Note 12 – Share Based Compensation

Predecessor 2016 and 2006 Equity Incentive Plans

Under the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (2006 Plan), the Company was authorized to grant incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards and RSUs. No additional awards may be granted under the 2006 Plan.

In February 2016, the Company adopted the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (2016 Plan) as a successor to and continuation of the prior 2006 Plan. The 2016 Plan provided for the grant of incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, RSUs, and other stock awards to directors, employees, and consultants. Awards granted under the 2016 Plan or the 2006 Plan that were unallocated, expired or otherwise terminated, or were forfeited, cancelled, or repurchased by the Company, became available for future issuance under the 2016 Plan. In addition, shares subject to an award were withheld to satisfy a participant’s tax withholding obligations, or were reacquired by the Company as consideration for the exercise or purchase price of a stock award also became available for future issuance under the 2016 Incentive Plan. No additional awards may be granted under the 2016 Plan.

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

Effective upon the closing of our IPO, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (2020 Plan), which replaced the 2016 Plan. The 2020 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, RSUs, performance awards and other stock awards. Officers, directors, employees, consultants, agents, and independent contractors who provide services to the Company may receive awards. The terms of all awards are governed by an agreement between the Company and the recipients, as administered and approved by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors). Any awards that expire or are forfeited under the 2016 Plan or 2006 Plan become available for issuance under the 2020 Plan.

The 2020 Plan includes an annual increase on the first day of each calendar year, beginning with the calendar year ending December 31, 2022, and continuing until, and including, the calendar year ending December 31, 2030. The annual increase will be equal to the lesser of (i) 4% of the number of shares of our common stock issued and outstanding as of December 31st of the immediately preceding calendar year and (ii) such lesser amount determined by the Board of Directors.

To the extent an equity award granted under the 2020 Plan (other than any substitute award) or granted under any other equity plan maintained by us under which awards are outstanding as of the effective date of the 2020 Plan (the Prior Plans) expires or otherwise terminates without having been exercised or paid in full, or is settled in cash, the shares subject to such award will become available for future grant under the 2020 Plan. In addition, to the extent shares subject to an award are withheld to satisfy a participant’s tax withholding obligation upon the exercise or settlement of such award (other than any substitute award) or to pay the exercise price of a

stock option granted under the 2020 Plan or a prior plan, such shares will become available for future grant under the 2020 Plan. The total number of shares available for grant under all plans as of December 31, 2025 was 98,393.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Effective with our IPO in October 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors and its stockholders approved the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the ESPP). The maximum number of shares of our common stock available under the ESPP will automatically increase on the first trading day of each calendar year by an amount equal to the lesser of (i) 1% of the shares of our common stock issued and outstanding on December 31st of the immediately preceding calendar year, (ii) 16,905 shares of our common stock or (iii) an amount determined by our Board of Directors.

Subject to any plan limitations, the ESPP allows eligible employees to contribute, normally through payroll deductions, up to 15% of their earnings for the purchase of the Company’s common stock at a discounted price per share. The price at which common stock is purchased under the ESPP is equal to 85% of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the first or last day of the offering period, whichever is lower. No employee may participate in an offering period if the employee owns 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of the Company’s stock. The ESPP provides for successive six-month offering periods beginning on September 1st and March 1st of each year. During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, 48,608 shares and 23,591 shares were issued under the ESPP, respectively. The total number of shares available for grant under the ESPP as of December 31, 2025 was 49,642.

Description of Awards Granted

The Company has granted incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, performance-based stock options, and RSUs.

Incentive stock options, which may only be issued to employees, are granted at an exercise price per share equal to the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date, and vest over time as determined by the Compensation Committee, provided that the term of the options may not exceed ten years from the date of grant. Accelerated vesting may occur in the event of an optionee's death, disability, or other events.

Non-statutory stock options, which may be issued to employees, non-employees and directors, are granted at an exercise price per share equal to the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date, and vest over time as determined by the Compensation Committee, provided that the term of the options may not exceed ten years from the date of grant. Accelerated vesting may occur in the event of an optionee's death, disability, or other events.

RSUs and the related terms and conditions are awarded at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. RSU holders have a contractual right to receive a share of common stock when vested. RSUs vest over time as determined by the Compensation Committee. RSU agreements may provide for accelerated vesting in the event of a stock unit holder's death, disability, or retirement or other events.

Our Compensation Committee may grant other stock awards that are based on or related to shares of our common stock, such as awards of shares of common stock granted as bonus and not subject to any vesting conditions, deferred stock units, stock purchase rights, performance-based stock options and shares of our common stock issued in lieu of our obligations to pay cash under any compensatory plan or arrangement.

Bonus-To-Options Program

The Company also had a Bonus-to-Options Program (the Bonus Option Program) which was separate from previously described plans and was initially adopted by the Board of Directors in 2008, and subsequently amended and restated in 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2022. The Bonus Option Program, which is limited to participation of the Chief Executive Officer, direct reports to the Chief Executive Officer and Vice Presidents of the Company, allowed participants who so elected to convert a portion of their annual cash bonus into fully vested, non-qualified stock options to purchase shares of common stock (Bonus Options). The exercise price for the options under the Bonus Option Program equaled the closing market price of the Company's common stock on the grant date, as disclosed below under “Fair Value of Common Stock”. Beginning with fiscal year 2025, the Company terminated the Bonus Option Program to convert future annual cash bonuses to stock options. Bonus options previously granted through the Bonus Option Program will remain vested and outstanding until they are exercised, forfeited, or expire. Bonus Options issued must be exercised within a ten-year term.

The Company recorded the following activity related to the Bonus Option Program during the year ended December 31, 2025 (in thousands, excepted weighted average exercise price and weighted average contractual life):

 

 

Number of
Options

 

 

Weighted Average
Exercise Price

 

 

Weighted Average
Contractual
Life (Years)

 

 

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value

 

Outstanding ‑ January 1, 2025

 

 

68

 

 

$

40.84

 

 

 

8.0

 

 

$

35

 

Granted

 

 

36

 

 

 

18.42

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited/canceled

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding ‑ December 31, 2025

 

 

104

 

 

$

33.15

 

 

 

7.7

 

 

$

 

Exercisable ‑ December 31, 2025

 

 

104

 

 

$

33.15

 

 

 

7.7

 

 

$

 

The Company recorded no expense during the year ended December 31, 2025 and $0.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, associated with the estimate of options to be delivered to eligible participants under the Bonus Option Program and which were granted in the first quarter of 2025, by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. In determining the amount of share-based compensation to recognize under the Bonus Option Program, the Company estimated the bonus attainment for the year and determined the expected number of options to be delivered to eligible participants. A Black-Scholes option pricing model was used to determine the estimated fair value of the expected number of options to be delivered to eligible participants. The key elements in determining the estimated fair value included assumptions for volatility, the risk-free interest rate, expected dividends and strike price, utilizing the measurement date closing stock price until the grants are authorized.

Share-Based Compensation Expense

Share-based compensation expense reported in the Company’s statements of operations was (in thousands):

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Direct costs and expenses

 

$

135

 

 

$

82

 

Research and development

 

 

384

 

 

 

333

 

Sales, marketing, general and administrative

 

 

3,620

 

 

 

6,223

 

Total

 

$

4,139

 

 

$

6,638

 

The unrecognized remaining share-based compensation expense for options and RSUs was approximately $3.9 million as of December 31, 2025 and is expected to be amortized to expense over the next 2.2 years.

Stock Options

Stock option activity during the year ended December 31, 2025, excluding the Bonus Option Program described above, was (in thousands, except weighted average exercise price and weighted average contractual life):

 

 

Number of
Options

 

 

Weighted Average
Exercise Price

 

 

Weighted Average
Contractual
Life (Years)

 

 

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value

 

Outstanding - January 1, 2025

 

 

208

 

 

$

49.74

 

 

 

7.7

 

 

$

718

 

Granted

 

 

157

 

 

 

16.07

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited/canceled

 

 

(29

)

 

 

42.08

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding ‑ December 31, 2025

 

 

336

 

 

$

33.58

 

 

 

7.8

 

 

$

17

 

Exercisable ‑ December 31, 2025

 

 

168

 

 

$

44.03

 

 

 

6.8

 

 

$

17

 

The weighted average fair value of the Bonus Options and stock options to purchase common stock granted during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $12.18 and $22.74, respectively.

Fair Value of Stock Options

The estimated grant date fair value of stock options was calculated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, based on the following assumptions:

Expected Term: The expected term represents the period that the options granted are expected to be outstanding using the simplified method (based on the mid-point between the vesting date and the end of the contractual term).
Expected Volatility: The Company uses an average historical stock price of selected comparable companies over the expected term of the awards as the Company does not have sufficient trading history for its common stock.
Risk-Free Interest Rate: The Company uses the risk-free interest rate over the expected term of the options based on the constant maturity rate of U.S. Treasury securities with similar maturities as of the date of the grant.
Expected Dividend Yield: The Company is currently subject to restrictions on the payment of dividends (see Note 8 – Debt) and no dividends have been declared as of December 31, 2025 and 2024. The Company has not paid and does not anticipate paying any dividends in the near future. Therefore, the expected dividend yield was zero.

The fair value of each option grant was estimated on the grant date with the following weighted average assumptions for the years indicated:

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Expected term (in years)

 

 

5.59

 

 

 

5.85

 

Expected volatility

 

 

88.6

%

 

 

78.1

%

Risk‑free rate

 

 

4.41

%

 

 

3.86

%

Expected dividend yield

 

 

%

 

 

%

Restricted Stock Units

Restricted stock unit activity during the year ended December 31, 2025 was (in thousands, except weighted average grant date fair value per share):

 

 

Number of Shares

 

 

Weighted Average
Grant Date Fair Value Per Share

 

Outstanding ‑ January 1, 2025

 

 

188

 

 

$

36.84

 

Granted

 

 

63

 

 

 

13.60

 

Forfeited/canceled

 

 

(1

)

 

 

44.65

 

Released

 

 

(37

)

 

 

38.10

 

Outstanding ‑ December 31, 2025

 

 

213

 

 

$

29.74

 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 26, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 3, 2025

About Stock Compensation Disclosures

Stock-based compensation disclosures detail the equity awards granted to employees and executives — including stock options, restricted stock units (RSUs), and performance shares — along with the valuation methods and assumptions used to expense them. This section reveals the true cost of talent retention and the alignment between management incentives and shareholder interests.

Key signals: total unrecognized compensation expense and its expected recognition period signal future earnings headwinds from already-granted awards. For stock options, examine Black-Scholes assumptions — expected volatility, risk-free rate, and expected term — as understating any of these reduces reported compensation expense. Compare stock compensation expense as a percentage of revenue against peers to assess dilution cost. Watch vesting schedules for acceleration clauses tied to change-of-control events. Performance-based awards with undemanding targets may indicate weak governance. Add back stock compensation to operating cash flow to calculate a more conservative free cash flow figure.