IMPINJ INC Stock Compensation Disclosure
Note 10. Stock-Based Awards
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
The following table presents the detail of stock-based compensation expense amounts included in our consolidated statements of operations for the periods presented (in thousands):
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||||
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|||
Cost of revenue |
$ |
2,042 |
|
|
$ |
2,034 |
|
|
$ |
1,869 |
|
Research and development expense |
|
27,012 |
|
|
|
25,666 |
|
|
|
21,307 |
|
Sales and marketing expense |
|
6,653 |
|
|
|
10,774 |
|
|
|
10,240 |
|
General and administrative expense |
|
19,556 |
|
|
|
18,072 |
|
|
|
14,570 |
|
Total stock-based compensation expense |
$ |
55,263 |
|
|
$ |
56,546 |
|
|
$ |
47,986 |
|
2016 Equity Incentive Plan
In June 2016, our board of directors adopted and our stockholders approved our 2016 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2016 Plan, which became effective in July 2016 at which time the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2010 Plan, was terminated. The number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2016 Plan may increase on January 1 of each year, beginning on January 1, 2017 and ending on and including January 1, 2026, by the lesser of (1) 1,825,000 shares; (2) 5% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year; and (3) a lesser number of shares determined by our board of directors. The 2016 Plan provides for granting incentive or non-qualified stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights and performance shares or performance units to employees, non-employee directors and consultants. We have not issued options or PSUs under the 2016 Plan since the year ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
All options historically granted under the 2010 Plan and the 2016 Plan have a maximum 10-year term and generally vest and become exercisable over four years of continued employment or service as defined in each option agreement. As allowed under the 2016 Plan, there are a few exceptions to this vesting schedule, which permit vesting at different rates or based on achieving performance targets. We use newly issued shares to satisfy option exercises. As of December 31, 2025, we had approximately 4.7 million shares of common stock available for future grants.
Stock Options
The following table summarizes option award activity for the year ended December 31, 2025 (in thousands, except per share data and years):
|
|
Number of |
|
|
Weighted-Average |
|
|
Weighted-Average |
|
|
Total Intrinsic |
|
||||
Outstanding at December 31, 2024 |
|
|
787 |
|
|
$ |
26.28 |
|
|
|
4.24 |
|
|
$ |
93,654 |
|
Granted |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Exercised |
|
|
(349 |
) |
|
|
24.54 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Forfeited or expired |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Outstanding at December 31, 2025 |
|
|
438 |
|
|
|
27.67 |
|
|
|
3.65 |
|
|
|
64,054 |
|
Vested and exercisable at December 31, 2025 |
|
|
438 |
|
|
$ |
27.67 |
|
|
|
3.65 |
|
|
$ |
64,054 |
|
The total intrinsic value of options exercised during 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $38.9 million, $85.1 million and $19.1 million, respectively. The total grant date fair value of options vested was immaterial during 2025 and $1.0 million and $3.3 million during 2024 and 2023, respectively.
As of December 31, 2025, there was no unrecognized stock-based compensation cost related to unvested stock options.
Restricted Stock Units
The following table summarizes activity for restricted stock units, or RSUs and MSUs for the year ended December 31, 2025 (in thousands, except per share data):
|
|
|
Number of Underlying Shares |
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value |
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
RSUs |
|
|
MSUs |
|
|
RSUs |
|
|
MSUs |
|
||||
Outstanding at December 31, 2024 |
|
|
|
920 |
|
|
|
239 |
|
|
$ |
111.50 |
|
|
$ |
192.06 |
|
Granted |
|
|
|
397 |
|
|
|
105 |
|
|
|
109.69 |
|
|
|
156.70 |
|
Vested |
|
|
|
(459 |
) |
|
|
(87 |
) |
|
|
101.19 |
|
|
|
106.89 |
|
Forfeited |
|
|
|
(87 |
) |
|
|
(38 |
) |
|
|
106.76 |
|
|
|
200.53 |
|
Outstanding at December 31, 2025 |
|
|
|
771 |
|
|
|
219 |
|
|
$ |
117.24 |
|
|
$ |
220.35 |
|
We record stock-based compensation expense for RSUs and MSUs on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period. Forfeitures are recognized as they occur.
In fiscal year 2022, we transitioned to a bonus plan that was half cash and half PSUs. The number of annual PSUs that ultimately vest depends on us attaining certain financial metrics for the fiscal year as well as on the employee’s continued employment through the vesting date. In fiscal year 2023, we transitioned to an all cash bonus plan.
The following table summarizes information related to granted and vested RSUs, PSUs and MSUs (in thousands, except per share data):
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||||
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|||
RSU weighted-average grant date fair value |
$ |
109.69 |
|
|
$ |
134.76 |
|
|
$ |
119.12 |
|
MSU weighted-average grant date fair value |
|
156.70 |
|
|
|
160.32 |
|
|
|
145.51 |
|
PSU weighted-average grant date fair value |
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Fair market value of RSUs vested |
$ |
57,836 |
|
|
$ |
74,358 |
|
|
$ |
64,417 |
|
Fair market value of MSUs vested |
|
8,813 |
|
|
|
9,829 |
|
|
|
7,219 |
|
Fair market value of PSUs vested |
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
7,261 |
|
As of December 31, 2025, our total unrecognized stock-based compensation cost related to unvested MSUs was $23.5 million, which we will recognize over the weighted-average period of 1.3 years. As of December 31, 2025, there was $81.2 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested RSUs, which we expect to recognize over a weighted-average period of 2.5 years.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Effective July 2016, we adopted the 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the ESPP, allowing eligible employees to authorize payroll deductions of up to 15% of their eligible compensation. An ESPP participant may purchase a maximum of 4,000 shares, or a lesser number as determined by the IRS rules, each six-month period. The offering periods generally start on the first trading day on or after February 20 and August 20 of each year. Participants in an offering period are granted the right to purchase common shares at a price per share that is 85% of the lesser of the fair market value of the shares on (1) the first day of the offering period or (2) the end of the purchase period. The number of shares reserved for the ESPP may increase each year, beginning on January 1, 2017 and continuing through and including January 1, 2036, by the lesser of: (1) 1% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding on the first day of each year; (2) 365,411 shares of common stock; and (3) an amount determined by our board of directors.
As of December 31, 2025, the total unrecognized stock-based compensation from the ESPP was $0.3 million, which we will recognize on a straight-line basis over the weighted-average remaining service period of less than one year.
We estimate the fair value of the ESPP grant at the start of the offering period using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions for the periods presented:
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
||||
|
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
Risk-free interest rate |
|
4.1% - 4.3% |
|
5.0% - 5.3% |
|
5.1% - 5.6% |
Expected term |
|
0.5 Years |
|
0.5 Years |
|
0.5 Years |
Expected volatility |
|
53.2% - 80.6% |
|
59.9% - 61.6% |
|
64.7% - 85.9% |
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.