8. Stock Plan

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

The 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”) was approved by the Company’s board of directors on September 24, 2020. The 2020 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units, restricted stock awards, unrestricted stock awards, cash-based awards and dividend equivalent rights to the Company’s officers, employees, directors and consultants. The number of shares of common stock initially reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan was 4,406,374, which shall be increased, upon approval by the Company’s board of directors, on January 1, 2021 and each January 1 thereafter, in an amount equal to the least of (i) 4,406,374 shares of common stock, (ii) five percent (5%) of the outstanding common stock on the immediately preceding December 31, or (iii) such number of common stock determined by the board of directors no later than the immediately preceding December 31. For 2022, the board’s compensation committee, as the 2020 Plan administrator, exercised its discretion under clause (iii) to increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan by a lesser amount of 1,363,084 shares, effective as of January 1, 2022. For 2023, the board’s compensation committee, as the 2020 Plan administrator, exercised its discretion under clause (iii) to increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan by a lesser amount of 1,830,853 shares, effective as of January 1, 2023. For 2024, the board’s compensation committee, as the 2020 Plan administrator, exercised its discretion under clause (ii) to increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan by 2,572,174 shares, effective as of January 1, 2024. For 2025, the board’s compensation committee, as the 2020 Plan administrator, exercised its discretion under clause (ii) to increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan by 2,596,638 shares, effective as of January 1, 2025. As of December 31, 2024, there were 5,321,104 shares available for issuance under the 2020 Plan.

On September 9, 2022, the Company granted 374,899 Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) to employees pursuant to an employee retention program approved by the board’s compensation committee. The RSU’s have graded vesting on an annual basis for two years of continuous service, as per the 2020 Plan.

On January 18, 2024, the Company granted 952,665 RSUs to employees VP-level or higher, pursuant to an employee retention program approved by the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors. The RSUs are scheduled to vest on June 30, 2025, based on approximately one and a half years of continuous service, as per the 2020 Plan.

The table below summarizes the annual grant activity under the 2020 Plan as of December 31, 2024:

 

 

 

Shares Available
for Grant

 

 

Balances December 31, 2023

 

 

4,474,411

 

 

Shares reserved for issuance

 

 

2,572,174

 

 

Options and RSUs granted

 

 

(6,331,885

)

 

Options forfeited / cancelled

 

 

4,552,488

 

 

RSU’s forfeited

 

 

53,916

 

 

Balances December 31, 2024

 

 

5,321,104

 

 

 

2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

The 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2020 ESPP”) was approved by the board of directors on September 24, 2020. A total of 400,752 shares of common stock were initially reserved for issuance under this plan, which shall be increased, upon approval by the board of directors, on January 1, 2021 and each January 1 thereafter, to the lesser of (i) 801,504 shares of common stock, (ii) 1% of the outstanding shares of common stock on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year, or (iii) an amount determined by the board of directors or any of its committees no later than the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year. For 2022, the board waived the annual increase to the shares reserved under the 2020 ESPP. For 2023, the 2020 ESPP reserved shares were increased under clause (ii) by 457,713 shares, effective as of January 1, 2023. For 2024, the 2020 ESPP reserved shares were increased under clause (ii) by 514,434 shares, effective as of January 1, 2024. For 2025, the board waived the annual increase to the shares reserved under the 2020 ESPP.

On May 20, 2024, employees of the Company exercised their right to purchase 73,152 shares under the 2020 ESPP. On November 21, 2024, employees of the Company exercised their right to purchase 89,793 shares under the 2020 ESPP. As of December 31, 2024, 365,290 shares are issued or outstanding, and there were 1,408,321 shares available for issuance, under the 2020 ESPP.

 

 

Stock Options

On July 16, 2024, the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO defining the terms and conditions of a one-time voluntary stock option exchange to its employees of certain options to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,820,491 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Option Exchange”). On August 13, 2024, the completion date of the Option Exchange, stock options covering an aggregate of 2,786,691 shares of common stock were tendered by eligible employees, and the Company granted new options at an exercise price of $1.48, the Company’s closing stock price on August 13, 2024, covering an aggregate of 2,786,691 shares of common stock under the 2020 Equity Incentive Plan in exchange for the tendered options. The new options are subject to a new three or four-year vesting schedule, vesting in equal annual installments over the vesting term. Each new option has a maximum term of ten years. The exchange of stock option was treated as a modification for accounting purposes. As a result of the Option Exchange, the Company will recognize incremental stock-based compensation expense of $1,370 over the requisite service period of the new stock options, which is three or four years. The Company will recognize the sum of the incremental stock-based compensation expense and the remaining unrecognized compensation expense for the original awards on the modification date, over the requisite service period of the new stock options.

The following table summarizes option activity for the year ended December 31, 2024:

 

 

 

Options Outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted-
Average

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted

 

 

Remaining

 

 

Aggregate

 

 

 

Number

 

 

Average

 

 

Contractual

 

 

Intrinsic

 

 

 

of

 

 

Exercise

 

 

Life

 

 

Value

 

 

 

Options

 

 

Price

 

 

(in years)

 

 

(in 000s)

 

Balances December 31, 2023

 

 

6,973,464

 

 

$

9.44

 

 

 

7.01

 

 

$

990

 

Shares reserved for issuance

 

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options granted

 

 

6,331,885

 

 

$

1.64

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options forfeited / cancelled

 

 

(4,552,488

)

 

$

11.26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options exercised

 

 

(98,948

)

 

$

0.57

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balances December 31, 2024

 

 

8,653,913

 

 

$

2.87

 

 

 

7.72

 

 

$

162

 

At December 31, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vested and expected to vest

 

 

8,653,913

 

 

$

2.87

 

 

 

7.72

 

 

$

162

 

Exercisable

 

 

3,098,756

 

 

$

5.05

 

 

 

5.21

 

 

$

77

 

 

The weighted average grant date fair value of stock options granted during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, was $4.94, $4.03, and $10.92, respectively.

The aggregate intrinsic value of options vested and exercisable as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 is calculated based on the difference between the exercise price and the fair value of the Company’s common stock. The intrinsic value of options exercised in 2024, 2023, and 2022, was $107, $892, and $3,764, respectively.

As of December 31, 2024, the total compensation cost related to nonvested service-based awards not yet recognized is $13,436. The weighted-average period over which the nonvested awards is expected to be recognized is 3.1 years.

The Company estimated the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes options valuation model. The fair value of employee stock options is being amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards. The fair value of employee stock options was estimated using the following assumptions:

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2024

 

2023

 

2022

 

Risk-free interest rate

 

3.57% - 4.69%

 

3.45% - 4.65%

 

1.48% - 4.34%

 

Expected life (in years)

 

5.50 - 6.25

 

5.50 - 6.25

 

5.50 - 6.44

 

Dividend yield

 

0%

 

0%

 

0%

 

Expected volatility

 

85.55% - 127.07%

 

75.21% - 77.72%

 

76.33% - 81.00%

 

 

The weighted average assumptions used to estimate the fair value of stock purchase rights under the ESPP are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

 

 

2024

 

2023

 

2022

 

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

 

5.43%

 

5.41%

 

3.44%

 

Expected life (in years)

 

 

 

0.5

 

0.49

 

0.49

 

Dividend yield

 

 

 

0%

 

0%

 

0%

 

Expected volatility

 

 

 

85.55%

 

76.27%

 

77.00%

 

Risk Free Interest Rate: The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yields in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected term of the option.

Expected Term: The Company uses the simplified method to calculate expected term described in the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107, which takes into account vesting term and expiration date of the options.

Dividend Yield: The Company has never declared or paid any cash dividends and does not plan to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future, and therefore, used an expected dividend yield of zero in the valuation model.

Volatility: Volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s publicly traded shares for the expected term.

Restricted Stock Units

The following table presents RSU activity under the 2020 Plan as of December 31, 2024:

 

 

 

Number of
Stock Units

 

 

Weighted-Average
Grant Date Fair Value

 

 

Unvested shares December 31, 2023

 

 

236,296

 

 

$

13.62

 

 

Granted

 

 

952,665

 

 

 

1.80

 

 

Vested

 

 

(227,379

)

 

 

13.62

 

 

Forfeited

 

 

(53,916

)

 

 

3.75

 

 

Unvested shares December 31, 2024

 

 

907,666

 

 

 

1.80

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2024, there was $561 of unrecognized compensation cost related to RSUs that are expected to vest. These costs are expected to be recognized over a weighted average remaining vesting period of 0.5 years.

Stock-based compensation expense recorded under ASC 718 related to stock options and RSUs granted and common stock issued under the 2020 ESPP were allocated to research and development and general and administrative expense as follows:

 

 

 

For the Year Ended December 31,

 

 

(in thousands)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

 

Research and development

 

$

3,656

 

 

$

5,518

 

 

$

3,466

 

 

General and administrative

 

 

5,216

 

 

 

6,857

 

 

 

6,729

 

 

Total stock-based compensation

 

$

8,872

 

 

$

12,375

 

 

$

10,195

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation expense by award type included within the consolidated statements of operations is as follows:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

(in thousands)

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

 

Stock options

 

$

6,732

 

 

$

9,745

 

 

$

9,174

 

 

Restricted stock units

 

 

1,939

 

 

 

2,413

 

 

 

790

 

 

Employee stock purchase plan

 

 

201

 

 

 

217

 

 

 

231

 

 

Total stock-based compensation

 

$

8,872

 

 

$

12,375

 

 

$

10,195

 

 

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.