Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 6 – Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Leases

On September 10, 2014, the Company entered into a Lease Agreement with Balzer Family Investments, L.P. (the “Landlord”) related to space located at Northpointe Business Center, 3590 North First Street, San Jose, California. The initial term of the lease is 60 months, with initial monthly base rent of $36,720 and the lease is subject to certain annual escalations as defined in the agreement. The Company issued to the Landlord 41,563 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $500,000, of which $400,000 will be applied to reduce the Company’s monthly base rent obligation by $6,732 per month and of which $100,000 was for certain tenant improvements. The Company recorded $400,000 as prepaid rent on its balance sheet, which is being amortized over the term of the lease and recorded $100,000 as leasehold improvements.

On February 26, 2015, the Company entered into a sub-lease agreement for additional space in the San Jose, California area. The agreement has a term which expires on June 30, 2019 and a current monthly rent of $6,668 per month. On August 25, 2015, the Company entered into an additional amended sub-lease agreement for additional space in San Jose, California. The agreement has a term which expires on June 30, 2019 and a current monthly rent of $4,578 per month. These leases are subject to certain annual escalations as defined in the agreements.

Note 6 – Commitments and Contingencies, continued

Operating Leases, continued

On May 31, 2017, the Company renewed a lease agreement for the Company’s space in Costa Mesa, California. The agreement has a term that expires on September 30, 2019 with a current monthly rent of $9,437 and is subject to certain annual escalations as defined in the agreement.

The Company is currently negotiating a renewal of its main operating leases.

The future minimum lease payments for leased locations are as follows:

 

For the Year Ended December 31,

 

Amount

 

2019

 

$

457,585

 

Total

 

$

457,585

 

 

Hosted Design Solution Agreement

On June 25, 2015, the Company entered into a three-year agreement to license electronic design automation software in a hosted environment. Pursuant to the agreement, under which services began July 2015, the Company is required to remit quarterly payments in the amount of approximately $101,000 with the last payment due March 30, 2018. On December 18, 2015, the agreement was amended to redefine the hardware and software configuration and the quarterly payments increased to approximately $198,000. In July 2018, the Company renewed the agreement for an additional three years, and the Company is required to remit quarterly payments of approximately $218,000, with the last payment due in March 2021.

 

Litigations, Claims, and Assessments

The Company may be involved in various disputes, claims, liens and litigation matters arising in the normal course of business. While the outcome of these disputes, claims, liens and litigation matters cannot be predicted with certainty, after consulting with legal counsel, management does not believe that the outcome of these matters will have a material adverse effect on the Company's combined financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

MBO Bonus Plan

On March 15, 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors (“Board”), on the recommendation of the Board’s Compensation Committee (“Compensation Committee”), approved the Energous Corporation MBO Bonus Plan (“Bonus Plan”) for executive officers of the Company. To be eligible to receive a bonus under the Bonus Plan, an executive officer must be continuously employed throughout the applicable performance period, and in good standing, and achieve the performance objectives selected by the Compensation Committee.

Under the Bonus Plan, the Compensation Committee is responsible for selecting the amounts of potential bonuses for executive officers, the performance metrics used to determine whether any such bonuses will be paid and determining whether those performance metrics have been achieved.

During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recognized a total of $1,440,671 in expense under the Bonus Plan. As of December 31, 2018, $234,675 of this amount was not yet paid and is included under accrued expenses.

Severance and Change in Control Agreement

On March 15, 2018, the Compensation Committee approved a form of Severance and Change in Control Agreement (“Severance Agreement”) that the Company may enter into with executive officers (“Executive”).

Under the Severance Agreement, if an Executive is terminated in a qualifying termination, the Company agrees to pay the Executive six to 12 months of that Executive’s monthly base salary. If Executive elects continued coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”) the Company will pay the full amount of Executive’s premiums under the Company’s health, dental and vision plans, including coverage for the Executive’s eligible dependents, for the six to 12 month period following the Executive’s termination.

Amended Employee Agreement – Stephen Rizzone

On April 3, 2015, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement with Stephen R. Rizzone, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer (“Employment Agreement”).

The Employment Agreement has an effective date of January 1, 2015 and an initial term of four years (the “Initial Employment Period”) with an automatic one year renewal. The Employment Agreement provides for an annual base salary of $365,000, and Mr. Rizzone is eligible to receive quarterly cash bonuses with a total target amount equal to 100% of his base salary based upon achievement of performance-based objectives established by the Company’s board of directors.

Note 6 – Commitments and Contingencies, continued

Amended Employee Agreement – Stephen Rizzone, continued

Pursuant to Mr. Rizzone’s prior employment agreement, on December 12, 2013 Mr. Rizzone was granted a ten year option to purchase 275,689 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.68 vesting over four years in 48 monthly installments beginning October 1, 2013 (“First Option”). Mr. Rizzone was also granted a second option award to purchase 496,546 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 (“Second Option”). The Second Option vests over the same vesting schedule as the First Option.

Effective May 21, 2015, with the approval by the Company’s stockholders of its new performance-based equity plan, the Employment Agreement provided and Mr. Rizzone received, a grant of 639,075 Performance Share Units (the “PSUs”). The PSUs, which represent the right to receive shares of common stock, shall be earned based on the Company’s achievement of market capitalization growth between the effective date of the Employment Agreement and the end of the Initial Employment Period. If the Company’s market capitalization is $100 million or less, no PSUs will be earned. If the Company reaches a market capitalization of $1.1 billion or more, 100% of the PSUs will be earned. For market capitalization between $100 million and $1.1 billion, the percentage of PSUs earned will be determined on a quarterly basis based on straight line interpolation. PSUs earned as of the end of a calendar quarter will be paid 50% immediately and 50% will be deferred until the end of the Initial Employment Period subject to Mr. Rizzone’s continued employment with the Company (See Note 8).

Mr. Rizzone is also eligible to receive all customary and usual benefits generally available to senior executives of the Company.

The Employment Agreement provides that if Mr. Rizzone’s employment is terminated due to his death or disability, if Mr. Rizzone’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or if he resigns for good reason, twenty-five percent (25%) of the shares subject to the First Option and the Second Option shall immediately vest and become exercisable, he will have a period of one year post-termination to exercise the First Option and the Second Option, and if a Liquidation Event (as defined in the Employment Agreement) shall occur prior to the termination of the First Option and the Second Option, one hundred percent (100%) of the shares subject to the First Option and Second Option shall immediately vest and become exercisable effective immediately prior to the consummation of the Liquidation Event. In addition, any outstanding deferred PSUs shall be immediately vested and paid, but any remaining unearned portion of the PSUs shall immediately be canceled and forfeited.

Strategic Alliance Agreement

In November 2016, the Company and Dialog Semiconductor plc (“Dialog”), a related party (see Note 10—Related Party Transactions), entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement (“Alliance Agreement”) for the manufacture, distribution and commercialization of products incorporating the Company’s wire-free charging technology (“Licensed Products”). Pursuant to the terms of the Alliance Agreement, the Company agreed to engage Dialog as the exclusive supplier of the Licensed Products for specified fields of use, subject to certain exceptions (the “Company Exclusivity Requirement”). Dialog agreed to not distribute, sell or work with any third party to develop any competing products without the Company’s approval (the “Dialog Exclusivity Requirement”). In addition, both parties agreed on a revenue sharing arrangement and will collaborate on the commercialization of Licensed Products based on a mutually-agreed upon plan. Each party will retain all of its intellectual property.

The Alliance Agreement has an initial term of seven years and will automatically renew annually thereafter unless terminated by either party upon 180 days’ prior written notice. The Company may terminate the Alliance Agreement at any time after the third anniversary of the Agreement upon 180 days’ prior written notice to Dialog, or if Dialog breaches certain exclusivity obligations. Dialog may terminate the Alliance Agreement if sales of Licensed Products do not meet specified targets. The Company Exclusivity Requirement will terminate upon the earlier of January 1, 2021 or the occurrence of certain events relating to the Company’s pre-existing exclusivity obligations. The Dialog Exclusivity Requirement will terminate if no Licensed Products have received the necessary Federal Communications Commission approvals within specified timeframes.