can lead to more rapid and efficient development required to commercialize such predictions in the future.
 
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Advanced Mass Spectrometry Approaches
Mass spectrometry is a highly developed analytical technology capable of precise identification, quantification and characterization of proteins. We have developed and applied innovative state-of-the-art mass spectrometry techniques to screen and detect in our bio-specimens the dynamic changes in protein expression occurring in normal and abnormal pregnancy development. Our proprietary proteomics workflows enable detailed and efficient measurements of hundreds of proteins simultaneously from complex matrices, such as blood. We also utilize a variety of other screening techniques to explore and understand the pregnancy proteome, including large- and small-scale immunoassay screens, other ligand-binding assays and RNA analyses, among others. To ultimately validate biomarker performance, we translate and confirm, on our mass spectrometry platform, the findings that we have generated with these other analytical measurement technologies. Our rich and extensive database of omics data, combined with highly annotated clinical information, is analyzed by state-of-the-art bioinformatics capabilities.
Through our innovative approaches and advances in proteomics, we have discovered and validated meaningful predictions for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Importantly, our mass spectrometry process is well-suited not only for discovery and development activities, but also for high volume commercial production through the use of robotics and automation. Mass spectrometry measurements can be performed on very small blood volumes, which is appealing for patient sample collection and can lower cost of goods in laboratory analyses. We believe that our specific applications of mass spectrometry-based proteomics can be scaled to efficiently and cost-effectively accommodate the growth that we anticipate in addressing the large pregnancy testing market.
Advanced Bioinformatics
We have assembled a powerful collection of advanced bioinformatics capabilities as a critical component of our platform. Bioinformatics is an essential field of science in which biology, statistics, advanced computational science and information technology are combined to systematically and comprehensively analyze complex biological information. The advanced bioinformatics tools that we apply at great scale to measurements conducted on our biobank samples to develop high-performing, important predictive algorithms include, but are not limited to: machine learning, artificial intelligence, causal inference, supervised learning methods, dimensionality reduction methods and advanced statistics. As a result of rigorously applying our core expertise and proprietary approaches in bioinformatics, we have discovered high-performing algorithms that reliably distinguish pregnancies with normal protein expression compared to those showing disordered protein expression. Deep bioinformatics insights into the biology of pregnancy have enabled us to discover, verify and validate important predictions of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
We have built an experienced discovery and development team with the deep expertise in science and mathematics necessary to perform rigorous bioinformatics analyses. We strictly adhere to the authoritative guidelines published by NAM on how to reliably develop and validate omics predictions made on complex biological data sets. These guidelines require disciplined validation of predictions to ensure validity and reliability of such predictions before they can be used clinically or commercially. The NAM guidance calls for pre-specifying how the predictions are to be made and then applying testing in completely independent sample cohorts, in order to be certain that the predictions are valid. Adhering to these guidelines, we have been able to validate that a number of our adverse pregnancy predictors are replicable in independent cohorts of patients residing in United States, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Our Product Discovery, Development and Commercialization Approach
We leverage our proprietary technology platform to develop and commercialize novel, high-performing biomarker tests that are designed to make a significant difference to patients, doctors and payers. In our product development efforts, we take a focused and data-driven approach based on rigorous science and economics. Our multi-faceted approach involves the following elements that we apply in the discovery, development and commercialization of our biomarker tests:

Significant Unmet Need.   We select specific conditions of pregnancy that are clinically meaningful and economically important and with significant unmet needs that lack effective solutions. We have initially applied our platform and capabilities to address the problem of preterm birth, given
 
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its profound health and economic impacts worldwide. We intend to explore other areas of significant unmet need in pregnancy, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and others.

Proteomic and Bioinformatics Platform.   We utilize our platform to understand the biology underlying such conditions in order to discover, verify and broadly validate high-performing predictive biomarker tests. We pursued a multi-year effort to build an extensive biobank resource that we used to discover, verify and validate our first product, the PreTRM test. More than 10,500 patients were enrolled in two large U.S. multi-center clinical validation studies. Beyond their validation of the PreTRM test, these studies provide a deep view into the care and outcomes of diverse singleton pregnancies across the United States, enabling prediction of various other outcomes. We are continuing to conduct analyses by combining growing biobank data from multiple studies to provide new insights that will be the basis of discovering and developing biomarker predictions for a variety of important conditions of pregnancy.

Demonstrate Health and Economic Impact of Our Test and Treat Strategy.   We believe a critical element of our success will be to demonstrate the beneficial health and economic impacts of using the information provided by our biomarker tests. Our approach involves conducting controlled trials and health economic analyses. In the case of our the PreTRM test, an important part of our commercialization strategy involves amassing clinical and economic data to definitively demonstrate that detecting the risk of preterm birth can enable proactive interventions which improve the health of mothers and their babies while at the same time saving substantial healthcare system costs. Our rigorous, controlled intervention trials, PREVENT-PTB, AVERT PRETERM TRIAL and PRIME, have been designed to evaluate our test and treat strategy in more than 10,000 patients.
We also work with leading health economists and organizations to build rigorous models that describe how application of the PreTRM test and treat strategy impacts both health and economic outcomes. We work to publish models that provide peer reviewed evidence of the value of our strategy, in the form of meeting presentations and articles.

Payer-Centric Early Reimbursement Strategy.   We have adopted what we believe is an innovative payer-centric approach for early commercialization and reimbursement of our biomarker testing. Leveraging the demonstrated short- and long-term health and economic benefits of our biomarker approach, our plan is to gain early reimbursement coverage from major health insurance payers by working with them to demonstrate the economic benefits of using our biomarker tests based upon analysis of claims data from their own plans. With respect to the PreTRM test, we recently signed a major multi-year contract with Anthem, the second largest U.S. health benefits company, pursuant to which Anthem has agreed to purchase a substantial number of PreTRM tests for pregnant women in their network, and will facilitate commercializing PreTRM testing among its members. We believe that this innovative approach serves as a validation of the commercial value of the PreTRM test and treat strategy, and significantly de-risks our initial commercialization activities by providing a pathway for broader market adoption through subsequent coverage decisions by other major payers. In November 2020, we were awarded a unique CPT® PLA code by the AMA Editorial Board, specifically for the PreTRM test, which we believe will also help drive payment and coverage decisions for PreTRM testing.

Broader Market Adoption.   We intend to capitalize on our innovative payer-centric reimbursement strategy to facilitate obtaining widespread commercial coverage of our biomarker tests from other healthcare payers. We plan to leverage publications of clinical and economic studies that further demonstrate benefits of the PreTRM test and treat strategy as we expand coverage across numerous U.S. payer networks. With respect to the PreTRM test, we believe that early coverage decisions by respected third-party payers, such as Anthem, will incentivize other payers to more rapidly cover our test. We also anticipate that payer decisions to cover the test will pave the way for physicians to order testing for their patients. Additionally, we believe that insurance coverage in the United States will help to facilitate coverage of our tests in other countries as we expand internationally in the longer-term. In parallel with our pursuit of broader insurance coverage, we intend to deploy our specialty OB-GYN sales force to help drive adoption among physician practices.
 
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We envision that our comprehensive approach will enable us to fully characterize one of the most important periods of time in the lives of both women and children. We believe that the data and predictions that we develop will ultimately create important information tools and services for a variety of customers, including women, healthcare workers, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, researchers and related companies. Several future opportunities may be created by comprehensively profiling pregnancy, including, but not limited to:

additional diagnostic predictors;

epidemiologic, efficacy and best practice assessment tools to better understand and address critical patient outcomes and disparities across the United States;

pregnancy educational content development, based on our actual data, for physicians, PAs, nurse practitioners, midwives, regulators, insurers, researchers and healthcare students; and

pharmaceutical drug development tools.
We also believe that the work we perform in pregnancy could be leveraged more broadly to address other areas in medicine and healthcare.
The PreTRM Test
Utilizing our product discovery, development and commercialization approach, we focused our first development and commercialization efforts on preterm birth. Prematurity is the leading cause of illness and death in newborns and accounts for approximately $25 billion in annual expense in the United States. Unfortunately, current detection methods fail to identify the great majority of singleton pregnancies that end in preterm births.
Our first product, the PreTRM test, is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood-based biomarker test for prematurity. The PreTRM test accurately predicts the risk that a pregnant woman carrying a single fetus, known as singleton pregnancy, will have a spontaneous preterm birth. The great majority of singleton preterm births are spontaneous, where the mother goes into labor and delivers without any apparent known pathology. The predictive performance of the PreTRM test biomarkers has been extensively validated in diverse populations and geographies, including in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa.
The strength of the data from our numerous studies of the PreTRM test has enabled us to pursue an innovative approach to commercialization. We have secured early PreTRM test reimbursement through our strategic collaboration with Anthem, which represents an important step in achieving initial payer acceptance of our rigorous approach to preterm birth and which we believe will help foster broader insurance coverage adoption. We believe this collaboration significantly de-risks initial commercialization of the PreTRM test, as Anthem is a major payer with plans that include 400,000 U.S. deliveries, representing more than 10% of U.S. annual births and this will provide a pathway for broader market adoption through subsequent coverage decisions by other major payers. The clinical and economic utility of a biomarker test administered mid-pregnancy has been published by leading independent health economists, underscoring the benefits of the PreTRM test and treat strategy.
Preterm Birth
Full-term pregnancy usually lasts between 37 and 40 weeks. Preterm birth is defined as any pregnancy delivering before 37 weeks’ gestation. Preterm delivery includes two major categories: medically indicated preterm birth, where the doctor intervenes because of concerns for the health of the mother and/or the baby, and spontaneous preterm birth where the mother goes into labor spontaneously with no apparent or known pathology.
Of the estimated 140 million annual births globally, approximately 15 million births are preterm. In the United States, there are approximately 3.8 million annual births, and the 2020 March of Dimes Report Card shows that the preterm birth rate has increased for the last five years, now exceeding 10% of U.S. births.
Preterm birth remains a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality throughout the world, with approximately 22,000 annual deaths from prematurity occurring in the United States. Across the globe, approximately 15 million preterm babies are born every year, of which about one million die. As a
 
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consequence of their preterm birth, many infants require significant medical support in intensive care settings to survive and continue to develop. Preterm birth is also associated with significant long-term disability for many individuals, including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, chronic respiratory illness, intellectual disability, seizures and impairment of vision and hearing, which can generate significant costs throughout the lives of affected children. The annual U.S. health care costs to manage short- and long-term complications of preterm birth have been estimated to be approximately $25 billion, consisting of direct medical costs incurred during pregnancy, lost productivity due to preterm birth in the perinatal period as well as additional associated longer term medical costs for the mother and child. The estimated average expense per preterm delivery in the United States is approximately $65,000. Earlier preterm births are associated with higher costs due to the greater severity of complications occurring in babies born at earlier gestational ages. Given this, the ability to prolong the gestation period by even one week has the potential for significant savings as shown in the figure below. As a result, the economic benefit of a test that can enable effective interventions to prolong the length of time for a baby to continue developing in utero, even for a short period of time, and to improve neonatal health before delivery is substantial.
Distribution of U.S. Preterm Births and Estimated Average First Year of Life Cost per PTB by Gestational Age at Birth
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Unfortunately, traditional methods to predict preterm birth risk fail to identify the great majority of pregnancies that will result in preterm births. Currently, the two most commonly used predictors of preterm birth risk are a woman’s history of prior preterm delivery or a short cervical length measurement found early in pregnancy. It is estimated that only about 1 out of 6 singleton spontaneous preterm births can be detected proactively with these clinical methods. The great majority of singleton preterm births only become apparent when the woman goes into labor and delivers, at which point proactive management options are no longer possible. Therefore, the ability to identify the great majority of women who will, in fact, deliver prematurely, and thus be able to more proactively manage their risk, represents a significant unmet medical need and offers a pivotal opportunity to make a positive difference for the mother and the baby.
Proactive interventions to address higher preterm birth risk may include more frequent contact with the patient, additional clinical visits, more intensive education and monitoring of the patient during pregnancy, prophylactic administration of progesterone or anti-inflammatory medications, heightened awareness of impending delivery and reacting more promptly to changes indicative of preterm birth as the pregnancy progresses.
 
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The PreTRM Test — Our Solution to Preterm Birth
Our first product, the PreTRM test, is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood-based biomarker test to accurately predict the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. The PreTRM test provides an early and individualized spontaneous risk prediction of preterm birth in asymptomatic singleton pregnancies, expressed as a percentage, of delivering before 37 weeks’ gestation, as well as her relative risk compared to the average population.
The PreTRM test is a serum-based proteomic test that combines the ratio of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 4, or IBP4, to sex hormone-binding globulin, or SHBG, with a woman’s height and weight to predict the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. The PreTRM test is a non-invasive blood test given to a pregnant woman carrying a single fetus during weeks 19 or 20 of her pregnancy. The PreTRM test is drawn once in singleton pregnancies where there is no evidence of significant fetal anomalies by non-invasive pre-natal genetic screening, or NIPS, or ultrasound, and the women tested are not taking progesterone. The blood sample is analyzed in our CLIA-approved clinical laboratory using our high through-put mass spectrometry technology. Once the laboratory analysis is completed, a risk report is generated from our validated algorithm and the results are transmitted to the ordering clinician. The PreTRM test provides an early, accurate and individualized prediction of spontaneous preterm delivery risk based on the underlying biology taking place in her pregnancy. An example of a PreTRM test report is illustrated below.
Illustrative Example of PreTRM Test Report
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The protein biomarkers of preterm birth utilized in the PreTRM test have been extensively validated in multiple diverse populations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. The PreTRM test accuracy has been rigorously assessed and validated in our PAPR study involving over 5,501 women in 11 obstetric centers across the United States. Our completed PAPR study validated the biomarker signature which is highly predictive of spontaneous preterm birth risk. The performance of the PreTRM test biomarkers was replicated in a second independent large prospective U.S. study, TREETOP, supporting that the IBP4 to SHBG predictor can be used to accurately risk-stratify patients for implementation of preterm birth preventive
 
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strategies and direct patients to appropriate levels of care. The ability to accurately risk-stratify is critical for enabling precision care management. We and our collaborators are also conducting three prospective controlled intervention studies — The Prediction and Prevention of Preterm Birth, or PREVENT-PTB, study, or PREVENT-PTB, the Serum Assessment of Preterm Birth Outcomes Compared to Historical Controls, or AVERT PRETERM TRIAL and Prematurity Risk Assessment Combined With Clinical Interventions for Improving Neonatal outcoMEs, or PRIME — to demonstrate the value of identifying higher risk pregnancies coupled with proactive interventions to improve the well-being of mothers and newborns. Further underscoring the benefits of the PreTRM test and treat strategy, the clinical and economic utility of a biomarker test administered mid-pregnancy has been published by leading independent health economists.
The strength of the data from our clinical trials of the PreTRM test has enabled us to pursue an innovative and accelerated approach to commercialization. We have secured PreTRM test reimbursement through a major strategic payer, Anthem, representing an important step in achieving initial payer acceptance of our rigorous methods to address preterm birth. We believe this collaboration significantly de-risks initial commercialization of the PreTRM test, as it provides reimbursement from a major payer covering more than 10% of U.S. pregnancies annually and provides a pathway for broader market adoption through subsequent coverage decisions by other major payers.
Biomarker Discovery and Clinical Validation of the PreTRM Test
Adherence to National Academy of Medicine Guidelines
We rigorously adhere to authoritative NAM guidelines published in 2012 for developing and validating multi-omics predictions and applying important principles to address adverse conditions that arise in pregnancy. The guidelines specify three phases of work to be performed in non-overlapping sets of samples:
Discovery Phase.   A set of samples from patients whose outcomes are known are analyzed in the lab to find biomarker differences between individuals with an adverse outcome versus individuals without that particular outcome (e.g., pregnancies that deliver preterm versus term pregnancies). Algorithms are built on high performing predictions that can be tested in the next phase.
Verification Phase.   High-performing predictive algorithms selected from discovery work are pre-specified and applied to a completely independent set of non-overlapping samples, with the laboratory being blinded to the outcomes. The performance of the algorithms is either independently verified, or confirmed, by an external statistician, who ranks the algorithms according to predictive accuracy. Once verified, highest performing algorithms are locked down in the form of optimized tests that can be validated in final validation phases before commercialization.
Validation Phase.   In a third, entirely independent set of non-overlapping samples, the laboratory measurements are performed, and the laboratory is blinded to patient outcomes. The laboratory data are time-stamped and are transferred to an external statistician, who applies the pre-specified algorithm to the laboratory measurements and independently validates the performance of the test by breaking the blind. At this point, a prediction that has been independently and rigorously validated can be used for clinical decision-making in trials and/or commercialization.
PAPR Study
The biomarkers used in the PreTRM test have demonstrated strong clinical performance in accurately predicting women at risk of preterm birth across diverse patient populations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. The initial discovery, verification and validation of our spontaneous preterm birth biomarker risk predictor was performed in the 5,501 patient Proteomic Assessment of Preterm Risk, or PAPR, study.
The PAPR study was initiated in April 2011 and the last observed birth occurred in February 2014. The study was designed to discover, verify and validate biomarkers and clinical variables that accurately predict the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. We measured and evaluated protein expression of thousands of distinct proteins by their expression in maternal serum to assess their effectiveness as predictors of spontaneous preterm birth early in pregnancy before symptoms occur. The PAPR study analyzed blood samples collected from 5,501 pregnant women performed at 11 maternal fetal medicine sites, across gestation
 
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from 17 weeks and zero days to 28 weeks and six days, and consisting of a diverse demographic ethnic and geographic groups of women broadly representative of the U.S. pregnant population. Samples were collected and processed in a standardized manner for frozen storage and subsequent laboratory analyses. Maternal serum was processed by our proprietary proteomic workflow, using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, and proteins were identified and quantified by multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry.
From our analysis of thousands of proteins from these samples, we discovered and verified a specific combination of two proteins, IBP4 and SHBG, coupled with clinical variables consisting of a woman’s height and weight, which we developed into a proprietary predictive algorithm. That algorithm demonstrated highly accurate prediction of spontaneous preterm birth risk at mid-pregnancy.
We executed a multi-step process, strictly following NAM Guidelines, for discovery, verification and validation of the PreTRM test predictor. These steps involved pre-specification of study plans and analyses, site document verification of clinical data, blinding protocols for three independent sample sets and the use of outside statisticians for the un-blinding of data and read-outs of the results of both verification and validation. The collected samples were separated into three independent non-overlapping sets of patients, each set comprised of spontaneous preterm deliveries occurring before 37 weeks’ gestation and term deliveries occurring during or after week 37 of gestation. From the first set of samples of 86 preterm deliveries and 172 term deliveries used in the discovery phase, we identified biomarkers and algorithms that could predict preterm births on samples drawn between 17 and 28 weeks. This led to our identification of the best performing predictor, found in samples drawn during weeks 19 and 20 of pregnancy. In the verification phase of the test development, the second set of completely independent samples of 50 preterm deliveries and 100 term deliveries was analyzed in a blinded fashion using the predictive algorithm discovered in the first phase and demonstrated consistent predictive performance. In the validation phase, the third completely independent set of samples of 81 preterm deliveries and 162 term deliveries was analyzed using the same algorithm, which again demonstrated consistent predictive performance. Following the readout of the pre-specified validation of test performance, the consistency across the three phases was examined. More than 500,000 data points were generated across the 217 preterm delivery cases and 434 matching term delivery controls examined across the three phases, in a 1:2 nested case:control design.
We utilized area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value, or AUROC, as a measure of the predictive performance of the PreTRM test. AUROC is an effective way to measure the diagnostic testing separation of measured biomarker scores found preterm cases versus those found in term control deliveries. External statisticians validated that a combination of biomarkers and clinical variables had an AUROC value of 0.75 for a prediction of spontaneous preterm birth before 37 weeks’ gestation versus at or after 37 weeks’ gestation. At a threshold where the sensitivity, or the fraction of preterm deliveries correctly classified as “higher risk”, and specificity, or the fraction of term deliveries correctly classified as “lower risk”, were maximized, the sensitivity was 0.75 and specificity was 0.74. In a Kaplan Meier analysis, performed to examine times to delivery across patients stratified at that same threshold, those at higher risk delivered earlier than those at lower risk, demonstrating highly statistically significant separation between the groups, p = 0.004.
TREETOP Study
Our second large clinical validation study, A MulTicenteR AssEssmEnt of a SponTaneOus Preterm Birth Predictor, or TREETOP, enrolled patients in October 2016 through January 2019, with the last delivery occurring in May 2019. The TREETOP study enrolled 5,011 pregnant women from 18 sites across the United States, with blood drawn in a window of 18 weeks and zero days to 21 weeks and six days. The TREETOP trial was designed to assess and validate:

accurate risk prediction for all preterm birth, including both spontaneous and medically indicated preterm births,

possible expansion of a validated blood draw window for PreTRM testing,

the threshold for risk stratification of the PreTRM test,

discover biomarkers predictive of time-to-birth remaining in a pregnancy,

discovery of biomarkers that date the pregnancy, which we refer to as a pregnancy clock, and
 
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the performance of additional biomarkers for prediction of spontaneous preterm birth and other pregnancy complications.
Given the large body of evidence generated from PAPR and our other collaborative biomarker studies, the TREETOP samples from the 5,011 enrolled subjects were randomized into two cohorts:

a first patient cohort of 847 samples to validate certain pre-specified predictions originating from our earlier PAPR study work, and to verify new potentially enhanced predictions that could be validated later on the samples of the remaining unanalyzed cohort of patients, and

a second cohort of remaining samples has been held in reserve to validate, in the future, a number of potentially enhanced predictions that may eventually be incorporated into our commercially available testing as we build our pipeline of adverse pregnancy outcome predictions.
Previous work performed on our proprietary PAPR study biobank samples demonstrated that our validated spontaneous preterm birth biomarkers accurately predicted risk not only for spontaneous preterm delivery, but also for medically indicated preterm delivery in which the majority are preeclamptic preterm deliveries. From our studies and publications in the literature, the biological function of the PreTRM test proteins suggested an ability to predict preeclampsia and other conditions of placental dysfunction. These conditions appear to underlie a number of adverse pregnancy outcomes that could be explored going forward in TREETOP.
In an analysis of the first cohort, the study demonstrated:

accurate prediction by IBP4 and SHBG biomarkers of early preterm delivery, which refers to deliveries of less than 32 weeks’ gestation due to any cause, with an AUROC of 0.76 (p = 0.023);

accurate prediction of severe neonatal morbidity and mortality based on a standard published composite index with an AUROC of 0.67 (p = 0.005); and

accurate prediction of increased neonatal hospital length of stay (p = 0.024).
In the first cohort, we also validated a PreTRM test risk threshold to statistically stratify higher versus lower risk patients based on a pre-specification of the threshold from PAPR data and by applying it to samples in this cohort. The validated threshold of 15%, twice the average population risk of spontaneous preterm birth, was demonstrated to statistically separate patients at higher versus lower risk of preterm delivery based on the PreTRM test results. This is the risk threshold for interventional actions to be taken in the PRIME prospective intervention trial that was initiated in 2020.
PAPR and TREETOP together encompass a powerful resource of samples and clinical data from more than 10,500 pregnant women collected over an eight-year period to characterize what takes place biologically in pregnancy. Both PAPR and TREETOP enrolled a large number of women who were not known to be at risk of preterm birth based on other identified clinical factors, and as such, were not already covered by professional society guidelines addressing the need for risk stratification and guidance of treatment. We believe the results from these studies provides a deep view into the outcomes of diverse singleton pregnancies across the United States and prediction of these outcomes.
Our Prospective Intervention Studies — Demonstrating the Benefits of the PreTRM Test and Treat Strategy
Following the validation of predictors for spontaneous preterm birth, we set out to demonstrate the value of identifying higher-risk pregnancies coupled with proactive interventions to improve the well-being of mothers and newborns. We have worked with respected collaborators to conduct three prospective intervention studies in order to demonstrate the clinical utility and economic value of the PreTRM test and treat approach.
PREVENT-PTB Study
The Prediction and Prevention of Preterm Birth, or PREVENT-PTB, study was a prospective randomized controlled intervention study conducted at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah. We enrolled a total of 1,208 patients beginning in May 2018 with the last patient enrolled in February 2019. The study enrolled women who were 18 years or older, with a singleton pregnancy between 19 weeks and
 
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five days and 20 weeks and six days gestational age and with no history of prior preterm birth and normal cervical length at or before the time of enrollment. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact on the health and economics of applying the PreTRM test to screen pregnant women for risk of spontaneous preterm delivery and treating women identified at higher risk with proactive interventions. The clinical impact and outcomes evaluated included:

length of stay in neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU

overall hospital length of stay

neonatal health improvement,

NICU preterm cost reduction, and

reduction in the rate of preterm delivery.
The PREVENT-PTB trial, using a pre-test randomization, strictly followed a NAM recommendation to assess the clinical impact of identifying higher risk patients coupled with simultaneous proactive interventions. Women who enrolled were randomized 1:1 into two groups — screened and control groups. The screened group was assessed by the PreTRM test, and those who were identified by the test as being at higher risk of preterm birth were offered a bundle of proactive interventions. These included weekly contact with a care management nurse, two preterm prevention clinic visits, cervical length monitoring, weekly injection of 17-hydroxy-alpha progesterone, daily administration of low-dose aspirin and the administration of corticosteroid treatment at a lower threshold if patients indicated clinical signs or symptoms of imminent delivery. Patients in the screened group that were found not to be at higher risk by the PreTRM test received standard obstetrical care. The control group did not receive the PreTRM test and received standard pregnancy care only. The diagram below illustrates the study design for PREVENT-PTB:
Study Design of PREVENT-PTB
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The PREVENT-PTB topline results were reported in a late-breaking poster session at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Reproductive Investigation. The outcomes between the screened group and the control group demonstrated the following:

A statistically significant 83% decrease in median length of stay for spontaneous preterm neonates admitted to the NICU from 39.0 days in the control group to 6.8 days in the screened group (p=0.008);

A statistically significant 79% decrease in median length of stay for any preterm neonates admitted to the NICU from 35.6 days in the control group to 7.6 days in the screened group (p=0.038); and
 
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Across all preterm birth categories, reductions in the rate of preterm births were observed, however the trial was not powered to definitively evaluate this outcome.
AVERT PRETERM TRIAL
The Serum Assessment of Preterm Birth Outcomes Compared to Historical Controls, or AVERT PRETERM TRIAL, is a prospective, historically-controlled intervention trial conducted at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Delaware. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the impact on health and economics by applying the PreTRM test to screen pregnant women for risk of spontaneous preterm delivery and to proactively intervene in individuals who are shown by the PreTRM test to be at higher risk of sPTB. The two co-primary endpoints are total neonatal hospital length of stay and composite neonatal morbidity and mortality in the PreTRM-screened group versus the historical control group, which did not have a PreTRM test. A number of secondary clinical impact and outcomes observations include reduction in total preterm births, a reduction in total hospital stay for sPTB and reduction in total hospital stay for any preterm birth, measures of neonatal health assessed as a composite neonatal morbidity/mortality index and NICU preterm costs.
In this trial, we are comparing a screened group that is assessed with a PreTRM test and where higher risk patients receive intensive interventions, to a historical control group where patients do not receive PreTRM testing and receive usual standard of care treatment. Eligible women were screened using the PreTRM test taken during week 19 or 20 of pregnancy, and those identified as having a higher risk were offered a bundle of interventions, including daily vaginal progesterone, daily low-dose aspirin, closer monitoring by their clinicians and case management nurses.
Design of the AVERT PRETERM TRIAL
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Health and economic outcomes of the screened group are being compared with those of the historical control arm. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, trial enrollment of the prospective arm was stopped in March 2020. We expect topline results of the study to be available around year end 2021.
PRIME Study
In collaboration with Anthem, we are conducting Prematurity Risk Assessment Combined With Clinical Interventions for Improving Neonatal outcoMEs, or PRIME, study, which is a prospective randomized controlled study of up to 6,500 enrolled pregnancies in approximately 10 respected maternal fetal medicine centers located within Anthem’s insurance network. We began enrollment in November 2020, and enrollment is ongoing.
 
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After enrollment, all subjects will have a blood sample collected once during either week 19 and 20 of pregnancy. Prospectively enrolled pregnant women will be randomized 1:1 to either a screened arm, called the PTB Prevention arm, or a control arm that receives standard obstetrical care. Only subjects randomized to the PTB Prevention arm will receive the results of the PreTRM test. Those women randomized to the PTB Prevention arm will receive either routine standard care pregnancy management or a multimodal intervention protocol reserved for higher risk pregnancies based on the results of the PreTRM test. The design of the PRIME study is illustrated below.
Design of the PRIME Study
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In the PTB Prevention arm, PreTRM test results will be reported to the subject, the study investigator and the subject’s primary pregnancy care provider. A woman with a reported “Higher Risk” test result, at or above the 15% threshold (which is equivalent to more than a doubling of average population risk of spontaneous preterm delivery less than 37 weeks’ gestation), will receive multiple interventions, including weekly nurse case management contact, daily vaginal progesterone, daily low dose aspirin and additional vaginal ultrasound cervical length determinations, with cerclage considered for cervical lengths less than 10 millimeters. Subjects in the “Not Higher Risk” group will receive standard obstetrical care for the duration of pregnancy through hospital discharge.
Major perinatal outcomes to be evaluated in each group include length of NICU and total hospital stay, measures of neonatal health, NICU preterm costs and preterm delivery rates. All subjects will be followed through the duration of the pregnancy and delivery, and neonates will be followed until initial hospital discharge to assess the course of pregnancy, labor and any related maternal or fetal complications. Readmission of infants will also be assessed at 180 days, 1 year and 3 years of life using the Anthem/HealthCore Integrated Research Database to evaluate longer-term outcomes and costs associated with preterm delivery.
The study has a pre-specified interim look to evaluate the two co-primary endpoints, total neonatal hospital length of stay and composite neonatal morbidity and mortality, with a stopping criterion of statistical significance being reached by either one or the other of these outcomes, which is envisioned to take place at 2,800 deliveries completed. Interim results from the PRIME Study are expected in the second half of 2022.
Other Relevant Studies and Publications
Healthcore/Anthem Health and Economic Study
HealthCore, Inc., a subsidiary of Anthem, conducted an insurance claims data analysis on the cost-effectiveness of screening more than 40,000 mothers and babies within Anthem’s commercially insured
 
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membership. The model evaluated the cost impact to be expected from screening with the PreTRM test, and from then providing a bundle of interventions to PreTRM-higher risk patients as compared to the effect of standard care without a PreTRM test. The model predicted that these interventions would result in:

a 20% reduction in preterm birth before 37 weeks’ gestation,

$1,608 in gross savings per pregnant woman tested (accounting for all costs except that of a $745 list price cost modeled for the PreTRM test),

a 10% reduction in neonatal intensive care admissions,

a 7% reduction in overall hospital length-of-stay, and

a 33% reduction in births at less than 32 weeks’ gestation.
The authors concluded that the PreTRM test and treat strategy demonstrated cost savings across a variety of reasonable assumptions and scenarios examined. An abstract reporting these results has been accepted for presentation at the 2021 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes health economic conference on May 18, 2021.
Clinical and cost impact analysis of a novel prognostic test for early detection of preterm birth
In 2015, health economic and maternal fetal medicine experts built and published an independent model to analyze health and economic benefits of a novel mid-pregnancy preterm delivery risk biomarker test and treat strategy for the United States, where women at higher risk of preterm delivery would receive daily vaginal progesterone as a sole intervention. At a biomarker test sensitivity and specificity of 80%, the model predicted that identifying and intervening on higher risk pregnancies resulted in a 7% decrease in preterm birth rate, a 23.5% decrease in infant mortality, a 27% decrease in acute complications at birth and a 13% decrease in the rate of developmental disabilities, accompanied by a gross health economics savings, exclusive of the cost of testing, of $1,395 per pregnancy screened. These experts concluded that this approach could be a dominant strategy to improve health and decrease healthcare costs.
Product Pipeline
While we have leveraged our technology platform to currently pursue the development and commercialization of the PreTRM test, we believe our technology platform has broad applicability across a wide array of pregnancy-related conditions. We and our clinical trial collaborators are also continuing to conduct analyses by combining biobank data from the PAPR and TREETOP studies, to provide new insights into the predictive capabilities of the PreTRM test and other predictive biomarker algorithms. We are discovering, developing and validating a broad portfolio of product candidates including those focused on the conditions listed below:
When we refer to “discovering, developing and validating” our product candidates, we are referring to the three phases of work for development of predictive tests as published in the NAM guidelines, as summarized below.
In the “discovery” phase, we analyze a set of biologic samples from patients whose pregnancy outcomes are already known to find biomarker differences between individuals who had an adverse pregnancy outcome versus individuals who did not have an adverse pregnancy outcome (e.g., pregnancies that delivered preterm versus pregnancies that lasted to term). We then build predictive algorithms, based on high performing predictions, to be tested in the next phase.
In the “verification” phase, we apply the high performing predictive algorithms selected during the discovery phase to a completely independent set of new biologic samples that were not tested during the discovery phase. An independent, external statistician then verifies, or confirms, the performance of the algorithms, and ranks them according to predictive accuracy. Once they are verified through this process, the highest performing algorithms are “locked down” in the form of optimized tests that can be validated in a final phase, prior to commercialization.
In the “validation” phase, a third, entirely independent set of biologic samples that were not tested during either the discovery phase or the verification phase are tested in a laboratory, with the laboratory
 
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blinded to patient outcomes. The laboratory data are time-stamped and are transferred to an external statistician, who applies the pre-specified algorithms to the laboratory measurements and independently validates the performance of the test by breaking the blind. At this point, a prediction that has been independently and rigorously validated can be used for clinical decision-making in trials and/or commercialization.
Preeclampsia
Condition. Preeclampsia, estimated to affect 5% - 8% of pregnancies in the United States, is a complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to one or more organs, including liver, brain and kidneys, and may also have adverse effects on blood coagulation. Preeclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had been normal, but it can also arise earlier in pregnancies. Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious, even fatal, complications for both the mother and baby. Once a pregnant woman is diagnosed with preeclampsia, a common treatment is to deliver the baby; however, if the delivery occurs before the infant reaches term, complications of preterm birth can ensue. We believe that a biomarker test to better identify women who are at higher risk of preeclampsia earlier in pregnancy could lead to better management of this serious condition. It is estimated that the U.S. annual cost of preeclampsia is approximately $5 billion.
Objective for a Biomarker Test. We are working to develop a protein biomarker test that can identify women at higher risk of developing preeclampsia as a means to enable earlier proactive interventions to mitigate the complications that occur as a result of this condition. We believe that such interventions could also prevent preeclampsia in certain patients, which has the potential of lowering the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke that occur later in life in women who suffer preeclampsia. There is also potential for a predictive biomarker test to inform therapeutic development to address this condition.
Development Status. We have conducted discovery, verification and validation activities for a variety of preeclampsia biomarker predictions, some of which have been published. Some of these predictions include the use of our PreTRM test biomarkers as well as others. We are in the process of selecting which predictions will be validated in samples of our second TREETOP cohort prior to commercialization, based on the NAM guidelines described above.
Molecular Time-to-Birth
Problem and Need. We have already developed high performing biomarker signature in our PreTRM test for spontaneous preterm birth risk. For a pregnant woman who is not at higher risk of preterm birth by our PreTRM test, she would typically like to know how much time is remaining in her pregnancy until delivery. Unfortunately, current methods for predicting the length of gestation, including due date prediction from last menstrual period and ultrasound dating based on fetal measurements early in pregnancy, lack precision and provide inaccurate dating as to when delivery will occur. We have identified biomarker signatures that predict the time remaining in a pregnancy with greater accuracy than is available from current methods.
Objective for a Biomarker Test. Our objective is to develop a more accurate time-to-birth prediction for women not at higher risk of PTB. We believe this will be of great interest to pregnant women as a consumer test that may serve as an aid to decision-making for travel, work, vacation planning and other life-scheduling decisions.
Development Status. Using our proprietary biobanks and proteomics platform, we have discovered and verified biomarkers with superior time-to-birth predictive performance, as compared to current dating methods. We have developed the ability to determine more precisely how much time is remaining in a woman’s pregnancy based on her individual biology at the time of her blood draw, for example, during weeks 23 through 25 of pregnancy. We plan to validate a molecular time-to-birth predictor and publishing its performance data prior to making it available commercially, based on the NAM guidelines described above.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Condition. Gestational diabetes mellitus, or GDM, is characterized by high blood sugar levels, or hyperglycemia, during pregnancy in a woman who was not diabetic before her pregnancy. GDM is estimated to affect approximately 10% of pregnancies and cost $1.6 billion annually in the United States as a result
 
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of short- and long-term maternal and child complications. GDM increases the risk of preeclampsia, depression, and the need for Caesarean sections. Babies born to mothers with poorly treated GDM are at increased risk of being too large, having low blood sugar after birth, and jaundice. If untreated, GDM can also result in stillbirth. Children born from mothers with GDM are also at risk of being overweight and developing type 2 diabetes. We believe that knowing who is at high risk of GDM earlier in pregnancy would be of great benefit given that interventions could significantly reduce the adverse effects of this condition. Current methods for identifying GDM in most patients typically take place between 24-26 weeks’ gestation, missing opportunities to allow such women to receive proactive interventions earlier in pregnancy that may be effective in preventing or mitigating GDM.
Objective for a Biomarker Test. Our goal is to develop a blood-based biomarker test that can identify earlier in pregnancy which women are likely to develop GDM. We believe that such information will enable earlier interventions to mitigate risks and help focus resources on higher risk pregnancies as a means to improve the health of mothers and babies.
Development Status. We have discovered and verified high performing biomarker prediction of GDM by applying our proteomics platform technologies to samples from our PAPR and TREETOP biobanks. We plan on further verifying and ultimately validating a GDM predictor and publishing its performance data prior to making it available commercially, based on the NAM guidelines described above.
Growth Restriction
Condition. Fetal growth restriction, or FGR, is estimated to affect as many as approximately 3% – 7% of pregnancies worldwide. There are immediate consequences of FGR, including fetal challenges in withstanding the stresses of vaginal delivery, decreased oxygen levels and brain injury, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), lower resistance to infection, difficulty in maintaining body temperature and abnormally high red blood cell counts. Longer-term, infants can have neurodevelopment issues, metabolic and cardiovascular complications.
Objective for a Biomarker Test for FGR. By identifying molecular events that precede measurable changes in fetal size, we aim to address the placental dysfunction and other growth restriction etiologies that lead to fetal growth restriction and thereby enable earlier proactive interventions.
Development Status. We have discovered placental dysfunction biomarkers as a first step to predicting fetal growth restriction. We are working to discover additional biomarkers that illustrate expression differences in normal and growth-restricted pregnancies. We believe that this work could lead to improved detection of FGR pregnancies earlier and may lead to proactive interventions to better address this problem. Verification and validation phases and publication of our findings, based on the NAM guidelines described above, will be required before such testing can be commercialized.
Stillbirth
Condition. Stillbirth is a heartbreaking and tragic outcome, with a reported incidence of 5.7 per 1,000 pregnancies in the United States. Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal loss occurring after 20 weeks’ gestation. Causes of stillbirth include placental or umbilical cord problems, preeclampsia, lupus, clotting disorders, lifestyle choices, and infection, among others. Approximately one-third of U.S. stillbirth cases occur without any known cause.
Objective for a Biomarker Test for Stillbirth. Our goal is to discover biomarker expression changes that occur early during pregnancy that are highly predictive of changes taking place in the mother and/or the fetus that increase the risks of stillbirth, so that appropriate interventional strategies can be developed to address this condition. Given that our vision is to comprehensively profile the biology of pregnancy by leveraging our platform technologies to characterize disruption of normal developmental biology in both the mother and the fetus, we believe that there is a significant opportunity to improve earlier detection and the potential to develop targeted interventions to better address this serious problem.
Development Status. We have developed the ability to measure the expression of hundreds of proteins by our advanced mass spectrometry proteomic technology. These proteins are members of key biochemical proteomic pregnancy signaling pathways, including pathways that are operative in stillbirth. As we increase
 
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the density of proteins characterized in future discovery work, we believe that further characterization of pregnancy and key proteomic expression factors in stillbirths vs. normal pregnancies is a promising area for further discovery, verification and validation of high performing biomarkers predictors with potential to improve detection and enable new interventions for stillbirth. Finally, we note that development for prediction of other adverse outcomes (e.g., growth restriction) has the potential to reduce stillbirth.
Postpartum Depression
Condition. There are hormonal, physiological and psychological changes that occur in women both during and after pregnancy. Postpartum depression is a severe form of clinical depression related to pregnancy and childbirth, affecting approximately 15% of women during the year following delivery of a child. By contrast, the “baby blues” is a transient, well-known phenomenon that typically resolves on its own. The annual U.S. economic burden of postpartum depression is estimated to be approximately $2.4 billion. We believe that a biomarker test for postpartum depression is another area are where our platform can be beneficially applied. We believe that early identification of such pregnancies will enable a number of approaches that may prevent or mitigate the severity of this common condition, and that this information may also facilitate drug discovery.
Objective for a Biomarker Test for Postpartum Depression. Our objective is to leverage our understanding of key pregnancy, pathways gained through the application of our advanced proteomic technologies and bioinformatics, to develop further insights for early identification of pregnancies that are destined to develop postpartum depression.
Development Status. In our discovery efforts, we have discovered protein expression patterns in hormone signaling pathways and other pathways of pregnancy that we believe may be operative in the development of postpartum depression. We are working to increase the coverage of biochemical signaling pathways and expression patterns related to postpartum depression in our protein expression database, which we believe will enable the development of a high performing predictor to address this area.
Timing of Pipeline Developments
In the development of high-performing biomarker signatures, the timing of when to move from the discovery phase to the verification phase to the validation phase, based on the NAM guidelines described above, is entirely dependent on the performance data. There are also the additional requirements to analytically validate the particular components measured in biomarker tests by our laboratory and to build the informatics and automation for integrating all components into new testing processes. Given the uncertainties in reliably predicting timing for these phases and additional requirements, we estimate that the timing for our next new commercially available product is a matter of years, not months. We will only advance our programs from one stage to the next if we believe that they qualify for advancement pursuant to the NAM guidelines described above. We believe that additional capital required to do this work could help to accelerate the progress on our comprehensive pregnancy pipeline.
Other Scientific Publications
We are including summaries of the following three publications because we believe that they provide evidence of, and support for, our leadership in the area of combining the disciplines of proteomics and bioinformatics with rigorous clinical testing and economic analysis to provide physicians and patients with actionable data and information designed to result in better maternal and neonatal health at lower cost.
Effects of Selective Exclusion of Patients on Preterm Birth Test Performance
In December 2019, two of our employees, Dr. Boniface and Julja Burchard, together with Dr. George R. Saade of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, published an article entitled “Effects of Selective Exclusion of Patients on Preterm Birth Test Performance” in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. This publication highlighted an erroneous practice in preterm birth research that has led to artificial increases and incorrect claims of reported biomarker test performance. Some investigators have conducted analyses of biomarker differences in preterm deliveries vs. term deliveries by examining only those subjects remaining after exclusion of some preterm and/or term births near the 37 week boundary between preterm and term deliveries. For example, an investigator may
 
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analyze those preterm deliveries occurring before 34 weeks’ gestation vs. term deliveries that occurred after 37 weeks’ gestation, which selectively excludes all preterm subjects from analysis who delivered in weeks 34 through the end of week 36. Such an incomplete analysis fails to cover the high percentage of preterm deliveries that actually occur in this interval, and does not permit an accurate assessment of the performance of a predictor that would be applied to an entire intended use pregnancy population in actual clinical practice. This approach has been termed “gapping” because the resulting distribution of births in the analysis has a gap in it after exclusion of subjects. The publication examined the impact of gapping, utilizing biomarker data from our PAPR study. The omission of later preterm births from the analysis transformed moderate biomarker performance in classification of preterm birth risk to artificially high performance, a result significantly different from measuring a biomarker classifier’s performance on an entire intended use population, which has deliveries occurring at all possible gestational ages. Further, “performance” assessment in this incomplete population generated predictions that substantially under-estimated risk of preterm birth at fewer than 37 weeks while over-estimating risk of very early preterm birth. Incorrect risk prediction could lead to both under- and over-treatment, and has potentially serious clinical implications. The authors demonstrated that performance of a test cannot be derived from a population that does not account for all gestational ages that will be found in the population who will exist in the population to be tested and offered guidance to test developers to improve the design and analyses in preterm birth biomarker studies by including representative sets of preterm subjects and term control subjects at all gestational ages in order to report unbiased and accurate test performance measures.
This publication contains principles and guidance we have given for improving the analysis and design of biomarker prediction work. The publication has generated interest in the clinical and scientific community, with letters to the editor on the article appearing in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. We believe that this work demonstrates the leadership position we have in pregnancy biomarker test development and validation.
Analytical Validation of Protein Biomarkers for Risk of Spontaneous Preterm Birth
In June 2017, several of our employees, including Dr. Boniface, published an article entitled “Clinical Validation of Protein Biomarkers for Risk of Spontaneous Preterm Birth” in the Journal of Clinical Mass Spectrometry, a leading mass spectrometry journal. Analytical validation is the process by which a laboratory establishes the measurement accuracy, in our case, at the biochemical level, of its laboratory processes. Analytical validation is a requirement of the authoritative NAM guidelines for multi-omics predictor development. Furthermore, analytical validity is one of the key elements that payers examine in their evaluative process for considering reimbursement.
The article referenced above described a rigorous analytical validation of our commercial mass spectrometry proteomic workflow. This work demonstrated the accuracy (when compared to a reference model), linearity, limits of quantitation, analytical specificity and resilience to differences in patient serum and common endogenous interferents for commercial processes used to report our test results. In particular, this work comprehensively examined individual proteomic analyte performance which, when combined into a proteomic score consisting of a ratio of mass spectrometric measurements, fundamentally enables the computation of risk of preterm delivery of a patient. The authors illustrated how the methodology may be used by others performing similar work in the proteomic biomarker discovery, development and clinical test production community. We believe that this work illustrates our leadership in clinical proteomics.
The Building Blocks of Successful Translation of Proteomics to the Clinic
In June 2018, Dr. Boniface and three other experts in the field of proteomic test development published an article entitled “The Building Blocks of Successful Translation of Proteonimics to the Clinic” in the journal Current Opinion in Biotechnology. To date, very few mass spectrometry-based proteomic tests have been commercialized. The common elements in the development of two commercially available proteomic clinical tests were examined in this paper, which described the experience of two organizations in bringing products from discovery to commercial availability. The authors demonstrated that the tests, the PreTRM test and a blood test used to assess the cancer risk of lung nodules discovered by radiology, covering completely different medical conditions, shared elements that elucidate their successful clinical development. The paper concludes that development of both the PreTRM test and the lung nodules test benefited from the use of an unbiased systems-biology strategy, adherence to NAM best practices, careful attention to analytic
 
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performance of biomarkers and the use of data normalization techniques. The purpose of this work was to demonstrate, both to the community and to regulators, principles that can be followed to successfully translate ‘omics research into actual clinical tests, and to offer insights to others on successful proteomic test development methods.
Commercialization
The beginning of life and end of life are widely recognized to be costly periods for healthcare services in the human life cycle. Healthcare insurers characterize preterm birth as an exceptionally costly condition, and a number of them develop data and models that underscore the economic impact of preterm births. Given the substantial economic benefits that arise from the use of the PreTRM test, we are pursuing an innovative commercialization strategy focused on accelerating broad use of the PreTRM test by collaborating with a major health benefits provider. We are collaborating with Anthem in the PRIME study to generate rigorous data across approximately 10 centers in their network. Anthem is reimbursing us for PreTRM testing done as a part of that study at a specified rate per test, pursuant to a Laboratory Services Agreement described under "— Material Agreements" below. Furthermore, we have entered into an active commercial collaboration with Anthem to introduce PreTRM testing into its various health plans, supporting bundled payment mechanisms, including value-based contracting. We believe that entering the market with coverage provided by a well-respected, data-driven company such as Anthem will significantly de-risk reimbursement for us during early commercialization and also strongly influence other payers in their decisions to cover PreTRM testing for patients in their networks.
Generating publications and scientific presentations is a core pillar of our market awareness strategy and is important for establishing validity and utility of new products in the life sciences community. We plan to work closely with maternal fetal medicine experts, payers and key opinion leaders to generate clear use-cases, as well as peer-reviewed publications that illustrate our product performance claims and value proposition. We are working with more than 60 investigators world-wide. In addition, we plan to increase awareness by developing and deploying online and in-person training and educational tools that explain the PreTRM test and our proteomics and bioinformatics platform in easy-to-access, easy-to-understand and credible, scientifically rigorous ways.
We plan to build the full commercial team, composed of sales, marketing, customer service, and managed care personnel, required to effectively address this large market opportunity. We anticipate that our sales force will promote our products across the United States with a targeted focus on OB/GYNs and maternal-fetal medicine providers in the women’s health market, and we are building a sales team to call on physician offices to address the large OB/GYN sales channel opportunity. We are also recruiting an experienced market access team to secure contracts with commercial and governmental payers and self-insured employer groups, and plan to construct a multi-faceted digital marketing platform to scale consumer awareness and engagement. We are also evaluating the expansion of our business internationally, with the PreTRM test representing one potential avenue for expansion.
Our Clinical Laboratory Characteristics
Our PreTRM testing laboratory is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. We operate under federal regulations as a CLIA laboratory and are approved to provide our clinical testing across all 50 states. We undergo regular inspections from federal and state regulatory authorities, and our laboratory is certified by the College of American Pathologists, or CAP.
We have optimized our mass spectrometry-based proteomics workflow to be analytically validated to produce accurate and precise patient results. To meet the demands of the large intended use population of the PreTRM test, we have developed a new state-the-art affinity-capture mass spectrometry, or AC-MS, process. This higher through-put and lower-cost improvement to our current workflow utilizes custom monoclonal antibodies and magnetic beads. Affinity capture of our PreTRM test analytes using magnetic beads coated with antibodies is amenable to automated liquid handling robots using 96 or 384 well plates. Moreover, the AC-MS process results in a large decrease in the complexity of patient serum samples in a single highly parallel and multiplexed step, which translates to shorter mass spectrometry processing times. We believe the AC-MS process can be leveraged to enable a many-fold increase in capacity and significantly decrease turn-around time and cost of goods sold. We also believe that custom antibodies developed for the
 
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AC-MS process facilitate the development of immunoassay kits that address the world-wide market. AC-MS and immunoassay versions of the PreTRM test may be suitable for paper-based dried sample collection, or other low-cost sample collection devices in the future.
Material Agreements
Anthem Commercial Collaboration Agreement
On February 17, 2021, we entered into a commercial collaboration agreement with Anthem, the Commercial Collaboration Agreement, relating to the commercialization of the PreTRM test.
Under this agreement, we will provide PreTRM tests to eligible individuals enrolled in, or serviced or covered by, the health insurance products of Anthem. We have also agreed to develop a sales, marketing, and customer service program, and to provide training and marketing to duly licensed physicians specializing in obstetrics and gynecology or family medicine, or licensed nurse midwives, at the reasonable request of Anthem. Pursuant to the agreement, Anthem will purchase a specified minimum number of tests from us for each of the first three years of the term of the agreement. Additionally, Anthem has agreed to pay us a specified minimum amount per year for the first three years of the term of the agreement. Anthem has further agreed to develop appropriate care management programs which incorporate the use of the PreTRM test. We will submit monthly invoices to Anthem for the sale of the PreTRM test at the negotiated rates. As of April 30, 2021, we had not provided any PreTRM tests to Anthem under the Commercial Collaboration Agreement and Anthem had not paid us any fees under the Commercial Collaboration Agreement. We and Anthem have also agreed to form a Joint Operating Committee to oversee the relationship, comprised of two voting members each from Anthem and us. Anthem has been participating in our PRIME study, and at the conclusion of the PRIME study, under the Commercial Collaboration Agreement, we have agreed to enter into Anthem’s standard lab provider agreement.
Unless earlier terminated due to breach, the Commercial Collaboration Agreement will remain in effect until the later of (a) the third anniversary of the effective date or (b) the date on which Anthem has purchased a fixed number of PreTRM tests as agreed by the parties.
Anthem Laboratory Services Agreement
Effective on November 10, 2020, we entered into a laboratory services agreement with Anthem, called the Laboratory Services Agreement, relating to our provision of PreTRM tests and related services during the course of the PRIME study.
Under this agreement, we have agreed to provide clinical laboratory services as requested by participating physicians and other health care professionals, and will provide written reports to those physicians and professionals of the results of the services performed in accordance with the PRIME study. Anthem and we will collaborate on the conduct of the PRIME study, and Anthem will pay us a specified amount per test up to a specified maximum number of tests.
Unless earlier terminated due to breach, the Laboratory Services Agreement will remain in effect until the conclusion of the PRIME study, and it may thereafter be extended for additional terms of one year upon mutual agreement of the parties.
Labcorp Agreement
On January 9, 2017, we entered into a commercialization agreement, or the Commercialization Agreement, or the Agreement, with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, or Labcorp, whereby we appointed Labcorp as our exclusive distributor of the PreTRM test in the field of prediction of a patient’s likelihood to deliver a baby at less than 37 weeks’ gestation in the United States. On June 25, 2018, we amended the Agreement to (i) convert Labcorp's exclusive appointment to an appointment that is only exclusive with respect to certain types of laboratories and is otherwise non-exclusive, and (ii) to enable us to engage Labcorp to perform certain sample collection, processing, and shipment services. This Agreement is automatically renewed annually unless Labcorp terminates with one year of notice or either party chooses to terminate it due to a material breach of the Agreement, an assignment, or a change in control involving us. The Agreement does not otherwise have a defined expiration date.
 
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Pursuant to the Agreement, Labcorp shall perform sample collection, processing, and shipment services in support of PreTRM tests as may be requested by us and our other distributors from time to time in accordance with the established Labcorp terms and conditions. We will perform the PreTRM test on each received sample and thereafter provide the result.
Competition
The life science industry, including companies engaged in molecular diagnostics and proteomics, is characterized by rapidly advancing technologies, intense competition, substantial resources devoted to securing strong intellectual property protection and a focus on developing innovative, proprietary products. To our knowledge, however, there have been few successful efforts by others to date to discover, verify and validate prognostic biomarker tests to predict conditions of pregnancy, and we are aware of no competitors that have discovered, verified and broadly validated a blood-based biomarker test to predict a pregnant woman’s risk of a spontaneous preterm birth. We therefore believe that our PreTRM test has the benefit of strong first-to-market positioning and validated performance as we pursue our commercialization efforts. We consider our commercial collaboration with Anthem to be another advantageous competitive factor that we believe significantly de-risks our initial commercialization of the PreTRM test and can help encourage coverage decisions by other third-party payers. In addition, we believe that our proprietary technology platform, including our extensive biobanks, advanced mass spectrometry approaches and bioinformatics capabilities, provides us with valuable competitive assets to utilize in discovering and developing other proteomics tests for pregnancy conditions, several of which are already in our pipeline. Coupled with the experience and expertise of our management and scientific teams, we believe we possess meaningful potential to compete in developing and commercializing important products to improve the health of mothers and babies.
Notwithstanding the foregoing advantages, given the potential market opportunity represented by the PreTRM test and other pregnancy-related proteomic tests that we may develop, we expect competition to emerge and intensify in the coming years, with one or more competitive prognostic tests resulting from competitors’ efforts. Competing products may arise from various sources, including molecular diagnostic companies, clinical laboratory companies, life sciences tool companies, third-party service providers, academic research institutions, governmental agencies and public and private research institutions. From time to time, results of early biomarker discovery work are published in scientific literature. These publications are demonstrative of interest in the field, but they characteristically lack evidence of strict adherence to the NAM guidelines for multi-omics prediction development and have not achieved rigorous validation of predictions of interest.
Many of the potential competitors that may emerge, either alone or with their collaborators, have significantly greater resources, established presence in the market, expertise in research and development and greater experience in laboratory operations, obtaining regulatory approvals, gaining reimbursement and commercializing approved products than we do. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, sales, marketing and management personnel, conducting clinical studies, publishing scientific research and acquiring technologies that may be complementary to, or necessary for, the ongoing robustness of our discovery, development and commercialization efforts. Other smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. Additional mergers and acquisitions may result in even more resources being concentrated in our competitors.
Intellectual Property
We rely on a combination of patents, trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks, as well as contractual protections, to establish and protect our intellectual property rights. Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our tests and technology. In particular, we seek to protect the PreTRM test and any potential future tests and technology related to biomarkers relevant to pregnancy and neonatal heath through a variety of methods, including seeking and maintaining patents intended to cover current and future tests and technology, their methods of use and processes for their manufacture, and any other inventions that are commercially important to the development of our business. We seek to obtain domestic and international patent protection which includes, in addition to filing
 
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and prosecuting patent applications in the United States, typically filing counterpart patent applications in additional countries where we believe such foreign filing is likely to be beneficial, including Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia and China.
As of June 30, 2021, our intellectual property portfolio encompasses two issued U.S. patents, six pending U.S. non-provisional patent applications, one international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), nine granted foreign patents in China, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Spain, Russia, and the United Kingdom, over thirty pending foreign patent applications, and one U.S. provisional application. Our owned patents and patent applications, if issued, are expected to expire between 2034 and 2041, in each case without taking into account any possible patent term adjustments or extensions and assuming payment of all appropriate maintenance, renewal, annuity, or other governmental fees.
Within our intellectual property portfolio, we own two patent families that relate to our PreTRM test — a first patent family and a second patent family. The patent applications of the first patent family include composition claims directed to panels of biomarkers and corresponding method claims for determining probability for preterm birth, gestational age at birth or time to birth in a pregnant female. The first patent family includes a pending U.S. patent application, seven foreign patents granted in China, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, and 5 pending foreign patent applications in the EPO, China, Australia, Japan, and Canada. The granted patents and pending patent applications, if issued, are expected to expire in 2034, without taking into account maintenance, renewal, annuity, or other governmental fees. The patent applications of the second patent family include composition claims directed to compositions of biomarkers, panels of biomarkers, and corresponding method claims for determining probability for preterm birth in a pregnant female, and discloses methods for determining probability of gestational diabetes. The second patent family includes two issued U.S. patents, two foreign patents granted in Japan and Russia, one pending U.S. patent application and 10 pending foreign patent applications in the EPO, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Brazil, India, China, Israel and South Korea. The granted patents and pending patent applications, if issued, are expected to expire in 2036, without taking into account any possible patent term adjustment or extensions and assuming payment of all appropriate maintenance, renewal, annuity, or other governmental fees.
We also own pending patent applications directed to other indications. One patent family relates to determining probability for preeclampsia in a pregnant female, and includes patent applications pending in the U.S., the EPO, Australia and Canada. The pending patent applications, if issued, are expected to expire in 2034, without taking into account any possible patent term adjustment or extensions and assuming payment of all appropriate maintenance, renewal, annuity, or other governmental fees. A second patent family relates to determining probability for preterm birth associated with preterm premature rupture of membranes in a pregnant female. It includes patent applications pending in the U.S., the EPO, Canada, Australia, Japan, China and Israel. The pending patent applications, if issued, are expected to expire in 2037, without taking into account any possible patent term adjustment or extensions and assuming payment of all appropriate maintenance, renewal, annuity, or other governmental fees. A third patent family relates to determining the estimated due date for a pregnant female, and includes patent applications pending in the U.S., the EPO, Canada and Australia. The pending patent applications, if issued, are expected to expire in 2038, without taking into account any possible patent term adjustment or extensions and assuming payment of all appropriate maintenance, renewal, annuity, or other governmental fees. A fourth patent family relates to determining a pregnant female’s risk of developing placental dysfunction. It includes patent applications pending in the U.S., the EPO, Canada, Australia and Japan and one international patent application under the PCT. The pending patent applications, if issued, are expected to expire in 2039 and 2041, without taking into account any possible patent term adjustment or extensions and assuming payment of all appropriate maintenance, renewal, annuity, or other governmental fees.
We cannot be sure that patents will be granted with respect to any of our pending patent applications or with respect to any patent applications we may own or license in the future, nor can we be sure that any of our existing patents or any patents we may own or license in the future will be useful in protecting our technology. Please see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property” for additional information on the risks associated with our intellectual property strategy and portfolio.
We continually assess and refine our intellectual property strategy in order to fortify our position, and file additional patent applications when our intellectual property strategy warrants such filings. We intend
 
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to pursue additional intellectual property protection to the extent we believe it would be beneficial and cost-effective. Our ability to stop third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell, importing or otherwise commercializing any of our patented inventions, either directly or indirectly, will depend in part on our success in obtaining, defending and enforcing patent claims that cover our technology, inventions, and improvements. With respect to our intellectual property, we cannot provide any assurance that any of our current or future patent applications will result in the issuance of patents in any particular jurisdiction, or that any of our current or future issued patents will effectively protect any of our tests or technology from infringement or prevent others from commercializing infringing tests or technology. Even if our pending patent applications are granted as issued patents, those patents may be challenged, circumvented or invalidated by third parties. Consequently, we may not obtain or maintain adequate patent protection for any of our tests or technology.
In addition to our reliance on patent protection for our inventions, tests and technology, we also rely on trade secrets, know-how, confidentiality agreements and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. For example, some elements of manufacturing processes, analytics techniques and processes, as well as computational-biological algorithms, and related processes and software, are based on unpatented trade secrets and know-how that are not publicly disclosed. Although we take steps to protect our proprietary information and trade secrets, including through contractual means with our employees, advisors and consultants, these agreements may be breached and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. In addition, third parties may independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information and techniques or otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or disclose our technology. As a result, we may not be able to meaningfully protect our trade secrets. For further discussion of the risks relating to intellectual property, see the section titled “Risk factors — Risks Related to our Intellectual Property.”
Government Regulation
Federal and State Regulations Related to Clinical Laboratories
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988
As a clinical laboratory, we are required to hold certain federal certifications under CLIA to conduct our business. Our clinical laboratory facility located in Salt Lake City, Utah holds a CLIA Certificate of Accreditation.
We are also accredited by the CLIA to CAP. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, has deemed CAP standards to be equally or more stringent than CLIA regulations, and CAP is authorized to inspect the laboratories that it accredits on CMS’ behalf.
Under CLIA, a laboratory is any facility that performs laboratory testing on specimens derived from human beings for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of disease or the impairment or assessment of health. CLIA requires that such laboratories obtain certification from the federal government and maintain compliance with various operational, personnel qualification, facilities administration, quality control and assurance, and proficiency testing requirements intended to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of patient test results. CMS, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, administers the CLIA certification program. CLIA certification is also necessary to bill state and federal health care programs, as well as many private insurers, for laboratory testing services.
CLIA requires that we hold a certificate that specifies the categories of testing we perform and that we comply with certain standards applicable to such tests. In addition, CLIA specifies certain testing categories requiring periodic proficiency testing, and certified laboratories performing these tests must enroll in an approved proficiency testing program.
In addition, as a condition of CLIA certification, our laboratory is subject to survey and inspection every other year, as well as random inspections. These biannual surveys are typically conducted by CAP because we hold a CLIA Certificate of Accreditation.
Laboratories like ours that perform high-complexity testing are required to meet more stringent requirements than laboratories performing less complex tests. A high-complexity CLIA-certified laboratory
 
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may develop, validate, and use proprietary tests referred to as laboratory developed tests, or LDTs. All of our current products are LDTs (as discussed further below under “Federal Oversight of Laboratory Developed Tests”). CLIA requires laboratories to demonstrate the analytical validity of any LDT used in clinical testing.
If our laboratory is determined to be out of compliance with CLIA requirements at any inspection or otherwise, we may be subject to sanctions such as suspension, limitation or revocation of our CLIA certificate, a directed plan of correction, on-site monitoring, civil monetary penalties, civil injunctive suits, criminal penalties, among other potential penalties, as well as significant adverse publicity, all of which may have a materially adverse impact on our business.
State Regulation of Clinical Laboratories
CLIA provides that a state may adopt laboratory regulations that are more stringent than those under federal law, and a number of states have implemented their own more stringent laboratory regulatory requirements.
Our laboratory is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah requires that laboratories located in this state hold a CLIA certificate (which we do), as well as approval by the Utah Department of Health, or UT DOH, to operate a laboratory. In addition to meeting CLIA requirements and holding a valid CLIA certificate, Utah requires that our laboratory timely notify the UT DOH of certain changes and demonstrate successful performance of proficiency testing in an approved proficiency testing program or approved alternative testing program. If our clinical laboratory is out of compliance with these standards, the UT DOH may revoke our approval to perform testing or potentially impose other remedial measures, any of which could materially affect our business. We maintain an approval in good standing with the UT DOH.
Additionally, several states require the licensure of out-of-state laboratories that accept specimens from those states and/or receive specimens from laboratories in those states. For example, in New York, our PreTRM test must be approved by the New York State Department of Health before it is offered in New York. As part of this process, the State of New York requires validation of our tests. New York State requires additional regulatory approvals for laboratories producing clinical results through the oversight of the NYS-CLEP program. Our laboratory is licensed by the appropriate state agencies in the states in which it operates, if such licensure is required. In particular, our laboratory holds state licenses or permits from and is subject to inspection by California, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
If a laboratory is out of compliance with state laws or regulations governing licensed laboratories, penalties may include suspension, limitation or revocation of the license, assessment of financial penalties or fines, or imprisonment. Loss of a laboratory’s state license may also result in the inability to receive payments from state and federal health care programs as well as private insurers, all of which may have a materially adverse impact on our business.
Other states beyond those from which our laboratory currently holds licenses may adopt licensure requirements in the future, which could require us to modify, delay or discontinue our operations in such jurisdictions. If we identify any other state with such requirements or if we are contacted by any other state advising us of such requirements, we intend to follow instructions from the state regulators as to how to comply with such requirements.
Regulation of Clinical Trials
We have conducted and are currently conducting a variety of studies for the PreTRM test and our other tests in development that involve clinical investigators at multiple sites in the U.S. We may need to conduct additional studies for the PreTRM test, as well as other tests we may offer in the future, to drive test adoption in the marketplace and reimbursement. Should we not be able to perform these studies, or should their results not provide clinically meaningful data and value for clinicians, adoption of our tests could be impaired and we may not be able to obtain reimbursement for them.
The conduct of clinical trials is also subject to extensive federal and institutional regulations, which regulations are intended to assure that the data and reported results are credible and accurate, and that the rights, safety, and welfare of study participants are protected. Most studies involving human participants
 
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must be reviewed and approved by, and conducted under the auspices of, a duly-constituted institutional review board, or IRB, which is a multi-disciplinary committee responsible for reviewing and evaluating the risks and benefits of a clinical trial for participating subjects and monitoring the trial on an ongoing basis. Companies sponsoring the clinical trials and investigators also must comply with, as applicable, regulations, guidelines and IRB requirements for obtaining informed consent from the study subjects, following the protocol and investigational plan, adequately monitoring the clinical trial, and timely reporting of adverse events. We believe our clinical trials conducted to date have met applicable regulatory requirements. The sponsoring company or the IRB may suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. In addition, studies involving human participants often require significant time and cash resources to complete and are subject to a high degree of risk, including risks of experiencing delays, failing to complete the trial or obtaining unexpected or negative results.
The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, or ICMJE, requires trial registration as a condition of the publication of research results generated by a clinical trial. To fulfill this obligation organizations and individuals can provide the information required by ICMJE either to ClinicalTrials.gov, which is maintained by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, or to a World Health Organization registry. In accordance with this publication policy to ensure that our investigators can publish their findings, and to further our participant enrollment activities for various studies, we register all of the clinical trials that we sponsor with ClinicalTrials.gov.
Federal Oversight of Laboratory Developed Tests
Our first commercial product, the PreTRM test, is an LDT that we process in our single CLIA-certified central laboratory. Although the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has asserted that it has authority to regulate LDTs, it has historically exercised enforcement discretion and is not otherwise regulating most tests developed, manufactured and performed within a single high-complexity CLIA-certified laboratory. Any changes in FDA’s approach to regulation of LDTs generally, or its approach to regulating the PreTRM test specifically, could adversely impact our business.
FDA Oversight of LDTs
While clinical laboratory tests are regulated under CLIA, which is administered by CMS, as well as by applicable state laws, the FDA separately has jurisdiction over medical devices pursuant to its authority under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FD&C Act. In vitro diagnostic devices, or IVDs, intended for clinical purposes are a type of medical device under the FD&C Act and thus fall within the FDA’s jurisdiction, and the agency applies its authority under the FD&C Act to those IVDs and test kits that are manufactured, packaged, and distributed in interstate commerce. LDTs are considered to be a subset of IVDs that are designed, manufactured, and used within a single laboratory. The FDA regulates, among other matters, the research, testing, manufacturing, safety, labeling, storage, recordkeeping, premarket clearance or approval, marketing and promotion and sales and distribution of medical devices, including IVDs, in the U.S. to ensure that such products on the domestic market are safe and effective for their intended uses. In addition, the FDA regulates the import and export of medical devices. Many of the instruments, reagents, kits or other consumable products used within our laboratory are regulated as medical devices and therefore must comply with FDA quality system regulations and certain other device requirements. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that we source such materials from suppliers that are in compliance with any applicable medical device regulatory requirements.
Although the FDA has statutory authority to ensure that medical devices, including IVDs, are safe and effective for their intended uses, the FDA has historically exercised its enforcement discretion and not enforced applicable provisions of the FD&C Act and regulations with respect to LDTs. Despite its exercise of enforcement discretion, for the last decade there have been proposals to modify how LDTs may be brought into a harmonized paradigm for oversight by the FDA and CMS. For example, in July 2010, the FDA held a two-day public meeting to obtain input on how to apply its authority to implement a reasonable, risk-based, and effective regulatory framework for LDTs. The agency later issued draft guidance and a 2017 Discussion Paper to allow for further public discussion about an appropriate LDT oversight approach and to give congressional committees the opportunity to develop a legislative solution.
 
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Since 2017, Congress has been working on legislation to create an LDT and IVD regulatory framework that would be separate and distinct from the existing medical device regulatory framework. In August 2018, the FDA recommended changes to draft legislation that had been released by Congress in 2017, which, if made law, would give the agency the authority to revoke approval, request raw data, and take corrective action against test developers. Legislators subsequently provided opportunities for additional stakeholders to provide input on the proposed reform legislation. In March 2020, a bipartisan group of members from both chambers of Congress formally introduced the Verifying Accurate, Leading-edge IVCT Development, or VALID Act, which would codify the term “in vitro clinical test”, or IVCT, and create a new medical product category for IVCTs separate from medical devices that includes products currently regulated as IVDs as well as LDTs, among other provisions. The VALID Act would also create a new system for laboratories to use to submit their tests electronically to the FDA for approval, which is aimed at reducing the amount of time it takes for the agency to approve such tests, and establish a new program to expedite the development of diagnostic tests that can be used to address a current unmet need for patients.
The future of the VALID Act is unclear. If the FDA decides to enforce regulation of all LDTs and undertakes notice-and-comment rulemaking to do so, or if the VALID Act or other legislation is passed, in either case reforming the federal government’s current oversight and regulation of LDTs, we may likely become subject to increased regulatory burdens such as registration and listing requirements, adverse event reporting requirements, and quality control requirements.
Most recently, HHS published a policy announcement in August 2020 stating that FDA must go through a notice-and-comment rulemaking process before requiring premarket review of LDTs as medical devices, rather than making such a change through guidance documents, compliance manuals, or other informal policy statements. Although the ultimate impact of HHS’s policy statement on the FDA’s plans for regulating LDTs and its current thinking relating to this category of diagnostic testing products is unclear, the August 2020 announcement appears to confirm that laboratories may commercialize LDTs for clinical use without submitting such tests for FDA premarket review and marketing authorization under the medical device regulatory framework. HHS’s policy statement does not affect proposed legislation for the regulation of LDTs, such as the VALID Act described above. It is also unclear whether the Biden Administration, which assumed control of the executive branch on January 20, 2021, will take the same position as the former administration or seek to revoke or revise the HHS policy announcement from August 2020.
Future legislation or formal FDA regulatory framework affecting LDTs may have premarket application requirements prohibiting commercialization without FDA authorization and controls regarding modification to the tests that may require further FDA submissions. The process would likely be costly and time-consuming. We cannot be sure that the PreTRM test, or any new tests that we may develop or new uses for our products that we develop will be cleared or approved by the FDA in a timely or cost-effective manner, if cleared or approved at all. Even if such tests are cleared or approved, the products may not be cleared or approved for all indications. This could significantly limit the market for that product and may adversely affect our business.
If the FDA were to disagree with our conclusion that the PreTRM test falls within the scope of the agency’s LDT definition and that the PreTRM test is thus subject to FDA’s medical device authorities and implementing regulations, the agency could require that we obtain premarket approval or another type of device premarket authorization in order for us to commercialize the PreTRM test. As part of this process, we may also be required to conduct additional clinical testing before applying for commercial marketing authorization. Clinical trials must be conducted in compliance with FDA regulations in order to support a marketing submission to the agency for a regulated product, or the FDA may take certain enforcement actions or reject the data. Performing additional, new clinical studies and trials in order to obtain product approval from the FDA, if necessary, would take a significant amount of time and would substantially delay our ability to commercialize the PreTRM test, all of which would adversely impact our business.
Advertising of Laboratory Services and LDTs
Our advertising for laboratory services and tests is subject to federal truth-in-advertising laws enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, as well as certain state laws.
Under the Federal Trade Commission Act, or FTC Act, the FTC is empowered, among other things, to (i) prevent unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting
 
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commerce; (ii) seek monetary penalties and other relief for conduct injurious to consumers; and (iii) gather and compile information and conduct investigations relating to the organization, business, practices, and management of entities engaged in commerce. The FTC has very broad enforcement authority, and failure to abide by the substantive requirements of the FTC Act and other consumer protection laws can result in administrative or judicial penalties, including civil penalties, injunctions affecting the manner in which we would be able to market services or products in the future, or criminal prosecution.
Data Privacy and Security Laws
We believe that we have taken the steps required of us to comply with both federal and state health information privacy and security statutes and regulations, including genetic testing and genetic information privacy laws. However, existing laws regulating such matters continue to evolve, including through amendments, new interpretations and guidance, and, around the world, lawmakers continue to propose new laws regulating privacy and data security, and we may not be able to maintain compliance in all jurisdictions where we do business. Failure to maintain compliance, or changes in laws regarding privacy or security could result in civil and/or criminal penalties, significant reputational damage and could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Federal Privacy and Security Laws
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, established comprehensive federal standards for the privacy and security of health information. The HIPAA standards apply to health plans, health care clearing houses, and health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically (Covered Entities), as well as their respective business associates that perform services for them that involve the use, or disclosure of, individually identifiable health information. Title II of HIPAA, the Administrative Simplification Act, contains provisions that address the privacy of health data, the security of health data, the standardization of identifying numbers used in the health care system and the standardization of certain health care transactions. The privacy regulations protect medical records and other protected health information by limiting their use and release, giving patients the right to access their medical records and limiting most disclosures of health information to the minimum amount necessary to accomplish an intended purpose. The HIPAA security standards require the adoption of administrative, physical, and technical safeguards and the adoption of written security policies and procedures.
In 2009, Congress enacted Subtitle D of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act. or HITECH provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. HITECH amended HIPAA and, among other things, expanded and strengthened HIPAA, created new targets for enforcement, imposed new penalties for noncompliance and established new breach notification requirements for Covered Entities and Business Associates. Regulations implementing major provisions of HITECH were finalized on January 25, 2013 through publication of the HIPAA Omnibus Rule. The Omnibus Rule contained significant changes for Covered Entities and Business Associates with respect to permitted uses and disclosures of Protected Health Information.
Under HITECH’s breach notification requirements, Covered Entities must report breaches of protected health information that has not been encrypted or otherwise secured in accordance with guidance from the Secretary of HHS, or the Secretary. Required breach notices must be made as soon as is reasonably practicable, but no later than 60 days following discovery of the breach. Reports must be made to affected individuals and to the Secretary and, in some cases depending on the size of the breach, they must be reported through local and national media. Breach reports can lead to investigation, enforcement and civil litigation, including class action lawsuits. We are currently subject to the HIPAA regulations as a Covered Entity and maintain an active compliance program. We are subject to audit under the HHS’ HITECH-mandated audit program. We may also be investigated in connection with a privacy or data security complaint.
There are significant civil and criminal fines and other penalties that may be imposed for violating HIPAA. These fines are adjusted for inflation each year. A Covered Entity or business associate is liable for civil monetary penalties for a violation that is based on an act or omission of any of its agents, including a downstream business associate, as determined according to the federal common law of agency. Penalties for failure to comply with a requirement of HIPAA and HITECH vary significantly depending on the failure and include civil monetary penalties. A single breach incident can violate multiple requirements.
 
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Additionally, a person who knowingly obtains or discloses individually identifiable health information in violation of HIPAA may face a criminal penalties, which increase if the wrongful conduct involves false pretenses or the intent to sell, transfer or use identifiable health information for commercial advantage, personal gain or malicious harm. Proposed Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule are currently out for public comment for until May 6, 2021, and that there may be legislative changes in the regulatory requirements that result.
Further, submission of electronic health care claims and payment transactions that do not comply with the electronic data transmission standards established under HIPAA and HITECH could result in delayed or denied payments. Any non-compliance with HIPAA and HITECH, and related penalties, could adversely impact our business.
State Privacy and Security Laws
In addition to federal enforcement, Covered Entities are also subject to enforcement by state attorneys general who were given authority to enforce HIPAA under HITECH. Moreover, the HIPAA privacy, security, and breach notification regulations do not supersede state laws that are more stringent or provide individuals with greater privacy and security rights or greater access to their records.
The compliance requirements of these laws, including additional breach reporting requirements, and the penalties for violation vary widely and new privacy and security laws in this area are evolving. For example, several states, such as California, have implemented comprehensive privacy laws and regulations. The California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act imposes restrictive requirements regulating the use and disclosure of health information and other personally identifiable information. In addition to fines and penalties imposed upon violators, some of these state laws also afford private rights of action to individuals who believe their personal information has been misused.
California also recently adopted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, or CCPA, which took effect on January 1, 2020 and became enforceable by the state attorney general on July 1, 2020. The CCPA establishes a new privacy framework for covered businesses by creating an expanded definition of personal information, establishing new data privacy rights for consumers in the State of California, imposing special rules on the collection of consumer data from minors, and creating a new and potentially severe statutory damages framework for violations of the CCPA and for businesses that fail to implement reasonable security procedures and practices to prevent data breaches.
The regulations issued under the CCPA have been modified several times. Additionally, a new privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA, was approved by California voters in the election on November 3, 2020. The CPRA will modify the CCPA significantly, potentially resulting in further uncertainty, additional costs and expenses stemming from efforts to comply, and additional potential for harm and liability for failure to comply. Other states in the U.S. are considering privacy laws similar to the CCPA. In February 2021, the Virginia legislature became the second to enact a state-specific law called the Consumer Data Protection Act, or CDPA, which includes key differences from California’s law, further complicating compliance by industry and other stakeholders.
Other Federal and State Health Care Laws
A variety of state and federal laws prohibit fraud and abuse involving private insurers (as well as state and federal health care programs). These laws are interpreted broadly and enforced aggressively by various state and federal agencies, including CMS, the Department of Justice, or DOJ, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, or OIG, and various state agencies.
Although the Company does not currently submit claims to federal or state health care programs or other third-party payers, it may do so in the future and thus seeks to conduct its business in compliance with all federal and state fraud and abuse laws, regardless of the payer(s) covered by those laws. The Company is unable, however, to predict how these laws will be applied in the future or whether its arrangements will be subject to scrutiny under them by federal or state enforcement agencies. Sanctions for violations of these laws may result in a range of penalties, including but not limited to significant criminal and civil fines and penalties, and loss of licensure. Any such penalties would adversely affect the Company’s business.
 
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Anti-Kickback Statute
The Anti-Kickback Statute, or AKS, prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in exchange for or to induce either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing, arranging for or recommending of an item or service that is reimbursable, in whole or in part, by a federal health care program. “Remuneration” is broadly defined to include anything of value, which can include (but is not limited to) cash payments, gifts or gift certificates, discounts, or the furnishing of services, supplies or equipment. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the federal AKS or specific intent to violate it or to have committed a violation. Violations are subject to civil and criminal fines and penalties for each violation, plus up to three times the remuneration involved, imprisonment, and exclusion from government healthcare programs. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the AKS constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal False Claims Act, or FCA.
Some states have their own AKS provisions that apply to claims submitted to private insurers. These statutes also typically have their own safe harbor provisions or they may cross-reference the AKS safe harbors.
From time to time, the OIG has issued Special Fraud Alerts describing the agency’s view of how certain arrangements between laboratories and referring physicians implicate and potentially violate the AKS. For example, the OIG issued such Alerts in December 1994 and June 2014, and an Alert related to speaker programs issued in November 2020 also applies to the business of laboratories. These Special Fraud Alerts do not have the force of law, but do provide insight into the agency’s potential enforcement priorities and its interpretation of the AKS as it relates to laboratories’ business practices. Similarly, state enforcement agencies may issue opinion letters that describe their interpretation of how the state AKS applies to certain arrangements, and also provide insight into that agency’s enforcement priorities.
The penalties for violating federal or state AKS provisions can be severe. Possible sanctions include criminal and civil penalties (including penalties under the FCA or a state law equivalent), imprisonment and possible exclusion from state or federal health care programs.
Physician Self-Referral Prohibitions
Subject to certain exceptions, the federal ban on physician self-referrals (referred to as the Stark Law) is a civil statute that prohibits physicians from referring Medicare and Medicaid patients to an entity providing certain designated health services, which include laboratory services, if the physician or his/her immediate family member has any financial relationship with the entity. Many states also have their own self-referral bans, which may extend to all self-referrals regardless of the payer, unless an exception applies.
Potential penalties for Stark Law violations include the return of funds received for all prohibited referrals, fines, civil monetary penalties (including penalties under the FCA or state law equivalents), and possible exclusion from state or federal health care programs.
On December 2, 2020, CMS published further modifications to the federal Stark Law. Among other things, CMS added exceptions for certain coordinated care and value-based arrangements among clinicians, providers, and others, which have varying degrees of applicability to laboratories. This final rule (with exceptions) became effective January 19, 2021. We continue to evaluate what effect, if any, the rule will have on our business.
Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act
In October 2018, Congress enacted the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018, or EKRA, as part of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act, or SUPPORT Act. EKRA is an all-payer anti-kickback law that criminalizes paying any remuneration to induce referrals to, or in exchange for, patients using the services of a recovery home, a substance use clinical treatment facility, or laboratory.
Although it appears that EKRA was intended to reach patient brokering and similar arrangements in the context of substance use recovery and treatment, the language in EKRA is broad. For example, as written, EKRA prohibits the payment of incentive compensation to sales employees, whereas such payments are
 
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expressly protected under the AKS and its safe harbors (and this practice is common in the industry). And most of the safe harbors available under the AKS are not reiterated under the EKRA’s exceptions. Therefore, compliance with an AKS safe harbor does not guarantee protection under the EKRA. EKRA thus potentially expands the universe of arrangements that could be subject to enforcement under federal fraud and abuse laws, as well as substantial penalties.
EKRA does permit the DOJ to issue regulations clarifying or expanding the statute’s exceptions, but such regulations have not yet been issued. Because, moreover, EKRA is a new law, there is little guidance to indicate how and to what extent it will be applied and enforced by government agencies. The relationships between laboratories and physicians, sales representatives, hospitals, and customers may be subject to scrutiny under this statute. If imposed for any reason, sanctions under the EKRA could have a negative effect on our business.
False Claims Act
The FCA imposes civil liability on any person or entity that, among other things, knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent; knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false statement of record material to a false or fraudulent claim or obligation to pay or transmit money or property to the federal government or knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly avoiding or decreasing an obligation to pay money to the federal government. The FCA also prohibits the knowing retention of overpayments (sometimes referred to as “reverse false claims”). Under the reverse false claims provision, improperly retained overpayments must be repaid within 60 days of identification unless a favorable decision is obtained on appeal. The FCA also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring actions on behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the FCA and to share in any monetary recovery.
Penalties for violating the FCA include payment of up to three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus substantial per-claim civil penalties, as well as possible exclusion from federal health care programs.
Various states have enacted similar laws modeled after the FCA that apply to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state health care programs, and, in several states, such laws apply to claims submitted to any payer, including private insurers.
There is also a federal criminal false claims statute that prohibits, in pertinent part, the making or presentation of a false claim, knowing such claim to be false, to any person or officer in the civil, military, or naval service or any department or agency thereof.
Health Care Fraud and False Statements
The federal health care fraud statute criminalizes knowingly and willfully defrauding a health care benefit program, including private insurers. A violation of this statute may result in fines, imprisonment, or exclusion from government health care programs. The false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing, or covering up a material fact or making a materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for health care benefits, items, or services. A violation of this statute may result in fines or imprisonment.
Civil Monetary Penalties Law
The federal Civil Monetary Penalties Law, or CMP Law, prohibits, among other things, (1) the offering or transfer of remuneration to a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary if the person knows or should know it is likely to influence the beneficiary’s selection of a particular provider, practitioner, or supplier of services reimbursable by Medicare or a state health care program, unless an exception applies; (2) employing or contracting with an individual or entity that the provider knows or should know is excluded from participation in a federal health care program; (3) billing for services requested by an unlicensed physician or an excluded provider; and (4) billing for medically unnecessary services. The penalties for violating the CMP Law include exclusion, substantial fines, and payment of up to three times the amount billed, depending on the nature of the offense.
 
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Physician Payments Sunshine Act
The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act imposes reporting requirements on manufacturers of certain devices, drugs and biologics reimbursed under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, for certain payments and transfers of value by them (and in some cases their distributors) to physicians, teaching hospitals and certain advanced non-physician health care practitioners, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. The reporting program (known as the Open Payments program) is administered by CMS.
Because we develop our LDTs solely for use by or within our own laboratory and we do not currently receive reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP, we believe we are exempt from these reporting requirements. We could, however, become subject to such reporting requirements under the terms of current CMS regulations, if (i) we begin submitting claims for reimbursement for our tests to Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP; and (ii) the FDA requires us to obtain premarket clearance or approval for our tests as medical devices or Congress enacts legislative reforms to the federal oversight of LDTs to subject them to FDA regulation and/or the reporting requirements of the Sunshine Act.
Other Potentially Applicable State Laws
We are subject to state and foreign equivalents of each of the healthcare laws and regulations described above, among others, some of which may be broader in scope and may apply regardless of the payer. Many U.S. states have adopted laws similar to the AKS and FCA, and may apply to our business practices, including, but not limited to, research, distribution, sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental payers, including private insurers. Such laws include fee-splitting restrictions, insurance fraud laws, anti-markup laws, prohibitions on waiving coinsurance, copayments, deductibles and other amounts owed by patients, and prohibitions on the provision of tests at no or discounted cost to induce physician adoption. Other potentially applicable state laws include direct billing requirements and prohibitions on the corporate practice of medicine. Many of our agreements may be subject to such laws. There are ambiguities as to what is required to comply with these state requirements, and if we fail to comply with an applicable state law requirement we could be subject to penalties. Finally, there are state laws governing the privacy and security of health information, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Reimbursement and Billing
Coverage and Reimbursement
In the United States and markets in other countries, patients generally rely on third-party payers to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their treatment. Adequate coverage and reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and commercial payers is critical to new product acceptance. Our ability to successfully commercialize our products will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Government authorities and third-party payers, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. The availability of coverage and extent of reimbursement by governmental and private payers is essential for most patients to be able to afford treatments. Sales of these or other diagnostic testing that we may develop will depend substantially, both domestically and abroad, on the extent to which the costs of our tests will be paid by health maintenance, managed care, and similar healthcare management organizations, or reimbursed by government healthcare programs, private health coverage insurers and other third-party payers. If coverage and adequate reimbursement is not available, or is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully continue to commercialize our tests. Even if coverage is provided, the approved reimbursement amount may not be high enough to allow us to establish or maintain pricing sufficient to realize a sufficient return on our investment.
Factors payers consider in determining reimbursement are based on whether the product is:

a covered benefit under its health plan;
 
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safe, effective and medically necessary;

appropriate for the specific patient;

cost-effective; and

neither experimental nor investigational.
In addition, market-based changes have affected and will continue to affect the clinical laboratory business. Reimbursement from private insurers for diagnostic testing may shift away from traditional, fee-for-service models to alternatives, including value-based, bundled, and other risk-sharing payment models.
The growth of the managed care sector and consolidation of managed care organizations, or MCOs may also present various challenges and opportunities to us and other clinical laboratories. For example, MCOs have different contracting philosophies. Some MCOs contract with a limited number of clinical laboratories and engage in direct negotiation of rates, while others adopt broader networks with more uniform fee structures for participating clinical laboratories, and still others use capitation rates to fix the cost of laboratory testing services for enrollees. Our revenues may vary depending on the MCOs with which we enter contracts, if we decide to enter such contracts.
In addition to the potential reductions in test reimbursement, the Company may also see a decline or change in test volumes as a result of increased controls over the utilization of laboratory services by third-party payers, particularly MCOs. For example, MCOs have implemented, either directly or through third parties, various types of laboratory benefit management programs, which may include lab networks, utilization management tools (such as prior authorization and/or prior notification), and claims edits, which impact coverage and reimbursement of clinical laboratory tests. Some of these programs address clinical laboratory testing broadly, while others are focused on certain types of testing.
Despite the potentially negative market changes related to reimbursement, several factors may positively impact test volume, including the expansion of managed care and private insurance exchanges. In addition, continued innovation in laboratory medicine will continue to foster greater appreciation of the value of women’s health diagnostics. Additional factors that may lead to future volume growth include an increase in the number and types of tests that are readily available (due to advances in technology and increased cost efficiencies).
The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014
Reimbursement and billing for diagnostic services is highly complex. Laboratories must bill various payers, including private insurers and MCOs. While we do not currently bill state or federal health care programs for our testing, we expect to do so in the future. Submitting claims to various payers is complicated because each payer may have different billing requirements. Additionally, the audit requirements laboratories must meet to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as internal compliance policies and procedures, add further complexity to the billing process.
In April 2014, Congress passed the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, or PAMA, which substantially changed the way in which clinical laboratory services are paid under Medicare’s Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, or CLFS. While PAMA directly affects Medicare reimbursement for laboratory testing, and we do not currently bill Medicare for our tests, PAMA has an indirect effect on rates paid by private insurers, which we currently only bill for performance of the ongoing PRIME study. Although we do not believe we are currently subject to PAMA’s requirements, we may be in the future.
PAMA took effect on January 1, 2018 and requires certain clinical laboratories to report to CMS private insurer payment rates and volumes for their tests. CMS then takes the weighted-median of payments made by private insurers for these tests to set reimbursement under the CLFS for qualifying tests, subject to certain phase-in limits. Laboratories that fail to report the required payment information may be subject to substantial civil monetary penalties.
CMS’s methodology under PAMA (as well as the willingness of private insurers to recognize the value of diagnostic testing and pay for that testing accordingly) renders private insurer payment levels even more significant. This calculation methodology has resulted in significant reductions in reimbursement, even though
 
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CMS imposed caps on those reductions. The reduction of reimbursement under the CLFS also affects rates paid by private insurers because those insurers often set their pricing for laboratory testing as a percentage of the amount set on the CLFS.
Given the many uncertainties built into PAMA’s price-setting process, we cannot predict how payments we receive from private insurers (or possibly from Medicare in the future), and thus our revenue, may change from year to year.
Health Care Reform and Legislation
We likewise cannot predict whether or when Congress or state legislatures may take steps to regulate or change pricing of laboratory testing, and thus affect the reimbursement we receive as well as the Company’s revenue. Examples of such initiatives might include changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or collectively the ACA, steps to address surprise billing, and increased price transparency, as well as administrative requirements that may continue to affect coverage, reimbursement, and utilization of laboratory services in ways that are currently unpredictable.
Since its enactment, there have been numerous judicial, administrative, executive, and legislative challenges to certain aspects of the ACA, and we expect there will be additional challenges and amendments to the ACA in the future. Some of the provisions of the ACA have yet to be fully implemented, while certain provisions have been subject to judicial and Congressional challenges. Congress has considered legislation that would repeal or repeal and replace all or part of the ACA. While Congress has not passed comprehensive repeal legislation, two bills affecting the implementation of certain taxes under the ACA have been signed into law. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, or Tax Act, includes a provision that decreased the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the ACA on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year, commonly referred to as the “individual mandate,” to $0, effective January 1, 2019. On December 14, 2018, a federal district court in Texas ruled the individual mandate is a critical and inseverable feature of the ACA, and therefore, because it was repealed as part of the Tax Act, the remaining provisions of the ACA are invalid as well. On December 18, 2019, the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals held that the individual mandate is unconstitutional, and remanded the case to the lower court to reconsider its earlier invalidation of the full ACA. On March 2, 2020, the United States Supreme Court granted the petitions for writs of certiorari to review this case, and held oral arguments on November 10, 2020. Pending a decision, the ACA remains in effect, but it is unclear at this time what effect these developments will have on the status of the ACA.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted. In August 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2013 through 2021, was unable to reach required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. This includes aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers up to 2% per fiscal year, and, due to subsequent legislative amendments, will remain in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken. Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, as well as subsequent legislation, these reductions have been suspended from May 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Proposed legislation, if passed, would extend this suspension until the end of the pandemic.
Other Applicable Environmental, Health, And Safety Regulations
We are subject to numerous federal, state and local environmental, health and safety, or EHS, laws and regulations relating to, among other matters, safe working conditions, environmental protection, and handling or disposition of products, including those governing the generation, storage, handling, use, transportation, release, and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous materials, medical waste, and infectious materials.
Some of these laws and regulations also require us to obtain licenses or permits to conduct our operations. If we fail to comply with such laws or obtain and comply with the applicable permits, we could face substantial fines or possible revocation of our permits or limitations on our ability to conduct our operations.
 
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Certain of our development activities involve use of hazardous materials, and we believe we are in compliance with the applicable environmental laws, regulations, permits, and licenses. However, we cannot ensure that EHS liabilities will not develop in the future. EHS laws and regulations are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent over time.
Although the costs to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we cannot predict the impact on our business of new or amended laws or regulations or any changes in the way existing and future laws and regulations are interpreted or enforced, nor can we ensure we will be able to obtain or maintain any required licenses or permits.
Human Capital
As of June 30, 2021, we had 76 full-time employees. Among our staff, three persons hold M.D.s, six hold Ph.D.s and 60 hold a master’s or a bachelor’s degree in their respective disciplines. Our headquarters are located in Salt Lake City, Utah. None of our employees are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relationship with our employees to be good.
Talent Acquisition and Retention
We recognize that our employees largely contribute to our success. To this end, we support business growth by seeking to attract and retain best-in-class talent. We use internal and external resources to recruit highly skilled candidates for open positions. We believe that we are able to attract and retain superior talent as measured by our minimal turnover rate and high employee service tenure of 3.7 years per employee.
Total Rewards
Our total rewards philosophy has been to create investment in our workforce by offering a competitive compensation and benefits package. We provide employees with compensation packages that include base salary, annual incentive bonuses and long-term equity incentive awards. We also offer comprehensive employee benefits, such as life, disability and health insurance, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, and a 401(k) plan. It is our express intent to be an employer of choice in our industry by providing a market-competitive compensation and benefits package.
Health, Safety and Wellness
We have always invested, and will continue to invest, in the health, safety, and wellness of our employees. We provide our employees with access to a variety of innovative, flexible, and convenient health and wellness programs. Program benefits are intended to provide protection and security, so employees can have peace of mind concerning events that may require time away from work or that may impact their financial well-being.
Our investments and the prioritization of employee health, safety, and wellness took on particular significance in 2020 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. To protect and support our team members, we implemented health and safety measures that included maximizing personal workspaces, altering work schedules and performing asymptomatic COVID-19 testing regularly for employees who work on site. To aid in containing the spread of COVID-19, we have implemented remote-work options and have limited employee travel. We continue to monitor this rapidly evolving situation and will continue to seek programs to educate and assist employees whenever possible.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
We believe a diverse workforce is critical to our success. Our mission is to value differences in races, ethnicities, religions, nationalities, genders, ages and sexual orientations, as well as education, skill sets and experience. We are focused on inclusive hiring practices, fair and equitable treatment, organizational flexibility and training and resources.
Training and Development
We believe in encouraging employees in becoming lifelong learners by providing ongoing learning and leadership training opportunities. While we strive to provide real-time recognition of employee performance,
 
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we have a formal annual review process not only to determine pay and equity adjustments tied to individual contributions, but to identify areas where training and development may be needed.
Facilities
Our corporate headquarters and facilities are located in Salt Lake City, Utah. We currently lease a total of approximately 21,800 square feet of building space in Salt Lake City dedicated to research and development, administration and our CLIA-certified laboratory. The lease on our existing Salt Lake City facility expires on December 31, 2022 and we have an option to renew the lease for one additional five-year rental period.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we may become involved in litigation or other legal proceedings. We are not currently a party to any litigation or legal proceedings that, in the opinion of our management, are likely to have a material adverse effect on our business. Regardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
 
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MANAGEMENT
Executive Officers and Directors
The following table provides information regarding our executive officers and directors as of June  1, 2021:
Name
Age
Position
Executive Officers:
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
69 Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Jay Moyes
67 Chief Financial Officer
John J. Boniface, Ph.D.
59 Chief Scientific Officer
Douglas Fisher, M.D.
45 Chief Business Officer
John Peltier, Ph.D.
58 Senior Vice President of Lab Operations
Thomas Garite
77 Vice President, Clinical Sciences
Nadia Altomare
51 Chief Commercial Officer
Nichole L. Martin
43
Vice President of Quality/Regulatory and HIPAA Privacy Officer
Benjamin G. Jackson
42 General Counsel
Non-Employee Directors:
Dennis Farrar*
83 Director
Joshua Phillips
54 Director
Mansoor Raza Mirza, M.D.
59 Director
Ryan Trimble
69 Director
Kim Kamdar, Ph.D.
54 Director
Michael F. Minahan*
61 Director
Elizabeth Canis*
50 Director
Marcus Wilson, Pharm.D.
58 Director
Charles D. Kennedy, M.D.*
58 Director
Joseph Siletto*
52 Director
*
Each of Mr. Farrar, Mr. Minahan, Ms. Canis, Dr. Kennedy and Mr. Siletto intends to resign from our board of directors contingent upon, and effective immediately upon, the closing of this offering.
Executive Officers
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S. has served as our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer since November 2011. Dr. Critchfield brings decades of experience in the diagnostics industry, including a proven track record of successfully launching diagnostics products and significantly growing revenues for leading diagnostics companies. Previously, Dr. Critchfield was President of Myriad Genetic Laboratories, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Myriad Genetics, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company, from 1998-2010. Under his leadership, Myriad launched seven novel molecular diagnostic products across a variety of technology platforms and increased annual revenues from $2.2 million to $326.5 million. Prior to Dr. Critchfield’s role at Myriad, he served as Senior Vice President, Chief Medical and Science Officer of Quest Diagnostics (formerly Corning Clinical Laboratories). Prior to Quest Diagnostics, Dr. Critchfield was the Director of Clinical Pathology at Intermountain Health Care. Dr. Critchfield has served on the boards of Saladax Biomedical Inc., BioTrove Inc., Biocius Life Sciences, Inc., Integrated Diagnostics, Inc., Nodality, Inc., Metamark Genetics, Inc., Lantos Technologies and Condor Therapeutics, Inc., and currently serves as a director of Epic Sciences. He also served as both a reviewer and an NIH Study Section Chair for biomedical computing grants over a period of time encompassing fifteen years. He holds a B.S. in Microbiology from Brigham Young University, an M.S. in Biophysical Sciences from the University of Minnesota and an M.D. from the University of Utah College of Medicine. We believe that Dr. Critchfield’s perspective and experience as our President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as his depth of experience in the diagnostics industry, provide him with the qualifications and skills to serve on our board of directors.
 
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Jay Moyes has served as our Chief Financial Officer since March 2020. Mr. Moyes has been a member of the board of directors of Achieve Life Sciences, Inc., a public specialty pharmaceutical company, since August 2017. He has been a member of the board of directors of Puma Biotechnology, Inc., a public biotherapeutics company focused on oncology, since April 2012. He has been a member of the board of directors of Biocardia, Inc., a publicly held cardiovascular regenerative medicine company, since January 2011. Mr. Moyes served as a member of the board of directors of Predictive Technology Group, Inc., a public molecular diagnostics and regenerative medicine company, from February 2019 to December 2019. Mr. Moyes was a director of Integrated Diagnostics, Inc., a privately held molecular diagnostics company from March 2011 to November 2016. Mr. Moyes was a member of the board of directors of Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., a public bio-surgery company, from May 2006 until December 2017 and Amedica Corporation, a public orthopedic implant company, from November 2012 to August 2014. He served as Chief Financial Officer of Amedica from October 2013 to August 2014, where he was responsible for developing and executing the company’s financial strategy. From May 2008 through July 2009, Mr. Moyes served as the Chief Financial Officer of XDx, Inc. (now CareDx, Inc.), a privately held molecular diagnostics company. In that role, he orchestrated the company’s right-sizing strategy. Prior to that, Mr. Moyes served as the Chief Financial Officer of Myriad Genetics, Inc., a public healthcare diagnostics company, from June 1996 until November 2007, and as its Vice President of Finance from July 1993 until May 1996, where he led the financial team as it transitioned from a small private company to a publicly held enterprise. From 1991 to 1993, Mr. Moyes served as Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Genmark, Inc., a privately held genetics company. In that role he established the company’s financial infrastructure. Mr. Moyes held various positions with the accounting firm of KPMG LLP from 1979 through 1991, most recently as a Senior Manager. At KPMG LLP, he was primarily responsible for conducting financial audits of high-tech and biotech clients. Mr. Moyes also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Utah Life Science Association from 1999 through 2006. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Utah, a B.A. in economics from Weber State University, and is formerly a Certified Public Accountant.
John J. Boniface, Ph.D. has served as our Chief Scientific Officer since November 2011. Prior to that, Dr. Boniface briefly served as our Vice President of Research from September 2011 to November 2011. In his role as Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Boniface is involved with our product development. Dr. Boniface previously served as scientist and program director for multiple biotechnology companies focused on protein discovery and small molecule and immunotherapeutic drug development, including Myrexis, Myriad Genetics, Prolexys Pharmaceuticals and Eos Biotechnology. Dr. Boniface holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Albany Medical College and a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Boniface was a post-doctoral scholar in the laboratory of Dr. Mark Davis, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine.
Douglas Fisher, M.D. has served as our Chief Business Officer since January 2015. In his role as Chief Business Officer, Dr. Fisher manages our business and strategy development. Dr. Fisher served as a member of our board of directors from November 2011 to January of 2015. In addition to his employment with our company, Dr. Fisher is also an Executive in Residence at InterWest Partners LLC, a venture capital firm and our affiliate. Prior to joining InterWest, Dr. Fisher served as Vice President of New Leaf Venture Partners LLC, a private equity and venture capital firm. Prior to joining New Leaf, Dr. Fisher was a project leader with The Boston Consulting Group, Inc., a global management consulting firm. Dr. Fisher currently serves on the board of private companies Boston Microfluidics, Inc., Gynesonics, Inc., Indi Molecular, Inc, Imagine Scientific, Inc. and Lycera, Inc. and public companies Precipio Diagnostics and Obalon Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Fisher holds an A.B. and a B.S. from Stanford University, an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
John M. Peltier, Ph.D. has served as our Senior Vice President of Laboratory Operations since August 2016. In his role as Senior Vice President of Laboratory Operations, Dr. Peltier manages the Sera Clinical Laboratory. Dr. Peltier previously served as Laboratory Head and Senior Investigator at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research from August 2009 to August 2016. Prior to that, Dr. Peltier served as Senior Director, Spectrometry at Correlogic Systems, Inc. from April 2007 to July 2009, and as Director of Drug metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) and Discovery Analytical Sciences at Prolexys Pharmaceuticals, from December 2001 to March 2007. Dr. Peltier holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from McMaster University and a B.Sc. in Chemistry from McMaster University.
 
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Thomas Garite has served as our Vice President of Clinical Science since June 2020. In his role as Vice President of Clinical Science, Dr. Garite directs all clinical research and related activities. Since February, 2013, Dr. Garite also has served as the Chief Clinical Officer, a consulting role, at Perigen, Inc., a national patient safety company. From January 2001 to June 2020, Dr. Garite served as Director of Research and Education for Obstetrix at MedNax Medical Group, where he directed a collaborative research group composed of a consortium of private practices and university maternal-fetal medicine group. Under his leadership, his team published 25 collaborative studies including 10 multicenter collaborative research trials all in high-impact obstetric journals during his 18-year tenure with the company. Dr. Garite recently retired from his position as Edward H. Quilligan Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of California at Irvine. Dr. Garite served 18 years as this Department’s Chairman, and now holds the title of Professor Emeritus. He is also the past Editor in Chief of the American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecology and remains Editor Emeritus. Dr. Garite has published more than 200 articles and chapters, including over 150 original peer-reviewed journal articles and is the author or co-author of five textbooks. His research has focused on intrapartum and antepartum fetal assessment through fetal heart rate monitoring, prematurity in general, premature rupture of membranes, the infectious etiology of prematurity, and the management of labor. Dr. Garite holds an M.D. from the University of California Irvine College of Medicine and attended California State University, Northridge for undergraduate studies.
Nadia Altomare has more than 20 years of women’s healthcare diagnostics experience. Mrs. Altomare has served as our Chief Commercial Officer since May 2017 and leads the company’s commercialization strategy and execution, accountable for the company’s marketing, public relations, sales, market access, customer service and billing functions. From May 2015 to May 2017, Mrs. Altomare served as President and then CEO and member of the Board of Directors at Abcodia Ltd, an early detection cancer diagnostics company, where she set up the U.S. subsidiary and held full P&L accountability over the global business. Prior to Abcodia, Mrs. Altomare was the Vice President & General Manager of a global DNA analysis business at ThermoFisher Scientific with full P&L accountability. Previously, Mrs. Altomare was the Vice President & General Manager of a cytogenetic DNA business at PerkinElmer. Earlier in her career, Mrs. Altomare held a number of leadership positions through a series of mergers and acquisitions and an IPO, resulting in a company ultimately acquired by PerkinElmer. Among her accomplishments was the startup, build and scale of the ViaCord division. Mrs. Altomare is currently on the Board of Savran Technologies, a private healthcare company focused on enabling the next generation of non-invasive diagnostics. She received an M.B.A from Northeastern University and a B.S. in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Nichole L. Martin has served as our Vice President of Quality/Regulatory and HIPAA Privacy Officer, since May 2020. In her role as Vice President of Quality/Regulatory and HIPAA Privacy Officer, Ms. Martin oversees all quality assurance and regulatory activities within Sera, including the CAP/CLIA laboratory and regulated activities throughout the company. She works very closely with the heads of all departments to ensure the highest quality results delivery and compliance with applicable regulations. She is also responsible for development and monitoring of quality improvement initiatives, quality metrics, quality systems, regulatory reporting and communication as well as all regulatory aspects of study design. Ms. Martin holds a number of certifications from the American Society for Quality and the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society. Previously, Ms. Martin served as Senior Director, Quality Management at Progenity, Inc., from June 2018 to May 2020, and as Quality Director, U.S. Head of Quality at Oxford Immunotec from December 2015 to May 2018 (Oxford Immunotec has since been acquired by Quest Diagnostics and PerkinElmer, Inc.). From 2008 to 2015, Ms. Martin served as Quality Director, Americas at Q2 Solutions. Ms. Martin occasionally serves as a part-time consultant at Client Confidential in an ad-hoc capacity. Ms. Martin holds an M.S. in Quality Assurance, Manufacturing from California State University and a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Genetics from North Carolina State University.
Benjamin G. Jackson has served as our General Counsel since April 2021. From February 2006 to March 2021, Mr. Jackson was employed by Myriad Genetics, most recently serving as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. Mr. Jackson held various positions in Myriad’s Legal Department, including serving as associate general counsel prior to assuming the role of general counsel. Mr. Jackson received his J.D. from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University and a B.S. in microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
 
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Non-Employee Directors
Dennis Farrar has served as a member of our Board since January 2008. Mr. Farrar previously served as our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 2008 to 2011. Since 2009, Mr. Farrar has served as cofounder and a Managing Partner of UpStart Ventures, a Salt Lake City life sciences venture capital seed fund, where he assists in managing UpStart’s investment portfolio and serves as Executive Chairman and a board member of portfolio company Elute, Inc. Mr. Farrar has 30 years of seed stage venture investing experience. Starting in the early 1990’s, Mr. Farrar was cofounder of the Founders Fund, which invested in and launched five university life sciences technologies, successfully exiting three companies. Mr. Farrar has cofounded 13 Salt Lake City-based life sciences companies, including Myriad Genetics. He also cofounded Utah Ventures, Utah’s first institutionally financed venture fund. Mr. Farrar has held numerous executive positions, including cofounder and CEO of Arcaris, Inc. and Q Therapeutics, Inc. Previously, he practiced corporate law for more than 20 years with large firms in New York City, San Francisco and Salt Lake City. Mr. Farrar holds both a B.A. and J.D. from Stanford University. We believe Mr. Farrar’s qualifications to serve on our board include his management expertise of life sciences companies, his corporate and legal backgrounds, and his knowledge of our company through service on our board since 2008. Mr. Farrar intends to resign from our board of directors contingent upon, and effective immediately upon, the closing of this offering.
Joshua Phillips has served as a member of our Board since January 2011. Since 2008, Mr. Phillips has been a Managing Partner of Catalyst Health Ventures (CHV), a venture capital fund investing in medical technology and life science companies. Mr. Phillips led Catalyst’s investments in Novazyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (acquired by Genzyme Corp.), BioTrove, Inc. (acquired by Life Technologies Corp.), Biocius Life Sciences, Inc. (acquired by Agilent Technologies, Inc.), Vortex Medical, Inc. (acquired by AngioDynamics), Allegro Diagnostics, Inc. (acquired by Veracyte, Inc.), SevenOaksBiosciences (acquired by Medline Industries, Inc.), Pavilion Medical Innovations and Cruzar Medsystems, in addition to our company. Prior to joining Catalyst, Mr. Phillips was the Managing Partner of Catalyst Health and Technology Partners prior to CHV, where he led investments in Novazyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNY), BioTrove, Inc. (NYSE:TMO) and Biocius Life Sciences, Inc. (NYSE:A). Mr. Phillips is a director at several privately held companies, including Conformal Medical, Inc., Brixton Biosciences, Inc., Saphena Medical, Inc., and Cruzar Medsystems, Inc. Mr. Phillips holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a B.E. in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from Vanderbilt University. We believe that Mr. Phillips’ qualifications to serve on our board include his extensive experience in the life science, diagnostics and medical device markets, his extensive experience serving on boards as Chairman, Lead Director, Audit & Compensation Committee Chair and Member and his knowledge of our company and its business through service on our board since January 2011.
Mansoor Raza Mirza, M.D. has served as a member of our Board since December 2014. Dr. Mirza is Chief Oncologist at the Department of Oncology, Rigshopitalet — the Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark and Medical Director of the Nordic Society of Gynaecological Oncology, or NSGO. Dr. Mirza is Chairman of the European Network of Gynaecological Oncological Trial groups, or ENGOT. Dr. Mirza is both a medical and radiation oncologist, with a primary focus in non-surgical treatment of gynecologic cancers. His key academic goals are to promote clinical research, international trial collaboration and education, and he has broad experience in clinical protocol development, trial conduct and clinical trial regulations. Dr. Mirza is the author of several phase 1, 2 and 3 studies. Several of those studies led to FDA and European Medicines Agency registrations. He serves on several Independent Data Safety Monitoring Committees of international studies. He is an invited speaker at several international conferences, such as “Meet the Professor” at American Society of Clinical Oncology and “Presidential Symposium” at European Society for Medical Oncology. He is the author of global consensus guidelines for the management of ovarian cancer and of European guidelines for the management of several gynecological malignancies. His other current appointments include service as ESGO Council Member (European Society of Gynaecological Oncology), Executive Director of GCIG (Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup), Vice-Chairman of the Danish Gynecological Cancer Society, faculty member of the European Society of Medical Oncology and of ESGO. He also serves on the board of directors of Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc., a public pharmaceutical company and has served as a clinical consultant to Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. since 2010. He has multiple publications in high-impact journals, including several publications in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Lancet. He holds an M.D., Diploma in Surgery and Diploma in Clinical Oncology
 
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from the Pirogov Moscow State Medical Institute as well as post-graduate education and certification in radiation and medical oncology from the University of Southern Denmark. We believe Dr. Mirza’s qualifications to serve on our board include his expertise in gynecologic cancers, and his knowledge of our company and its business through service on our board since December 2014.
Ryan Trimble has served as a member of our Board since March 2011. Dr. Trimble was appointed to Sera’s Board in March 2011. He brings over 30 years of experience in the healthcare services industry. He is a former senior executive with FHP International, Wellpoint Health Networks, P5 eHealth Systems, and SCAN Health Plan. He recently completed service on the boards of SCAN Health Plan and The Scan Foundation. Dr. Trimble has a B.S. in Microbiology from Brigham Young University, a D.D.S. from Loyola University in Chicago, and an M.B.A. from the University of Utah. We believe Mr. Trimble’s qualifications to serve on our board include his leadership experience with public companies and other board member experience, and his knowledge of our company and its business through service on our board since March 2011.
Kim Kamdar, Ph.D. has served as a member of our Board since November 2011. Dr. Kamdar is currently a Partner at Domain Associates, LLC, a venture capital firm, where she has worked since 2005. Prior to Domain, Dr. Kamdar was a Kauffman Fellow with MPM Capital, as well as a research director at Novartis International AG. Dr. Kamdar is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of Seraphina Therapeutics and Truvian Sciences, Inc. and serves on the board of directors of EvoFem Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: EVFM), Obalon Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: OBLN) and Singular Genomics Systems (Nasdaq: OMIC). Dr. Kamdar currently serves on the board of several private companies including: Epic Sciences, Inc., Alume Biosciences and Pleno, Inc. Dr. Kamdar serves as an advisory board member of Dr. Eric Topol’s NIH supported Clinical and Translational Science Award for Scripps Medicine and is also on the non-profit board for Access Youth Academy, an organization that is transforming the lives of underserved youth through academic enrichment, health and wellness, social responsibility and leadership through squash. Dr. Kamdar received her B.A. from Northwestern University and her Ph.D. in biochemistry and genetics from Emory University. We believe Dr. Kamdar is qualified to serve on our Board of Directors based on her extensive experience working and serving on the boards of directors of life sciences companies and her experience working in the venture capital industry and her knowledge of our company and its business through service on our board since November 2011.
Michael F. Minahan has served as a member of our Board since January 2017. He currently serves as the Senior VP and General Manager for Integrated Genetics, a division of Labcorp, a leader in Woman’s Health and Genetic testing. Mr. Minahan has over 25 years of experience in genetics sales, marketing, managed care and operations. Prior to joining Lab Corp., Mr. Minahan worked for Genzyme Genetics, a division of the former Genzyme Corporation. During his time at Genzyme, he was responsible for building the commercial organization in both Genetics and Oncology, assisting in the completion of several successful acquisitions, and leading highly successful commercial launches of many innovative tests. We believe Mr. Minahan’s qualifications to serve on our board include his background and experience in the commercialization of genetics and oncology, and his knowledge of our company and its business through service on our board since January 2017. Mr. Minahan intends to resign from our board of directors contingent upon, and effective immediately upon, the closing of this offering.
Elizabeth Canis has served as a member of our Board since March 2021. Since June 2020, Ms. Canis has served as the Vice President, Emerging Businesses & Partnerships at Anthem. Between January 2018 and May 2020 she organized the enterprise strategy and key business priorities at Anthem, and also facilitated the planning and direction of all operational, financial and administrative activities of the Office of the Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining Anthem, from May 2017 to December 2017, Ms. Canis served as Venture Lead at SavvySherpa, a health care venture capital and innovation firm. She also founded and served as CEO of The Pivot Group from October 2014 to May 2017, where she oversaw a team of industry experts, innovators and executives offering strategic consulting services to launch and expand a broad range of businesses. Additionally, Ms. Canis has served as the Vice President of Exchange Strategy at UnitedHealth Group, after holding several other positions at the company over her eleven-year tenure. She also served as Vice President of Strategy and member of the leadership team at Zest Health, where she identified and cultivated segment and distribution channel relationships, defined the pricing methodology, and constructed the operating model for the organization. Ms. Canis began her career at Deloitte. She holds
 
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an M.B.A. with distinction, with a concentration in strategy and finance, from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and a B.A., with a focus in Mathematics, Economics and Political Science, from Northwestern University. We believe that Ms. Canis’ background and experience within the healthcare industry, including her operating as liaison to Anthem’s board of directors while serving in the Office of Chief Executive Officer from January 2018 to May 2020, qualifies her to serve on our board. Ms. Canis intends to resign from our board of directors contingent upon, and effective immediately upon, the closing of this offering.
Marcus Wilson, Pharm.D., has served as a member of our Board since March 2021. He has served as the Chief Analytics Officer, or CAO, at Anthem since November 2020. Previously, from October 2003 to November 2020, Dr. Wilson was President of HealthCore, Inc., or HealthCore, a subsidiary of Anthem. In his role as CAO at Anthem, Dr. Wilson has accountability for efforts to derive critical clinical and business insight from Anthem’s healthcare ecosystem to drive decisions for a broad range of healthcare stakeholders to improve healthcare quality, safety, access, and affordability. He is charged with defining and implementing Anthem’s enterprise analytics strategy. Efforts include setting analytic priorities, building new analytic capabilities, and driving value creation through the coordination of business and technical resources. He also has administrative oversight accountability for HealthCore, Anthem’s subsidiary that collaborates with various external stakeholders within the FDA, NIH, and life sciences industry, among others. Dr. Wilson currently has approximately five hundred employees under management. Additionally, Dr. Wilson founded, managed and grew a healthcare research organization for twenty-four years, seven years as an independent company and seventeen years as a subsidiary post-acquisition by WellPoint Health Network Inc. (now Anthem, Inc.). Prior to co-founding HealthCore in 1996, Dr. Wilson spent seven years on faculty at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and established and managed a clinical practice within an integrated delivery system owned by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware where he oversaw the physician and patient clinical decision support, pharmacy policy, and clinical trials programs. He holds a PharmD from the Medical College of Virginia, a B.S. in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech and attended the Medical University of South Carolina for his residency in Family Medicine. We believe that Dr. Wilson’s background and experience within the healthcare industry, including acting as President of HealthCore, qualifies him to serve on our board.
Charles D. Kennedy, M.D. has served as a member of our Board since July 2019. Since July 2017, Dr. Kennedy has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, LLC, or Blue Ox, where he leads the firm’s overall strategic focus and is a member of the Investment Committee. Prior to Blue Ox, Dr. Kennedy was Chief Population Health Officer for Healthagen, Aetna’s healthcare IT subsidiary, from 1/2015 to 1/2017. He also served as CEO of Aetna’s Accountable Care Solutions division, growing revenues from single digit million to a multi-billion-dollar subsidiary. Before Aetna, Dr. Kennedy was CEO of Anthem’s HealthCore subsidiary, Vice President of Health Information Technology for WellPoint, Co-Founder and CEO of CareAssured, and Director of Strategic Informatics at Blue Shield of California. Previously, Dr. Kennedy was a practicing physician on the medical staff at Kaiser Permanente and other Northern California medical facilities for seven years. He currently serves on the board of Blue Ox portfolio company Epic Sciences. Dr. Kennedy has served on the AHIP Foundation Board, and the advisory board for the Center for Healthcare Innovation, Healthcare and Life Science Innovation Lab. He was also a founding commissioner of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology and served a five-year appointment as the health insurance industry representative to the U.S. Government on the HIT Policy Committee advising the management and distribution of a $30 billion budget. He holds an M.D. in Internal Medicine from the University of California at Los Angeles, an M.B.A. in Corporate Strategy and Health Care Economics from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Genetics from the University of California at Berkeley. We believe that Mr. Kennedy’s background and experience in finance and information technology, including his over twenty-five (25) years of experience as a C-level executive and board advisor at several leading companies, qualifies him to serve on our board. Dr. Kennedy intends to resign from our board of directors contingent upon, and effective immediately upon, the closing of this offering.
Joseph Siletto has served as a member of our Board since March 2021. Since January 2017, Mr. Siletto has served as a Managing Director of Vivo Capital LLC, a healthcare-focused investment firm where he focuses primarily on growth equity and private equity transactions. During his time at Vivo Capital, Mr. Siletto has served on boards of directors and took an active operating role in the office of the CEO and later Chief Business Officer of Surgical Specialties Corporation. Mr. Siletto currently serves as a board member
 
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of Serán Bioscience, LLC, Aerobiotix, Inc. and Swift Health Systems Inc. d/b/a Inbrace as well as board observer for Minerva Surgical Inc. and Neocis Inc. Until March 2021, Mr. Siletto was a director of Preventice Solutions, a leading commercial player in the cardiac imaging space that was acquired by Boston Scientific in March 2021. Prior to joining Vivo Capital, Mr. Siletto was the CEO of Scion Medical Technologies (acquired by Varian Medical) and before then he spent over a decade as a healthcare-focused investment banker at Banc of America Securities, SVB Alliant and Cowen and Company. Mr. Siletto has 20 years of experience in life sciences transactions and investments as CEO, director, investment banker and investor in healthcare companies. He holds an M.B.A. from The Haas School of Business of the University of California, Berkeley, a B.A. from Duke University and also studied at the Beijing Language Institute. We believe that Mr. Siletto’s extensive experience in the life sciences industry, including his current and previous positions as a board member of other life sciences companies, qualifies him to serve on our board. Mr. Siletto intends to resign from our board of directors contingent upon, and effective immediately upon, the closing of this offering.
Board Composition
Our board of directors currently consists of eleven members. All eleven of our directors are members pursuant to the board composition provisions of our existing amended and restated certificate of incorporation and by-laws. Contingent upon, and effective immediately upon, the closing of this offering, our board of directors will consist of six members. Our board of directors may consider a broad range of factors relating to the qualifications and background of nominees, including diversity, which is not limited only to race, gender or national origin. We have no formal policy regarding board diversity. Our board of directors’ priority in selecting board members is identification of persons who will further the interests of our stockholders through their established records of professional accomplishment, the ability to contribute positively to the collaborative culture among board members, knowledge of our business, understanding of the competitive landscape, professional and personal experiences, and expertise relevant to our growth strategy. Our directors hold office until their successors have been elected and qualified or until the earlier of their death, resignation or removal. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws, both of which will become effective upon the completion of this offering will provide that our directors may be removed only for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in an annual election of directors, and that any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office.
Pursuant to a letter agreement with Baker Bros. Advisors LP, or Baker Bros., from and after the closing of this offering, at any time that Baker Bros. beneficially owns shares or other equity securities representing at least 4% of our then-outstanding total voting power, it is entitled to nominate one individual, or an Investor Designee, to serve as a director on our board of directors. We are required to include the Investor Designee in the slate of nominees recommended to our stockholders for election as our directors at each annual or special meeting of our stockholders at which directors are to be elected. Baker Bros. is restricted from exercising this right during certain periods of time. As of June 30, 2021, Baker Bros. had not exercised its rights to nominate an Investor Designee to serve as a director on our board of directors.
Director Independence
Rule 5605 of the Nasdaq Listing Rules requires a majority of a listed company’s board of directors to be comprised of independent directors within one year of listing. In addition, the Nasdaq Listing Rules require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees be independent and that audit committee members also satisfy independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Under Rule 5605(a)(2), a director will only qualify as an “independent director” if, in the opinion of our board of directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. In order to be considered independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3, a member of an audit committee of a listed company may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of directors, or any other board committee, accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the listed company or any of its subsidiaries or otherwise be an affiliated person of the listed company or any of its subsidiaries.
 
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Our board of directors has determined that all members of our board of directors, except Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S. and Charles D. Kennedy, M.D., are independent directors, including for purposes of the rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market and relevant federal securities laws and regulations. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Staggered Board
In accordance with the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws that will become effective upon the completion of this offering, our board of directors will be divided into three staggered classes of directors of the same or nearly the same number and each will be assigned to one of the three classes. At each annual meeting of the stockholders, a class of directors will be elected for a three-year term to succeed the directors of the same class whose terms are then expiring. The terms of the directors will expire upon the election and qualification of successor directors at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held during the years 2022 for Class I directors, 2023 for Class II directors and 2024 for Class III directors:

our Class I directors initially will be Marcus Wilson, Pharm.D. and Mansoor Raza Mirza, M.D.

our Class II directors initially will be Kim Kamdar, Ph.D. and Ryan Trimble; and

our Class III directors initially will be Joshua Phillips and Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws will provide that the number of our directors shall be fixed from time to time by a resolution of the majority of our board of directors. Any additional directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors will be distributed among the three classes so that, as nearly as possible, each class shall consist of one third of the board of directors.
The division of our board of directors into three classes with staggered three-year terms may delay or prevent stockholder efforts to effect a change of our management or a change in control. See the “Description of Capital Stock — Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law, Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Our Amended and Restated By-Laws” section of this prospectus for a discussion of these and other anti-takeover provisions found in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws, which will become effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our board of directors has an audit committee and a compensation committee and intends to establish a nominating and corporate governance committee, each of which will have the composition and responsibilities described below upon completion of this offering. Each of the below committees will have a written charter approved by our board of directors, effective upon completion of this offering. Each of the committees will report to our board of directors as such committee deems appropriate and as our board of directors may request. Upon completion of this offering, copies of each charter will be posted on the investor relations section of our website. Members will serve on these committees until their resignation or until otherwise determined by our board of directors. In addition, from time to time, special committees may be established under the direction of our board of directors when necessary to address specific issues.
Audit Committee
Effective upon completion of this offering, our audit committee will be comprised of Kim Kamdar, Ph.D., Ryan Trimble and Joshua Phillips, with Joshua Phillips serving as chair of the committee. Our board of directors has determined that each member of the audit committee has sufficient knowledge in financial and auditing matters to serve on the audit committee and meets the independence requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and the applicable Nasdaq Stock Market rules. Our board of directors has determined that Joshua Phillips is an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of the SEC regulations and the applicable rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market. The audit committee’s responsibilities upon completion of this offering will include:

selecting a firm to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit our financial statements;
 
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ensuring the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm;

discussing the scope and results of the audit with the independent registered public accounting firm, and reviewing, with management and that firm, our interim and year-end operating results;

establishing procedures for employees to anonymously submit concerns about questionable accounting or audit matters;

considering the effectiveness of our internal controls and internal audit function;

reviewing material related-party transactions or those that require disclosure; and

approving or, as permitted, pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be performed by the independent registered public accounting firm.
Compensation Committee
Effective upon completion of this offering, our compensation committee will be comprised of Kim Kamdar, Ph.D., Joshua Phillips and Mansoor Raza Mirza, M.D., with Kim Kamdar, Ph.D. serving as chair of the committee. Each member of this committee is a non-employee director, as defined by Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, and an outside director, as defined pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Our board of directors has determined that each member of the compensation committee is “independent” as defined in the rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market. The composition of our compensation committee meets the requirements for independence under the listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market, including the applicable transition rules. Our board of directors intends to cause our compensation committee to be comprised of only directors that are independent under the rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market within one year of the date of this prospectus. The compensation committee’s responsibilities upon completion of this offering will include:

reviewing and approving, or recommending that our board of directors approve, the compensation of our executive officers;

reviewing and recommending to our board of directors the compensation of our directors;

reviewing and recommending to our board of directors the terms of any compensatory agreements with our executive officers;

administering our stock and equity incentive plans;

reviewing and approving, or making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to, incentive compensation and equity plans; and

reviewing all overall compensation policies and practices.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Effective upon completion of this offering, our nominating and governance committee will be comprised of Kim Kamdar, Ph.D., Marcus Wilson, Pharm.D. and Ryan Trimble, with Kim Kamdar, Ph.D. as the chair of the committee. Our board of directors has determined that each member of the nominating and corporate governance committee is “independent” as defined in the applicable rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market. The nominating and corporate governance committee’s responsibilities upon completion of this offering will include:

identifying and recommending candidates for membership on our board of directors;

recommending directors to serve on board committees;

reviewing and recommending our corporate governance guidelines and policies;

reviewing proposed waivers of the code of conduct for directors and executive officers;

evaluating, and overseeing the process of evaluating, the performance of our board of directors and individual directors; and

assisting our board of directors on corporate governance matters.
 
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Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
Our board of directors is currently chaired by Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S., who also serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer. Our board of directors does not have a policy regarding the separation of the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of directors, as our board of directors believes it is in our best interest to make that determination based on our position and direction and the membership of the board of directors. Our board of directors has determined that having an employee director serve as Chairman is in the best interest of our stockholders at this time because of the efficiencies achieved in having the role of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman combined, and because the detailed knowledge of our day-to-day operations and business that the Chief Executive Officer possesses greatly enhances the decision-making processes of our board of directors as a whole. We have a governance structure in place, including independent directors, designed to ensure the powers and duties of the dual role are handled responsibly. Our board of directors has also appointed Kim Kamdar, Ph.D. as our lead independent director. Our board of directors has determined that we would be best served by also having a lead independent director to be responsible for conducting sessions with the independent directors as part of every board of directors meeting, calling special meetings of the independent directors and chairing all meetings of the independent directors.
Our board of directors oversees the management of risks inherent in the operation of our business and the implementation of our business strategies. Our board of directors performs this oversight role by using several different levels of review. In connection with its reviews of our operations and corporate functions, our board of directors addresses the primary risks associated with those operations and corporate functions. In addition, our board of directors reviews the risks associated with our business strategies periodically throughout the year as part of its consideration of undertaking any such business strategies.
Each of our board committees also oversees the management of our risks that fall within the committee’s areas of responsibility. In performing this function, each committee has full access to management, as well as the ability to engage advisors. Our Chief Executive Officer reports to the audit committee and is responsible for identifying, evaluating and implementing risk management controls and methodologies to address any identified risks. In connection with its risk management role, our audit committee meets privately with representatives from our independent registered public accounting firm and our Chief Executive Officer. The audit committee oversees the operation of our risk management program, including the identification of the primary risks associated with our business and periodic updates to such risks, and reports to our board of directors regarding these activities.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of the members of our compensation committee has at any time during the prior three years been one of our officers or employees. None of our executive officers currently serves, or in the past fiscal year has served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors or compensation committee. For a description of transactions between us and members of our compensation committee and affiliates of such members, please see the “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” section of this prospectus.
Corporate Code of Conduct and Ethics
We plan to adopt a corporate code of conduct and ethics that applies to all of our employees, officers and directors, including those officers responsible for financial reporting, which will be effective upon completion of this offering. Upon the completion of this offering, our code of business conduct and ethics will be available on our website at https://www.seraprognostics.com/. We intend to disclose any amendments to the code, or any waivers of its requirements, on our website or in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
 
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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth information regarding compensation earned with respect to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 by our principal executive officer and the two next most highly compensated executive officers who earned more than $100,000 during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and were serving as executive officers as of such date, who are referred to as our named executive officers for 2020.
To date, the compensation of our named executive officers has consisted of a combination of base salary, bonuses and long-term incentive compensation in the form of stock options. Our named executive officers, like all full-time employees, are eligible to participate in our health and welfare benefit plans. As we transition from a private company to a publicly traded company, we intend to evaluate our compensation values and philosophy and compensation plans and arrangements as circumstances require.
Name and Principal Position
Year
Salary
($)
Option
Awards
($)(1)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($) (2)
All Other
Compensation
($)
Total
($)
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
President and Chief Executive Officer
2020 400,000 410,727 113,831 924,558
Nadia Altomare
Chief Commercial Officer
2020 340,616 78,901 70,000 489,517
John J. Boniface, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
2020 316,685 136,729 70,000 523,414
Garrett K. Lam, M.D.
Former Chief Medical Officer
2020 364,000 49,060 70,000 182,000(3) 665,060
(1)
These amounts represent the aggregate grant date fair value for option awards granted during our fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. A discussion of the assumptions used in determining grant date fair value may be found in Note 8 to our financial statements.
(2)
Amounts represent cash paid for bonuses pursuant to each executive’s employment agreement during the 12-month period from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020.
(3)
Dr. Lam left employment with us on June 19, 2020. This amount represents a separation payment.
Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table
Base Salaries
Each named executive officer’s base salary is a fixed component of annual compensation for performing specific duties and functions, and has been established by our board of directors taking into account each individual’s role, responsibilities, skills and expertise. Base salaries are reviewed annually, typically in connection with our annual performance review process, approved by our board of directors and adjusted from time to time to realign salaries with market levels after taking into account individual responsibilities, performance and experience. During 2020, the annual base salaries for Dr. Critchfield, Ms. Altomare, Dr. Boniface and Dr. Lam were $400,000, $340,000, $316,000 and $364,000, respectively.
Annual Bonus
Our Annual Incentive Plan is designed to reward the achievement of corporate objectives and individual performances. The eligibility to participate in the Annual Incentive Plan will be granted by the Board to director-level employees and above, with annual awards granted based on assessments of both individual and company performance measure against prospectively determined objectives. The annual target cash incentives based upon an employee’s annual cash compensation will be determined by position level as follows: 40% for CEO; 30% for other C-level employees (with the exception of Ms. Altomare, whose annual award level equals 40%); 20-25% for VP-level employees; and 15% for Department director-level employees.
 
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For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, each of our named executive officers was eligible to earn an annual bonus based on the achievement of certain pre-determined corporate performance objectives. During 2020, the target annual bonuses for Dr. Critchfield, Ms. Altomare, Dr. Boniface and Dr. Lam, were 40%, 40%, 30% and 30% of their base salary, respectively. The annual bonus earned by each named executive officer with respect to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 is reported under the “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” column in the “2020 Summary Compensation Table” above.
Equity Compensation
Although we do not have a formal policy with respect to the grant of equity incentive awards to our executive officers, we believe that equity grants provide our executives with a strong link to our long-term performance, create an ownership culture and help to align the interests of our executives and our stockholders. In addition, we believe that equity grants promote executive retention because they incentivize our executive officers to remain in our employment during the vesting period. Accordingly, our board of directors periodically reviews the equity incentive compensation of our named executive officers and may grant equity incentive awards to them from time to time. Our named executive officers have been granted certain options to purchase shares of our Class A common stock, as described in more detail in the “Outstanding Equity Awards at 2020 Fiscal Year-end” table below.
Employment Agreements
We have entered into executive employment agreements with each of our named executive officers in connection with their employment with us, the material terms of which are described below. These executive employment agreements provide for “at will” employment, subject to certain notice and severance requirements. Each of the named executive officers was also required to enter into restrictive covenant agreements which obligate each named executive officer to refrain from disclosing any of our proprietary information received during the course of employment and to assign to us any inventions conceived or developed during the course of employment. Such restrictive covenant agreements also contain non-competition and non-solicitation protections in our favor.
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
We entered into an employment agreement dated as of November 8, 2011 with Dr. Critchfield with respect to his service as our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Under the terms of the agreement, Dr. Critchfield was entitled to an initial annual base salary of $300,000, subject to increase by our board of directors or the Compensation Committee. Dr. Critchfield’s base salary for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 was $400,000. In connection with the employment, Dr. Critchfield was granted a stock option to purchase 353,487 shares of our Class A common stock. Dr. Critchfield is also eligible to participate in our equity incentive plans and is entitled to participate in our health insurance and other employee benefit plans.
Dr. Critchfield’s employment agreement provides that in the event that (1) Dr. Critchfield’s employment is terminated other than for cause, death or disability or (2) Dr. Critchfield terminates his own employment for Good Reason, as defined in the agreement, he is entitled to receive the following severance benefits: (i) on the 60th day following the termination, the Company shall pay a lump sum amount equal to 12 months of his base salary at the rate in effect at the time of the termination; (ii) a pro-rata bonus for the year in which Dr. Critchfield’s employment is terminated, provided that the Company then has a bonus plan in place; and (iii) any unvested equity will immediately be forfeited and any vested stock options will be exercisable for the balance of the remaining term of the original option grant. If the Company terminates Dr. Critchfield’s employment due to death or disability, the Company will provide health insurance reimbursement until the earliest of (x) the close of the 12 month period following Dr. Critchfield’s termination date, and (y) the date when Dr. Critchfield becomes eligible to receive health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment.
Nadia F. Altomare
We entered into an employment agreement dated as of May 15, 2017 with Ms. Altomare with respect to her service as our Chief Commercial Officer. Under the terms of the agreement, Ms. Altomare was entitled to an initial annual base salary of $320,000, subject to increase by our board of directors or the
 
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Compensation Committee. Ms. Altomare’s base salary for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 was $340,000. In connection with the employment, Ms. Altomare was granted a stock option to purchase 216,450 shares of the our Class A common stock. Ms. Altomare is also eligible to participate in our equity incentive plans and is entitled to participate in our health insurance and other employee benefit plans. Ms. Altamore is entitled to a bonus target of 40% of her base salary, prorated for time of service.
Ms. Altomare’s employment agreement provides that in the event that (1) Ms. Altomare’s employment is terminated other than for cause, death or disability or (2) Ms. Altomare terminates her own employment for Good Reason, as defined in the agreement, on the 60th day following the termination, (i) she is entitled to receive a lump sum amount equal to 6 months of her base salary at the rate in effect at the time of the termination, and (ii) the Company will provide health insurance reimbursement until the earliest of (x) the close of the 12 month period following Ms. Altomare’s termination date, and (y) the date when Ms. Altomare becomes eligible to receive health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment.
In the event that Ms. Altomare’s employment is terminated due to her death or disability and if the Company does not provide any insurance benefits payable to Ms. Altomare or her beneficiaries upon her death or disability and the Company has previously, but not necessarily in the then applicable calendar year, achieved $10,000,000 in annual gross revenue in a calendar year, then the Company shall pay Ms. Altomare a lump sum amount equal to 6 months of the base salary at the rate in effect at the time of the termination of employment.
John J. Boniface, Ph.D.
We entered into an employment agreement dated as of March 14, 2012 with Dr. Boniface with respect to his service as our Chief Scientific Officer. Under the terms of the agreement, Dr. Boniface was entitled to an initial annual base salary of $225,000, subject to increase by our board of directors or the Compensation Committee. Dr. Boniface’s base salary for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 was $316,000. Under the terms of the agreement, in connection with the second tranche milestone as determined by the purchasers of the Series A-2 convertible preferred stock, Dr. Boniface was entitled to receive a bonus of $50,000, or such greater amount as determined by the Board. In connection with the employment, Dr. Boniface was granted a stock option to purchase 75,998 shares of our Class A common stock. Dr. Boniface is also eligible to participate in our equity incentive plans and is entitled to participate in our health insurance and other employee benefit plans.
Dr. Boniface’s employment agreement provides that in the event that (1) Dr. Boniface’s employment is terminated other than for cause, death or disability or (2) Dr. Boniface terminates his own employment for Good Reason, on the 60th day following the termination, (i) he is entitled to receive a lump sum amount equal to 6 months of the base salary at the rate in effect at the time of the termination, and (ii) the Company will provide health insurance reimbursement until the earliest of (x) the close of the 12 month period following Dr. Boniface’s termination date, and (y) the date when Dr. Boniface becomes eligible to receive health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment.
In the event that Dr. Boniface’s employment is terminated due to his death or disability and if the Company does not provide any insurance benefits payable to Dr. Boniface or his beneficiaries upon his death or disability and the Company has previously, but not necessarily in the then applicable calendar year, achieved $10,000,000.00 in annual gross revenue in a calendar year, then the Company shall pay Dr. Boniface’s a lump sum amount equal to 6 months of the base salary at the rate in effect at the time of the termination of employment.
Garrett K. Lam, M.D.
We entered into an employment agreement dated as of June 13, 2018 with Dr. Lam with respect to his service as our Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Lam’s employment by the Company ended on June 19, 2020. Under the terms of the agreement, Dr. Lam was entitled to an initial annual base salary of $350,000, subject to increase by our board of directors and the Compensation Committee. Dr. Lam’s base salary for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 was $364,000. In connection with the employment, Dr. Lam was granted a stock option to purchase 180,375 shares of our Class A common stock. Dr. Lam was also eligible to participate
 
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in our equity incentive plans and was entitled to participate in our health insurance and other employee benefit plans. Our Annual Incentive Plan provided for a bonus target of 30% of Dr. Lam’s base salary, prorated for time of service. Dr. Lam’s employment agreement provided that in the event that (1) Dr. Lam’s employment was terminated other than for cause, death or disability or (2) Dr. Lam terminated his own employment for Good Reason, on the 60th day following the termination, (i) he was entitled to receive a lump sum amount equal to 6 months of the base salary at the rate in effect at the time of the termination of employment, and (ii) the Company would provide health insurance reimbursement until the earliest of (x) the close of the 12 month period following Dr. Lam’s termination date, and (y) the date when Dr. Lam became eligible to receive health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment.
In the event that Dr. Lam’s employment was terminated due to his death or disability and if the Company did not provide any insurance benefits payable to Dr. Lam or his beneficiaries upon his death or disability and the Company had previously, but not necessarily in the then applicable calendar year, achieved $10,000,000 in annual gross revenue in a calendar year, then the Company would have been required to pay Dr. Lam a lump sum amount equal to 6 months of the base salary at the rate in effect at the time of the termination of employment.
On June 19, 2019, the Company entered into a separation agreement with Dr. Lam. Under the separation agreement, following the separation date, the Company agreed to pay Dr. Lam for accrued but unused vacation and final wages through the separation date. In addition, in lieu of any severance payments or benefits described in his employment agreement, the Company agreed to pay severance compensation of $182,000 in a lump sum, and reimbursement for monthly COBRA premiums for up to 12 months or until the date Dr. Lam becomes eligible to receive health insurance coverage in connection with new employment or self-employment. At the time of the separation, Dr. Lam owned no shares of Class A common stock or Class B common stock and had options to acquire 235,690 shares of Class A common stock, of which options to acquire 153,318 shares of Class A common stock remained unvested and whose vesting partially accelerated pursuant to Dr. Lam’s employment agreement.
“Good Reason” means (A) a material breach by the Company of any of the provisions; (B) assignment of Employee to a role, duties or responsibilities materially inconsistent with that of a Chief Executive Officer; (C) any circumstances caused by the Company that would require Employee to move his principal location of employment in excess of 45 miles from Company’s current offices in Salt Lake City, Utah; or (D) an involuntary material reduction of Employee’s then current Base Salary other than a reduction proportionately affecting all of the Company’s other senior-level executive employees.
Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2020
The following table shows grants of stock options outstanding on the last day of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, to each of the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table.
 
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Option Awards(1)(2)
Name
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
Option
Exercise
Price ($)
Option
Expiration
Date
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
9 $ 207.90 3/7/2021
19 $ 207.90 4/29/2021
202,526 12,525 $ 1.98 5/28/2027
85,558 $ 1.98 5/28/2027
175,029 $ 1.77 2/27/2030
96,320 190,987 $ 1.77 2/27/2030
Nadia Altomare
151,894 22,546 $ 1.98 5/18/2027
42,008 $ 1.98 5/18/2027
70,489 $ 1.77 2/27/2030
18,538 $ 1.77 2/27/2030
John J. Boniface, Ph.D.
25,012 $ 0.73 12/14/2021
75,998 $ 0.73 3/12/2022
5,844 $ 0.73 9/10/2022
73,383 $ 0.92 12/28/2024
108,239 4,706 $ 1.98 5/18/2027
21,124 918 $ 1.98 6/26/2027
18,870 121,967 $ 1.77 2/27/2030
13,226 $ 1.77 2/27/2030
Garrett K. Lam, M.D.
N/A
(1)
Each of the outstanding equity awards in the table above was granted pursuant to our 2011 Equity Incentive Plan.
(2)
For all options granted at hire, the vesting is as follows: 25% of the Shares subject to the Option shall vest on the first anniversary of the Vesting Start Date and 1/36 of the remaining Shares subject to the Option shall vest at the end of each one (1) month period thereafter, provided that the number of Shares vesting on each date shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number, whilst the number of Shares vesting on the final date shall be the remaining unvested balance of the Shares. For subsequent options granted, the shares shall vest on a monthly basis for four (4) years.
Compensation Risk Assessment
We believe that although a portion of the compensation provided to our executive officers and other employees is performance-based, our executive compensation program does not encourage excessive or unnecessary risk taking. This is primarily due to the fact that our compensation programs are designed to encourage our executive officers and other employees to remain focused on both short-term and long-term strategic goals. As a result, we do not believe that our compensation programs are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us.
Equity Compensation Plans
Our equity compensation plans were established to attract, retain and motivate our employees, officers, directors, consultants, agents, advisors and independent contractors by providing them with the opportunity to acquire a proprietary interest in us and to align their interests and efforts with the long-term interests of our stockholders. On November 8, 2011, the board of directors adopted our 2011 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2011 Plan, and on June 30, 2021, the board of directors adopted
 
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the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2021 Plan, and collectively, the Plans. The Plans provide for, among other things, grants of restricted stock units, stock options, restricted stock and other stock-based awards to employees, directors, consultants and other individuals who provide services to us and our affiliates. As of July 7, 2021, we have 3,966,162 shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance under the 2021 Plan. Since our 2021 Plan has been approved by our stockholders, we do not intend to make any additional grants under the 2011 Plan.
Eligibility.   The Plans allow for grants, under the direction of the board of directors or compensation committee, as the plan administrator, of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted and unrestricted stock awards, restricted stock units and other stock or equity-related cash-based awards to employees, consultants and directors who, in the opinion of the plan administrator, are in a position to make a significant contribution to our long-term success. All employees, directors and consultants of the Company and its affiliates are eligible to participate in the Plans.
Shares Available for Issuance.   Subject to the provisions of our 2021 Plan, the number of shares available for issuance under the 2021 Plan will be increased on January 1 of each year, beginning on January 1, 2022, and ending on January 2, 2031, in an amount equal to the lesser of (i) 4% of the outstanding shares of our Class A common stock on such date or (ii) such number of shares determined by the plan administrator. Generally, shares of our Class A common stock reserved for awards under the Plans that lapse or are forfeited will be added back to the share reserve available for future awards under the 2021 Plan. However, shares delivered to or withheld to pay withholding taxes or any applicable exercise price will not be available for issuance. In addition, any shares repurchased on the open market using exercise price proceeds will not be available for issuance.
Stock Options.   Stock options granted under the 2021 Plan may either be incentive stock options, which are intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 422 of the Code, or non-qualified stock options, which are not intended to meet those requirements. Incentive stock options may be granted to employees of the Company and its affiliates, and the aggregate fair market value of a share of our Class A common stock determined at the time of grant with respect to incentive stock options that are exercisable for the first time by a participant during any calendar year may not exceed $100,000. Non-qualified options may be granted to employees, directors and consultants of the Company and its affiliates. The exercise price of a stock option may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of our Class A common stock on the date of grant, and the term of the option may not be longer than ten years. If an incentive stock option is granted to an individual who owns more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of our capital stock, the exercise price may not be less than 110% of the fair market value of our Class A common stock on the date of grant and the term of the option may not be longer than five years.
Award agreements for stock options include rules for exercise of the stock options after termination of service. Options may not be exercised unless they are vested, and no option may be exercised after the end of the term set forth in the award agreement. Generally, stock options will be exercisable for three months after termination of service for any reason other than death or total and permanent disability, and for one year after termination of service on account of death or total and permanent disability, but will not be exercisable if the termination of service was due to cause.
Restricted Stock.   Restricted stock is Class A common stock that is subject to restrictions, including a prohibition against transfer and a substantial risk of forfeiture, until the end of a “restricted period” during which the grantee must satisfy certain time or performance-based vesting conditions. If the grantee does not satisfy the vesting conditions by the end of the restricted period, the restricted stock is forfeited. During the restricted period, the holder of restricted stock has the rights and privileges of a regular stockholder, except that generally dividend equivalents may accrue but will not be paid during the restricted period, and the restrictions set forth in the applicable award agreement apply. For example, the holder of restricted stock may vote the restricted shares, but may not sell the shares until the restrictions are lifted.
Restricted Stock Units.   Restricted stock units are phantom shares that vest in accordance with terms and conditions established by the plan administrator and when the applicable restrictions lapse, the grantee will be entitled to receive a payout in cash, shares or a combination thereof based on the number of restricted stock units as specified in the award agreement. Dividend equivalents may accrue but will not be
 
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paid prior to and only to the extent that, the restricted stock unit award vests. The holder of restricted stock units does not have the rights and privileges of a regular stockholder, including the ability to vote the restricted stock units.
Other Stock-Based Awards and Performance-Based Awards.   The 2021 Plan also authorizes the grant of other types of stock-based compensation including, but not limited to stock appreciation rights and unrestricted stock awards. The plan administrator may award such stock-based awards subject to such conditions and restrictions as it may determine. We may grant an award conditioned on satisfaction of certain performance criteria. Such performance-based awards also include performance-based restricted shares and restricted stock units. Any dividends or dividend equivalents payable or credited to a participant with respect to any unvested performance-based award will be subject to the same performance goals as the shares or units underlying the performance-based award.
Plan Administration.   In accordance with the terms of the Plans, the board of directors may authorize the compensation committee to administer the Plans. The compensation committee may delegate part of its authority and powers under the Plans to one or more directors and/or officers, but only the compensation committee can make awards to participants who are subject to the reporting and other requirements of Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In accordance with the provisions of the Plans, the plan administrator determines the terms of awards, including which employees, directors and consultants will be granted awards, the number of shares subject to each award, the vesting provisions of each award, the termination or cancellation provisions applicable to awards, and all other terms and conditions upon which each award may be granted in accordance with the Plans.
In addition, the plan administrator may, in its discretion, amend any term or condition of an outstanding award provided (i) such term or condition as amended is permitted by the applicable Plan and does not require stockholder approval under the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, and (ii) any such amendment will be made only with the consent of the participant to whom such award was made, if the amendment is adverse to the participant unless such amendment is required by applicable law or necessary to preserve the economic value of such award.
Stock Dividends and Stock Splits.   If our Class A common stock is subdivided or combined into a greater or smaller number of shares or if we issue any shares of Class A common stock as a stock dividend, the number of shares of Class A common stock deliverable upon exercise of an option issued or upon issuance of an award will be appropriately increased or decreased proportionately, and appropriate adjustments will be made in the exercise price per share of stock options or purchase price, if any, and performance goals applicable to performance-based awards, if any, to reflect such subdivision, combination or stock dividend.
Corporate Transactions.   Upon a merger or other reorganization event, the board of directors, may, in its sole discretion, take any one or more of the following actions pursuant to the Plans, as to some or all outstanding awards:

provide that all outstanding options will be assumed or substituted by the successor corporation;

upon written notice to a participant provide that the participant’s unexercised options will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such transaction unless exercised by the participant within a specified number of days of such notice;

in the event of a merger pursuant to which holders of our Class A common stock will receive a cash payment for each share surrendered in the merger, make or provide for a cash payment to option holder participants equal to the difference between the merger price times the number of shares of our Class A common stock subject to such outstanding options, and the aggregate exercise price of all such outstanding options, in exchange for the termination of such options;

with respect to other stock awards, provide that outstanding awards will be assumed or substituted by the successor corporation, become realizable or deliverable, or restrictions applicable to an award will lapse, in whole or in part, prior to or upon the merger or reorganization event;

with respect to stock awards, and in lieu of any of the foregoing, provide that, upon consummation of the transaction, each outstanding stock award will be terminated in exchange for payment of
 
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an amount equal to the consideration payable upon consummation of such transaction to a holder of the number of shares of our Class A common stock comprising such award (to the extent such stock grant is no longer subject to any forfeiture or repurchase rights then in effect or, at the discretion of the board of directors or an authorized committee, all forfeiture and repurchase rights being waived upon such transaction); and

pursuant to the 2021 Plan, upon consummation of a Corporate Transaction, to the extent not assumed or substituted by the successor or cashed out, the outstanding awards will terminate.
Amendment and Termination.   The Plans may be amended by our stockholders. The Plans may also be amended by the board of directors or the compensation committee, provided that any amendment which is of a scope that requires stockholder approval as required by (i) the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market or (ii) for any other reason, is subject to obtaining such stockholder approval. However, no such action may adversely affect any rights under any outstanding award without the holder’s consent unless such amendment is required by applicable law or necessary to preserve the economic value of such award.
Duration of Plans.   The 2011 Plan will expire by its terms on November 8, 2021 and the 2021 Plan will expire by its terms on July 7, 2031.
2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or our ESPP, was adopted by our board of directors on June 30, 2021, approved by our stockholders in July 2021 and became effective on the date immediately prior to the date on which the registration statement of which this prospectus is part was declared effective by the SEC. The ESPP is intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code. Our ESPP initially reserves and authorizes the issuance of up to a total of 305,089 shares of Class A common stock to participating employees. Our ESPP provides that the number of shares reserved and available for issuance will automatically increase on each January 1, beginning on January 1, 2022 and ending on January 1, 2031, by the lesser of (i) 1% of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock on the immediately preceding December 31 and (ii) such lesser number of shares as determined by the administrator of our ESPP. This number is subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split, stock dividend or other change in our capitalization.
All employees whose customary employment is for more than 20 hours per week are eligible to participate in our ESPP. Any employee who owns five percent or more of the voting power or value of our shares of Class A common stock is not eligible to purchase shares under our ESPP.
We may make one or more offerings each year to our employees to purchase shares under our ESPP. Except as the administrator otherwise determines, offerings will usually begin on each January 1 and July 1 and will continue for six-month periods, referred to as offering periods. Each eligible employee may elect to participate in any offering by submitting an enrollment form at least 15 days before the relevant offering date.
Each employee who is a participant in our ESPP may purchase shares by authorizing payroll deductions of up to 15% of his or her eligible compensation during an offering period. Unless the participating employee has previously withdrawn from the offering, his or her accumulated payroll deductions will be used to purchase shares of Class A common stock on the last business day of the offering period at a price equal to 85% of the fair market value of the shares on the first business day or the last business day of the offering period, whichever is lower, provided that the administrator may, at the start of each offering, set a lesser maximum number of shares of Class A common stock that may be purchased by any one employee during each offering period. In addition, under applicable tax rules, an employee may purchase no more than $25,000 worth of shares of Class A common stock, valued at the start of the purchase period, under our ESPP in any calendar year.
The accumulated payroll deductions of any employee who is not a participant on the last day of an offering period will be refunded. An employee’s rights under our ESPP terminate upon voluntary withdrawal from the plan or when the employee ceases employment with us for any reason.
Our ESPP may be terminated or amended by our board of directors at any time. An amendment that increases the number of shares of Class A common stock authorized under our ESPP and certain other amendments require the approval of our stockholders.
 
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Other Compensation
All of our current named executive officers are eligible to participate in our employee benefit plans, including our medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance plans, in each case on the same basis as all of our other employees. We generally do not provide perquisites or personal benefits to our named executive officers, except in limited circumstances.
401(k) Plan
We maintain a 401(k) plan for employees. The 401(k) plan is intended to qualify under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1986, as amended, so that contributions to the 401(k) plan by employees or by us, and the investment earnings thereon, are not taxable to the employees until withdrawn from the 401(k) plan, and so that contributions by us, if any, will be deductible by us when made. Under the 401(k) plan, employees may elect to reduce their current compensation by up to the statutorily prescribed annual limit and to have the amount of such reduction contributed to the 401(k) plan.
Rule 10b5-1 Sales Plans
Our directors and executive officers may adopt written plans, known as Rule 10b5-1 plans, in which they will contract with a broker to buy or sell shares of our Class A common stock on a periodic basis. Under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, a broker executes trades pursuant to parameters established by the director or officer when entering into the plan, without further direction from the director or officer. The director or officer may amend or terminate the plan in limited circumstances. Our directors and executive officers may also buy or sell additional shares of our Class A common stock outside of a Rule 10b5-1 plan when they are not in possession of material, nonpublic information.
 
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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
We did not pay any compensation, make any equity awards or non-equity awards to or pay any other compensation to any of the non-employee members of our board of directors in 2020 for their services as members of the board of directors. We have historically reimbursed our non-employee directors for reasonable travel and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending board of director and committee meetings.
Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy
We plan to adopt a policy with respect to the compensation payable to our non-employee directors, which will become effective upon the completion of this offering. Under this policy, each non-employee director will be eligible to receive compensation for his or her service consisting of annual cash retainers and equity awards. Dr. Critchfield will not receive separate compensation from us for serving as a member of our board. Our non-employee directors will receive the following annual retainers for their service:
Position
Retainer
Board Member
$ 35,000
Board Chairperson
35,000
Audit Committee Chair
15,000
Compensation Committee Chair
10,000
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Chair
8,000
Audit Committee Member
7,500
Compensation Committee Member
5,000
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Member
4,000
Equity awards for non-employee directors will consist of (i) an initial equity award consisting of options to purchase shares of our Class A common stock with a grant date fair value of $240,000, upon first appointment to the board of directors, vesting in 36 equal monthly installments following the date of the grant and (ii) annual equity awards consisting of options to purchase shares of Class A common stock, with a grant date fair value of $120,000 vesting 12 months after the grant date.
Directors may be reimbursed for travel, food, lodging and other expenses directly related to their service as directors. Directors are also entitled to the protection provided by their indemnification agreements and the indemnification provisions in the current certificate of incorporation and by-laws, as well as the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws that will become effective upon the completion of this offering.
 
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Other than the compensation agreements and other arrangements described under “Executive Compensation” and “Director Compensation” in this prospectus and the transactions described below, since January 1, 2018, there has not been, and there is not currently proposed, any transaction or series of similar transactions to which we were, or will be, a party in which the amount involved exceeded, or will exceed, $120,000 and in which any director, executive officer, holder of five percent or more of any class of our capital stock or any member of the immediate family of, or entities affiliated with, any of the foregoing persons, had, or will have, a direct or indirect material interest.
Sales and Purchases of Securities
Series D Financing
From July 2019 to February 2020, we issued an aggregate of 4,015,723 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock to the below related persons at a purchase price of $9.03 per share for aggregate gross cash consideration of $36.2 million and upon the conversion of certain convertible promissory notes held by the below related persons. Concurrently, we issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,009,795 shares of Class A common stock initially exercisable at a price of $9.03 per share and warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,009,795 shares of Class A common stock initially exercisable at a price of $10.84 per share. During the same period, we issued an aggregate of 1,721,717 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock upon the conversion of a series of convertible promissory notes previously issued to certain investors. We refer to these transactions collectively as our Series D Preferred Stock Financing.
The table below sets for the aggregate number and purchase price of shares of Series D convertible preferred stock issued to our directors, executive officers or holders of more than 5% of our capital stock, or an affiliate or immediate family member thereof:
Name
Shares
Warrants at
$9.03
Warrants at
$10.84
Aggregate
Purchase Price*
ATH Holding Company, LLC(1)
997,466 138,537 138,537 $ 9,000,000
Entities affiliated with Blue Ox Healthcare Partners SP, LLC(2)
2,590,642 378,898 378,898 $ 23,375,000
Chione Ltd.(3)
417,332 104,333 104,333 $ 3,264,746
Entities affiliated with Domain Associates(4)
252,516 63,129 63,129 $ 2,278,412
InterWest Partners X, L.P.(5)
252,516 63,129 63,129 $ 2,278,419
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings(6)
165,102 41,275 41,275 $ 1,489,696
Entities affiliated with Catalyst Health Ventures, L.P.(7)
67,772 16,943 16,943 $ 611,487
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.(8)
28,730 4,412 4,412 $ 259,227
The Trimble Trust(9)
35,375 6,439 6,439 $ 319,185
*
Includes conversion of convertible promissory notes principal and interest into shares of Series D convertible preferred stock.
(1)
ATH Holding Company, LLC, or Anthem Holding Company, beneficially owned more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock as a result of the Series D financing. Elizabeth Canis and Marcus Wilson, Pharm.D., members of our board of directors, are the Vice President, Emerging Businesses & Partnerships, and the CAO of Anthem, an affiliate of Anthem Holding Company, respectively.
(2)
Blue Ox beneficially owned more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock as a result of the Series D financing. Charles D. Kennedy, M.D., a member of our board of directors, is the Chief Executive Officer and a Managing Partner of Blue Ox.
(3)
Chione Ltd., or Chione, beneficially owned more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock as a result of the Series D financing. Mansoor Raza Mirza, M.D., a member of our board of directors, is the appointed board member of Chione.
 
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(4)
Includes holdings of Domain Partners VIII, L.P., or Domain Partners, and DP VIII Associates, L.P., or DP VIII, which beneficially owned more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock as a result of the Series D financing. Kim Kamdar, a member of our board of directors, is Partner at Domain Associates, LLC, the Manager of Domain Partners and DP VIII, and a Member of One Palmer Square Associates VIII, L.L.C., the General Partner of Domain Partners and DP VIII.
(5)
InterWest Partners X, L.P., or InterWest Partners, beneficially owned more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock at the time of the Series D Preferred Stock Financing.
(6)
Labcorp beneficially holds more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock. Michael F. Minahan, a member of our board of directors, is the Senior VP and General Manager for Integrated Genetics, a division of Labcorp.
(7)
Joshua Phillips, a member of our board of directors, is the Managing Partner of Catalyst Health Ventures.
(8)
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S. is our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.
(9)
Ryan Trimble, a member of our board of directors, is Trustee of The Trimble Trust
Series E Financing
From February to April 2021, we issued an aggregate of 8,054,138 shares of our Series E convertible preferred stock at a purchase price of $12.46 per share for aggregate gross consideration of $100.3 million, together with warrants to purchase an aggregate of 722,223 shares of our Class A common stock, initially exercisable at $20.77 per share. We refer to these transactions collectively as our Series E Preferred Stock Financing.
Name
Shares
Warrants at
$20.77
Aggregate
Purchase Price
ATH Holding Company, LLC(1)
1,204,508 722,223 $ 15,000,000
Entities affiliated with Blue Ox Healthcare Partners SP, LLC(2)
1,204,508 $ 15,000,000
Entities affiliated with Baker Bros. Advisors LP(3)
1,405,260 $ 17,500,000
Vivo Capital Fund IX, L.P.(4)
1,606,011 $ 20,000,000
aMoon Growth Fund Limited Partnership(5)
1,606,011 $ 20,000,000
CHV Investments, LLC(6)
160,601 $ 2,000,000
(1)
Anthem Holding Company beneficially owned more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock as a result of the Series D financing. Elizabeth Canis and Marcus Wilson, Pharm.D., members of our board of directors, are the Vice President, Emerging Businesses & Partnerships, and the CAO of Anthem, respectively.
(2)
Blue Ox beneficially owned more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock as a result of the Series D financing. Charles D. Kennedy, M.D., a member of our board of directors, is the Chief Executive Officer and a Managing Partner of Blue Ox.
(3)
Baker Brothers Life Sciences, L.P. and 667, L.P., which are affiliated with Baker Bros. Advisors LP, beneficially owned more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock as a result of the Series E Preferred Stock Financing.
(4)
Vivo Capital Fund IX, L.P., or Vivo Capital, beneficially owned more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock as a result of the Series E Preferred Stock Financing. Joseph Siletto, a member of our board of directors, is a Managing Director of Vivo Capital LLC, which is affiliated with Vivo Capital Fund IX, L.P.
(5)
aMoon Growth Fund Limited Partnership beneficially owned more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock as a result of the Series E Preferred Stock Financing.
(6)
Joshua Phillips, a member of our board of directors, is the Managing Partner of Catalyst Health Ventures, which is affiliated with CHV Investments, LLC.
 
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Agreements with Stockholders
Anthem Commercialization Agreement
In February 2021, we entered into the Commercial Collaboration Agreement with Anthem, pursuant to which we will provide PreTRM tests to eligible individuals enrolled in, or serviced or covered by, the health insurance products of Anthem. Anthem agreed to purchase tests from us and will develop appropriate care management programs that incorporate the use of the PreTRM test. The Commercial Collaboration Agreement contains terms, conditions and pricing that are consistent with the terms, conditions and pricing customarily used by Anthem in similar agreements they have with third parties. See the “Business — Anthem Commercial Collaboration Agreement” section of this prospectus for a further description of this agreement.
Anthem Laboratory Services Agreement
Effective on November 10, 2020, we entered into a laboratory services agreement with Anthem, called the Laboratory Services Agreement, relating to our provision of PreTRM tests and related services during the course of the PRIME study. The Laboratory Services Agreement contains terms, conditions and pricing that are consistent with the terms, conditions and pricing customarily used by Anthem in similar agreements they have with third parties. See the “Business — Anthem Laboratory Services Agreement” section of this prospectus for a further description of this agreement.
Blue Ox Agreement
In February 2021, we entered into a consulting agreement with Blue Ox, pursuant to which Blue Ox will provide consulting services to effect the strategic rollout of the PreTRM test on Anthem’s network, as specified in the Commercial Collaboration Agreement with Anthem, to help establish widespread insurance coverage for the PreTRM test. The consulting agreement with Blue Ox contains terms, conditions and pricing that are consistent with the terms, conditions and pricing customarily used by Blue Ox in similar agreements they have with third parties.
Labcorp Agreement
In January 2021, we entered into a commercialization agreement with Labcorp, pursuant to which we appointed Labcorp as a distributor of the PreTRM test in the field of prediction of a patient’s likelihood to deliver a baby at less than 37 weeks’ gestation in the United States. Under the agreement, we may also engage Labcorp to perform certain sample collection, processing, and shipment services. The commercialization agreement with Labcorp contains terms, conditions and pricing that are consistent with the terms, conditions and pricing customarily used by Labcorp in similar agreements they have with third parties. See the “Business — Labcorp Agreement” section of this prospectus for a further description of this agreement.
Investors’ Rights, Voting and Restricted Stock Agreements
In connection with our Series E Preferred Stock Financing, we entered into investors’ rights, voting and right of first refusal and co-sale agreements containing registration rights, information rights, voting rights and rights of first refusal, among other things, with certain holders of our convertible preferred stock and certain holders of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock. These stockholder agreements will terminate upon the closing of this offering, except for the registration rights granted under our investors’ rights agreement, as more fully described in “Description of Capital Stock — Registration Rights.”
Baker Brothers Letter Agreement
Pursuant to a letter agreement with Baker Bros., from and after the closing of this offering, at any time that Baker Bros. beneficially owns shares or other equity securities representing at least 4% of our then-outstanding total voting power, it is entitled to nominate an Investor Designee to serve as a director on our board of directors. We are required to include the Investor Designee in the slate of nominees recommended to our stockholders for election as our directors at each annual or special meeting of our stockholders at which directors are to be elected. Baker Bros. is restricted from exercising this right during certain periods of
 
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time. As of June 30, 2021, Baker Bros. had not exercised its rights to nominate an Investor Designee to serve as a director on our board of directors.
Indemnification Agreements
Prior to the closing of this offering, we intend to enter agreements to indemnify our directors and certain executive officers. These agreements will, among other things, require us to indemnify these individuals for certain expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and settlement amounts reasonably incurred by such person in any action or proceeding, including any action by or in our right, on account of any services undertaken by such person on behalf of our company or that person’s status as a member of our board of directors to the maximum extent allowed under Delaware law.
Policies and Procedures for Related Party Transactions
In connection with this offering, we plan to adopt a written policy, effective upon completion of this offering, that requires all future transactions between us and any director, executive officer, holder of 5% or more of any class of our capital stock or any member of the immediate family of, or entities affiliated with, any of them, or any other related persons, as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K, or their affiliates, in which the amount involved is equal to or greater than $120,000, be approved in advance by our audit committee. Any request for such a transaction must first be presented to our audit committee for review, consideration and approval. In approving or rejecting any such proposal, our audit committee will consider the relevant facts and circumstances available and deemed relevant to the audit committee, including, but not limited to, the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction, and whether the transaction is on terms no less favorable to us than terms we could have generally obtained from an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar circumstances.
 
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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock as of June 30, 2021 for:

each person or group of affiliated persons known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of our capital stock;

each of our directors;

each of our named executive officers; and

all of our current directors and executive officers as a group.
To the extent that the underwriters sell more than 4,687,500 shares in this offering, the underwriters have the option to purchase up to an additional 703,125 shares at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discount.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. Under those rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares as to which the individual or entity has sole or shared voting power or investment power. Except as noted by footnote, and subject to community property laws where applicable, we believe, based on the information provided to us, that the persons and entities named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all common stock shown as beneficially owned by them.
The percentage of beneficial ownership prior to this offering in the table below is based on 25,821,441 shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock deemed to be outstanding as of June 30, 2021, assuming the conversion of all outstanding shares of our convertible preferred stock upon the closing of this offering into shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, and the percentage of beneficial ownership after this offering in the table below is based on 30,508,941 shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock assumed to be outstanding after the closing of the offering. The information in the table below assumes conversion of all warrants to purchase shares of preferred stock into warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock upon the closing of the offering. The information in the table below assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. Warrants or Options to purchase shares of Class A common stock that are exercisable within 60 days of June 30, 2021 are deemed to be beneficially owned by the persons holding these options for the purpose of computing percentage ownership of that person, but are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing any other person’s ownership percentage.
 
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Shares
Beneficially
Owned
Percentage of Shares
Beneficially Owned
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)
Before
Offering
After
Offering
5% Stockholders:
Entities affiliated with Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, LLC(2)
4,552,944 17.1% 14.6%
ATH Holding Company, LLC(3)
3,201,271 11.9% 10.2%
Entities affiliated with Domain Associates, LLC(4)
2,573,412 9.9% 8.4%
InterWest Partners X, LP(5)
2,542,496 9.8% 8.3%
Chione, Ltd.(6)
1,824,100 7.0% 5.9%
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings(7)
1,662,359 6.4% 5.4%
Vivo Capital Fund IX, L.P.(8)
1,606,011 6.2% 5.3%
aMoon Growth Fund Limited Partnership(9)
1,606,011 6.2% 5.3%
Entities affiliated with Baker Bros. Advisors LP(10)
1,405,259 5.4% 4.6%
Named Executive Officers and Directors:
Dennis Farrar(11)
351,815 1.4% 1.2%
Joshua Phillips(12)
998,990 3.9% 3.3%
Mansoor Raza Mirza, M.D.(13)
37,549 * *
Ryan Trimble(14)
113,429 * *
Kim Kamdar, Ph.D.(15)
2,580,041 9.9% 8.4%
Michael F. Minahan(16)
* *
Elizabeth Canis(17)
* *
Marcus Wilson, Pharm.D.(18)
* *
Joseph Siletto(19)
* *
Charles D. Kennedy, M.D.(20)
4,552,944 17.1% 14.6%
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.(21)
1,296,816 4.9% 4.2%
Nadia Altomare(22)
258,540 1.0% *
John J. Boniface, Ph.D.(23)
381,107 1.5% 1.2%
Garrett K. Lam, M.D.
38,764 * *
All current executive officers and directors as a group (19 persons)(24)
11,245,744 39.6% 34.0%
*
Indicates beneficial ownership of less than 1%.
(1)
Unless otherwise indicated, the address of all listed stockholders is c/o Sera Prognostics, Inc., 2749 East Parleys Way, Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84109.
(2)
Consists of (i) 3,795,150 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock and (ii) 757,794 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date. Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, LLC is the manager of each of Blue Ox Healthcare Partners SP, LLC, BXHCP SP II, LLC, and BXHCP SP III, LLC, and may be deemed to have voting, investment and dispositive power with respect to the shares held by Blue Ox Healthcare Partners SP, LLC, BXHCP SP II, LLC, and BXHCP SP III, LLC. Charles D. Kennedy MD, Oded Levy, and John A. Neczesny, managing partners of Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, LLC, each may be deemed to share voting, investment and dispositive power with respect to these shares.
(3)
Consists of (i) 2,201,974 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock and (ii) 999,297 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by ATH Holding Company, LLC. Anthem, Inc., an Indiana corporation, holds one hundred percent (100%) of the beneficial ownership of ATH Holding Company, LLC. Anthem, Inc. is a publicly traded corporation
 
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whose beneficial ownership is held by numerous individuals and entities. The address of ATH Holding Company, LLC is c/o Anthem, Inc., 220 Virginia Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46205.
(4)
Consists of (i) 2,398,441 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock held by Domain Partners VIII, L.P. (Domain VIII), (ii) 17,794 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock held by DP VIII Associates, L.P. (DP VIII), (iii) 30,919 shares of Class A common stock held by Domain Associates, LLC (Domain Associates) and (iv) 125,328 shares of common stock underlying warrants held by Domain VIII and 930 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants held by DP VIII, that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date. The Managing Members of One Palmer Square Associates VIII, LLC (One Palmer), the general partner of Domain VIII and DPVIII, share voting and investment control with respect to the holdings of Domain VIII and DPVIII. The Managing Members of Domain Associates share voting and investment control with respect to its holdings. The Managing Members of One Palmer are James C. Blair, Brian H. Dovey, Brian K. Halak, Jesse I. Treu, and Nicole Vitullo. The Managing Members of Domain Associates are James C. Blair, Brian H. Dovey, Brian K. Halak, Kim P. Kamdar and Nicole Vitullo. The address of Domain VIII, DP VIII and Domain Associates is 202 Carnegie Center, Suite 104, Princeton, NJ 08540.
(5)
Consists of (i) 2,416,238 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock and (ii) 126,258 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date. InterWest Management Partners X, LLC, or IMP10, is the general partner of InterWest Partners X, L.P. and may be deemed to have voting, investment and dispositive power with respect to the shares held by InterWest Partners X, L.P. Gilbert H. Kliman, managing director of IMP10, and Khaled A. Nasr and Keval Desai, venture members of IMP10, each may be deemed to share voting, investment and dispositive power with respect to these shares.
(6)
Consists of (i) 1,615,434 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock and (ii) 208,666 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date. Chione’s directors, Marcin Czernik, Andreas Hadjimichael and Anastasios Nikolaou, and its sole stockholder, Wiaczeslaw Smolokowski, may be deemed to share voting and investment power and beneficial ownership with respect to such shares. Each of such directors and stockholder disclaims such voting and investment power and beneficial ownership. Chione’s address is Simou Menardou 5, Kifisia Court. Office 225, Larnaca, Cyprus.
(7)
Consists of (i) 1,579,809 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock and (ii) 82,550 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings is a publicly traded corporation whose beneficial ownership is held by numerous individuals and entities. The address of Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings is 531 South Spring Street, Burlington, North Carolina 27215.
(8)
Consists of 1,606,011 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock, which are held of record by Vivo Capital Fund IX, L.P. Vivo Capital IX, LLC is the general partner of Vivo Capital Fund IX, L.P. The voting members of Vivo Capital IX, LLC, Frank Kung, Edgar Engleman, Shan Fu, Hongbo Lu, Mahendra Shah, Jack Nielsen and Michael Chang, may be deemed to share voting and investment power with respect to such shares. None of such voting members have individual voting or investment power with respect to these shares and each of whom disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares. The principal business address of Vivo Capital IX, LLC is 192 Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301.
(9)
Consists of 1,606,011 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock held by aMoon Growth Fund Limited Partnership, or aMoon Growth. aMoon Growth Fund G.P. Limited Partnership, or aMoon GP, is the sole general partner of aMoon Growth. aMoon General Partner Ltd., or aMoon Ltd., is the sole general partner of aMoon GP. Dr. Yair Schindel is the sole shareholder of aMoon Ltd. By virtue of such relationships, aMoon GP, aMoon Ltd. and Dr. Schindel may be deemed to have shared voting and investment power with respect to the shares of Class A common stock held by aMoon Growth. Dr. Schindel disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of Class A common stock held by aMoon, aMoon G.P. and aMoon Ltd., except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, if any.
 
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(10)
Consists of (i) 102,936 shares of Class B common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock directly held by 667, L.P. (“667”) and (ii) 1,302,323 shares of Class B common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock directly held by Baker Brothers Life Sciences, L.P. (“Life Sciences”, and together with 667, the “BBA Funds”). Baker Bros. Advisors LP (“BBA”) is the management company and investment adviser to the BBA Funds and has the sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares held by the BBA Funds. Baker Bros. Advisors (GP) LLC (BBA-GP) is the sole general partner of BBA. The managing members of BBA-GP are Julian C. Baker and Felix J. Baker. BBA-GP, Felix J. Baker and Julian C. Baker as managing members of BBA-GP, and BBA may be deemed to be beneficial owners of the shares directly held by the BBA Funds. Julian C. Baker and Felix J. Baker disclaim beneficial ownership of such shares, except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein. The business address of the entities listed herein is 860 Washington Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10014.
(11)
Includes (i) 468 shares of Class A common stock held by UpStart Life Sciences Capital, LP, (ii) 313,799 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of preferred stock held by UpStart Life Sciences Capital, LP and (iii) 37,549 shares of Class A common stock held by Mr. Farrar. Mr. Farrar is the co-founder and Managing Partner of UpStart Life Sciences Capital, LP and may be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by UpStart Life Sciences Capital, LP. Mr. Farrar disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, if any.
(12)
Consists of (i) 37,548 shares of Class A common stock held by Catalyst Health Ventures, L.P. (CHV LP), (ii) 351,071 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock held by CHV LP, (iii) 12,470 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by CHV LP, (iv) 166,098 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock held by Catalyst Health Ventures (PF), L.P. (CHV PF), (v) 374,342 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock held by CHV Investments, LLC (CHV Investments), (vi) 19,558 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by CHV Investments, (vii) 36,047 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock held by Catalyst Health Ventures Follow-on Fund, L.P. (CHV FO) (together with CHV LP, CHV PF and CHV Investments, the CHV Funds), (viii) 1,856 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by CHV FO. CHV GP LLC is the general partner of CHV LP and CHV PF. CHV III GP LLC is the general partner of CHV Investments and CHV FO. Joshua Phillips, a member of our board of directors, is a managing member of CHV GP LLC and CHV III GP LLC, and a limited partner of CHV PF, CHV Investments, CHV GP LLC and CHV III GP LLC. The securities held by the CHV Funds may be deemed to be beneficially owned by Joshua Phillips. Joshua Phillips disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of his pecuniary benefit therein.
(13)
Consists of 37,549 shares of Class A common stock underlying options that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by Dr. Mirza.
(14)
Consists of (i) 37,548 shares of Class A common stock held by the Trimble Trust, (ii) 63,003 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock held by the Trimble Trust and (iii) 12,878 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by the Trimble Trust. Mr. Trimble is the Trustee for the Trimble Trust and may be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by the Trimble Trust.
(15)
Consists of (i) 2,398,441 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock held by Domain VIII (ii) 17,794 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock held by DP VIII (iii) 30,919 shares of Class A common stock held by Domain Associates, (iv) 6,629 shares of Class A common stock held by Dr. Kamdar, and (v) 125,328 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants held by Domain VIII and 930 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants held by DP VIII, that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date. Dr. Kamdar, member of our Board, is a Member of One Palmer Square Associates VIII, LLC, the General Partner of Domain VIII and DP VIII Associates, and a Managing Member of Domain Associates and may be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by
 
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Domain VIII, DPVIII and Domain Associates. Dr. Kamdar disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of her pecuniary interest therein.
(16)
Mr. Minahan, a member of our board of directors, is Senior VP and General Manager for Integrated Genetics, a division of Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, but has no voting or investment power with respect to the securities described in footnote 7.
(17)
Ms. Canis, a member of our board of directors, is Vice President, Emerging Businesses & Partnerships at Anthem, which is affiliated with ATH Holding Company, LLC. Ms. Canis has no voting or investment power with respect to the securities described in footnote 3.
(18)
Dr. Wilson, a member of our board of directors, is the CAO at Anthem, which is affiliated with ATH Holding Company, LLC. Mr. Wilson has no voting or investment power with respect to the securities described in footnote 3.
(19)
Mr. Siletto, a member of our board of directors, is a Managing Director of Vivo Capital LLC.
(20)
Consists of (i) 3,795,150 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock and (ii) 757,794 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by Blue Ox Healthcare Partners SP, LLC as set forth in footnote 2. Dr. Kennedy, a member of our board of directors, is a managing partner of Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, LLC, and may be deemed to share voting, investment and dispositive power with respect to these shares.
(21)
Consists of (i) 709,968 shares of Class A common stock, (ii) 84,971 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of preferred stock and (iii) 8,824 shares of Class A common stock underlying warrants that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date, each held by the Gregory C. Critchfield & Trust, of which Dr. Critchfield is a Trustee, and (iv) 493,053 shares of Class A common stock underlying options that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by Dr. Critchfield.
(22)
Consists of 258,540 shares of Class A common stock underlying options that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by Ms. Altomare.
(23)
Consists of 381,107 shares of Class A common stock underlying options that are exercisable as of June 30, 2021 or will become exercisable within 60 days of such date held by Mr. Boniface.
(24)
See footnotes 11 to 23. Also includes shares beneficially owned by Jay Moyes, Douglas Fisher, M.D., John Peltier, Ph.D., Thomas Garite, Nichole L. Martin and Benjamin Jackson, each of whom are executive officers but not named executive officers.
 
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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
General
Upon the completion of this offering, our authorized capital stock will consist of 150,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 1,500,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, all of which will be undesignated. As of March 31, 2021, there were 1,982,083 shares of our Class A common stock issued and outstanding and no shares of our Class B common stock issued and outstanding. This amount excludes our outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock, including 3,115,657 shares of our Series E convertible preferred stock issued in April 2021, which will automatically convert into an aggregate of 23,839,358 shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock upon completion of this offering. Based on the number of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021 and assuming (i) the conversion of all outstanding shares of our preferred stock and (ii) the issuance by us of 4,687,500 shares of our Class A common stock in this offering, there will be 30,508,941 shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding upon the completion of this offering. As of March 31, 2021, we had approximately 92 record holders of our capital stock.
The following description of our capital stock and provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws are summaries of material terms and provisions and are qualified by reference to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws, copies of which have been filed with the SEC as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The descriptions of our Class A common stock, Class B common stock and preferred stock reflect the content of the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws that will become effective immediately prior to the completion of this offering.
Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock
Upon the completion of this offering, we will be authorized to issue two classes of common stock: Class A common stock and Class B common stock. Holders of our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock have identical rights, provided that, (i) except as otherwise expressly provided in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or as required by applicable law, on any matter that is submitted to a vote by our stockholders, holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share of Class A common stock, and holders of our Class B common stock are not entitled to any votes per share of Class B common stock, including for the election of directors, and (ii) holders of our Class A common stock have no conversion rights, while holders of our Class B common stock have the right to convert each share of our Class B common stock into one share of Class A common stock at such holder’s election, provided that as a result of such conversion, such holder would not beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of any class of our securities registered under the Exchange Act, except as expressly provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. However, this ownership limitation may be increased or decreased to any other percentage designated by such holder of Class B common stock upon 61 days’ notice to us. Our Class A common stock and Class B common stock do not have cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election, if they so choose, other than any directors that holders of any preferred stock we may issue may be entitled to elect. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, holders of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock are entitled to receive ratably those dividends, if any, as may be declared by the board of directors out of legally available funds. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of or provision for all of our debts and other liabilities, subject to the prior rights of any preferred stock then outstanding. Holders of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock have no preemptive rights or other subscription rights and there are no redemption or sinking funds provisions applicable to our Class A common stock and Class B common stock. All outstanding shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock are, and the Class A common stock and Class B common stock to be outstanding immediately prior to the closing of this offering will be, duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock are subject to and may
 
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be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future. The rights, preferences and privileges of our holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future. Except as described under the “— Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law, Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Our Amended and Restated By-Laws” section of this prospectus, the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of Class A common stock present in person or by proxy, is generally required to take action under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws.
Preferred Stock
Upon the completion of this offering, our board of directors will be authorized, without action by our stockholders, to designate and issue up to an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series. Our board of directors can designate the rights, preferences and privileges of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations or restrictions. Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible future financings and acquisitions and other corporate purposes could, under certain circumstances, have the effect of restricting dividends on our Class A common stock and Class B common stock, diluting the voting power of our Class A common stock, impairing the liquidation rights of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock, or delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company, which might harm the market price of our Class A common stock. See also the “— Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law, Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Our Amended and Restated By-Laws” section of this prospectus.
Our board of directors will make any determination to issue such shares based on its judgment as to our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders. Upon the completion of this offering, we will have no shares of preferred stock outstanding and we have no current plans to issue any shares of preferred stock following completion of this offering.
Stock Options
As of March 31, 2021, options to purchase an aggregate of 4,958,194 shares of our Class A common stock at a weighted-average exercise price of $2.54 were outstanding.
Warrants
In connection with the Series E Preferred Stock Financing, we issued a warrant to purchase an aggregate of 722,223 shares of Class A common stock, initially exercisable at a price of $20.77 per share, or the Series E Warrant. The Series E Warrant may be exercised until the date that is five years after the issuance date of the Series E Warrant.
In connection with the Series D Preferred Stock Financing, we issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,009,795 shares of Class A common stock, initially exercisable at a price of $9.03 per share, or the $9.03 Warrants, and warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,009,795 shares of Class A common stock, initially exercisable at a price of $10.84 per share, or the $10.84 Warrants, and together with the $9.03 Warrants, the Series D Warrants. Each of the Series D Warrants may be exercised until the date that is ten years after the issuance date of the Series D Warrants. The $9.03 Warrants are subject to an anti-dilution provision, pursuant to which, with certain exceptions, if we issue shares of Class A common stock for no consideration or at a price that is less than the warrant exercise price then in effect, the warrant exercise price shall thereafter be adjusted to be a price that is 120% of the lower price at which such shares were issued, subject to a floor price of $7.22 per share, and subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, combinations or similar events. The $10.84 Warrants are subject to an anti-dilution provision, pursuant to which, with certain exceptions, if we issue shares of Class A common stock for no consideration or at a price that is less than 83.3% of the warrant exercise price then in effect, the warrant exercise price shall thereafter be adjusted to be a price that is 120% of the lower price at which such shares were issued, subject to a floor price of $8.67 per share, and subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, combinations or similar events.
 
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In addition to the Series E Warrant and the Series D Warrants, as of March 31, 2021, the following warrants were outstanding: (i) warrants to purchase 15,979 shares of our series A-2 preferred stock, which have an exercise price of $5.20 per share, and will be converted into warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock upon completion of this offering, (ii) warrants to purchase 28,860 shares of our series B-1 preferred stock, which have an exercise price of $5.20 per share, and will be converted into warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock upon completion of this offering, (iii) warrants to purchase 6,012 shares of our series B-2 preferred stock, which have an exercise price of $8.32 per share, and will be converted into warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock upon completion of this offering, (iv) warrants to purchase 8,083 shares of our series C-1 preferred stock, which have an exercise price of $12.38 per share, and will be converted into warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock upon completion of this offering and (v) a warrant to purchase 22,609 shares of our series D preferred stock, which has an exercise price of $9.03 per share, and will be converted into warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock upon completion of this offering.
Registration Rights
We entered into a Fourth Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated as of February 23, 2021, or the Investors’ Rights Agreement, with certain holders of our capital stock. These shares will represent approximately 78% of our outstanding Class A common stock and Class B common stock after this offering, or 76% if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, and excluding shares of Class A common stock, if any, purchased by any holders of registration rights in this offering. These shares also may be sold under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, depending on their holding period and subject to restrictions in the case of shares held by persons deemed to be our affiliates.
Under the Investors’ Rights Agreement, holders of registrable shares can demand that we file a registration statement or request that their shares be included on a registration statement that we are otherwise filing, in either case, registering the resale of their shares of common stock. These registration rights are subject to conditions and limitations, including the right, in certain circumstances, of the underwriters of an offering to limit the number of shares included in such registration and our right, in certain circumstances, not to effect a registration upon demand of the holders of registrable shares within 90 days following the effective date of any registration statement that we file covering a firm commitment underwritten public offering in which the holders of registrable shares were entitled to join and in which we effectively registered all registrable shares that were requested to be registered.
Demand Registration Rights
Following the date that is 180 days after the date of this prospectus, the holders of at least a majority of registrable securities then outstanding under the Investors’ Rights Agreement may require us to file a registration statement under the Securities Act on a Form S-1 at our expense, subject to certain exceptions, with respect to the then outstanding registrable securities of such holders having an anticipated aggregate offering price of at least $5.0 million, and we are required to effect the registration as soon as practicable, and in any event within 120 days. Any time after we are eligible to use a registration statement on Form S-3, the holders of at least 25% of our registrable securities under the Investors’ Rights Agreement may require us to file a registration statement on Form S-3 at our expense, subject to certain exceptions, with respect to the then outstanding registrable securities of such holders having an anticipated aggregate offering price of at least $3.0 million, and we are required to effect the registration as soon as practicable, and in any event within 90 days.
Piggyback Registration Rights
If we propose to file a registration statement under the Securities Act for the purposes of a public offering of our securities (including, but not limited to, registration statements relating to a secondary offering of our securities but excluding (i) a registration statement relating to the sale of securities to employees pursuant to a stock option, stock purchase, or similar plan; (ii) with respect to any corporate reorganization or transaction under Rule 145 of the Securities Act; (iii) a registration on any form that does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be included in a registration statement covering the sale of the registrable securities; or (iv) a registration in which the only Class A common stock being registered is Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of debt securities that
 
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are also being registered), the holders of registrable securities are entitled to receive notice of such registration and to request that we include their registrable securities for resale in the registration statement. The underwriters of the offering will have the right to limit the number of shares to be included in such registration.
Expenses of Registration
We will pay all registration expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, related to any demand or piggyback registration. The Investors’ Rights Agreement contains customary cross-indemnification provisions, pursuant to which we are obligated to indemnify the selling stockholders, in the event of misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to us except in the event of fraud, and they are obligated to indemnify us for misstatements or omissions attributable to them.
Expiration of Registration Rights
The registration rights will terminate upon the earliest to occur of the closing of certain liquidation events, such time when all of the holder’s registrable securities may be sold without limitation (and without the requirement for us to be in compliance with the current public information requirement) under Rule 144 of the Securities Act and the fifth anniversary of the closing date of this offering.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law, Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Our Amended and Restated By-Laws
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws that will take effect in connection with the completion of this offering will include a number of provisions that may have the effect of encouraging persons considering unsolicited tender offers or other unilateral takeover proposals to negotiate with our board of directors rather than pursue non-negotiated takeover attempts. These provisions include the items described below.
Board Composition and Filling Vacancies
In accordance with our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors will be divided into three classes serving three-year terms, with one class being elected each year. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also provide that directors may be removed only for cause and then only by the affirmative vote of the holders of majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors. Furthermore, any vacancy on our board of directors, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the size of our board of directors, will only be able to be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office, even if less than a quorum.
No Written Consent of Stockholders
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that all stockholder actions are required to be taken by a vote of the stockholders at an annual or special meeting, and that stockholders may not take any action by written consent in lieu of a meeting.
Meetings of Stockholders
Our amended and restated by-laws will provide that only a majority of the members of our board of directors then in office may call special meetings of stockholders and only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders. Our amended and restated by-laws will limit the business that may be conducted at an annual meeting of stockholders to those matters properly brought before the meeting.
Advance Notice Requirements
Our amended and restated by-laws will establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of our stockholders. These procedures will provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken.
 
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Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days or more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year. The notice must contain certain information specified in our amended and restated by-laws. These provisions may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed. These provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.
Amendment to By-Laws and Certificate of Incorporation
As required by the Delaware General Corporation Law, any amendment of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation must first be approved by a majority of our board of directors and, if required by law or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, thereafter be approved by a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, and a majority of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, except that the amendment of the provisions relating to stockholder action, directors, limitation of liability, exclusive jurisdiction of Delaware Courts and the amendment of our amended and restated by-laws and amended and restated certificate of incorporation must be approved by not less than 75% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, and not less than 75% of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class. Our amended and restated by-laws may be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, subject to any limitations set forth in the amended and restated by-laws; and may also be amended by the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, or, if the board of directors recommends that the stockholders approve the amendment, by the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment.
Blank Check Preferred Stock
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide for 5,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock may enable our board of directors to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. For example, if in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, our board of directors were to determine that a takeover proposal is not in the best interests of us or our stockholders, our board of directors could cause shares of preferred stock to be issued without stockholder approval in one or more private offerings or other transactions that might dilute the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer or insurgent stockholder or stockholder group. In this regard, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation grants our board of directors broad power to establish the rights and preferences of authorized and unissued shares of preferred stock. The issuance of shares of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock. The issuance may also adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of these holders and may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of us.
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law
Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or did own within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock.
Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies one of the following conditions:

before the stockholder became interested, the board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;
 
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upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding, shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers, and employee stock plans, in some instances; or

at or after the time the stockholder became interested, the business combination was approved by the board of directors of the corporation and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.
A Delaware corporation may “opt out” of these provisions with an express provision in its original certificate of incorporation or an express provision in its amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated by-laws resulting from a stockholders’ amendment approved by at least a majority of the outstanding voting shares. We have not opted out of these provisions. As a result, mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts of us may be discouraged or prevented.
Exclusive Jurisdiction of Certain Actions
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will become effective upon the closing of this offering will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if 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) will be the sole and exclusive forum for any state law claim for: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (2) any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty or other wrongdoing by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders; (3) any action or proceeding asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws (in each case, as they may be amended from time to time); (4) any action or proceeding to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws; (5) any action or proceeding as to which the Delaware General Corporation Law confers jurisdiction to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; or (6) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers or employees that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. The choice of forum provision does not apply to any actions arising under the Exchange Act. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will further provide that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the United States District Court for the District of Utah will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. We have chosen the United States District Court for the District of Utah as the exclusive forum for such Securities Act causes of action because our principal executive offices are located in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our common stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions.
The choice of forum provisions 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 current or former director, officer, other employee, agent, or stockholder to the company, which may discourage such claims against us or any of our current or former director, officer, other employee, agent, or stockholder to the company and result in increased costs for investors to bring a claim. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Nasdaq Global Market Listing
We have submitted an application to list our Class A common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market under the trading symbol “SERA.” Our Class B common stock is not listed for trading on any securities exchange, and we do not plan to list the Class B common stock on any securities exchange.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Class A common stock will be American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219.
 
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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our Class A common stock, and we cannot assure investors that an active trading market for our Class A common stock will develop or be sustained after this offering. Future sales of our Class A common stock, including shares issued upon the exercise of outstanding options, in the public market after this offering, or the perception that those sales may occur, could cause the prevailing market price for our Class A common stock to fall or impair our ability to raise equity capital in the future. As described below, only a limited number of shares of our Class A common stock will be available for sale in the public market for a period of several months after completion of this offering due to contractual and legal restrictions on resale described below. Future sales of our Class A common stock in the public market either before (to the extent permitted) or after restrictions lapse, or the perception that those sales may occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our Class A common stock at such time and our ability to raise equity capital at a time and price we deem appropriate.
Sale of Restricted Shares
Upon the completion of this offering, based on the number of shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021, and assuming (1) the conversion of our outstanding convertible preferred stock, including the 3,115,657 shares of our Series E convertible preferred stock issued in April 2021, into an aggregate of 23,839,358 shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock, (2) no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock and (3) no exercise of outstanding options, we will have outstanding an aggregate of approximately 29,103,682 shares of Class A common stock and 1,405,259 shares of Class B common stock. Of these shares, all of the 4,687,500 shares of Class A common stock to be sold in this offering, and any shares sold upon exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares will be freely tradable in the public market without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act unless the shares are held by any of our “affiliates” as such term is defined in Rule 144 of the Securities Act. All remaining shares of Class A common stock and shares of Class A common stock subject to stock options and warrants or issuable upon conversion of Class B common stock held by existing stockholders immediately prior to the completion of this offering will be “restricted securities” as such term is defined in Rule 144. These restricted securities were issued and sold by us, or will be issued and sold by us, in private transactions and are eligible for public sale only if registered under the Securities Act or if they qualify for an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, including the exemptions provided by Rule 144 or Rule 701, which rules are summarized below.
As a result of the lock-up agreements referred to below and the provisions of Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act, the shares of our Class A common stock, including Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of Class B common stock (excluding the shares sold in this offering) that will be available for sale in the public market are as follows:

beginning on the date of this prospectus, the 4,687,500 shares of Class A common stock sold in this offering will be immediately available for sale in the public market;

beginning 181 days after the date of this prospectus, 25,767,022 additional shares of Class A common stock, including 1,405,259 shares Class B common stock upon conversion to 1,405,259 Class A common stock, will become eligible for sale in the public market, of which approximately 8.7 million shares will be held by affiliates and subject to the volume and other restrictions of Rule 144, as described below; and

the remainder of the shares of Class A common stock will be eligible for sale in the public market from time to time thereafter, subject in some cases to the volume and other restrictions of Rule 144, as described below.
Lock-Up Agreements
In connection with this offering, we, our directors, our executive officers and stockholders holding substantially all of our shares of Class A common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2021 (assuming conversion of all of our outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock), and substantially all of our option holders who are not also stockholders have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, with the underwriters
 
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not to dispose of or hedge any shares of our Class A common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Class A common stock during the period from the date of the lock-up agreement continuing through the date 180 days after the date of this prospectus, except with the prior written consent of each of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC and William Blair & Company, L.L.C. as the representatives of the underwriters and certain other exceptions. The representatives of the underwriters have advised us that they have no current intent or arrangement to release any of the shares subject to the lock-up agreements prior to the expiration of the lock-up period. See the “Underwriting” section of this prospectus for additional information.
Following the lock-up periods set forth in the agreements described above, and assuming that the representatives of the underwriters do not release any parties from these agreements, all of the shares of our Class A common stock that are restricted securities or are held by our affiliates as of the date of this prospectus will be eligible for sale in the public market in compliance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
Rule 144
In general, under Rule 144, as currently in effect, once we have been subject to the public company reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for at least 90 days, a person (or persons whose shares are required to be aggregated) who is not deemed to have been one of our “affiliates” for purposes of Rule 144 at any time during the three months preceding a sale, and who has beneficially owned restricted securities within the meaning of Rule 144 for at least six months, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our “affiliates,” is entitled to sell those shares in the public market (subject to the lock-up agreement referred to above, if applicable) without complying with the manner of sale, volume limitations or notice provisions of Rule 144, but subject to compliance with the public information requirements of Rule 144. If such a person has beneficially owned the sales proposed to be sold for at least one year, including the holding period of any prior owner other than “affiliates,” then such person is entitled to sell such shares in the public market without complying with any of the requirements of Rule 144 (subject to the lock-up agreement referred to above, if applicable). In general, under Rule 144, as currently in effect, once we have been subject to the public company reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for at least 90 days, our “affiliates,” as defined in Rule 144, who have beneficially owned the shares proposed to be sold for at least six months are entitled to sell in the public market, upon expiration of any applicable lock-up agreements and within any three-month period, a number of those shares of our Class A common stock that does not exceed the greater of:

1% of the number of shares of Class A common stock then outstanding, which will equal approximately 291,037 shares of Class A common stock immediately after this offering (calculated on the basis of the number of shares of our Class A common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2021, the assumptions described above and assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and no exercise of outstanding options or warrants); or

the average weekly trading volume of our Class A common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to such sale.
Such sales under Rule 144 by our “affiliates” or persons selling shares on behalf of our “affiliates” are also subject to certain manner of sale provisions, notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us. Notwithstanding the availability of Rule 144, the holders of substantially all of our restricted securities have entered into lock-up agreements as referenced above and their restricted securities will become eligible for sale (subject to the above limitations under Rule 144) upon the expiration of the restrictions set forth in those agreements.
Rule 701
In general, under Rule 701 as currently in effect, any of our employees, directors, officers, consultants or advisors who acquired Class A common stock from us in connection with a written compensatory stock or option plan or other written agreement in compliance with Rule 701 under the Securities Act before the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part (to the extent such Class A common stock is not subject to a lock-up agreement) is entitled to rely on Rule 701 to resell such shares beginning 90 days after we become subject to the public company reporting requirements of the Exchange
 
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Act in reliance on Rule 144, but without compliance with the holding period requirements contained in Rule 144. Accordingly, subject to any applicable lock-up agreements, beginning 90 days after we become subject to the public company reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, under Rule 701 persons who are not our “affiliates,” as defined in Rule 144, may resell those shares without complying with the minimum holding period or public information requirements of Rule 144, and persons who are our “affiliates” may resell those shares without compliance with Rule 144’s minimum holding period requirements (subject to the terms of the lock-up agreement referred to below, if applicable).
Registration Rights
Based on the number of shares outstanding as of March 31, 2021, after the completion of this offering, the holders of approximately 23.8 million shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock, upon conversion to Class A common stock, or their transferees, will, subject to any lock-up agreements they have entered into, be entitled to certain rights with respect to the registration of the offer and sale of those shares under the Securities Act. For a description of these registration rights, please see the “Description of Capital Stock — Registration Rights” section of this prospectus. If the offer and sale of these shares are registered, they will be freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act.
Equity Incentive Plans
We intend to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act covering the shares of Class A common stock that we may issue upon exercise of outstanding options reserved for issuance under equity incentive plans. Such registration statement is expected to be filed and become effective as soon as practicable after the completion of this offering. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statement will be available for sale in the open market following its effective date, subject to Rule 144 volume limitations and the lock-up agreements described above, if applicable.
 
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS
The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our Class A common stock to Non-U.S. Holders (defined below), but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all the potential tax considerations relating thereto. This summary is based upon the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as of the date hereof. These authorities may be changed or subject to differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect, so as to result in U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those set forth below. We have not sought and will not seek any ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, with respect to the statements made and the conclusions reached in the following summary, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with such statements and conclusions.
This summary also does not address the tax considerations arising under the laws of any U.S. state or local or any non-U.S. jurisdiction, the 3.8% Medicare tax on net investment income or any alternative minimum tax consequences, or under U.S. federal gift and estate tax laws, except to the limited extent provided below. In addition, this discussion does not address tax considerations applicable to a Non-U.S. Holder’s particular circumstances or to a Non-U.S. Holder that may be subject to special tax rules, including, without limitation:

banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions;

tax-exempt organizations, tax-qualified retirement plans, or government organizations;

brokers of or dealers in securities or currencies;

traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings;

persons that own, or are deemed to constructively own, more than five percent of our capital stock (except to the extent specifically set forth below);

certain U.S. expatriates, former citizens, or former long-term residents of the United States;

persons who hold our Class A common stock as a position in a hedging transaction, “straddle,” “conversion transaction,” synthetic security, other integrated investment, or other risk reduction transaction;

persons who do not hold our Class A common stock as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, for investment purposes);

persons deemed to sell our Class A common stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code;

persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

real estate investment trusts or regulated investment companies;

pension plans;

pass-through entities such as partnerships, S corporations, disregarded entities for federal income tax purposes and limited liability companies (and investors therein);

persons for whom our stock constitutes “qualified small business stock” within the meaning of Section 1202 of the Code or as “Section 1244 stock” for purposes of Section 1244 of the Code;

persons required for U.S. federal income tax purposes to conform the timing of income accruals to their financial statements under Section 451(b) of the Code;

integral parts or controlled entities of foreign sovereigns;

tax-qualified retirement plans;

“controlled foreign corporations” ​(including “specified foreign corporations”);

“passive foreign investment companies” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; or
 
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persons that acquire our Class A common stock as compensation for services.
In addition, if a partnership, including any entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, holds our Class A common stock, the tax treatment of a partner generally will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership, and certain determinations made at the partner level. Accordingly, partnerships that hold our Class A common stock, and partners in such partnerships, should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences to them of the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our Class A common stock.
You are urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to the application of the U.S. federal income tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Class A common stock arising under the U.S. federal estate or gift tax rules or under the laws of any U.S. state or local or any non-U.S. or other taxing jurisdiction or under any applicable tax treaty.
Definition of a Non-U.S. Holder
For purposes of this summary, a “Non-U.S. Holder” is any beneficial owner of our Class A common stock that is not a “U.S. person,” and is not a partnership, or an entity disregarded from its owner, each for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. person is any person that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is or is treated as any of the following: (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust that (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and the control of one or more U.S. persons (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code), or (2) has a valid election in effect to be treated as a U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Distributions
As discussed under the “Dividend Policy” section of this prospectus, we do not anticipate paying any dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future. If we make distributions on our Class A common stock, those payments will constitute dividends for U.S. income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. To the extent those distributions exceed both our current and our accumulated earnings and profits, they will constitute a return of capital and will first reduce a Non-U.S. Holder’s basis in our Class A common stock, but not below zero. Any excess will be treated as capital gain and will be treated as described in the “— Gain on Sale or Other Disposition of Class A Common Stock” section of this prospectus. Any such distributions would be subject to the discussions below regarding back-up withholding and FATCA.
Subject to the discussion below on effectively connected income, any dividend paid to a Non-U.S. Holder generally will be subject to U.S. withholding tax either at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividend or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. In order to receive a reduced treaty rate, a Non-U.S. Holder must provide us or our agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN (generally including a U.S. taxpayer identification number), IRS Form W-8-BEN-E or another appropriate version of IRS Form W-8 (or a successor form), which must be updated periodically, and which, in each case, must certify qualification for the reduced rate. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under any applicable income tax treaty.
Dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States) generally are exempt from the withholding tax described above. In order to obtain this exemption, the Non-U.S. Holder must provide the applicable withholding agent with an IRS Form W-8ECI or successor form or other applicable IRS Form W-8 certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Such effectively connected dividends, although not subject to withholding tax, are taxed at the same graduated rates applicable to U.S. persons, net of certain deductions and credits, subject to an applicable income tax treaty providing otherwise. In addition, if you are Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation, dividends you receive that are
 
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effectively connected with your conduct of a U.S. trade or business (and, if an income tax treaty applies, are attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the you in the United States) may also be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on such effectively connected dividends, as adjusted for certain items.
If you are eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax pursuant to a tax treaty, you may be able to obtain a refund of any excess amounts currently withheld if you timely file an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.
Gain on Sale or Other Disposition of Class A Common Stock
Subject to the discussion below regarding backup withholding and FATCA, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other disposition of our Class A common stock unless:

the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if an income tax treaty applies, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), in which case the Non-U.S. Holder will be required to pay tax on the net gain derived from the sale under regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates, and for a Non-U.S. Holder that is a corporation, such Non-U.S. Holder may be subject to the branch profits tax at a 30% rate (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on such effectively connected dividends, as adjusted for certain items;

the Non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year in which the sale or disposition occurs and certain other conditions are met, in which case the Non-U.S. Holder will be required to pay a flat 30% tax on the gain derived from the sale, which tax may be offset by U.S. source capital losses (even though the Non-U.S. Holder is not considered a resident of the United States) (subject to applicable income tax or other treaties) provided that the Non-U.S. holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses; or

our Class A common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest by reason of our status as a U.S. real property holding corporation, or USRPHC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the disposition or the Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period for our Class A common stock. Generally, a corporation is a USRPHC only if the fair market value of its U.S. real property interests equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. We believe we are not currently and do not anticipate becoming a USRPHC. However, because the determination of whether we are a USRPHC depends on the fair market value of our U.S. real property interests relative to the fair market value of our other business assets, there can be no assurance that we will not become a USRPHC in the future. Even if we become a USRPHC, however, gain arising from the sale or other taxable disposition by a Non-U.S. Holder of our Class A common stock will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax as long as our Class A common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market, as defined by applicable Treasury Regulations, and such Non-U.S. Holder does not, actually or constructively, hold more than five percent of our Class A common stock at any time during the applicable period that is specified in the Code. If the foregoing exception does not apply, then if we are or were to become a USRPHC a purchaser may be required to withhold 15% of the proceeds payable to a Non-U.S. Holder from a sale of our Class A common stock and such Non-U.S. Holder generally will be taxed on its net gain derived from the disposition at the graduated U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to U.S. persons.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
Generally, we must file information returns annually to the IRS in connection with any dividends on our Class A common stock paid to a Non-U.S. Holder, regardless of whether any tax was actually withheld. A similar report will be sent to the Non-U.S. Holder. Pursuant to applicable income tax treaties or other agreements, the IRS may make these reports available to tax authorities in the Non-U.S. Holder’s country of residence.
 
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Payments of dividends or of proceeds on the disposition of stock made to a Non-U.S. Holder may be subject to additional information reporting and backup withholding at a current rate of 24% unless such Non-U.S. Holder establishes an exemption, for example by properly certifying its non-U.S. status on an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, IRS Form W-8ECI, or another appropriate version of IRS Form W-8 (or a successor form). Notwithstanding the foregoing, backup withholding and information reporting may apply if either we or our paying agent has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that a holder is a U.S. person.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather, the U.S. income tax liability of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund or credit may generally be obtained from the IRS, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, imposes withholding tax on certain types of payments made to foreign financial institutions and certain other non-U.S. entities. FATCA imposes a 30% withholding tax on certain payments made to a “foreign financial institution” or to certain “non-financial foreign entities” ​(each as defined in the Code), unless (i) the foreign financial institution undertakes certain diligence and reporting obligations, (ii) the non-financial foreign entity either certifies it does not have any “substantial United States owners” ​(as defined in the Code) or furnishes identifying information regarding each substantial United States owner, or (iii) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules. If the payee is a foreign financial institution and is subject to the diligence and reporting requirements in (i) above, it must enter into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury requiring, among other things, that it undertake to identify accounts held by “specified United States persons” or “United States-owned foreign entities” ​(each as defined in the Code), annually report certain information about such accounts, and withhold 30% on payments to account holders whose actions prevent it from complying with these reporting and other requirements. If the country in which a payee is resident has entered into an “intergovernmental agreement” with the United States regarding FATCA, that agreement may permit the payee to report to that country rather than to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. FATCA currently applies to dividends paid on our Class A common stock. On December 13, 2018, the U.S. Treasury Department released proposed Treasury Regulations under FATCA providing for the elimination of the federal withholding tax of 30% applicable to gross proceeds of a sale or other disposition of our Class A common stock. Under these proposed Treasury Regulations (which may be relied upon by taxpayers prior to finalization), FATCA will not apply to gross proceeds from sales or other dispositions of our Class A common stock.
Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible impact of these rules on their investment in our Class A common stock, and the possible impact of these rules on the entities through which they hold our Class A common stock, including, without limitation, the process and deadlines for meeting the applicable requirements to prevent the imposition of this 30% withholding tax under FATCA.
Federal Estate Tax
Class A Common stock owned (or treated as owned) by an individual who is not a citizen or a resident of the United States (as defined for U.S. federal estate tax purposes) at the time of death will be included in the individual’s gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes unless an applicable estate or other tax treaty provides otherwise, and therefore may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax.
THE PRECEDING DISCUSSION OF U.S. FEDERAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY. IT IS NOT TAX ADVICE. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR SHOULD CONSULT ITS TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE PARTICULAR U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PURCHASING, HOLDING AND DISPOSING OF OUR CLASS A COMMON STOCK, INCLUDING THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY PROPOSED CHANGE IN APPLICABLE LAWS.
 
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UNDERWRITING
Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC and William Blair & Company, L.L.C., the Representatives, are acting as joint book-running managers of this offering and as representatives of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, with respect to the shares being offered, the underwriters named below have severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to them, the number of shares of our Class A common stock indicated below:
Underwriter
Number
of Shares
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Cowen and Company, LLC
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
Total
4,687,500
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the shares of our Class A common stock included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all of the shares of our Class A common stock (other than those covered by the over-allotment option described below) if they purchase any of the shares.
Shares of our Class A common stock sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any shares of our Class A common stock sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount from the initial public offering price not to exceed $      per share. After the initial public offering of the shares of our Class A common stock, if all the shares of our Class A common stock are not sold at the initial public offering price, the underwriters may change the offering price and the other selling terms. Any shares sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $      per share from the initial public offering price. The representatives have advised us that the underwriters do not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.
If the underwriters sell more shares of our Class A common stock than the total number set forth in the table above, we have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 703,125 additional shares of our Class A common stock at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discount. The underwriters may exercise the option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, in connection with this offering. To the extent the option is exercised, each underwriter must purchase a number of additional shares of our Class A common stock approximately proportionate to that underwriter’s initial purchase commitment set forth in the table above. Any shares of our Class A common stock issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other shares of our Class A common stock that are the subject of this offering.
We, our officers and directors and substantially all of our stockholders have agreed that, subject to specified limited exceptions, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, including the filing of a registration statement in respect of, or hedge any shares of our Class A common stock or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, our Class A common stock. The Representatives in their sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time, which, in the case of officers and directors, shall be with notice.
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our Class A common stock. Consequently, the initial public offering price for the shares of our Class A common stock will be determined by negotiations between us and the representatives. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price will be our results of operations, our current financial condition, our future prospects, our markets, the economic conditions in and future prospects for the industry in which we compete, our management, and currently prevailing general conditions in the equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however,
 
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that the price at which the shares of our Class A common stock will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our shares of Class A common stock will develop and continue after this offering.
We have applied to list our Class A common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “SERA”.
The following table shows the per share and total public offering price, underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay to the underwriters and proceeds to us, before expenses, in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option:
Total
Per
share
No
exercise
Full
exercise
Public offering price
$        $        $       
Underwriting discounts and commissions paid by us
$ $ $
Proceeds to us, before expenses
$ $ $
We estimate that expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, exclusive of underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $3.35 million. We have also agreed to reimburse the underwriters for expenses in an amount up to $30,000 relating to the clearance of this offering with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
In connection with this offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell shares of our Class A common stock in the open market.
Purchases and sales in the open market may include short sales, purchases to cover short positions, which may include purchases pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option, and other transactions that would stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of our Class A common stock.

Short sales involve secondary market sales by the underwriters of a greater number of shares of our Class A common stock than they are required to purchase in this offering:

“Covered” short sales are sales of shares of our Class A common stock in an amount up to the number of shares of our Class A common stock represented by the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

“Naked” short sales are sales of shares of our Class A common stock in an amount in excess of the number of shares of our Class A common stock represented by the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

The underwriters can close out a short position by purchasing additional shares of our Class A common stock, either pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option or in the open market.

To close a naked short position, the underwriters must purchase shares of our Class A common stock in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares of our Class A common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.

To close a covered short position, the underwriters must purchase shares of our Class A common stock in the open market or exercise their over-allotment option. In determining the source of shares of our Class A common stock to close the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares of our Class A common stock available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares of our Class A common stock through their over- allotment option.

As an additional means of facilitating this offering, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, shares of our Class A common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market, as long as such bids do not exceed a specified maximum, to stabilize the price of the shares of our Class A common stock.
 
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Purchases to cover short positions and stabilizing purchases, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the shares. They may also cause the price of the shares of our Class A common stock to be higher than the price that would otherwise prevail in the open market in the absence of these transactions. The underwriters may conduct these transactions on the Nasdaq Global Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. The underwriters are not required to engage in any of these transactions and may discontinue them at any time.
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on websites maintained by one or more of the underwriters or their respective affiliates. The representatives may agree with us to allocate a number of shares of our Class A common stock to underwriters for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriters’ or their respective affiliates’ websites and any information contained in any other website maintained by any of the underwriters or their respective affiliates is not part of this prospectus, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the underwriters and should not be relied upon by investors in this offering.
Other Relationships
The underwriters are full-service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may, from time to time, engage in transactions with and perform services for us in the ordinary course of their business for which they may receive customary fees and reimbursement of expenses. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (which may include bank loans or credit default swaps) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers and may at any time hold long and short positions in such securities and instruments. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. If the underwriters or their affiliates have a lending relationship with us, certain of those underwriters or their affiliates routinely hedge, and certain other of those underwriters or their affiliates may hedge, their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. Typically, the underwriters and their affiliates would hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of our affiliates, including potentially the shares of Class A common stock offered hereby. Any such credit default swaps or short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the shares of Class A common stock offered hereby. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make independent investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long or short positions in such securities and instruments.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area (each, a Relevant Member State), an offer of shares of our Class A common stock described in this prospectus may not be made to the public in that Relevant Member State other than under the following exemptions under the EU Prospectus Regulation:

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under the EU Prospectus Regulation;

to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under the EU Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant Dealer or Dealers nominated by us for any such offer; or

in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the EU Prospectus Regulation,
 
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provided that no such offer of shares of our Class A common stock shall require us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the EU Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the EU Prospectus Regulation.
For purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the shares of our Class A common stock to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any shares of our Class A common stock, the expression “EU Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
The sellers of the shares of our Class A common stock have not authorized and do not authorize the making of any offer of shares of our Class A common stock through any financial intermediary on their behalf, other than offers made by the underwriters with a view to the final placement of the shares of our Class A common stock as contemplated in this prospectus. Accordingly, no purchaser of the shares of our Class A common stock, other than the underwriters, is authorized to make any further offer of the shares of our Class A common stock on behalf of the sellers or the underwriters.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
This prospectus is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of the UK version of the EU Prospectus Regulation which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, that are also (1) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the Order), or (2) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order; or (3) any other person to whom this prospectus may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated to under the Order (each such person being referred to as a relevant person).
Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland
An offer of shares of our Class A common stock described in this prospectus may not be made to the public in Switzerland (within the meaning of Sections 3 and 35 the Swiss Financial Services Act (the FinSA) and of its implementing ordinance) other than under any of the statutory exemptions from the requirement to prepare and publish a prospectus, in particular Sections 36 to 38 FinSA, including (without limitations):

the offering in Switzerland is limited to professional clients (as defined in the FinSA) only;

the offering in Switzerland is addressed at fewer than 500 investors;

the offering in Switzerland is limited to shares of our Class A common stock allocated to current or former members of the board of directors or management board or employees of our company or affiliated entities; or

the shares of our Class A common stock are admitted to trading on a foreign trading venue whose regulation, supervision and transparency are acknowledged as being appropriate by the domestic trading venue or whose transparency for investors is ensured in another manner.
Moreover, the shares of our Class A common stock described in the prospectus are not admitted to trading on any trading venue (exchange or multilateral trading facility) in Switzerland. This prospectus and its contents do not constitute a prospectus pursuant to the FinSA, and no such prospectus within the meaning of the FinSA has been or will be prepared for or in connection with the offering of the shares of our Class A common stock.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Australia
No prospectus or other disclosure document (as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) of Australia, or Corporations Act) in relation to our Class A common stock has been or will be lodged with
 
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the Australian Securities & Investments Commission, or ASIC. This document has not been lodged with ASIC and is only directed to certain categories of exempt persons. Accordingly, if you receive this document in Australia:

you confirm and warrant that you are either:

a “sophisticated investor” under Section 708(8)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act;

a “sophisticated investor” under Section 708(8)(c) or (d) of the Corporations Act and that you have provided an accountant’s certificate to us which complies with the requirements of Section 708(8)(c)(i) or (ii) of the Corporations Act and related regulations before the offer has been made; a person associated with the company under Section 708(12) of the Corporations Act; or

a “professional investor” within the meaning of Section 708(11)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act, and to the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt sophisticated investor, associated person or professional investor under the Corporations Act any offer made to you under this document is void and incapable of acceptance; and

you warrant and agree that you will not offer any of our Class A common stock for resale in Australia within 12 months of that Class A common stock being issued unless any such resale offer is exempt from the requirement to issue a disclosure document under Section 708 of the Corporations Act.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada
The securities may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Pursuant to Section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Chile
The shares of our Class A common stock are not registered in the Securities Registry (Registro de Valores) or subject to the control of the Chilean Securities and Exchange Commission (Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros de Chile). This prospectus and other offering materials relating to the offer of the shares do not constitute a public offer of, or an invitation to subscribe for or purchase, the shares in the Republic of Chile, other than to individually identified purchasers pursuant to a private offering within the meaning of Article 4 of the Chilean Securities Market Act (Ley de Mercado de Valores) (an offer that is not “addressed to the public at large or to a certain sector or specific group of the public”).
Notice to Prospective Investors in France
Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the shares of our Class A common stock described in this prospectus has been submitted to the clearance procedures of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers or of the competent authority of another member state of the European Economic Area and notified to the Autorité des Marchés Financiers. The shares of our Class A common stock have not been
 
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offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France. Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the shares of our Class A common stock has been or will be:

released, issued, distributed or caused to be released, issued or distributed to the public in France; or

used in connection with any offer for subscription or sale of the shares of our Class A common stock to the public in France.
Such offers, sales and distributions will be made in France only:

to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) and/or to a restricted circle of investors (cercle restreint d’investisseurs), in each case investing for their own account, all as defined in and in accordance with articles L.411-2, D.411-1, D.411-2, D.734-1, D.744-1, D.754-1and D.764-1 of the French Code monétaire et financier;

to investment services providers authorized to engage in portfolio management on behalf of third parties; or

in a transaction that, in accordance with article L.411-2-II-1° -or-2° -or 3° of the French Code monétaire et financier and article 211-2 of the General Regulations (Règlement Général) of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, does not constitute a public offer (appel public à l’épargne).
The shares of our Class A common stock may be resold directly or indirectly, only in compliance with articles L.411-1, L.411-2, L.412-1 and L.621-8 through L.621-8-3 of the French Code monétaire et financier.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Germany
Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to shares of our Class A common stock described in this prospectus has been filed with or approved by the German Financial Services Supervisory Authority (undesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, or BaFin) according to the German Securities Prospectus Act (Wertpapierprospektgesetz, or WpPG), the German Investment Code (Kapitalanlagegesetzbuch) or the German Capital Investment Act (Vermögensanlagengesetz) or with any other governmental or regulatory authority in Germany.
The offering is not being made, and may not be made to the public in Germany as a Relevant Member State, except pursuant to one of the exemptions under the EU Prospectus Regulation set out in the Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area above. For Germany as on Relevant Member State, the EU Prospectus Regulation was supplemented by the WpPG.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong
The shares of our Class A common stock may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (1) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (2) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (3) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the shares of our Class A common stock may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares of our Class A common stock which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the State of Israel
In the State of Israel this prospectus shall not be regarded as an offer to the public to purchase shares of Class A common stock under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 — 1968, which requires a prospectus to be
 
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published and authorized by the Israel Securities Authority, if it complies with certain provisions of Section 15 of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 — 1968, including, inter alia, if: (1) the offer is made, distributed or directed to not more than 35 investors, subject to certain conditions, or the Addressed Investors; or (2) the offer is made, distributed or directed to certain qualified investors defined in the First Addendum of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 — 1968, subject to certain conditions, or Qualified Investors. The Qualified Investors shall not be taken into account in the count of the Addressed Investors and may be offered to purchase securities in addition to the 35 Addressed Investors. We have not and will not take any action that would require us to publish a prospectus in accordance with and subject to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 — 1968. We have not and will not distribute this prospectus or make, distribute or direct an offer to subscribe for our Class A common stock to any person within the State of Israel, other than to Qualified Investors and up to 35 Addressed Investors.
Qualified Investors may have to submit written evidence that they meet the definitions set out in of the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 — 1968. In particular, we may request that Qualified Investors will each represent, warrant and certify to us and/or to anyone acting on our behalf: (1) that it is an investor falling within one of the categories listed in the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 — 1968; (2) which of the categories listed in the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 — 1968 regarding Qualified Investors is applicable to it; (3) that it will abide by all provisions set forth in the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 — 1968 and the regulations promulgated thereunder in connection with this offering; (4) that the shares of Class A common stock that it will be issued are, subject to exemptions available under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 — 1968: (a) for its own account; (b) for investment purposes only; and (c) not issued with a view to resale within the State of Israel, other than in accordance with the provisions of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 -1968; and (5) that it is willing to provide further evidence of its Qualified Investor status. Addressed Investors may have to submit written evidence in respect of their identity and may have to sign and submit a declaration containing, inter alia, the Addressed Investor’s name, address and passport number or Israeli identification number.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan
The shares of our Class A common stock offered in this prospectus have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan. The shares of our Class A common stock have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the account of any resident of Japan (including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), except (1) pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and (2) in compliance with any other applicable requirements of Japanese law.
Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore
This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the shares of our Class A common stock may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the shares of our Class A common stock be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore, or the SFA, (2) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (3) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to compliance with conditions set forth in the SFA.
Where the shares of our Class A common stock are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant party which is:

a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor, shares, debentures
 
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and units of shares of our Class A common stock and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares of our Class A common stock pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

to an institutional investor (for corporations, under Section 274 of the SFA) or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer that is made on terms that such shares, debentures and units of shares of our Class A common stock and debentures of that corporation or such rights and interest in that trust are acquired at a consideration of not less than $200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction, whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets, and further for corporations, in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA;

where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; or

where the transfer is by operation of law.
 
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LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the shares of Class A common stock offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C., Boston, Massachusetts. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Goodwin Procter LLP, New York, New York.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Sera Prognostics, Inc. at December 31, 2020 and 2019, and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020, appearing in this Prospectus and Registration Statement have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon appearing elsewhere herein, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1, including exhibits and schedules, under the Securities Act that registers the shares of our Class A common stock to be sold in this offering. This prospectus does not contain all the information contained in the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed as part of the registration statement. For further information with respect to us and our Class A common stock, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed as part of the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other document are not necessarily complete. If a contract or document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, we refer you to the copies of the contract or document that has been filed. Each statement in this prospectus relating to a contract or document filed as an exhibit is qualified in all respects by the filed exhibit.
Upon the completion of this offering, we will file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC under the Exchange Act. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Our website address is https://www.seraprognostics.com/. The information contained in, and that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated into and shall not be deemed to be part of this prospectus. We have included our website address in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference.
 
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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
F-2
Financial Statements:
F-3
F-4
F-5
F-6
F-7
INDEX TO UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Unaudited Interim Condensed Financial Statements:
F-30
F-31
F-32
F-33
F-34
 
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Sera Prognostics, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related statements of operations and comprehensive loss, convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ deficit and cash flows for the years then ended, 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 at December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
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 audit. 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/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2012.
Salt Lake City, Utah
March 26, 2021
except for Note 1 and paragraph 5 of Note 16, as to which the date is
May 5, 2021
except for paragraph 6 of Note 16, as to which the date is
July 7, 2021
 
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
December 31,
2020
2019
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 13,533 $ 21,390
Accounts receivable
2 1
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
198 161
Total current assets
13,733 21,552
Property and equipment, net
965 1,635
Other assets
98 72
Total assets
$ 14,796 $ 23,259
Liabilities, Convertible Preferred Stock, and Stockholders’ Deficit
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
$ 441 $ 748
Accrued and other current liabilities
1,577 1,303
Accrued interest on convertible note
996
Deferred rent, current portion
130 114
Capital lease obligation, current portion
69 72
Convertible promissory note, current portion
4,353
Loans payable, current portion
3,676 3,667
Total current liabilities
11,242 5,904
Deferred rent
139 268
Loans payable, net of current portion
348 1,935
Convertible promissory note, net of current portion
3,507
Preferred stock warrant liability
474 230
Capital lease obligation, net of current portion
127 134
Other liabilities
555
Total liabilities
12,330 12,533
Commitments and contingencies
Convertible preferred stock:
Junior convertible preferred stock, par value of $0.0001; 20,537,294 shares
authorized, 9,819,480 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2020
and 2019; aggregate liquidation preference of $78,916 as of December 31,
2020 and 2019;
77,844 77,844
Senior convertible preferred stock, par value of $0.0001; 12,320,844 shares
authorized, 5,737,440 and 4,546,024 shares issued and outstanding as of
December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively; aggregate liquidation preference of
$102,535 and $81,035 as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively;
50,192 39,506
Stockholders’ deficit:
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 55,000,000 shares authorized, 1,700,625 and
1,525,119 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and 2019,
respectively
Additional paid-in capital
5,889 4,987
Accumulated deficit
(131,459) (111,611)
Total stockholders’ deficit
(125,570) (106,624)
Total liabilities, convertible preferred stock, and stockholders’ deficit
$ 14,796 $ 23,259
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Year Ended
December 31,
2020
2019
Revenue
$ 25 $ 36
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenue
11 18
Research and development
7,782 9,353
Selling and marketing
3,645 2,963
General and administrative
6,558 4,278
Total operating expenses
17,996 16,612
Loss from operations
(17,971) (16,576)
Interest expense
(1,839) (1,972)
Other income (expense), net
(38) 2,027
Net loss and comprehensive loss
$ (19,848) $ (16,521)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
$ (12.76) $ (10.89)
Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding, basic and diluted
1,555,745 1,516,871
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
Statements Of Convertible Preferred Stock And Stockholders’ Deficit
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Senior Convertible
Preferred Stock
Junior Convertible
Preferred Stock
Common Stock
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
Accumulated
Deficit
Total
Stockholders’
Deficit
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Balance as of December 31, 2018
$ 9,819,480 $ 77,844 1,503,930 $ 3,617 $ (95,090) $ (91,473)
Issuance of Series D senior convertible preferred stock at $9.03 per share, net of issuance costs and commissions of
$0.4 million
4,546,024 39,681
Fair value of warrants to purchase common stock issued to investors
902 902
Fair value of warrants to purchase Series D Senior convertible preferred stock issued as commissions
(175)
Issuance of common stock
upon exercise of stock
options, and vesting of early
exercised options
21,189 30 30
Stock-based compensation expense
438 438
Net loss
(16,521) (16,521)
Balance as of December 31, 2019
4,546,024 $ 39,506 9,819,480 $ 77,844 1,525,119 $ $ 4,987 $ (111,611) $ (106,624)
Issuance of Series D senior convertible preferred stock at $9.03 per share, net of issuance costs of $0.1 million
1,191,416 10,686
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options
175,506 176 176
Stock-based compensation expense
726 726
Net loss
(19,848) (19,848)
Balance as of December 31, 2020
5,737,440 $ 50,192 9,819,480 $ 77,844 1,700,625 $ $ 5,889 $ (131,459) $ (125,570)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
Year Ended
December 31,
2020
2019
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss
$ (19,848) $ (16,521)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
895 946
Stock-based compensation
726 438
Gain on disposal of fixed assets
(103)
Non-cash interest expense
1,589 1,509
Fair value adjustment to tranche forward liability
(619)
Other non-cash gain (loss)
81 (1,328)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
(2) 6
Prepaid expenses and other assets
(62) 23
Accounts payable
(307) (534)
Deferred rent
(114) (98)
Accrued and other current liabilities
174 (3,043)
Net cash used in operating activities
(16,868) (19,324)
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment
(149) (109)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment
103
Net cash used in investing activities
(149) (6)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of Series D convertible preferred stock, net of
issuance costs
10,686 29,147
Proceeds allocated to issuance of common stock warrants
902
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
176 28
Proceeds from convertible notes payable
6,600
Proceeds from loan payable
1,050
Payment of loan payable
(2,667) (3,333)
Capital lease principal payments
(85) (282)
Payment of deferred finance fees
(13)
Net cash provided by financing activities
9,160 33,049
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
(7,857) 13,719
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
21,390 7,671
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year
$ 13,533 $ 21,390
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Cash paid for interest expense
$ 250 $ 463
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing information
Purchases of property and equipment in accounts payable and accruals
$ 33 $ 30
Warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock issued as commissions
$ $ 175
Conversion of convertible notes and accrued interest to Series D convertible preferred stock
$ $ 10,033
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
Notes to Financial Statements
1. Description of Business and Financial Condition
Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”) is a women’s health company leveraging its proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform to discover, develop and commercialize clinically meaningful and economically impactful biomarker tests with an initial focus on improving pregnancy outcomes. The Company was incorporated in the State of Delaware on January 17, 2008 and its operations are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, including a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified laboratory.
Since its inception, the Company’s activities have consisted of performing research and development, conducting clinical studies, acquiring product rights, raising capital, establishing facilities, and establishing commercial operations to market the PreTRM test.
The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties common to companies in the diagnostics industry, including but not limited to, risks associated with commercializing products, completing preclinical and clinical studies, receiving regulatory approvals for product candidates, if required, development by competitors of new diagnostic products, dependence on key personnel, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government regulations and the ability to secure additional capital to fund operations. Products currently under development will require significant additional research and development efforts, including preclinical and clinical testing, prior to commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital and adequate personnel and infrastructure. Even if the Company’s product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will realize significant revenue from product sales.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business.
The Company has incurred net losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception and had an accumulated deficit of $131.5 million as of December 31, 2020. The principal sources of the Company’s working capital to date has been the proceeds from the issuance of convertible preferred stock, convertible notes, and bank loans. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had approximately $13.5 million in cash and cash equivalents. From February through April 2021, the Company received an aggregate of $100.1 million in net proceeds from the issuance of Series E convertible preferred stock.
Management expects the Company to incur significant additional operating losses and negative cash flows for the foreseeable future, principally as a result of the Company’s commercialization activities for the PreTRM test, and to support additional clinical studies and anticipated research and development activities. The Company had no material commercial product revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 and has no recurring sources of licensing or other revenue. There can be no assurance that the Company will eventually achieve significant revenues or profitability to sustain operations, or if achieved, can sustain either on a continuing basis. If the Company is unable to achieve significant revenues or raise additional funding, when needed, it may not be able to continue the development or commercialization of its diagnostic products and could be required to delay, scale back or abandon some or all of its development programs and other operations. Any additional equity financing, if available to the Company, may not be available on favorable terms, may be dilutive to current stockholders, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants and dilutive financing instruments. Due to the proceeds from the issuance of Series E convertible preferred stock, management believes that its existing financial resources are sufficient to continue operating activities at least one year past the issuance date of these financial statements. The Company’s future operations are highly dependent on a combination of factors, including (i) the successful commercial launch and market acceptance of the PreTRM test; (ii) the success of other research and development programs; (iii) the development of competitive diagnostic tests by other biotechnology companies; (iv) the Company’s ability to manage growth of the organization; (v) the Company’s ability to protect its technology and products; and, ultimately (vi) the timely and successful completion of any additional financing.
 
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2. Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP).
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 the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period and accompanying notes. On an on-going basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to the determination of fair value of its shares of common stock and stock options, common and preferred stock warrants, valuation of deferred tax assets resulting from net operating losses, and useful lives of property and equipment. The Company bases these estimates on historical and anticipated results, trends, and various other assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable under the circumstances, including assumptions as to future events. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, was identified. Due to the rapid and global spread of the virus, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. To slow the proliferation of COVID-19, governments have implemented extraordinary measures, which include the mandatory closure of businesses, restrictions on travel and gatherings, and quarantine and physical distancing requirements.
There were no significant estimates contained in the preparation of the Company’s financial statements or impacts to the Company’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 that were directly a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company is not aware of any specific event or circumstance that would require an update to its estimates, judgments and assumptions or a revision of the carrying value of the Company’s assets or liabilities as of the date of the financial statements.
Cash and cash equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid financial instruments with original maturities of 90 days or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and money market accounts and are stated at fair value.
Concentration of credit risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. The Company maintains bank deposits in accounts at a single federally insured financial institution and these deposits may exceed federally insured limits. The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of default by the financial institution holding its cash to the extent recorded in the balance sheet. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method over the shorter of estimated useful lives of the assets or the respective lease term. The estimated useful life of each asset category is as follows:
Computer equipment 3 years
Software 3 years
Machinery and equipment 5 years
Furniture and fixtures 5 years
Leasehold improvements Shorter of useful life or remaining lease term
 
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Amortization expense of assets acquired through capital leases is included in depreciation and amortization expense in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Costs of repairs and maintenance that do not extend the useful life or improve the related assets are expensed as incurred. Costs of major replacement or improvement are capitalized. When assets are sold, or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is included in operating expense. During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company recorded net gains on the disposal of property and equipment of $0.0 million and $0.1 million, respectively.
Leases
The Company rents its facilities under an operating lease agreement and recognizes related rent expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. The lease agreement contains an incentive allowance, rent holidays, scheduled rent increases, and renewal options. Rent holidays and scheduled rent increases are included in the determination of rent expense to be recorded over the lease term. Renewals are not assumed in the determination of the lease term unless they are deemed to be reasonably assured at the inception of the lease. The Company recognizes rent expense beginning on the date it obtains the legal right to use and control the leased space.
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company defers offering costs consisting of legal, accounting and other fees and costs directly associated with in-process equity financings until such financings are consummated. After consummation of the equity financing, these costs are classified in stockholders’ deficit as a reduction of additional paid-in capital recorded as a result of the financing. In the case of preferred stock financing, the costs incurred are recorded against the net proceeds recorded as preferred stock issued by the Company. If the in-process financing is abandoned, the deferred offering costs are expensed immediately as a charge to operating expenses in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss. As of December 31, 2020, approximately $25.9 thousand of deferred offering costs were recorded within other assets in the accompanying balance sheets. As of December 31, 2019, no such costs were deferred.
Convertible Preferred Stock
The Company records convertible preferred stock based on issuance price on the dates of issuance, net of issuance costs. The convertible preferred stock has been classified outside of stockholders’ deficit as temporary equity on the accompanying balance sheet because the shares contain certain redemption features that are not solely within the control of the Company. The convertible preferred stock is not generally redeemable; however, upon certain change in control events that are outside of the Company’s control, including liquidation, sale or transfer of control of the Company, holders of the convertible preferred stock may have the right to receive its liquidation preference under the terms of the Company’s certificate of incorporation. The carrying values of the convertible preferred stock are adjusted to their liquidation preferences if and when it becomes probable that such a liquidation event will occur.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is generated from the sale of PreTRM tests. The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606. The standard contains principles applied to determine the measurement of revenue and timing of when it is recognized. The Company applies a five-step approach in accordance with the standard: (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 applies the five-step model when it is probable that the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for fulfilling its performance obligation. The Company recognizes revenue upon delivery of test results, which it considers to be the only performance obligation, and allocates 100% of the transaction price to this performance obligation.
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue reflects the aggregate costs incurred in delivering the proteomic testing results to clinicians and includes expenses for third-party sample collection and shipping costs, as well as the Company’s
 
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lab personnel, materials and supplies, equipment and infrastructure expenses associated with clinical testing, and allocated overhead including rent and equipment depreciation. Costs associated with performing the Company’s tests are recorded as the tests are processed regardless of whether and when revenue is recognized with respect to such tests.
Research and Development Expenses
The Company expenses all research and development costs as they are incurred. Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, stock-based compensation charges, clinical trial costs, and third-party contracted services associated with research and development. The Company recognizes expense associated with third-party contracted services based on the completion of activities as specified in the applicable contracts. Costs incurred under contracts with clinical sites are generally accrued as patient encounters occur, consistent with the terms outlined in the associated contract. Upon termination of contracts with third parties, the Company’s obligations are limited to costs incurred or committed to date. As a result, accrued research and development expenses represent the estimated contractual liability to third parties at the reported period.
Stock-based Compensation
The Company recognizes stock-based compensation for all stock-based awards in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, which requires an entity to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award.
The Company estimates the fair value of share-based awards issued under its employee compensation plans using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Input assumptions used in calculating the fair value of stock-based awards represent management’s estimates and involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management’s judgment. These input assumptions include the estimated fair value of the Company’s common stock, the expected term of the awards, the expected common stock price volatility over the term of the awards, risk-free interest rates, and the expected dividend yield.
The Company uses the simplified calculation of expected life, volatility is based on an average of the historical volatilities of the common stock of select comparable publicly-traded entities with characteristics similar to those of the Company. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected life of the option. Expected forfeitures are an estimate based on the Company’s historical experience and are re-evaluated annually and adjusted as necessary. The fair value of equity awards is recognized as compensation cost on a straight-line basis by the Company over the employee’s requisite service period (vesting period). Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if the actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. All stock-based compensation costs are recorded in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss based upon the underlying employee’s role within the Company.
Prior to January 1, 2020, equity instruments issued to non-employees were recognized in accordance with ASC 505-50 Equity Based Payments to Non-Employees. Based on this guidance, awards were recorded at their fair value on the measurement date subject to periodic remeasurement and share based compensation expense was recognized over the vesting terms. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU No. 2018-07 (Topic 718), Compensation — Stock Compensation, which expanded the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions with non-employees. The fair value of all outstanding and unvested previously granted non-employee awards was established on January 1, 2020, the effective date of adoption, and share-based compensation expense will continue to be recorded on a straight-line basis over their remaining vesting period, consistent with share-based payment awards granted to employees.
The Company issued a convertible preferred stock warrant (see Note 9 — Capital Structure) in conjunction with the issuance of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock. The award is recorded as a preferred stock warrant liability on the balance sheet and the resulting value is recognized as other income (expense) during each reporting period until the warrant is exercised or expires.
 
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Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of the differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.
The Company recognizes deferred tax assets to the extent that it believes these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If the Company determines that it would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, the Company would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.
The Company records uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC 740 on the basis of a two-step process whereby (1) it determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, it recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority.
The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within the income tax expense line in the accompanying Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. Any accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions will be reflected as a liability in the Balance Sheet.
Segments
The Company operates as one operating segment, which is developing and commercializing its medical diagnostic products. The Company’s chief operating decision maker, its chief executive officer, reviews financial information on an aggregate basis for making decisions regarding resource allocation and assessing performance.
Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss consists of net loss and other gains and losses affecting stockholders’ deficit that, under U.S. GAAP, are excluded from net loss. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company has no transactions that would be reported to derive comprehensive loss. As such, net loss equals comprehensive loss for the periods presented.
Net Loss per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders
Basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is calculated by dividing the net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period, without consideration of potentially dilutive securities.
Diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is computed by dividing the net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock and potentially dilutive securities outstanding for the period. For purposes of the diluted net loss per share calculation, convertible preferred stock, stock options, warrants to purchase common stock, warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock and convertible notes are considered to be potentially dilutive securities.
The Company applies the two-class method to calculate its basic and diluted net loss per share as the Company has issued shares that meet the definition of participating securities. The two-class method is an earnings allocation formula that treats a participating security as having rights to earnings that otherwise would have been available to common stockholders. The Company’s participating securities contractually entitle the holders of such shares to participate in dividends, but do not contractually require the holders of
 
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such shares to participate in losses of the Company. In periods in which the Company reports a net loss, losses are not allocated to such participating securities.
Accordingly, in periods in which the Company reports a net loss, diluted net loss per share is the same as basic net loss per share, since dilutive common shares are not assumed to have been issued if their effect is anti-dilutive.
Emerging Growth Company Status
The Company is an emerging growth company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. The Company has elected to use this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that it is (a) no longer an emerging growth company or (b) affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, these financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use asset for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date. The standard was effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and for private companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU 2016-02 will have on its financial statements and related disclosures. The Company expects to adopt this new standard on January 1, 2022 and has not yet determined the effect of the standard on its ongoing financial reporting.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. This standard removes certain exceptions for investments, intra-period allocations and interim calculations, and adds guidance to reduce complexity in accounting for income taxes. This standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2022, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact this standard may have on our financial statements and disclosures.
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging-Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) (“ASU 2020-06”), which simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments. The guidance removes certain accounting models that separate the embedded conversion features from the host contract for convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 allows for a modified or full retrospective method of transition. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this change will have on its financial statements.
 
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Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB (including its Emerging Issues Task Force), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) did not, or are not believed by management to, have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
3. Property and Equipment
The following table presents the components of property and equipment, net, as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):
December 31,
2020
2019
Computer equipment
$ 767 $ 601
Software
373 373
Laboratory equipment
4,194 4,149
Furniture and fixtures
292 292
Leasehold improvements
701 689
Total property and equipment
6,327 6,104
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
(5,362) (4,469)
Property and equipment, net
$ 965 $ 1,635
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, $3.0 million and $2.9 million of the Company’s laboratory equipment was subject to capital leases, which assets had recorded accumulated amortization of $2.6 million and $2.0 million, respectively. Associated amortization expense, included with depreciation expense, for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 totaled $0.6 million.
Depreciation and amortization expense was $0.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
4. Accrued and Other Current Liabilities
The following table presents the components of accrued and other current liabilities as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):
December 31,
2020
2019
Accrued paid time off
$ 290 $ 158
Accrued compensation
996 782
Accrued clinical studies
183
Unrecognized grant income
43
Bank loan final payment fee
100
Other current liabilities
191 137
Total accrued and other current liabilities
$ 1,577 $ 1,303
 
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5. Other Income (Expense), net
The following table presents the components of other income (expense), net, for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):
December 31,
2020
2019
Interest income
$ 42 $ 64
Fair value remeasurements
(80) (129)
Grant income
17
Other gains (losses), net
2,075
Other income (expense), net
$ (38) $ 2,027
6. Loans and Convertible Promissory Notes
Bank Loan
In 2014, through a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Pacific Western Bank (the “Bank”) the Company obtained a term loan for $10.0 million. The Loan Agreement, as amended, has a final repayment date of September 1, 2021. Repayment of amounts borrowed are paid in equal monthly installments of principal, plus all accrued interest. The loan bears interest, on the outstanding daily balance, equal to the greater of 1.0% above the Prime Rate then in effect, or 4.75%. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had total outstanding borrowings of $3.0 million under the Loan Agreement, subject to an interest rate of 4.75% per annum. All of the Company’s scheduled principal payments are due within twelve months of the date of the financial statements and are therefore classified as a current liability.
In addition, the Loan Agreement requires a Final Payment Fee (as defined in the Loan Agreement) equal to one-percent of the aggregate principal amount borrowed, or $0.1 million. This fee, as well as deferred finance fees from the initiation of the bank loan in previous years, are recorded as a deduction from the carrying value of the loan payable and are amortized to interest expense over the remaining term of the Loan Agreement, or earlier termination date.
In connection with Amendment No. 4 to the Loan Agreement, dated March 1, 2017, the Company issued the Bank a fully-vested warrant (the “2017 Warrant”) to purchase 8,083 shares of series C-1 convertible preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series C-1 Convertible Preferred Stock”) at a purchase price of $12.38 per share with a ten-year term. Accounting for the 2017 Warrants is described in Note 11 — Warrants.
The Loan Agreement, as amended, also contains a number of affirmative and restrictive covenants including limitations on mergers, consolidations and dissolutions, sales of assets, investments and acquisitions, indebtedness, liens, affiliate transactions, dividends and restricted payments, deposit accounts held at other institutions, and issuance of audited financial statements. The Loan Agreement contains events of default for non-payment of principal and interest when due, a cross-default provision with respect to other indebtedness having an aggregate principal amount of at least $0.1 million and an event of default that would be triggered by a change in control, as defined in the agreement.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company was in compliance with its financial covenants under the Loan Agreement.
Convertible Promissory Notes
In November 2018, the Company authorized the issuance of $7.6 million of subordinated convertible promissory notes (the “2018 Notes”) to existing investors, bearing 5% interest and a maturity date of December 31, 2019. In April 2019, the Company received an additional $0.2 million from an existing investor in conjunction with the 2018 Notes. The 2018 Notes were mandatorily convertible into shares of the Company’s Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and represented an advance of the aggregate purchase price of the closing of the anticipated Series D Convertible Preferred Stock Financing (as defined herein).
 
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In July 2019, all $7.8 million of the 2018 Notes’ principal and $0.2 million of accrued interest converted into 889,942 shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock at the transaction price of $9.03 per share (the “Series D Original Issue Price”).
In February 2019, the Company authorized the issuance of a $6.4 million subordinated convertible promissory note (the “February 2019 Convertible Note”) to a current stockholder, bearing 12% interest and a maturity date of February 26, 2021, to provide liquidity and additional working capital. On February 15, 2021, the maturity date was extended to March 28, 2021. The February 2019 Convertible Note was optionally convertible into shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock at a conversion price equal to 80% of the issuance price of Series D. In July 2019, $1.9 million of the $6.4 million February 2019 Convertible Note’s principal and $0.1 million of accrued interest was converted into 277,507 shares of the Company’s Series D Preferred Stock, at the option of the holder of the February 2019 Convertible Note, at a conversion price equal to 80% of the issuance price of Series D of $9.03 per share. If not repaid or converted prior to the maturity date, the February 2019 Convertible Note’s remaining principal and accrued interest shall convert, at the option of the Holder, into shares of Series C-1 Convertible Preferred Stock and the holder will receive a number of common stock warrants based on the amount of unpaid principal outstanding.
The conversion feature of the February 2019 Convertible Note met the requirements for separate accounting and was recognized as a liability at the measurement date fair value of $2.4 million, subject to remeasurement to fair value, with any changes in estimated fair value recognized as a component of other income (expense), net. A corresponding discount which reduces the carrying value of the February 2019 Convertible Note was also recorded. The unamortized discount was written off in proportion to the partial conversion, with the remaining discount being accreted to interest expense until maturity.
The Company recognized additional interest expense of $0.8 million from accretion of the discount in 2019. On the conversion date, the fair value of the conversion feature increased, resulting in a loss of $0.7 million, which is shown, net of other fair value adjustments, as a component of other income (expense), net (see Note 5 — Other income (expense), net). The proportional fair value of the liability at conversion resulted in a loss on extinguishment of $0.1 million. Pursuant to the terms of the February 2019 Convertible Note, the noteholder could no longer exercise the conversion feature, and therefore the conversion feature had no value, resulting in a gain of $2.2 million. This gain is shown, net of the $0.1 million loss on extinguishment, as other gains (losses), a component of other income (expense), net (see Note 5 — Other income (expense)).
In August 2019, the Company authorized the issuance of a $5.0 million subordinated convertible promissory note (the “August 2019 Note”) to a new investor and non-U.S. commercial partner. The August 2019 Note bore 5% interest and had a maturity date of December 31, 2019. The August 2019 Note was mandatorily convertible into shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock with principal and all interest accrued thereon converting at a per share price equal to the price per share at which Series D Convertible Preferred Stock was sold to investors. In August 2019, the August 2019 Note legally converted. Pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement, dated May 10, 2019, by and between the Company and the holder of the August 2019 Note, the holder is entitled to purchase additional shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, in the event that certain milestones, within the Company’s control, are met. As of December 31, 2020 this milestone had not been achieved.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company recorded an outstanding convertible note payable balance of $4.4 million, and accrued interest of $1.0 million, related to the February 2019 Convertible Note.
Paycheck Protection Loan
In April 2020, the Company obtained a $1.1 million loan through Pacific Western Bank under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, as amended (‘‘CARES Act’’). The loan’s purpose is to maintain payroll and make rent and utilities payments as specified under the terms of the PPP. Under the PPP, borrowers may apply for loan forgiveness if the funds are used for payroll costs, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities payments over a specified term following receipt of the loan funds. During the term of the agreement, the Company utilized the loan funds for forgivable and applied for forgiveness. To the extent all or part of the PPP loan is not forgiven, the Company will be required to pay interest on the PPP loan at a rate of 1% per annum and principal and interest
 
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payments will be required through the maturity date in April 2022. The loan proceeds are recorded as a loan payable, with the amount due within one year, $0.7 million, recorded as a current liability and $0.4 million recorded as a noncurrent liability, on the Company’s balance sheet as of December 31, 2020.
The following table presents the maturity information regarding the Company’s loans and convertible promissory note (in thousands) as of December 31, 2020:
2021
2022
2023
2023 and
Thereafter
Total
Loan payable
$ 3,100 $ $ $ $ 3,100
February 2019 Convertible Note
$ 4,494 $ $ $ $ 4,494
Paycheck Protection Loan payable
$ 702 $ 348 $ $ $ 1,050
7. Fair Value Measurements
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the carrying amounts of the Company’s receivables, prepaid and other current assets, accounts payable, and accrued and other current liabilities approximate their fair values, principally due to the short-term maturities of the assets and liabilities. The recorded value of the loan payable and capital leases approximates the fair value as the interest rates approximate market interest rates.
The fair value of the preferred stock warrant liability was estimated based upon a Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities (cash equivalents and the warrant liability) at fair value on a recurring basis.
The Company follows a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to measurements involving significant unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
Level 1 measurements are observable, quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.
Level 2 measurements are observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable either directly or indirectly or quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
Level 3 measurements are unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the Company to develop its own assumptions.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s cash equivalents have been classified as Level 1 assets. The Company’s convertible preferred stock warrant liability has been valued using Level 3 inputs (see Note 11 — Warrants). The Company, utilizing a third-party valuation firm to assist with the estimation of the fair value of common stock, employed a hybrid method of option-pricing model (OPM) and Probability-Weighted Expected Return Method (PWERM). Under the hybrid OPM and PWERM approach, the per share value calculated under OPM and PWERM are weighted based on expected exit outcomes and the quality of the information specific to each allocation methodology to arrive at a final estimated fair value per share of the common stock before a discount for lack of marketability is applied. This model also calculates the fair value of the other classes of equity, including preferred stock. This estimated preferred stock value, along with other significant unobservable inputs, was an input into a Black-Scholes option pricing model, which calculated the fair value of the preferred stock warrant liability.
The other significant unobservable inputs in this calculation are the remaining expected term, which considers the timing of a liquidation event that would net settle the awards before their contractual term
 
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expires, and the expected equity volatility, which is a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security. Volatility is determined based on select comparable public guideline companies in the same business sector.
Significant increases (decreases) in the term would result in significantly higher (lower) fair value measurements. Significant increases (decreases) in the volatility would result in significantly higher (lower) fair value measurements.
The following table shows the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis by level within the fair value hierarchy (in thousands) as of December 31, 2020:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Assets:
Cash equivalents
$ 13,533 $
Liabilities:
Warrant liability
474
Total
$ 13,533 $ 474
The following table shows the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis by level within the fair value hierarchy (in thousands) as of December 31, 2019:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Assets:
Cash equivalents
$ 21,390 $
Liabilities:
Warrant liability
230
Total
$ 21,390 $ 230
Tables providing a roll forward of the fair value, as determined by Level 3 inputs, of the Company’s convertible preferred stock warrant liability for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 are included in Note 11 — Warrants.
8. Related Party Transactions
In July 2019, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, LLC “Blue Ox”) to advise the Company on development of strategies with the goal to obtain widespread insurance coverage for the PreTRM test. Contemporaneously with the consulting agreement, Blue Ox participated in the initial closing of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock financing in July 2019 and appointed its designee to the Company’s board of directors (the “Board of Directors”). The Company paid consulting fees related to the consulting agreement of $0.4 million and $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
In January 2017, Laboratory Corporation of America, or Labcorp, and the Company entered into a strategic commercialization agreement contemporaneously with Labcorp’s participation in the Company’s sale of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Under the agreement with Labcorp, amended in 2018, Labcorp is a non-exclusive distributor of the PreTRM test and performs certain sample collection, processing, and shipping services, for a fee. The Company paid fees related to this agreement of less than $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
On June 25, 2019, the Company entered into a master services agreement with a Healthcore Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anthem Inc. This agreement covers a range of research projects, including their role as a contract research organization for the Prematurity Risk Assessment Combined With Clinical Interventions for Improving Neonatal outcoMEs (PRIME) study. The Company paid fees related to this agreement of $1.1 million and $0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
 
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9. Capital Structure
Common Stock
As of December 31, 2020, the Company was authorized to issue 55,000,000 shares of $0.0001 par value common stock. Common stockholders are entitled to dividends if and when declared by the Board of Directors, subject to the prior rights of holders of all classes of stock outstanding having priority rights to dividends. The holder of each share of common stock is entitled to one vote. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, no dividends were declared.
The following shares of common stock were reserved for future issuance:
December 31,
2020
2019
Senior convertible preferred stock
5,737,440 4,546,024
Junior convertible preferred stock
9,819,480 9,819,480
Shares issuable under convertible note
665,699 600,126
Warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock
81,543 80,545
Warrants to purchase common stock
2,019,590 2,019,590
Options to purchase common stock
4,096,722 2,730,707
Common stock available for future issuance under the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan
388,505 45,145
Total
22,808,979 19,841,617
Convertible Preferred Stock
Issued and outstanding convertible preferred stock and its principal terms as of December 31, 2020 were as follows (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
Series
Shares
Authorized
Shares Issued
and
Outstanding
Original Issue
Price
Aggregate
Liquidation
Preference
Proceeds,
net of
issuance costs
Series A-1 Junior Preferred Stock
1,390 667 $ 2,079.00       $ 1,390 $ 1,390
Series A-2 Junior Preferred Stock
7,941,499 3,803,878 5.20 19,771 19,595
Series B-1 Junior Preferred Stock
2,060,000 961,994 5.20 5,000 4,914
Series B-2 Junior Preferred Stock
5,012,500 2,404,995 8.32 20,000 19,984
Series C-1 Junior Preferred Stock
5,521,905 2,647,946 12.38 32,755 32,653
Series D Senior Preferred Stock
12,320,844 5,737,440 9.03 102,535 50,415
Total Convertible Preferred Stock
32,858,138 15,556,920 $ 181,451 $ 128,951
Issued and outstanding convertible preferred stock and its principal terms as of December 31, 2019 were as follows (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
Series
Shares
Authorized
Shares Issued
and
Outstanding
Original Issue
Price
Aggregate
Liquidation
Preference
Proceeds,
net of
issuance costs
Series A-1 Junior Preferred Stock
1,390 667 $ 2,079.00 $ 1,390 $ 1,390
Series A-2 Junior Preferred Stock
7,941,499 3,803,878 5.20 19,771 19,595
Series B-1 Junior Preferred Stock
2,060,000 961,994 5.20 5,000 4,914
Series B-2 Junior Preferred Stock
5,012,500 2,404,995 8.32 20,000 19,984
Series C-1 Junior Preferred Stock
5,521,905 2,647,946 12.38 32,755 32,652
Series D Senior Preferred Stock
12,320,844 4,546,024 9.03 81,035 39,729
Total Convertible Preferred Stock
32,858,138 14,365,504 $ 159,951 $ 118,264
 
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The 2019 issuance of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock created a senior and junior preferred stock ranking, whereby Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, which we refer to as the “Senior Preferred Stock” is senior to all other classes of Preferred Stock, which we collectively refer to as “Junior Preferred Stock” (both Junior Preferred Stock and Senior Preferred Stock together, the “convertible preferred stock”).
In July 2019, the Company authorized 12,320,844 shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock. Between July and December 2019, the Company issued an aggregate of 4,546,024 shares for $9.03 per share to new and existing investors in exchange for $30.0 million of proceeds, net of issuance costs, including conversion of $5.0 million of principal associated with the August 2019 Notes, and conversion of $7.8 million and $0.2 million of principal and accrued interest, respectively, associated with the November 2018 Notes, and $1.9 million and $0.1 million of principal and accrued interest, respectively, associated with the February 2019 Notes (see Note 6 — Loan and Convertible Promissory Notes).
The terms of the sale of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock include rights and preferences that differ from the terms of the sale of the Company’s Series C-1 Convertible Preferred Stock and previous preferred stock financings. Series D Convertible Preferred Stock is senior to all other classes or series of preferred stock and includes a liquidation preference equal to two times the original issue price of $4.34.
Purchasers of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock also received 1,009,795 warrants to purchase shares of common stock of the Company at a price of $9.03 per share, and 1,009,795 warrants to purchase shares of common stock of the Company at a price of $10.84 per share. The Company allocated a portion of the proceeds of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock Financing to the warrants based on the estimated fair value of these warrants and recorded those amounts on the accompanying Statements of Cash Flows and Statements of Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Deficit. We refer to the foregoing transactions collectively as the “Series D Preferred Stock Financing.”
Prior to the Series D Preferred Stock Financing, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with an agency to facilitate investment from certain non-US investors. This agreement specified that the Company would pay both a fee and warrants to purchase shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock based on a percentage of the amount received from certain non-US investors. The Company paid fees of $0.4 million and issued 21,611 fully vested warrants to purchase shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock to this consultant, which the Company estimated to have a fair value of $0.2 million. The Company recognized the fees and the fair value of the warrants issued as a reduction to additional paid-in capital and recorded a corresponding preferred stock warrant liability on the accompanying Balance Sheets.
Under the terms of the Series C-1 Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement dated January 9, 2017, by and among the Company and the purchasers identified therein, as amended on February 9, 2017, Labcorp committed to purchase, and the Company authorized, 726,147 shares of series C-2 convertible preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series C-2 Convertible Preferred Stock”), for $17.22 per share, in exchange for $12.5 million in cash, subject to adjustment, and conditional upon the Company’s achievement of a milestone, as defined in the stock purchase agreement, which included achieving positive results in one of two clinical outcome studies. The Company recorded this preferred stock tranche forward obligation to issue contingently redeemable shares of Series C-2 Convertible Preferred Stock as a forward contract liability in the Company’s balance sheets at its estimated fair market value and remeasured the liability at each annual reporting period. As the milestones related to this commitment are not expected to be achieved, the Company has determined the fair value of this forward tranche liability was $0 as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Company reported $0 and $0.6 million of other income related to the change in fair value for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
The holders of convertible preferred stock have various rights and preferences including the following:
Dividends
The holders of convertible preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends out of any assets legally available only when, as, and if declared by the Company’s board of directors, prior to and in preference to any declaration or payment of any dividend on the common stock. Such dividends are noncumulative. As of December 31, 2020, and 2019, there were no cumulative dividends owed or in arrears.
 
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Liquidation Preference
In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock then outstanding will be entitled to an amount per share equal to two times the Series D Original Issue Price, plus all declared and unpaid dividends on such share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, before any payment are made to the holders of common stock, the Junior Preferred Stock or any other class or series of stock junior to the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock. If available funds and assets are not sufficient to pay the holders of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock the full amount to which they are be entitled, payments will be made on a pro rata, equal priority, pari passu basis.
After the payment of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock preferential liquidation amount, the holders of shares of Junior Preferred Stock then outstanding, on a pari passu basis, will be entitled to an amount per share equal to the series C-1 convertible preferred stock original issue price of $12.38, series B-2 convertible preferred stock original issue price of $8.32, series B-1 convertible preferred stock and series A-2 convertible preferred stock original issue price of $5.20 or series A-1 convertible preferred stock original issue price of $2,079.00, as applicable, plus any dividends declared but unpaid thereon, before any payment shall be made to the holders of common stock. If available funds and assets are not sufficient to pay the holders of Junior Preferred Stock the full amount to which they are entitled, payments will be made on a pro rata, equal priority, pari passu basis.
Conversion Rights
Each outstanding share of convertible preferred stock is convertible, at the option of the holder at any time and from time to time, into such number of fully paid and non-assessable shares of common stock as is determined by dividing the respective original issue price of the convertible preferred stock, as applicable, by the respective conversion price of the convertible preferred stock, as applicable, in effect at the time of the conversion. Conversion of all shares of convertible preferred stock is automatic upon (i) the closing of a public offering of common stock at a price per share of at least 1.2 times the original issue price of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the common stock) resulting in at least $40.0 million of gross cash proceeds; or (ii) affirmative election of at least a majority of the shares of preferred stock outstanding.
As of December 31, 2020, the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock conversion price is equal to $9.03. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the series C-1 convertible preferred stock conversion price was equal to $12.38, the series B-2 convertible preferred stock conversion price was equal to $8.32, the series B-1 convertible preferred stock and series A-2 convertible preferred stock conversion prices were equal to $5.20 and the series A-1 convertible preferred stock conversion price was equal to $6.08.
The conversion price of convertible preferred stock is subject to adjustment as a result of stock dividends, splits and other equity structuring transactions, and due to subsequent sales of common stock at a lower effective price.
Redemption Rights
Each outstanding share of convertible preferred stock is redeemable by the Company at a price equal to the applicable liquidation preference per share, plus any dividends per share declared but unpaid thereon (the “Redemption Price”), in three annual installments commencing not more than 60 days after receipt by the Company at any time on or after the 5th anniversary of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock original issue date, July 31, 2019, from the holders of at least a majority of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock then outstanding of written notice requesting redemption of all shares of convertible preferred stock (the Redemption Request). Upon receipt of a Redemption Request, the Company will apply all of its assets to any such redemption, and to no other corporate purpose, except to the extent prohibited by Delaware law governing distributions to stockholders. Changes in the fair value of the Company’s convertible preferred stock or common stock would not affect settlement amounts. The carrying value of the convertible preferred stock has not been accreted up to its redemption value as no redemption events are considered probable as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.
 
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Upon the occurrence of certain change in control events that are outside the Company’s control, including liquidation, sale, or transfer of the Company, holders of the convertible preferred stock can effectively cause redemption for cash. As a result, the Company has classified the convertible preferred stock as mezzanine equity on the accompanying balance sheets as the stock is contingently redeemable. The Company has elected not to adjust the carrying values of the convertible preferred stock to the liquidation preferences of such shares because it is uncertain whether or when an event would occur that would obligate the Company to pay the liquidation preferences to holders of shares of convertible preferred stock. Subsequent adjustments to the carrying values to the liquidation preferences will be made only when it becomes probable that such a liquidation event will occur.
Voting Rights
The holders of each share of convertible preferred stock are entitled to the number of votes equal to the number of shares of common stock into which such share is convertible.
10. Stock-based Compensation
Equity Incentive Plans
In February 2008, the Company established the 2008 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2008 Plan”) and reserved shares of the Company’s common stock for sale and issuance under the 2008 Plan. In November 2011, the 2008 Plan was terminated and the remaining authorized shares were no longer available for future grants.
In November 2011, the Company established the 2011 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan (the “2011 Plan”) and reserved shares of the Company’s common stock for sale and issuance under the 2011 Plan. The 2011 Plan provides for the grant of incentive and non-statutory stock options as well as restricted stock to employees, nonemployee directors and consultants of the Company, which are to be granted at a price that is not less than 100% of the fair value of the stock at the date of grant. Options and restricted stock generally vest over a four-year period and options generally expire ten years from the date of grant. Options are exercisable only to the extent vested. In February 2020, the Board of Directors approved an increase to the number of shares of common stock options available for grant under the 2011 Plan by 3,918,700 and reserved the same number of shares of the Company’s common stock for issuance under the 2011 Plan. As of December 31, 2020, the 2011 Plan, as amended, permits the Company to grant up to 12,709,379 shares of the Company’s common stock, plus any additional awards granted under the 2008 Plan that are forfeited, expire or are cancelled without exercise after November 8, 2011. In August 2020, the Board of Directors approved an amendment to the Plan that will automatically increase the number of shares authorized for issuance under the Plan on the first day of each fiscal year beginning in fiscal year 2021, which was 2,001,859 for 2021.
 
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Stock Options
Unless otherwise noted, references to “options” in the subsequent disclosures, refers to the combined incentive and non-statutory stock options issued as employee and non-employee stock-based compensation, and authorized under the 2008 Plan and 2011 Plan. The following table summarizes information about these options granted and outstanding:
Number of
Shares
Subject to
Options
Outstanding
Weighted-
Average Grant
Date
Fair Value
Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
Per Share
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (In Years)
Outstanding – December 31, 2018
2,729,098 $ 0.89 $ 1.52 6.86
Granted
112,553 0.96 1.81
Cancelled
(89,755) 0.98 1.79
Exercised
(21,189) 0.83 1.46
Outstanding – December 31, 2019
2,730,707 $ 0.89 $ 1.53 6.04
Granted
1,941,740 0.93 1.77
Cancelled
(360,992) 0.90 1.67
Expired
(39,227) 1.28 2.39
Exercised
(175,506) 0.60 1.00
Outstanding – December 31, 2020
4,096,722 0.92 1.64 6.99
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2020
3,952,807 $ 0.92 $ 1.64 6.91
Vested and exercisable at
December 31, 2020
2,374,924 $ 0.90 $ 1.55 5.44
Non-vested options at
December 31, 2020
1,723,695 $ 0.94 $ 1.78
Total aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $0.1 million and $8.5 thousand, respectively. The total fair value of options vested for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $0.6 million and $0.5 million, respectively.
The assumptions used to value employee stock options are as follows:
Year Ended
December 31,
Year Ended
December 31,
2020
2019
Expected volatility
52.8 – 62.1% 53.2 – 54.4%
Risk-free interest rate
0.4 – 1.2% 1.7 – 2.6%
Expected term (in years)
5.2 – 6.2 5.5 – 6.0
Expected dividends
$ $
The following table presents the impact of employee stock-based compensation expense in the statements of operations for the periods indicated (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
Research and development expense
$ 208 $ 155
Sales and marketing expense
131 74
General and administrative expense
320 153
Total employee stock-based compensation
$ 659 $ 382
 
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Nonemployee Stock-based Compensation
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company granted options to purchase 31,265 and 19,240 shares, respectively, of common stock to non-employee consultants. These options were granted in exchange for consulting services rendered and vested over the service term, which approximates the options’ vesting period. The fair value of each option on the date of grant is estimated using the Black-Scholes option model.
The fair value of each award grant had estimated assumptions as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
Expected volatility
54.5 – 59.5% 52.5 – 53.7%
Risk-free interest rate
0.6 – 0.9% 1.7 – 2.7%
Expected term (in years)
9.4 – 10.0 9.2 – 10.0
Expected dividends
$ $
The following table presents nonemployee stock-based compensation expense in the statements of operations for the periods indicated (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
Research and development expense
$ 28 $ 27
Sales and marketing expense
9 25
General and administrative expense
31 4
Total nonemployee stock-based compensation
$ 68 $ 56
Total stock-based compensation expense during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $0.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively.
At December 31, 2020, there was $1.4 million of unamortized stock-based compensation cost related to unvested stock options which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.93 years.
11. Warrants
Warrants to purchase common stock
In conjunction with the issuance of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, the Company issued 1,009,795 warrants to purchase common stock shares of the Company at a price of $9.03 per share, and 1,009,795 warrants to purchase shares of common stock of the Company at a price of $10.84 per share. These warrants were measured at fair value on the date of the transaction and allocated a portion of the Series D Preferred Stock Financing proceeds. The initial fair value of the common stock warrants, calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, was $0.9 million. The fair value of the warrants were recognized as a component of additional paid-in capital in the accompanying financial statements. As an equity instrument these warrants are not required to be remeasured to their fair value each reporting period.
Warrants to purchase preferred stock
In conjunction with the issuance of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, the Company issued a third-party consultant a fully-vested warrant to purchase 21,611 shares (the “2019 Warrant”) of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock at a price of $9.03 per share. The initial fair value of the 2019 Warrant was calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and recorded as a reduction in additional paid-in capital associated with Series D Preferred Stock Financing. The 2019 Warrant, which increased to 22,609 shares in conjunction with the issuance of additional shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock in 2020, remains outstanding at December 31, 2020, and is immediately exercisable for cash, with 22,609 shares to be issued upon settlement of the 2019 Warrant. During the fiscal year, any changes in the fair value of these
 
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warrant liabilities are recorded as a component of other income (expense). Total adjustments to the fair value of this warrant liability during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 resulted in other income (expense) of $(0.1) million and $1.5 thousand, respectively.
In connection with various debt financings, refinancing, and amendments to the Loan Agreement with the Bank, the Company has, from time to time, issued warrants to purchase shares of Series A-2, B-1, B-2, and C-1 Convertible Preferred Stock. Each of these warrants are exercisable for cash, fully-vested at the grant date, and have a ten-year expiration. The initial fair values of each these warrants was calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and recorded as a reduction to the carrying value of the bank loan payable in the year of issuance. During the fiscal year, any changes in the fair value of these warrant liabilities are recorded in interest expense. Total adjustments to the fair value of these warrant liabilities during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 resulted in $0.2 million of interest expense and a $0.2 million reduction of interest expense, respectively.
The following table summarizes the warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock and the fair value as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
Related
Series
Grant
Date
Number of
Warrants
Exercise
Price
Fair Value Year-Ended
December 31,
2020
2019
Series A-2
Sep 2012
12,506 $ 5.20 $    41 $     7
Series A-2
Sep 2014
3,473 $ 5.20 13 4
Series B-1
Dec 2014
28,860 $ 5.20 113 30
Series B-2
Dec 2015
6,012 $ 8.32 22 6
Series C-1
Mar 2017
8,083 $ 12.38 31 10
Series D
Jul 2019
22,609 $ 9.03 254 173
Total 81,543 $ 474 $ 230
All warrants outstanding to purchase convertible preferred stock were remeasured as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions:
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
Series A-2 stock price fair value
$ 7.09 $ 3.19
Series B-1 stock price fair value
$ 7.09 $ 3.19
Series B-2 stock price fair value
$ 7.45 $ 3.56
Series C-1 stock price fair value
$ 8.09 $ 4.20
Series D stock price fair value
$ 15.29 $ 11.86
Expected volatility
59.5 – 72.5% 49.8 – 53.2%
Risk-free interest rate
0.1 – 0.9% 1.6 – 1.9%
Expected term (in years)
1.7 – 9.1 2.7 – 9.8
Expected dividends
$ $
Liability classification requires the warrants to be remeasured to their fair value at each reporting period. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the fair value of preferred stock warrants outstanding was $0.5 million and $0.2 million, respectively, and was recorded in warrant liability as a long-term liability in the accompanying balance sheets.
 
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The following is a summary of the Company’s preferred stock warrant liability activity for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):
Warrant
Liability
Outstanding
Outstanding – December 31, 2018
$ 240
Valuation of warrants to purchase preferred stock at issuance of Series D warrants
175
Net decrease in fair value of preferred stock warrants
(185)
Outstanding – December 31, 2019
$ 230
Net increase in fair value of preferred stock warrants
244
Outstanding – December 31, 2020
$ 474
12. Commitments and Contingences
Operating Leases
The Company leases a total of approximately 21,800 square feet of office and laboratory space under a single non-cancelable operating lease with a termination date of December 31, 2022. Under the terms of the lease agreement, the Company has an option to renew the lease for one additional five-year rental period. The lease included a tenant improvement allowance from the landlord for structural and cosmetic changes to the new space. The tenant improvements were completed and delivery of possession occurred on September 1, 2018. The tenant improvement allowance has been accounted for as a liability of the Company within deferred rent and is amortized monthly as a reduction to rent expense. A corresponding leasehold improvement asset has been recorded with monthly depreciation being recorded as depreciation expense.
Scheduled base rent increases of 3% occur annually each August. The Company recognized rent expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the operating lease. The difference in actual amounts paid and amounts recorded as rent expense during the period was recorded as deferred rent on the accompanying balance sheets. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company recognized rent expense of $0.4 million. Amounts classified as deferred rent at December 31, 2020 and 2019 totaled $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively.
Capital Leases
The full value of all leased equipment, including advance payments, are classified as assets on the Company’s balance sheets. The portion of the future payments designated as principal repayment are classified as a capital lease obligation. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company classified the aggregate amount of scheduled capital lease obligation payments due within twelve months of the date of the financial statements, $0.1 million, as a current liability, and the remaining $0.1 million due thereafter, in other liabilities.
The following table presents the Company’s future minimum lease payments as of December 31, 2020 (in thousands):
2021
2022
2023
2024 and
Thereafter
Total
Operating leases
$ 545 $ 554 $ $    — $ 1,099
Capital leases
80 80 55 215
Total
$ 625 $ 634 $ 55 $ $ 1,314
Indemnification
The Company has agreed to indemnify its officers and directors for certain events or occurrences, while the officer or director is or was serving at the Company’s request in such capacity. The maximum amount of potential future indemnification is unlimited; however, the Company purchases director and officer insurance coverage that provides for corporate reimbursements of covered obligations that limits the
 
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Company’s exposure and enables it to recover a portion of potential future amounts paid. The Company is unable to reasonably estimate the maximum amount that could be payable under these arrangements since these obligations are not capped but are conditional to the unique facts and circumstances involved. Accordingly, the Company has no liabilities recorded for these agreements as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Company has never incurred costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification agreements.
Employee Agreements
The Company has signed various employment agreements with key executives pursuant to which if their employment is terminated by the Company without cause or by the employees for good reason, or following a change in control of the Company, the employees are entitled to receive certain benefits, including severance payments, accelerated vesting of stock and stock options, and certain insurance benefits.
Legal Matters
The Company is not currently a party to any material litigation or other material legal proceedings. The Company may, from time to time, be involved in various legal proceedings arising from the normal course of business activities, and an unfavorable resolution of any of these matters could materially affect the Company’s future results of operations, cash flows, or financial position.
13. Retirement Savings Plan
In 2012, the Company established a savings plan available to all eligible employees, which qualifies under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. Employees may contribute to the plan amounts of their pre-tax salary subject to statutory limitations. Annually, the Company’s board of directors determines the amount, if any, of a Company match. The Company has not provided a match for the years ended December 31, 2020 or 2019.
14. Income Taxes
The Company has not recorded any income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, due to its history of operating losses.
The provision for income taxes includes the following components for the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 (in thousands):
2020
2019
Current:
Federal $ $
State
Total current provision $ $
Deferred
Federal $ 3,658 $ 3,535
State 1,498 1,142
Change in valuation allowance
(5,156) (4,676)
Total deferred provision $ $
Total Income tax benefit (provision)
$ $
 
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The benefit (provision) for income taxes differs from the amount computed at federal statutory rates as follows (in thousands):
2020
2019
Computed Federal income tax benefit (expense) at the statutory rate
$ 4,167 21.00% $ 3,469 21.00%
R&D credits
304 1.53% 351 2.15%
Equity-based expenses
(136) -0.68% (34) -0.21%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit
1,065 5.36% 958 5.79%
State net operating loss carryforward true up
49 0.25% (127) -0.77%
Other
(294) -1.48% 58 0.35%
Valuation allowance
(5,156) -25.98% (4,676) -28.31%
Income tax benefit (provision)
$ $
Significant components of the Company’s net deferred income tax assets (liabilities) are as follows (in thousands):
2020
2019
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforwards
$ 31,234 $ 26,607
R&D
2,033 1,729
Accruals and reserves
419 338
Deferred revenue
11
Equity-based compensation
220 169
Other
2 2
Total deferred tax asset before allowance
$ 33,908 $ 28,856
Less: valuation allowance
(33,864) (28,708)
Total deferred tax asset
44 148
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation and amortization
(44) (148)
Net deferred tax assets
Management assesses the available positive and negative evidence to estimate if sufficient future taxable income will be generated to use the existing deferred tax assets. A significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated is the cumulative loss incurred since inception.
Such objective evidence limits the ability to consider other subjective evidence such as the Company’s projections for future growth.
On the basis of this evaluation, a full valuation allowance of $33.9 million and $28.7 million has been recorded as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, as it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The valuation allowance increased by $5.2 million and $4.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Accordingly, there is no tax benefit presented in the accompanying financial statements.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company had U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $125.1 million and $79.0 million, respectively. Of the federal net operating loss carryforward amount, $54.9 million can be carried forward indefinitely, while the remainder begins to expire after 2028, if not utilized. The state net operating loss carryforward amounts begin to expire at various dates after 2023.
We have not completed a Section 382 analysis under the Internal Revenue Code regarding the limitation of NOL and credit carryforwards. If a change in ownership were to occur, the annual limitation may result in the expiration of NOL carryforwards and credits before utilization.
 
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Because of the change of ownership provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, use of a portion of the Company’s NOL and tax credit carryforwards may be limited in future periods. Further, a portion of the carryforwards may expire before being applied to reduce future income tax liabilities. There are currently no federal or state tax audits in progress. All prior tax years remain subject to examination by Federal and State of Utah authorities due to the existence of net operating loss carryforwards.
The Company recognizes the tax benefit of an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination by the appropriate taxing authorities, based on technical merits. The reversal of the uncertain tax positions would not affect the Company’s effective tax rate to the extent that it continues to maintain a full valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company did not record any material interest expense or penalties related to uncertain tax positions or the settlement of audits for prior periods. The Company does not expect a significant increase or decrease in its uncertain tax positions within the next 12 months. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of uncertain tax positions (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
Balance at the beginning of the year
$ 1,152 $ 918
Gross increases – prior period
Gross increases – current period
202 234
Balance at the end of the year
$ 1,354 $ 1,152
15. Net loss per share
The following table sets forth the computation of the basic and diluted net loss per share (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
Net loss
$ (19,848) $ (16,521)
Weighted average common stock outstanding, basic and diluted
1,555,745 1,516,871
Net loss per share – basic and diluted
$ (12.76) $ (10.89)
The Company excluded the following potentially dilutive securities, presented based on amounts outstanding at each period end, from the computation of diluted net loss per share for the periods indicated because their impact under the “treasury stock method” and “if-converted method” would have been an anti-dilutive:
December 31,
2020
2019
Senior convertible preferred stock
5,737,440 4,546,024
Junior convertible preferred stock
9,819,480 9,819,480
Shares issuable under convertible note
665,699 600,126
Warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock
81,543 80,545
Warrants to purchase common stock
2,019,590 2,019,590
Options to purchase common stock
4,096,722 2,730,707
Total
22,420,474 19,796,472
 
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16. Subsequent Events
The Company has performed an evaluation of its subsequent events through March 26, 2021, which is the date the financial statements were available to be issued. The Company reassessed subsequent events through July 7, 2021, the date the revised financial statements were available to be issued. The following subsequent events have been identified for disclosure:
In February 2021, the Company entered into a Commercial Collaboration Agreement with Anthem, Inc. and its Affiliates (Anthem). This agreement provides defined reimbursement within a defined period for use of the PreTRM test within Anthem’s network of covered members.
In February 2021, the Company extended the maturity date of its February 2019 Convertible Note to March 28, 2021. On March 24, 2021 the Company repaid the outstanding principal balance of $4.5 million and accrued interest of $1.1 million related to this Note.
On March 24, 2021, the Company repaid the outstanding principal of $2.0 million, accrued interest of $6 thousand, and Final Payment Fee of $0.1 million related to its Bank Loan with Pacific Western Bank.
Between February and April 2021, the Board of Directors increased the number of authorized common shares to 83,000,000 and authorized the issuance of up to 17,529,215 shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock. During this period the Company issued an aggregate of 8,054,138 shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock for $12.46 per share to new and existing investors in exchange for $100.1 million, net of issuance costs. In conjunction with this financing, the Company also issued a warrant to purchase 722,223 shares of Common Stock of the Company at a price of $20.77. The issuance of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock changed the date on which the Company can redeem the Preferred Stock from at any time on or after the 5th anniversary of the Series D Original Issue Date of July 31, 2019 to the 5th anniversary of the Series E Original Issue Date of February 23, 2021.
On June 30, 2021, the Company’s board of directors approved a 1-for-2.079 reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock and redeemable convertible preferred stock, which was effective by amendment to the Company’s charter on July 7, 2021. The par value and authorized shares of the common stock and redeemable convertible preferred stock were not adjusted as a result of the reverse stock split. All issued and outstanding common stock, warrants, options to purchase common stock and per share amounts contained in the financial statements have been retroactively adjusted to give effect to the reverse stock split for all periods presented.
 
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
Condensed Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
March 31,
2021
December 31,
2020
(unaudited)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 60,016 $ 13,533
Accounts receivable
8 2
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
421 198
Total current assets
60,445 13,733
Property and equipment, net
826 965
Other assets
1,473 98
Total assets
$ 62,744 $ 14,796
Liabilities, Convertible Preferred Stock, and Stockholders’ Deficit
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
$ 829 $ 441
Accrued and other current liabilities
2,001 1,577
Accrued interest on convertible note
996
Deferred rent, current portion
134 130
Capital lease obligation, current portion
70 69
Convertible promissory note, current portion
4,353
Loans payable, current portion
702 3,676
Total current liabilities
3,736 11,242
Deferred rent
104 139
Loans payable, net of current portion
348 348
Preferred stock warrant liability
494 474
Capital lease obligation, net of current portion
109 127
Total liabilities
4,791 12,330
Commitments and contingencies
Convertible preferred stock:
Junior convertible preferred stock, par value of $0.0001; 22,047,294 and 20,537,294
shares authorized as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively,
9,819,480 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2021 and December 31,
2020; aggregate liquidation preference of $78,916 as of March 31, 2021
77,844 77,844
Senior convertible preferred stock, par value of $0.0001; 24,496,040 and 12,320,844
shares authorized as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively;
10,675,922 and 5,737,440 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2021
and December 31, 2020, respectively; aggregate liquidation preference of
$164,035 as of March 31, 2021
110,499 50,192
Stockholders’ deficit: Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 78,000,000 and 55,000,000 shares authorized as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively; 1,982,083 and 1,700,625 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively
Additional paid-in capital
7,428 5,889
Accumulated deficit
(137,818) (131,459)
Total stockholders’ deficit
(130,390) (125,570)
Total liabilities, convertible preferred stock, and stockholders’ deficit
$ 62,744 $ 14,796
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the condensed financial statements
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
Condensed Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2021
2020
Revenue
$ 13 $ 8
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenue
5 3
Research and development
2,396 2,050
Selling and marketing
1,350 868
General and administrative
2,287 1,379
Total operating expenses
6,038 4,300
Loss from operations
(6,025) (4,292)
Interest expense
(307) (437)
Other income (expense), net
(27) 33
Net loss and comprehensive loss
$ (6,359) $ (4,696)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
$ (3.55) $ (3.08)
Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding, basic and diluted
1,791,841 1,525,334
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the condensed financial statements
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
Condensed Statements of Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Deficit
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Senior Convertible
Preferred Stock
Junior Convertible
Preferred Stock
Common Stock
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
Accumulated
Deficit
Total
Stockholders’
Deficit
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Balance as of December 31, 2020
5,737,440 $ 50,192 9,819,480 $ 77,844 1,700,625 $ $ 5,889 $ (131,459) $ (125,570)
Issuance of Series E senior convertible
preferred stock at $12.46 per share,
net of issuance costs of $0.1 million
4,938,482 60,307
Fair value of warrants to purchase common stock issued to
investor
1,071 1,071
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options
281,458 229 229
Stock-based compensation
expense
239 239
Net loss
(6,359) (6,359)
Balance as of March 31, 2021
10,675,922 $ 110,499 9,819,480 $ 77,844 1,982,083 $ $ 7,428 $ (137,818) $ (130,390)
Senior Convertible
Preferred Stock
Junior Convertible
Preferred Stock
Common Stock
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
Accumulated
Deficit
Total
Stockholders’
Deficit
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Balance as of December 31, 2019
4,546,024 $ 39,506 9,819,480 $ 77,844 1,525,119 $ $ 4,987 $ (111,611) $ (106,624)
Issuance of Series D senior convertible
preferred stock at $9.03 per share,
net of issuance costs of $0.5 million
1,191,416 10,704
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options
529 1 1
Stock based compensation
expense
135 135
Net loss
(4,696) (4,696)
Balance as of March 31, 2020
5,737,440 $ 50,210 9,819,480 $ 77,844 1,525,648 $ $ 5,123 $ (116,307) $ (111,184)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the condensed financial statements
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows
(unaudited)
(in thousands)
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2021
2020
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss
$ (6,359) $ (4,696)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
201 227
Stock-based compensation
239 135
Non-cash interest expense
168 355
Other non-cash gain (loss)
19 (5)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
(6)
Prepaid expenses and other assets
(223) (118)
Accounts payable
339 94
Deferred rent
(31) (27)
Accrued and other current liabilities
(1,297) (580)
Net cash used in operating activities
(6,950) (4,615)
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property and equipment
(41) (8)
Net cash used in investing activities
(41) (8)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of Series D senior convertible preferred stock, net of issuance
costs
10,704
Proceeds from issuance of Series E senior convertible preferred stock, net of issuance costs
60,415
Proceeds allocated to issuance of common stock warrants
1,071
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
229 1
Payment of convertible notes payable
(4,494)
Payment of loan payable
(3,100)
Capital lease principal payments
(17) (38)
Payment of deferred offering costs
(630)
Net cash provided by financing activities
53,474 10,667
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
46,483 6,044
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
13,533 21,390
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
$ 60,016 $ 27,434
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Cash paid for interest
$ 1,277 $ 82
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing information
Purchases of property and equipment in accounts payable and accruals
$ 21 $ 6
Series E senior convertible preferred stock offering costs included in accounts payable
and accrued liabilities
$ 82 $
Series E senior convertible preferred stock offering costs prepaid and deferred in prior
period and reclassified to Series E senior convertible preferred stock
$ 26 $
Deferred offering costs included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities
$ 771 $
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the condensed financial statements
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
Notes to Unaudited Interim Condensed Financial Statements
1. Description of Business and Financial Condition
Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”) is a women’s health diagnostic company utilizing its proprietary proteomics and bioinformatics platform to discover, develop and commercialize clinically meaningful and economically impactful biomarker tests with an initial focus on improving pregnancy outcomes. The Company was incorporated in the State of Delaware on January 17, 2008 and its operations are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, including a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified laboratory.
Since its inception, the Company’s activities have consisted of performing research and development, conducting clinical studies, acquiring product rights, raising capital, establishing facilities, and establishing commercial operations to market the PreTRM test.
The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties common to companies in the diagnostics industry, including but not limited to, risks associated with commercializing products, completing preclinical and clinical studies, receiving regulatory approvals for product candidates, if required, development by competitors of new diagnostic products, dependence on key personnel, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government regulations and the ability to secure additional capital to fund operations. Products currently under development will require significant additional research and development efforts, including preclinical and clinical testing, prior to commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital and adequate personnel and infrastructure. Even if the Company’s product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will realize significant revenue from product sales.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The accompanying condensed financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business.
The Company has incurred net losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception and had an accumulated deficit of $137.8 million as of March 31, 2021. The principal sources of the Company’s working capital to date has been the proceeds from the issuance of convertible preferred stock, convertible notes, and bank loans. As of March 31, 2021, the Company had approximately $60.0 million in cash and cash equivalents.
The Company’s management expects the Company to incur significant additional operating losses and negative cash flows for the foreseeable future, principally as a result of the Company’s commercialization activities for the PreTRM test, and to support additional clinical and preclinical trials and anticipated research and development activities. The Company had no significant commercial product revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and has no recurring sources of licensing or other revenue. There can be no assurance that the Company will eventually achieve significant revenues or profitability to sustain operations, or if achieved, can sustain either on a continuing basis. If the Company is unable to achieve significant revenues or raise additional funds, when needed, it may not be able to continue the development or commercialization of its diagnostic products and could be required to delay, scale back or abandon some or all of its development programs and other operations. No assurance can be given that the Company will be successful in raising the required capital on reasonable terms and at the required times, or at all. Any additional equity financing, if available to the Company, may not be available on favorable terms and may be dilutive to current stockholders, and any debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants and dilutive financing instruments. The Company’s management believes that its existing financial resources are sufficient to continue operating activities at least one year past the issuance date of these condensed financial statements. The Company’s future operations are highly dependent on a combination of factors, including (i) the successful commercial launch and market acceptance of the PreTRM test; (ii) the success of other research and development programs; (iii) the development of competitive therapies by other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies; (iv) the Company’s ability to manage growth of the organization; (v) the
 
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Company’s ability to protect its intellectual property, technology and products; and, ultimately (vi) the timely and successful completion of any additional financing.
2. Significant Accounting Policies
There have been no significant changes to the accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to the significant accounting policies described in Note 2 of the “Notes to Financial Statements” in the Company’s audited financial statements included in the audited financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. Any reference in these notes to applicable accounting guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative U.S. GAAP included in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”), and Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).
Unaudited Interim Condensed Financial Statements
The accompanying condensed balance sheet as of March 31, 2021, and condensed statements of operations and comprehensive loss, condensed statements of cash flows, and condensed statements of convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ deficit for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, are unaudited. The balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 was derived from the audited financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020. The unaudited interim condensed financial statements have been prepared on a basis consistent with the audited annual financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020, and, in the opinion of the Company’s management, reflect all adjustments, consisting solely of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2021, and the condensed results of its operations and its cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. The financial data and other information disclosed in these notes related to the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 are also unaudited. The condensed results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2021 or any other period. These interim condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the condensed financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company’s 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 condensed financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period and accompanying notes. On an on-going basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to the determination of fair value of its shares of common stock and stock options, common and preferred stock warrants, valuation of deferred tax assets resulting from net operating losses, and useful lives of property and equipment. The Company bases these estimates on historical and anticipated results, trends, and various other assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable under the circumstances, including assumptions as to future events. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, was identified. Due to the rapid and global spread of the virus, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic and the rapidly evolving reactions of governments, private sector participants and the public in an effort to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus and address its impacts have intensified and have had significant direct and indirect effects on businesses and commerce. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact the Company’s business,
 
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financial condition, cash flows and results of operations, in particular, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain, and many of which are outside the Company’s control. Such developments include the availability and effectiveness of actions taken to contain or treat COVID-19, the ultimate geographic spread and duration of the pandemic, the extent and duration of a resurgence of the COVID-19 virus and variant strains thereof, new information concerning the severity of the COVID-19 virus, the effectiveness and intensity of measures to contain the COVID-19 virus and the economic impact of the pandemic and the reactions to it. Such developments, among others, depending on their nature, duration and intensity, could have a significant adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
There were no significant estimates contained in the preparation of the Company’s condensed financial statements or impacts to the Company’s condensed financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2021 that were directly a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company is not aware of any specific event or circumstance that would require an update to its estimates, judgments and assumptions or a revision of the carrying value of the Company’s assets or liabilities as of the date of the condensed financial statements.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use asset for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date. The standard was effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and for private companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU 2016-02 will have on its interim financial statements and related disclosures. The Company expects to adopt this new standard on January 1, 2022 and has not yet determined the effect of the standard on its ongoing financial reporting.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. This standard removes certain exceptions for investments, intra-period allocations and interim calculations, and adds guidance to reduce complexity in accounting for income taxes. This standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2022, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact this standard may have on its financial statements and disclosures.
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging-Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40), which simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments. The guidance removes certain accounting models that separate the embedded conversion features from the host contract for convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 allows for a modified or full retrospective method of transition. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this change will have on its financial statements.
Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB (including its Emerging Issues Task Force), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the SEC did not, or are not believed by the Company’s management to, have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
 
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3. Property and Equipment
The following table presents the components of property and equipment, net, as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands):
March 31,
2021
December 31,
2020
Computer equipment
$ 823 $ 767
Software
373 373
Laboratory equipment
4,200 4,194
Furniture and fixtures
292 292
Leasehold improvements
701 701
Total property and equipment
6,389 6,327
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
(5,563) (5,362)
Property and equipment, net
$ 826 $ 965
As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, $3.0 million of the Company’s laboratory equipment was subject to capital leases, which assets had recorded accumulated amortization of $2.8 million and $2.6 million, respectively. Associated amortization expense, included with depreciation expense, for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and year ended December 31, 2020 totaled $0.1 million and $0.6 million, respectively.
Depreciation and amortization expense was $0.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
4. Accrued and Other Current Liabilities
The following table presents the components of accrued and other current liabilities as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands):
March 31,
2021
December 31,
2020
Accrued paid time off
$ 394 $ 290
Accrued compensation
605 996
Accrued invoices related to proposed equity offering
743
Bank loan final payment fee
100
Other current liabilities
259 191
Total accrued and other current liabilities
$ 2,001 $ 1,577
5. Other Income (Expense), net
The following table presents the components of other income (expense), net, for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands):
March 31,
2021
March 31,
2020
Interest income
$ 2 $ 28
Fair value remeasurements
(10) 5
Other gains (losses), net
(19)
Other income (expense), net
$ (27) $ 33
6. Loans and Convertible Promissory Notes
Bank Loan
In 2014, through a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Pacific Western Bank (the “Bank”) the Company obtained a term loan for $10.0 million. The Loan Agreement, as amended, had
 
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a final repayment date of September 1, 2021. Repayment of amounts borrowed are paid in equal monthly installments of principal, plus all accrued interest. The loan bears interest, on the outstanding daily balance, equal to the greater of 1.0% above the Prime Rate then in effect, or 4.75%. In addition, the Loan Agreement requires a Final Payment Fee (as defined in the Loan Agreement) equal to one-percent of the aggregate principal amount borrowed, or $0.1 million. On March 24, 2021, the Company repaid the outstanding principal of $2.0 million, accrued interest of $6 thousand, and the Final Payment Fee of $0.1 million related to this loan.
Convertible Promissory Notes
In February 2019, the Company authorized the issuance of a $6.4 million subordinated convertible promissory note (the “February 2019 Convertible Note”) to a current stockholder, bearing 12% interest and a maturity date of February 26, 2021, to provide liquidity and additional working capital. On February 15, 2021, the maturity date was extended to March 28, 2021. The February 2019 Convertible Note was optionally convertible into shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock at a conversion price equal to 80% of the issuance price of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock. In July 2019, $1.9 million of the $6.4 million February 2019 Convertible Note’s principal and $0.1 million of accrued interest was converted into 277,507 shares of the Company’s Series D Preferred Stock, at the option of the holder of the February 2019 Convertible Note, at a conversion price equal to 80% of the issuance price of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock of $9.03 per share. If not repaid or converted prior to the maturity date, the February 2019 Convertible Note’s remaining principal and accrued interest shall convert, at the option of the Holder, into shares of Series C-1 Convertible Preferred Stock and the holder will receive a number of common stock warrants based on the amount of unpaid principal outstanding.
The conversion feature of the February 2019 Convertible Note met the requirements for separate accounting and was recognized as a liability at the measurement date fair value of $2.4 million, subject to remeasurement to fair value, with any changes in estimated fair value recognized as a component of other income (expense), net. A corresponding discount, which reduces the carrying value of the February 2019 Convertible Note, was also recorded. The unamortized discount was written off in proportion to the partial conversion, with the remaining discount being accreted to interest expense until maturity. The Company recognized additional interest expense of $0.1 million and $0.2 million from accretion of the discount during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
On March 24, 2021, the Company repaid the outstanding principal of $4.5 million and accrued interest of $1.1 million related to the February 2019 Convertible Note.
In August 2019, the Company authorized the issuance of a $5.0 million subordinated convertible promissory note (the “August 2019 Note”) to a new investor and non-U.S. commercial partner. The August 2019 Note bore 5% interest and had a maturity date of December 31, 2019. The August 2019 Note was mandatorily convertible into shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock with principal and all interest accrued thereon converting at a per share price equal to the price per share at which Series D Convertible Preferred Stock was sold to investors. In August 2019, the August 2019 Note legally converted. Pursuant to the terms of a letter agreement, dated May 10, 2019, by and between the Company and the holder of the August 2019 Note, the holder is entitled to purchase additional shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, in the event that a milestone, as defined in the agreement and within the Company’s control, is achieved. As of March 31, 2021 this milestone has not been achieved.
Paycheck Protection Loan
In April 2020, the Company obtained a $1.1 million loan through Pacific Western Bank under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), as amended. The loan’s purpose is to maintain payroll and make rent and utilities payments as specified under the terms of the PPP. Under the PPP, borrowers may apply for loan forgiveness if the funds are used for payroll costs, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities payments over a specified term following receipt of the loan funds. During the term of the agreement, the Company utilized the loan funds for forgivable purposes and applied for forgiveness. To the extent all or part of the PPP loan is not forgiven, the Company will be required to pay interest on the PPP loan at a rate of 1% per annum and principal and interest payments will be required through the maturity date in April 2022. The loan proceeds are recorded
 
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as a loan payable, with the amount due within one year, $0.7 million, recorded as a current liability and $0.3 million recorded as a noncurrent liability, on the Company’s balance sheet as of March 31, 2021.
7. Fair Value Measurements
As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the carrying amounts of the Company’s receivables, prepaid and other current assets, accounts payable, and accrued and other current liabilities approximate their fair values, principally due to the short-term maturities of the assets and liabilities. The recorded value of the loan payable and capital leases approximates the fair value as the interest rates approximate market interest rates.
The fair value of the preferred stock warrant liability was estimated based upon a Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities (cash equivalents and the warrant liability) at fair value on a recurring basis.
The Company follows a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to measurements involving significant unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
Level 1 measurements are observable, quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.
Level 2 measurements are observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable either directly or indirectly or quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
Level 3 measurements are unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the Company to develop its own assumptions.
As of March 31, 2021, the Company’s cash equivalents have been classified as Level 1 assets. The Company’s convertible preferred stock warrant liability has been valued using Level 3 inputs in a Black-Scholes option pricing model (see Note 11 — Warrants). The Company, utilizing a third-party valuation firm to assist with the estimation of the fair value of common stock, employed a hybrid method of option-pricing model (OPM) and Probability-Weighted Expected Return Method (PWERM). Under the hybrid OPM and PWERM approach, the per share value calculated under OPM and PWERM are weighted based on expected exit outcomes and the quality of the information specific to each allocation methodology to arrive at a final estimated fair value per share of the common stock before a discount for lack of marketability is applied. This model also calculates the fair value of the other classes of equity, including preferred shares. This estimated preferred stock value, along with other significant unobservable inputs, was an input into a Black-Scholes option pricing model, which calculated the fair value of the preferred stock warrant liability.
The other significant unobservable inputs in this calculation are the remaining expected term, which considers the timing of a liquidation event that would net settle the awards before their contractual term expires, and the expected equity volatility, which is a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security. Volatility is determined based on select comparable public guideline companies in the same business sector.
Significant increases (decreases) in the term would result in significantly higher (lower) fair value measurements. Significant increases (decreases) in the volatility would result in significantly higher (lower) fair value measurements.
 
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The following table shows the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis by level within the fair value hierarchy (in thousands) as of March 31, 2021:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Assets:
Cash equivalents
$ 60,016 $
Liabilities:
Warrant liability
494
Total
$ 60,016 $ 494
The following table shows the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis by level within the fair value hierarchy (in thousands) as of December 31, 2020:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Assets:
Cash equivalents
$ 13,533 $
Liabilities:
Warrant liability
474
Total
$ 13,533 $ 474
Tables providing a roll forward of the fair value, as determined by Level 3 inputs, of the Company’s convertible preferred stock warrant liability for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 are included in Note 11 — Warrants.
8. Related Party Transactions
In January 2017, Laboratory Corporation of America (“LabCorp”) and the Company entered into a strategic commercialization agreement contemporaneously with LabCorp’s participation in the Company’s sale of Series C Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Under the agreement with LabCorp, amended in 2018, LabCorp is a non-exclusive distributor of the PreTRM test and performs certain sample collection, processing, and shipping services, for a fee. The Company paid fees related to this agreement of less than $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.
In July 2019, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, LLC (“Blue Ox”) to advise the Company on development of strategies with the goal to obtain widespread insurance coverage for the PreTRM test. Contemporaneously with the consulting agreement, Blue Ox participated in the initial closing of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock financing in July 2019 and appointed its designee to the Company’s board of directors (the “Board of Directors”). The Company paid consulting fees related to the consulting agreement of $0.1 million and $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
In June 2019, the Company entered into a master services agreement with Healthcore Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anthem Inc. (“Anthem”). This agreement covers a range of research projects, including Healthcore’s role as a contract research organization for the Prematurity Risk Assessment Combined With Clinical Interventions for Improving Neonatal outcoMEs (PRIME) study. The Company paid fees related to this agreement of $0.2 million and $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. In November 2020, the Company entered into a Laboratory Services Agreement with Anthem related to the PRIME study. This agreement provides a contracted rate for tests performed pursuant to the study. The Company recognized revenues related to this agreement of $9 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
In February 2021, the Company entered into a Commercial Collaboration Agreement with Anthem and its affiliates (the “Commercial Collaboration Agreement”). The Commercial Collaboration Agreement provides defined reimbursement within a defined period for use of the PreTRM test within Anthem’s network of covered members. Pursuant to the Commercial Collaboration Agreement, Anthem will purchase
 
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a certain number of tests for each of the first three years of the term of the agreement. Additionally, Anthem has agreed to pay a certain minimum amount per year for the first three years of the term of the Commercial Collaboration Agreement. The Company has also agreed to develop a sales, marketing, and customer service program, and to provide training and marketing to duly licensed physicians specializing in obstetrics and gynecology or family medicine, or licensed nurse midwives, at the reasonable request of Anthem.
Anthem has further agreed to develop appropriate care management programs which incorporate the use of the PreTRM test. The Company and Anthem have also agreed to form a Joint Operating Committee to oversee the relationship, comprised of two voting members each from Anthem and the Company. The Company will submit monthly invoices to Anthem for the sale of the PreTRM test at the negotiated rates. Anthem has been participating in the Company’s PRIME study and at the conclusion of the PRIME study, under the Commercial Collaboration Agreement, the Company has agreed to enter into Anthem’s standard lab provider agreement. Unless earlier terminated due to breach, the Commercial Collaboration Agreement will remain in effect until the later of (a) the third anniversary of the effective date or (b) the date on which Anthem has purchased a fixed number of PreTRM tests as agreed by the parties.
The Commercial Collaboration Agreement with Anthem is considered to be within the scope of ASC Topic 808, Collaborative Arrangements (“ASC 808”), as the parties are active participants and exposed to the risks and rewards of the collaborative activity. The Company determined the PreTRM tests to be a performance obligation for which Anthem is a customer and a unit of account within the scope of ASC 606. The associated transaction price is based on the contractual minimum number of tests and the agreed upon defined reimbursement amount per test. The transaction price was allocated to this single performance obligation, which will be recognized upon delivery of test results expected to occur over the term of the agreement. All other items promised to Anthem are immaterial in the context of the Commercial Collaboration Agreement. There were no revenues or cash receipts related to the Commercial Collaboration Agreement for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
9. Capital Structure
Common Stock
As of March 31, 2021, the Company was authorized to issue 78,000,000 shares of common stock, consisting of 75,000,000 shares of $0.0001 par value Class A common stock and 3,000,000 shares of $0.0001 par value Class B common stock (together, the “common stock”). As of March 31, 2021, 1,982,083 shares of Class A common stock and no shares of Class B common stock were issued and outstanding. Holders of our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock have identical rights, provided that, (i) except as otherwise expressly provided in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or as required by applicable law, on any matter that is submitted to a vote by our stockholders, holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share of Class A common stock, and holders of our Class B common stock are not entitled to any votes per share of Class B common stock, including for the election of directors, and (ii) holders of our Class A common stock have no conversion rights, while holders of our Class B common stock have the right to convert each share of our Class B common stock into one share of Class A common stock at such holder’s election, provided that as a result of such conversion, such holder would not beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of any class of our securities registered under the Exchange Act, except as expressly provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. However, this ownership limitation may be increased or decreased to any other percentage designated by such holder of Class B common stock upon 61 days’ notice to us. Our Class A common stock and Class B common stock do not have cumulative voting rights. Holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are entitled to ratably receive dividends, if any, as may be declared by the Board of Directors, subject to the prior rights of holders of all classes of stock outstanding having priority rights to dividends. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, no dividends were declared.
 
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The following shares of common stock were reserved for future issuance:
March 31, 2021
December 31, 2020
Senior convertible preferred stock
10,675,922 5,737,440
Junior convertible preferred stock
9,819,480 9,819,480
Shares issuable under convertible note
665,699
Warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock
81,543 81,543
Warrants to purchase Class A common stock
2,741,813 2,019,590
Options to purchase Class A common stock
4,958,194 4,096,722
Class A common stock available for future issuance under the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan
1,411,038 388,505
Total
29,687,990 22,808,979
As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, approximately $1.4 million and $26 thousand of deferred offering costs related to an equity offering, respectively, were recorded within other assets in the accompanying condensed balance sheets.
Convertible Preferred Stock
Authorized, issued and outstanding convertible preferred stock and its principal terms as of March 31, 2021 were as follows (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
Series
Shares
Authorized
Shares Issued
and
Outstanding
Original
Issue
Price
Aggregate
Liquidation
Preference
Proceeds,
net of
issuance costs
Series A-1 Junior Preferred Stock
1,390 667 $ 2,079.00 $ 1,390 $ 1,390
Series A-2 Junior Preferred Stock
7,941,499 3,803,878 5.20 19,771 19,595
Series B-1 Junior Preferred Stock
2,060,000 961,994 5.20 5,000 4,914
Series B-2 Junior Preferred Stock
5,012,500 2,404,995 8.32 20,000 19,984
Series C-1 Junior Preferred Stock
5,521,905 2,647,946 12.38 32,755 32,653
Series C-2 Junior Preferred Stock
1,510,000 17.22
Series D Senior Preferred Stock
11,975,172 5,737,440 9.03 102,535 50,415
Series E Senior Preferred Stock
12,520,868 4,938,482 12.46 61,500 61,378
Total Convertible Preferred Stock
46,543,334 20,495,402 $ 242,951 $ 190,329
Authorized, issued and outstanding convertible preferred stock and its principal terms as of December 31, 2020 were as follows (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
Series
Shares
Authorized
Shares Issued
and
Outstanding
Original
Issue
Price
Aggregate
Liquidation
Preference
Proceeds,
net of
issuance costs
Series A-1 Junior Preferred Stock
1,390 667 $ 2,079.00 $ 1,390 $ 1,390
Series A-2 Junior Preferred Stock
7,941,499 3,803,878 5.20 19,771 19,595
Series B-1 Junior Preferred Stock
2,060,000 961,994 5.20 5,000 4,914
Series B-2 Junior Preferred Stock
5,012,500 2,404,995 8.32 20,000 19,984
Series C-1 Junior Preferred Stock
5,521,905 2,647,946 12.38 32,755 32,653
Series C-2 Junior Preferred Stock
1,510,000 17.22
Series D Senior Preferred Stock
12,320,844 5,737,440 9.03 102,535 50,415
Total Convertible Preferred Stock
34,368,138 15,556,920 $ 181,451 $ 128,951
 
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The 2019 issuance of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock created a senior and junior preferred stock ranking, whereby Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, and the subsequently issued Series E Convertible Preferred Stock (together the “Senior Preferred Stock)” are senior to all other classes of Preferred Stock (collectively the “Junior Preferred Stock”) (both Junior Preferred Stock and Senior Preferred Stock together, the “convertible preferred stock”).
The Senior Preferred Stock include rights and preferences that differ from the Junior Preferred Stock rights and preferences. The Series D Convertible Preferred Stock includes a liquidation preference equal to the greater of two times the original issue price of $9.03 per share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock plus all declared and unpaid dividends on such shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock been converted into common stock immediately prior to such liquidation event. The Series E Convertible Preferred Stock includes a liquidation preference equal to the greater of the original issue price of $12.46 per share of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock plus all declared and unpaid dividends on such shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock and such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock been converted into common stock immediately prior to such liquidation event.
In connection with various preferred stock financings, the Company issued warrants to purchase common stock and warrants to purchase preferred stock and are described in Note 11 — Warrants.
Under the terms of the Series C-1 Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement dated January 9, 2017, by and among the Company and the purchasers identified therein, as amended on February 9, 2017, LabCorp committed to purchase, and the Company authorized, 726,147 shares of series C-2 convertible preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series C-2 Convertible Preferred Stock”), for $17.22 per share, in exchange for $12.5 million in cash, subject to adjustment, and conditional upon the Company’s achievement of a milestone, as defined in the stock purchase agreement related to the issuance of the Series C-2 Convertible Preferred Stock, which included achieving positive results in one of two clinical outcome studies. The Company recorded this preferred stock tranche forward obligation to issue contingently redeemable shares of Series C-2 Convertible Preferred Stock as a forward contract liability in the Company’s balance sheets at its estimated fair market value and remeasured the liability at each annual reporting period. As the Company does not expect that the milestones related to this commitment will be achieved, the Company has determined the fair value of this forward tranche liability was $0 as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. The Company reported $0 of other income related to the change in fair value for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.
The holders of convertible preferred stock have various rights and preferences including the following:
Dividends
The holders of convertible preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends out of any assets legally available only when, as, and if declared by the Board of Directors, prior to and in preference to any declaration or payment of any dividend on the common stock. Such dividends are noncumulative. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 there were no cumulative dividends owed or in arrears.
Liquidation Preference
In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock then outstanding will be entitled to an amount per share equal to the greater of two times the original issue price of $9.03 per share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock plus all declared and unpaid dividends on such shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock been converted into common stock immediately prior to such liquidation event. Holders of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock will be entitled to the greater of the original issue price of $12.46 per share of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock plus all declared and unpaid dividends on such shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock and such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock been converted into common stock immediately prior to such liquidation event. Such payment is to be made before any payment is made to the holders of common stock, the Junior Preferred Stock or any other
 
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class or series of stock junior to the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series E Convertible Preferred Stock. If available funds and assets are not sufficient to pay the holders of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series E Convertible Preferred Stock the full amount to which they are be entitled, payments will be made on a pro rata, equal priority, pari passu basis.
After the payment of the Senior Preferred Stock preferential liquidation amount, the holders of shares of Junior Preferred Stock then outstanding, on a pari passu basis, will be entitled to an amount per share equal to the series C-1 convertible preferred stock original issue price of $12.38 per share, series B-2 convertible preferred stock original issue price of $8.32 per share, series B-1 convertible preferred stock and series A-2 convertible preferred stock original issue price of $5.20 per share or series A-1 convertible preferred stock original issue price of $2,079.00 per share, as applicable, plus any dividends declared but unpaid thereon, before any payment shall be made to the holders of common stock. If available funds and assets are not sufficient to pay the holders of Junior Preferred Stock the full amount to which they are entitled, payments will be made on a pro rata, equal priority, pari passu basis.
Conversion Rights
Each outstanding share of convertible preferred stock is convertible, at the option of the holder at any time and from time to time, into such number of fully paid and non-assessable shares of common stock as is determined by dividing the respective original issue price of the convertible preferred stock, as applicable, by the respective conversion price of the convertible preferred stock, as applicable, in effect at the time of the conversion. Conversion of all shares of convertible preferred stock is automatic upon (i) the closing of a public offering of common stock at a price per share of at least 1.2 times the original issue price of the Series E Convertible Preferred Stock (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the common stock) resulting in at least $40.0 million of gross cash proceeds; or (ii) affirmative election of at least a majority of the shares of preferred stock outstanding.
As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the conversion price of the Convertible Preferred Stock issued by the Company was as follows:
Series
March 31,
2021
December 31,
2020
Series A-1 Junior Preferred Stock
$ 6.08 $ 6.08
Series A-2 Junior Preferred Stock
5.20 5.20
Series B-1 Junior Preferred Stock
5.20 5.20
Series B-2 Junior Preferred Stock
8.32 8.32
Series C-1 Junior Preferred Stock
12.38 12.38
Series C-2 Junior Preferred Stock
17.22 17.22
Series D Senior Preferred Stock
9.03 9.03
Series E Senior Preferred Stock
12.46
The conversion price of convertible preferred stock is subject to adjustment as a result of stock dividends, splits and other equity structuring transactions, and due to subsequent sales of common stock at a lower effective price.
Redemption Rights
Each outstanding share of convertible preferred stock is redeemable by the Company at a price equal to the applicable liquidation preference per share, plus any dividends per share declared but unpaid thereon (the “Redemption Price”), in three annual installments commencing not more than 60 days after receipt by the Company at any time on or after the 5th anniversary of the Series E Convertible Preferred Stock original issue date, February 23, 2021, from the holders of at least a majority of the Senior Preferred Stock then outstanding of written notice requesting redemption of all shares of convertible preferred stock (the “Redemption Request”). Upon receipt of a Redemption Request, the Company will apply all of its assets to any such redemption, and to no other corporate purpose, except to the extent prohibited by Delaware law
 
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governing distributions to stockholders. Changes in the fair value of the Company’s convertible preferred stock or common stock would not affect settlement amounts. The carrying value of the convertible preferred stock has not been accreted up to its redemption value as no redemption events are considered probable as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.
Upon the occurrence of certain change in control events that are outside the Company’s control, including liquidation, sale, or transfer of the Company, holders of the convertible preferred stock can effectively cause redemption for cash. As a result, the Company has classified the convertible preferred stock as mezzanine equity on the accompanying balance sheets as the stock is contingently redeemable. The Company has elected not to adjust the carrying values of the convertible preferred stock to the liquidation preferences of such shares because it is uncertain whether or when an event would occur that would obligate the Company to pay the liquidation preferences to holders of shares of convertible preferred stock. Subsequent adjustments to the carrying values to the liquidation preferences will be made only when it becomes probable that such a liquidation event will occur.
Voting Rights
The holders of each share of convertible preferred stock are entitled to the number of votes equal to the number of shares of common stock into which such share is convertible.
10. Stock-based Compensation
Equity Incentive Plans
In February 2008, the Company established the 2008 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2008 Plan”) and reserved shares of the Company’s common stock for sale and issuance under the 2008 Plan. In November 2011, the 2008 Plan was terminated and the remaining authorized shares were no longer available for future grants.
In November 2011, the Company established the 2011 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan (the “2011 Plan”) and reserved shares of the Company’s common stock for sale and issuance under the 2011 Plan. The 2011 Plan provides for the grant of incentive and non-statutory stock options as well as restricted stock to employees, nonemployee directors and consultants of the Company, which are to be granted at a price that is not less than 100% of the fair value of the stock at the date of grant. Options and restricted stock generally vest over a four-year period and options generally expire ten years from the date of grant. Options are exercisable only to the extent vested. In February 2020, the Board of Directors approved an increase to the number of shares of common stock options available for grant under the 2011 Plan by 3,918,700 shares and reserved the same number of shares of the Company’s common stock for issuance under the 2011 Plan. As of December 31, 2020, the 2011 Plan, as amended, permits the Company to grant up to 12,709,379 shares of the Company’s common stock, plus any additional awards granted under the 2008 Plan that are forfeited, expire or are cancelled without exercise after November 8, 2011. In August 2020, the Board of Directors approved an amendment to the 2011 Plan that will automatically increase the number of shares authorized for issuance under the Plan on the first day of each fiscal year beginning in fiscal year 2021, which amount was 2,001,859 shares for 2021. In March 2021, the Board of Directors approved an increase to the number of shares of common stock available for grant under the 2011 Plan by 2,500,000 and reserved the same number of shares of the Company’s common stock for issuance under the 2011 Plan.
Stock Options
Unless otherwise noted, references to “options” in the subsequent disclosures, refers to the combined incentive and non-statutory stock options issued as employee and non-employee stock-based compensation, and authorized under the 2008 Plan and 2011 Plan. The following table summarizes information about these options granted and outstanding:
 
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Number of
Shares
Subject to
Options
Outstanding
Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
Per Share
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (In Years)
Outstanding – December 31, 2020
4,096,722 $ 0.92 $ 1.64 6.99
Granted
1,143,162 3.06 5.32
Expired
(32) 128.89 207.90
Cancelled
(200) 1.04 1.98
Exercised
(281,458) 0.52 0.82
Outstanding – March 31, 2021
4,958,194 $ 1.43 $ 2.54 7.75
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2021
4,684,559 $ 1.39 $ 2.47 7.64
Vested and exercisable at March 31, 2021
2,314,896 $ 1.05 $ 1.66 5.88
Non-vested options at March 31, 2021
2,643,254 $ 1.85 $ 3.30
The following table presents the impact of stock-based compensation expense in the statements of operations for the periods indicated (in thousands):
Three months ended
March 31,
2021 2020
Research and development expense
$ 64 $ 54
Sales and marketing expense
62 29
General and administrative expense
113 52
Total employee stock-based compensation
$ 239 $ 135
At March 31, 2021, there was $4.2 million of unamortized stock-based compensation cost related to unvested stock options which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.5 years.
11. Warrants
Warrants to purchase common stock
In conjunction with the issuance of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, the Company issued 1,009,795 warrants to purchase shares of common stock at a price of $9.03 per share, and 1,009,795 warrants to purchase shares of common stock at a price of $10.84 per share. Because these warrants are equity classified, the Company allocated the relative fair value of the cash proceeds between the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and the warrants. Proceeds allocated to these common stock warrants on a relative fair value basis, calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, were $0.9 million and were recognized as a component of additional paid-in capital in the accompanying condensed financial statements. As an equity instrument, these warrants are not required to be remeasured to their fair value each reporting period.
A certain investor of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock also received 722,223 warrants to purchase shares of common stock of the Company at a price of $20.77 per share. Because these warrants are equity classified, the Company allocated the relative fair value of the cash proceeds between the Series E Convertible Preferred Stock and the warrants. Proceeds allocated to these common stock warrants on a relative fair value basis, calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, were $1.1 million and were recognized as a component of additional paid-in capital in the accompanying condensed financial statements. As an equity instrument, these warrants are not required to be remeasured to their fair value each reporting period.
Warrants to purchase preferred stock
In conjunction with the issuance of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, the Company issued a third-party consultant a fully-vested warrant to purchase 21,611 shares (the “2019 Warrant”) of Series D
 
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Convertible Preferred Stock at a price of $9.03 per share. The initial fair value of the 2019 Warrant was calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and recorded as a reduction in additional paid-in capital associated with Series D Preferred Stock Financing. The 2019 Warrant, which increased to 22,609 shares in conjunction with the issuance of additional shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock in 2020, remains outstanding at March 31, 2021, and is immediately exercisable for cash, with 22,609 shares to be issued upon settlement of the 2019 Warrant. The Company paid fees of $0.4 million to this consultant and the estimated fair value of the warrants was $0.2 million. The Company recognized the fees and the fair value of the warrants issued as a reduction to additional paid-in capital and recorded a corresponding preferred stock warrant liability. Total adjustments to the fair value of this warrant liability during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 resulted in other expense of $10 thousand and other income of $4 thousand, respectively.
In connection with various debt financings, refinancing, and amendments to the Loan Agreement with the Bank, the Company has, from time to time, issued warrants to purchase shares of convertible preferred stock. Each of these warrants are exercisable for cash, fully-vested at the grant date, and have a ten-year expiration. The initial fair value of each these warrants was calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and recorded as a reduction to the carrying value of the bank loan payable in the year of issuance. During the fiscal year, any changes in the fair value of these warrant liabilities are recorded in interest expense. Total adjustments to the fair value of these warrant liabilities during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 resulted in $10 thousand of interest expense and a $1 thousand reduction of interest expense, respectively.
The following table summarizes the warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock and the fair value as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
Related Series
Grant
Date
Number of
Warrants
Exercise
Price
Fair Value as of
March 31,
2021
December 31,
2020
Series A-2
Sep 2012
12,506 $ 5.20 $ 42 $ 41
Series A-2
Sep 2014
3,473 $ 5.20 14 13
Series B-1
Dec 2014
28,860 $ 5.20 119 113
Series B-2
Dec 2015
6,012 $ 8.32 23 22
Series C-1
Mar 2017
8,083 $ 12.38 32 31
Series D
Feb 2020
22,609 $ 9.03 264 254
Total
81,543 $ 494 $ 474
Liability classification requires the warrants to be remeasured to their fair value at each reporting period. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the fair value of preferred stock warrants outstanding was $0.5 million and was recorded in warrant liability as a long-term liability in the accompanying condensed balance sheets.
The following is a summary of the Company’s preferred stock warrant liability activity for the three months ended March 31, 2021 (in thousands):
Warrant
Liability
Outstanding
Outstanding – December 31, 2020
$ 474
Net increase in fair value of preferred stock warrants
20
Outstanding – March 31, 2021
$ 494
12. Commitments and Contingences
Operating Leases
The Company leases a total of approximately 21,800 square feet of office and laboratory space under a single non-cancelable operating lease with a termination date of December 31, 2022. Under the terms of the
 
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lease agreement, the Company has an option to renew the lease for one additional five-year rental period. The lease included a tenant improvement allowance from the landlord for structural and cosmetic changes to the new space. The tenant improvements were completed and delivery of possession occurred on September 1, 2018. The tenant improvement allowance has been accounted for as a liability of the Company within deferred rent and is amortized monthly as a reduction to rent expense. A corresponding leasehold improvement asset has been recorded with monthly depreciation being recorded as depreciation expense.
Scheduled base rent increases of 3% occur annually each August. The Company recognized rent expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the operating lease. The difference in actual amounts paid and amounts recorded as rent expense during the period was recorded as deferred rent on the accompanying balance sheets. For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized rent expense of $0.1 million. Amounts classified as deferred rent at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 totaled $0.2 million and $0.3 million, respectively.
Capital Leases
The full value of all leased equipment, including advance payments, are classified as assets on the Company’s balance sheets. The portion of the future payments designated as principal repayment are classified as a capital lease obligation. As of March 31, 2021, the Company classified the aggregate amount of scheduled capital lease obligation payments due within twelve months of the date of the condensed financial statements, $0.1 million, as a current liability, and the remaining $0.1 million due thereafter, in other liabilities.
The following table presents the Company’s future minimum lease payments as of March 31, 2021 (in thousands):
2021
2022
2023
2024 and
Thereafter
Total
Operating leases
$ 410 $ 554 $ $ $ 964
Capital leases
61 80 55 196
Total
$ 471 $ 634 $ 55 $ $ 1,160
Indemnification
The Company has agreed to indemnify its officers and directors for certain events or occurrences, while the officer or director is or was serving at the Company’s request in such capacity. The maximum amount of potential future indemnification is unlimited; however, the Company purchases director and officer insurance coverage that provides for corporate reimbursements of covered obligations that limits the Company’s exposure and enables it to recover a portion of potential future amounts paid. The Company is unable to reasonably estimate the maximum amount that could be payable under these arrangements since these obligations are not capped but are conditional to the unique facts and circumstances involved. Accordingly, the Company has no liabilities recorded for these agreements as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. The Company has never incurred costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification agreements.
Employee Agreements
The Company has signed various employment agreements with key executives pursuant to which if their employment is terminated by the Company without cause or by the employees for good reason, or following a change of control of the Company, the employees are entitled to receive certain benefits, including severance payments, accelerated vesting of stock and stock options, and certain insurance benefits.
Legal Matters
The Company is not currently a party to any material litigation or other material legal proceedings. The Company may, from time to time, be involved in various legal proceedings arising from the normal course of business activities, and an unfavorable resolution of any of these matters could materially affect the Company’s future results of operations, cash flows, or financial position.
 
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13. Net loss per share
The following table sets forth the computation of the basic and diluted net loss per share (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2021
2020
Net loss
$ (6,359) $ (4,696)
Weighted average common stock outstanding, basic and diluted
1,791,841 1,525,334
Net loss per share – basic and diluted
$ (3.55) $ (3.08)
The Company excluded the following potentially dilutive securities, presented based on amounts outstanding at each period end, from the computation of diluted net loss per share for the periods indicated because their impact under the “treasury stock method” and “if-converted method” would have been an anti-dilutive:
March 31,
2021
2020
Junior convertible preferred stock
9,819,480 9,819,480
Senior convertible preferred stock
10,675,922 5,737,440
Shares issuable under convertible note
600,126
Warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock
81,543 81,543
Warrants to purchase Class A common stock
2,741,813 2,019,590
Options to purchase Class A common stock
4,958,194 4,409,104
Total
28,276,952 22,667,283
14. Subsequent Events
The Company has performed an evaluation of its subsequent events through May 27, 2021, which is the date the unaudited interim financial statements were available to be issued. The Company reassessed subsequent events through July 7, 2021, the date the revised unaudited interim financial statements were available to be issued. The following subsequent events have been identified for disclosure:
In April 2021, the Board of Directors increased the number of authorized shares of common stock to 80,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and 3,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, and authorized the issuance of an additional 5,008,347 shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock. In April 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of 3,115,657 additional shares of Series E Convertible Preferred Stock for $12.46 per share to new and existing investors in exchange for $38.7 million, net of issuance costs.
In June 2021, the Company received notification that the full amount of its $1.1 million PPP loan had been forgiven.
On June 30, 2021, the Company’s board of directors approved a 1-for-2.079 reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock and redeemable convertible preferred stock, which was effective by amendment to the Company’s charter on July 7, 2021. The par value and authorized shares of the common stock and redeemable convertible preferred stock were not adjusted as a result of the reverse stock split. All issued and outstanding common stock, warrants, options to purchase common stock and per share amounts contained in the financial statements have been retroactively adjusted to give effect to the reverse stock split for all periods presented.
 
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4,687,500 Shares
[MISSING IMAGE: LG_SERAPROGNOSTICS-4CLR.JPG]
Class A Common Stock
Citigroup
Cowen
William Blair
           , 2021
Through and including                 , 2021 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM 13.   OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.
The following table sets forth all costs and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, paid or payable by the Registrant in connection with the sale of the Class A common stock being registered. All amounts shown are estimates except for the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee:
Amount
SEC registration fee
$ 9,998
FINRA filing fee
15,500
Nasdaq Global Market initial listing fee
170,000
Blue sky qualification fees and expenses
10,000
Printing and engraving expenses
180,000
Legal fees and expenses
1,750,000
Accounting fees and expenses
1,200,000
Transfer agent and registrar fees and expenses
7,500
Miscellaneous expenses
7,002
Total
$ 3,350,000
ITEM 14.   INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
Section 145(a) of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides, in general, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), because he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
Section 145(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides, in general, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor because the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which he or she shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, he or she is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court shall deem proper.
Section 145(g) of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides, in general, that a corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as
 
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such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the person against such liability under Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, or the Charter, which will become effective upon completion of the offering, provides that no director of our company shall be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (1) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (3) in respect of unlawful dividend payments or stock redemptions or repurchases, or (4) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. In addition, our Charter provides that if the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to authorize the further elimination or limitation of the liability of directors, then the liability of a director of our company shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended.
The Charter further provides that any repeal or modification of such article by our stockholders or amendment to the Delaware General Corporation Law will not adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to any acts or omissions occurring before such repeal or modification of a director serving at the time of such repeal or modification.
Our Amended and Restated By-Laws, or the By-Laws, which will become effective upon completion of the offering, provide that we will indemnify each of our directors and officers and, in the discretion of our board of directors, certain employees, to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law as the same may be amended (except that in the case of amendment, only to the extent that the amendment permits us to provide broader indemnification rights than the Delaware General Corporation Law permitted us to provide prior to such the amendment) against any and all expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts reasonably paid in settlement that are incurred by the director, officer or such employee or on the director’s, officer’s or employee’s behalf in connection with any threatened, pending or completed proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, to which he or she is or is threatened to be made a party because he or she is or was serving as a director, officer or employee of our company, or at our request as a director, partner, trustee, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of our company and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Article VII,
Section 2 of the By-Laws further provides for the advancement of expenses to each of our directors and, in the discretion of the board of directors, to certain officers and employees.
In addition, the By-Laws provide that the right of each of our directors and officers to indemnification and advancement of expenses shall be a contract right and shall not be exclusive of any other right now possessed or hereafter acquired under any statute, provision of the Charter or By-Laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or otherwise. Furthermore, Article VII, Section 5 of the By-Laws authorizes us to provide insurance for our directors, officers and employees, against any liability, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the Delaware General Corporation Law or the provisions of Article VII, Section 1 of the By-Laws.
In connection with the sale of Class A common stock being registered hereby, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and our executive officers. These agreements will provide that we will indemnify each of our directors and such officers to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Charter and By-Laws.
We also maintain a general liability insurance policy, which covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of our company arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.
In any underwriting agreement we enter into in connection with the sale of Class A common stock being registered hereby, the underwriters will agree to indemnify, under certain conditions, us, our directors, our officers and persons who control us within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, against certain liabilities.
 
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ITEM 15.   RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES.
In the three years preceding the filing of this registration statement, we have issued the following securities that were not registered under the Securities Act. Also included is the consideration, if any, received by us for such shares, warrants and options, and information relating to the section of the Securities Act, or rule of the Securities and Exchange Commission, under which exemption from registration was claimed.
(a) Preferred Stock Issuances
From July 2019 to February 2020, we issued an aggregate of 4,015,723 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock at a purchase price of $9.03 per share for aggregate gross consideration of $36.2 million. During the same period, we issued an aggregate of 1,721,717 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock upon the conversion of a series of convertible promissory notes previously issued to certain noteholders.
From February to April 2021, we issued an aggregate of 8,054,138 shares of our Series E convertible preferred stock at a purchase price of $12.46 per share for aggregate consideration of $100.3 million.
(b) Option Issuances
Since January 1, 2018, we have granted to employees, officers, directors, consultants and other service providers options to purchase an aggregate of 4,234,642 shares of our Class A common stock, with exercise prices ranging from $1.69 to $8.88 per share, pursuant to the 2011 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2011 Plan. Since January 1, 2018, 505,732 shares of Class A common stock have been issued upon the exercise of stock options pursuant to the 2011 Plan.
No underwriters were used in the foregoing transactions, and no discounts or commissions were paid. All sales of securities described above were exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, Rule 701 promulgated under the Securities Act or Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act, relating to transactions by an issuer not involving a public offering. All of the foregoing securities are deemed restricted securities for purposes of the Securities Act.
(c) Warrant Issuances
In connection with our Series D Preferred Stock Financing, we issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,009,795 shares of Class A common stock initially exercisable at a price of $9.03 per share and warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1,009,795 shares of Class A common stock initially exercisable at a price of $10.84 per share.
In connection with our Series E Preferred Stock Financing, we issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 722,223 shares of Class A common stock initially exercisable at a price of $20.77 per share.
ITEM 16.   EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
(a) Exhibits.
Exhibit 
Number
Description of Exhibit
1.1
3.1
3.2
3.3*
3.4
4.1
4.2*
 
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Exhibit 
Number
Description of Exhibit
4.3*
4.4*
4.5*
5.1
10.1
10.2+*
10.2.1+
10.3+
10.4+
10.5†*
10.6†*
10.7.1†*
10.7.2†*
10.7.3*
10.8†*
10.9+*
10.10+*
10.11+*
10.12+*
10.13+*
10.14+*
10.15+*
10.16+*
10.17+*
10.18+*
10.18.1+*
10.18.2+*
10.18.3+*
10.19+*
 
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Exhibit 
Number
Description of Exhibit
10.20*
21.1*
23.1
23.3
24.1*
*
Previously filed.

Portions of this exhibit (indicated by asterisks) have been omitted in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
+
Indicates a management contract or any compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.
(b)
Financial Statement Schedules.
No financial statement schedules are provided because the information called for is not required or is shown either in the financial statements or notes.
ITEM 17.   UNDERTAKINGS.
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:
(a) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(b) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
 
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the 8th day of July, 2021.
SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
/s/ Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement on Form S-1 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
Chairman,
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
July 8, 2021
/s/ Jay Moyes
Jay Moyes
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer and Principal Financial Officer)
July 8, 2021
*
Dennis Farrar
Director
July 8, 2021
*
Joshua Phillips
Director
July 8, 2021
*
Mansoor Raza Mirza, M.D.
Director
July 8, 2021
*
Ryan Trimble
Director
July 8, 2021
*
Kim Kamdar, Ph.D.
Director
July 8, 2021
*
Michael F. Minahan
Director
July 8, 2021
*
Charles D. Kennedy, M.D.
Director
July 8, 2021
*By: /s/ Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
Name: Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
Title: Attorney-in-fact
 
II-6

 

Exhibit 1.1 

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc.

 

[●] Shares of Class A Common Stock
Plus an option to purchase up to [●] additional shares of Class A Common Stock solely to cover over-allotments

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

New York, New York
[
], 2021

 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Cowen and Company, LLC
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
388 Greenwich Street
New York, New York 10013

 

c/o Cowen and Company, LLC
599 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10022

 

c/o William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
150 North Riverside Plaza
Chicago, Illinois 60606

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of Delaware (the “Company”), proposes to sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you (the “Representatives”) are acting as representatives, [] shares of Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value (“Class A Common Stock”) of the Company (said shares to be issued and sold by the Company being hereinafter called the “Underwritten Securities”). The Company also proposes to grant to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to [●] additional shares of Class A Common Stock solely to cover over-allotments, if any (the “Option Securities,” and the Option Securities, together with the Underwritten Securities, being hereinafter called the “Securities”). To the extent there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedule I other than you, the term Representatives as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the terms Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires.

 

 

 

As used in this underwriting agreement (this “Agreement”), the “Registration Statement” means the registration statement referred to in paragraph 1(a) hereof, including the exhibits, schedules and financial statements and any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act”) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act (“Rule 430A”), as amended at the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto (the “Execution Time”), and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto or any registration statement and any amendments thereto filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”) becomes effective prior to the Closing Date (as defined in Section 3 hereof), shall also mean such registration statement as so amended or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, as the case may be; the “Effective Date” means each date and time that the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement became or becomes effective; the “Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) hereof and any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date that omits information with respect to the Securities and the offering thereof permitted to be omitted from the Registration Statement when it becomes effective pursuant to Rule 430A (the “Rule 430A Information”); and the “Prospectus” means the prospectus relating to the Securities that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (“Rule 424(b)”) after the Execution Time.

  

As used in this Agreement, the “Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Preliminary Prospectus that is generally distributed to investors and used to offer the Securities, (ii) any issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act (“Rule 433” and, any such issuer free writing prospectus, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), identified in Schedule II hereto, and (iii) any other free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (“Rule 405” and, any such free writing prospectus, a “Free Writing Prospectus”), that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package.

 

1.             Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this Section 1.

 

(a)            The Company has prepared and filed with the SEC a Registration Statement (file number 333-[]) on Form S-1, including the Preliminary Prospectus, for the registration of the offering and sale of the Securities under the Securities Act. Such Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto filed prior to the Execution Time, has become effective. The Company may have filed one or more amendments thereto, including to the Preliminary Prospectus, each of which has previously been furnished to you. The Company will file with the SEC a final Prospectus relating to the Securities in accordance with Rule 424(b) after the Execution Time. As filed, such final Prospectus shall contain all information required by the Securities Act and the rules thereunder and, except to the extent the Representatives shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to you prior to the Execution Time or, to the extent not completed at the Execution Time, shall contain only such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that contained in the latest Preliminary Prospectus) as the Company has advised you, prior to the Execution Time, will be included or made therein.

 

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(b)            On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement did, and when the Prospectus is first filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date (as defined herein) and on any date on which Option Securities are purchased, if such date is not the Closing Date (a “Settlement Date”), the Prospectus (and any supplement thereto) will, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the rules thereunder; on the Effective Date, at the Execution Time and on the Closing Date, the Registration Statement did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date and any settlement date, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.

 

(c)            (i) The Disclosure Package and the price to the public, the number of Underwritten Securities and the number of Option Securities to be included on the cover page of the Prospectus, when taken together as a whole, (ii) each electronic road show, when taken together as a whole with the Disclosure Package and the price to the public, the number of Underwritten Securities and the number of Option Securities to be included on the cover page of the Prospectus and (iii) any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (as defined below), when taken together as a whole with the Disclosure Package and the price to the public, the number of Underwritten Securities and the number of Option Securities to be included on the cover page of the Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.

 

(d)            (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405), without taking account of any determination by the SEC pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.

 

(e)            From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the SEC (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any Person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the Execution Time, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act.

 

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(f)            The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that to the Company’s reasonable belief are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule III hereto. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405.

 

(g)            Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.

 

(h)            The interactive data in the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (“XBRL”) included as an exhibit to the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the SEC’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

 

(i)             Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is chartered or organized with full corporate power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction which requires such qualification, except where the failure to be qualified or in good standing would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined herein).

 

(j)            All the outstanding shares of capital stock of each subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable (to the extent applicable under the relevant jurisdiction of incorporation or organization), and, except as otherwise set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock of the subsidiaries are owned by the Company either directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries free and clear of any perfected security interest or any other security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances.

 

(k)            There is no franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit thereto, which is not described or filed as required (and the Preliminary Prospectus contains in all material respects the same description of the foregoing matters contained in the Prospectus); and the statements in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Tax Matters,” “[Intellectual Property]” and “[Regulatory Matters]” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.

 

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(l)            This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(m)            The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(n)            No consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental agency or body is required in connection with the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained under the Securities Act and such as may be required under the listing rules of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”), the applicable rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters in the manner contemplated herein and in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(o)            Neither the issue and sale of the Securities nor the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or bound or to which its or their property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their properties, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) for any such breach, violation or imposition as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(p)            No holders of securities of the Company have rights to the registration of such securities under the Registration Statement, except as such rights that have been effectively waived pursuant to Section 2.2 of the Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated as of February 23, 2021 by and among Sera Prognostics, Inc. and the investors listed on Schedule A thereto (the “IRA”).

 

(q)            The consolidated historical financial statements and schedules of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein). The selected financial data set forth under the caption “Selected Financial Information” in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and Registration Statement fairly present in all material respects, on the basis stated in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement, the information included therein.

 

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(r)            No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or its or their property is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated that (i) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby or (ii) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, individually or taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

(s)            Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries owns or leases all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of its operations as presently conducted, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(t)            Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is in violation or default of (i) any provision of its charter or bylaws, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or such subsidiary or any of its properties, as applicable, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) for any such violation or default as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(u)            Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and delivered their report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements and schedules included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act.

 

(v)            There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under Federal law or the laws of any state, or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance by the Company or sale by the Company of the Securities.

 

(w)            The Company has filed all tax returns that are required to be filed or has requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto)) and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

(x)            No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, that would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

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(y)            The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as the Company reasonably believes are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of insurance insuring the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and there are no material claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

(z)            No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated by the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

(aa)          The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, all applicable federal state, and local governmental authorities or other authorities that are necessary to conduct their respective businesses (“Permits”). Neither the Company nor any such subsidiary is in violation of, or in default under, any of the Permits nor have they received any notice of revocation, suspension, and/or modification of any such Permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto). Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that any such Permit will not be renewed in the ordinary course and all Permits are valid and in full force.

 

(bb)         The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls (as contemplated under Rule 13a-15(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”)) sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) the interactive data in XBRL included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus is in compliance in all material respects with the SEC’s published rules, regulations and guidelines applicable thereto. The Company and its subsidiaries’ internal controls over financial reporting are effective and the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any material weakness in their internal controls over financial reporting.

 

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(cc)          The Company and its subsidiaries maintain “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

 

(dd)          The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly (without giving effect to the activities of the Underwriters), any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

 

(ee)          The Company and its subsidiaries are (i) in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability under any environmental law, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals, or liability would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, and except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto). Except as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended.

 

(ff)            Reserved

 

(gg)          None of the following events has occurred or exists: (i) a failure to fulfill the obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder with respect to a Plan, determined without regard to any waiver of such obligations or extension of any amortization period, that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) an audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other federal or state governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by any of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or (iii) any breach of any contractual obligation, or any violation of law or applicable qualification standards, with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur: (i) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans in the current fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such contributions made in the most recently completed fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries, other than increases in the ordinary course resulting from an increase in the number of eligible participants in such Plans or increases resulting from increased participation by eligible participants in such Plans; (ii) a material increase in the “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 106) of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such obligations in the most recently completed fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries; (iii) any event or condition giving rise to a liability under Title IV of ERISA that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or (iv) the filing of a claim by one or more employees or former employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries related to their employment that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “Plan” means a plan (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA with respect to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries may have any liability.

 

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(hh)         There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection thereunder, that are currently applicable to the Company, and the Company is actively taking steps to allow it to be in compliance with other provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act which will become applicable to the Company at all times after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

 

(ii)           Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that could result in a violation or a sanction for violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, each as may be amended, or similar law of any other relevant jurisdiction, or the rules or regulations thereunder; and the Company and its subsidiaries have instituted and maintain policies and procedures to ensure compliance therewith. No part of the proceeds of the offering will be used, directly or indirectly, in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, each as may be amended, or similar law of any other relevant jurisdiction, or the rules or regulations thereunder.

 

(jj)           The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements and the money laundering statutes and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

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(kk)         Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (i) is, or is controlled or 50% or more owned in the aggregate by or is acting on behalf of, one or more individuals or entities that are currently the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States (including any such sanctions that are administered or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State or the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, a member state of the European Union (including sanctions administered or enforced by Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom) or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions” and such persons, “Sanctioned Persons” and each such person, a “Sanctioned Person”), (ii) is located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is, or whose government is, the subject of Sanctions that broadly prohibit dealings with that country or territory (collectively, “Sanctioned Countries” and each, a “Sanctioned Country”) or (iii) will, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity in any manner that would result in a violation of any Sanctions by, or could result in the imposition of Sanctions against, any individual or entity (including any individual or entity participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).

 

(ll)            Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has engaged in any dealings or transactions with or for the benefit of a Sanctioned Person, or with or in a Sanctioned Country, in the preceding 3 years, nor does the Company or any of its subsidiaries have any plans to engage in dealings or transactions with or for the benefit of a Sanctioned Person, or with or in a Sanctioned Country.

 

Intellectual Property:

 

(mm)        The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess, license or have other rights to use, on reasonable terms, all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how and other intellectual property (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as now conducted or as proposed in the Disclosure Package and Prospectus to be conducted, provided that the foregoing representation is made only to the Company’s knowledge as it concerns third party patent rights, trade secrets and trademarks. Except as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Business—Intellectual Property, (a) there are no rights of third parties to any such Intellectual Property; (b) there is no material infringement by third parties of any such Intellectual Property; (c) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s rights in or to any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (d) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (e) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (f) there is no U.S. patent or published U.S. patent application of which the Company is aware that contains claims that dominate or may dominate any Intellectual Property described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned by or licensed to the Company or that interferes with the issued or pending claims of any such Intellectual Property; and (g) there is no prior art of which the Company is aware that may render any U.S. patent held by the Company invalid or any U.S. patent application held by the Company un-patentable which has not been disclosed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

 

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(nn)         The statements contained in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property” and “Business — Intellectual Property,” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents, or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.

 

Lending Relationship:

 

(oo)         Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC or William Blair & Company, L.L.C. and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc, Cowen and Company, LLC, or William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

 

Immunity from Jurisdiction:

 

(pp)         Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any of its or their properties or assets has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise) under the laws of Delaware.

 

Healthcare and Regulatory:

 

(qq)         Preclinical Studies, Clinical Trials and Regulatory Compliance. The preclinical studies and clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries (collectively, “Studies”) were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with the protocols, procedures and controls designed and approved for such studies and, where applicable, with standard medical and scientific research procedures and all applicable laws; each description of the results of such Studies is accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly presents the data derived from such Studies, and the Company and its subsidiaries have no knowledge of any other studies the results of which are inconsistent with, or otherwise call into question, the results of the Studies; the Company and its subsidiaries have made all such filings and obtained all such approvals as may be required from any U.S. or foreign government regulatory agency, or health care facility Institutional Review Board (collectively, the “Regulatory Agencies”) with respect to such Studies; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received or is aware of any notice of, or correspondence from, any Regulatory Agency requiring the termination, suspension or modification of any such Studies; and the Company and its subsidiaries have each operated and currently are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable rules, regulations and policies of the Regulatory Agencies applicable to such Studies.

 

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(rr)           The Company and its subsidiaries are, and at all times have been, in material compliance with all Health Care Laws to the extent applicable to the Company’s operations and services. For purposes of this Agreement, “Health Care Laws” means: (i) the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (42 U.S.C. Section 263a), and the regulations promulgated thereunder, and all applicable state laws governing the provision of laboratory tests, including so-called waived tests; (ii) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Section 301 et seq.); (iii) all applicable federal, state, and local laws relating to health care fraud and abuse, including, without limitation, the Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7b(b)), the Civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. Section 3729 et seq.), the criminal false statements law (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7b(a)), 18 U.S.C. Sections 286 and 287, the health care fraud criminal provisions under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.), the Stark Law (42 U.S.C. Section 1395nn), the Civil Monetary Penalties Law (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7a), the exclusion law (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7), and applicable laws governing government funded or sponsored healthcare programs, each as amended; (iv) patient privacy and security provisions under HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (42 U.S.C. Section 17921 et seq.); (v) licensure, quality, safety and accreditation requirements under applicable federal, state, or local laws or regulatory bodies; (vi) all other local, state, federal, national, supranational and foreign laws to the extent applicable to regulation of the Company or its subsidiaries; and (vii) the directives and regulations promulgated pursuant to such statutes and any state or non-U.S. counterpart thereof. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in material violation of any Health Care Laws nor, to the Company’s knowledge, is any such claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action threatened. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed, maintained or submitted all reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Health Care Laws, and all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and accurate on the date filed in all material respects (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission). Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is a party to any corporate integrity agreement, monitoring agreement, consent decree, settlement order, or similar agreement with or imposed by any governmental or regulatory authority. Additionally, neither the Company, any of its subsidiaries, nor any of its or their respective employees, officers, directors, or agents has been excluded, suspended or debarred from participation in any U.S. federal health care program or human clinical research or, to the Company’s knowledge, is subject to a governmental inquiry, investigation, proceeding, or other similar action that could reasonably be expected to result in debarment, suspension, or exclusion.

 

(ss)         No Shutdowns or Prohibitions. The Company has not had any clinical laboratory or manufacturing site (whether Company-owned or that of a third party manufacturer for the Company’s products) subject to a governmental authority shutdown or import or export prohibition, nor received any governmental authority notice of inspectional observations, deficiency letters, requests to make changes to the Company’s products, processes or operations, or similar correspondence or notice from any governmental authority alleging or asserting material noncompliance with any applicable Health Care Laws. To the Company’s knowledge, no federal, state or local governmental authority is considering such action.

 

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Data Protection and Information Technology:

 

(tt)           The Company’s information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company as currently conducted, and to the knowledge of the Company, are free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, back-doors, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable physical, technical and administrative controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data, including “Personal Data,” used in connection with their businesses “Personal Data” means (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, e-mail address, photograph, social security number or tax identification number, driver’s license number, passport number, credit card number, bank information, or customer or account number; (ii) any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended; (iii) “personal data” as defined by the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (EU 2016/679); (iv) any information which would qualify as “protected health information” under HIPAA; and (v) any other piece of information that allows the identification , contact and/or identifies the location of such natural person, or his or her family, or permits the collection or analysis of any data related to an identified person’s health or sexual orientation. There have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to Personal Data, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries are and have been at all times in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws, directives, or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification (collectively, the “Data Protection Laws”).

 

(uu)         To ensure compliance with the Data Protection Laws, the Company and each of its subsidiaries has in place, complies with, and takes appropriate steps reasonably designed to ensure compliance in all material respects with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, disclosure, handling, and analysis of Personal Data (the “Policies”). The Company has at all times made all material disclosures to users or customers required by applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, and none of such disclosures made or contained in any Policy have been inaccurate or in violation of any applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements in any material respect. The Company and its subsidiaries have: (i) made all necessary registrations and notifications under the Data Protection Laws and such registrations and notifications are appropriate for the Company and its subsidiaries’ actual data processing activities; (ii) secured all consents and permissions necessary under the Data Protection Laws to collect, store, disclose, use, transfer and otherwise process any Personal Data; (iii) required and do require all third parties to which they provide any Personal Data to maintain the privacy and security of such Personal Data (iv) not received any written communication from any person or data subject alleging a breach of any of its obligations under Data Protection Laws, including any compensation claim and, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no facts or circumstances that would give rise to any such claim and (v) not received any written request, official notice (including an information notice or enforcement notice) or other written notice of investigation or other action under Data Protection Laws from any governmental body or supervisory authority alleging a breach of any of their obligations under Data Protection Laws and, Company’s knowledge, there are no facts or circumstances that would give rise to such an investigation or other action by a supervisory authority. The Company further certifies that neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries are currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation, or other corrective action pursuant to any Data Protection Law and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is not a party to any order, decree, or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under any Data Protection Law.

 

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Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

 

2.             Purchase and Sale.

 

(a)            Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of $[] per share, the amount of the Underwritten Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule I hereto.

 

(b)            Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to [] Option Securities at the same purchase price per share as the Underwriters shall pay for the Underwritten Securities, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Underwritten Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. Said option may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in the sale of the Underwritten Securities by the Underwriters. Said option may be exercised in whole or in part at any time on or before the 30th day after the date of the Prospectus upon written or telegraphic notice by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of shares of the Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option and the settlement date. The number of Option Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the same percentage of the total number of shares of the Option Securities to be purchased by the several Underwriters as such Underwriter is purchasing of the Underwritten Securities, subject to such adjustments as you in your absolute discretion shall make to eliminate any fractional shares.

 

3.             Delivery and Payment. Delivery of and payment for the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities (if the option provided for in Section 2(b) hereof shall have been exercised on or before the third Business Day immediately preceding the Closing Date) shall be made at 10:00 AM, New York City time, on [], 2021, or at such time on such later date not more than three Business Days after the foregoing date as the Representatives shall designate, which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the Company or as provided in Section 9 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities being herein called the “Closing Date”). As used herein, “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City. Delivery of the Securities shall be made to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof to or upon the order of the Company by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to an account specified by the Company. Delivery of the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.

 

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If the option provided for in Section 2(b) hereof is exercised after the third Business Day immediately preceding the Closing Date, the Company will deliver the Option Securities (at the expense of the Company) to the Representatives, at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, on the date specified by the Representatives (which shall be within three Business Days after exercise of said option) for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof to or upon the order of the Company by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to an account specified by the Company. If settlement for the Option Securities occurs after the Closing Date, the Company will deliver to the Representatives on the settlement date for the Option Securities, and the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase the Option Securities shall be conditioned upon receipt of, supplemental opinions, certificates and letters confirming as of such date the opinions, certificates and letters delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 6 hereof.

 

4.             Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Prospectus.

 

5.             Agreements. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:

 

(a)            Prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement unless the Company has furnished you a copy for your review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object. The Company will cause the Prospectus, properly completed, and any supplement thereto to be filed in a form approved by the Representatives with the SEC pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives (i) when the Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) or when any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the SEC, (ii) when, prior to termination of the offering of the Securities, any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective, (iii) of any request by the SEC or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement, or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or for any supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any notice objecting to its use or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the occurrence of any such suspension or objection to the use of the Registration Statement and, upon such issuance, occurrence or notice of objection, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal of such stop order or relief from such occurrence or objection, including, if necessary, by filing an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement and using its reasonable best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.

 

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(b)            If, at any time prior to the filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b), any event occurs as a result of which the Disclosure Package would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or the circumstances then prevailing not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Representatives so that any use of the Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Disclosure Package to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.

 

(c)            If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act (“Rule 172”)), any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or the circumstances then prevailing not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the rules thereunder, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Representatives of any such event; (ii) prepare and file with the SEC, subject to the second sentence of paragraph (a) of this Section 5, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and (iii) supply any supplemented Prospectus to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.

 

(d)            As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.

 

(e)            Upon request, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and to each other Underwriter a copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering.

 

(f)            The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably designate and will use its reasonable best efforts to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Securities, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

 

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(g)            The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of, (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company) directly or indirectly, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the SEC in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, any other shares of Class A Common Stock or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares of Class A Common Stock, including, for avoidance of doubt, the Company’s Class B common stock; or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction, for a period of 180 days after the date of this Agreement, provided, however, that the Company may issue and sell Class A Common Stock pursuant to any employee stock option plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan of the Company in effect at the Execution Time and the Company may issue Class A Common Stock issuable upon the conversion of securities or the exercise of warrants outstanding at the Execution Time.

 

(h)            If the Representatives in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up letter described in Section 6(k) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

 

(i)            The Company will not take, directly or indirectly (without giving effect to activities by the Underwriters), any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

 

(j)            The Company agrees to pay the costs and expenses relating to the following matters: (i) the preparation, printing or reproduction and filing with the SEC of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement to any of them; (ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all amendments or supplements to any of them, as may, in each case, be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities; (iii) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of certificates for the Securities, including any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Securities; (iv) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, any blue sky memorandum and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the offering of the Securities; (v) the registration of the Securities under the Exchange Act and the listing of the Securities on the Nasdaq Global Stock Market; (vi) any registration or qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such registration and qualification); (vii) any filings required to be made with FINRA (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such filings), with such fees and expenses of counsel in clauses (vi) and (vii) not to exceed $30,000 in the aggregate; (viii) the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of Company representatives in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers of the Securities; [provided, however, that if the Representatives and the Company mutually agree that an aircraft shall be chartered in connection with any road show, the Company shall be responsible for 50% of the costs and expenses of such chartered aircraft and the Underwriters shall be responsible for the remaining 50% of such costs and expenses]; (ix) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and the fees and expenses of counsel (including local and special counsel) for the Company; and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.

 

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(k)            The Company agrees that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees with the Company that, unless it has or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a Free Writing Prospectus required to be filed by the Company with the SEC or retained by the Company under Rule 433 under the Securities Act; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule II hereto and any electronic road show. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (x) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (y) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rule 164 under the Securities Act (“Rule 164”) and Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the SEC, legending and record keeping.

 

(l)            The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (a) completion of the distribution of the Securities within the meaning of the Securities Act and (b) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 5(g) hereof.

 

(m)            If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any event occurs as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made or the circumstances then prevailing not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Representatives so that use of the Written Testing-the-Waters Communication may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Representatives in such quantities as may be reasonably requested.

 

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6.             Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities, as the case may be, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time, the Closing Date and any settlement date pursuant to Section 3 hereof, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

 

(a)            The Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); any material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) shall have been filed with the SEC within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.

 

(b)            The Company shall have requested and caused Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., counsel for the Company, to have furnished to the Representatives their opinion, dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(c)            The Company shall have requested and caused Jones Day, intellectual property counsel for the Company to have furnished to the Representatives their opinion, dated as of the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York or the Federal laws of the United States, to the extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials. References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (b) shall also include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date.

 

(d)            The Representatives shall have received from Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

 

(e)            The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate of the Company, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as well as each electronic road show used in connection with the offering of the Securities, and this Agreement and that:

 

(i)            the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of the Closing Date with the same effect as if made on the Closing Date and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date;

 

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(ii)            no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened; and

 

(iii)            since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), there has been no Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

(f)            The Company shall have requested and caused Ernst & Young LLP to have furnished to the Representatives, at the Execution Time and at the Closing Date, letters, dated respectively as of the Execution Time and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, confirming that they are independent accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the SEC thereunder and containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(g)            Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) and the Prospectus (exclusive of supplement thereto), there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 6 or (ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof), the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

(h)            Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

(i)            Subsequent to the Execution Time, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

 

(j)            The Securities shall have been listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the Nasdaq Global Stock Market, and satisfactory evidence of such actions shall have been provided to the Representatives.

 

20

 

 

(k)            At the Execution Time, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto from each officer and director of the Company and substantially all holders of the Company’s securities addressed to the Representatives.

 

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.

 

The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered at the office of Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, at 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018, on the Closing Date.

 

7.             Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied, because of any termination pursuant to Section 10 hereof or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally through Citigroup Global Markets Inc. on demand for all documented, out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that shall have been reasonably incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities.

 

8.            Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a)            The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, affiliates and agents of each Underwriter and each person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement for the registration of the Securities as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or that arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other documented, out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.

 

21

 

 

(b)            Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only with reference to written information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which any Underwriter may otherwise have. The Company acknowledges that the statements set forth [(i) in the last paragraph of the cover page regarding delivery of the Securities and, under the heading “Underwriting” or “Plan of Distribution,” (ii) the list of Underwriters and their respective participation in the sale of the Securities, (iii) the sentences related to concessions and reallowances and (iv) the paragraph related to stabilization, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids] in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several Underwriters for inclusion in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

 

(c)            Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable and documented fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel (which shall be limited to one separate counsel plus any local counsel) if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

22

 

 

(d)            In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 8 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively, “Losses”) to which the Company and one or more of the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Underwriters shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 8, each person who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee, affiliate and agent of an Underwriter shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).

 

23

 

 

(e)            Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 8(c) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

9.             Default by an Underwriter. If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions which the amount of Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto bears to the aggregate amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event that the aggregate amount of Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the aggregate amount of Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Securities, and if such non-defaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Securities, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding five Business Days, as the Representatives shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company and any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.

 

10.            Termination. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Securities, if at any time prior to such delivery and payment (i) trading in the Company’s Class A Common Stock shall have been suspended by the SEC or the Nasdaq Global Stock Market or trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on either of such exchanges, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal or New York State authorities, (iii) there shall have occurred a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

24

 

 

11.            Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Sections 7 and 8 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

 

12.            Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013, Attention: General Counsel, facsimile number: +1 (646) 291-1469, Cowen and Company, LLC 599 Lexington Avenue New York, New York 10022, Attention: Head of Equity Capital Markets, facsimile number: 646-562-1249 with a copy to the General Counsel, Fax: 646-562-1124, and William Blair & Company, L.L.C., 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606, Attention: General Counsel, facsimile number: 312-551-4646; or, if sent to Sera Prognostics, Inc., will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to 2749 East Parleys Way, Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84109, facsimile number: 801-990-0640, Attention: Chief Financial Officer.

 

13.            Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

 

14.            Jurisdiction. The Company agrees that any suit, action or proceeding against the Company brought by any Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, affiliates and agents of any Underwriter, or by any person who controls any Underwriter, arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may be instituted in any State or U.S. federal court in The City of New York and County of New York, and waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any suit, action or proceeding. The Company hereby appoints Benjamin Jackson, Esq., General Counsel, 2749 East Parleys Way, Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84109 as its authorized agent (the “Authorized Agent”) upon whom process may be served in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein that may be instituted in any State or U.S. federal court in The City of New York and County of New York, by any Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, affiliates and agents of any Underwriter, or by any person who controls any Underwriter, and expressly accepts the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any such court in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding. The Company hereby represents and warrants that the Authorized Agent has accepted such appointment and has agreed to act as said agent for service of process, and the Company agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents that may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force and effect as aforesaid. Service of process upon the Authorized Agent shall be deemed, in every respect, effective service of process upon the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action arising out of or based upon this Agreement may be instituted by any Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, affiliates and agents of any Underwriter, or by any person who controls any Underwriter, in any court of competent jurisdiction in Delaware.

 

15.            Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

 

(a)            In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

25

 

 

(b)            In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

As used in this Section 15, “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k); “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b), (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b) or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b); “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable; and “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

16.            No Fiduciary Duty. The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other, (b) the Underwriters are acting as principal and not as an agent or fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Company’s engagement of the Underwriters in connection with the offering and the process leading up to the offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the offering (irrespective of whether any of the Underwriters has advised or is currently advising the Company on related or other matters). The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

 

17.            Integration. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

18.            Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York.

 

19.            Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

20.            Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

 

21.            Headings. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

26

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
   
   
  By:                             
    Name:
    Title:

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

 

The foregoing Agreement is hereby
confirmed and accepted as of the date
first above written.

 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Cowen and Company, LLC
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

 

By: Citigroup Global Markets Inc.  
   
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  
   
By: Cowen and Company, LLC  
   
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  
   
By: William Blair & Company, L.L.C.  
   
By:    
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

For themselves and the other several
Underwriters named in Schedule I
to the foregoing Agreement.

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

 

SCHEDULE I

 

Underwriters

 

Number of Underwritten
Securities to be Purchased

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.    
Cowen and Company, LLC    
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.    
     
Total    

 

I-1

 

 

SCHEDULE II

 

Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package

 

[None].

 

II-1

 

 

 

SCHEDULE III

 

Schedule of Written Testing-the-Waters Communication

 

[list all Written Testing-the-Waters Communications]

 

III-1

 

 

Lock-Up Agreement EXHIBIT A

 

[Provided under separate cover]

 

A-1

 

 

[Form of Press Release] EXHIBIT B

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc.
[
insert date]

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC and William Blair & Company, L.L.C., the lead book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of [●] shares of Class A common stock, are [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [●] shares of the Company’s Class A common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release] will take effect on [●], 20__, and the shares may be sold on or after such date.

 

This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

 

 

[Form of Waiver of Lock-up] ADDENDUM

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc.
Public Offering of Class A Common Stock

 

[], 20__

 

[name and address of officer or director requesting waiver]

 

Dear Mr./Ms. [insert name]:

 

This letter is being delivered to you in connection with the offering by Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”) of [●] shares of Class A common stock, $[●] par value (the “ Class A Common Stock”), of the Company and the lock-up letter dated [], 2021 (the “Lock-up Letter”), executed by you in connection with such offering, and your request for a [waiver] [release] dated [], 20__, with respect to [●] shares of Class A Common Stock (the “Shares”).

 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC and William Blair & Company, L.L.C. hereby agree to [waive] [release] the transfer restrictions set forth in the Lock-up Letter, but only with respect to the Shares, effective [], 20__; provided, however, that such [waiver] [release] is conditioned on the Company announcing the impending [waiver] [release] by press release through a major news service at least two business days before effectiveness of such [waiver] [release]. This letter will serve as notice to the Company of the impending [waiver] [release].

 

Except as expressly [waived] [released] hereby, the Lock-up Letter shall remain in full force and effect.

 

  Yours very truly,
   
  Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
   
  By:
    Name:
Title:
   
  Cowen and Company, LLC
   
  By:
    Name:
Title:

 

A-2

 

 

  William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
   
  By:
    Name:
Title:

 

cc: Sera Prognostics, Inc.

 

A-3

 

 

Exhibit 3.1

 

SIXTH AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

(Pursuant to Sections 242 and 245 of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware)

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “General Corporation Law”),

 

DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

 

1.       That the name of this corporation is Sera Prognostics, Inc., and that this corporation was originally incorporated pursuant to the General Corporation Law on January 17, 2008. An Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on February 23, 2021. Thereafter, a Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on March 18, 2021.

 

2.       That the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of this corporation duly adopted resolutions proposing to amend and restate the Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation, declaring said amendment and restatement to be advisable and in the best interests of this corporation and its stockholders, and authorizing the appropriate officers of this corporation to solicit the consent of the stockholders therefor, which resolution setting forth the proposed amendment and restatement is as follows:

 

RESOLVED, that the Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation be amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

First: The name of this corporation is Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

 

Second: The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19801. The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

 

Third: The nature of the business or purposes to be conducted or promoted is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law.

 

Fourth: The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is (i) 75,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Class A Common Stock”), (ii) 3,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Class B Common Stock”) and (iii) 46,543,334 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”). The Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock are referred to together as the “Common Stock.”

 

 

 

 

The following is a statement of the designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation.

 

A.       COMMON STOCK

 

1                    Class A Common Stock. All Common Stock, whether outstanding on the date hereof or issued hereafter shall be Class A Common Stock unless specifically designated Class B Common Stock.

 

1.1           General. The voting, dividend and liquidation rights of the holders of the Class A Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of the holders of the Preferred Stock set forth herein.

 

1.2           Voting. The holders of the Class A Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share of Class A Common Stock held at all meetings of stockholders (and written actions in lieu of meetings). There shall be no cumulative voting. The number of authorized shares of Class A Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by (in addition to any vote of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock that may be required by the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”)) the affirmative vote of the holders of shares of capital stock of the Corporation representing a majority of the votes represented by all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the General Corporation Law, and without a separate class vote of the holders of Class A Common Stock.

 

2                    Class B Common Stock.

 

2.1           General. The voting, dividend and liquidation rights of the holders of the Class B Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of the holders of the Preferred Stock set forth herein.

 

2.2           Voting. The Class B Common Stock shall be non-voting except as may be required by law; provided, the holders of the Class B Common Stock shall be entitled to vote, as a separate class, on any amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation that (a) modifies any powers, rights or privileges of the Class A Common Stock in a manner that differs from the powers, rights or privileges of the Class B Common Stock (other than with respect to the status of the Class B Common Stock as non-voting) or (b) modifies the non-voting status or conversion powers, rights or privileges applicable to the Class B Common Stock. The number of authorized shares of Class B Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by (in addition to any vote of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock that may be required by the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation) the affirmative vote of the holders of shares of capital stock of the Corporation representing a majority of the votes represented by all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the General Corporation Law, and without a separate class vote of the holders of Class B Common Stock.

 

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2.3           Conversion. Each holder of shares of Class B Common Stock shall have the right to convert each share of Class B Common Stock held by such holder into one share of Class A Common Stock at such holder’s election, which shall be made upon written notice to the Corporation delivered as provided in Section 4.3.1 of Subsection B of this Article Fourth, provided that, upon the closing of an initial public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the shares of Class B Common Stock may only be converted into shares of Class A Common Stock during such time or times as immediately prior to or as a result of such conversion would not result in the holder(s) thereof beneficially owning (for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”)), when aggregated with affiliates with whom such holder is required to aggregate beneficial ownership for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” means initially 4.99% of any class of securities of the Corporation registered under the Exchange Act, which percentage may be increased or decreased by a holder of outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock to such other percentage as such holder may designate in writing upon 61 days’ notice (delivered as provided in Section 4.3.1 of Subsection B of this Article Fourth) to the Corporation, provided, however, that such increase or decrease shall only be applicable to such holder and provided further, however, that no holder may make such an election to change the percentage unless all holders managed by the same investment advisor as such electing holder make the same election.

 

3                    Adjustments; Distributions. The Corporation shall not give effect to any stock split, stock dividend, stock combination or similar event affecting the Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock without effecting the same such stock split, stock dividend, stock combination or similar event for the Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, respectively. The Corporation shall not declare, pay or set aside any dividends or distributions on shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock unless the Corporation declares, pays or sets aside the same dividend or distribution on each share of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, provided, that dividends payable in Common Stock shall be paid in the same class.

 

B.       PREFERRED STOCK

 

1,390 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series A1 Preferred Stock”, 7,941,499 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series A2 Preferred Stock”, 2,060,000 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series B-1 Preferred Stock”, 5,012,500 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series B-2 Preferred Stock”, 5,521,905 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series C-1 Preferred Stock”, 1,510,000 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series C-2 Preferred Stock”, 11,975,172 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series D Preferred Stock”, and 12,520,868 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series E Preferred Stock”, with the following rights, preferences, powers, privileges and restrictions, qualifications and limitations. “Junior Preferred Stock” means the Series A1 Preferred Stock, the Series A2 Preferred Stock, the Series B-1 Preferred Stock, the Series B-2 Preferred Stock, the Series C-1 Preferred Stock and the Series C-2 Preferred Stock. “Senior Preferred Stock” means the Series D Preferred Stock and the Series E Preferred Stock. Unless otherwise indicated, references to “Sections” or “Subsections” in this Part B of this Article Fourth refer to sections and subsections of Part B of this Article Fourth.

 

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1                    Dividends.

 

1.1           As of the date of the effective date of the filing of the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation on November 7, 2014, any and all outstanding and unpaid dividends accrued with respect to the Series A2 Preferred Stock were forfeited.

 

1.2           The Corporation shall not declare, pay or set aside any dividends on shares of any other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation (other than dividends on shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock) unless (in addition to the obtaining of any consents required elsewhere in the Certificate of Incorporation) the holders of the Preferred Stock then outstanding shall first receive, or simultaneously receive, a dividend on each outstanding share of Preferred Stock in an amount at least equal to (i) in the case of a dividend on Common Stock or any class or series that is convertible into Common Stock, that dividend per share of Preferred Stock as would equal the product of (A) the dividend payable on each share of such class or series determined, if applicable, as if all shares of such class or series had been converted into Common Stock and (B) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of a share of Preferred Stock, in each case calculated on the record date for determination of holders entitled to receive such dividend or (ii) in the case of a dividend on any class or series that is not convertible into Common Stock, at a rate per share of Preferred Stock determined by (A) dividing the amount of the dividend payable on each share of such class or series of capital stock by the original issuance price of such class or series of capital stock (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to such class or series) and (B) multiplying such fraction by an amount equal to the applicable Original Issue Price (as defined below); provided that, if the Corporation declares, pays or sets aside, on the same date, a dividend on shares of more than one class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, the dividend payable to the holders of Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 1 shall be calculated based upon the dividend on the class or series of capital stock that would result in the highest Preferred Stock dividend. The “Original Issue Price” for each series of Preferred Stock shall mean:

 

(a)               with respect to the Series A1 Preferred Stock, $1,000.00 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series A1 Preferred Stock (the “Series A1 Original Issue Price”);

 

(b)               with respect to the Series A2 Preferred Stock, $2.50 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series A2 Preferred Stock (the “Series A2 Original Issue Price”);

 

(c)               with respect to the Series B-1 Preferred Stock, $2.50 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series B-1 Preferred Stock (the “Series B-1 Original Issue Price”);

 

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(d)               with respect to the Series B-2 Preferred Stock, $4.00 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series B-2 Preferred Stock (the “Series B-2 Original Issue Price”);

 

(e)               with respect to the Series C-1 Preferred Stock, $5.95 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series C-1 Preferred Stock (the “Series C-1 Original Issue Price”);

 

(f)                with respect to the Series C-2 Preferred Stock, $8.28 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series C-2 Preferred Stock (the “Series C-2 Original Issue Price”);

 

(g)               with respect to the Series D Preferred Stock, $4.34 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series D Preferred Stock (the “Series D Original Issue Price”); and

 

(h)               with respect to the Series E Preferred Stock, $5.99 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series E Preferred Stock (the “Series E Original Issue Price”).

 

2                    Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up; Certain Mergers, Consolidations and Asset Sales.

 

2.1           Preferential Payments to Holders of Senior Preferred Stock. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or a Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined below), before any distribution or payment shall be made to the holders of any Common Stock or the holders of shares of any other series of Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of Senior Preferred Stock shall be entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Corporation legally available for distribution to its stockholders, and in the event of a Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined below), the holders of shares of Senior Preferred Stock then outstanding shall be entitled to be paid out of the consideration payable to stockholders in such Deemed Liquidation Event or out of the Available Proceeds (as defined below), as applicable, before any payment shall be made to the holders of Common Stock, the Junior Preferred Stock or any other class or series of stock ranking on liquidation junior to the Senior Preferred Stock and together with any shares of Preferred Stock ranking on liquidation pari passu with the Senior Preferred Stock by reason of their ownership thereof, an amount per share equal to (i) with respect to each share of Series D Preferred Stock, the greater of (a) two times the Series D Original Issue Price of such share of Series D Preferred Stock plus all declared and unpaid dividends on such share of Series D Preferred Stock and (b) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of the Series D Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event, and (ii) with respect to each share of Series E Preferred Stock, the greater of (a) the Original Issue Price of such share of Series E Preferred Stock plus all declared and unpaid dividends on such share of Series E Preferred Stock and (b) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Series E Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event (the amount payable in respect of Senior Preferred Stock pursuant to this sentence is hereinafter referred to as the “Senior Preferential Liquidation Amount”). If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event, the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders shall be insufficient to pay the holders of shares of Senior Preferred Stock or any shares of Preferred Stock ranking on liquidation pari passu with the Senior Preferred Stock the full amount to which they shall be entitled under this Subsection 2.1, the holders of shares of Senior Preferred Stock or any shares of Preferred Stock ranking on liquidation pari passu with the Senior Preferred Stock shall share ratably in any distribution of the assets available for distribution in proportion to the respective amounts which would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares held by them upon such distribution if all amounts payable on or with respect to such shares were paid in full.

 

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2.2           After the payment of the Senior Preferential Liquidation Amount as set forth in Subsection 2.1 above upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or a Deemed Liquidation Event, the holders of shares of Junior Preferred Stock then outstanding, on a pari passu basis, shall be entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders, and in the event of a Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined below), the holders of shares of Junior Preferred Stock then outstanding shall be entitled to be paid out of the consideration payable to stockholders in such Deemed Liquidation Event or out of the Available Proceeds (as defined below), as applicable, before any payment shall be made to the holders of Common Stock or any other class or series of stock ranking on liquidation junior to the Junior Preferred Stock by reason of their ownership thereof, an amount per share equal to the greater of (i) the sum of applicable Original Issue Price for such series of Junior Preferred Stock, plus any dividends declared but unpaid thereon and (ii) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of the applicable series of Junior Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event, taking into account the simultaneous application of this Subsection 2.2 to all series of Junior Preferred Stock (the amount payable pursuant to this sentence is hereinafter referred to as the “Junior Preferential Liquidation Amount” and, with the Senior Preferential Liquidation Amount, the “Preferential Liquidation Amounts”). If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event, the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders shall be insufficient to pay the holders of shares of Junior Preferred Stock the full amount to which they shall be entitled under this Subsection 2.2, the holders of shares of Junior Preferred Stock shall share ratably on a pari passu basis in any distribution of the assets available for distribution under this Subsection 2.2 in proportion to the respective amounts which would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares held by them upon such distribution if all amounts payable on or with respect to such shares were paid in full.

 

2.3           Distribution of Remaining Assets. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, after the payment in full of all applicable Preferential Liquidation Amounts required to be paid to the holders of shares of Preferred Stock, the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders or, in the case of a Deemed Liquidation Event, the consideration not payable to the holders of shares of Senior Preferred Stock pursuant to Subsection 2.1, the holders of shares of Junior Preferred Stock pursuant to Subsection 2.2 or the remaining Available Proceeds, as the case may be, shall be distributed among the holders of the shares of Common Stock, pro rata based on the number of shares held by each such holder. The aggregate amount that a holder of a share of Preferred Stock is entitled to receive under Subsections 2.1 and 2.2 is hereinafter referred to as the “Total Preferred Liquidation Amount”.

 

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2.4           Deemed Liquidation Events.

 

2.4.1        Definition. Each of the following events shall be considered a “Deemed Liquidation Event” unless the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis, elect otherwise by written notice sent to the Corporation at least ten (10) days prior to the effective date of any such event:

 

(a)               a merger, consolidation or reorganization in which the Corporation is a constituent party or a subsidiary of the Corporation is a constituent party and the Corporation issues shares of its capital stock pursuant to such merger or consolidation, except any such merger or consolidation involving the Corporation or a subsidiary in which the shares of capital stock of the Corporation outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continue to represent, or are converted into or exchanged for shares of capital stock that represent, immediately following such merger or consolidation, at least a majority, by voting power, of the capital stock of (i) the surviving or resulting corporation or (ii) if the surviving or resulting corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of another corporation immediately following such merger or consolidation, the parent corporation of such surviving or resulting corporation; or

 

(b)               the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation of all or substantially all the assets of the Corporation and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or the sale or disposition (whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, and whether in a single transaction or a series of related transactions) of one or more subsidiaries of the Corporation if substantially all of the assets of the Corporation and its subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, except where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition is to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation.

 

2.4.2        Effecting a Deemed Liquidation Event.

 

(a)               The Corporation shall not have the power to effect a Deemed Liquidation Event referred to in Subsection 2.4.1(a)(i) unless the agreement or plan of merger, consolidation or reorganization for such transaction (the “Merger Agreement”) provides that the consideration payable to the stockholders of the Corporation in such Deemed Liquidation Event shall be paid to the holders of capital stock of the Corporation in accordance with Subsections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3.

 

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(b)               In the event of a Deemed Liquidation Event referred to in Subsection 2.4.1(a)(ii) or 2.4.1(b), if the Corporation does not effect a dissolution of the Corporation under the General Corporation Law within ninety (90) days after such Deemed Liquidation Event, then (i) the Corporation shall send a written notice to each holder of Preferred Stock no later than the ninetieth (90th) day after the Deemed Liquidation Event advising such holders of their right (and the requirements to be met to secure such right) pursuant to the terms of the following clause (ii) to require the redemption of such shares of Preferred Stock, and (ii) if the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis, so request in a written instrument delivered to the Corporation not later than one hundred twenty (120) days after such Deemed Liquidation Event, the Corporation shall use the consideration received by the Corporation for such Deemed Liquidation Event (net of any retained liabilities associated with the assets sold or technology licensed, as determined in good faith by the Board), together with any other assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders, all to the extent permitted by Delaware law governing distributions to stockholders (the “Available Proceeds”), on the one hundred fiftieth (150th) day after such Deemed Liquidation Event, to redeem all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock at a price per share equal to the applicable Total Preferred Liquidation Amount. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a redemption pursuant to the preceding sentence, if the Available Proceeds are not sufficient to redeem all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall redeem a pro rata portion of each holder’s shares of Preferred Stock to the fullest extent of such Available Proceeds, based on the respective amounts which would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares to be redeemed if the Available Proceeds were sufficient to redeem all such shares, and shall redeem the remaining shares as soon as it may lawfully do so under Delaware law governing distributions to stockholders. The provisions of Section 6 shall apply, with such necessary changes in the details thereof as are necessitated by the context, to the redemption of the Preferred Stock pursuant to this Subsection 2.3.2(b). Prior to the distribution or redemption provided for in this Subsection 2.3.2(b), the Corporation shall not expend or dissipate the consideration received for such Deemed Liquidation Event, except to discharge expenses incurred in connection with such Deemed Liquidation Event or in the ordinary course of business.

 

2.4.3        Amount Deemed Paid or Distributed. The amount deemed paid or distributed to the holders of capital stock of the Corporation upon any such merger, consolidation, sale, transfer, exclusive license, other disposition or redemption shall be the cash or the value of the property, rights or securities paid or distributed to such holders pursuant to such Deemed Liquidation Event by the Corporation or the acquiring person, firm, or other entity. The value of such property, rights or securities shall be determined in good faith by the Board.

 

3                    Voting.

 

3.1           General. On any matter presented to the stockholders of the Corporation for their action or consideration at any meeting of stockholders of the Corporation (or by written consent of stockholders in lieu of meeting), each holder of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to cast the number of votes equal to the number of whole shares of Common Stock into which the shares of Preferred Stock held by such holder are convertible as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote on such matter. Except as provided by law or by the other provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, holders of Preferred Stock shall vote together with the holders of Common Stock as a single class on an as-converted basis.

 

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3.2           Election of Directors.

 

3.2.1        The holders of record of the shares of Preferred Stock exclusively and voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis, shall be entitled to elect nine (9) directors of the Corporation (the “Preferred Directors”). The holders of record of the shares of Common Stock and of any other class or series of voting stock (including the Preferred Stock), voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis, shall be entitled to elect the balance of the total number of directors of the Corporation. Any director elected as provided in the preceding sentence may be removed without cause by, and only by, the affirmative vote of the holders of the shares of the class or series of capital stock entitled to elect such director or directors, given either at a special meeting of such stockholders duly called for that purpose or pursuant to a written consent of stockholders. If the holders of shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock, as the case may be, fail to elect a sufficient number of directors to fill all directorships for which they are entitled to elect directors, voting exclusively and as a separate class, pursuant to the first sentence of this Subsection 3.2, then any directorship not so filled shall remain vacant until such time as the holders of the Preferred Stock, Common Stock, or the appropriate combination thereof, as the case may be, elect a person to fill such directorship by vote or written consent in lieu of a meeting; and no such directorship may be filled by stockholders of the Corporation other than by the stockholders of the Corporation that are entitled to elect a person to fill such directorship, voting exclusively and as a separate class. At any meeting held for the purpose of electing a director, the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the class or series entitled to elect such director shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of electing such director. Except as otherwise provided in this Subsection 3.2, a vacancy in any directorship filled by the holders of any class or series shall be filled only by vote or written consent in lieu of a meeting of the holders of such class or series or by any remaining director or directors elected by the holders of such class or series pursuant to this Subsection 3.2.

 

3.3           Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when any shares of Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be), and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect.

 

3.3.1        liquidate, dissolve or wind-up the business and affairs of the Corporation, effect any merger or consolidation or any other Deemed Liquidation Event, or consent to any of the foregoing;

 

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3.3.2        amend, alter or repeal any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation (a) in a manner that adversely affects the rights, preferences or privileges of any series of Preferred Stock or (b) to allow for the creation, authorization or issuance of additional shares of Other Securities (as defined below);

 

3.3.3        amend the Bylaws of the Corporation (the “Bylaws”);

 

3.3.4        create, or authorize the creation of, or issue or obligate itself to issue shares of, any additional class or series of capital stock that is senior or pari pasu with any series of Preferred Stock (“Other Securities”), or increase the authorized number of shares of any series of Preferred Stock or increase the authorized number of shares of any Other Securities;

 

3.3.5        (i) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is pari passu with any series of Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to any series of Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege, or (ii) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is junior to any series of Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to or pari passu with any series of Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege;

 

3.3.6        purchase or redeem (or permit any subsidiary to purchase or redeem) or pay or declare any dividend or make any distribution on, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation other than (i) dividends or other distributions payable on the Common Stock solely in the form of additional shares of Common Stock, if otherwise expressly provided herein, and (ii) repurchases of stock from former employees, officers, directors, consultants or other persons who performed services for the Corporation or any subsidiary in connection with the cessation of such employment or service at the lower of the original purchase price or the then-current fair market value thereof;

 

3.3.7        create, or authorize the creation of, or issue, or authorize the issuance of any debt security or create any lien or security interest (except for purchase money liens or statutory liens of landlords, mechanics, materialmen, workmen, warehousemen and other similar persons arising or incurred in the ordinary course of business) or incur other indebtedness for borrowed money, including but not limited to obligations and contingent obligations under guarantees, or permit any subsidiary to take any such action with respect to any debt security lien, security interest or other indebtedness for borrowed money, if the aggregate indebtedness of the Corporation and its subsidiaries for borrowed money following such action would exceed $250,000, unless already included on the budget approved by the Board, including at least two (2) of the Preferred Directors, other than trade lines of credit in the ordinary course of business;

 

3.3.8        increase or decrease the size of the Board;

 

3.3.9        change the principal business of the Company, enter new lines of business, or exit any then-current line of business;

 

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3.3.10    sell, assign, license, pledge or encumber material technology or intellectual property, other than licenses granted in the ordinary course of business;

 

3.3.11    amend, modify or adopt any equity incentive plan or any transfer, vesting or repurchase provisions in any stock option, restricted stock or similar agreement; or

 

3.3.12    change the rights, preferences or privileges of the Preferred Stock in any way; or

 

3.3.13    amend this Subsection 3.3.

 

3.4           Series E Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when any shares of Series E Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series E Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis, given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be), and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect.

 

3.4.1        amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes the powers, rights, preferences or privileges of the Series E Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely in a manner that shall not so affect the entire class; or

 

3.4.2        amend the Certificate of Incorporation to increase the authorized number of shares of Series E Preferred Stock.

 

3.5           Series D Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when any shares of Series D Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be), and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect.

 

3.5.1        amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes the powers, rights, preferences or privileges of the Series D Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely in a manner that shall not so affect the entire class; or

 

3.5.2        amend the Certificate of Incorporation to increase the authorized number of shares of Series D Preferred Stock.

 

3.6           Series D Special Voting Investor Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. So long as the Special Voting Investor (as such term is defined in that certain Series D Purchase Agreement between the Corporation and the Purchasers listed therein, dated as of July 31, 2019, as amended), holds at least 1,843,318 shares of Series D Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the Special Voting Investor, given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be), and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect.

 

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3.6.1        create, or authorize the creation of, or issue or obligate itself to issue shares of, any additional class or series of capital stock that is senior to the Series D Preferred Stock (“Other Senior Securities”), or increase the authorized number of shares of any series of Preferred Stock or increase the authorized number of shares of any Other Senior Securities; and

 

3.6.2        amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes Subsection 1.2 (or any subsection thereof) of Article FOURTH, Part B;

 

3.6.3        amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes Subsection 2.1 of Article FOURTH, Part B, including the Senior Preferential Liquidation Amount described therein;

 

3.6.4        amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes this Subsection 3.6 (or any subsection thereof) of Article FOURTH, Part B.

 

3.6.5        amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes Subsection 4.4.4(a) of Article FOURTH, Part B; or

 

3.6.6        amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes Subsection 6.1 of Article FOURTH, Part B.

 

3.7           Series C-1 Preferred Stock and Series C-2 Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when any shares of Series C-1 Preferred Stock or Series C-2 Preferred Stock (together, the “Series C Preferred Stock”) are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis, given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be), and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect.

 

3.7.1        amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes the powers, rights, preferences or privileges of the Series C-1 Preferred Stock or the Series C-2 Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely in a manner that shall not so affect the entire class; or

 

3.7.2        amend the Certificate of Incorporation to increase the authorized number of shares of Series C-1 Preferred Stock and/or Series C-2 Preferred Stock.

 

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3.8         Series B-1 Preferred Stock and Series B-2 Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when any shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock or Series B-2 Preferred Stock (together, the “Series B Preferred Stock”) are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis, given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be), and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect.

 

3.8.1        amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes the powers, rights, preferences or privileges of the Series B-1 Preferred Stock or the Series B-2 Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely in a manner that shall not so affect the entire class; or

 

3.8.2        amend the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation to increase the authorized number of shares of Series B-1 Preferred Stock and/or Series B-2 Preferred Stock.

 

3.9         Series A2 Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when any shares of Series A2 Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series A2 Preferred Stock given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be), and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect.

 

3.9.1        amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes the powers, rights, preferences or privileges of the Series A2 Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely in a manner that shall not so affect the entire class; or

 

3.9.2        amend the Certificate of Incorporation to increase the authorized number of shares of Series A2 Preferred Stock.

 

3.10        Series A1 Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be), and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect.

 

3.10.1      amend the Certificate of Incorporation in any way which alters or changes the powers, rights, preferences or privileges of the Series A1 Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely in a manner that shall not so affect the entire class; or

 

3.10.2      amend the Certificate of Incorporation to increase the authorized number of shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock.

 

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4               Optional Conversion.

 

The holders of the Preferred Stock shall have conversion rights as follows (the “Conversion Rights”):

 

4.1         Right to Convert.

 

4.1.1        Conversion Ratio. Each share of Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by the holder thereof, into such number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of Class A Common Stock as is determined by dividing the applicable Original Issue Price for each series of Preferred Stock by the applicable Conversion Price (as defined below) for each series of Preferred Stock in effect at the time of conversion. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, each share of Preferred Stock may, at the option of the holder thereof in accordance with Subsection 4.3.1, convert, without the payment of additional consideration by the holder thereof, into such number of fully paid and non-assessable shares of Class B Common Stock as is determined by dividing such applicable Original Issue Price by such applicable Conversion Price in effect at the time of conversion of each share of Preferred Stock. The “Conversion Price” for each series of Preferred Stock is as follows: (i) for the Series A1 Preferred Stock, the Conversion Price is the “Series A1 Conversion Price,” which shall initially be $3.00, (ii) for the Series A2 Preferred Stock, the Conversion Price is the “Series A2 Conversion Price,” which shall initially be equal to the Series A2 Original Issue Price, (iii) for the Series B-1 Preferred Stock, the Conversion Price is the “Series B-1 Conversion Price,” which shall initially be equal to the Series B-1 Original Issue Price, (iv) for the Series B-2 Preferred Stock, the Conversion Price is the “Series B-2 Conversion Price,” which shall initially be equal to the Series B-2 Original Issue Price, (v) for the Series C-1 Preferred Stock, the Conversion Price is the “Series C-1 Conversion Price,” which shall initially be equal to the Series C-1 Original Issue Price, (vi) for the Series C-2 Preferred Stock, the Conversion Price is the “Series C-2 Conversion Price,” which shall initially be equal to the Series C-2 Original Issue Price, (vii) for the Series D Preferred Stock, the Conversion Price is the “Series D Conversion Price,” which shall initially be equal to the Series D Original Issue Price, and (viii) for the Series E Preferred Stock, the Conversion Price is the “Series E Conversion Price,” which shall initially be equal to the Series E Original Issue Price. Such initial Conversion Price, and the rate at which shares of Preferred Stock may be converted into shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, shall be subject to adjustment as provided below.

 

4.1.2        Termination of Conversion Rights. In the event of a notice of redemption of any shares of Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 6, the Conversion Rights of the shares designated for redemption shall terminate at the close of business on the last full day preceding the date fixed for redemption, unless the redemption price is not fully paid on such redemption date, in which case the Conversion Rights for such shares shall continue until such price is paid in full. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or a Deemed Liquidation Event, the Conversion Rights shall terminate at the close of business on the last full day preceding the date fixed for the payment of any such amounts distributable on such event to the holders of Preferred Stock.

 

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4.2         Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon conversion of the Preferred Stock. In lieu of any fractional shares to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined in good faith by the Board. Whether or not fractional shares would be issuable upon such conversion shall be determined on the basis of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock the holder is at the time converting into Common Stock and the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon such conversion.

 

4.3         Mechanics of Conversion.

 

4.3.1        Notice of Conversion. In order for a holder of Preferred Stock to voluntarily convert shares of Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock, such holder shall (a) provide written notice to the Corporation’s transfer agent at the office of the transfer agent for the Preferred Stock (or at the principal office of the Corporation if the Corporation serves as its own transfer agent) that such holder elects to convert all or any number of such holder’s shares of Preferred Stock and, if applicable, any event on which such conversion is contingent, and the number of shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock such series of Preferred Stock shall be converted into (in the absence of which, such shares shall be converted into Class A Common Stock) and (b), if such holder’s shares are certificated, surrender the certificate or certificates for such shares of Preferred Stock (or, if such registered holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate), at the office of the transfer agent for the Preferred Stock (or at the principal office of the Corporation if the Corporation serves as its own transfer agent). Such notice shall state such holder’s name or the names of the nominees in which such holder wishes the certificate or certificates for shares of Common Stock to be issued. If required by the Corporation, any certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Corporation, duly executed by the registered holder or his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. The close of business on the date of receipt by the transfer agent (or by the Corporation if the Corporation serves as its own transfer agent) of such certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) and notice shall be the time of conversion (the “Conversion Time”), and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares represented by such certificate shall be deemed to be outstanding of record as of such date. The Corporation shall, as soon as practicable after the Conversion Time, (i) issue and deliver to such holder of Preferred Stock, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full shares of Common Stock issuable upon such conversion in accordance with the provisions hereof and a certificate for the number (if any) of the shares of Preferred Stock represented by the surrendered certificate that were not converted into Common Stock, (ii) pay in cash such amount as provided in Subsection 4.2 in lieu of any fraction of a share of Common Stock otherwise issuable upon such conversion, and (iii) pay all declared but unpaid dividends on the shares of Preferred Stock converted.

 

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4.3.2        Reservation of Shares. The Corporation shall at all times when any Preferred Stock shall be outstanding, reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued capital stock, for the purpose of effecting the conversion of the Preferred Stock, such number of its duly authorized shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the conversion of all outstanding Preferred Stock; and if at any time the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock shall not be sufficient to effect the conversion of all then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall take such corporate action as may be necessary to increase its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to such number of shares as shall be sufficient for such purposes, including, without limitation, engaging in best efforts to obtain the requisite stockholder approval of any necessary amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation. Before taking any action which would cause an adjustment reducing the applicable Conversion Price of any series of Preferred Stock below the then par value of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of such series of Preferred Stock, the Corporation will take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Corporation may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock at such adjusted applicable Conversion Price.

 

4.3.3        Effect of Conversion. All shares of Preferred Stock which shall have been surrendered for conversion as herein provided shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights with respect to such shares, including the rights, if any, to receive notices and to vote, shall immediately cease and terminate at the Conversion Time, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive shares of Common Stock in exchange therefor, to receive payment in lieu of any fraction of a share otherwise issuable upon such conversion as provided in Subsection 4.2 and to receive payment of any dividends declared but unpaid thereon. Any shares of Preferred Stock so converted shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of the applicable series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of Preferred Stock accordingly.

 

4.3.4        No Further Adjustment. Upon any such conversion, no adjustment to the applicable Conversion Price shall be made for any declared but unpaid dividends on the Preferred Stock surrendered for conversion or on the Common Stock delivered upon conversion.

 

4.3.5        Taxes. The Corporation shall pay any and all issue and other similar taxes that may be payable in respect of any issuance or delivery of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of shares of Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 4. The Corporation shall not, however, be required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of shares of Common Stock in a name other than that in which the shares of Preferred Stock so converted were registered, and no such issuance or delivery shall be made unless and until the person or entity requesting such issuance has paid to the Corporation the amount of any such tax or has established, to the satisfaction of the Corporation, that such tax has been paid.

 

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4.4         Adjustments to Conversion Price for Diluting Issues.

 

4.4.1        Special Definitions. For purposes of this Article Fourth, the following definitions shall apply:

 

(a)        Option” shall mean rights, options or warrants to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire Common Stock or Convertible Securities.

 

(b)        Series E Original Issue Date” shall mean the date on which the first share of Series E Preferred Stock was issued.

 

(c)        Convertible Securities” shall mean any evidences of indebtedness, shares or other securities directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, but excluding Options.

 

(d)        Additional Shares of Common Stock” shall mean all shares of Common Stock issued (or, pursuant to Subsection 4.4.3 below, deemed to be issued) by the Corporation after the Series E Original Issue Date, other than (1) the following shares of Common Stock and (2) shares of Common Stock deemed issued pursuant to the following Options and Convertible Securities (clauses (1) and (2), collectively, “Exempted Securities”):

 

(i)           shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued as a dividend or distribution on any series of Preferred Stock;

 

(ii)          shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued by reason of a dividend, stock split, split-up or other distribution on shares of Common Stock that is covered by Subsection 4.5, 4.6, 4.7 or 4.8;

 

(iii)         shares of Common Stock or Options issued to employees or directors of, or consultants or advisors to, the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to a plan, agreement or arrangement approved by the Board, including at least two (2) of the Preferred Directors;

 

(iv)         shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities actually issued upon the exercise of Options or shares of Common Stock actually issued upon the conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities, in each case provided such issuance is pursuant to the terms of such Option or Convertible Security;

 

(v)          shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued to banks, equipment lessors or other financial institutions, or to real property lessors, pursuant to a debt financing, equipment leasing, real property leasing transaction or other similar transaction that is primarily of a non-equity financing nature, approved by the Board, including at least two (2) of the Preferred Directors;

 

(vi)         shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued pursuant to the acquisition of another corporation by the Corporation by merger, purchase of substantially all of the assets or other reorganization or to a joint venture agreement, provided, that such issuances are approved by the Board, including at least two (2) of the Preferred Directors;

 

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(vii)       shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued in connection with a license, collaboration or strategic partnership arrangement and not principally for equity financing purposes, provided, that such issuances are approved by the Board, including at least two (2) of the Preferred Directors;

 

(viii)       148,880 shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued pursuant to that certain License Agreement between Brigham Young University and the Corporation, dated May 21, 2008, as amended;

 

(ix)         shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued, or deemed issued, pursuant to (A) that certain Series C Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of January 9, 2017, between the Corporation and the Purchasers named therein, as amended, or (B) that certain Series E Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of February 23, 2021, between the Corporation and the Purchasers named therein (the “Series E Purchase Agreement”); or

 

(x)           shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon an IPO.

 

4.4.2        No Adjustment of Conversion Price. Subject to Subsection 4.4.4, no adjustment in the applicable Conversion Price shall be made as the result of the issuance or deemed issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock if the Corporation receives written notice from (i) the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, or (ii) notwithstanding subpart (i), if such adjustment purports to affect the Series A1 Conversion Price, Series A2 Conversion Price, Series B-1 Conversion Price, Series B-2 Conversion Price, Series C-1 Conversion Price, Series C-2 Conversion Price, Series D Conversion Price, or Series E Conversion Price alone, then the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series A1 Preferred Stock, Series A2 Preferred Stock, Series B-1 Preferred Stock, Series B-2 Preferred Stock, Series C-1 Preferred Stock, Series C-2 Preferred Stock, Series D Preferred Stock, or Series E Preferred Stock, as applicable, acting together as a separate class, agreeing that no such adjustment shall be made as a result of the issuance or deemed issuance of such Additional Shares of Common Stock.

 

4.4.3        Deemed Issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock.

 

(a)         If the Corporation at any time or from time to time after the Series E Original Issue Date shall issue any Options or Convertible Securities (excluding Options or Convertible Securities which are themselves Exempted Securities) or shall fix a record date for the determination of holders of any class of securities entitled to receive any such Options or Convertible Securities, then the maximum number of shares of Common Stock (as set forth in the instrument relating thereto, assuming the satisfaction of any conditions to exercisability, convertibility or exchangeability but without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or, in the case of Convertible Securities and Options therefor, the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, shall be deemed to be Additional Shares of Common Stock issued as of the time of such issue or, in case such a record date shall have been fixed, as of the close of business on such record date.

 

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(b)        If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security, the issuance of which resulted in an adjustment to the Conversion Price of any series of Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4, are revised as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment pursuant to the provisions of such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms pursuant to anti-dilution or similar provisions of such Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (i) any increase or decrease in the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any such Option or Convertible Security or (ii) any increase or decrease in the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, then, effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective, the adjusted Conversion Price applicable to such series of Preferred Stock computed upon the original issue of such Option or Convertible Security (or upon the occurrence of a record date with respect thereto) shall be readjusted to such Conversion Price as would have obtained had such revised terms been in effect upon the original date of issuance of such Option or Convertible Security. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no readjustment pursuant to this clause  (b) shall have the effect of increasing the applicable Conversion Price for such series of Preferred Stock to an amount which exceeds the lower of (1) the Conversion Price in effect for such series of Preferred Stock immediately prior to the original adjustment made as a result of the issuance of such Option or Convertible Security, or (2) the Conversion Price that would have resulted for such series of Preferred Stock from any issuances of Additional Shares of Common Stock (other than deemed issuances of Additional Shares of Common Stock as a result of the issuance of such Option or Convertible Security) between the original adjustment date and such readjustment date.

 

(c)         If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security (excluding Options or Convertible Securities which are themselves Exempted Securities), the issuance of which did not result in an adjustment to the Conversion Price for any series of Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4 (either because the consideration per share (determined pursuant to Subsection 4.4.5) of the Additional Shares of Common Stock subject thereto was equal to or greater than the Conversion Price then in effect for such series of Preferred Stock, or because such Option or Convertible Security was issued before the Series E Original Issue Date), are revised after the Series E Original Issue Date as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment pursuant to the provisions of such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms pursuant to anti-dilution or similar provisions of such Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (i) any increase in the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of any such Option or Convertible Security or (ii) any decrease in the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion or exchange, then such Option or Convertible Security, as so amended or adjusted, and the Additional Shares of Common Stock subject thereto (determined in the manner provided in Subsection 4.4.3(a)) shall be deemed to have been issued effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective.

 

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(d)         Upon the expiration or termination of any unexercised Option or unconverted or unexchanged Convertible Security (or portion thereof) which resulted (either upon its original issuance or upon a revision of its terms) in an adjustment to the applicable Conversion Price for any series of Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4, the applicable Conversion Price shall be readjusted to such Conversion Price as would have obtained had such Option or Convertible Security (or portion thereof) never been issued.

 

(e)         If the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, is calculable at the time such Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended but is subject to adjustment based upon subsequent events, any adjustment to the applicable Conversion Price for any series of Preferred Stock provided for in this Subsection 4.4.3 shall be effected at the time of such issuance or amendment based on such number of shares or amount of consideration without regard to any provisions for subsequent adjustments (and any subsequent adjustments shall be treated as provided in clauses (b) and (c) of this Subsection 4.4.3). If the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, cannot be calculated at all at the time such Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended, any adjustment to the applicable Conversion Price for any series of Preferred Stock that would result under the terms of this Subsection 4.4.3 at the time of such issuance or amendment shall instead be effected at the time such number of shares and/or amount of consideration is first calculable (even if subject to subsequent adjustments), assuming for purposes of calculating such adjustment to the applicable Conversion Price that such issuance or amendment took place at the time such calculation can first be made.

 

4.4.4        Adjustment of Conversion Price Upon Issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock.

 

(a)         Notwithstanding anything to the contrary (including Subsection 4.4.2), in the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Series E Original Issue Date issues Additional Shares of Common Stock (including Additional Shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued pursuant to Subsection 4.4.3), without consideration or for a consideration per share less than the Series D Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issuance or deemed issuance, then the Series D Conversion Price shall be reduced, concurrently with such issuance or deemed issuance, to the consideration per share received by the Corporation for such issue or deemed issue of the Additional Shares of Common Stock; provided that if such issuance or deemed issuance was without consideration, then the Corporation shall be deemed to have received an aggregate of $.001 of consideration for each such Additional Share of Common Stock issued or deemed to be issued.

 

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(b)        In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Series E Original Issue Date issue Additional Shares of Common Stock (including Additional Shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued pursuant to Subsection 4.4.3), without consideration or for a consideration per share less than the applicable Conversion Price for any series of Junior Preferred Stock or Series E Preferred Stock in effect immediately prior to such issue, then the applicable Conversion Price for such series of Preferred Stock shall be reduced, concurrently with such issue, to a price (calculated to the nearest one-hundredth of a cent) determined in accordance with the following formula:

 

CP2 = CP1* (A + B) ÷ (A + C).

 

For purposes of the foregoing formula, the following definitions shall apply:

 

(i)           “CP2” shall mean the Conversion Price in effect for each applicable series of Junior Preferred Stock immediately after such issuance or deemed issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock;

 

(ii)          “CP1” shall mean the Conversion Price in effect for each applicable series of Junior Preferred Stock immediately prior to such issuance or deemed issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock;

 

(iii)          “A” shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such issuance or deemed issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock (treating for this purpose as outstanding all shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of Options outstanding immediately prior to such issuance or deemed issuance or upon conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities (including the Preferred Stock) outstanding (assuming exercise of any outstanding Options therefor) immediately prior to such issue);

 

(iv)          “B” shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if such Additional Shares of Common Stock had been issued or deemed issued at a price per share equal to CP1 (determined by dividing the aggregate consideration received by the Corporation in respect of such issue by CP1); and

 

(v)           “C” shall mean the number of such Additional Shares of Common Stock issued in such transaction.

 

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4.4.5        Determination of Consideration. For purposes of this Subsection 4.4, the consideration received by the Corporation for the issuance or deemed issuance of any Additional Shares of Common Stock shall be computed as follows:

 

(a)         Cash and Property: Such consideration shall:

 

(i)            insofar as it consists of cash, be computed at the aggregate amount of cash received by the Corporation, excluding amounts paid or payable for accrued interest;

 

(ii)           insofar as it consists of property other than cash, be computed at the fair market value thereof at the time of such issue, as determined in good faith by the Board; and

 

(iii)          in the event Additional Shares of Common Stock are issued together with other shares or securities or other assets of the Corporation for consideration which covers both, be the proportion of such consideration so received, computed as provided in clauses (i) and (ii) above, as determined in good faith by the Board.

 

(b)         Options and Convertible Securities. The consideration per share received by the Corporation for Additional Shares of Common Stock deemed to have been issued pursuant to Subsection 4.4.3, relating to Options and Convertible Securities, shall be determined by dividing the total amount, if any, received or receivable by the Corporation as consideration for the issue of such Options or Convertible Securities, plus the minimum aggregate amount of additional consideration (as set forth in the instruments relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such consideration) payable to the Corporation upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of such Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, by the maximum number of shares of Common Stock (as set forth in the instruments relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of such Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities.

 

4.4.6        Multiple Closing Dates. In the event the Corporation shall issue on more than one date Additional Shares of Common Stock that are a part of one transaction or a series of related transactions and that would result in an adjustment to the applicable Conversion Price for any series of Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4 then, upon the final such issuance, the applicable Conversion Price for such series of Preferred Stock shall be readjusted to give effect to all such issuances as if they occurred on the date of the first such issuance (and without giving effect to any additional adjustments as a result of any such subsequent issuances within such period).

 

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4.5          Adjustment for Stock Splits and Combinations. If the Corporation shall at any time or from time to time after the Series E Original Issue Date effect a subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock, the applicable Conversion Price in effect for each series of Preferred Stock immediately before that subdivision shall be proportionately decreased so that the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on conversion of each share of such series shall be increased in proportion to such increase in the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. If the Corporation shall at any time or from time to time after the Series E Original Issue Date combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the applicable Conversion Price in effect for each series of Preferred Stock immediately before the combination shall be proportionately increased so that the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on conversion of each share of such series shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Any adjustment under this subsection shall become effective at the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective.

 

4.6          Adjustment for Certain Dividends and Distributions. In the event the Corporation at any time or from time to time after the Series E Original Issue Date shall make or issue, or fix a record date for the determination of holders of Common Stock entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable on the Common Stock in additional shares of Common Stock, then and in each such event the applicable Conversion Price in effect for each series of Preferred Stock immediately before such event shall be decreased as of the time of such issuance or, in the event such a record date shall have been fixed, as of the close of business on such record date, by multiplying the applicable Conversion Price then in effect for such series of Preferred Stock by a fraction:

 

(a)         the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date, and

 

(b)         the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date plus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable in payment of such dividend or distribution.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) if such record date shall have been fixed and such dividend is not fully paid or if such distribution is not fully made on the date fixed therefor, the applicable Conversion Price for each series of Preferred Stock shall be recomputed accordingly as of the close of business on such record date and thereafter the applicable Conversion Price for each series of Preferred Stock shall be adjusted pursuant to this subsection as of the time of actual payment of such dividends or distributions; and (ii) that no such adjustment shall be made if the holders of Preferred Stock simultaneously receive a dividend or other distribution of shares of Common Stock in a number equal to the number of shares of Common Stock as they would have received if all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock had been converted into Common Stock on the date of such event.

 

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4.7           Adjustments for Other Dividends and Distributions. In the event the Corporation at any time or from time to time after the Series E Original Issue Date shall make or issue, or fix a record date for the determination of holders of Common Stock entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable in securities of the Corporation (other than a distribution of shares of Common Stock in respect of outstanding shares of Common Stock) or in other property and the provisions of Section 1 do not apply to such dividend or distribution, then and in each such event the holders of Preferred Stock shall receive, simultaneously with the distribution to the holders of Common Stock, a dividend or other distribution of such securities or other property in an amount equal to the amount of such securities or other property as they would have received if all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock had been converted into Common Stock on the date of such event.

 

4.8           Adjustment for Merger or Reorganization, etc. Subject to the provisions of Subsection 2.3, if there shall occur any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger involving the Corporation in which the Common Stock (but not the Preferred Stock) is converted into or exchanged for securities, cash or other property (other than a transaction covered by Subsections 4.4, 4.6 or 4.7), then, following any such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger, each share of Preferred Stock shall thereafter be convertible in lieu of the Common Stock into which it was convertible prior to such event into the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property which a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock of the Corporation issuable upon conversion of one share of such series of Preferred Stock immediately prior to such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger would have been entitled to receive pursuant to such transaction; and, in such case, appropriate adjustment (as determined in good faith by the Board) shall be made in the application of the provisions in this Section 4 with respect to the rights and interests thereafter of the holders of the Preferred Stock, to the end that the provisions set forth in this Section 4 (including provisions with respect to changes in and other adjustments to the applicable Conversion Price for such series of Preferred Stock) shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to any securities or other property thereafter deliverable upon the conversion of such series of Preferred Stock. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Subsection 4.8 shall be construed as preventing the holders of Preferred Stock from seeking any appraisal rights to which they are otherwise entitled under the General Corporation Law in connection with a merger triggering an adjustment hereunder, nor shall this Subsection 4.8 be deemed conclusive evidence of the fair value of the shares of Preferred Stock in any such appraisal proceeding.

 

4.9           Certificate as to Adjustments. Upon the occurrence of each adjustment or readjustment of the Conversion Price for any series of Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 4, the Corporation at its expense shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable but in any event not later than ten (10) days thereafter, compute such adjustment or readjustment in accordance with the terms hereof and furnish to each holder of such series of Preferred Stock a certificate setting forth such adjustment or readjustment (including the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property into which such series of Preferred Stock is convertible) and showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment or readjustment is based. The Corporation shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable after the written request at any time of any holder of Preferred Stock (but in any event not later than ten (10) days thereafter), furnish or cause to be furnished to such holder a certificate setting forth (i) the Conversion Price then in effect for each series of Preferred Stock that is so adjusted or readjusted, and (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock and the amount, if any, of other securities, cash or property which then would be received upon the conversion of such series of Preferred Stock.

 

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4.10       Notice of Record Date. In the event:

 

(a)               the Corporation shall take a record of the holders of its Common Stock (or other capital stock or securities at the time issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock) for the purpose of entitling or enabling them to receive any dividend or other distribution, or to receive any right to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or any other securities, or to receive any other security; or

 

(b)               of any capital reorganization of the Corporation, any reclassification of the Common Stock of the Corporation, or any Deemed Liquidation Event; or

 

(c)               of the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Corporation, then, and in each such case, the Corporation will send or cause to be sent to the holders of the Preferred Stock a notice specifying, as the case may be, (i) the record date for such dividend, distribution or right, and the amount and character of such dividend, distribution or right, or (ii) the effective date on which such reorganization, reclassification, consolidation, merger, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is proposed to take place, and the time, if any is to be fixed, as of which the holders of record of Common Stock (or such other capital stock or securities at the time issuable upon the conversion of the Preferred Stock) shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock (or such other capital stock or securities) for securities or other property deliverable upon such reorganization, reclassification, consolidation, merger, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up, and the amount per share and character of such exchange applicable to the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock. Such notice shall be sent at least 10 days prior to the record date or effective date for the event specified in such notice.

 

5                 Mandatory Conversion.

 

5.1           Trigger Events. Upon either (a) the closing of the sale of shares of Common Stock to the public at a price of at least 1.2 times (1.2X) the Series D Original Issue Price (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Common Stock), in a firm-commitment underwritten public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, resulting in at least $40,000,000 of proceeds, net of the underwriting discount and commissions, to the Corporation (a “Qualified Public Offering”) or (b) the date and time, or the occurrence of an event, specified by vote or written consent of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis (the time of such closing or the date and time specified or the time of the event specified in such vote or written consent is referred to herein as the “Mandatory Conversion Time”), (i) all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock shall automatically be converted into shares of Class A Common Stock, at the then effective conversion rate as calculated pursuant to Subsection 4.1.1 and (ii) such shares may not be reissued by the Corporation; provided that, a holder of shares of Preferred Stock may elect, upon written notice to the Corporation (delivered as provided in Section 4.3.1 of Subsection B of this Article Fourth)) at least seven days prior to the closing of the Qualified Public Offering, to have all or a portion of its shares of Preferred Stock automatically convert into shares of Class B Common Stock at the then effective conversion rate as calculated pursuant to Subsection 4.1.1.

 

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5.2           Procedural Requirements. All holders of record of shares of Preferred Stock shall be sent written notice of the Mandatory Conversion Time and the place designated for mandatory conversion of all such shares of Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 5. Such notice need not be sent in advance of the occurrence of the Mandatory Conversion Time. Upon receipt of such notice, each holder of shares of Preferred Stock in certified form shall surrender his, her or its certificate or certificates for all such shares (or, if such holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Corporation at the place designated in such notice. If so required by the Corporation, any certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Corporation, duly executed by the registered holder or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. All rights with respect to the Preferred Stock converted pursuant to Subsection 5.1, including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common Stock), will terminate at the Mandatory Conversion Time (notwithstanding the failure of the holder or holders thereof to surrender certificates at or prior to such time), except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of any certificate or certificates of such holders (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) therefor, to receive the items provided for in the next sentence of this Subsection 5.2. As soon as practicable after the Mandatory Conversion Time and, if applicable, the surrender of any certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) for Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall (a) issue and deliver to such holder, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full shares of Common Stock issuable on such conversion in accordance with the provisions hereof and (b) pay cash as provided in Subsection 4.2 in lieu of any fraction of a share of Common Stock otherwise issuable upon such conversion and the payment of any declared but unpaid dividends on the shares of Preferred Stock converted. Such converted Preferred Stock shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of Preferred Stock accordingly.

 

6                 Redemption.

 

6.1           General. Unless prohibited by Delaware law governing distributions to stockholders, shares of the Preferred Stock shall be redeemed by the Corporation at a price equal to the applicable Total Preferred Liquidation Amount (the “Redemption Price”), in two (2) equal annual installments commencing not more than sixty (60) days after receipt by the Corporation at any time on or after the fifth (5th) anniversary of the Series E Original Issue Date, from the holders of at least a majority of the shares of the Senior Preferred Stock then outstanding of written notice requesting redemption of all shares of Preferred Stock (the “Redemption Request”). Upon receipt of a Redemption Request, the Corporation shall calculate the aggregate amount due to holders of the Preferred Stock if the applicable Total Preferred Liquidation Amount were distributed in full to such holders pursuant to Subsections 2.1 and 2.2 (such amount, the “Aggregate Redemption Amount”) and shall apply all of its assets to any such redemption, and to no other corporate purpose, except to the extent prohibited by Delaware law governing distributions to stockholders. The date of each such installment shall be referred to as a “Redemption Date” and the one-half of the Aggregate Redemption Amount due on each Redemption Date shall be referred to as the “Redemption Installment Amount”. On each Redemption Date, the Corporation shall use the Redemption Installment Amount to redeem all outstanding shares of Senior Preferred Stock and Junior Preferred Stock at a price per share equal to the amount that such holders would have received if the Redemption Installment Amount were distributed to such holders in connection with a Deemed Liquidation Event pursuant to Subsections 2.1 and 2.2. If on any Redemption Date Delaware law governing distributions to stockholders prevents the Corporation from redeeming all shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed, subject to the priority of payments set forth in Subsections 2.1 and 2.2, the Corporation shall ratably redeem the maximum number of shares that it may redeem consistent with such law, and shall redeem the remaining shares as soon as it may lawfully do so under such law.

 

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6.2           Redemption Notice. The Corporation shall send written notice of the mandatory redemption (the “Redemption Notice”) to each holder of record of Preferred Stock not less than ten (10) business days prior to each Redemption Date. Each Redemption Notice shall state:

 

(a)          the number and series of shares of Preferred Stock held by the holder that the Corporation shall redeem on the Redemption Date specified in the Redemption Notice;

 

(b)         the Redemption Date and the Redemption Price;

 

(c)          the date upon which the holder’s right to convert such shares terminates (as determined in accordance with Subsection 4.1); and

 

(d)          for holders of shares in certificated form, that the holder is to surrender to the Corporation, in the manner and at the place designated, his, her or its certificate or certificates representing the shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed.

 

6.3           Surrender of Certificates; Payment. On or before the applicable Redemption Date, each holder of shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed on such Redemption Date, unless such holder has exercised his, her or its right to convert such shares as provided in Section 4, shall, if a holder of shares in certificated form, surrender the certificate or certificates representing such shares (or, if such registered holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Corporation, in the manner and at the place designated in the Redemption Notice, and thereupon the Redemption Price for such shares shall be payable to the order of the person whose name appears on such certificate or certificates as the owner thereof. In the event less than all of the shares of Preferred Stock represented by a certificate are redeemed, a new certificate representing the unredeemed shares of such series of Preferred Stock shall promptly be issued to such holder.

 

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6.4           Rights Subsequent to Redemption. If the Redemption Notice shall have been duly given, and if on the applicable Redemption Date the Redemption Price payable upon redemption of the shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed on such Redemption Date is paid or tendered for payment or deposited with an independent payment agent so as to be available therefor in a timely manner, then notwithstanding that any certificates evidencing any of the shares of Preferred Stock so called for redemption shall not have been surrendered, all rights with respect to such shares shall forthwith after the Redemption Date terminate, except only the right of the holders to receive the Redemption Price without interest upon surrender of any such certificate or certificates therefor.

 

7                Redeemed or Otherwise Acquired Shares. Any shares of Preferred Stock that are redeemed or otherwise acquired by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries shall be automatically and immediately cancelled and retired and shall not be reissued, sold or transferred. Neither the Corporation nor any of its subsidiaries may exercise any voting or other rights granted to the holders of Preferred Stock following redemption.

 

8                Waiver. Except as otherwise set forth herein, any of the rights, powers, preferences and other terms of any series of Preferred Stock set forth herein may be waived on behalf of all holders of such series of Preferred Stock by the affirmative written consent or vote of the holders of at least a majority of the shares of such series of Preferred Stock then outstanding acting together as a separate class.

 

9                Notices. Any notice required or permitted by the provisions of this Article Fourth to be given to a holder of shares of Preferred Stock shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the post office address last shown on the records of the Corporation, or given by electronic communication in compliance with the provisions of the General Corporation Law, and shall be deemed sent upon such mailing or electronic transmission.

 

Fifth: Subject to any additional vote required by this Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, in furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, repeal, alter, amend and rescind any or all of the Bylaws.

 

Sixth: Subject to any additional vote required by this Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the number of directors of the Corporation shall be determined in the manner set forth in the Bylaws.

 

Seventh: Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws shall so provide.

 

Eighth: Meetings of stockholders may be held within or without the State of Delaware, as the Bylaws may provide. The books of the Corporation may be kept outside the State of Delaware at such place or places as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or in the Bylaws.

 

Ninth: To the fullest extent permitted by law, a director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. If the General Corporation Law or any other law of the State of Delaware is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article Ninth to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law as so amended.

 

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Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article Ninth by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of, or increase the liability of any director of the Corporation with respect to any acts or omissions of such director occurring prior to, such repeal or modification.

 

Tenth: To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Corporation is authorized to provide indemnification of (and advancement of expenses to) directors, officers and agents of the Corporation (and any other persons to which General Corporation Law permits the Corporation to provide indemnification) through Bylaw provisions, agreements with such agents or other persons, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, in excess of the indemnification and advancement otherwise permitted by Section 145 of the General Corporation Law.

 

Any amendment, repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article Tenth shall not (a) adversely affect any right or protection of any director, officer or other agent of the Corporation existing at the time of such amendment, repeal or modification or (b) increase the liability of any director of the Corporation with respect to any acts or omissions of such director, officer or agent occurring prior to, such amendment, repeal or modification.

 

Eleventh: The Corporation renounces, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any interest or expectancy of the Corporation in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any Excluded Opportunity. An “Excluded Opportunity” is any matter, transaction or interest that is presented to, or acquired, created or developed by, or which otherwise comes into the possession of, (i) any director of the Corporation who is not an employee of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, or (ii) any holder of Preferred Stock or any partner, member, director, stockholder, employee, affiliate or agent of any such holder, other than someone who is an employee of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, the persons in clauses (i) and (ii) are “Covered Persons”), unless such matter, transaction or interest is presented to, or acquired, created or developed by, or otherwise comes into the possession of, a Covered Person expressly and solely in such Covered Person’s capacity as a director of the Corporation.

 

Twelfth: Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner) to bring (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except for, as to each of (i) through (iv) above, any claim as to which the Court of Chancery determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. If any provision or provisions of this Article Twelfth shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article Twelfth (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Article Twelfth containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

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Thirteenth: In connection with repurchases by the Corporation of its Common Stock from employees, officers, directors, advisors, consultants or other persons performing services for the Corporation or any subsidiary pursuant to agreements under which the Corporation has the option to repurchase such shares at cost upon the occurrence of certain events, such as the termination of employment, Sections 502 and 503 of the California Corporations Code shall not apply in all or in part with respect to such repurchases.

 

*    *    *

 

3.       Pursuant to Section 228(a) of the General Corporation Law, the holders of outstanding shares of the Corporation having no less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such actions at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, consented to the adoption of the aforesaid amendments without a meeting, without a vote and without prior notice and that written notice of the taking of such actions has been given in accordance with Section 228(e) of the General Corporation Law.

 

4.       That this Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, which restates and integrates and further amends the provisions of this corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, has been duly adopted in accordance with Sections 141, 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by a duly authorized officer of this corporation on this 29th day of March 2021.

 

  By: /s/ Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
    Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
    President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

 

TO

 

RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

 

OF

 

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

 

It is hereby certified that:

 

1.       The name of the corporation (hereinafter called the “Corporation”) is Sera Prognostics, Inc. The date of filing of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware was January 17, 2008. Thereafter a Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed on March 29, 2021 (the “Restated Certificate”).

 

2.       The Restated Certificate of Incorporation is hereby amended to change the authorized capitalization of the Corporation by striking out the first sentence of the first paragraph of Article FOURTH of the Restated Certificate in its entirety and by substituting in lieu of said first sentence of the first paragraph of Article FOURTH, the following sentence:

 

“The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is (i) 80,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Class A Common Stock”), (ii) 3,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Class B Common Stock”) and (iii) 51,551,681 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”). ”

 

3.       The Restated Certificate of Incorporation is hereby further amended to change the preferred stock designations of the Corporation by striking out the first paragraph of Part B of Article FOURTH of the Restated Certificate in its entirety and by substitution in lieu of said first paragraph of Part B of Article FOURTH, the following paragraph:

 

“1,390 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series A1 Preferred Stock”, 7,941,499 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series A2 Preferred Stock”, 2,060,000 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series B-1 Preferred Stock”, 5,012,500 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series B-2 Preferred Stock”, 5,521,905 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series C-1 Preferred Stock”, 1,510,000 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series C-2 Preferred Stock”, 11,975,172 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series D Preferred Stock”, and 17,529,215 shares of the authorized Preferred Stock of the Corporation are hereby designated “Series E Preferred Stock”, with the following rights, preferences, powers, privileges and restrictions, qualifications and limitations. “Junior Preferred Stock” means the Series A1 Preferred Stock, the Series A2 Preferred Stock, the Series B-1 Preferred Stock, the Series B-2 Preferred Stock, the Series C-1 Preferred Stock and the Series C-2 Preferred Stock. “Senior Preferred Stock” means the Series D Preferred Stock and the Series E Preferred Stock. Unless otherwise indicated, references to “Sections” or “Subsections” in this Part B of this Article Fourth refer to sections and subsections of Part B of this Article Fourth.”

 

 

 

4.       The Restated Certificate of Incorporation is hereby further amended to change the preferential payments to holders of Senior Preferred Stock of the Corporation by striking out Section 2.1 of Article FOURTH of the Restated Certificate in its entirety and by substitution in lieu of said Section 2.1 of Article FOURTH, the following Section 2.1:

 

“2.1   Preferential Payments to Holders of Senior Preferred Stock. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or a Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined below), before any distribution or payment shall be made to the holders of any Common Stock or the holders of shares of any other series of Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of Senior Preferred Stock shall be entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Corporation legally available for distribution to its stockholders, and in the event of a Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined below), the holders of shares of Senior Preferred Stock then outstanding shall be entitled to be paid out of the consideration payable to stockholders in such Deemed Liquidation Event or out of the Available Proceeds (as defined below), as applicable, before any payment shall be made to the holders of Common Stock, the Junior Preferred Stock or any other class or series of stock ranking on liquidation junior to the Senior Preferred Stock and together with any shares of Preferred Stock ranking on liquidation pari passu with the Senior Preferred Stock by reason of their ownership thereof, an amount per share equal to (i) with respect to each share of Series D Preferred Stock, the greater of (a) one and one-half (1.5) times the Series D Original Issue Price of such share of Series D Preferred Stock plus all declared and unpaid dividends on such share of Series D Preferred Stock and (b) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of the Series D Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event, and (ii) with respect to each share of Series E Preferred Stock, the greater of (a) one and one-half (1.5) times the Original Issue Price of such share of Series E Preferred Stock plus all declared and unpaid dividends on such share of Series E Preferred Stock and (b) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Series E Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event (the amount payable in respect of Senior Preferred Stock pursuant to this sentence is hereinafter referred to as the “Senior Preferential Liquidation Amount”). If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event, the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders shall be insufficient to pay the holders of shares of Senior Preferred Stock or any shares of Preferred Stock ranking on liquidation pari passu with the Senior Preferred Stock the full amount to which they shall be entitled under this Subsection 2.1, the holders of shares of Senior Preferred Stock or any shares of Preferred Stock ranking on liquidation pari passu with the Senior Preferred Stock shall share ratably in any distribution of the assets available for distribution in proportion to the respective amounts which would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares held by them upon such distribution if all amounts payable on or with respect to such shares were paid in full.”

 

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5.       The Restated Certificate of Incorporation is hereby further amended to change the definition of “Qualified Public Offering” by striking out Section 5.1 of Article FOURTH of the Restated Certificate in its entirety and by substitution in lieu of said Section 5.1 of Article FOURTH, the following Section 5.1:

 

“5.1   Trigger Events. Upon either (a) the closing of the sale of shares of Common Stock to the public at a price of at least 1.2 times (1.2X) the Series E Original Issue Price (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Common Stock), in a firm-commitment underwritten public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, resulting in at least $40,000,000 of proceeds, net of the underwriting discount and commissions, to the Corporation (a “Qualified Public Offering”) or (b) the date and time, or the occurrence of an event, specified by vote or written consent of the holders of at least a majority of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis (the time of such closing or the date and time specified or the time of the event specified in such vote or written consent is referred to herein as the “Mandatory Conversion Time”), (i) all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock shall automatically be converted into shares of Class A Common Stock, at the then effective conversion rate as calculated pursuant to Subsection 4.1.1 and (ii) such shares may not be reissued by the Corporation; provided that, a holder of shares of Preferred Stock may elect, upon written notice to the Corporation (delivered as provided in Section 4.3.1 of Subsection B of this Article Fourth)) at least seven days prior to the closing of the Qualified Public Offering, to have all or a portion of its shares of Preferred Stock automatically convert into shares of Class B Common Stock at the then effective conversion rate as calculated pursuant to Subsection 4.1.1.”

 

6.       This Certificate of Amendment to the Restated Certificate has been duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 141, 228 and 242 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

7.       Pursuant to Section 228(a) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the holders of outstanding shares of the Corporation having no less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such actions at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, consented to the adoption of the aforesaid amendments without a meeting, without a vote and without prior notice and that written notice of the taking of such actions has been given in accordance with Section 228(e) of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

3

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment to be signed this 26th day of April, 2021.

 

  SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
   
  By: /s/ Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D.
    Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D.
    President

 

4

 

 

Certificate Of Amendment

To

Amended and Restated

Certificate of Incorporation

Of

Sera Prognostics, Inc.

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “General Corporation Law”), does hereby certify,

 

ONE: That the name of this corporation is Sera Prognostics, Inc., and that this corporation was originally incorporated pursuant to the General Corporation Law on January 17, 2008. This corporation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation on March 29, 2021, which was amended by the Certificate of Amendment filed on April 26, 2021.

 

TWO: The Board of Directors of the Corporation, acting in accordance with the provisions of Sections 141 and 242 of the General Corporation Law, adopted resolutions amending its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as follows:

 

1. That the following is hereby inserted into Article FOURTH immediately before the first sentence therein:

 

“Effective upon the filing of this Certificate of Amendment of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Effective Time”), every 2.079 shares of Common Stock (as defined herein) then issued and outstanding or held in the treasury of the Corporation immediately prior to the Effective Time shall automatically be combined into one (1) share of Common Stock, without any further action by the holders of such shares (the “Reverse Stock Split”). The Reverse Stock Split will be effected on a holder-by-holder basis, and any fractional shares resulting from such combination shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share on a holder-by-holder basis. No fractional shares shall be issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. In lieu of any fractional shares to which a holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined in good faith by the Corporation’s Board of Directors. The Reverse Stock Split shall occur automatically without any further action by the holders of the shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock affected thereby. All rights, preferences and privileges of the Common Stock and the Preferred Stock shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Split in accordance with this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.”

 

THREE: All other provisions of the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation will remain in full force and effect.

 

FOUR: Thereafter, pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Directors, this Certificate of Amendment was submitted to the stockholders of the Corporation for their approval and was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 228 and 242 of the General Corporation Law.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, said corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by its duly authorized officer on July 7, 2021.

 

  SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
   
   
  By: /s/ Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
    Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S.
    Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.2

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

(Pursuant to Sections 242 and 245 of the

General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware)

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies as follows:

 

The Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 17, 2008 under the name Sera Prognostics, Inc. Thereafter a Certificate of Designation was filed on June 12, 2008 and Certificates of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation were filed on August 31, 2010 and September 8, 2011. A Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed on November 8, 2011, was corrected by a Certificate of Correction filed on November 15, 2011 and was amended by Certificates of Amendment filed on September 12, 2012, September 20, 2013 and February 28, 2014. A Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed on November 7, 2014 and was amended by a Certificate of Amendment on December 1, 2015. A Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed on January 11, 2017 and was amended by Certificates of Amendment on February 9, 2017, June 15, 2017 and June 30, 2017. A Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed on July 31, 2019. A Fifth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed on February 23, 2021, and was amended by Certificate of Amendment on March 18, 2021. A Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was filed on March 29, 2021, and was amended by Certificate of Amendment on April 26, 2021. This Seventh Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation restates and amends the Corporation’s Sixth Certificate of Incorporation.

 

This Seventh Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted by written consent of the directors and stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

The text of the Corporation’s Seventh Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, is hereby further amended and restated to read in full as follows:

 

SEVENTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

First: The name of the corporation is Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

 

 

 

 

Second: The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19801. The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

 

Third: The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity or carry on any business for which corporations may be organized under the Delaware General Corporation Law or any successor statute.

 

Fourth:  

 

A.                  Designation and Number of Shares.

 

The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have the authority to issue is 156,500,000 shares, consisting of 150,000,000 shares of class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”), 1,500,000 shares of class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class B Common Stock,” and together with the Class A Common Stock, the “Common Stock”), and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”).

 

The number of authorized shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, without a vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or of any series thereof, unless a vote of any such holders is required pursuant to the terms of any Preferred Stock designation.

 

B.                  Preferred Stock.

 

1.                  Shares of Preferred Stock may be issued in one or more series at such time or times and for such consideration as the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) may determine.

 

2.                  Authority is hereby expressly granted to the Board of Directors to fix from time to time, by resolution or resolutions providing for the establishment and/or issuance of any series of Preferred Stock, the designation and number of the shares of such series and the powers, preferences and rights of such series, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, to the fullest extent such authority may be conferred upon the Board of Directors under the Delaware General Corporation Law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the resolutions providing for issuance of any series of Preferred Stock may provide that such series shall be superior or rank equally or be junior to the Preferred Stock of any other series to the extent permitted by law.

 

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C.                  Common Stock.

 

1.                  Dividends. Dividends may be declared and paid on the Common Stock from funds lawfully available therefor if, as and when determined by the Board of Directors in their sole discretion, subject to provisions of law, any provision of this Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended from time to time, and subject to the relative rights and preferences of any shares of Preferred Stock authorized, issued and outstanding hereunder. The term “Restated Certificate of Incorporation” as used herein shall mean the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation as amended from time to time. The Corporation shall not give effect to any stock split, stock dividend, stock combination or similar event affecting the Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock without effecting the same such stock split, stock dividend, stock combination or similar event for the Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, respectively. The Corporation shall not declare, pay or set aside any dividends or distributions on shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock unless the Corporation declares, pays or sets aside the same dividend or distribution on each share of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, provided, that dividends payable in Common Stock shall be paid in the same class.

 

2.                  Voting. The holders of the Class A Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held, and the holders of the Class B Common Stock are not entitled to vote except as may be required by law; provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Class A Common Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation relating to Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together as a class with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon by law or pursuant to this Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation relating to Preferred Stock).

 

3.                  Conversion of Class B Common Stock. Each holder of shares of Class B Common Stock shall have the right to convert each share of Class B Common Stock held by such holder into one share of Class A Common Stock at such holder’s election, which shall be made upon written notice to the Corporation, provided that the shares of Class B Common Stock may only be converted into shares of Class A Common Stock during such time or times as immediately prior to or as a result of such conversion would not result in the holder(s) thereof beneficially owning (for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”)), when aggregated with affiliates with whom such holder is required to aggregate beneficial ownership for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” means initially 4.99% of any class of securities of the Corporation registered under the Exchange Act, which percentage may be increased or decreased by a holder of outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock to such other percentage as such holder may designate in writing upon 61 days’ notice to the Corporation, provided, however, that such increase or decrease shall only be applicable to such holder and provided further, however, that no holder may make such an election to change the percentage unless all holders managed by the same investment advisor as such electing holder make the same election.

 

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Fifth: The following provisions are inserted for the management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of its directors and stockholders:

 

A.                  The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. In addition to the powers and authority expressly conferred upon them by statute or by this Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation as in effect from time to time, the directors are hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation.

 

B.                  The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation so provide.

 

C.                  Subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation may be effected only at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation and not by written consent.

 

D.                 Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Board of Directors acting pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Whole Board. For the purposes of this Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the term “Whole Board” shall mean the total number of authorized directors whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to matters relating to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of meeting.

 

Sixth:  

 

A.                  Subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the number of directors shall be fixed from time to time exclusively by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Whole Board.

 

B.                  Subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the Board of Directors of the Corporation shall be divided into three classes, with the term of office of the first class to expire at the first annual meeting of stockholders following the initial classification of directors, the term of office of the second class to expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the initial classification of directors, and the term of office of the third class to expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the initial classification of directors. At each annual meeting of stockholders, directors elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire, other than directors elected by the holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock under specified circumstances, shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The Board of Directors is authorized to assign members of the Board already in office to such classes as it may determine at the time the classification of the Board of Directors pursuant to this Restated Certificate of Incorporation becomes effective. Subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies in the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall, unless otherwise required by law or by resolution of the Board of Directors, be filled only by a majority vote of the directors then in office even though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and not by stockholders, and directors so chosen shall serve for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders at which the term of office of the class to which they have been chosen expires or until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. No decrease in the authorized number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

 

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C.                  Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of business to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

 

D.                 Subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, any director, or the entire Board of Directors, may be removed from office at any time only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at an election of directors, voting together as a single class.

 

Seventh: The Board of Directors is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation. Any adoption, amendment or repeal of the Bylaws of the Corporation by the Board of Directors shall require the approval of a majority of the Whole Board. The stockholders shall also have power to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation; provided, that in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by law or by this Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required for the stockholders to adopt, amend or repeal any provision of the Bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that if the Board of Directors recommends that stockholders approve such adoption, amendment or repeal, such adoption, amendment or repeal shall only require, in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of the capital stock of the Corporation required by law or by the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of the majority of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.

 

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Eighth:  

 

A.                  Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved (including, without limitation, as a witness) in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or an officer of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, or trustee of another corporation, or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (hereinafter an “Indemnitee”), whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer or trustee or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer or trustee, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than such law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such Indemnitee in connection therewith; provided, however, that, except as provided in Paragraph C of this Article EIGHTH with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification or an advancement of expenses or as otherwise required by law, the Corporation shall not be required to indemnify or advance expenses to any such Indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such Indemnitee unless such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

 

B.                  In addition to the right to indemnification conferred in Paragraph A of this Article EIGHTH, an Indemnitee shall also have the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses (including attorney’s fees) incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that, if the Delaware General Corporation Law requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by an Indemnitee in his or her capacity as a director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such Indemnitee, including, without limitation, service to an employee benefit plan) shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such Indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that such Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Paragraph B or otherwise.

 

C.                  If a claim under Paragraph A or B of this Article EIGHTH is not paid in full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after a written claim has been received by the Corporation, except in the case of a claim for an advancement of expenses, in which case the applicable period shall be twenty (20) days, the Indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim. To the fullest extent permitted by law, if successful in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Indemnitee shall also be entitled to be paid the expenses of prosecuting or defending such suit. In (i) any suit brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (ii) in any suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that, the Indemnitee has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the Delaware General Corporation Law. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the Delaware General Corporation Law, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct or, in the case of such a suit brought by the Indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses hereunder, or brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Article EIGHTH or otherwise shall be on the Corporation.

 

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D.                 The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in this Article EIGHTH shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, the Corporation’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation as amended from time to time, the Corporation’s Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

E.                  The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

F.                   The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to any employee or agent of the Corporation to the fullest extent of the provisions of this Article EIGHTH with respect to the indemnification and advancement of expenses of directors and officers of the Corporation.

 

G.                 The rights conferred upon Indemnitees in this Article EIGHTH shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee and shall inure to the benefit of the Indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Article EIGHTH that adversely affects any right of an Indemnitee or its successors shall be prospective only and shall not limit, eliminate or impair any such right with respect to any proceeding involving any occurrence or alleged occurrence of any action or omission to act that took place prior to any such amendment, alteration or repeal.

 

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H.                 If any word, clause, provision or provisions of this Article EIGHTH shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Article EIGHTH (including, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Article EIGHTH containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby; and (ii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Article EIGHTH (including, without limitation, each such portion of any section of this Article EIGHTH containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

Ninth: No director shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for any monetary damages for breaches of fiduciary duty as a director; provided that this provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director, to the extent that such liability is imposed by applicable law, (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders; (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (iii) under Section 174 or successor provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law; or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. No amendment to or repeal of this provision shall apply to or have any effect on the liability or alleged liability of any director for or with respect to any acts or omissions of such director occurring prior to such amendment or repeal. If the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended. All references in this Article NINTH to a director shall also be deemed to refer to any such director acting in his or her capacity as a Continuing Director (as defined in Article ELEVENTH).

 

Tenth: The Corporation reserves the right to amend or repeal any provision contained in this Restated Certificate of Incorporation in the manner prescribed by the Delaware General Corporation Law and all rights conferred upon stockholders are granted subject to this reservation; provided that in addition to the vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by law or by this Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of shares of voting stock of the Corporation representing at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required to amend, alter or repeal, or adopt any provision inconsistent with, Articles FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH, EIGHTH, NINTH, this Article TENTH and Articles ELEVENTH and TWELFTH of this Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

 

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Eleventh: The Board of Directors is expressly authorized to cause the Corporation to issue rights pursuant to Section 157 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and, in that connection, to enter into any agreements necessary or convenient for such issuance, and to enter into other agreements necessary and convenient to the conduct of the business of the Corporation. Any such agreement may include provisions limiting, in certain circumstances, the ability of the Board of Directors of the Corporation to redeem the securities issued pursuant thereto or to take other action thereunder or in connection therewith unless there is a specified number or percentage of Continuing Directors then in office. Pursuant to Section 141(a) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Continuing Directors shall have the power and authority to make all decisions and determinations, and exercise or perform such other acts that any such agreement provides that such Continuing Directors shall make, exercise or perform. For purposes of this Article ELEVENTH and any such agreement, the term “Continuing Directors” shall mean (1) those directors who were members of the Board of Directors of the Corporation at the time the Corporation entered into such agreement and any director who subsequently becomes a member of the Board of Directors, if such director’s nomination for election to the Board of Directors is recommended or approved by the majority vote of the Continuing Directors then in office or (2) such members of the Board of Directors designated in, or in the manner provided in, such agreement as Continuing Directors.

 

Twelfth:  

 

A.                  Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any state court located within the State of Delaware or, if and only if all such state courts lack subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer or other employee of the Corporation, to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim against the Corporation or any current or former director, officer or other employee of the Corporation arising out of or pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation (in each case, as they may be amended from time to time), (iv) any action or proceeding to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws (including any right, obligation, or remedy thereunder); (v) any action or proceeding as to which the Delaware General Corporation Law confers jurisdiction to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; or (vi) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine against the Corporation or any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation, in all cases to the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the court’s having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. This Section A of Article TWELFTH shall not apply to actions brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

 

B.                  Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article TWELFTH.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Restated Certificate of Incorporation, which restates and integrates and further amends the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of this Corporation, and which has been duly adopted in accordance with Sections 242 and 245 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, has been duly executed by its duly authorized Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer this day of [         ], 2021.

 

  SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
   
  By:
  Name: Gregory C. Critchfield
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

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Exhibit 3.4

 

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

 

(Effective as of July __, 2021)

 

ARTICLE I - STOCKHOLDERS

 

Section 1.                Annual Meeting.

 

An annual meeting of the stockholders of Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Corporation”), for the election of directors to succeed those whose terms expire and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting, shall be held at such place, on such date, and at such time as the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) shall fix. The Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that the meeting shall be postponed, rescheduled or canceled and, if held, shall not be held at any place but instead shall be held solely by means of remote communication as provided under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (as hereafter amended from time to time, the “Delaware General Corporation Law”).

 

Section 2.                Special Meetings.

 

Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Authorized Board or by the Chair of the Board of the Corporation (the “Chair of the Board”). For the purposes of these Restated Bylaws (hereinafter referred to herein as these “Bylaws”), the term “Authorized Board” shall mean the total number of authorized directors whether or not there exist any vacancies on the Board of Directors. Special meetings of the stockholders may be held at such place within or without the State of Delaware as may be stated in such resolution. The Board of Directors or the Chair of the Board calling the meeting pursuant to such resolution may, in its, his or her sole discretion, determine that the meeting shall not be held at any place, but instead shall be held solely by means of remote communication as provided under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

Section 3.                Notice of Meetings.

 

Notice of the place, if any, date, and time of all meetings of the stockholders, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, shall be given, not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date on which the meeting is to be held, to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting, except as otherwise provided herein or required by law (meaning hereinafter as required from time to time by the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended and restated from time to time).

 

 

 

 

When a meeting is adjourned to another place, if any, date or time, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the place, if any, date and time thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting, are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken; provided, however, that if the date of any adjourned meeting is more than thirty (30) days after the date originally designated for the meeting in the notice, or if a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, notice of the place, if any, date, and time of the adjourned meeting, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting, shall be given in conformity herewith. At any adjourned meeting, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the original meeting.

 

Section 4.                Quorum.

 

At any meeting of the stockholders, the holders of a majority of the voting power of all of the shares of the stock entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for all purposes, unless or except to the extent that the presence of a larger number may be required by law or by rules of any stock exchange upon which the Corporation’s securities are listed. Where a separate vote by a class or classes is required, a majority of the voting power of the shares of such class or classes, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on that matter.

 

If a quorum shall fail to attend any meeting, the chair of the meeting may adjourn the meeting to another place, if any, date, or time.

 

Section 5.                Organization and Conduct of Business.

 

The Chair of the Board of Directors or, in his or her absence, the Vice Chair of the Board, if any, or in the absence of the Chair of the Board and the Vice Chair of the Board, if any, the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation or, in his or her absence, the President of the Corporation or, in his or her absence, such person as the Board of Directors may have designated, shall call to order any meeting of the stockholders and shall preside at and act as chair of the meeting. In the absence of the Secretary of the Corporation, the secretary of the meeting shall be such person as the chair of the meeting appoints. The Board of Directors may adopt, by resolution, such rules, regulations and procedures for the conduct of business at any meeting of the stockholders, as the Board of Directors determines appropriate. Subject to such rules, regulations and procedures, the chair of any meeting of the stockholders is empowered to adopt rules, regulations and procedures and to do all acts the chair of the meeting determines appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations and procedures, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting, may include, without limitation, (a) the establishment of an agenda and the order of business to be conducted at the meeting (b) rules, regulations and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting, (c) limitations on the attendance at and participation in any meeting of the stockholders by any person other than stockholders and their properly appointed proxyholders, (d) restriction on entry to the meeting after its scheduled commencement, and (e) limitations on the allotment of time for comments and questions at the meeting. The chair of any meeting of the stockholders shall be empowered to interpret any such rules, regulations and procedures and their applicability at such meeting, which interpretations shall be conclusive. Subject to any such rules, regulations and procedures, the chair of any meeting of the stockholders shall determine the order of business and the procedures at the meeting. Unless and only to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting, rules of parliamentary procedure shall not be required for any meeting of the stockholders. The chair of any meeting of the stockholders shall have the power to adjourn the meeting to another place, if any, date and time, whether or not there is a quorum. The date and time of the opening and closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at the meeting shall be determined by the chair of the meeting and announced at the meeting prior to the opening of the polls.

 

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Section 6.                Nominations and Stockholders Business.

 

A.                  Annual Meetings of Stockholders.

 

Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of business to be considered and acted upon by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of the stockholders (1) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting or proxy materials with respect to such meeting, (2) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (3) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 6 and on the record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complies timely with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 6.

 

B.                  Special Meetings of Stockholders.

 

Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of the stockholders as shall have been included in the notice of meeting given pursuant to Section 2 above. The notice of such special meeting shall include the purpose for which the meeting is called. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of the stockholders at which directors are to be elected (1) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or, (2) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors will be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 6, who shall be entitled to vote at the meeting and who complies timely with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 6.

 

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C.                  Certain Matters Pertaining to Nominations and Stockholders Business.

 

(1)               For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (3) of paragraph A of this Section 6 or a special meeting pursuant to paragraph B of this Section 6, (1) the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation, (2) such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for stockholder action under the Delaware General Corporation Law, (3) if the stockholder, or the beneficial owner on whose behalf any such proposal or nomination is made, has provided the Corporation with a Solicitation Notice, as that term is defined in subclause (v) of clause (c) of subparagraph 1 of this paragraph C, such stockholder or beneficial owner must, in the case of a proposal, have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s voting shares required under applicable law to carry any such proposal or, in the case of a nomination or nominations, have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of a percentage of the Corporation’s voting shares reasonably believed by such stockholder or beneficial owner to be sufficient to elect the nominee or nominees proposed to be nominated by such stockholder or beneficial owner, and must, in either case, have included in such materials the Solicitation Notice and, (4) if no Solicitation Notice relating thereto has been timely provided pursuant to this Section 6, the stockholder or beneficial owner proposing such business or nomination must not have solicited a number of proxies sufficient to have required the delivery of such a Solicitation Notice under this Section 6.

 

To be timely, a stockholder’s notice pertaining to an annual meeting shall be received by the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) or more than one-hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders (the “Anniversary”); provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after the Anniversary, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the one-hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation. Such stockholder’s notice for an annual meeting or a special meeting shall set forth and include:

 

(a)                as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director:

 

(i)                  the name, age, business address and, if known to the stockholder, residential address;

 

(ii)                the principal occupation or employment;

 

(iii)              all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors, or is otherwise required, in each case, pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (including such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected);

 

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(iv)              a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three (3) years, and any other material relationships, between or among such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, and their respective affiliates and associates, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee, and his or her respective affiliates and associates, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, if the stockholder making the nomination and any beneficial owner on whose behalf the nomination is made, if any, or any affiliate or associate thereof, were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant;

 

(v)                to the extent known by the stockholder or the beneficial owner, the name and address of any other securityholder of the Corporation who owns, beneficially or of record, any securities of the Corporation and who supports any nominee proposed by such stockholder or beneficial owner; and

 

(vi)              with respect to each nominee for election or reelection to the Board of Directors, a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by paragraph D of this Section 6.

 

(b)               as to any business (other than a proposed nomination for election as a director) that the stockholder or beneficial owner proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, including the text of any resolution or resolutions proposed for consideration and action, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting, any material interest in such business of such stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made, and, to the extent known by the stockholder, the name and business address and residential address of any other securityholder of the Corporation who owns, beneficially or of record, any securities of the Corporation and who supports any matter such stockholder or beneficial owner intends to propose; and

 

(c)                as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made:

 

(i)                  the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, and the business address and, if known by the stockholder, the residential address of such beneficial owner;

 

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(ii)                (A) the class or series and number of shares of the Corporation which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner, (B) any option, warrant, convertible security, restricted stock unit, stock appreciation right, or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of the Corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, whether or not such instrument or right shall be subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of capital stock of the Corporation or otherwise (a “Derivative Instrument”) directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such stockholder and such beneficial owner, if any, and any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (C) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship pursuant to which such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, has a right to vote any shares of any security of the Corporation, (D) any short interest in any security of the Corporation (for purposes of these Bylaws, a person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of the subject security), (E) any rights to dividends on the shares of the Corporation owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (F) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such stockholder is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner, or held, directly or indirectly, by a limited liability company in which such stockholder is a member or manager or directly or indirectly owns in interest in such member or manager, and (G) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such stockholder is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any such interests held by members of such stockholder’s immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be supplemented by such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, not later than ten (10) days after the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date; provided, however, that if such date is after the date of the meeting, not later than the day prior to the meeting);

 

(iii)              any other information relating to such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, which would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or any other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for, as applicable, the proposal and/or for the election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;

 

(iv)              a description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings between such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any; and

 

(v)                a statement whether or not either such stockholder or beneficial owner intends to deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of, in the case of a proposal, at least the percentage of the Corporation’s voting shares required under applicable law to carry the proposal or, in the case of a nomination or nominations, a percentage of the Corporation’s voting shares that such stockholder or beneficial owner reasonably believes to be sufficient to elect such nominee or nominees, a majority of the Corporation’s outstanding voting shares being conclusively reasonably sufficient (an affirmative statement of such intent being referred to herein as a “Solicitation Notice”).

 

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(2)               Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of subparagraph C(1) of this Section 6 to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Corporation is increased and there is no public announcement by the Corporation naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors at least fifty-five (55) days prior to the Anniversary (or, if the annual meeting is held more than thirty (30) days before or thirty (30) days after the Anniversary, at least fifty-five (55) days prior to such annual meeting), a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 6 shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be received by the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

 

(3)               In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of the stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be), for election to such position(s) as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, if the stockholder’s notice required by subparagraph C(1) of this Section 6 shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting nor later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting.

 

D.                 General.

 

(1)               Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 6 shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of the stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 6. Except as otherwise provided by law or these Bylaws, the chair of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in these Bylaws and, if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance herewith, to declare that such defective proposed nomination or business shall be disregarded.

 

(2)               For purposes of this Section 6, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or successor entity or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

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(3)               Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth herein. Nothing in this Section 6 shall be deemed to affect any rights (i) of the stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or (ii) of the holders of any series of preferred stock of the Corporation to elect directors under specified circumstances.

 

(4)               In addition to the requirements set forth elsewhere in these Bylaws, to be eligible to be a nominee for election or reelection as a director of the Corporation, a person must deliver, in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of notice under subparagraph (C)(1) of this Section 6, to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation a completed and signed questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such person and the background of any other person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request) and a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that such person (i) is not and will not become a party to (A) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such person, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or (B) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such person’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such person’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (ii) is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed therein, and (iii) in such person’s individual capacity and on behalf of any person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made, would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the Corporation, and will comply with, applicable law and all applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, code of conduct and ethics, conflict of interest, corporate opportunities, trading and any other policies and guidelines of the Corporation applicable to its directors.

 

(5)               Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6, unless otherwise required by law, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation to make his, her or its nomination or propose any other matter, such nomination shall be disregarded and such other proposed matter shall not be transacted, even if proxies in respect of such vote have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 6, to be considered a “qualified representative” of the stockholder, a person must be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or must be authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of the stockholders, and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the commencement of the meeting of the stockholders.

 

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Section 7.                Proxies and Voting.

 

At any meeting of the stockholders, every stockholder entitled to vote may vote in person or by proxy authorized by an instrument in writing or by a transmission permitted by law filed in accordance with the procedure established for the meeting. Any copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reliable reproduction of the writing or transmission created pursuant to this Section 7 may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing or transmission for any and all purposes for which the original writing or transmission could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing or transmission.

 

All voting, including on the election of directors but excepting where otherwise required by law, may be by voice vote. Any vote not taken by voice shall be taken by ballots, each of which shall state the name of the stockholder or proxy voting and such other information as may be required under the procedure established for the meeting. The Corporation may, and to the extent required by law, shall, in advance of any meeting of the stockholders, appoint one or more inspectors of election to act in such capacity at the meeting and make a written report thereof. The chair of the meeting may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector of election who is unavailable or fails to act in such capacity. Each inspector of election, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector of election with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. A director, officer or employee of the Corporation may serve as an inspector of election or an alternate. Every vote taken by ballots shall be counted by the duly appointed inspector or inspectors of election.

 

Except as otherwise provided in the terms of any class or series of preferred stock of the Corporation, all elections at any meeting of the stockholders shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast, and except as otherwise required by law, these Bylaws or the rules of any stock exchange upon which the Corporation’s securities are listed, all other matters determined by stockholders at a meeting shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast affirmatively or negatively.

 

Section 8.                Action Without Meeting; Record Date.

 

A.                  Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at a duly called annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation may be effected by written consent, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, (1) shall be signed by holders of record on the record date established pursuant to paragraph B of this Section 8 (the “Written Consent Record Date”) of outstanding voting stock of the Corporation having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and (2) shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation. Delivery shall be made by hand or by certified or registered mail, postage-prepaid and return receipt requested. Every written consent shall bear the date of the signature of the stockholder who signed the consent, and no written consent shall be effective to take corporate action unless, within sixty (60) days of the earliest dates valid consent delivered in the manner described in this paragraph A, written consents by stockholders having a sufficient number of votes to take such action are delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation. Only stockholders of record on the Written Consent Record Date shall be entitled to consent to corporate action in writing.

 

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B.                  Without qualification, any stockholder of record seeking to have the stockholders authorize or take any action by written consent shall first request in writing that the Board of Directors fix a Written Consent Record Date for the purpose of determining the stockholders entitled to take such action, which request shall be in proper form and delivered or mailed to the Secretary of the Corporation. Within ten (10) days after receipt of such request in proper form and otherwise in compliance with this paragraph B from any such stockholder, the Board of Directors may adopt a resolution fixing a Written Consent Record Date, which date shall not be more than ten (10) days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the Written Consent Record Date is adopted by the Board of Directors. If no resolution fixing the Written Consent Record Date has been adopted by the Board of Directors within such period of ten (10) days, (1) the Written Consent Record Date, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is required by applicable law, shall be the first date on which valid signed written consents constituting the applicable required percentage of the voting stock of the Corporation and setting forth the action proposed to be taken are delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation, and (2) the Written Consent Record Date, when prior action by the Board of Directors is required by applicable law, shall be at the close of business on the date on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action.

 

C.                  To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 8, a request by a stockholder that the Board of Directors adopt a resolution fixing a Written Consent Record Date shall set forth: (1) as to each stockholder requesting that the Board of Directors adopt a resolution fixing a Written Consent Record Date, each beneficial owner for whom such stockholder holds stock of the Corporation and each affiliate of either of them, the information required to be provided under clause (c) of subparagraph C(1) of Section 6 of this Article I; (2) as to any action proposed to be taken by written consent (other than a proposal to nominate one or more persons for election as a director or directors), (a) the information required to be provided pursuant to clause (b) of subparagraph C(1) of this Article I and (b) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understanding between or among the proposing persons or between any proposing person and any other person in connection with such action; and (3) if one or more directors is or are proposed to be elected by written consent, the information required under clause (a) of subparagraph C(1) of this Article I for each person proposed to be nominated for election as a director.

 

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D.                 In connection with an action or actions proposed to be taken by written consent in accordance with this Section 8, the stockholder or stockholders seeking the taking of such action or actions shall update and supplement the information previously provided to the Corporation in connection therewith, if necessary so that the information previously provided will be true and correct, and will not omit to state information necessary for the information previously provided not to be misleading in light of the information previously provided, as of the Written Consent Record Date and as of the date which is five (5) business days prior to the date the consent solicitation is commenced. Each such update or supplement shall be delivered or mailed to the Secretary of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days prior to the Written Consent Record Date in the case of the update or supplement required to be made as of the Written Consent Record Date and not later than three (3) business days prior to the date that the consent solicitation is commenced in the case of the update or supplement required to be made as of five (5) business days prior to the commencement of the consent solicitation.

 

E.                  Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no action may be taken by the stockholders by written consent except in accordance with this Section 8. If the Board of Directors determines that any request to fix a Written Consent Record Date or to take stockholders action by written consent was not properly made in accordance with this Section 8 or the stockholder or stockholders seeking to take action by written consent do not otherwise comply with this Section 8, then the Board of Directors shall not be required to fix a Written Consent Record Date or take any other action in connection with the purported taking of action by the stockholders by written consent as proposed by such stockholder or stockholders, and such purported action shall be null and void. In addition to the requirements of this Section 8, each stockholder seeking the taking of action by the stockholders by written consent shall comply with all requirements of applicable law, including but not limited to the Exchange Act.

 

Section 9.                Stock List.

 

A complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of the stockholders, arranged in alphabetical order for each class of stock and showing the address of each such stockholder and the number of shares registered in his or her name, shall be open to the examination of any such stockholder for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting in the manner provided by law.

 

The stock list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting as provided by law. Such list shall presumptively determine the identity of the stockholders entitled to examine such stock list and to vote at the meeting and the number of shares held by each of them.

 

ARTICLE II - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Section 1.                General Powers, Number, Election, Tenure, Qualification and Chair.

 

A.       The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of its Board of Directors.

 

B.       Subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock of the Corporation then outstanding to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the number of directors shall be fixed from time to time exclusively by the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Authorized Board.

 

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C.       The Chair of the Board and any Vice Chair of the Board appointed to act in the absence of the Chair of the Board, if any, shall be elected by and from the Board of Directors. The Chair of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and stockholders at which he or she is present and shall have such authority and perform such duties as may be prescribed by these Bylaws or from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2.                Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships.

 

Subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock of the Corporation then outstanding, newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies in the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal from office or other cause shall, unless otherwise required by law or by resolution of the Board of Directors, be filled only by a resolution of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director and not by the stockholders, and directors so chosen shall serve for a term expiring at the next annual meeting of the stockholders or until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. No decrease in the authorized number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. In the event of a vacancy in the Board of Directors, the remaining directors, except as otherwise provided by law, may exercise the powers of the full Board of Directors until the vacancy is filled.

 

Section 3.                Resignation and Removal.

 

Any director may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the Corporation at its principal place of business or to the Chair of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President or Secretary of the Corporation. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless it is specified to be effective at some other time or upon the happening of some other event. Subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock of the Corporation then outstanding, any director, or the entire Board of Directors, may be removed from office at any time only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of the Corporation then entitled to vote at an election of directors, voting together as a single class.

 

Section 4.                Regular Meetings.

 

Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at such place or places, on such date or dates, and at such time or times as shall have been established by the Board of Directors and publicized among all directors. A notice of each regular meeting shall not be required.

 

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Section 5.                Special Meetings.

 

Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chair of the Board of Directors or, in his or her absence, by the Vice Chair of the Board, if any, and shall be called by the Secretary if requested by a majority of the Authorized Board, and shall be held at such place, on such date, and at such time as he or she or they shall fix. Notice of the place, date, and time of each such special meeting shall be given to each director by whom it is not waived by mailing written notice not less than five (5) days before the meeting or orally, by telegraph, telex, cable, telecopy or electronic transmission given not less than twenty four (24) hours before the meeting. Unless otherwise indicated in the notice thereof, any and all business of the Board of Directors may be transacted at a special meeting of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 6.                Quorum.

 

At any meeting of the Board of Directors, a majority of the total number of the Authorized Board shall constitute a quorum for all purposes. If a quorum shall fail to attend any meeting, the Chair of the Board, if present, or a majority of those present may adjourn the meeting to another place, date, or time, without further notice or waiver thereof.

 

Section 7.                Action by Consent.

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without notice and without a meeting, if all members of the Board consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.

 

Section 8.                Participation in Meetings by Conference Telephone.

 

Members of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors of such a committee, as the case may be, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other and such participation shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

Section 9.                Conduct of Business.

 

At any meeting of the Board of Directors, business shall be transacted in such order and manner as the Chair of the Board or, in his or her absence, the Vice Chair of the Board, if any, or as the Board of Directors in the absence of both of them may from time to time determine, and all matters shall be determined by a resolution of a majority of the directors present, except as otherwise provided herein or required by law.

 

Section 10.            Powers.

 

The Board of Directors may, except as otherwise required by law, exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the unqualified power:

 

(1)               to declare dividends from time to time in accordance with law;

 

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(2)               to purchase or otherwise acquire any property, rights or privileges on such terms as it shall determine;

 

(3)               to authorize the creation, making and issuance, in such form as it may determine, of written obligations of every kind, negotiable or non negotiable, secured or unsecured, to borrow funds and guarantee obligations, and to do all things necessary in connection therewith;

 

(4)               to remove any officer of the Corporation with or without cause, and from time to time to devolve the powers and duties of any officer upon any other person for the time being;

 

(5)               to confer upon any officer of the Corporation the power to appoint, remove and suspend subordinate officers, employees and agents;

 

(6)               to adopt from time to time such stock, option, stock purchase, bonus or other compensation plans for directors, officers, employees, consultants and agents of the Corporation and its direct or indirect subsidiaries as it may determine;

 

(7)               to adopt from time to time such insurance, retirement, and other benefit plans for directors, officers, employees and agents of the Corporation and its direct or indirect subsidiaries as it may determine; and,

 

(8)               to adopt from time to time regulations, not inconsistent with these Bylaws, for the management of the Corporation’s business and affairs.

 

Section 11.            Compensation of Directors.

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of the directors. The directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors and may be paid a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors or paid a stated salary or paid other compensation as director. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor. Members of special or standing committees may be allowed compensation for attending committee meetings.

 

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ARTICLE III - COMMITTEES

 

Section 1.                Committees of the Board of Directors.

 

The Board of Directors, by a resolution of a majority of the Board of Directors, may from time to time designate committees of the Board, with such lawfully delegable powers and duties as it thereby confers, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors and shall, for those committees and any others provided for herein, elect a director or directors to serve as the member or members, designating, if it desires, other directors as alternate members who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. Any such committee, to the extent provided in a resolution of the Board of Directors, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by law. In the absence or disqualification of any member of any committee and any alternate member in his or her place, the member or members of the committee present at the meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not he or she or they constitute a quorum, may by resolution unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of the absent or disqualified member.

 

Section 2.                Conduct of Business.

 

Each committee may determine the procedural rules for meeting and conducting its business and shall act in accordance therewith, except as otherwise provided herein or required by law. Adequate provision shall be made for notice to members of all meetings; a majority of the members of any committee shall constitute a quorum unless the committee shall consist of one member, in which event one member shall constitute a quorum or unless the committee consists of two members, in which case both members shall constitute a quorum; and all matters shall be determined by a resolution of a majority of the members present. Action may be taken by any committee without notice and without a meeting if all members thereof consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of the proceedings of such committee. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.

 

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS

 

Section 1.                Enumeration.

 

The officers of the Corporation shall consist of a Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Secretary and such other officers as the Board of Directors may determine, including but not limited to one or more Vice Presidents, Assistant Treasurers and Assistant Secretaries. The salaries of officers elected by the Board of Directors shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors or by such officer or officers as may be designated by resolution of the Board of Directors.

 

Section 2.                Election.

 

The Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and the Secretary shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors at their first meeting following the annual meeting of the stockholders. The Board of Directors may, from time to time, elect or appoint such other officers as the Board of Directors may determine, including but not limited to one or more Vice Presidents, Assistant Treasurers and Assistant Secretaries.

 

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Section 3.                Qualification.

 

No officer need be a director. Two or more offices may be held by any one person. If required by a resolution of the Board of Directors, an officer shall give bond to the Corporation for the faithful performance of his or her duties, in such form and amount and with such sureties as the Board of Directors may determine. The premiums for such bonds shall be paid by the Corporation.

 

Section 4.                Tenure and Removal.

 

Each officer of the Corporation shall hold office until the first meeting of the Board of Directors following the next annual meeting of the stockholders and until his or her successor is elected or appointed and qualified, or until he or she dies, resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified, unless a shorter term is specified in the resolution electing or appointing said officer. Any officer may resign by notice given in writing or by electronic transmission of his or her resignation to the Chair of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, or the Secretary, of the Corporation or to the Board of Directors at a meeting of the Board. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless it is specified to be effective at some other time or upon the happening of some other event. Any officer may be removed from office with or without cause only by a resolution of a majority of the directors then in office.

 

Section 5.                Chief Executive Officer.

 

The Chief Executive Officer shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation and shall, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, have the responsibility for the general management and control of the day-to-day business and affairs of the Corporation. Unless otherwise provided by resolution of the Board of Directors, in the absence of the Chair of the Board and any Vice Chair of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and, if a director, meetings of the Board of Directors. The Chief Executive Officer shall have general supervision and direction of all of the other officers (other than the Chair of the Board or any Vice Chair of the Board), employees and agents of the Corporation. Subject to the Certificate of Incorporation, the other provisions of these Bylaws and any resolution of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer shall also have the power and authority to determine the duties of all officers, employees and agents of the Corporation, shall determine the compensation of any officers whose compensation is not established by the Board of Directors and shall have the power and authority to sign all contracts and other instruments of the Corporation which are authorized.

 

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Section 6.                President.

 

Except for meetings at which the Chair of the Board, any Vice Chair of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer presides, the President shall, if present, preside at all meetings of the stockholders and, if a director, at all meetings of the Board of Directors. The President shall, subject to the control and direction of the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors, have and perform such powers and duties as may be prescribed by these Bylaws or from time to time be determined by the Chief Executive Officer, subject to any determination thereof by the Board of Directors. The President shall have power to sign all stock certificates, contracts and other instruments of the Corporation which are authorized. In the absence of a Chief Executive Officer, the President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation and shall, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, have responsibility for the general management and control of the day-to-day business and affairs of the Corporation and shall have general supervision and direction of all of the officers (other than the Chair of the Board, any Vice Chair of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation), employees and agents of the Corporation.

 

Section 7.                Vice Presidents.

 

The Vice Presidents, if any, in the order of their election, or in such other order as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may determine, shall have and perform the powers and duties of the President (or such of the powers and duties as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may determine) whenever the President is absent or unable to act, including the power to sign contracts and other instruments of the Corporation. The Vice Presidents, if any, shall also have such other powers and duties as may from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer and shall have the power to sign all stock certificates, contracts and other instruments of the Corporation which are authorized.

 

Section 8.                Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers.

 

The Chief Financial Officer shall, subject to the control and direction of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer, be the chief financial officer of the Corporation and shall have and perform such powers and duties as may be prescribed in these Bylaws or be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer, including the power to sign all contracts and other instruments of the Corporation which are authorized. All property of the Corporation in the custody of the Chief Financial Officer shall be subject at all times to the inspection and control of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall have the responsibility for maintaining the financial records of the Corporation. The Chief Financial Officer shall make such disbursements of the funds of the Corporation as are authorized and shall render from time to time an account of all such transactions and of the financial condition of the Corporation. Unless the Board of Directors has designated another person as the Corporation’s Treasurer, the Chief Financial Officer shall also be the Treasurer. Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, the Treasurer (if different than the Chief Financial Officer) and each Assistant Treasurer, if any, shall have and perform the powers and duties of the Chief Financial Officer whenever the Chief Financial Officer is absent or unable to act, and may at any time exercise such of the powers of the Chief Financial Officer, and such other powers and duties, as may from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Financial Officer and shall have the power to sign all stock certificates, contracts and instruments of the Corporation which are authorized.

 

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Section 9.                Secretary and Assistant Secretaries.

 

The Board of Directors shall appoint a Secretary and, in his or her absence, one or more Assistant Secretaries. Unless otherwise directed by the Board of Directors or the Chair of the Board, the Secretary or, in his or her absence, any Assistant Secretary shall attend all meetings of the directors and the stockholders and shall record all resolutions of the Board of Directors and votes of the stockholders and minutes of the proceedings at such meetings. The Secretary or, in his or her absence, any Assistant Secretary, shall notify the directors of their meetings, and shall have and perform such other powers and duties as may be prescribed in these Bylaws or as may from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors, including the power to sign contracts and other instruments of the Corporation. If the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary is elected but is not present at any meeting of the Board of Directors or the stockholders, a temporary Secretary may be appointed by the Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting. The Secretary and each Assistant Secretary shall have the power to sign all stock certificates, contracts and instruments of the Corporation which are authorized.

 

Section 10.            Bond.

 

If required by the Board of Directors, any officer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties and upon such terms and conditions as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors, including but not limited to a bond for the faithful performance of the duties of his office and for the restoration to the Corporation of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in his or her possession or under his or her control and belonging to the Corporation.

 

Section 11.            Action with Respect to Securities of Other Corporations.

 

Unless otherwise directed by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer or the Treasurer shall have power to vote and otherwise act on behalf of the Corporation, in person or by proxy, at any meeting of the stockholders of or with respect to any action of the stockholders of any other corporation in which the Corporation may hold securities and otherwise to exercise any and all rights and powers which the Corporation may possess by reason of its ownership of securities in such other corporation.

 

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ARTICLE V - STOCK

 

Section 1.                Certificated and Uncertificated Stock.

 

Shares of the Corporation’s stock may be certificated or uncertificated, as provided under the Delaware General Corporation Law, and shall be entered in the books of the Corporation and registered as they are issued. Any certificates representing shares of stock shall be in such form as the Board of Directors shall prescribe, certifying the number and class of shares of stock owned by the stockholder. Any certificates issued to a stockholder of the Corporation shall bear the name of the Corporation and shall be signed by the Chair of the Board or the President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be by facsimile.

 

Section 2.                Transfers of Stock.

 

Transfers of stock shall be made only upon the transfer books of the Corporation kept at an office of the Corporation or by transfer agents designated to transfer shares of the stock of the Corporation. Except where a certificate is issued in accordance with Section 4 of this Article V or, in the case of uncertificated shares, an outstanding certificate for the number of shares involved shall be surrendered for cancellation before a new certificate is issued therefor.

 

Section 3.                Record Date.

 

In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of the stockholders, or to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date on which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of any meeting of the stockholders, nor more than sixty (60) days prior to the time for such other action as hereinbefore described. If the Board of Directors so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board of Directors determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at a meeting of the stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day immediately preceding the day on which notice is given or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day immediately preceding the day on which the meeting is held, and, for determining stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of rights or to exercise any rights of change, conversion or exchange of stock or for any other purpose, the record date shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts a resolution relating thereto.

 

A determination of the stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for determination of the stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of the stockholders entitled to vote in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this Section 3 at the adjourned meeting.

 

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Section 4.                Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates.

 

In the event of the loss, theft or destruction of any certificate of stock, the Corporation may issue a replacement certificate of stock or uncertificated shares in place of any certificate previously issued by the Corporation pursuant to such regulations as the Board of Directors may establish concerning proof of such loss, theft or destruction and concerning the giving of a satisfactory bond or bonds of indemnity.

 

Section 5.                Regulations.

 

The issue, transfer, conversion and registration of certificates of stock shall be governed by such other regulations as the Board of Directors may establish.

 

Section 6.                Interpretation.

 

The Board of Directors shall have the power to interpret all of the terms and provisions of these Bylaws, which interpretation shall be conclusive.

 

ARTICLE VI - NOTICES

 

Section 1.                Notices.

 

If mailed, notice to stockholders shall be deemed given when deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders may be given by electronic transmission in the manner provided in Section 232 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

Section 2.                Waiver of Notice.

 

A written waiver of any notice, signed by a stockholder or director, or waiver by electronic transmission by such person, whether before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to the notice required to be given to such person. Neither the business nor the purpose of any meeting need be specified in such a waiver. Attendance at any meeting shall constitute waiver of notice, except attendance for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

 

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ARTICLE VII - INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

 

Section 1.                Right to Indemnification.

 

Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved (including, without limitation, as a witness) in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or an officer of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, trustee, member or manager of another corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (hereinafter referred to as an “Indemnitee”), whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, manager, member, partner or trustee or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer or trustee, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights to such Indemnitee than such law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such Indemnitee in connection therewith; provided, however, that, except as provided in Section 3 of this Article with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification or as otherwise required by law, the Corporation shall not be required to indemnify or advance expenses to any such Indemnitee in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such Indemnitee unless such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

 

Section 2.                Right to Advancement of Expenses.

 

In addition to the right to indemnification conferred in Section 1 of this Article VII, an Indemnitee shall also have the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses (including attorney’s fees) incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that, if the Delaware General Corporation Law requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by an Indemnitee in his or her capacity as a director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such Indemnitee, including, without limitation, service to an employee benefit plan) shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such Indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that such Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Section 2 or otherwise.

 

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Section 3.                Right of Indemnitees to Bring Suit.

 

If a claim under Section 1 or 2 of this Article VII is not paid in full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after a written claim has been received by the Corporation, except in the case of a claim for an advancement of expenses, in which case the applicable period shall be twenty (20) days, the Indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim. To the fullest extent permitted by law, if successful in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Indemnitee shall also be entitled to be paid the expenses of prosecuting or defending such suit. In (i) any suit brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder (but not in a suit brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to an advancement of expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (ii) in any suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that, the Indemnitee has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the Delaware General Corporation Law. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because the Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the Delaware General Corporation Law, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its directors who are not parties to such action, a committee of such directors, independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct or, in the case of such a suit brought by the Indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses hereunder, or brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Article or otherwise shall be on the Corporation.

 

Section 4.                Non-Exclusivity of Rights.

 

The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in this Article VII shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any law, statute, the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation as amended from time to time, these Bylaws, any agreement, any vote of the stockholders or resolution of disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

Section 5.                Insurance.

 

The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

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Section 6.                Indemnity Agreements.

 

The Corporation may enter into indemnity agreements with the persons who are members of its Board of Directors from time to time, and with such officers, employees and agents of the Corporation and with such officers, directors, members, managers, partners, employees and agents of any direct or indirect subsidiaries of the Corporation as the Board of Directors may designate, such indemnity agreements to provide in substance that the Corporation will indemnify such persons as contemplated by this Article VII, and to include any other substantive or procedural provisions regarding indemnification as are not inconsistent with Delaware law. The provisions of such indemnity agreements shall prevail to the extent that they limit or condition or differ from the provisions of this Article.

 

Section 7.                Indemnification of Employees and Agents of the Corporation.

 

The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to any employee or agent of the Corporation to the fullest extent of the provisions of this Article VII with respect to the indemnification and advancement of expenses of directors and officers of the Corporation.

 

Section 8.                Nature of Rights.

 

The rights conferred upon Indemnitees in this Article VII shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, member, manager, employee, agent or trustee and shall inure to the benefit of such Indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Article that adversely affects any right of an Indemnitee or its successors shall be prospective only and shall not limit, eliminate, or impair any such right with respect to any proceeding involving any occurrence or alleged occurrence of any action or omission to act that took place prior to any such amendment, alteration or repeal.

 

Section 9.                Severability.

 

If any word, clause, provision or provisions of this Article VII shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Article VII (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Article VII containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby; and (ii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Article VII (including, without limitation, each such portion of any Section of this Article containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

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ARTICLE VIII - CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS

 

Section 1.                Transactions with Interested Parties.

 

No contract or transaction between the Corporation and one or more of its directors or officers, or between the Corporation and any other corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, or other organization in which one or more of its directors or officers are directors or officers, or have a financial interest, shall be void or voidable solely for this reason, or solely because the director or officer is present at or participates in the meeting of the Board or committee thereof which authorizes the contract or transaction or solely because the votes of such director or officer are counted for such purpose, if:

 

(a)                The material facts as to his or her relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the Board of Directors or the committee, and the Board or committee in good faith authorizes the contract or transaction by a resolution of a majority of the disinterested directors, even though the disinterested directors be less than a quorum; or

 

(b)               The material facts as to his or her relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the stockholders entitled to vote thereon, and the contract or transaction is specifically approved in good faith by vote of the stockholders; or

 

(c)                The contract or transaction is fair as to the Corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved or ratified, by the Board of Directors, a committee thereof, or the stockholders.

 

Section 2.                Quorum.

 

Common or interested directors may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors or of a committee thereof which authorizes the contract or transaction.

 

ARTICLE IX - MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 1.                Facsimile Signatures.

 

In addition to the provisions for use of facsimile signatures elsewhere specifically authorized in these Bylaws, facsimile signatures of any officer or officers of the Corporation may be used whenever and as authorized by the Board of Directors or a committee thereof.

 

Section 2.                Corporate Seal.

 

The Board of Directors may provide a suitable seal, containing the name of the Corporation, which seal shall be in the charge of the Secretary. If and when so directed by the Board of Directors or a committee thereof, duplicates of the seal may be kept and used by the Treasurer or by an Assistant Secretary or Assistant Treasurer.

 

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Section 3.                Reliance upon Books, Reports and Records.

 

Each director, each member of any committee designated by the Board of Directors, and each officer of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties, be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the books of account or other records of the Corporation and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Corporation by any of its officers or employees, or committees of the Board of Directors so designated, or by any other person as to matters which such director or committee member reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation.

 

Section 4.                Fiscal Year.

 

Except as otherwise determined by the Board of Directors from time to time, the fiscal year of the Corporation shall end on the last day of December of each year.

 

Section 5.                Time Periods.

 

In applying any provision of these Bylaws which requires that an act be done or not be done a specified number of days prior to an event or that an act be done during a period of a specified number of days prior to an event, calendar days shall be used, the day of the doing of the act shall be excluded, and the day of the event shall be included.

 

Section 6.                Pronouns.

 

Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in these Bylaws shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms.

 

ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS

 

In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by law, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend and repeal these Bylaws subject to the power of the holders of stock of the Corporation to adopt, amend or repeal these Bylaws.

 

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Exhibit 4.1

GRAPHIC

# D E L A W A R E # SEAL S E R A PROG N O STICS, IN C . CORP O RA TE January 17, 2008 SERA FULLY PAID AND NONASSESSABLE SHARES OF CLASS A COMMON STOCK, $0.0001 PAR VALUE PER SHARE, OF Sera Prognotics, Inc. transferable on the books of the Corporation in person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed. This Certificate is not valid until countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the Registrar. WITNESS the facsimile seal of the Corporation and the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers. Dated: This certifies that is the record holder of INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE COUNTERSIGNED AND REGISTERED: AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC (BROOKLYN, NY) TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR BY: AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER CUSIP 81749D 10 7 SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS AND LEGENDS Sample Certificate

GRAPHIC

The Corporation shall furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests a statement of the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock of the Corporation or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Such requests shall be made to the Corporation’s Secretary at the principal office of the Corporation. KEEP THIS CERTIFICATE IN A SAFE PLACE. IF IT IS LOST, STOLEN, OR DESTROYED THE CORPORATION WILL REQUIRE A BOND INDEMNITY AS A CONDITION TO THE ISSUANCE OF A REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE. The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations: Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list. TEN COM – as tenants in common TEN ENT – as tenants by the entireties JT TEN – as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common COM PROP – as community property UNIF GIFT MIN ACT – ......................... Custodian ......................... (Cust) (Minor) under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act.............................................................................. (State) UNIF TRF MIN ACT – ................. Custodian (until age ..................) (Cust) ..................................... under Uniform Transfers (Minor) to Minors Act............................................................ (State) FOR VALUE RECEIVED, _____________________________________________________ hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE shares of the capital stock represented by within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint attorney-in-fact to transfer the said stock on the books of the within named Corporation with full power of the substitution in the premises. Dated NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATSOEVER. By THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION, (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15. GUARANTEES BY A NOTARY PUBLIC ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. SIGNATURE GUARANTEES MUST NOT BE DATED. Signature(s) Guaranteed: (PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE) X X

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

 

One Financial Center

Boston, MA 02111

617 542 6000

mintz.com

 

 

July 8, 2021

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc.

2749 East Parleys Way, Suite 200

Salt Lake City, UT 84109

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as legal counsel to Sera Prognostics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a Registration Statement (No.  333-257038) on Form S-1, as amended (the “Registration Statement”), pursuant to which the Company is registering the offering for sale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of an aggregate of 5,390,625 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company's Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), including 703,125 shares of Common Stock subject to the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares.

 

The Shares are to be sold by the Company pursuant to an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) to be entered into by and among the Company and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC and William Blair & Company, L.L.C., as representatives of the several underwriters to be named therein. The form of the Underwriting Agreement has been filed as Exhibit 1.1 to the Registration Statement. This opinion is being rendered in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission. All capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings given to them in the Registration Statement.

 

In connection with this opinion, we have examined the Company's Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, each as currently in effect, and the form of the Underwriting Agreement; such other records of the corporate proceedings of the Company and certificates of the Company's officers as we have deemed relevant; and the Registration Statement and the exhibits thereto.

 

In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such copies.

 

Boston          London          Los Angeles          New York           San Diego          San Francisco         Washington

 

MINTZ, LEVIN, COHN, FERRIS, GLOVSKY AND POPEO, P.C.

 

 

 

MINTZ

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc.

July 8, 2021

Page 2

 
 

 

Our opinion is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and we express no opinion with respect to the laws of any other jurisdiction. No opinion is expressed herein with respect to the qualification of the Shares under the securities or blue sky laws of any state or any foreign jurisdiction.

 

Please note that we are opining only as to the matters expressly set forth herein, and no opinion should be inferred as to any other matters. This opinion is based upon currently existing statutes, rules, regulations and judicial decisions, and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of any change in any of these sources of law or subsequent legal or factual developments which might affect any matters or opinions set forth herein.

 

Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when issued and sold in accordance with the form of the Underwriting Agreement most recently filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and the prospectus that forms a part of the Registration Statement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

We understand that you wish to file this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act and to reference the firm's name under the caption "Legal Matters" in the prospectus which forms part of the Registration Statement, and we hereby consent thereto. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  /s/ Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
  Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into this ___ day of ________, 20__, by and between Sera Prognostics, Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and ______________(“Indemnitee”).

 

WHEREAS, qualified persons are reluctant to serve corporations as directors or otherwise unless they are provided with broad indemnification and insurance against claims arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the corporations; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company has determined that attracting and retaining such persons is in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company to indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and to provide reasonable assurance regarding insurance;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

1. Defined Terms; Construction.

 

(a)                Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

Change in Control” means, and shall be deemed to have occurred if, on or after the date of this Agreement, (i) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), other than (A) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries acting in such capacity, or (B) a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the board of directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the board of directors of the Company or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, (iii) the stockholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation that would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, (iv) the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) all or substantially all of its assets, or (v) the Company shall file or have filed against it, and such filing shall not be dismissed, any bankruptcy, insolvency or dissolution proceedings, or a trustee, administrator or creditors committee shall be appointed to manage or supervise the affairs of the Company.

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Corporate Status” means the status of a person who is or was a director (or a member of any committee of a board of directors), officer, employee or agent (including without limitation a manager of a limited liability company) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or of any predecessor thereof, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director (or a member of any committee of a board of directors), officer, employee or agent (including without limitation a manager of a limited liability company) of another entity, or of any predecessor thereof, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan.

Determination” means a determination that either (x) there is a reasonable basis for the conclusion that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee met a particular standard of conduct (a “Favorable Determination”) or (y) there is no reasonable basis for the conclusion that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee met a particular standard of conduct (an “Adverse Determination”). An Adverse Determination shall include the decision that a Determination was required in connection with indemnification and the decision as to the applicable standard of conduct.

DGCL” means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended from time to time.

Expenses” means all (i) attorneys’ fees and expenses, retainers, court, arbitration and mediation costs, transcript costs, fees and expenses of experts, witness and public relations consultants bonds and fees, traveling expenses, costs of collecting and producing documents, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, appealing or otherwise participating in a Proceeding or responding to, or objecting to, a request to provide discovery in any Proceeding, (ii) damages, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and any other amounts that Indemnitee becomes legally obligated to pay (including any federal, state or local taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of receipt of reimbursements or advances of expenses under this Agreement) and (iii) the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any costs bond, supersedes bond or other appeal bond or its equivalent, whether civil, criminal, arbitrational, administrative or investigative with respect to any Proceeding actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee, or on Indemnitee’s behalf, because of any claim or claims made against or by him in connection with any Proceeding, whether formal or informal (including an action by or in the right of the Company), to which Indemnitee is, was or at any time becomes a party or a witness, or is threatened to be made a party to, participant in or a witness with respect to, by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status.

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Independent Legal Counsel” means an attorney or firm of attorneys competent to render an opinion under the applicable law, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 5(e), who has not performed any services (other than services similar to those contemplated to be performed by Independent Legal Counsel under this Agreement) for the Company or any of its subsidiaries or for Indemnitee within the last three years.

Proceeding” means a threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, including without limitation a claim, demand, discovery request, formal or informal investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing, arbitration or other form of alternative dispute resolution, including an appeal from any of the foregoing.

Voting Securities” means any securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.

(b)               Construction. For purposes of this Agreement,

(i)                  References to the Company and any of its “subsidiaries” shall include any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other entity or enterprise that before or after the date of this Agreement is party to a merger or consolidation with the Company or any such subsidiary or that is a successor to the Company as contemplated by Section 8(e) (whether or not such successor has executed and delivered the written agreement contemplated by Section 8(e)).

(ii)                References to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan.

(iii)              References to a “witness” in connection with a Proceeding shall include any interviewee or person called upon to produce documents in connection with such Proceeding.

2. Agreement to Serve.

Indemnitee agrees to serve as a director of the Company or one or more of its subsidiaries and in such other capacities as Indemnitee may serve at the request of the Company from time to time, and by its execution of this Agreement the Company confirms its request that Indemnitee serve as a director and in such other capacities. Indemnitee shall be entitled to resign or otherwise terminate such service with immediate effect at any time, and neither such resignation or termination nor the length of such service shall affect Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement. This Agreement shall not constitute an employment agreement, supersede any employment agreement to which Indemnitee is a party or create any right of Indemnitee to continued employment or appointment.

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3. Indemnification.

(a)                General Indemnification. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law in effect on the date hereof or as amended to increase the scope of permitted indemnification, against Expenses, losses, liabilities, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, taxes, assessments and other charges in connection therewith) incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with any Proceeding in any way connected with, resulting from or relating to Indemnitee’s Corporate Status.

(b)               Additional Indemnification Regarding Expenses. Without limiting the foregoing, in the event any Proceeding is initiated by Indemnitee, the Company or any other person to enforce or interpret this Agreement or any rights of Indemnitee to indemnification or advancement of Expenses (or related obligations of Indemnitee) under the Company’s or any such subsidiary’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational agreement or instrument, any other agreement to which Indemnitee and the Company or any of its subsidiaries are party, any vote of stockholders or directors of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, the DGCL, any other applicable law or any liability insurance policy, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against Expenses incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding in proportion to the success achieved by Indemnitee in such Proceeding and the efforts required to obtain such success, as determined by the court presiding over such Proceeding.

(c)                Partial Indemnification. If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for a portion of any Expenses, losses, liabilities, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement incurred by Indemnitee, but not for the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for such portion.

(d)               Nonexclusivity. The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational agreement or instrument of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, any other agreement, any vote of stockholders or directors, the DGCL, any other applicable law or any liability insurance policy.

(e)               Exceptions. Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated under the Agreement to indemnify Indemnitee:

(i)                  For Expenses incurred in connection with Proceedings initiated or brought voluntarily by the Indemnitee and not by way of defense, counterclaim or crossclaim, except (x) as contemplated by Section 3(b), (y) in specific cases if the board of directors of the Company has approved the initiation or bringing of such Proceeding, and (z) as may be required by law.

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(ii)                For an accounting of profits arising from the purchase and sale by the Indemnitee of securities within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or any similar provisions of any federal, state or local law if the final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction finds Indemnitee to be liable for disgorgement under such Section 16(b).

(iii)              On account of Indemnitee’s conduct that is established by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction as knowingly fraudulent or deliberately dishonest or that constituted willful misconduct.

(iv)              For which payment is actually made to Indemnitee under a valid and collectible insurance policy or under a valid and enforceable indemnity clause, bylaw or agreement, except in respect of any excess beyond payment actually received by Indemnitee under such insurance, clause, bylaw or agreement, provided, that the foregoing shall not affect the rights of Indemnitee or the Fund Indemnitors set forth in Section 3(f) below.

(v)                if and to the extent indemnification is prohibited by applicable law.

(f)                 Primacy of Indemnification. The Company hereby acknowledges that Indemnitee may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by a fund or other entity with which Indemnitee is associated or its affiliates (collectively, the “Fund Indemnitors”). The Company hereby agrees (i) that it is the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its obligations to Indemnitee are primary and any obligation of the Fund Indemnitors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the same expenses or liabilities incurred by Indemnitee are secondary), (ii) that it shall be required to advance the full amount of expenses incurred by Indemnitee and shall be liable for the full amount of all Expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement to the extent legally permitted and as required by the terms of this Agreement and the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational agreement or instrument of the Company (or any other agreement between the Company and Indemnitee), without regard to any rights Indemnitee may have against the Fund Indemnitors, and (iii) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Fund Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Fund Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. The Company further agrees that no advancement or payment by the Fund Indemnitors on behalf of Indemnitee with respect to any claim for which Indemnitee has sought indemnification from the Company shall affect the foregoing and the Fund Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee against the Company. The Company and Indemnitee agree that the Fund Indemnitors are express third party beneficiaries of the terms of this Section 3(f).

(g)                Subrogation. Except as provided in Section 3(f) above, in the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the Indemnitee (other than against the Fund Indemnitors), who shall execute such documents and do such acts as the Company may reasonably request to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

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4. Advancement of Expenses.

The Company shall pay all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding in any way connected with, resulting from or relating to Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, other than a Proceeding initiated by Indemnitee for which the Company would not be obligated to indemnify Indemnitee pursuant to Section 3(e)(i), in advance of the final disposition (in accordance with Section 5(c)) of such Proceeding and without regard to whether Indemnitee will ultimately be entitled to be indemnified for such Expenses and without regard to whether an Adverse Determination has been made, except as contemplated by the last sentence of Section 5(f). The right to advances under this Section 4 shall in all events continue until final disposition of any Proceeding, including any appeal therein. Advances shall be made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under the other provisions of this Agreement. Indemnitee shall qualify for advances upon the execution and delivery to the Company of this Agreement, and Indemnitee shall repay such amounts advanced only if and to the extent that it shall ultimately be determined in a decision by a court of competent jurisdiction from which no appeal can be taken that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company for such Expenses. The right to advancement described in this Section 4 is vested. Such repayment obligation shall be unsecured and shall not bear interest. The Company shall not impose on Indemnitee additional conditions to advancement or require from Indemnitee additional undertakings regarding repayment.

5. Indemnification Procedure.

(a)                Notice of Proceeding; Cooperation. Indemnitee shall give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable, and in any event, no later than 30 days after Indemnitee becomes aware, of any Proceeding for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement, provided that any failure or delay in giving such notice shall not relieve the Company of its obligations under this Agreement unless and to the extent that (i) none of the Company and its subsidiaries are party to or aware of such Proceeding and (ii) the Company is materially prejudiced by such failure.

(b)               Settlement. The Company will not, without the prior written consent of Indemnitee, which may be provided or withheld in Indemnitee’s sole discretion, effect any settlement of any Proceeding against Indemnitee or which could have been brought against Indemnitee unless such settlement solely involves the payment of money by persons other than Indemnitee and includes an unconditional release of Indemnitee from all liability on any matters that are the subject of such Proceeding and an acknowledgment that Indemnitee denies all wrongdoing in connection with such matters. The Company shall not be obligated to indemnify Indemnitee against amounts paid in settlement of a Proceeding against Indemnitee if such settlement is effected by Indemnitee without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

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(c)                Request for Payment; Timing of Payment. To obtain indemnification payments or advances under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to a Company a written request therefor, together with such invoices or other supporting information as may be reasonably requested by the Company and reasonably available to Indemnitee. The Company shall make indemnification payments to Indemnitee no later than 30 days, and advances to Indemnitee no later than 20 days, after receipt of the written request of Indemnitee.

(d)               Determination. The Company intends that Indemnitee shall be indemnified to the fullest extent permitted by law as provided in Section 3 and that no Determination shall be required in connection with such indemnification. In no event shall a Determination be required in connection with advancement of Expenses pursuant to Section 4 or in connection with indemnification for Expenses incurred as a witness or incurred in connection with any Proceeding or portion thereof with respect to which Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise. Any decision that a Determination is required by law in connection with any other indemnification of Indemnitee, and any such Determination, shall be made within 30 days after receipt of Indemnitee’s written request for indemnification, as follows:

(i)                  If no Change in Control has occurred, (w) by a majority vote of the directors of the Company who are not parties to such Proceeding, even though less than a quorum, with the advice of Independent Legal Counsel, or (x) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, with the advice of Independent Legal Counsel, or (y) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by Independent Legal Counsel in a written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee, or (z) by the stockholders of the Company.

(ii)                If a Change in Control has occurred, by Independent Legal Counsel in a written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee.

The Company shall pay all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with a Determination.

(e)               Independent Legal Counsel. If there has not been a Change in Control, Independent Legal Counsel shall be selected by the board of directors of the Company and approved by Indemnitee (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). If there has been a Change in Control, Independent Legal Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). The Company shall pay the fees and expenses of Independent Legal Counsel and indemnify Independent Legal Counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to its engagement.

(f)                 Consequences of Determination; Remedies of Indemnitee. The Company shall be bound by and shall have no right to challenge a Favorable Determination. If an Adverse Determination is made, or if for any other reason the Company does not make timely indemnification payments or advances of Expenses, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence a Proceeding before a court of competent jurisdiction to challenge such Adverse Determination and/or to require the Company to make such payments or advances. Indemnitee shall be entitled to be indemnified for all Expenses incurred in connection with such a Proceeding in accordance with Section 3(b) and to have such Expenses advanced by the Company in accordance with Section 4. If Indemnitee fails to timely challenge an Adverse Determination, or if Indemnitee challenges an Adverse Determination and such Adverse Determination has been upheld by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction from which no appeal can be taken, then, to the extent and only to the extent required by such Adverse Determination or final judgment, the Company shall not be obligated to indemnify or advance Expenses to Indemnitee under this Agreement.

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(g)                Presumptions; Burden and Standard of Proof. In connection with any Determination, or any review of any Determination, by any person, including a court:

(i)                  It shall be a presumption that a Determination is not required.

(ii)                It shall be a presumption that Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct and that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances.

(iii)              The burden of proof shall be on the Company to overcome the presumptions set forth in the preceding clauses (i) and (ii), and each such presumption shall only be overcome if the Company establishes that there is no reasonable basis to support it.

(iv)              The termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, finding, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere, or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that indemnification is not proper or that Indemnitee did not meet the applicable standard of conduct or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by this Agreement or otherwise.

(v)                Neither the failure of any person or persons to have made a Determination nor an Adverse Determination by any person or persons shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet the applicable standard of conduct, and any Proceeding commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 5 shall be de novo with respect to all determinations of fact and law.

6. Directors and Officers Liability Insurance.

(a)                Maintenance of Insurance. So long as the Company or any of its subsidiaries maintains liability insurance for any directors, officers, employees or agents of any such person, the Company shall ensure that Indemnitee is covered by such insurance in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ then current directors and officers. If at any date (i) such insurance ceases to cover acts and omissions occurring during all or any part of the period of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status or (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries maintains any such insurance, the Company shall ensure that Indemnitee is covered, with respect to acts and omissions prior to such date, for at least six years (or such shorter period as is available on commercially reasonable terms) from such date, by other directors and officers liability insurance, in amounts and on terms (including the portion of the period of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status covered) no less favorable to Indemnitee than the amounts and terms of the liability insurance maintained by the Company on the date hereof.

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(b)               Notice to Insurers. Upon receipt of notice of a Proceeding pursuant to Section 5(a), the Company shall give or cause to be given prompt notice of such Proceeding to all insurers providing liability insurance in accordance with the procedures set forth in all applicable or potentially applicable policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary action to cause such insurers to pay all amounts payable in accordance with the terms of such policies.

7. Exculpation, etc.

(a)                Limitation of Liability. Indemnitee shall not be personally liable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or to the stockholders of the Company or any such subsidiary for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director of the Company or any such subsidiary; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not eliminate or limit the liability of the Indemnitee (i) for any breach of the Indemnitee’s duty of loyalty to the Company or such subsidiary or the stockholders thereof; (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law; (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL or any similar provision of other applicable corporations law; or (iv) for any transaction from which the Indemnitee derived an improper personal benefit. If the DGCL or such other applicable law shall be amended to permit further elimination or limitation of the personal liability of directors, then the liability of the Indemnitee shall, automatically, without any further action, be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL or such other applicable law as so amended.

(b)               Period of Limitations. No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company or any of its subsidiaries against Indemnitee or Indemnitee’s estate, spouses, heirs, executors, personal or legal representatives, administrators or assigns after the expiration of two years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two-year period, provided that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

8. Miscellaneous.

(a)                Non-Circumvention. The Company shall not seek or agree to any order of any court or other governmental authority that would prohibit or otherwise interfere, and shall not take or fail to take any other action if such action or failure would reasonably be expected to have the effect of prohibiting or otherwise interfering, with the performance of the Company’s indemnification, advancement or other obligations under this Agreement.

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(b)               Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (ii) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (iii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.

(c)                Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) on the date of delivery if delivered personally, or by facsimile, upon confirmation of receipt, (ii) on the first business day following the date of dispatch if delivered by a recognized next-day courier service or (iii) on the third business day following the date of mailing if delivered by domestic registered or certified mail, properly addressed, or on the fifth business day following the date of mailing if sent by airmail from a country outside of North America, to Indemnitee at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement, to the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or in either case as subsequently modified by written notice.

(d)               Amendment and Termination. No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by all the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar), nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

(e)               Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its respective successors and assigns, including without limitation any acquiror of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or business, any person (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) that acquires beneficial ownership of securities of the Company representing more than 20% of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities and any survivor of any merger or consolidation to which the Company is party, and shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Indemnitee and Indemnitee’s estate, spouses, heirs, executors, personal or legal representatives, administrators and assigns. The Company shall require and cause any such successor, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement as if it were named as the Company herein, and the Company shall not permit any such purchase of assets or business, acquisition of securities or merger or consolidation to occur until such written agreement has been executed and delivered. No such assumption and agreement shall relieve the Company of any of its obligations hereunder, and this Agreement shall not otherwise be assignable by the Company. This Agreement is personal in nature and neither of the parties hereto shall, without the consent of the other, assign or delegate this Agreement or any rights or obligations. Without limiting the generality or effect of the foregoing, Indemnitee’s right to receive payments hereunder shall not be assignable, whether by pledge, creation of a security interest or otherwise, other than by a transfer by the Indemnitee’s will or by estate law, and, in the event of any attempted assignment or transfer contrary to this Section 8(e), the Company shall have no liability to pay any amount so attempted to be assigned or transferred.

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(f)                 Choice of Law; Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, as applied to contracts between Delaware residents entered into and to be performed entirely within Delaware, without regard to the conflict of law principles thereof. The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Delaware for all purposes in connection with any Proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be brought only in the state courts of the State of Delaware.

(g)                Integration and Entire Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto, provided that the provisions hereof shall not supersede the provisions of the Company’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational agreement or instrument, any other agreement, any vote of stockholders or directors, the DGCL or other applicable law, to the extent any such provisions shall be more favorable to Indemnitee than the provisions hereof.

(h)               Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

[Remainder of this page intentionally left blank]

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

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
By:                            
Name:
Title:
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:
INDEMNITEE:
Name:
Title:
Address:

12

Exhibit 10.2.1

 

Option No.________

 

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

Stock Option Grant Notice

Stock Option Grant under the Company’s

2011 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan

 

1. Name and Address of Participant:  
     
     
     
2. Date of Option Grant:  
     
3. Type of Grant:  
     
4. Maximum Number of Shares for which this Option is exercisable:  
     
5. Exercise (purchase) price per share:  
     
6. Option Expiration Date:  
     
7. Vesting Start Date1:  

 

8. Vesting Schedule: This Option shall become exercisable (and the Shares issued upon exercise shall be vested) as follows provided the Participant is an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate on the applicable vesting date:

 

[Insert Vesting Schedule - sample below]

 

[On the first anniversary of the Vesting Start Date   up to ____________ Shares2

 

 

1 This date is only necessary if a company has decided to trigger vesting from a date that is different from the date of option grant such as a hire date and is to be used a point of reference for future vesting only.

2 If the agreement does not set forth a vesting schedule as to a specific number of shares and a % is used instead consider adding the following to the end of the vesting schedule to address the potential vesting of fractional shares:

“provided that the number of shares vesting on each date shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number, whilst the number of shares vesting on the final date shall be the remaining unvested balance of the Shares.”

 

 

 

 

On the second anniversary of the Vesting Start Date   an additional __________ Shares
     
On the third anniversary of the Vesting Start Date an additional __________ Shares]

 

The foregoing rights are cumulative and are subject to the other terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan.

 

The Company and the Participant acknowledge receipt of this Stock Option Grant Notice and agree to the terms of the Stock Option Agreement attached hereto and incorporated by reference herein, the Company’s 2011 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan and the terms of this Option Grant as set forth above.

 

  SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

By:  
Name:  
Title:  

 

 

   
  Participant

 

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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT - INCORPORATED TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

AGREEMENT made as of the date of grant set forth in the Stock Option Grant Notice by and between Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, and the individual whose name appears on the Stock Option Grant Notice (the “Participant”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to grant to the Participant an Option to purchase shares of its common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Shares”), under and for the purposes set forth in the Company’s 2011 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”);

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Participant understand and agree that any terms used and not defined herein have the same meanings as in the Plan; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Participant each intend that the Option granted herein shall be of the type set forth in the Stock Option Grant Notice.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth and for other good and valuable consideration, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.             GRANT OF OPTION.

 

The Company hereby grants to the Participant the right and option to purchase all or any part of an aggregate of the number of Shares set forth in the Stock Option Grant Notice, on the terms and conditions and subject to all the limitations set forth herein, under United States securities and tax laws, and in the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Participant acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan.

 

2.             EXERCISE PRICE.

 

The exercise price of the Shares covered by the Option shall be the amount per Share set forth in the Stock Option Grant Notice, subject to adjustment, as provided in the Plan, in the event of a stock split, reverse stock split or other events affecting the holders of Shares after the date hereof (the “Exercise Price”). Payment shall be made in accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Plan.

 

3.             EXERCISABILITY OF OPTION.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, the Option granted hereby shall become vested and exercisable as set forth in the Stock Option Grant Notice and is subject to the other terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan.

 

 

 

 

4.             TERM OF OPTION.

 

This Option shall terminate on the Option Expiration Date as specified in the Stock Option Grant Notice and, if this Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as an ISO and the Participant owns as of the date hereof more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of capital stock of the Company or an Affiliate, such date may not be more than five years from the date of this Agreement, but shall be subject to earlier termination as provided herein or in the Plan.

 

If the Participant ceases to be an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate for any reason other than the death or Disability of the Participant, or termination of the Participant for Cause (the “Termination Date”), the Option to the extent then vested and exercisable pursuant to Section 3 hereof as of the Termination Date, and not previously terminated in accordance with this Agreement, may be exercised within three months after the Termination Date, or on or prior to the Option Expiration Date as specified in the Stock Option Grant Notice, whichever is earlier, but may not be exercised thereafter except as set forth below. In such event, the unvested portion of the Option shall not be exercisable and shall expire and be cancelled on the Termination Date.

 

If this Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as an ISO and the Participant ceases to be an Employee of the Company or of an Affiliate but continues after termination of employment to provide service to the Company or an Affiliate as a director or Consultant, this Option shall continue to vest in accordance with Section 3 above as if this Option had not terminated until the Participant is no longer providing services to the Company. In such case, this Option shall automatically convert and be deemed a Non-Qualified Option as of the date that is three months from termination of the Participant's employment and this Option shall continue on the same terms and conditions set forth herein until such Participant is no longer providing service to the Company or an Affiliate.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of the Participant’s Disability or death within three months after the Termination Date, the Participant or the Participant’s Survivors may exercise the Option within one year after the Termination Date, but in no event after the Option Expiration Date as specified in the Stock Option Grant Notice.

 

In the event the Participant’s service is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate for Cause, the Participant’s right to exercise any unexercised portion of this Option even if vested shall cease immediately as of the time the Participant is notified his or her service is terminated for Cause, and this Option shall thereupon terminate. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if subsequent to the Participant’s termination, but prior to the exercise of the Option, the Administrator determines that, either prior or subsequent to the Participant’s termination, the Participant engaged in conduct which would constitute Cause, then the Participant shall immediately cease to have any right to exercise the Option and this Option shall thereupon terminate.

 

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In the event of the Disability of the Participant, as determined in accordance with the Plan, the Option shall be exercisable within one year after the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability or, if earlier, on or prior to the Option Expiration Date as specified in the Stock Option Grant Notice. In such event, the Option shall be exercisable:

 

(a) to the extent that the Option has become exercisable but has not been exercised as of the date of the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability; and

 

(b) in the event rights to exercise the Option accrue periodically, to the extent of a pro rata portion through the date of the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability of any additional vesting rights that would have accrued on the next vesting date had the Participant not become Disabled. The proration shall be based upon the number of days accrued in the current vesting period prior to the date of the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability.

 

In the event of the death of the Participant while an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate, the Option shall be exercisable by the Participant’s Survivors within one year after the date of death of the Participant or, if earlier, on or prior to the Option Expiration Date as specified in the Stock Option Grant Notice. In such event, the Option shall be exercisable:

 

(x) to the extent that the Option has become exercisable but has not been exercised as of the date of death; and

 

(y) in the event rights to exercise the Option accrue periodically, to the extent of a pro rata portion through the date of death of any additional vesting rights that would have accrued on the next vesting date had the Participant not died. The proration shall be based upon the number of days accrued in the current vesting period prior to the Participant’s date of death.

 

5.             METHOD OF EXERCISING OPTION.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Option may be exercised by written notice to the Company or its designee, in substantially the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (or in such other form acceptable to the Company, which may include electronic notice). Such notice shall state the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised and shall be signed by the person exercising the Option (which signature may be provided electronically in a form acceptable to the Company). Payment of the Exercise Price for such Shares shall be made in accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Plan. The Company shall deliver such Shares as soon as practicable after the notice shall be received, provided, however, that the Company may delay issuance of such Shares until completion of any action or obtaining of any consent, which the Company deems necessary under any applicable law (including, without limitation, state securities or “blue sky” laws). The Shares as to which the Option shall have been so exercised shall be registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the person so exercising the Option (or, if the Option shall be exercised by the Participant and if the Participant shall so request in the notice exercising the Option, shall be registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Participant and another person jointly, with right of survivorship) and shall be delivered as provided above to or upon the written order of the person exercising the Option. In the event the Option shall be exercised, pursuant to Section 4 hereof, by any person other than the Participant, such notice shall be accompanied by appropriate proof of the right of such person to exercise the Option. All Shares that shall be purchased upon the exercise of the Option as provided herein shall be fully paid and nonassessable.

 

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6. PARTIAL EXERCISE.

 

Exercise of this Option to the extent above stated may be made in part at any time and from time to time within the above limits, except that no fractional share shall be issued pursuant to this Option.

 

7. NON-ASSIGNABILITY.

 

The Option shall not be transferable by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. For California Participants, the Option shall not be transferable other than by will, by the laws of descent and distribution, to a revocable trust or as permitted by Rule 701 of the Securities Act of 1933. If this Option is a Non-Qualified Option then it may also be transferred pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order as defined by the Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act or the rules thereunder. Except as provided above in this paragraph, the Option shall be exercisable, during the Participant’s lifetime, only by the Participant (or, in the event of legal incapacity or incompetency, by the Participant’s guardian or representative) and shall not be assigned, pledged or hypothecated in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise) and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process. Any attempted transfer, assignment, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition of the Option or of any rights granted hereunder contrary to the provisions of this Section 7, or the levy of any attachment or similar process upon the Option shall be null and void.

 

8. NO RIGHTS AS STOCKHOLDER UNTIL EXERCISE.

 

The Participant shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to this Agreement until registration of the Shares in the Company’s share register in the name of the Participant. Except as is expressly provided in the Plan with respect to certain changes in the capitalization of the Company, no adjustment shall be made for dividends or similar rights for which the record date is prior to the date of such registration.

 

9. ADJUSTMENTS.

 

The Plan contains provisions covering the treatment of Options in a number of contingencies such as stock splits and mergers. Provisions in the Plan for adjustment with respect to stock subject to Options and the related provisions with respect to successors to the business of the Company are hereby made applicable hereunder and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

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10. TAXES.

 

The Participant acknowledges and agrees that (i) any income or other taxes due from the Participant with respect to this Option or the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Option shall be the Participant’s responsibility; (ii) the Participant was free to use professional advisors of his or her choice in connection with this Agreement, has received advice from his or her professional advisors in connection with this Agreement, understands its meaning and import, and is entering into this Agreement freely and without coercion or duress; (iii) the Participant has not received and is not relying upon any advice, representations or assurances made by or on behalf of the Company or any Affiliate or any Employee of or counsel to the Company or any Affiliate regarding any tax or other effects or implications of the Option, the Shares or other matters contemplated by this Agreement and (iv) neither the Administrator, the Company, its Affiliates, nor any of its officers or directors, shall be held liable for any applicable costs, taxes, or penalties associated with the Option if, in fact, the Internal Revenue Service were to determine that the Option constitutes deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code.

 

If this Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as a Non-Qualified Option or if the Option is an ISO and is converted into a Non-Qualified Option and such Non-Qualified Option is exercised, the Participant agrees that the Company may withhold from the Participant’s remuneration, if any, the minimum statutory amount of federal, state and local withholding taxes attributable to such amount that is considered compensation includable in such person’s gross income. At the Company’s discretion, the amount required to be withheld may be withheld in cash from such remuneration, or in kind from the Shares otherwise deliverable to the Participant on exercise of the Option. The Participant further agrees that, if the Company does not withhold an amount from the Participant’s remuneration sufficient to satisfy the Company’s income tax withholding obligation, the Participant will reimburse the Company on demand, in cash, for the amount under-withheld.

 

11. PURCHASE FOR INVESTMENT.

 

Unless the offering and sale of the Shares to be issued upon the particular exercise of the Option shall have been effectively registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as now in force or hereafter amended (the “1933 Act”), the Company shall be under no obligation to issue the Shares covered by such exercise unless the Company has determined that such exercise and issuance would be exempt from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and until the following conditions have been fulfilled:

 

(a) The person(s) who exercise the Option shall warrant to the Company, at the time of such exercise, that such person(s) are acquiring such Shares for their own respective accounts, for investment, and not with a view to, or for sale in connection with, the distribution of any such Shares, in which event the person(s) acquiring such Shares shall be bound by the provisions of the following legend which shall be endorsed upon any certificate(s) evidencing the Shares issued pursuant to such exercise:

 

“The shares represented by this certificate have been taken for investment and they may not be sold or otherwise transferred by any person, including a pledgee, unless (1) either (a) a Registration Statement with respect to such shares shall be effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (b) the Company shall have received an opinion of counsel satisfactory to it that an exemption from registration under such Act is then available, and (2) there shall have been compliance with all applicable state securities laws;” and

 

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(b)            If the Company so requires, the Company shall have received an opinion of its counsel that the Shares may be issued upon such particular exercise in compliance with the 1933 Act without registration thereunder. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company may delay issuance of the Shares until completion of any action or obtaining of any consent, which the Company deems necessary under any applicable law (including without limitation state securities or “blue sky” laws).

 

12. RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF SHARES.

 

12.1         The Shares acquired by the Participant pursuant to the exercise of the Option granted hereby shall not be transferred by the Participant except as permitted herein and, if the Participant becomes a party thereto, as set forth in the Right of First Refusal and Co-Sale Agreement, by and among the Company, the Investors and the Key Holders (each as defined therein) dated November 8, 2011, as may be amended from time to time (the “Co-Sale Agreement”). If the Participant becomes a party to the Co-Sale Agreement by executing a signature page thereto and the terms of this Agreement and the Co-Sale Agreement conflict, the terms contained in the Co-Sale Agreement shall govern and supersede any conflicting provision contained in this Section 12.

 

12.2         In the event of the Participant’s termination of service for any reason, the Company shall have the option, but not the obligation, to repurchase all or any part of the Shares issued pursuant to this Agreement (including, without limitation, Shares purchased after termination of service, Disability or death in accordance with Section 4 hereof). In the event the Company does not, upon the termination of service of the Participant (as described above), exercise its option pursuant to this Section 12.2, the restrictions set forth in the balance of this Agreement shall not thereby lapse, and the Participant for himself or herself, his or her heirs, legatees, executors, administrators and other successors in interest, agrees that the Shares shall remain subject to such restrictions. The following provisions shall apply to a repurchase under this Section 12.2:

 

(i) The per share repurchase price of the Shares to be sold to the Company upon exercise of its option under this Section 12.2 shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of each such Share determined in accordance with the Plan as of the date of repurchase provided, however, in the event of a termination by the Company for Cause, the per share repurchase price of the Shares to be sold to the Company upon exercise of its option under this Section 12.2 shall be equal to the lesser of the Exercise Price and the Fair Market Value on the date of the repurchase.

 

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(ii) The Company’s option to repurchase the Participant’s Shares in the event of termination of service shall be valid for a period of 12 months commencing with the date of such termination of service.

 

(iii) In the event the Company shall be entitled to and shall elect to exercise its option to repurchase the Participant’s Shares under this Section 12.2, the Company shall notify the Participant, or in case of death, his or her Survivor, in writing of its intent to repurchase the Shares. Such written notice may be mailed by the Company up to and including the last day of the time period provided for in Section 12.2(ii) for exercise of the Company’s option to repurchase.

 

(iv) The written notice to the Participant shall specify the address at, and the time and date on, which payment of the repurchase price is to be made (the “Closing”). The date specified shall not be less than ten days nor more than 60 days from the date of the mailing of the notice, and the Participant or his or her successor in interest with respect to the Shares shall have no further rights as the owner thereof from and after the date specified in the notice. At the Closing, the repurchase price shall be delivered to the Participant or his or her successor in interest and the Shares being purchased, duly endorsed for transfer, shall, to the extent that they are not then in the possession of the Company, be delivered to the Company by the Participant or his or her successor in interest.

 

12.3         As a condition precedent to the exercise of the Option, the Participant agrees that the Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of the Option may be subject to the Co-Sale Agreement and that certain Voting Agreement, by and among the Company, the Investors and the Key Holders (each as defined therein), dated November 8, 2011, as may be amended from time to time (the “Voting Agreement”) and agrees to sign a counterpart signature page to the Co-Sale Agreement and the Voting Agreement if so requested by the Company. In addition, it shall be a condition precedent to the validity of any sale or other transfer of any Shares by the Participant that the following restrictions be complied with (except as otherwise set forth in this Section 12):

 

(i) No Shares owned by the Participant may be sold, pledged or otherwise transferred (including by gift or devise) to any person or entity, voluntarily, or by operation of law, except in accordance with the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

 

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(ii) Before selling or otherwise transferring all or part of the Shares, the Participant shall give written notice of such intention to the Company, which notice shall include the name of the proposed transferee, the proposed purchase price per share, the terms of payment of such purchase price and all other matters relating to such sale or transfer and shall be accompanied by a copy of the binding written agreement of the proposed transferee to purchase the Shares of the Participant. Such notice shall constitute a binding offer by the Participant to sell to the Company such number of the Shares then held by the Participant as are proposed to be sold in the notice at the monetary price per share designated in such notice, payable on the terms offered to the Participant by the proposed transferee (provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to meet any non-monetary terms of the proposed transfer, including, without limitation, delivery of other securities in exchange for the Shares proposed to be sold). The Company shall give written notice to the Participant as to whether such offer has been accepted in whole by the Company within 60 days after its receipt of written notice from the Participant. The Company may only accept such offer in whole and may not accept such offer in part. Such acceptance notice shall fix a time, location and date for the Closing on such purchase (“Closing Date”) which shall not be less than ten nor more than sixty days after the giving of the acceptance notice, provided, however, if any of the Shares to be sold pursuant to this Section 12.3 have been held by the Participant for less than six months, then the Closing Date may be extended by the Company until no more than ten days after such Shares have been held by the Participant for six months if required under applicable accounting rules in effect at the time. The place for such Closing shall be at the Company’s principal office. At such Closing, the Participant shall accept payment as set forth herein and shall deliver to the Company in exchange therefor certificates for the number of Shares stated in the notice accompanied by duly executed instruments of transfer.

 

(iii) If the Company shall fail to accept any such offer, the Participant shall be free to sell all, but not less than all, of the Shares set forth in his or her notice to the designated transferee at the price and terms designated in the Participant’s notice, provided that (i) such sale is consummated within six months after the giving of notice by the Participant to the Company as aforesaid, and (ii) the transferee first agrees in writing to be bound by the provisions of this Section 12 so that such transferee (and all subsequent transferees) shall thereafter only be permitted to sell or transfer the Shares in accordance with the terms hereof. After the expiration of such six months, the provisions of this Section 12.3 shall again apply with respect to any proposed voluntary transfer of the Participant’s Shares.

 

(iv) The restrictions on transfer contained in this Section 12.3 shall not apply to (a) transfers by the Participant to his or her spouse or children or to a trust for the benefit of his or her spouse or children, (b) transfers by the Participant to his or her guardian or conservator, and (c) transfers by the Participant, in the event of his or her death, to his or her executor(s) or administrator(s) or to trustee(s) under his or her will (collectively, “Permitted Transferees”); provided however, that in any such event the Shares so transferred in the hands of each such Permitted Transferee shall remain subject to this Agreement, and each such Permitted Transferee shall so acknowledge in writing as a condition precedent to the effectiveness of such transfer.

 

(v) The provisions of this Section 12.3 may be waived by the Company. Any such waiver may be unconditional or based upon such conditions as the Company may impose.

 

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12.4         In the event that the Participant or his or her successor in interest fails to deliver the Shares to be repurchased by the Company under this Agreement, the Company may elect (a) to establish a segregated account in the amount of the repurchase price, such account to be turned over to the Participant or his or her successor in interest upon delivery of such Shares, and (b) immediately to take such action as is appropriate to transfer record title of such Shares from the Participant to the Company and to treat the Participant and such Shares in all respects as if delivery of such Shares had been made as required by this Agreement. The Participant hereby irrevocably grants the Company a power of attorney which shall be coupled with an interest for the purpose of effectuating the preceding sentence.

 

12.5         If the Company shall pay a stock dividend or declare a stock split on or with respect to any of its Common Stock, or otherwise distribute securities of the Company to the holders of its Common Stock, the number of shares of stock or other securities of the Company issued with respect to the shares then subject to the restrictions contained in this Agreement shall be added to the Shares subject to the Company’s rights to repurchase pursuant to this Agreement. If the Company shall distribute to its stockholders shares of stock of another corporation, the shares of stock of such other corporation, distributed with respect to the Shares then subject to the restrictions contained in this Agreement, shall be added to the Shares subject to the Company’s rights to repurchase pursuant to this Agreement.

 

12.6         If the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company shall be subdivided into a greater number of shares or combined into a smaller number of shares, or in the event of a reclassification of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, or if the Company shall be a party to a merger, consolidation or capital reorganization, there shall be substituted for the Shares then subject to the restrictions contained in this Agreement such amount and kind of securities as are issued in such subdivision, combination, reclassification, merger, consolidation or capital reorganization in respect of the Shares subject immediately prior thereto to the Company’s rights to repurchase pursuant to this Agreement.

 

12.7         The Company shall not be required to transfer any Shares on its books which shall have been sold, assigned or otherwise transferred in violation of this Agreement, or to treat as owner of such Shares, or to accord the right to vote as such owner or to pay dividends to, any person or organization to which any such Shares shall have been so sold, assigned or otherwise transferred, in violation of this Agreement.

 

12.8         The provisions of Sections 12.1, 12.2 and 12.3 shall terminate upon the effective date of the registration of the Shares pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

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12.9         The Participant agrees that in the event the Company proposes to offer for sale to the public any of its equity securities and such Participant is requested by the Company and any underwriter engaged by the Company in connection with such offering to sign an agreement restricting the sale or other transfer of Shares, then it will promptly sign such agreement and will not transfer, whether in privately negotiated transactions or to the public in open market transactions or otherwise, any Shares or other securities of the Company held by him or her during such period as is determined by the Company and the underwriters, not to exceed 180 days following the closing of the offering, plus such additional period of time as may be required to comply with NASD Rule 2711 or similar rules thereto (such period, the “Lock-Up Period”). Such agreement shall be in writing and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company and such underwriter and pursuant to customary and prevailing terms and conditions. Notwithstanding whether the Participant has signed such an agreement, the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Shares or other securities of the Company subject to the foregoing restrictions until the end of the Lock-Up Period.

 

12.10       The Participant acknowledges and agrees that neither the Company, its shareholders nor its directors and officers, has any duty or obligation to disclose to the Participant any material information regarding the business of the Company or affecting the value of the Shares before, at the time of, or following a termination of the service of the Participant by the Company, including, without limitation, any information concerning plans for the Company to make a public offering of its securities or to be acquired by or merged with or into another firm or entity.

 

12.11       All certificates representing the Shares to be issued to the Participant pursuant to this Agreement shall have endorsed thereon a legend substantially as follows: “The shares represented by this certificate are subject to restrictions set forth in a Stock Option Agreement dated _________, 201__ with this Company, a copy of which Agreement is available for inspection at the offices of the Company or will be made available upon request.”

 

13. NO OBLIGATION TO MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIP.

 

The Participant acknowledges that: (i) the Company is not by the Plan or this Option obligated to continue the Participant as an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or an Affiliate; (ii) the Plan is discretionary in nature and may be suspended or terminated by the Company at any time; (iii) the grant of the Option is a one-time benefit which does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options, or benefits in lieu of options; (iv) all determinations with respect to any such future grants, including, but not limited to, the times when options shall be granted, the number of shares subject to each option, the option price, and the time or times when each option shall be exercisable, will be at the sole discretion of the Company; (v) the Participant’s participation in the Plan is voluntary; (vi) the value of the Option is an extraordinary item of compensation which is outside the scope of the Participant’s employment or consulting contract, if any; and (vii) the Option is not part of normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, resignation, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments.

 

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14. IF OPTION IS INTENDED TO BE AN ISO.

 

If this Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as an ISO so that the Participant (or the Participant’s Survivors) may qualify for the favorable tax treatment provided to holders of Options that meet the standards of Section 422 of the Code then any provision of this Agreement or the Plan which conflicts with the Code so that this Option would not be deemed an ISO is null and void and any ambiguities shall be resolved so that the Option qualifies as an ISO. The Participant should consult with the Participant’s own tax advisors regarding the tax effects of the Option and the requirements necessary to obtain favorable tax treatment under Section 422 of the Code, including, but not limited to, holding period requirements.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as an ISO and is not deemed to be an ISO pursuant to Section 422(d) of the Code because the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the Date of Option Grant) of any of the Shares with respect to which this ISO is granted becomes exercisable for the first time during any calendar year in excess of $100,000, the portion of the Option representing such excess value shall be treated as a Non-Qualified Option and the Participant shall be deemed to have taxable income measured by the difference between the then Fair Market Value of the Shares received upon exercise and the price paid for such Shares pursuant to this Agreement.

 

Neither the Company nor any Affiliate shall have any liability to the Participant, or any other party, if the Option (or any part thereof) that is intended to be an ISO is not an ISO or for any action taken by the Administrator, including without limitation the conversion of an ISO to a Non-Qualified Option.

 

15. NOTICE TO COMPANY OF DISQUALIFYING DISPOSITION OF AN ISO.

 

If this Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as an ISO then the Participant agrees to notify the Company in writing immediately after the Participant makes a Disqualifying Disposition of any of the Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of the ISO. A Disqualifying Disposition is defined in Section 424(c) of the Code and includes any disposition (including any sale) of such Shares before the later of (a) two years after the date the Participant was granted the ISO or (b) one year after the date the Participant acquired Shares by exercising the ISO, except as otherwise provided in Section 424(c) of the Code. If the Participant has died before the Shares are sold, these holding period requirements do not apply and no Disqualifying Disposition can occur thereafter.

 

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16. NOTICES.

 

Any notices required or permitted by the terms of this Agreement or the Plan shall be given by recognized courier service, facsimile, registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed as follows:

 

If to the Company:

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc.

417 Wakara Way, Suite 3510

Salt Lake City, UT 84108

 

Attention: Chief Financial Officer

 

If to the Participant at the address set forth on the Stock Option Grant Notice or to such other address or addresses of which notice in the same manner has previously been given. Any such notice shall be deemed to have been given upon the earlier of receipt, one business day following delivery to a recognized courier service or three business days following mailing by registered or certified mail.

 

17. GOVERNING LAW.

 

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles thereof. For the purpose of litigating any dispute that arises under this Agreement, the parties hereby consent to exclusive jurisdiction in Utah and agree that such litigation shall be conducted in the state courts of Salt Lake City, Utah or the federal courts of the United States for the District of Utah.

 

18. BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT.

 

Subject to the provisions of the Plan and the other provisions hereof, this Agreement shall be for the benefit of and shall be binding upon the heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

19. ENTIRE AGREEMENT.

 

This Agreement, together with the Plan, embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. No statement, representation, warranty, covenant or agreement not expressly set forth in this Agreement shall affect or be used to interpret, change or restrict, the express terms and provisions of this Agreement, provided, however, in any event, this Agreement shall be subject to and governed by the Plan.

 

20. MODIFICATIONS AND AMENDMENTS.

 

The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be modified or amended as provided in the Plan.

 

21. WAIVERS AND CONSENTS.

 

Except as provided in the Plan, the terms and provisions of this Agreement may be waived, or consent for the departure therefrom granted, only by written document executed by the party entitled to the benefits of such terms or provisions. No such waiver or consent shall be deemed to be or shall constitute a waiver or consent with respect to any other terms or provisions of this Agreement, whether or not similar. Each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which it was given, and shall not constitute a continuing waiver or consent.

 

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22. DATA PRIVACY.

 

By entering into this Agreement, the Participant: (i) authorizes the Company and each Affiliate, and any agent of the Company or any Affiliate administering the Plan or providing Plan recordkeeping services, to disclose to the Company or any of its Affiliates such information and data as the Company or any such Affiliate shall request in order to facilitate the grant of options and the administration of the Plan; and (ii) authorizes the Company and each Affiliate to store and transmit such information in electronic form for the purposes set forth in this Agreement.

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

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Exhibit A

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE OF STOCK OPTION

 

[Form for Unregistered Shares]

 

To:       Sera Prognostics, Inc.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

I hereby exercise my Stock Option to purchase __________ shares (the “Shares”) of the common stock, $0.0001 par value, of Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”), at the exercise price of $_____ per share, pursuant to and subject to the terms of that certain Stock Option Agreement between the undersigned and the Company dated ________, 201_.

 

I am aware that the Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), or any state securities laws. I understand that the reliance by the Company on exemptions under the 1933 Act is predicated in part upon the truth and accuracy of the statements by me in this Notice of Exercise.

 

I hereby represent and warrant that (1) I have been furnished with all information which I deem necessary to evaluate the merits and risks of the purchase of the Shares; (2) I have had the opportunity to ask questions concerning the Shares and the Company and all questions posed have been answered to my satisfaction; (3) I have been given the opportunity to obtain any additional information I deem necessary to verify the accuracy of any information obtained concerning the Shares and the Company; and (4) I have such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that I am able to evaluate the merits and risks of purchasing the Shares and to make an informed investment decision relating thereto.

 

I hereby represent and warrant that I am purchasing the Shares for my own personal account for investment and not with a view to the sale or distribution of all or any part of the Shares.

 

I understand that because the Shares have not been registered under the 1933 Act, I must continue to bear the economic risk of the investment for an indefinite time and the Shares cannot be sold unless the Shares are subsequently registered under applicable federal and state securities laws or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

 

I agree that I will in no event sell or distribute or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Shares unless (1) there is an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws covering any such transaction involving the Shares or (2) the Company receives an opinion of my legal counsel (concurred in by legal counsel for the Company) stating that such transaction is exempt from registration or the Company otherwise satisfies itself that such transaction is exempt from registration.

 

Exhibit A-1

 

 

I consent to the placing of a legend on my certificate for the Shares stating that the Shares have not been registered and setting forth the restriction on transfer contemplated hereby and to the placing of a stop transfer order on the books of the Company and with any transfer agents against the Shares until the Shares may be legally resold or distributed without restriction.

 

I understand that at the present time Rule 144 of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) may not be relied on for the resale or distribution of the Shares by me. I understand that the Company has no obligation to me to register the sale of the Shares with the SEC and has not represented to me that it will register the sale of the Shares.

 

I understand the terms and restrictions on the right to dispose of the Shares set forth in the 2011 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan and the Stock Option Agreement, both of which I have carefully reviewed. I consent to the placing of a legend on my certificate for the Shares referring to such restriction and the placing of stop transfer orders until the Shares may be transferred in accordance with the terms of such restrictions.

 

I understand and agree that the Shares may be subject to that certain Voting Agreement, by and among the Company, the Investors and the Key Holders (each as defined therein), dated November 8, 2011, as may be amended from time to time (the “Voting Agreement”) and that certain Right of First Refusal and Co-Sale Agreement, by and among the Company, the Investors and the Key Holders (each as defined therein) dated November 8, 2011, as may be amended from time to time (the “Co-Sale Agreement”), and if I am not already a party to the Voting Agreement and or the Co-Sale Agreement and if the Company so requests, I agree to become a party to such agreements by execution of the counterpart signature pages enclosed herewith. I acknowledge that I have read and understand the Voting Agreement and the Co-Sale Agreement which sets forth certain restrictions and limitations on the Shares, including the ability to transfer or sell them in the future. I further acknowledge and agree that to the extent the terms of Section 12 of the Option Agreement conflict with the Co-Sale Agreement, the terms contained in the Co-Sale Agreement shall govern.

 

I have considered the Federal, state and local income tax implications of the exercise of my Option and the purchase and subsequent sale of the Shares.

 

I am paying the option exercise price for the Shares as follows:

 

     

 

Please issue the Shares (check one):

 

¨ to me; or

 

¨ to me and ________________, as joint tenants with right of survivorship

 

and mail the certificate to me at the following address:

 

   
   
   

 

Exhibit A-2

 

 

My mailing address for shareholder communications, if different from the address listed above is:

 

 

   
   
   

 

 

  Very truly yours,

 

  Participant (signature)

 

  Print Name

 

  Date

 

  Social Security Number

 

Exhibit A-3

 

 

Exhibit B

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE OF STOCK OPTION

 

[Form for Shares Registered in the United States]

 

To:       Sera Prognostics, Inc.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This form of Notice of Exercise may only be used at such time as the Company has filed a Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission under which the issuance of the Shares for which this exercise is being made is registered and such Registration Statement remains effective.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

I hereby exercise my Stock Option to purchase _________ shares (the “Shares”) of the common stock, $0.0001 par value, of Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”), at the exercise price of $________ per share, pursuant to and subject to the terms of that Stock Option Grant Notice dated _______________, 201_.

 

I understand the nature of the investment I am making and the financial risks thereof. I am aware that it is my responsibility to have consulted with competent tax and legal advisors about the relevant national, state and local income tax and securities laws affecting the exercise of the Option and the purchase and subsequent sale of the Shares.

 

I am paying the option exercise price for the Shares as follows:

 

     

 

Please issue the Shares (check one):

 

¨ to me; or

 

¨ to me and ____________________________, as joint tenants with right of survivorship,

 

at the following address:

 

     
     
     

 

Exhibit B-1

 

 

My mailing address for shareholder communications, if different from the address listed above, is:

 

     
     
     

 

 

  Very truly yours,

 

               Participant (signature)

 

               Print Name

 

               Date

 

               Social Security Number

 

Exhibit B-2

 

 

Exhibit 10.3

 

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

2021 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1.                  DEFINITIONS. Unless otherwise specified or unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms, as used in this Sera Prognostics, Inc. 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, have the following meanings:

 

Administrator” means the Board of Directors, unless it has delegated power to act on its behalf to the Committee, in which case the term “Administrator” means the Committee.

 

Affiliate” means a corporation or other entity, which, for purposes of Section 424 of the Code, is a parent or subsidiary of the Company, direct or indirect.

 

Agreement” means a written or electronic document setting forth the terms of a Stock Right delivered pursuant to the Plan, in such form as the Administrator shall approve.

 

Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

Cause” means, with respect to a Participant (a) dishonesty with respect to the Company or any Affiliate, (b) insubordination, substantial malfeasance or non-feasance of duty, (c) unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, (d) breach by a Participant of any provision of any employment, consulting, advisory, nondisclosure, non-competition or similar agreement between the Participant and the Company or any Affiliate, and (e) conduct substantially prejudicial to the business of the Company or any Affiliate; provided, however, that any provision in an agreement between a Participant and the Company or an Affiliate, which contains a conflicting definition of Cause for termination and which is in effect at the time of such termination, shall supersede this definition with respect to that Participant. The determination of the Administrator as to the existence of Cause will be conclusive on the Participant and the Company.

 

Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended including any successor statute, regulation and guidance thereto.

 

Committee” means the committee of the Board of Directors, if any, to which the Board of Directors has delegated power to act under or pursuant to the provisions of the Plan.

 

Common Stock” means shares of the Company’s class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share.

 

Company” means Sera Prognostics, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

 

Consultant” means any natural person who is an advisor or consultant who provides bona fide services to the Company or its Affiliates, provided that such services are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital raising transaction, and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s or its Affiliates’ securities.

 

 

 

 

Corporate Transaction” means a merger, consolidation, or sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or the acquisition of all of the outstanding voting stock of the Company in a single transaction or a series of related transactions by a single entity other than a transaction in which the Company is the surviving corporation. Where a Corporate Transaction involves a tender offer that is reasonably expected to be followed by a merger (as determined by the Administrator), the Corporate Transaction will be deemed to have occurred upon consummation of the tender offer

 

Disability” or “Disabled” means permanent and total disability as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code.

 

Employee” means any employee of the Company or of an Affiliate (including, without limitation, an employee who is also serving as an officer or director of the Company or of an Affiliate), designated by the Administrator to be eligible to be granted one or more Stock Rights under the Plan.

 

Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Fair Market Value” of a Share of Common Stock means:

 

If the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange or traded in the over-the-counter market and sales prices are regularly reported for the Common Stock, the closing or, if not applicable, the last price of the Common Stock on the composite tape or other comparable reporting system for the trading day on the applicable date and if such applicable date is not a trading day, the last market trading day prior to such date;

 

If the Common Stock is not traded on a national securities exchange but is traded on the over-the-counter market, if sales prices are not regularly reported for the Common Stock for the trading day referred to in clause (1), and if bid and asked prices for the Common Stock are regularly reported, the mean between the bid and the asked price for the Common Stock at the close of trading in the over-the-counter market for the most recent trading day on which Common Stock was traded on the applicable date and if such applicable date is not a trading day, the last market trading day prior to such date; and

 

If the Common Stock is neither listed on a national securities exchange nor traded in the over-the-counter market, such value as the Administrator, in good faith, shall determine in compliance with applicable laws.

 

ISO” means a stock option intended to qualify as an incentive stock option under Section 422.

 

Non-Qualified Option” means a stock option which is not intended to qualify as an ISO.

 

Option” means an ISO or Non-Qualified Option granted under the Plan.

 

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Participant” means an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or an Affiliate to whom one or more Stock Rights are granted under the Plan. As used herein, “Participant” shall include “Participant’s Survivors” where the context requires.

 

Performance-Based Award” means a Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award which vests based on the attainment of written Performance Goals as set forth in Paragraph 9 hereof.

 

Performance Goals” means performance goals determined by the Committee in its sole discretion and set forth in an Agreement. The satisfaction of Performance Goals shall be subject to certification by the Committee. The Committee has the authority to take appropriate action with respect to the Performance Goals (including, without limitation, making adjustments to the Performance Goals or determining the satisfaction of the Performance Goals in connection with a Corporate Transaction) provided that any such action does not otherwise violate the terms of the Plan.

 

Plan” means this Sera Prognostics, Inc. 2021 Equity Incentive Plan.

 

SAR” means a stock appreciation right.

 

Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code.

 

Section 422” means Section 422 of the Code.

 

Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Shares” means shares of the Common Stock as to which Stock Rights have been or may be granted under the Plan or any shares of capital stock into which the Shares are changed or for which they are exchanged within the provisions of Paragraph 3 of the Plan. The Shares issued under the Plan may be authorized and unissued shares or shares held by the Company in its treasury, or both.

 

Stock-Based Award” means a grant by the Company under the Plan of an equity award or an equity based award, which is not an Option or a Stock Grant.

 

Stock Grant” means a grant by the Company of Shares under the Plan.

 

Stock Right” means an ISO, a Non-Qualified Option, a Stock Grant or a Stock-Based Award or a right to Shares or the value of Shares of the Company granted pursuant to the Plan.

 

Substitute Award” means an award issued under the Plan in substitution for one or more equity awards of an acquired company that are converted, replaced or adjusted in connection with the acquisition.

 

Survivor” means a deceased Participant’s legal representatives and/or any person or persons who acquired the Participant’s rights to a Stock Right by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.

 

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2.                  PURPOSES OF THE PLAN. The Plan is intended to encourage ownership of Shares by Employees and directors of and certain Consultants to the Company and its Affiliates in order to attract and retain such people, to induce them to work for the benefit of the Company or of an Affiliate and to provide additional incentive for them to promote the success of the Company or of an Affiliate. The Plan provides for the granting of ISOs, Non-Qualified Options, Stock Grants and Stock-Based Awards.

 

3.                  SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN.

 

(a)                The number of Shares which may be issued from time to time pursuant to this Plan shall be the sum of: (i) 3,966,162 shares of Common Stock and (ii) any shares of Common Stock that are attributable to awards granted under the Company’s 2011 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan that are forfeited, expire or are cancelled without delivery of shares of Common Stock or which result in the forfeiture of shares of Common Stock back to the Company on or after July 7, 2021, or the equivalent of such number of Shares after the Administrator, in its sole discretion, has interpreted the effect of any stock split, stock dividend, combination, recapitalization or similar transaction in accordance with Paragraph 25 of this Plan, all of which Shares are eligible to be issued as ISOs; provided, however, that no more than 11,828,903 Shares shall be added to the Plan pursuant to subsection (ii).

 

(b)               Notwithstanding Subparagraph (a) above, on the first day of each fiscal year of the Company during the period beginning in fiscal year 2022, and ending on the second day of fiscal year 2031, the number of Shares that may be issued from time to time pursuant to the Plan, shall be increased by an amount equal to the lesser of (i) 4% of the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock on such date and (ii) an amount determined by the Administrator.

 

(c)                If an Option ceases to be “outstanding”, in whole or in part (other than by exercise), or if the Company shall reacquire (at not more than its original issuance price) any Shares issued pursuant to a Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award, or if any Stock Right expires or is forfeited, cancelled, or otherwise terminated or results in any Shares not being issued, the unissued or reacquired Shares which were subject to such Stock Right shall again be available for issuance from time to time pursuant to this Plan; provided, however, that the number of Shares underlying any awards under the Plan that are retained or repurchased on the exercise of an Option or the vesting or issuance of any Stock Right to cover the exercise price and/or tax withholding required by the Company in connection with vesting shall not be added back to the Shares available for issuance under the Plan; and provided, further that, in the case of ISOs, the foregoing provisions shall be subject to any limitations under the Code. In addition, any Shares repurchased using exercise price proceeds will not be available for issuance under the Plan.

 

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(d)               The maximum number of Shares available for grant under the Plan as ISOs will be 80 million shares. The limits set forth in this Paragraph 3 will be construed to comply with the applicable requirements of Section 422.

 

(e)               The Administrator may grant Substitute Awards under the Plan. To the extent consistent with the requirements of Section 422 and the regulations thereunder and other applicable legal requirements (including applicable stock exchange requirements), Shares issued in respect of Substitute Awards will be in addition to and will not reduce the shares available under the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Substitute Award is settled in cash or expires, becomes unexercisable, terminates or is forfeited to or repurchased by the Company without the issuance or retention of Shares, the Shares previously subject to such award will not be available for future issuance under the Plan. The Administrator will determine the extent to which the terms and conditions of the Plan apply to Substitute Awards, if at all; provided, however, that Substitute Awards will not be subject to the limits described in Paragraph 4(c) below.

 

4.                  ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN. The Administrator of the Plan will be the Board of Directors, except to the extent the Board of Directors delegates its authority to the Committee, in which case the Committee shall be the Administrator. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Administrator is authorized to:

 

(a)                Interpret the provisions of the Plan and all Stock Rights and to make all rules and determinations which it deems necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan;

 

(b)                Determine which Employees, directors and Consultants shall be granted Stock Rights;

 

(c)                Determine the number of Shares for which a Stock Right or Stock Rights shall be granted; provided, however, that in no event shall the aggregate grant date fair value (determined in accordance with ASC 718) of Stock Rights to be granted and any other cash compensation paid to any non-employee director in any calendar year, exceed $750,000, increased to $1,000,000 in the year in which such non-employee director initially joins the Board of Directors;

 

(d)               Specify the terms and conditions upon which a Stock Right or Stock Rights may be granted provided that no dividends or dividend equivalents shall be paid on any Stock Right prior to the vesting of the underlying Shares;

 

(e)               Amend any term or condition of any outstanding Stock Right, provided that (i) such term or condition as amended is not prohibited by the Plan; and (ii) any such amendment shall not impair the rights of a Participant under any Stock Right previously granted without such Participant’s consent or in the event of death of the Participant the Participant’s Survivors;

 

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(f)                 Determine and make any adjustments in the Performance Goals included in any Performance-Based Awards; and

 

(g)                Adopt any sub-plans applicable to residents of any specified jurisdiction as it deems necessary or appropriate in order to comply with or take advantage of any tax or other laws applicable to the Company, any Affiliate or to Participants or to otherwise facilitate the administration of the Plan, which sub-plans may include additional restrictions or conditions applicable to Stock Rights or Shares issuable pursuant to a Stock Right;

 

(h)               Subject to the foregoing, the interpretation and construction by the Administrator of any provisions of the Plan or of any Stock Right granted under it shall be final, unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, if the Administrator is the Committee. In addition, if the Administrator is the Committee, the Board of Directors may take any action under the Plan that would otherwise be the responsibility of the Committee.

 

To the extent permitted under applicable law, the Board of Directors or the Committee may allocate all or any portion of its responsibilities and powers to any one or more of its members and may delegate all or any portion of its responsibilities and powers to any other person selected by it. The Board of Directors or the Committee may revoke any such allocation or delegation at any time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, only the Board of Directors or the Committee shall be authorized to grant a Stock Right to any director of the Company or to any “officer” of the Company as defined by Rule 16a-1 under the Exchange Act.

 

5.                  ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION. The Administrator will, in its sole discretion, name the Participants in the Plan; provided, however, that each Participant must be an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate at the time a Stock Right is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may authorize the grant of a Stock Right to a person in anticipation of such person becoming an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate; provided, that the actual grant of such Stock Right shall be conditioned upon such person becoming eligible to become a Participant at or prior to the time of the execution of the Agreement evidencing such Stock Right. ISOs may be granted only to Employees. Non-Qualified Options, Stock Grants and Stock-Based Awards may be granted to any Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or an Affiliate. The granting of any Stock Right to any individual shall neither entitle that individual to, nor disqualify that individual from, participation in any other grant of Stock Rights or any grant under any other benefit plan established by the Company or any Affiliate for Employees, directors or Consultants.

 

6.                  TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPTIONS. Each Option shall be set forth in an Option Agreement, duly executed by the Company and, to the extent required by law or requested by the Company, by the Participant. The Administrator may provide that Options be granted subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the terms and conditions specifically required under this Plan, as the Administrator may deem appropriate including, without limitation, subsequent approval by the shareholders of the Company of this Plan or any amendments thereto. The Option Agreements shall be subject to at least the following terms and conditions:

 

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(a)                Non-Qualified Options: Each Option intended to be a Non-Qualified Option shall be subject to the terms and conditions which the Administrator determines to be appropriate and in the best interest of the Company, subject to the following minimum standards for any such Non-Qualified Option:

 

(i) Exercise Price: Each Option Agreement shall state the exercise price (per share) of the Shares covered by each Option, which exercise price shall be determined by the Administrator and shall be at least equal to the Fair Market Value per share of the Common Stock on the date of grant of the Option.

 

(ii) Number of Shares: Each Option Agreement shall state the number of Shares to which it pertains.

 

(iii) Vesting: Each Option Agreement shall state the date or dates on which it first is exercisable and the date after which it may no longer be exercised, and may provide that the Option rights accrue or become exercisable in installments over a period of months or years, or upon the occurrence of certain performance conditions or the attainment of stated goals or events.

 

(iv) Additional Conditions: Exercise of any Option may be conditioned upon the Participant’s execution of a shareholders agreement in a form satisfactory to the Administrator providing for certain protections for the Company and its other shareholders, including requirements that:

 

(A) The Participant’s or the Participant’s Survivors’ right to sell or transfer the Shares may be restricted; and

 

(B) The Participant or the Participant’s Survivors may be required to execute letters of investment intent and must also acknowledge that the Shares will bear legends noting any applicable restrictions.

 

(v) Term of Option: Each Option shall terminate not more than ten years from the date of the grant or at such earlier time as the Option Agreement may provide.

 

(b)               ISOs: Each Option intended to be an ISO shall be issued only to an Employee who is deemed to be a resident of the United States for tax purposes, and shall be subject to the following terms and conditions, with such additional restrictions or changes as the Administrator determines are appropriate but not in conflict with Section 422 and relevant regulations and rulings of the Internal Revenue Service:

 

(i) Minimum Standards: The ISO shall meet the minimum standards required of Non-Qualified Options, as described in Paragraph 6(a) above, except clause (i) and (v) thereunder.

 

(ii) Exercise Price: Immediately before the ISO is granted, if the Participant owns, directly or by reason of the applicable attribution rules in Section 424(d) of the Code:

 

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(A) 10% or less of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or an Affiliate, the exercise price per share of the Shares covered by each ISO shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Common Stock on the date of grant of the Option; or

 

(B) More than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or an Affiliate, the exercise price per share of the Shares covered by each ISO shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Common Stock on the date of grant of the Option.

 

(iii) Term of Option: For Participants who own:

 

(A) 10% or less of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or an Affiliate, each ISO shall terminate not more than ten years from the date of the grant or at such earlier time as the Option Agreement may provide; or

 

(B) More than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or an Affiliate, each ISO shall terminate not more than five years from the date of the grant or at such earlier time as the Option Agreement may provide.

 

(iv) Limitation on Yearly Exercise: To the extent that aggregate Fair Market Value (determined on the date each ISO is granted) of the Shares with respect to which ISOs are exercisable for the first time by the Participant in any calendar year exceeds $100,000, such Options shall be treated as Non-Qualified Options even if denominated ISOs at grant.

 

(A) Except in connection with a corporate transaction involving the Company (which term includes, without limitation, any stock dividend, stock split, extraordinary cash dividend, recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination or exchange of shares) or as otherwise contemplated by Paragraph 24 below, the Company may not, without obtaining stockholder approval, (i) amend the terms of outstanding Options to reduce the exercise price of such Options, (ii) cancel outstanding Options in exchange for Options that have an exercise price that is less than the exercise price value of the original Options, or (iii) cancel outstanding Options that have an exercise price greater than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of such cancellation in exchange for cash or other consideration.

 

7.                  TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF STOCK GRANTS. Each Stock Grant to a Participant shall state the principal terms in an Agreement duly executed by the Company and, to the extent required by law or requested by the Company, by the Participant. The Agreement shall be in a form approved by the Administrator and shall contain terms and conditions which the Administrator determines to be appropriate and in the best interest of the Company, subject to the following minimum standards:

 

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(a)                Each Agreement shall state the purchase price per share, if any, of the Shares covered by each Stock Grant, which purchase price shall be determined by the Administrator but shall not be less than the minimum consideration required by the Delaware General Corporation Law, on the date of the grant of the Stock Grant;

 

(b)               Each Agreement shall state the number of Shares to which the Stock Grant pertains;

 

(c)                Each Agreement shall include the terms of any right of the Company to restrict or reacquire the Shares subject to the Stock Grant, including the time period or attainment of Performance Goals or such other performance criteria upon which such rights shall accrue and the purchase price therefor, if any; and

 

(d)               Dividends (other than stock dividends to be issued pursuant to Section 25 of the Plan) may accrue but shall not be paid prior to the time, and may be paid only to the extent that the restrictions or rights to reacquire the Shares subject to the Stock Grant lapse. Any entitlement to dividend equivalents or similar entitlements will be established and administered either consistent with an exemption from, or in compliance with the applicable requirements of Section 409A.

 

8.                  TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OTHER STOCK-BASED AWARDS. The Administrator shall have the right to grant other Stock-Based Awards based upon the Common Stock having such terms and conditions as the Administrator may determine, including, without limitation, the grant of Shares based upon certain conditions, the grant of securities convertible into Shares and the grant of SARs, phantom stock awards or stock units. The principal terms of each Stock-Based Award shall be set forth in an Agreement, duly executed by the Company and, to the extent required by law or requested by the Company, by the Participant. The Agreement shall be in a form approved by the Administrator and shall contain terms and conditions which the Administrator determines to be appropriate and in the best interest of the Company. Each Agreement shall include the terms of any right of the Company including the right to terminate the Stock-Based Award without the issuance of Shares, the terms of any vesting conditions, Performance Goals or events upon which Shares shall be issued, provided that dividends (other than stock dividends to be issued pursuant to Section 25 of the Plan) or dividend equivalents may accrue but shall not be paid prior to and may be paid only to the extent that the Shares subject to the Stock-Based Award vest. Under no circumstances may the Agreement covering SARs (a) have an exercise or base price (per share) that is less than the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on the date of grant or (b) expire more than ten years following the date of grant.

 

9.                  PERFORMANCE-BASED AWARDS. The Committee shall determine whether, with respect to a performance period, the applicable Performance Goals have been met with respect to a given Participant and, if they have, to so certify and ascertain the amount of the applicable Performance-Based Award. No Performance-Based Awards will be issued for such performance period until such certification is made by the Committee. The number of Shares issued in respect of a Performance-Based Award determined by the Committee for a performance period shall be paid to the Participant at such time as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion after the end of such performance period, and any dividends (other than stock dividends to be issued pursuant to Section 25 of the Plan) or dividend equivalents that accrue shall only be paid in respect of the number of Shares earned in respect of such Performance-Based Award.

 

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10.              EXERCISE OF OPTIONS AND ISSUE OF SHARES. An Option (or any part or installment thereof) shall be exercised by giving written notice to the Company or its designee (in a form acceptable to the Administrator, which may include electronic notice), together with provision for payment of the aggregate exercise price in accordance with this Paragraph for the Shares as to which the Option is being exercised, and upon compliance with any other condition(s) set forth in the Option Agreement. Such notice shall be signed by the person exercising the Option (which signature may be provided electronically in a form acceptable to the Administrator), shall state the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised and shall contain any representation required by the Plan or the Option Agreement. Payment of the exercise price for the Shares as to which such Option is being exercised shall be made (a) in United States dollars in cash or by check; or (b) at the discretion of the Administrator, through delivery of shares of Common Stock held for at least six months (if required to avoid negative accounting treatment) having a Fair Market Value equal as of the date of the exercise to the aggregate cash exercise price for the number of Shares as to which the Option is being exercised; or (c) at the discretion of the Administrator, by having the Company retain from the Shares otherwise issuable upon exercise of the Option, a number of Shares having a Fair Market Value equal as of the date of exercise to the aggregate exercise price for the number of Shares as to which the Option is being exercised; or (d) at the discretion of the Administrator, in accordance with a cashless exercise program established with a securities brokerage firm, and approved by the Administrator; or (e) at the discretion of the Administrator, by any combination of (a), (b), (c) and (d) above or (f) at the discretion of the Administrator, by payment of such other lawful consideration as the Administrator may determine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator shall accept only such payment on exercise of an ISO as is permitted by Section 422.

 

The Company shall then reasonably promptly deliver the Shares as to which such Option was exercised to the Participant (or to the Participant’s Survivors, as the case may be). In determining what constitutes “reasonably promptly,” it is expressly understood that the issuance and delivery of the Shares may be delayed by the Company if the Administrator determines it is necessary to comply with any law or regulation (including, without limitation, federal securities laws) that requires the Company to take any action with respect to the Shares prior to their issuance. The Shares shall, upon delivery, be fully paid, non-assessable Shares.

 

11.              PAYMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE ISSUANCE OF STOCK GRANTS AND STOCK-BASED AWARDS AND ISSUE OF SHARES. Any Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award requiring payment of a purchase price for the Shares as to which such Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award is being granted shall be made (a) in United States dollars in cash or by check; or (b) at the discretion of the Administrator, through delivery of shares of Common Stock held for at least six months (if required to avoid negative accounting treatment) and having a Fair Market Value equal as of the date of payment to the purchase price of the Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award; or (c) by delivery of a promissory note, if the Board of Directors has expressly authorized the loan of funds to the Participant for the purpose of enabling or assisting the Participant to effect such purchase; (d) at the discretion of the Administrator, by any combination of (a) through (c) above; or (e) at the discretion of the Administrator, by payment of such other lawful consideration as the Administrator may determine.

 

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The Company shall when required by the applicable Agreement, reasonably promptly deliver the Shares as to which such Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award was made to the Participant (or to the Participant’s Survivors, as the case may be), subject to any escrow provision set forth in the applicable Agreement. In determining what constitutes “reasonably promptly,” it is expressly understood that the issuance and delivery of the Shares may be delayed by the Company if the Administrator determines it is necessary to comply with any law or regulation (including, without limitation, federal securities laws) which requires the Company to take any action with respect to the Shares prior to their issuance.

 

12.              RIGHTS AS A SHAREHOLDER. No Participant to whom a Stock Right has been granted shall have rights as a shareholder with respect to any Shares covered by such Stock Right except after due exercise of an Option or issuance of Shares as set forth in any Agreement, tender of the aggregate exercise or purchase price, if any, for the Shares being purchased and registration of the Shares in the Company’s share register in the name of the Participant. In addition, at the discretion of the Administrator, the Company shall have received an opinion of its counsel that the Shares may be issued in compliance with the Securities Act without registration thereunder.

 

13.              ASSIGNABILITY AND TRANSFERABILITY OF STOCK RIGHTS. By its terms, a Stock Right granted to a Participant shall not be transferable by the Participant other than (i) by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, or (ii) as approved by the Administrator in its discretion and set forth in the applicable Agreement provided that no Stock Right may be transferred by a Participant for value. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an ISO transferred except in compliance with clause (i) above shall no longer qualify as an ISO. The designation of a beneficiary of a Stock Right by a Participant, with the prior approval of the Administrator and in such form as the Administrator shall prescribe, shall not be deemed a transfer prohibited by this Paragraph. Except as provided above during the Participant’s lifetime a Stock Right shall only be exercisable by or issued to such Participant (or such Participant’s legal representative) and shall not be assigned, pledged or hypothecated in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise) and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process. Any attempted transfer, assignment, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition of any Stock Right or of any rights granted thereunder contrary to the provisions of this Plan, or the levy of any attachment or similar process upon a Stock Right, shall be null and void.

 

14.              EFFECT ON OPTIONS OF TERMINATION OF SERVICE OTHER THAN FOR CAUSE OR DEATH OR DISABILITY. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Option Agreement, in the event of a termination of service (whether as an Employee, director or Consultant) with the Company or an Affiliate before the Participant has exercised an Option, the following rules apply:

 

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(a)                A Participant who ceases to be an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate (for any reason other than termination for Cause, Disability, or death for which events there are special rules in Paragraphs 15, 16, and 17, respectively), may exercise any Option granted to such Participant to the extent that the Option is exercisable on the date of such termination of service, but only within such term as the Administrator has designated in a Participant’s Option Agreement.

 

(b)               Except as provided in Subparagraph (c) below, or Paragraph 16 or 17, in no event may an Option intended to be an ISO, be exercised later than three months after the Participant’s termination of employment.

 

(c)                The provisions of this Paragraph, and not the provisions of Paragraph 16 or 17, shall apply to a Participant who subsequently becomes Disabled or dies after the termination of employment, director status or consultancy; provided, however, in the case of a Participant’s Disability or death within three months after the termination of employment, director status or consultancy, the Participant or the Participant’s Survivors may exercise the Option within one year after the date of the Participant’s termination of service, but in no event after the date of expiration of the term of the Option.

 

(d)               Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if subsequent to a Participant’s termination of employment, termination of director status or termination of consultancy, but prior to the exercise of an Option, the Administrator determines that, either prior or subsequent to the Participant’s termination, the Participant engaged in conduct which would constitute Cause, then such Participant shall forthwith cease to have any right to exercise any Option.

 

(e)               A Participant to whom an Option has been granted under the Plan who is absent from the Company or an Affiliate because of temporary disability (any disability other than a Disability as defined in Paragraph 1 hereof), or who is on leave of absence for any purpose, shall not, during the period of any such absence, be deemed, by virtue of such absence alone, to have terminated such Participant’s employment, director status or consultancy with the Company or with an Affiliate, except as the Administrator may otherwise expressly provide; provided, however, that, for ISOs, any leave of absence granted by the Administrator of greater than three months, unless pursuant to a contract or statute that guarantees the right to reemployment, shall cause such ISO to become a Non-Qualified Option on the date that is six months following the commencement of such leave of absence.

 

(f)                 Except as required by law or as set forth in a Participant’s Option Agreement, Options granted under the Plan shall not be affected by any change of a Participant’s status within or among the Company and any Affiliates, so long as the Participant continues to be an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or any Affiliate.

 

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15.              EFFECT ON OPTIONS OF TERMINATION OF SERVICE FOR CAUSE. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Option Agreement, the following rules apply if the Participant’s service (whether as an Employee, director or Consultant) with the Company or an Affiliate is terminated for Cause prior to the time that all such Participant’s outstanding Options have been exercised:

 

(a)                All outstanding and unexercised Options as of the time the Participant is notified such Participant’s service is terminated for Cause will immediately be forfeited.

 

(b)               Cause is not limited to events which have occurred prior to a Participant’s termination of service, nor is it necessary that the Administrator’s finding of Cause occur prior to termination. If the Administrator determines, subsequent to a Participant’s termination of service but prior to the exercise of an Option, that either prior or subsequent to the Participant’s termination the Participant engaged in conduct which would constitute Cause, then the right to exercise any Option is forfeited.

 

16.           EFFECT ON OPTIONS OF TERMINATION OF SERVICE FOR DISABILITY. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Option Agreement:

 

(a)                A Participant who ceases to be an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate by reason of Disability may exercise any Option granted to such Participant to the extent that the Option has become exercisable but has not been exercised on the date of the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability; and in the event rights to exercise the Option accrue periodically, to the extent of a pro rata portion through the date of the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability of any additional vesting rights that would have accrued on the next vesting date had the Participant not become Disabled. The proration shall be based upon the number of days accrued in the current vesting period prior to the date of the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability.

 

(b)               A Disabled Participant may exercise the Option only within the period ending one year after the date of the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability, notwithstanding that the Participant might have been able to exercise the Option as to some or all of the Shares on a later date if the Participant had not been terminated due to Disability and had continued to be an Employee, director or Consultant or, if earlier, within the originally prescribed term of the Option.

 

(c)                The Administrator shall make the determination both of whether Disability has occurred and the date of its occurrence (unless a procedure for such determination is set forth in another agreement between the Company and such Participant, in which case such procedure shall be used for such determination). If requested, the Participant shall be examined by a physician selected or approved by the Administrator, the cost of which examination shall be paid for by the Company.

 

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17.           EFFECT ON OPTIONS OF DEATH WHILE AN EMPLOYEE, DIRECTOR OR CONSULTANT. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Option Agreement:

 

(a)                In the event of the death of a Participant while the Participant is an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate, such Option may be exercised by the Participant’s Survivors to the extent that the Option has become exercisable but has not been exercised on the date of death; and in the event rights to exercise the Option accrue periodically, to the extent of a pro rata portion through the date of death of any additional vesting rights that would have accrued on the next vesting date had the Participant not died. The proration shall be based upon the number of days accrued in the current vesting period prior to the Participant’s date of death.

 

(b)               If the Participant’s Survivors wish to exercise the Option, they must take all necessary steps to exercise the Option within one year after the date of death of such Participant, notwithstanding that the decedent might have been able to exercise the Option as to some or all of the Shares on a later date if he or she had not died and had continued to be an Employee, director or Consultant or, if earlier, within the originally prescribed term of the Option.

 

18.           EFFECT OF TERMINATION OF SERVICE ON UNACCEPTED STOCK GRANTS AND STOCK-BASED AWARDS. In the event of a termination of service (whether as an Employee, director or Consultant) with the Company or an Affiliate for any reason before the Participant has accepted a Stock Grant or a Stock-Based Award and paid the purchase price, if required, such grant shall terminate.

 

For purposes of this Paragraph 18 and Paragraph 19 below, a Participant to whom a Stock Grant or a Stock-Based Award has been issued under the Plan who is absent from work with the Company or with an Affiliate because of temporary disability (any disability other than a Disability as defined in Paragraph 1 hereof), or who is on leave of absence for any purpose, shall not, during the period of any such absence, be deemed, by virtue of such absence alone, to have terminated such Participant’s employment, director status or consultancy with the Company or with an Affiliate, except as the Administrator may otherwise expressly provide.

 

In addition, for purposes of this Paragraph 18 and Paragraph 19 below, any change of employment or other service within or among the Company and any Affiliates shall not be treated as a termination of employment, director status or consultancy so long as the Participant continues to be an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or any Affiliate.

 

19.           EFFECT ON STOCK GRANTS AND STOCK-BASED AWARDS OF TERMINATION OF SERVICE OTHER THAN FOR CAUSE, DEATH or DISABILITY. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Agreement, in the event of a termination of service for any reason (whether as an Employee, director or Consultant), other than termination for Cause, death or Disability for which there are special rules in Paragraphs 20, 21, and 22 below, before all forfeiture provisions or Company rights of repurchase shall have lapsed, then the Company shall have the right to cancel or repurchase that number of Shares subject to a Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award as to which the Company’s forfeiture or repurchase rights have not lapsed.

 

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20.           EFFECT ON STOCK GRANTS AND STOCK-BASED AWARDS OF TERMINATION OF SERVICE FOR CAUSE. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Agreement, the following rules apply if the Participant’s service (whether as an Employee, director or Consultant) with the Company or an Affiliate is terminated for Cause:

 

(a)                All Shares subject to any Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award that remain subject to forfeiture provisions or as to which the Company shall have a repurchase right shall be immediately forfeited to the Company as of the time the Participant is notified that such Participant’s service is terminated for Cause.

 

(b)               Cause is not limited to events which have occurred prior to a Participant’s termination of service, nor is it necessary that the Administrator’s finding of Cause occur prior to termination. If the Administrator determines, subsequent to a Participant’s termination of service, that either prior or subsequent to the Participant’s termination the Participant engaged in conduct which would constitute Cause, then all Shares subject to any Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award that remained subject to forfeiture provisions or as to which the Company had a repurchase right on the date of termination shall be immediately forfeited to the Company.

 

21.           EFFECT ON STOCK GRANTS AND STOCK-BASED AWARDS OF TERMINATION OF SERVICE FOR DISABILITY. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Agreement, the following rules apply if a Participant ceases to be an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate by reason of Disability: to the extent the forfeiture provisions or the Company’s rights of repurchase have not lapsed on the date of Disability, they shall be exercisable; provided, however, that in the event such forfeiture provisions or rights of repurchase lapse periodically, such provisions or rights shall lapse to the extent of a pro rata portion of the Shares subject to such Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award through the date of Disability as would have lapsed had the Participant not become Disabled. The proration shall be based upon the number of days accrued prior to the date of Disability.

 

The Administrator shall make the determination both as to whether Disability has occurred and the date of its occurrence (unless a procedure for such determination is set forth in another agreement between the Company and such Participant, in which case such procedure shall be used for such determination). If requested, the Participant shall be examined by a physician selected or approved by the Administrator, the cost of which examination shall be paid for by the Company.

 

22.           EFFECT ON STOCK GRANTS AND STOCK-BASED AWARDS OF DEATH WHILE AN EMPLOYEE, DIRECTOR OR CONSULTANT. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Agreement, the following rules apply in the event of the death of a Participant while the Participant is an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate: to the extent the forfeiture provisions or the Company’s rights of repurchase have not lapsed on the date of death, they shall be exercisable; provided, however, that in the event such forfeiture provisions or rights of repurchase lapse periodically, such provisions or rights shall lapse to the extent of a pro rata portion of the Shares subject to such Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award through the date of death as would have lapsed had the Participant not died. The proration shall be based upon the number of days accrued prior to the Participant’s date of death.

 

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23.           PURCHASE FOR INVESTMENT.

 

(a)                Unless the offering and sale of the Shares shall have been effectively registered under the Securities Act, the Company shall be under no obligation to issue Shares under the Plan unless and until the following conditions have been fulfilled:

 

(b)               The person who receives a Stock Right shall warrant to the Company, prior to the receipt of Shares, that such person is acquiring such Shares for such person’s own account, for investment, and not with a view to, or for sale in connection with, the distribution of any such Shares, in which event the person acquiring such Shares shall be bound by the provisions of the following legend (or a legend in substantially similar form) which shall be endorsed upon the certificate evidencing the Shares issued pursuant to such exercise or such grant of a Stock Right:

 

“The shares represented by this certificate have been taken for investment and they may not be sold or otherwise transferred by any person, including a pledgee, unless (1) either (a) a Registration Statement with respect to such shares shall be effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (b) the Company shall have received an opinion of counsel satisfactory to it that an exemption from registration under such Act is then available, and (2) there shall have been compliance with all applicable state securities laws.”

 

24.           DISSOLUTION OR LIQUIDATION OF THE COMPANY. Upon the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, all Options granted under this Plan which as of such date shall not have been exercised and all Stock Grants and Stock-Based Awards which have not been accepted, to the extent required under the applicable Agreement, will terminate and become null and void; provided, however, that if the rights of a Participant or a Participant’s Survivors have not otherwise terminated and expired, the Participant or the Participant’s Survivors will have the right immediately prior to such dissolution or liquidation to exercise or accept any Stock Right to the extent that the Stock Right is exercisable or subject to acceptance as of the date immediately prior to such dissolution or liquidation. Upon the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, any outstanding Stock-Based Awards shall immediately terminate unless otherwise determined by the Administrator or specifically provided in the applicable Agreement.

 

25.           ADJUSTMENTS. Upon the occurrence of any of the following events, a Participant’s rights with respect to any Stock Right granted to such Participant hereunder shall be adjusted as hereinafter provided, unless otherwise specifically provided in a Participant’s Agreement.

 

(a)                Stock Dividends and Stock Splits.

 

(i) If (1) the shares of Common Stock shall be subdivided or combined into a greater or smaller number of shares or if the Company shall issue any shares of Common Stock as a stock dividend on its outstanding Common Stock, or (2) additional shares or new or different shares or other securities of the Company or other non-cash assets are distributed with respect to such shares of Common Stock, each Stock Right and the number of shares of Common Stock deliverable thereunder shall be appropriately increased or decreased proportionately, and appropriate adjustments shall be made including, in the exercise, base or purchase price per share and in the Performance Goals applicable to outstanding Performance-Based Awards to reflect such events. The number of Shares subject to the limitations in Paragraphs 3(a) and 4(c) shall also be proportionately adjusted upon the occurrence of such events.

 

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(ii) The Administrator may also make adjustments of the type described in Paragraph 25(a) above to take into account distributions to stockholders other than those provided for in Paragraphs 25(b) below, or any other event, if the Administrator determines that adjustments are appropriate to avoid distortion in the operation of the Plan or any award, having due regard for the qualification of ISOs under Section 422, the requirements of Section 409A, to the extent applicable.

 

(iii) References in the Plan to Shares will be construed to include any stock or securities resulting from an adjustment pursuant to this Paragraph 25(a).

 

(b)               Corporate Transactions. If the Company is to be consolidated with or acquired by another entity in a Corporate Transaction, the Administrator or the board of directors of any entity assuming the obligations of the Company hereunder (the “Successor Board”), may, as to outstanding Options, take any of the following actions: (i) make appropriate provision for the continuation of such Options by substituting on an equitable basis for the Shares then subject to such Options either the consideration payable with respect to the outstanding shares of Common Stock in connection with the Corporate Transaction or securities of any successor or acquiring entity; or (ii) upon written notice to the Participants, provide that such Options must be exercised (either (A) to the extent then exercisable or (B) at the discretion of the Administrator, any such Options being made partially or fully exercisable for purposes of this Subparagraph), within a specified number of days of the date of such notice, at the end of which period such Options which have not been exercised shall terminate; or (iii) terminate such Options in exchange for payment of an amount equal to the consideration payable upon consummation of such Corporate Transaction to a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock into which such Option would have been exercisable (either (A) to the extent then exercisable or, (B) at the discretion of the Administrator, any such Options being made partially or fully exercisable for purposes of this Subparagraph) less the aggregate exercise price thereof. For purposes of determining the payments to be made pursuant to Subclause (iii) above, in the case of a Corporate Transaction the consideration for which, in whole or in part, is other than cash, the consideration other than cash shall be valued at the fair value thereof as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors. For the avoidance of doubt, if the per share exercise price of an Option or portion thereof is equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value of one Share of Common Stock, such Option may be cancelled with no payment due hereunder or otherwise in respect thereof.

 

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With respect to outstanding Stock Grants or Stock-Based Awards, the Administrator or the Successor Board, shall make appropriate provision for the continuation of such Stock Grants or Stock-Based Awards on the same terms and conditions by substituting on an equitable basis for the Shares then subject to such Stock Grants or Stock-Based Awards either the consideration payable with respect to the outstanding Shares of Common Stock in connection with the Corporate Transaction or securities of any successor or acquiring entity. In lieu of the foregoing, in connection with any Corporate Transaction, the Administrator may provide that each outstanding Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award shall be terminated in exchange for payment of an amount equal to the consideration payable upon consummation of such Corporate Transaction to a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock comprising such Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award (to the extent such Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award is no longer subject to any forfeiture or repurchase rights then in effect or, at the discretion of the Administrator, all forfeiture and repurchase rights being waived). For the avoidance of doubt, if the purchase or base price of a Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award or portion thereof is equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value of one Share of Common Stock, such Stock Grant or Stock-Based Award, as applicable, may be cancelled with no payment due hereunder or otherwise in respect thereof.

 

In taking any of the actions permitted under this Paragraph 25(b), the Administrator shall not be obligated by the Plan to treat all Stock Rights, all Stock Rights held by a Participant, or all Stock Rights of the same type, identically.

 

A Stock Right may be subject to additional acceleration of vesting and exercisability upon or after a Change of Control as may be provided in the Agreement for such Stock Right, in any other written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant or in any director compensation policy of the Company.

 

(c)                Recapitalization or Reorganization. In the event of a recapitalization or reorganization of the Company other than a Corporate Transaction pursuant to which securities of the Company or of another corporation are issued with respect to the outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Participant upon exercising an Option or accepting a Stock Grant after the recapitalization or reorganization shall be entitled to receive for the price paid upon such exercise or acceptance if any, the number of replacement securities which would have been received if such Option had been exercised or Stock Grant accepted prior to such recapitalization or reorganization.

 

(d)               Adjustments to Stock-Based Awards. Upon the happening of any of the events described in Subparagraphs (a), (b) or (c) above, any outstanding Stock-Based Award shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the events described in such Subparagraphs. The Administrator or the Successor Board shall determine the specific adjustments to be made under this Paragraph 25, including, but not limited to the effect of any, Corporate Transaction and, subject to Paragraph 4, its determination shall be conclusive.

 

(e)               Termination of Awards upon Consummation of Corporate Transaction. Except as the Administrator may otherwise determine, each Stock Right will automatically terminate (and in the case of outstanding Shares of restricted Common Stock, will automatically be forfeited) immediately upon the consummation of a Corporate Transaction, other than (i) any award that is assumed, continued or substituted pursuant to Paragraph 25(b) above, and (ii) any cash award that by its terms, or as a result of action taken by the Administrator, continues following the consummation of the Corporate Transaction.

 

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26.           ISSUANCES OF SECURITIES.

 

(a)                Except as expressly provided herein, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or price of shares subject to Stock Rights. Except as expressly provided herein, no adjustments shall be made for dividends paid in cash or in property (including without limitation, securities) of the Company prior to any issuance of Shares pursuant to a Stock Right.

 

(b)               The Company will not be obligated to issue any Shares pursuant to the Plan or to remove any restriction from Shares previously issued under the Plan until: (i) the Company is satisfied that all legal matters in connection with the issuance of such Shares have been addressed and resolved; (ii) if the outstanding Shares is at the time of issuance listed on any stock exchange or national market system, the Shares to be issued have been listed or authorized to be listed on such exchange or system upon official notice of issuance; and (iii) all conditions of the award have been satisfied or waived. The Company may require, as a condition to the exercise of an award or the issuance of Shares under an award, such representations or agreements as counsel for the Company may consider appropriate to avoid violation of the Securities Act, as amended, or any applicable state or non-U.S. securities law. Any Shares issued under the Plan will be evidenced in such manner as the Administrator determines appropriate, including book-entry registration or delivery of stock certificates. In the event that the Administrator determines that stock certificates will be issued in connection with Shares issued under the Plan, the Administrator may require that such certificates bear an appropriate legend reflecting any restriction on transfer applicable to such Stock, and the Company may hold the certificates pending the lapse of the applicable restrictions.

 

27.           FRACTIONAL SHARES. No fractional shares shall be issued under the Plan and the person exercising a Stock Right shall receive from the Company cash in lieu of such fractional shares equal to the Fair Market Value thereof.

 

28.           WITHHOLDING. In the event that any federal, state, or local income taxes, employment taxes, Federal Insurance Contributions Act withholdings or other amounts are required by applicable law or governmental regulation to be withheld from the Participant’s salary, wages or other remuneration in connection with the issuance of a Stock Right or Shares under the Plan or for any other reason required by law, the Company may withhold from the Participant’s compensation, if any, or may require that the Participant advance in cash to the Company, or to any Affiliate of the Company which employs or employed the Participant, the statutory minimum amount of such withholdings unless a different withholding arrangement, including the use of shares of the Company’s Common Stock or a promissory note, is authorized by the Administrator (and permitted by law). For purposes hereof, the fair market value of the shares withheld for purposes of payroll withholding shall be determined in the manner set forth under the definition of Fair Market Value provided in Paragraph 1 above, as of the most recent practicable date. If the Fair Market Value of the shares withheld is less than the amount of payroll withholdings required, the Participant may be required to advance the difference in cash to the Company or the Affiliate employer.

 

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29.           TERMINATION OF THE PLAN. The Plan will terminate on July 7, 2031, the date which is ten years from the earlier of the date of its adoption by the Board of Directors and the date of its approval by the shareholders of the Company. The Plan may be terminated at an earlier date by vote of the shareholders or the Board of Directors of the Company; provided, however, that any such earlier termination shall not affect any Agreements executed prior to the effective date of such termination. Termination of the Plan shall not affect any Stock Rights theretofore granted.

 

30.           AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN AND AGREEMENTS. The Plan may be amended by the shareholders of the Company. The Plan may also be amended by the Administrator; provided that any amendment approved by the Administrator which the Administrator determines is of a scope that requires shareholder approval shall be subject to obtaining such shareholder approval including, without limitation, to the extent necessary to qualify any or all outstanding Stock Rights granted under the Plan or Stock Rights to be granted under the Plan for favorable federal income tax treatment as may be afforded ISOs under Section 422 and to the extent necessary to qualify the Shares issuable under the Plan for listing on any national securities exchange or quotation in any national automated quotation system of securities dealers. Any modification or amendment of the Plan shall not, without the consent of a Participant, adversely affect such Participant’s rights under a Stock Right previously granted to such Participant, unless such amendment is required by applicable law or necessary to preserve the economic value of such Stock Right. With the consent of such Participant affected, the Administrator may amend outstanding Agreements in a manner which may be adverse to the Participant but which is not inconsistent with the Plan. In the discretion of the Administrator, outstanding Agreements may be amended by the Administrator in a manner which is not adverse to the Participant. Nothing in this Paragraph 30 shall limit the Administrator’s authority to take any action permitted pursuant to Paragraph 25.

 

31.           EMPLOYMENT OR OTHER RELATIONSHIP. Nothing in this Plan or any Agreement shall be deemed to prevent the Company or an Affiliate from terminating the employment, consultancy or director status of a Participant, nor to prevent a Participant from terminating such Participant’s own employment, consultancy or director status or to give any Participant a right to be retained in employment or other service by the Company or any Affiliate for any period of time.

 

32.           SECTION 409A AND SECTION 422. The Company intends that the Plan and any Stock Rights granted hereunder be exempt from or comply with Section 409A, to the extent applicable. The Company intends that ISOs comply with Section 422, to the extent applicable. Any ambiguities in the Plan or any Stock Right shall be construed to effect the intent as described in this Paragraph 32.

 

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If a Participant is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A (and as applied according to procedures of the Company and its Affiliates) as of such Participant’s separation from service, to the extent any payment under this Plan or pursuant to a Stock Right constitutes non-exempt deferred compensation under Section 409A that is being paid by reason of the separation from service, no payments due under this Plan or pursuant to a Stock Right may be made until the earlier of: (i) the first day of the seventh month following the Participant’s separation from service, or (ii) the Participant’s date of death; provided, however, that any payments delayed during this six-month period shall be paid in the aggregate in a lump sum, without interest, on the first day of the seventh month following the Participant’s separation from service.

 

The Administrator shall administer the Plan with a view toward ensuring that Stock Rights under the Plan that are subject to Section 409A or Section 422, as applicable, comply with the requirements thereof and that Options under the Plan be exempt from the requirements of Section 409A or compliant with Section 422, as applicable, but neither the Administrator nor any member of the Board of Directors, nor the Company nor any of its Affiliates, nor any other person acting hereunder on behalf of the Company, the Administrator or the Board of Directors shall be liable to a Participant or any Survivor by reason of the acceleration of any income, or the imposition of any additional tax or penalty, with respect to a Stock Right, whether by reason of a failure to satisfy the requirements of Section 409A or Section 422 or otherwise.

 

33.           INDEMNITY. Neither the Board of Directors nor the Administrator, nor any members of either, nor any employees of the Company or any parent, subsidiary, or other Affiliate, shall be liable for any act, omission, interpretation, construction or determination made in good faith in connection with their responsibilities with respect to this Plan, and the Company hereby agrees to indemnify the members of the Board or Directors, the members of the Committee, and the employees of the Company and its parent or subsidiaries in respect of any claim, loss, damage, or expense (including reasonable counsel fees) arising from any such act, omission, interpretation, construction or determination to the full extent permitted by law.

 

34.           CLAWBACK. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Plan, the Company may recover from a Participant any compensation received from any Stock Right (whether or not settled) or cause a Participant to forfeit any Stock Right (whether or not vested) in the event that the Company’s Clawback Policy as then in effect is triggered.

 

35.           GOVERNING LAW. This Plan shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the law of the State of Delaware.

 

36.           WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. By accepting or being deemed to have accepted an award under the Plan, each Participant waives (or will be deemed to have waived), to the maximum extent permitted under applicable law, any right to a trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim concerning any rights under the Plan or any award, or under any amendment, waiver, consent, instrument, document or other agreement delivered or which in the future may be delivered in connection therewith, and agrees (or will be deemed to have agreed) that any such action, proceedings or counterclaim will be tried before a court and not before a jury. By accepting or being deemed to have accepted an award under the Plan, each Participant certifies that no officer, representative, or attorney of the Company has represented, expressly or otherwise, that the Company would not, in the event of any action, proceeding or counterclaim, seek to enforce the foregoing waivers. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan, nothing herein is to be construed as limiting the ability of the Company and a Participant to agree to submit any dispute arising under the terms of the Plan or any ward to binding arbitration or as limiting the ability of the Company to require any individual to agree to submit such disputes to binding arbitration as a condition of receiving an award hereunder.

 

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37.           UNFUNDED OBLIGATIONS. The Company’s obligations under the Plan are unfunded, and no Participant will have any right to specific assets of the Company in respect of any award under the Plan. Participants will be general unsecured creditors of the Company with respect to any amounts due or payable under the Plan.

 

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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

Stock Option Grant Notice

Stock Option Grant under the Company’s

2021 Equity Incentive Plan

  

1. Name and Address of Participant:

   

2. Date of Option Grant:

 

3. Type of Grant:

 

4.  Maximum Number of Shares for which this Option is exercisable:

 

5. Exercise (purchase) price per share:

 

6. Option Expiration Date:

 

7.          Vesting Schedule: This Option shall become exercisable (and the Shares issued upon exercise shall be vested) as follows provided the Participant is an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate on the applicable vesting date:

 

[INSERT VESTING PROVISIONS]

 

The foregoing rights are cumulative and are subject to the other terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan.

 

The Company and the Participant acknowledge receipt of this Stock Option Grant Notice and agree to the terms of the Stock Option Agreement attached hereto and incorporated by reference herein, the Company’s 2021 Equity Incentive Plan and the terms of this Option Grant as set forth above.

 

  SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
   
  By:  
    Name:       
    Title:
   
   
  Participant

 

 

 

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT - INCORPORATED TERMS AND CONDITIONS

  

AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) made as of the date of grant set forth in the Stock Option Grant Notice by and between Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, and the individual whose name appears on the Stock Option Grant Notice (the “Participant”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to grant to the Participant an Option to purchase shares of its class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Shares”), under and for the purposes set forth in the Company’s 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”);

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Participant understand and agree that any terms used and not defined herein have the same meanings as in the Plan; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Participant each intend that the Option granted herein shall be of the type set forth in the Stock Option Grant Notice.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth and for other good and valuable consideration, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.                  GRANT OF OPTION. The Company hereby grants to the Participant the right and option to purchase all or any part of an aggregate of the number of Shares set forth in the Stock Option Grant Notice, on the terms and conditions and subject to all the limitations set forth herein, under United States securities and tax laws, and in the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Participant acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan.

 

2.                  EXERCISE PRICE. The exercise price of the Shares covered by the Option shall be the amount per Share set forth in the Stock Option Grant Notice, subject to adjustment, as provided in the Plan, in the event of a stock split, reverse stock split or other events affecting the holders of Shares after the date hereof (the “Exercise Price”). Payment shall be made in accordance with Paragraph 10 of the Plan.

 

3.                  EXERCISABILITY OF OPTION. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, the Option granted hereby shall become vested and exercisable as set forth in the Stock Option Grant Notice and is subject to the other terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan.

 

4.                  TERM OF OPTION. This Option shall terminate on the Option Expiration Date as specified in the Stock Option Grant Notice and, if this Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as an ISO and the Participant owns as of the date hereof more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of capital stock of the Company or an Affiliate, such date may not be more than five years from the date of this Agreement, but shall be subject to earlier termination as provided herein or in the Plan.

 

 

 

If the Participant ceases to be an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate for any reason other than the death or Disability of the Participant, or termination of the Participant for Cause (the “Termination Date”), the Option to the extent then vested and exercisable pursuant to Section 3 hereof as of the Termination Date, and not previously terminated in accordance with this Agreement, may be exercised within three months after the Termination Date, or on or prior to the Option Expiration Date as specified in the Stock Option Grant Notice, whichever is earlier, but may not be exercised thereafter except as set forth below. In such event, the unvested portion of the Option shall not be exercisable and shall expire and be cancelled on the Termination Date.

 

If this Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as an ISO and the Participant ceases to be an Employee of the Company or of an Affiliate but continues after termination of employment to provide service to the Company or an Affiliate as a director or Consultant, this Option shall continue to vest in accordance with Section 3 above as if this Option had not terminated until the Participant is no longer providing services to the Company. In such case, this Option shall automatically convert and be deemed a Non-Qualified Option as of the date that is three months from termination of the Participant's employment and this Option shall continue on the same terms and conditions set forth herein until such Participant is no longer providing service to the Company or an Affiliate.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of the Participant’s Disability or death within three months after the Termination Date, the Participant or the Participant’s Survivors may exercise the Option within one year after the Termination Date, but in no event after the Option Expiration Date as specified in the Stock Option Grant Notice.

 

In the event the Participant’s service is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate for Cause, the Participant’s right to exercise any unexercised portion of this Option even if vested shall cease immediately as of the time the Participant is notified his or her service is terminated for Cause, and this Option shall thereupon terminate. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if subsequent to the Participant’s termination, but prior to the exercise of the Option, the Administrator determines that, either prior or subsequent to the Participant’s termination, the Participant engaged in conduct which would constitute Cause, then the Participant shall immediately cease to have any right to exercise the Option and this Option shall thereupon terminate.

 

In the event of the Disability of the Participant, as determined in accordance with the Plan, the Option shall be exercisable within one year after the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability or, if earlier, on or prior to the Option Expiration Date as specified in the Stock Option Grant Notice. In such event, the Option shall be exercisable:

 

(a) to the extent that the Option has become exercisable but has not been exercised as of the date of the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability; and

 

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(b) in the event rights to exercise the Option accrue periodically, to the extent of a pro rata portion through the date of the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability of any additional vesting rights that would have accrued on the next vesting date had the Participant not become Disabled. The proration shall be based upon the number of days accrued in the current vesting period prior to the date of the Participant’s termination of service due to Disability.

 

In the event of the death of the Participant while an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate, the Option shall be exercisable by the Participant’s Survivors within one year after the date of death of the Participant or, if earlier, on or prior to the Option Expiration Date as specified in the Stock Option Grant Notice. In such event, the Option shall be exercisable:

 

(x) to the extent that the Option has become exercisable but has not been exercised as of the date of death; and

 

(y) in the event rights to exercise the Option accrue periodically, to the extent of a pro rata portion through the date of death of any additional vesting rights that would have accrued on the next vesting date had the Participant not died. The proration shall be based upon the number of days accrued in the current vesting period prior to the Participant’s date of death.

 

5.                  METHOD OF EXERCISING OPTION. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Option may be exercised by written notice to the Company or its designee, in substantially the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (or in such other form acceptable to the Company, which may include electronic notice). Such notice shall state the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised and shall be signed by the person exercising the Option (which signature may be provided electronically in a form acceptable to the Company). Payment of the Exercise Price for such Shares shall be made in accordance with Paragraph 10 of the Plan. The Company shall deliver such Shares as soon as practicable after the notice shall be received, provided, however, that the Company may delay issuance of such Shares until completion of any action or obtaining of any consent, which the Company deems necessary under any applicable law (including, without limitation, state securities or “blue sky” laws). The Shares as to which the Option shall have been so exercised shall be registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the person so exercising the Option (or, if the Option shall be exercised by the Participant and if the Participant shall so request in the notice exercising the Option, shall be registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Participant and another person jointly, with right of survivorship) and shall be delivered as provided above to or upon the written order of the person exercising the Option. In the event the Option shall be exercised, pursuant to Section 4 hereof, by any person other than the Participant, such notice shall be accompanied by appropriate proof of the right of such person to exercise the Option. All Shares that shall be purchased upon the exercise of the Option as provided herein shall be fully paid and nonassessable.

 

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6.                  PARTIAL EXERCISE. Exercise of this Option to the extent above stated may be made in part at any time and from time to time within the above limits, except that no fractional share shall be issued pursuant to this Option.

 

7.                  NON-ASSIGNABILITY. The Option shall not be transferable by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. If this Option is a Non-Qualified Option then it may also be transferred pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order as defined by the Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act or the rules thereunder. Except as provided above in this paragraph, the Option shall be exercisable, during the Participant’s lifetime, only by the Participant (or, in the event of legal incapacity or incompetency, by the Participant’s guardian or representative) and shall not be assigned, pledged or hypothecated in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise) and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process. Any attempted transfer, assignment, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition of the Option or of any rights granted hereunder contrary to the provisions of this Section 7, or the levy of any attachment or similar process upon the Option shall be null and void.

 

8.                  NO RIGHTS AS STOCKHOLDER UNTIL EXERCISE. The Participant shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to this Agreement until registration of the Shares in the Company’s share register in the name of the Participant. Except as is expressly provided in the Plan with respect to certain changes in the capitalization of the Company, no adjustment shall be made for dividends or similar rights for which the record date is prior to the date of such registration.

 

9.                  ADJUSTMENTS. The Plan contains provisions covering the treatment of Options in a number of contingencies such as stock splits and mergers. Provisions in the Plan for adjustment with respect to stock subject to Options and the related provisions with respect to successors to the business of the Company are hereby made applicable hereunder and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

10.              TAXES. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that (i) any income or other taxes due from the Participant with respect to this Option or the Shares issuable pursuant to this Option shall be the Participant’s responsibility; (ii) the Participant was free to use professional advisors of his or her choice in connection with this Agreement, has received advice from his or her professional advisors in connection with this Agreement, understands its meaning and import, and is entering into this Agreement freely and without coercion or duress; (iii) the Participant has not received and is not relying upon any advice, representations or assurances made by or on behalf of the Company or any Affiliate or any employee of or counsel to the Company or any Affiliate regarding any tax or other effects or implications of the Option, the Shares or other matters contemplated by this Agreement; and (iv) neither the Administrator, the Company, its Affiliates, nor any of its officers or directors, shall be held liable for any applicable costs, taxes, or penalties associated with the Option if, in fact, the Internal Revenue Service were to determine that the Option constitutes deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code.

 

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If this Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as a Non-Qualified Option or if the Option is an ISO and is converted into a Non-Qualified Option and such Non-Qualified Option is exercised, the Participant agrees that the Company may withhold from the Participant’s remuneration, if any, the minimum statutory amount of federal, state and local withholding taxes attributable to such amount that is considered compensation includable in such person’s gross income. At the Company’s discretion, the amount required to be withheld may be withheld in cash from such remuneration, or in kind from the Shares otherwise deliverable to the Participant on exercise of the Option. The Participant further agrees that, if the Company does not withhold an amount from the Participant’s remuneration sufficient to satisfy the Company’s income tax withholding obligation, the Participant will reimburse the Company on demand, in cash, for the amount under-withheld.

 

11.              PURCHASE FOR INVESTMENT. Unless the offering and sale of the Shares to be issued upon the particular exercise of the Option shall have been effectively registered under the Securities Act, the Company shall be under no obligation to issue the Shares covered by such exercise unless the Company has determined that such exercise and issuance would be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and until the following conditions have been fulfilled:

 

(a)                The person(s) who exercise the Option shall warrant to the Company, at the time of such exercise, that such person(s) are acquiring such Shares for their own respective accounts, for investment, and not with a view to, or for sale in connection with, the distribution of any such Shares, in which event the person(s) acquiring such Shares shall be bound by the provisions of the following legend which shall be endorsed upon any certificate(s) evidencing the Shares issued pursuant to such exercise:

 

“The shares represented by this certificate have been taken for investment and they may not be sold or otherwise transferred by any person, including a pledgee, unless (1) either (a) a Registration Statement with respect to such shares shall be effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (b) the Company shall have received an opinion of counsel satisfactory to it that an exemption from registration under such Act is then available, and (2) there shall have been compliance with all applicable state securities laws;” and

 

(b)               If the Company so requires, the Company shall have received an opinion of its counsel that the Shares may be issued upon such particular exercise in compliance with the Securities Act without registration thereunder. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company may delay issuance of the Shares until completion of any action or obtaining of any consent, which the Company deems necessary or advisable (including without limitation state securities or “blue sky” laws).

 

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12.              RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF SHARES.

 

(a)                The Participant agrees that in the event the Company proposes to offer for sale to the public any of its equity securities and such Participant is requested by the Company and any underwriter engaged by the Company in connection with such offering to sign an agreement restricting the sale or other transfer of Shares, then it will promptly sign such agreement and will not transfer, whether in privately negotiated transactions or to the public in open market transactions or otherwise, any Shares or other securities of the Company held by him or her during such period as is determined by the Company and the underwriters, not to exceed 180 days following the closing of the offering, plus such additional period of time as may be required to comply with FINRA rules or similar rules thereto promulgated by another regulatory authority (such period, the “Lock-Up Period”). Such agreement shall be in writing and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company and such underwriter and pursuant to customary and prevailing terms and conditions. Notwithstanding whether the Participant has signed such an agreement, the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Shares or other securities of the Company subject to the foregoing restrictions until the end of the Lock-Up Period.

 

(b)               The Participant acknowledges and agrees that neither the Company, its stockholders nor its directors and officers, has any duty or obligation to disclose to the Participant any material information regarding the business of the Company or affecting the value of the Shares before, at the time of, or following a termination of the service of the Participant by the Company, including, without limitation, any information concerning plans for the Company to make a public offering of its securities or to be acquired by or merged with or into another firm or entity.

 

13.              NO OBLIGATION TO MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIP. The Participant acknowledges that: (i) the Company is not by the Plan or this Option obligated to continue the Participant as an employee, director or Consultant of the Company or an Affiliate; (ii) the Plan is discretionary in nature and may be suspended or terminated by the Company at any time; (iii) the grant of the Option is a one-time benefit which does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options, or benefits in lieu of options; (iv) all determinations with respect to any such future grants, including, but not limited to, the times when options shall be granted, the number of shares subject to each option, the option price, and the time or times when each option shall be exercisable, will be at the sole discretion of the Company; (v) the Participant’s participation in the Plan is voluntary; (vi) the value of the Option is an extraordinary item of compensation which is outside the scope of the Participant’s employment or consulting contract, if any; and (vii) the Option is not part of normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, resignation, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments.

 

14.              IF OPTION IS INTENDED TO BE AN ISO. If this Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as an ISO so that the Participant (or the Participant’s Survivors) may qualify for the favorable tax treatment provided to holders of Options that meet the standards of Section 422 of the Code then any provision of this Agreement or the Plan which conflicts with the Code so that this Option would not be deemed an ISO is null and void and any ambiguities shall be resolved so that the Option qualifies as an ISO. The Participant should consult with the Participant’s own tax advisors regarding the tax effects of the Option and the requirements necessary to obtain favorable tax treatment under Section 422 of the Code, including, but not limited to, holding period requirements.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as an ISO and is not deemed to be an ISO pursuant to Section 422(d) of the Code because the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the Date of Option Grant) of any of the Shares with respect to which this ISO is granted becomes exercisable for the first time during any calendar year in excess of $100,000, the portion of the Option representing such excess value shall be treated as a Non-Qualified Option and the Participant shall be deemed to have taxable income measured by the difference between the then Fair Market Value of the Shares received upon exercise and the price paid for such Shares pursuant to this Agreement.

 

Neither the Company nor any Affiliate shall have any liability to the Participant, or any other party, if the Option (or any part thereof) that is intended to be an ISO is not an ISO or for any action taken by the Administrator, including without limitation the conversion of an ISO to a Non-Qualified Option.

 

15.              NOTICE TO COMPANY OF DISQUALIFYING DISPOSITION OF AN ISO. If this Option is designated in the Stock Option Grant Notice as an ISO then the Participant agrees to notify the Company in writing immediately after the Participant makes a Disqualifying Disposition of any of the Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of the ISO. A Disqualifying Disposition is defined in Section 424(c) of the Code and includes any disposition (including any sale) of such Shares before the later of (a) two years after the date the Participant was granted the ISO or (b) one year after the date the Participant acquired Shares by exercising the ISO, except as otherwise provided in Section 424(c) of the Code. If the Participant has died before the Shares are sold, these holding period requirements do not apply and no Disqualifying Disposition can occur thereafter.

 

16.              NOTICES. Any notices required or permitted by the terms of this Agreement or the Plan shall be given by recognized courier service, facsimile, registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed as follows:

 

If to the Company:

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc.

2749 East Parleys Way Suite 200

Salt Lake City, UT 84109

Attention: President

 

If to the Participant at the address set forth on the Stock Option Grant Notice or to such other address or addresses of which notice in the same manner has previously been given. Any such notice shall be deemed to have been given upon the earlier of receipt, one business day following delivery to a recognized courier service or three business days following mailing by registered or certified mail.

 

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17.              GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles thereof. For the purpose of litigating any dispute that arises under this Agreement, the parties hereby consent to exclusive jurisdiction in Delaware and agree that such litigation shall be conducted in the state courts of Delaware or the federal courts of the United States for the District of Delaware.

 

18.              BENEFIT OF AGREEMENT. Subject to the provisions of the Plan and the other provisions hereof, this Agreement shall be for the benefit of and shall be binding upon the heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

19.              ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement, together with the Plan, embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof (with the exception of acceleration of vesting provisions contained in any other agreement with the Company). No statement, representation, warranty, covenant or agreement not expressly set forth in this Agreement shall affect or be used to interpret, change or restrict, the express terms and provisions of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing in all events, this Agreement shall be subject to and governed by the Plan.

 

20.              MODIFICATIONS AND AMENDMENTS. The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be modified or amended as provided in the Plan.

 

21.              WAIVERS AND CONSENTS. Except as provided in the Plan, the terms and provisions of this Agreement may be waived, or consent for the departure therefrom granted, only by written document executed by the party entitled to the benefits of such terms or provisions. No such waiver or consent shall be deemed to be or shall constitute a waiver or consent with respect to any other terms or provisions of this Agreement, whether or not similar. Each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which it was given, and shall not constitute a continuing waiver or consent.

 

22.              DATA PRIVACY. By entering into this Agreement, the Participant: (i) authorizes the Company and each Affiliate, and any agent of the Company or any Affiliate administering the Plan or providing Plan recordkeeping services, to disclose to the Company or any of its Affiliates such information and data as the Company or any such Affiliate shall request in order to facilitate the grant of options and the administration of the Plan; (ii) to the extent permitted by applicable law waives any data privacy rights he or she may have with respect to such information, and (iii) authorizes the Company and each Affiliate to store and transmit such information in electronic form for the purposes set forth in this Agreement.

 

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8

 

 

Exhibit A

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE OF STOCK OPTION

 

Form for Shares registered in the United States

 

To: Sera Prognostics, Inc.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This form of Notice of Exercise may only be used at such time as the Company has filed a Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission under which the issuance of the Shares for which this exercise is being made is registered and such Registration Statement remains effective.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

I hereby exercise my Stock Option to purchase _________ shares (the “Shares”) of the class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, of Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”), at the exercise price of $________ per share, pursuant to and subject to the terms of that Stock Option Grant Notice dated _______________, 20__.

 

I understand the nature of the investment I am making and the financial risks thereof. I am aware that it is my responsibility to have consulted with competent tax and legal advisors about the relevant national, state and local income tax and securities laws affecting the exercise of the Option and the purchase and subsequent sale of the Shares.

 

I am paying the option exercise price for the Shares as follows:

 

_________________________________________

 

Please issue the Shares (check one):

 

¨ to me; or

 

¨ to me and ____________________________, as joint tenants with right of survivorship,

 

at the following address:

 

     
     
     

 

Exhibit A-1

 

  

My mailing address for stockholder communications, if different from the address listed above, is:

 

     
     
     

  

  Very truly yours,
    
   
  Participant (signature)
    
   
  Print Name
    
   
  Date

 

Exhibit A-2

 

 

 

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice

Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant under the Company’s

2021 Equity Incentive Plan

 

1. Name and Address of Participant:

 

2. Date of Grant of
Restricted Stock Unit Award:

 

3. Maximum Number of Shares underlying
Restricted Stock Unit Award:

 

4. Vesting of Award: This Restricted Stock Unit Award shall vest as follows provided the Participant is an Employee, director or Consultant of the Company or of an Affiliate on the applicable vesting:

 

Number of Restricted Stock Units Vesting Date

 

[INSERT VESTING PROVISIONS]

 

The Company and the Participant acknowledge receipt of this Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice and agree to the terms of the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement attached hereto and incorporated by reference herein, the Company’s 2021 Equity Incentive Plan and the terms of this Restricted Stock Unit Award as set forth above.

 

  SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.
     
  By:  
    Name:
    Title:

 
   
  Participant

 

 

 

 

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT –

 

INCORPORATED TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

AGREEMENT made as of the date of grant set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice between Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, and the individual whose name appears on the Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice (the “Participant”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), to promote the interests of the Company by providing an incentive for Employees, directors and Consultants of the Company and its Affiliates;

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of the Plan, the Company desires to grant to the Participant restricted stock units (“RSUs”) related to the Company’s class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), in accordance with the provisions of the Plan, all on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Participant understand and agree that any terms used and not defined herein have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Plan.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

1.                Grant of Award. The Company hereby grants to the Participant an award for the number of RSUs set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice (the “Award”). Each RSU represents a contingent entitlement of the Participant to receive one share of Common Stock, on the terms and conditions and subject to all the limitations set forth herein and in the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Participant acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan.

 

2.               Vesting of Award.

 

(a)                Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, the Award granted hereby shall vest as set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice and is subject to the other terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan. On each vesting date set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice, the Participant shall be entitled to receive such number of shares of Common Stock equivalent to the number of RSUs as set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice provided that the Participant is providing service to the Company or an Affiliate on such vesting date. Such shares of Common Stock shall thereafter be delivered by the Company to the Participant within five days of the applicable vesting date and in accordance with this Agreement and the Plan.

 

 

 

 

(b)               Except as otherwise set forth in this Agreement, if the Participant ceases to be providing services for any reason by the Company or by an Affiliate (the “Termination”) prior to a vesting date set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice, then as of the date on which the Participant’s employment or service terminates, all unvested RSUs shall immediately be forfeited to the Company and this Agreement shall terminate and be of no further force or effect.

 

3.                Prohibitions on Transfer and Sale. This Award (including any additional RSUs received by the Participant as a result of stock dividends, stock splits or any other similar transaction affecting the Company’s securities without receipt of consideration) shall not be transferable by the Participant otherwise than (i) by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, or (ii) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order as defined by the Internal Revenue Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act or the rules thereunder. Except as provided in the previous sentence, the shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement shall be issued, during the Participant’s lifetime, only to the Participant (or, in the event of legal incapacity or incompetence, to the Participant’s guardian or representative). This Award shall not be assigned, pledged or hypothecated in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise) and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process. Any attempted transfer, assignment, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition of this Award or of any rights granted hereunder contrary to the provisions of this Section 3, or the levy of any attachment or similar process upon this Award shall be null and void.

 

4.                Adjustments. The Plan contains provisions covering the treatment of RSUs and shares of Common Stock in a number of contingencies such as stock splits. Provisions in the Plan for adjustment with respect to this Award and the related provisions with respect to successors to the business of the Company are hereby made applicable hereunder and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

5.                Securities Law Compliance. The Participant specifically acknowledges and agrees that any sales of shares of Common Stock shall be made in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company currently has an effective registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to the Common Stock to be granted hereunder. The Company intends to maintain this registration statement but has no obligation to do so. If the registration statement ceases to be effective for any reason, Participant will not be able to transfer or sell any of the shares of Common Stock issued to the Participant pursuant to this Agreement unless exemptions from registration or filings under applicable securities laws are available. Furthermore, despite registration, applicable securities laws may restrict the ability of the Participant to sell his or her Common Stock, including due to the Participant’s affiliation with the Company. The Company shall not be obligated to either issue the Common Stock or permit the resale of any shares of Common Stock if such issuance or resale would violate any applicable securities law, rule or regulation.

 

6.                Rights as a Stockholder. The Participant shall have no right as a stockholder, including voting and dividend rights, with respect to the RSUs subject to this Agreement.

 

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7.                Incorporation of the Plan. The Participant specifically understands and agrees that the RSUs and the shares of Common Stock to be issued under the Plan will be issued to the Participant pursuant to the Plan, a copy of which Plan the Participant acknowledges he or she has read and understands and by which Plan he or she agrees to be bound. The provisions of the Plan are incorporated herein by reference.

 

8.               Tax Liability of the Participant and Payment of Taxes. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that any income or other taxes due from the Participant with respect to this Award or the shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise sold shall be the Participant’s responsibility. Without limiting the foregoing, the Participant agrees that if under applicable law the Participant will owe taxes at each vesting date on the portion of the Award then vested the Company shall be entitled to immediate payment from the Participant of the amount of any tax or other amounts required to be withheld by the Company by applicable law or regulation. Any taxes or other amounts due shall be paid, at the option of the Administrator as follows:

 

(a)                through reducing the number of shares of Common Stock entitled to be issued to the Participant on the applicable vesting date in an amount equal to the statutory minimum of the Participant’s total tax and other withholding obligations due and payable by the Company. Fractional shares will not be retained to satisfy any portion of the Company’s withholding obligation. Accordingly, the Participant agrees that in the event that the amount of withholding required would result in a fraction of a share being owed, that amount will be satisfied by withholding the fractional amount from the Participant’s paycheck;

 

(b)               requiring the Participant to deposit with the Company an amount of cash equal to the amount determined by the Company to be required to be withheld with respect to the statutory minimum amount of the Participant’s total tax and other withholding obligations due and payable by the Company or otherwise withholding from the Participant’s paycheck an amount equal to such amounts due and payable by the Company; or

 

(c)                if the Company believes that the sale of shares can be made in compliance with applicable securities laws, authorizing, at a time when the Participant is not in possession of material nonpublic information, the sale by the Participant on the applicable vesting date of such number of shares of Common Stock as the Company instructs a registered broker to sell to satisfy the Company’s withholding obligation, after deduction of the broker’s commission, and the broker shall be required to remit to the Company the cash necessary in order for the Company to satisfy its withholding obligation. To the extent the proceeds of such sale exceed the Company’s withholding obligation the Company agrees to pay such excess cash to the Participant as soon as practicable. In addition, if such sale is not sufficient to pay the Company’s withholding obligation the Participant agrees to pay to the Company as soon as practicable, including through additional payroll withholding, the amount of any withholding obligation that is not satisfied by the sale of shares of Common Stock. The Participant agrees to hold the Company and the broker harmless from all costs, damages or expenses relating to any such sale. The Participant acknowledges that the Company and the broker are under no obligation to arrange for such sale at any particular price. In connection with such sale of shares of Common Stock, the Participant shall execute any such documents requested by the broker in order to effectuate the sale of shares of Common Stock and payment of the withholding obligation to the Company. The Participant acknowledges that this paragraph is intended to comply with Section 10b5-1(c)(1)(i)(B) under the Exchange Act.

 

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[It is the Company’s intention that the Participant’s tax obligations under this Section 8 shall be satisfied through the procedure of Subsection (c) above, unless the Company provides notice of an alternate procedure under this Section, in its discretion.] The Company shall not deliver any shares of Common Stock to the Participant until it is satisfied that all required withholdings have been made.

 

9.                Participant Acknowledgements and Authorizations.

 

The Participant acknowledges the following:

 

(a)                The Company is not by the Plan or this Award obligated to continue the Participant as an employee, director or consultant of the Company or an Affiliate.

 

(b)               The Plan is discretionary in nature and may be suspended or terminated by the Company at any time.

 

(c)                The grant of this Award is considered a one-time benefit and does not create a contractual or other right to receive any other award under the Plan, benefits in lieu of awards or any other benefits in the future.

 

(d)               The Plan is a voluntary program of the Company and future awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company, including, but not limited to, the timing of any grant, the amount of any award, vesting provisions and the purchase price, if any.

 

(e)               The value of this Award is an extraordinary item of compensation outside of the scope of the Participant’s employment or consulting contract, if any. As such the Award is not part of normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, resignation, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments. The future value of the shares of Common Stock is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty.

 

(f)                 The Participant (i) authorizes the Company and each Affiliate and any agent of the Company or any Affiliate administering the Plan or providing Plan recordkeeping services, to disclose to the Company or any of its Affiliates such information and data as the Company or any such Affiliate shall request in order to facilitate the grant of the Award and the administration of the Plan; and (ii) authorizes the Company and each Affiliate to store and transmit such information in electronic form for the purposes set forth in this Agreement.

 

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10.              Notices. Any notices required or permitted by the terms of this Agreement or the Plan shall be given by recognized courier service, facsimile, registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed as follows:

 

If to the Company:

 

Sera Prognostics, Inc.

2749 East Parleys Way Suite 200

Salt Lake City, UT 84109

Attention: President

 

If to the Participant at the address set forth on the Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice or to such other address or addresses of which notice in the same manner has previously been given. Any such notice shall be deemed to have been given on the earliest of receipt, one business day following delivery by the sender to a recognized courier service, or three business days following mailing by registered or certified mail.

 

11.              Assignment and Successors.

 

(a)                This Agreement is personal to the Participant and without the prior written consent of the Company shall not be assignable by the Participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Participant’s legal representatives.

 

(b)               This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns.

 

12.              Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles thereof. For the purpose of litigating any dispute that arises under this Agreement, whether at law or in equity, the parties hereby consent to exclusive jurisdiction in Delaware and agree that such litigation will be conducted in the state courts of Delaware or the federal courts of the United States for the District of Delaware.

 

13.              Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision or provisions shall be modified to the extent necessary to make such provision valid and enforceable, and to the extent that this is impossible, then such provision shall be deemed to be excised from this Agreement, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the rest of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

 

14.              Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the Plan, constitutes the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral or written agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. No statement, representation, warranty, covenant or agreement not expressly set forth in this Agreement shall affect or be used to interpret, change or restrict the express terms and provisions of this Agreement provided, however, in any event, this Agreement shall be subject to and governed by the Plan.

 

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15.              Modifications and Amendments; Waivers and Consents. The terms and provisions of this Agreement may be modified or amended as provided in the Plan. Except as provided in the Plan, the terms and provisions of this Agreement may be waived, or consent for the departure therefrom granted, only by written document executed by the party entitled to the benefits of such terms or provisions. No such waiver or consent shall be deemed to be or shall constitute a waiver or consent with respect to any other terms or provisions of this Agreement, whether or not similar. Each such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which it was given, and shall not constitute a continuing waiver or consent.

 

16.              Section 409A. The Award of RSUs evidenced by this Agreement is intended to be exempt from the nonqualified deferred compensation rules of Section 409A of the Code as a “short term deferral” (as that term is used in the final regulations and other guidance issued under Section 409A of the Code, including Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4)(i)), and shall be construed accordingly.

 

17.              Data Privacy. By entering into this Agreement, the Participant: (i) authorizes the Company and each Affiliate, and any agent of the Company or any Affiliate administering the Plan or providing Plan recordkeeping services, to disclose to the Company or any of its Affiliates such information and data as the Company or any such Affiliate shall request in order to facilitate the grant of options and the administration of the Plan; (ii) to the extent permitted by applicable law waives any data privacy rights he or she may have with respect to such information, and (iii) authorizes the Company and each Affiliate to store and transmit such information in electronic form for the purposes set forth in this Agreement.

 

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6 

 

Exhibit 10.4

 

SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC.

 

EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

 

The following constitute the provisions of the 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Plan”) of Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”).

 

1.             Purpose. The purpose of the Plan is to provide Employees of the Company and its Designated Subsidiaries with an opportunity to purchase Common Stock of the Company. It is the intention of the Company to have the Plan qualify as an “Employee Stock Purchase Plan” under Section 423 of the Code. The provisions of the Plan shall, accordingly, be construed so as to extend and limit participation in a manner consistent with the requirements of that section of the Code.

 

2.             Definitions.

 

(a)                Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company, or a committee of the Board of Directors named by the Board to administer the Plan.

 

(b)               Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any successor statute, regulation and guidance thereto.

 

(c)                Common Stock” shall mean the class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of the Company.

 

(d)               Company” shall mean Sera Prognostics, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

 

(e)              Compensation” shall mean the regular rate of salary or wages received by the Employee from the Company or a Designated Subsidiary that is taxable income for federal income tax purposes or applicable tax law, including payments for overtime and shift premium, but excluding incentive compensation, incentive payments, bonuses, commissions, relocation, expense reimbursements, tuition or other reimbursements or compensation received from the Company or a Designated Subsidiary.

 

(f)                Continuous Status as an Employee” shall mean the absence of any interruption or termination of service as an Employee. Continuous Status as an Employee shall not be considered interrupted in the case of a leave of absence agreed to in writing by the Company, provided that such leave is for a period of not more than ninety (90) days or reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or statute.

 

(g)                Contributions” shall mean all amounts credited to the account of a participant pursuant to the Plan.

 

(h)              Designated Subsidiaries” shall mean the Subsidiaries which have been designated by the Board from time to time in its sole discretion as eligible to participate in the Plan.

 

 

 

 

(i)                  Employee” shall mean any person who is employed by the Company or one of its Designated Subsidiaries for tax purposes and who is customarily employed for at least twenty (20) hours per week and more than five (5) months in a calendar year by the Company or one of its Designated Subsidiaries.

 

(j)                 Exercise Date” shall mean the last business day of each Offering Period of the Plan.

 

(k)                Exercise Price” shall mean with respect to an Offering Period, an amount equal to 85% of the fair market value (as defined in Section 7(b)) of a share of Common Stock on the Offering Date or on the Exercise Date, whichever is lower.

 

(l)                  Offering Date” shall mean the first business day of each Offering Period of the Plan.

 

(m)             Offering Period” shall mean a period of six months as set forth in Section 4 of the Plan.

 

(n)               Plan” shall mean this Sera Prognostics, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

 

(o)              Subsidiary” shall mean a corporation, domestic or foreign, of which not less than 50% of the voting shares are held by the Company or a Subsidiary, whether or not such corporation now exists or is hereafter organized or acquired by the Company or a Subsidiary.

 

3.                  Eligibility.

 

(a)                Any person who has been continuously employed as an Employee for three (3) months as of the Offering Date of a given Offering Period shall be eligible to participate in such Offering Period under the Plan and further, subject to the requirements of Section 5(a) and the limitations imposed by Section 423(b) of the Code. All Employees granted options under the Plan with respect to any Offering Period will have the same rights and privileges except for any differences that may be permitted pursuant to Section 423.

 

(b)               Any provisions of the Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, no Employee shall be granted an option under the Plan (i) if, immediately after the grant, such Employee (or any other person whose stock would be attributed to such Employee pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) would own stock and/or hold outstanding options to purchase stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or (ii) which permits his or her rights to purchase stock under all employee stock purchase plans (described in Section 423 of the Code) of the Company and its Subsidiaries to accrue at a rate which exceeds $25,000 of fair market value of such stock as defined in Section 7(b) (determined at the time such option is granted) for each calendar year in which such option is outstanding at any time. In addition, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be purchased by any participant during an Offering Period shall equal the lesser of (i) 5,000 shares of Common Stock or (ii) $25,000 divided by the fair market value of the Common Stock on the first trading day of such Offering Period, which price shall be adjusted if the price per share is adjusted pursuant to Section 18. Any option granted under the Plan shall be deemed to be modified to the extent necessary to satisfy this Section 3(b).

 

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4.            Offering Periods. The Plan shall be implemented by a series of Offering Periods, with a new Offering Period commencing on June 1 and December 1 of each year or the first business day thereafter (or at such other time or times as may be determined by the Board).

 

5.             Participation.

 

(a)                An eligible Employee may become a participant in the Plan by completing an Enrollment Form provided by the Company and filing it with the Company or its designee at least fifteen (15) days prior to the applicable Offering Date, unless a later time for filing the Enrollment Form is set by the Board for all eligible Employees with respect to a given Offering Period. The Enrollment Form and its submission may be electronic as directed by the Company. The Enrollment Form shall set forth the percentage of the participant’s Compensation (which shall be not less than one percent (1%) and not more than fifteen percent (15%) to be paid as Contributions pursuant to the Plan.

 

(b)                Payroll deductions shall commence with the first payroll following the Offering Date, unless a later time is set by the Board with respect to a given Offering Period, and shall end on the last payroll paid on or prior to the Exercise Date of the Offering Period to which the Enrollment Form is applicable, unless sooner terminated as provided in Section 10.

 

6.            Method of Payment of Contributions.

 

(a)                Each participant shall elect to have payroll deductions made on each payroll during the Offering Period in an amount not less than one percent (1%) and not more than fifteen percent (15%) of such participant’s Compensation on each such payroll (or such other percentage as the Board may establish from time to time before an Offering Date). All payroll deductions made by a participant shall be credited to his or her account under the Plan. A participant may not make any additional payments into such account.

 

A participant may discontinue his or her participation in the Plan as provided in Section 10, or, on one occasion only during the Offering Period, may decrease, but may not increase, the rate of his or her Contributions during the Offering Period by completing and filing with the Company a new Enrollment Form authorizing a change in the deduction rate. The change in rate shall be effective as of the beginning of the next payroll period following the date of filing of the new Enrollment Form, if the Enrollment Form is submitted at least fifteen (15) days prior to such date, and, if not, as of the beginning of the next succeeding payroll period.

 

(b)               Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code and Section 3(b), a participant’s payroll deductions may be decreased to 0% at such time during any Offering Period which is scheduled to end during the current calendar year that the aggregate of all payroll deductions accumulated with respect to such Offering Period and any other Offering Period ending within the same calendar year equals $21,250. Payroll deductions shall recommence at the rate provided in such participant’s Enrollment Form at the beginning of the first Offering Period which is scheduled to end in the following calendar year, unless terminated by the participant as provided in Section 10.

 

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7.            Grant of Option.

 

(a)                On the Offering Date of each Offering Period, each eligible Employee participating in such Offering Period shall be granted an option to purchase on the Exercise Date of such Offering Period a number of shares of the Common Stock determined by dividing such Employee’s Contributions accumulated prior to such Exercise Date and retained in the participant’s account as of the Exercise Date by the applicable Exercise Price; provided however, that such purchase shall be subject to the limitations set forth in Sections 3(b) and 12. The fair market value of a share of the Common Stock shall be determined as provided in Section 7(b).

 

(b)               The fair market value of the Common Stock on a given date shall be (i) if the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange or traded in the over-the-counter market and sales prices are regularly reported for the Common Stock, the closing or last sale price of the Common Stock for such date (or, in the event that the Common Stock is not traded on such date, on the immediately preceding trading date), on the composite tape or other comparable reporting system; or (ii) if the Common Stock is not listed on a national securities exchange and such price is not regularly reported, the mean between the bid and asked prices per share of the Common Stock at the close of trading in the over-the-counter market.

 

8.             Exercise of Option. Unless a participant withdraws from the Plan as provided in Section 10, his or her option for the purchase of shares will be exercised automatically on the Exercise Date of the Offering Period, and the maximum number of full shares subject to the option will be purchased for him or her at the applicable Exercise Price with the accumulated Contributions in his or her account. If a fractional number of shares results, then such number shall be rounded down to the next whole number and any unapplied cash shall be carried forward to the next Exercise Date, unless the participant requests a cash payment. The shares purchased upon exercise of an option hereunder shall be deemed to be transferred to the participant on the Exercise Date. During a participant’s lifetime, a participant’s option to purchase shares hereunder is exercisable only by him or her.

 

9.            Delivery. Upon the written request of a participant, certificates representing the shares purchased upon exercise of an option will be issued as promptly as practicable after the Exercise Date of each Offering Period to participants who wish to hold their shares in certificate form, except that the Board may determine that such shares shall be held for each participant’s benefit by a broker designated by the Board. Any payroll deductions accumulated in a participant’s account which are not sufficient to purchase a full Share shall be retained in the participant’s account for the subsequent Offering Period, subject to earlier withdrawal by the participant as provided in Section 10 below. Any other amounts left over in a participant’s account after an Exercise Date shall be returned to the participant.

 

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10.           Withdrawal; Termination of Employment. A participant may withdraw all but not less than all the Contributions credited to his or her account under the Plan at any time prior to the Exercise Date of the Offering Period by giving written notice to the Company or its designee. All of the participant’s Contributions credited to his or her account will be paid to him or her promptly after receipt of his or her notice of withdrawal and his or her option for the current period will be automatically terminated, and no further Contributions for the purchase of shares will be made during the Offering Period.

 

(a)                Upon termination of the participant’s Continuous Status as an Employee prior to the Exercise Date of the Offering Period for any reason, including retirement or death, the Contributions credited to his or her account will be returned to him or her or, in the case of his or her death, to the person or persons entitled thereto under Section 14, and his or her option will be automatically terminated.

 

(b)               In the event an Employee fails to remain in Continuous Status as an Employee for at least 20 hours per week during the Offering Period in which the Employee is a participant, he or she will be deemed to have elected to withdraw from the Plan and the Contributions credited to his or her account will be returned to him or her and his or her option terminated.

 

A participant’s withdrawal from an Offering Period will not have any effect upon his or her eligibility to participate in a succeeding offering or in any similar plan which may hereafter be adopted by the Company.

 

11.           Interest. No interest shall accrue on the Contributions of a participant in the Plan.

 

12.           Stock.

 

(a)                The maximum number of shares of Common Stock which shall be made available for sale under the Plan shall be 305,089 shares, subject to adjustment upon changes in capitalization of the Company as provided in Section 18. In addition to the foregoing, subject to Section 18, on the first day of each calendar year beginning on and including January 1, 2022 and ending on and including January 1, 2031, the number of shares of Common Stock available for sale under the Plan shall be increased by that number of shares equal to the lesser of (a) one percent (1%) of the number of outstanding shares on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (b) such smaller number of shares as determined by the Board. If the total number of shares which would otherwise be subject to options granted pursuant to Section 7(a) on the Offering Date of an Offering Period exceeds the number of shares then available under the Plan (after deduction of all shares for which options have been exercised), the Company shall make a pro rata allocation of the shares remaining available for option grants in as uniform a manner as shall be practicable and as it shall determine to be equitable. Any amounts remaining in an Employee’s account not applied to the purchase of shares pursuant to this Section 12 shall be refunded on or promptly after the Exercise Date. In such event, the Company shall give written notice of such reduction of the number of shares subject to the option to each Employee affected thereby and shall similarly reduce the rate of Contributions, if necessary.

 

(b)               The participant will have no interest or voting right in shares covered by his or her option until such option has been exercised.

 

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13.          Administration. The Board shall supervise and administer the Plan and shall have full power to adopt, amend and rescind any rules deemed desirable and appropriate for the administration of the Plan and not inconsistent with the Plan, to construe and interpret the Plan, to correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency or ambiguity in the Plan and to make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan, including without limitation, adopting subplans applicable to particular Designated Subsidiaries or locations, which subplans may be designed to be outside the scope of Section 423 of the Code..

 

14.           Designation of Beneficiary. A participant may designate a beneficiary who is to receive any shares and cash, if any, from the participant’s account under the Plan in the event of such participant’s death subsequent to the end of the Offering Period but prior to delivery to him or her of such shares and cash. In addition, a participant may designate a beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the participant’s account under the Plan in the event of such participant’s death prior to the Exercise Date of the Offering Period. If a participant is married and the designated beneficiary is not the spouse, spousal consent shall be required for such designation to be effective. Beneficiary designations shall be made either in writing or by electronic delivery as directed by the Company.

 

(a)                Such designation of beneficiary may be changed by the participant (and his or her spouse, if any) at any time by submission of the required notice, which may be electronic. In the event of the death of a participant and in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under the Plan who is living at the time of such participant’s death, the Company shall deliver such shares and/or cash to the executor or administrator of the estate of the participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been appointed (to the knowledge of the Company), the Company, in its discretion, may deliver such shares and/or cash to the spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of the participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company may designate.

 

15.           Transferability. Neither Contributions credited to a participant’s account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an option or to receive shares under the Plan may be assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of in any way (other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution or as provided in Section 14) by the participant. Any such attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge or other disposition shall be without effect, except that the Company may treat such act as an election to withdraw funds in accordance with Section 10.

 

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16.           Use of Funds. All Contributions received or held by the Company under the Plan may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate such Contributions.

 

17.           Reports. Individual accounts will be maintained for each participant in the Plan. Statements of account will be given to participating Employees promptly following the Exercise Date, which statements will set forth the amounts of Contributions, the per share purchase price, the number of shares purchased and the remaining cash balance, if any.

 

18.           Adjustments upon Changes in Capitalization. Subject to any required action by the stockholders of the Company, the number of shares of Common Stock covered by unexercised options under the Plan and the number of shares of Common Stock which have been authorized for issuance under the Plan but are not yet subject to options under Section 12(a) (collectively, the “Reserves”), the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be purchased by a participant in an Offering Period set forth in Section 3(b) as well as the price per share of Common Stock covered by each unexercised option under the Plan, shall be proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock resulting from a stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification of the Common Stock. Such adjustment shall be made by the Board, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding and conclusive.

 

In the event of the proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, an Offering Period then in progress will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed action, unless otherwise provided by the Board. In the event of a proposed sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the merger, consolidation or other capital reorganization of the Company with or into another corporation, each option outstanding under the Plan shall be assumed or an equivalent option shall be substituted by such successor corporation or a parent or subsidiary of such successor corporation, unless the Board determines, in the exercise of its sole discretion and in lieu of such assumption or substitution, to shorten the Offering Period then in progress by setting a new Exercise Date (the “New Exercise Date”). If the Board shortens the Offering Period then in progress in lieu of assumption or substitution in the event of a merger or sale of assets, the Board shall notify each participant in writing, at least ten days prior to the New Exercise Date, that the Exercise Date for his or her option has been changed to the New Exercise Date and that his or her option will be exercised automatically on the New Exercise Date, unless prior to such date he or she has withdrawn from the Offering Period as provided in Section 10. For purposes of this section, an option granted under the Plan shall be deemed to be assumed if, following the sale of assets, merger or other reorganization, the option confers the right to purchase, for each share of Common Stock subject to the option immediately prior to the sale of assets, merger or other reorganization, the consideration (whether stock, cash or other securities or property) received in the sale of assets, merger or other reorganization by holders of Common Stock for each share of Common Stock held on the effective date of such transaction (and if such holders were offered a choice of consideration, the type of consideration chosen by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock); provided, however, that if such consideration received in such transaction was not solely common stock of the successor corporation or its parent (as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code), the Board may, with the consent of the successor corporation, provide for the consideration to be received upon exercise of the option to be solely common stock of the successor corporation or its parent equal in fair market value to the per share consideration received by holders of Common Stock in the sale of assets, merger or other reorganization.

 

The Board may, if it so determines in the exercise of its sole discretion, also make provision for adjusting the Reserves, as well as the price per share of Common Stock covered by each outstanding option, in the event that the Company effects one or more reorganizations, recapitalizations, rights offerings or other increases or reductions of shares of its outstanding Common Stock, and in the event of the Company being consolidated with or merged into any other corporation.

 

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19.           Amendment or Termination.

 

(a)                The Board may at any time terminate or amend the Plan. Except as provided in Section 18, no such termination may affect options previously granted, nor may an amendment make any change in any option theretofore granted which adversely affects the rights of any participant provided that an Offering Period may be terminated by the Board on an Exercise Date or by the Board’s setting a new Exercise Date with respect to an Offering Period then in progress if the Board determines that termination of the Offering Period is in the best interests of the Company and the stockholders or if continuation of the Offering Period would cause the Company to incur adverse accounting charges in the generally-accepted accounting rules applicable to the Plan. In addition, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 423 of the Code (or any successor rule or provision or any applicable law or regulation), the Company shall obtain stockholder approval in such a manner and to such a degree as so required.

 

(b)               Without stockholder consent and without regard to whether any participant rights may be considered to have been adversely affected, the Board shall be entitled to change the Offering Periods, limit the frequency and/or number of changes in the amount withheld during an Offering Period, establish the exchange ratio applicable to amounts withheld in a currency other than U.S. dollars, permit payroll withholding in excess of the amount designated by a participant in order to adjust for delays or mistakes in the Company’s processing of properly completed withholding elections, establish reasonable waiting and adjustment periods and/or accounting and crediting procedures to ensure that amounts applied toward the purchase of Common Stock for each participant properly correspond with amounts withheld from the participant’s Compensation, and establish such other limitations or procedures as the Board determines in its sole discretion advisable that are consistent with the Plan.

 

20.           Notices. All notices or other communications by a participant to the Company under or in connection with the Plan shall be deemed to have been duly given when received in the form specified by the Company at the location, or by the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.

 

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21.           Conditions upon Issuance of Shares. Shares shall not be issued with respect to an option unless the exercise of such option and the issuance and delivery of such shares pursuant thereto shall comply with all applicable provisions of law, domestic or foreign, including, without limitation, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the requirements of any stock exchange upon which the shares may then be listed, and shall be further subject to the approval of counsel for the Company with respect to such compliance.

 

As a condition to the exercise of an option, the Company may require the person exercising such option to represent and warrant at the time of any such exercise that the shares are being purchased only for investment and without any present intention to sell or distribute such shares if, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, such a representation is required by any of the aforementioned applicable provisions of law.

 

22.          Information Regarding Disqualifying Dispositions. By electing to participate in the Plan, each participant agrees to provide any information about any transfer of shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan that occurs within two years after the first business day of the Offering Period in which such shares were acquired as may be requested by the Company or any Subsidiaries in order to assist it in complying with the tax laws.

 

23.           Right to Terminate Employment. Nothing in the Plan or in any agreement entered into pursuant to the Plan shall confer upon any Employee the right to continue in the employment of the Company or any Subsidiary, or affect any right which the Company or any Subsidiary may have to terminate the employment of such Employee.

 

24.           Rights as a Stockholder. Neither the granting of an option nor a deduction from payroll shall constitute an Employee the owner of shares covered by an option. No Employee shall have any right as a stockholder unless and until an option has been exercised, and the shares underlying the option have been registered in the Company’s share register.

 

25.           Term of Plan. The Plan became effective upon its adoption by the Board on June 30, 2021 and shall continue in effect through June 30, 2031, unless sooner terminated under Section 19.

 

26.           Applicable Law. This Plan shall be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, applied without giving effect to any conflict-of-law principles.

 

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Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

  

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” and to the use of our report dated March 26, 2021 (except for Note 1 and paragraph 5 of Note 16, as to which the date is May 5, 2021, except for paragraph 6 of Note 16, as to which the date is July 7, 2021), in the Registration Statement (Form S-1 No. 333-257038) and related Prospectus of Sera Prognostics, Inc. for the registration of 4,687,500 shares of its common stock.

 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

 

Salt Lake City, Utah

July 7, 2021