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Share Name | Share Symbol | Market | Type |
---|---|---|---|
SEALSQ Corporation | NASDAQ:LAES | NASDAQ | Common Stock |
Price Change | % Change | Share Price | Bid Price | Offer Price | High Price | Low Price | Open Price | Shares Traded | Last Trade | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0.7399 | 36.81% | 2.7499 | 2.74 | 2.75 | 3.00 | 2.12 | 2.255 | 70,364,268 | 00:59:58 |
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration Number 333-283358
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus dated November 27, 2024)
13,157,896 Ordinary Shares
of
SEALSQ Corp
We are offering in a registered direct offering to certain existing investors (the “Investors”) 13,157,896 Ordinary Shares, par value US$0.01 per share (our “Ordinary Shares”), at an offering price of $1.90 per Ordinary Share. The Ordinary Shares offered to the Investors will be issued pursuant to this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus, and a securities purchase agreement, dated December 17, 2024, by and among us and the Investors (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”).
We engaged Maxim Group LLC to act as our sole placement agent (the “Placement Agent”) in connection with this offering. The Placement Agent is not purchasing the securities offered by us in this offering and is not required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities.
Our Ordinary Shares are listed on Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “LAES.” The last reported sale price of our Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on December 17, 2024 was $2.98 per share.
We are an emerging growth company as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and, as such, are subject to certain reduced public company reporting requirements.
Investing in our Ordinary Shares involves a high degree of risk and uncertainty. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-7 of this prospectus supplement, on page 3 of the accompanying base prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus concerning factors you should consider before investing in our Ordinary Shares.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Per Ordinary Share | Total | |||||||
Public offering price | $ | 1.90 | $ | 25,000,002.40 | ||||
Placement agent fees(1) | $ | 0.133 | $ | 1,750,000.17 | ||||
Proceeds to us, before expenses | $ | 1.767 | $ | 23,250,002.23 |
(1) | We have agreed to reimburse the placement agents for certain of their offering-related expenses. See “Plan of Distribution” for additional information regarding placement agent fees and estimated expenses. |
The delivery to purchasers of the securities offered and sold in this offering is expected to be made on or about December 19, 2024, subject to satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions.
MAXIM GROUP LLC
Prospectus Supplement dated December 17, 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT | S-ii |
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS | S-1 |
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY | S-3 |
THE OFFERING | S-6 |
RISK FACTORS | S-7 |
USE OF PROCEEDS | S-8 |
CAPITALIZATION | S-9 |
DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL | S-10 |
CERTAIN TAX CONSIDERATIONS | S-11 |
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION | S-13 |
EXPENSES | S-15 |
LEGAL MATTERS | S-16 |
EXPERTS | S-16 |
ENFORCEMENT OF JUDGMENTS | S-16 |
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | S-16 |
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS | S-16 |
PROSPECTUS
Page
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus are part of a registration statement on Form F-3 (Registration No. 333-283358) that we filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this “shelf” registration process, we may, from time to time, sell or issue any of the combination of securities described in the accompanying base prospectus in one or more offerings with a maximum aggregate offering price of up to US$100,000,000. The accompanying base prospectus provides you with a general description of us and the securities we may offer, some of which do not apply to this offering. Each time we sell securities, we provide a prospectus supplement that contains specific information about the terms of that offering. A prospectus supplement may also add, update, or change information contained in the accompanying base prospectus.
This prospectus supplement relates to the offering of our Ordinary Shares. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement. This prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus, and the documents we incorporate by reference herein and therein include important information about us and our Ordinary Shares and other information you should know before investing. You should read both this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, together with the additional information described below under the heading “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus, and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted or in which the person making that offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein is accurate only as of the date of those respective documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. You should carefully read this entire prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, including the information included and referred to under “Risk Factors” below, the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying base prospectus, and the financial statements and the other information incorporated by reference in the accompanying base prospectus, before making an investment decision.
We prepare our financial statements in United States dollars and in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles.
All references in this prospectus to “$,” “US$,” “U.S. Dollars” and “dollars” are to United States dollars.
Unless otherwise indicated, references to “SEALSQ,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” “us” or similar terms refer to the registrant, SEALSQ Corp, and its subsidiaries, except where the context otherwise requires.
This prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein include trademarks, service marks and trade names owned by us or other companies. Solely for convenience, trademarks referred to in this prospectus, including logos, artwork and other visual displays, may appear without the ® or ™ symbols. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies. All trademarks, service marks and trade names included or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement are the property of their respective owners.
S-ii
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement and the documents that we have filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of our operations or our performance. Words such as “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “forecasts” and variations of such words and similar expressions, as they relate to us, WISeKey, our management or third parties, are intended to identify the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our business strategy, financial performance, results of operations, market data, events or developments that SEALSQ expects or anticipates will occur in the future, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding:
· | Our anticipated goals, growth strategies and profitability; |
· | Future operating or financial results; |
· | Our planned capital expenditure program for additional production lines to be added to our supply chain; |
· | Our intention to make investments in sales and marketing operations including R&D of new products such as post-quantum cryptography; |
· | Our plans for global customer base expansion; |
· | Our intention to establish a Design Center, OSAT and Personalization project; |
· | Our anticipated pipe growth in 2024 and 2025; |
· | Our belief that the products resulting from our R&D will create additional opportunities for growth; |
· | Our expectation about the development of the markets for SEALSQ, including expanding the role of Metaverse, increase in cyber threats and growth of secure hardware market, growing demand for IoT solutions, increase in cybersecurity spending based on the recent regulations and legislation; |
· | Our intent to invest heavily in the ongoing development of our products and technology; |
· | Our expectation that we will continue to gain several benefits from our parent company, WISeKey, including cash management via a loan agreement, and the financial reporting and legal support via certain service agreements; and |
· | Assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. |
The preceding list is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all of our forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations of future performance, taking into account the information currently available to us and are only predictions based upon our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Those factors include, in addition to those set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference herein, among others, the following:
· | The inability to realize estimated financial position, results of operations or cash flows; |
· | Our ability to anticipate market needs and opportunities; |
· | Our ability to attract new customers and retain existing customer base; |
· | Our ability to foster innovation and to develop new products and enhancements to our existing products; |
· | The demand for our products or for the goods into which our products are incorporated; |
· | Our expectation that order commitments and non-cancellable orders we received are properly executed; |
· | The sufficiency of our cash and cash equivalents to meet our liquidity needs; |
· | The impact of any supply chain disruption that we may experience; |
· | Our dependency on the timely supply of equipment and materials from our third-party suppliers; |
· | Our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; |
· | Our ability to keep pace with technical advances in cryptography and semiconductor design; |
S-1
· | Our ability to raise funds for investment by cash flow from operating activities, external financing and investment, advance payments from a key customer, and grants and other available subsidies from funding agencies; |
· | Our ability to reduce our cost structure and general and administrative costs; |
· | Our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; |
· | Our ability to attract new customers and retain and expand within our existing customer base; |
· | Our ability to foster innovation, to develop new products and enhancements to our existing products; |
· | The future growth of the information technology and cybersecurity industry; |
· | Risks relating to SEALSQ’s ability to implement its growth strategies; |
· | Our ability to successfully form new strategic partnerships with our alliance partners; |
· | Our ability to continue beneficial transactions with material parties, including WISeKey and a limited number of significant customers; |
· | Our ability to prevent security breaches and unauthorized access to confidential customer information; |
· | Our ability to comply with modified or new laws and regulations relating to our industries; |
· | The activities of our competitors and the introduction of competing products by our competitors; |
· | Market demand and semiconductor industry conditions; |
· | Our ability to successfully introduce new technologies and products; |
· | The cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry; |
· | An economic downturn in the semiconductor industry; |
· | Our ability to comply with U.S. and other applicable international laws and regulations; |
· | Changes in our overall tax position as a result of changes in tax laws or tax rates, new or revised legislation, the outcome of tax audits or changes in international tax treaties which may impact our results of operations as well as our ability to accurately estimate tax credits, benefits, deductions and provisions and to realize deferred tax assets; |
· | The potential negative impact on the global economy and capital markets resulting from the conflict in Ukraine or any other geopolitical tensions materially affecting our business, the business of our clients, and the ability of our suppliers to source key components and material; |
· | Fluctuations in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the other major currencies we use for our operations; |
· | Our ability to collect accounts receivable; |
· | Changes in certain commodities used as raw material, which may affect our gross margin; and |
· | How long we will qualify as an emerging growth company or a foreign private issuer. |
Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.
WE UNDERTAKE NO OBLIGATION TO PUBLICLY UPDATE OR REVISE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT OR THE BASE PROSPECTUS OR THE DOCUMENTS TO WHICH WE REFER YOU IN THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT OR THE BASE PROSPECTUS, TO REFLECT ANY CHANGE IN OUR EXPECTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SUCH STATEMENTS OR ANY CHANGE IN EVENTS, CONDITIONS OR CIRCUMSTANCES ON WHICH ANY STATEMENT IS BASED, EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
S-2
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY
This summary contains basic information about us and our business but does not contain all of the information that is important to your investment decision. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully read this summary together with the more detailed information contained elsewhere in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus and the documents incorporated herein and therein by reference, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (the “Annual Report”). Investors should carefully consider the information set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” appearing elsewhere in this prospectus supplement, including those described in documents incorporated by reference herein.
About Our Company
Our mission at SEALSQ is to pioneer the integration of digital trust into the physical world.
SEALSQ stands at the intersection of physical and cyber trust, offering unparalleled assurance in an increasingly interconnected world. At the heart of our offerings is the innovative integration of Cybersecurity, Semiconductors and Post-Quantum Internet of Things (“IoT”.) We are transforming technology, utilizing IoT-generated data, protected and authenticated by our innovative technology, to enable operational enhancements.
SEALSQ is a semiconductor company, specializing in the design of secure microcontrollers, embedding countermeasures capable of resisting state of the art tampering attacks, including the anticipated attacks coming from Quantum computers. SEALSQ is one of the very few actors in the semiconductor industry who has been granted the highest security resistance level (CC EAL5+).
In addition, SEALSQ is a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) Root Certification Authority, certified by global organizations such as WEBTRUST, GSMA, CSA-MATTER, WI-SUN, each a leader in their respective field: SSL/TLS, telecom, utilities, home automation. SEALSQ plans to introduce to the market in Q4 2024 a Root Certification Authority combining both PKI legacy and PostQuantum (ie Quantum Computer Resistant) cryptographic standards.
SEALSQ is the unique Cybersecurity player combining both Semiconductor and PKI technologies, and capable of delivering to its customers best in class Secure Elements pre-personalized with strong digital identities.
SEALSQ technologies aim to provide connected devices (IoT) with a unique identity, and with cryptographic means used for their authentication, and their secure communications with the platforms that they interface with.
Accordingly, SEALSQ provides its customers with the technology foundation to comply with global regulatory standards (US CybertrustMark, EU Cyber Resistant Act) that the US and the EU will likely start enforcing in 2025.
SEALSQ uses a patented method to digitally certify the authenticity of a physical object of value. The method includes a storage device, a digital certificate of authenticity (encrypted information reflecting at least one characteristic unique to the physical object, checking, whenever required, the validity of the digital certificate of authenticity by use of a network computer), the network computer cooperating with the storage device and a validating or a certifying authority.
With a rich portfolio of 40 patent families, covering over 110 fundamental individual patents, and another 12 patents under review, SEALSQ continues to expand its platform use in various domains. SEALSQ semiconductors secure millions of objects: luxury products, high-end watches, routers, gateways, utilities meters, drones, authentication dongles, storage memory USB sticks, medical devices, connected door-locks, and electronic consumers devices, among others. These semiconductors include Digital Identification technology, such as Keys, Certificates or non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”), that secures, authenticates, and proves ownership of digital and tangible assets.
Our semiconductors, when placed on an object, can securely link the object to NFTs, enabling authentication and tracking of the object. This model is much like an embedded ePassport, and confirm the identity of the object on the Blockchain ledger. This digital identity, used throughout the object’s lifetime, allows the object to become a “Trusted Object” of the Internet, and enables proof of its identity and provision of related verifiable data.
SEALSQ does not provide any technology or services in the management of the NFT creation or the distribution of NFTs. However, SEALSQ’s NFT-related business is to provide its security–related services, Secure Element, to customers in the form of security-enhanced semiconductors. The Secure Element service that SEALSQ provides enables SEALSQ’s customers to create and maintain a secure link between an object and its NFT (issued by a SEALSQ customer that purchases SEALSQ semiconductors) that is stored in a blockchain.
Recent Developments
December 17, 2024 Registered Direct Offering
December 16, 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement
On December 16, 2024, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “December 16 Purchase Agreement”) with several institutional investors named therein (the “December 17 Investors”), pursuant to which we agreed to sell and issue 13,157,896 Ordinary Shares to the December 17 Investors at a purchase price of US$1.90 per Ordinary Share, in a registered direct offering (the “December 17 Offering”). The closing of such registered direct offering occurred on December 17, 2024.
The gross proceeds to the Company from the Offering were approximately $25,000,000.00, before deducting the placement agent’s fees and other estimated offering expenses payable by the Company.
The December 17 Offering was made pursuant to the Company’s existing shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333- 283358), which was declared effective on November 27, 2024 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Registration Statement”). A prospectus supplement to the Registration Statement for the December 17 Offering was filed with the Commission on December 17, 2024.
S-3
Pursuant to the December 16 Purchase Agreement, we agreed not to issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of, any Ordinary Shares of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares of the Company or file any registration statement or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto until the earlier of (i) 90 days after the Note Tranche Closing (as defined below) or (ii) March 31, 2025, subject to certain exceptions, without the prior consent of the December 17 Investors.
In addition, we agreed not to effect or enter into an agreement to effect any issuance of Ordinary Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares involving a Variable Rate Transaction (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) until 180 days after the Note Tranche Closing, subject to certain exceptions.
December 16, 2024 Placement Agency Agreement
On December 16, 2024, we entered into a placement agency agreement with Maxim Group LLC (the “Placement Agent”), pursuant to which we agreed to pay the Placement Agent an aggregate fee equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Ordinary Shares in the December 17 Offering. The Company also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for up to $40,000 in accountable expenses, including the Placement Agent’s legal counsel’s fees.
December 16, 2024 Registered Direct Offering
December 12, 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement
On December 12, 2024, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “December 12 Purchase Agreement”) with several institutional investors named therein (the “December 16 Investors”), pursuant to which we agreed to sell and issue 7,692,308 Ordinary Shares to the December 16 Investors at a purchase price of US$1.30 per Ordinary Share, in a registered direct offering (the “December 16 Offering”). The closing of such registered direct offering occurred on December 16, 2024.
The gross proceeds to the Company from the Offering were approximately $10,000,000.00, before deducting the placement agent’s fees and other estimated offering expenses payable by the Company.
The December 16 Offering was made pursuant to the Company’s existing Registration Statement. A prospectus supplement to the Registration Statement for the December 16 Offering was filed with the Commission on December 16, 2024.
S-4
Pursuant to the December 12 Purchase Agreement, we agreed not to issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of, any Ordinary Shares of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares of the Company or file any registration statement or prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto until the earlier of (i) 90 days after the Note Tranche Closing (as defined below) or (ii) March 31, 2025, subject to certain exceptions, without the prior consent of the December 16 Investors.
In addition, we agreed not to effect or enter into an agreement to effect any issuance of Ordinary Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares involving a Variable Rate Transaction (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) until 180 days after the Note Tranche Closing, subject to certain exceptions.
In addition, we agreed that the terms of the warrants issued by the Company to the December 16 Investors prior to December 12, 2024 (each a “Prior Warrant” and collectively the “Prior Warrants”) will be modified, as of December 16, 2024, as follows: (a) lowering of the exercise price of each Prior Warrant to $2.00 per Ordinary Share, and (b) increase in the quantity of each Prior Warrant such that the aggregate exercise price of the Prior Warrant equals the aggregate exercise price on the issuance date. Further, the Company agreed that if the Company and December 16 Purchasers do not close an additional convertible note tranche in an aggregate principal amount of $10.0 million pursuant to that certain securities purchase agreement, dated July 11, 2023, as amended, by January 16, 2025 (the “Note Tranche Closing”), then the reset above shall be based on the lowering of the exercise price to $1.30 per Ordinary Share (and also a corresponding increase in quantity of warrants as per (b) above).
December 12, 2024 Placement Agency Agreement
On December 12, 2024, we entered into a placement agency agreement with Maxim Group LLC, in its capacity as Placement Agent, pursuant to which we agreed to pay the Placement Agent an aggregate fee equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Ordinary Shares in the December 16 Offering. The Company also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for up to $40,000 in accountable expenses, including the Placement Agent’s legal counsel’s fees.
Lock-Up Agreements
We, our parent company, WISeKey International Holding AG, and certain of our officers and directors have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any of our Ordinary Shares or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our Ordinary Shares for a period of 90 days after the December 16 Offering is completed without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent.
SEALCOIN
The responsibility for the development of the decentralized technology project “SEALCOIN” was transferred to our parent company, WISeKey, as of June 27, 2024. While the SEALCOIN project was originally under development by WISeKey and SEALSQ as a collaborative ‘proof of concept’ (with the aim of assessing the practical potential of the concept), the parties concluded that the SEALCOIN platform and tokens would be developed by WISeKey (capitalizing on WISeKey’s cybersecurity expertise), whereas SEALSQ is to focus on the development of the related semiconductor technology hardware and firmware (capitalizing on SEALSQ’s semiconductor and PKI expertise). The future role of SEALSQ in this project is expected to be as a supplier of secure semiconductors to or through SEALCOIN AG, a subsidiary of WISeKey, with SEALCOIN AG as a distributor of those chips to B2B participants in the platform SEALCOIN AG will be developing. Agreements between SEALSQ Corp and SEALCOIN AG are to be entered into reflecting the commercial terms and the Company anticipates that the terms of this contract will be negotiated on an arm’s length basis and that the Company would aim to be the preferred supplier of secure semiconductors to SEALCOIN AG.
Corporate Information
SEALSQ Corp is a BVI business company incorporated and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands. Our registered office in the British Virgin Islands is at Craigmuir Chambers, Road Town, Tortola, VG 1110, British Virgin Islands. Our principal executive offices and effective place of management are located at Avenue Louis-Casaï 58, 1216 Cointrin, Switzerland. Our telephone number from the United States is 011 41 22 594 3000. Our website can be accessed at www.SEALSQ.com. The information on or linked to on our website is not a part of this prospectus.
S-5
THE OFFERING
Ordinary Shares Offered By Us | 13,157,896 Ordinary Shares |
Ordinary Shares to Be Outstanding Immediately Following This Offering |
90,209,862 Ordinary Shares |
Use of Proceeds |
We estimate that our net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $23,100,000, after deducting the placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for fund the deployment of its next-generation post-quantum semiconductor technology and ASIC capabilities in the United States, to support working capital and for general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” for a more complete description of the intended use of proceeds from this offering. |
Risk Factors | See the sections titled “Risk Factors” commencing on page S-7 of this prospectus supplement and in our base prospectus and the Annual Report incorporated by reference herein for a discussion of factors you should consider carefully before deciding to invest in our Ordinary Shares. |
Listing | Our Ordinary Shares are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “LAES.” |
Lock-Up | We, and certain of our directors, officers, and affiliates, have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our Ordinary Shares for a period (in the case of the Company) of (i) the earlier of (i) ninety (90) days after the Note Tranche Closing; or (ii) March 31, 2025 or (in the case of our directors and officers), ninety (90) after is the December 16 Offering was completed. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information. |
Transfer Agent |
Computershare Trust Company, N.A. is the registrar and transfer agent of our Ordinary Shares. |
The number of our Ordinary Shares to be outstanding after this offering is based on 77,051,966 of our Ordinary Shares outstanding as of December 17, 2024, and excludes the following:
· | 77 Class F Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Class F Share Options; and |
· | 3,687,240 Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants to purchase up to 3,687,240 Ordinary Shares issued to the investors under the Securities Purchase Agreement dated July 11, 2023, entered into with L1 Capital Global Opportunities Master Fund Ltd and Anson Investments Master Fund LP (the “Note Purchase Agreement”), at an exercise price of $2.00 per share (as repriced), which expire on July 11, 2028 (the “First Tranche Warrants”); |
· | 4,577,356 Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants to purchase up to 4,577,356 Ordinary Shares issued to the investors under the Amendment dated January 9, 2024 to the Note Purchase Agreement entered into with L1 Capital Global Opportunities Master Fund Ltd and Anson Investments Master Fund LP (the “January Amendment”) at an exercise price of $2.00 per share (as repriced) which expire on January 9, 2029 (the “Second Tranche Warrants”); and |
· | 4,227,736 Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants to purchase up to 4,227,736 Ordinary Shares issued to the investors under the Amendment dated March 1, 2024 to the Note Purchase Agreement entered into with L1 Capital Global Opportunities Master Fund Ltd and Anson Investments Master Fund LP (the “March Amendment” and together with the January Amendment, the “Amendments”) at an exercise price of $2.00 per share (as repriced), which expire on March 1, 2029 (the “Third Tranche Warrants” and together with the First Tranche Warrants and Second Tranche Warrants, the “Warrants”). |
S-6
RISK FACTORS
An investment in our Ordinary Shares involves a high degree of risk. Before investing in our Ordinary Shares, you should carefully consider the risk factors set forth below and those described under “Risk Factors” in the documents incorporated by reference herein, including in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC, together with the other information included in this prospectus supplement, the base prospectus and incorporated by reference herein from our filings with the SEC. If any of such risks or uncertainties occurs, our business, financial condition, and operating results could be materially and adversely affected. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may materially and adversely affect our business operations. As a result, the trading price of our Ordinary Shares could decline and you could lose all or a part of your investment.
Risks Related to this Offering
You may experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share of our Ordinary Shares you purchase in the offering.
The offering price per share in this offering may exceed the pro forma net tangible book value per Ordinary Share outstanding prior to this offering. After giving effect to the sale of 7,692,308 Ordinary Shares at a price of $1.30 per share on December 16, 2024, and after deducting aggregate offering expenses paid by us, our pro forma net tangible book value as of June 30, 2024 would have been approximately $15.2 million or $0.24 per Ordinary Share.
After giving further effect to the sale of 13,157,896 Ordinary Shares at a price of $1.90 per share on December 17, 2024, and after deducting estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma, as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2024 would have been approximately $37.4 million, or $0.49 per Ordinary Share.
After giving further effect to the sale of 13,157,896 Ordinary Shares in this offering at a price of $1.90 per share, and after deducting estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma, as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2024 would have been approximately $60.5 million, or $0.67 per Ordinary Share.
This represents an immediate increase in as adjusted pro forma net tangible book value to existing stockholders of $0.18 per Ordinary Share and an immediate dilution to purchasers in this offering of $1.23 per Ordinary Share
See the section entitled “Dilution” on page S-12 below for a more detailed illustration of the dilution you may incur if you participate in this offering.
Our management will have broad discretion as to the use of the proceeds from this offering, and may not use the proceeds effectively.
Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that may not improve our business, financial condition or results of operations or enhance the value of our Ordinary Shares. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business and cause the price of our Ordinary Shares to decline.
Resales of our Ordinary Shares in the public market following this offering may cause the trading price to fall.
The resale of a substantial number of Ordinary Shares could depress the trading price of our Ordinary Shares This offering of new Ordinary Shares could result in resales of our Ordinary Shares by our current stockholders concerned about the potential dilution of their holdings. If our stockholders sell substantial amounts of our Ordinary Shares in the public market following the offering contemplated by this prospectus supplement, the trading price of our Ordinary Shares could fall.
Our stock price has been and may continue to be volatile.
The market price of our Ordinary Shares has been, and is likely to continue to be, volatile. The variance in our stock price makes it difficult to forecast the stock price at which an investor may be able to buy or sell Ordinary Shares. The market price for our Ordinary Shares could be subject to fluctuations as a result of factors that are out of our control, such as:
● | actual or anticipated variations in our results of operations; |
● | general conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry; and |
● | general economic, political and market conditions. |
We may, in the future, issue additional Ordinary Shares, which would reduce investors’ percent of ownership and may dilute our share value.
The future issuance of Ordinary Shares may result in substantial dilution in the percentage of our Ordinary Shares held by our then existing stockholders. We may value any Ordinary Shares in the future on an arbitrary basis. The issuance of Ordinary Shares for future services or acquisitions or other corporate actions may have the effect of diluting the value of the shares held by our investors, might have an adverse effect on any trading market for our Ordinary Shares and could impair our ability to raise capital in the future through the sale of equity securities.
An active trading market for our Ordinary Shares may not be sustained.
Although our Ordinary Shares are listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC, the market for our Ordinary Shares has demonstrated varying levels of trading activity. The current level of trading may not be sustained in the future. The lack of an active market for our Ordinary Shares may impair investors’ ability to sell their Ordinary Shares at the time they wish to sell them or at a price that they consider reasonable, may reduce the fair market value of their Ordinary Shares and may impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling Ordinary Shares and may impair our ability to acquire additional assets by using our Ordinary Shares as consideration.
S-7
USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of our Ordinary Shares in this offering will be approximately $23,100,000, after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.
This expected use of the net proceeds from this offering and our existing cash represents our intentions based upon our current plans, financial condition and business conditions. The amount, timing and nature of specific expenditures of net proceeds from this offering will depend on a number of factors, including the timing, scope, progress and results of our development efforts and the timing and progress of any collaboration efforts. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses of the proceeds from this offering. Accordingly, we will retain broad discretion over the use of such proceeds.
Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in order to fund the deployment of its next-generation post-quantum semiconductor technology and ASIC capabilities in the United States, to support working capital and for general corporate purposes.
S-8
CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our consolidated capitalization at June 30, 2024
· | on an actual basis; |
· | on a pro forma basis to give effect, from June 30, 2024 to the date of this prospectus, to (i) the conversion of $10,850,000 under the Convertible Notes set out above into 32,717,132 of our Ordinary Shares , (ii) the issuance on December 16, 2024 of 7,692,308 Ordinary Shares at an offering price of $1.30 per share and (iii) the issuance on December 17, 2024 of 13,157,896 Ordinary Shares at an offering price of $1.90 per share; and |
· | on a pro forma, as adjusted basis, giving effect to the issuance and sale under this prospectus supplement of 13,157,896 Ordinary Shares at an offering price of $1.90 per share. |
The information set forth in the following table should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by, reference to our financial statements and the notes thereto incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
As of June 30, 2024 (in thousands of U.S. Dollars) | ||||||||
Actual (unaudited) |
Pro Forma (unaudited) | Pro Forma, As Adjusted (unaudited) | ||||||
Debt(1): | ||||||||
Indebtedness to related parties, noncurrent | — | |||||||
Bonds, mortgages and other long-term debt | 1,734 | 1,734 | 1,734 | |||||
Convertible note payable, noncurrent | 9,313 | — | — | |||||
Indebtedness to related parties, noncurrent | 7,478 | 7,478 | 7,478 | |||||
Total debt | 18,525 | 9,212 | 9,212 | |||||
Shareholders’ equity: | ||||||||
Capital stock(2)(3) | ||||||||
—Ordinary Shares | 227 | 771 | 902 | |||||
—Class F Shares | 75 | 75 | 75 | |||||
Additional Paid-in Capital | 35,616 | 76,816 | 99,785 | |||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income / (loss) | 776 | 776 | 776 | |||||
Accumulated deficit | (31,470 | ) | (31,470 | ) | (31,470 | ) | ||
Total equity | 5,224 | 46,968 | 70,068 | |||||
Total capitalization | 23,749 | 56,180 | 79,280 |
________________________
(1) | All debt is unsecured. |
(2) | Under our Articles we are authorized to issue up to 200,000,000 Ordinary Shares, US$0.01 par value per share, of which 22,734,630 are issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024, and 10,000,000 Class F Shares, US$0.05 par value per share, of which 1,499,700 are issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024. See “Description of Share Capital” in the accompanying base prospectus. |
(3) | Except as otherwise noted, all information in this prospectus reflects and assumes no exercise of outstanding options or warrants. |
The above table above excludes:
• | 77 Class F Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Class F Share Options |
• | Outstanding Warrants to purchase up to 3,687,240 Ordinary Shares issued to the investors under the Note Purchase Agreement at an exercise price of $2.00 per share (as repriced); |
• | Outstanding Warrants to purchase up to 4,577,356 Ordinary Shares issued to the investors under the January Amendment to the Note Purchase Agreement at an exercise price of $2.00 per share (as repriced); |
• | Outstanding Warrants to purchase up to 4,227,736 Ordinary Shares issued to the investors under the March Amendment to the Note Purchase Agreement at an exercise price of $2.00 per share (as repriced); |
S-9
DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL
For a description of the rights associated with the Ordinary Shares, see “Description of Share Capital” in the accompanying base prospectus.
S-10
CERTAIN TAX CONSIDERATIONS
You should carefully read the discussion of the material British Virgin Islands and U.S. federal income tax considerations associated with our operations and the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our Ordinary Shares set forth in Section E, “Taxation,” of Item 10 of our Annual Report, filed with the SEC on March 21, 2024 and incorporated by reference herein.
S-11
DILUTION
If you invest in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering. We calculate net tangible book value per share by dividing the net tangible book value, which is tangible assets less total liabilities, by the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares. Dilution represents the difference between the portion of the amount per share paid by purchasers of Ordinary Shares in this offering and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our Ordinary Shares immediately after giving effect to this offering. Our net tangible book value as of June 30, 2024 was approximately $5.2 million, or $0.09 per Ordinary Share.
After giving effect to the sale of 7,692,308 Ordinary Shares at a price of $1.30 per share on December 16, 2024, and after deducting aggregate offering expenses paid by us, our pro forma net tangible book value as of June 30, 2024 would have been approximately$15.2 million or $0.24 per Ordinary Share.
After giving further effect to the sale of 13,157,896 Ordinary Shares at a price of $1.90 per share on December 17, 2024, and after deducting aggregate offering expenses paid by us, our pro forma net tangible book value as of June 30, 2024 would have been approximately $37.4 million or $0.49 per Ordinary Share.
After giving further effect to the sale of 13,157,896 Ordinary Shares at a price of $1.90 per share, and after deducting estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2024 would have been approximately $60.5 million, or $0.67 per Ordinary Share. This represents an immediate increase in as adjusted pro forma net tangible book value to existing stockholders of $0.18 per Ordinary Share and an immediate dilution to purchasers in this offering of $1.23 per Ordinary Share.
The following table illustrates this per share dilution:
Assumed offering price per share | $ | 1.90 | ||||||
Net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2024 | $ | 0.09 | ||||||
Increase per share attributable to the sale on December 16, 2024 | $ | 0.15 | ||||||
Pro forma net tangible book value as of June 30, 2024 | $ | 0.24 | ||||||
Increase per share attributable to the sale on December 17, 2024 | $ | 0.25 | ||||||
Pro forma net tangible book value as of June 30 2024 | $ | 0.49 | ||||||
Increase per share attributable to this offering | $ | 0.18 | ||||||
Pro Forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2024, after giving effect to this offering | $ | 0.67 | ||||||
Dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering | $ | 1.23 |
The above discussion and table is based on 56,201,762 shares of Ordinary Shares outstanding, as of December 13, 2024, and excludes:
· | 77 Class F Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Class F Share Options; and |
· | 3,687,240 Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants to purchase up to 3,687,240 Ordinary Shares issued to the investors under the Note Purchase Agreement at an exercise price of $2.00 per share (as repriced) which expire on July 11, 2028; |
· | 4,577,356 Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants to purchase up to 4,577,356 Ordinary Shares issued to the investors under the Amendment dated January 9, 2024 to the Note Purchase Agreement at an exercise price of $2.00 per share (as repriced), which expire on January 9, 2029; and |
· | 4,227,736 Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants to purchase up to 4,227,736 Ordinary Shares issued to the investors under the Amendment dated March 1, 2024 to the Note Purchase Agreement at an exercise price of $2.00 per share (as repriced), which expire on March 1, 2029. |
Except as otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus supplement assumes no exercise of the outstanding options or warrants described above. To the extent that any of these outstanding warrants or options are exercised at prices per Ordinary Share below the public offering price per share in this offering or we issue additional Ordinary Shares under our equity incentive plans at prices below the public offering price per Ordinary Share in this offering, you may experience further dilution. In addition, to the extent that we raise additional capital by issuing equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership will be further diluted.
S-12
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Maxim Group, LLC, who we refer to as “Maxim” or the placement agent has agreed to act as the exclusive placement agent in connection with this offering subject to the terms and conditions of the placement agency agreement, dated as of December 17, 2024. The placement agent has not purchased or sold any of the shares of our Ordinary Shares offered by this prospectus supplement, nor is it required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of our Ordinary Shares, but have agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of all of the Ordinary Shares offered hereby. We entered into a securities purchase agreement, dated as of December 17, 2024, directly with the investors in connection with this offering and we will only sell to the investors who have entered into the securities purchase agreement with us.
We expect to deliver the 13,157,896 Ordinary Shares sold in this offering and being offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement on or about December 19, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.
Placement Agent Fees, Commissions and Expenses
We have agreed to pay the placement agent a placement agent fee equal to 7% of the aggregate purchase price of the shares of our Ordinary Shares sold in this offering. We have also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent up to $40,000 for the reasonable and accounted fees and expenses of legal counsel. The following table shows the per share and total cash placement agent’s fees we will pay to the placement agent in connection with the sale of the shares of our Ordinary Shares offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
Per Share | Total | |||||||
Offering price | $ | 1.90 | $ | 25,000,002.40 | ||||
Placement agent’s fees | $ | 0.133 | $ | 1,750,000.17 | ||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | $ | 1.767 | $ | 23,250,002.23 |
Regulation M
The placement agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and any commissions received by it and any profit realized on the resale of the shares sold by it while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. As underwriter, the placement agent would be required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including, without limitation, Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of shares by the placement agent acting as principal. Under these rules and regulations, the placement agent:
· | may not engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities; and | |
· | may not bid for or purchase any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted under the Exchange Act, until it has completed its participation in the distribution. |
Determination of Offering Price
The actual offering price of the securities we are offering were negotiated between us, the placement agent and the investors in the offering based on the trading price of our Ordinary Shares prior to the offering, among other things. Other factors considered in determining the public offering price of the securities we are offering, included our history and prospects, the stage of development of our business, our business plans for the future and the extent to which they have been implemented, an assessment of our management, the general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering and such other factors as were deemed relevant.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the placement agent and certain specified other persons against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and to contribute to payments the placement agent and such other persons may be required to make in respect thereof.
Subsequent Equity Sales
Pursuant to the terms of the securities purchase agreement, from the date hereof until the earlier of (i) the earlier of (i) ninety (90) days after the Note Tranche Closing; or (ii) March 31, 2025 we may not issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share equivalents, or, file any registration statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, in each case, subject to certain exceptions, without the prior consent of the Investors. In addition, from the date of this prospectus supplement until 180 days after the closing date of this offering, we are prohibited, subject to certain exceptions, from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance of Ordinary Shares or Ordinary Share equivalents involving a variable rate transaction (as defined in the securities purchase agreement).
S-13
Electronic Distribution
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be made available in electronic format on websites or through other online services maintained by the placement agent or by an affiliate. Other than this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, the information on the placement agent’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by the placement agent is not part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the placement agent, and should not be relied upon by investors.
Other
The foregoing does not purport to be a complete statement of the terms and conditions of the placement agency agreement and the form of the securities purchase agreement. A copy of the form of the securities purchase agreement with the purchasers will be included as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 6-K to be filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form a part. See “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference” and “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Certain Relationships
The placement agent and its affiliates may provide from time to time in the future certain commercial banking, financial advisory, investment banking and other services for us in the ordinary course of their business, for which they may receive customary fees and commissions. In addition, from time to time, the placement agent and its affiliates may effect transactions for their own account or the account of customers, and hold on behalf of themselves or their customers, long or short positions in our debt or equity securities or loans, and may do so in the future. However, except as disclosed in this prospectus supplement, we have no present arrangements with the placement agent for any further services.
Below is a description of certain recent investment banking and financial advisory services that Maxim has provided to us in the ordinary course of business, for which Maxim received customary fees, commissions and other compensation.
Convertible Note and Warrant Private Placements
Maxim served as the sole placement agent for us in connection with the private placements of notes and warrants to certain investors on July 11, 2023, January 9, 2024 and March 1, 2024, respectively. Under the terms of this arrangement, SEALSQ has paid a total of $1,515,000 to Maxim.
December 16, 2024 Registered Direct Offering
Maxim served as the sole placement agent for us in connection with the December 16 Offering. Under the terms of this arrangement, SEALSQ paid a total of $700,000.03 to Maxim.
December 17, 2024 Registered Direct Offering
Maxim served as the sole placement agent for us in connection with the December 17 Offering. Under the terms of this arrangement, SEALSQ paid a total of $1,750,000.17 to Maxim.
S-14
EXPENSES
The following is an estimate of the expenses (all of which are to be paid by us) that we may incur in connection with the securities being registered hereby. Each prospectus supplement describing an offering of securities will reflect the estimated expenses related to the offering of securities under that prospectus supplement.
SEC registration fee* | $ | -- |
FINRA filing fee** | $ | -- |
Legal fees and expenses*** | $ | 110,000 |
Accounting fees and expenses* | $ | - |
Total | $ | 110,000 |
*$15,310 previously paid
**$15,500 previously paid
***Estimated
S-15
LEGAL MATTERS
Certain legal matters with respect to British Virgin Islands law in connection with this offering are being passed upon for us by Harney Westwood & Riegels LP. Certain matters of U.S. federal and New York law are being passed upon for us by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, New York, New York. Loeb & Loeb LLP, New York, New York has acted as counsel to the Placement Agent.
EXPERTS
The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference to the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of BDO Ltd., an independent public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting. The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference to the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of BDO Rhône Alpes, an independent public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands and our principal executive offices are located outside the United States. Most of our directors and officers and those of our subsidiaries are residents of countries other than the United States. Substantially all of our and our subsidiaries’ assets and a substantial portion of the assets of our directors and officers are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for United States investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us, our directors or officers or our subsidiaries, or to realize against us or them judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
Furthermore, there is substantial doubt that courts in jurisdictions outside the U.S. (i) would enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or our directors or officers based upon the civil liability provisions of applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws or (ii) would enforce, in original actions, liabilities against us or our directors or officers based on those laws.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-3 under the Securities Act, relating to this offering of securities. This prospectus supplement does not contain all of the information contained in the registration statement. The rules and regulations of the SEC allow us to omit certain information from this prospectus supplement that is included in the registration statement. Statements made in this prospectus supplement concerning the contents of any contract, agreement or other document are summaries of all material information about the documents summarized, but are not complete descriptions of all terms of these documents. If we filed any of these documents as an exhibit to the registration statement, you may read the document itself for a complete description of its terms.
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to foreign private issuers. In accordance with the Exchange Act, we file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F containing financial statements audited by an independent accounting firm. We also furnish to the SEC, under cover of Reports of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K, material information required to be made public by us or filed by us with and made public by any stock exchange or distributed by us to our shareholders. Such reports and other information filed with the SEC are available to the public over the internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. We also generally make available on our own website (www.sealsq.com) our quarterly and year-end financial statements as well as other information.
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements to shareholders, and our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the “short-swing profits” reporting and liability provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act and related Exchange Act rules. In addition, we are not required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.
We maintain a corporate website at www.sealsq.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus supplement. We have included our website address in this prospectus supplement solely as an inactive textual reference.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference our publicly filed reports into this prospectus supplement, which means that information included in those reports is considered part of this prospectus supplement. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus supplement is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus supplement or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus supplement incorporates by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents furnished, rather than filed), and, to the extent designated therein, reports on Form 6-K, until the offering of the securities under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part is terminated or completed:
· | our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 21, 2024; |
· | our Reports on Form 6-K furnished by us to the SEC on March 22, 2024, July 1, 2024, July 12, 2024, July 25, 2024, August 2, 2024, September 25, 2024, November 19, 2024, December 16, 2024, and December 17, 2024; and |
· | the description of our Ordinary Shares contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on May 18, 2023, as amended by Exhibit 2.4 to our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 21, 2024, as further amended and supplemented by the description of our Securities contained in this prospectus under “Description of Ordinary Shares,” including any subsequent amendment or any report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
S-16
The SEC maintains an Internet site at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers like us that file electronically with the SEC.
We will also incorporate by reference all subsequent Annual Reports on Form 20-F that we file with the SEC. In addition, we will incorporate by reference certain future materials furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K after the date of the initial registration statement, but only to the extent specifically indicated in those submissions or in a future prospectus supplement. Each subsequently filed Annual Report should be deemed to supersede entirely each earlier filed Annual Report and the materials furnished on an earlier Form 6-K and, unless explicitly stated otherwise, such earlier reports should not be deemed to be part of this prospectus supplement and you should not rely upon statements made in those earlier periodic reports. In all cases, you should rely on the later information over different information in this prospectus supplement.
We will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the above documents, other than exhibits to such documents which are not specifically incorporated by reference therein. You should direct any requests for documents to:
SEALSQ Corp
Avenue Louis-Casaï 58
1216 Cointrin Switzerland
Tel: 011-41-22-594-3000
Fax: 011-41-22-594-3001
The information relating to us contained in this prospectus supplement is not comprehensive and should be read together with the information contained in the incorporated documents. Descriptions contained in the incorporated documents as to the contents of any contract or other document may not contain all of the information which is of interest to you. You should refer to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to our filings.
S-17
PROSPECTUS
$100,000,000
Ordinary Shares
Warrants
Subscription Rights
Units
of
SEALSQ Corp
_________________
We may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings, Ordinary Shares, warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares, subscription rights or units, which we collectively refer to as the “securities”. The aggregate initial offering price of the securities that we may offer and sell under this prospectus will not exceed $100,000,000.
Each time we sell securities pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide in a supplement to this prospectus the price and any other material terms of any such offering. Any prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, as well as the documents incorporated by reference or deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus, carefully before you invest in any securities. This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
We may, from time to time, offer to sell the securities, through public or private transactions, directly or through underwriters, agents or dealers, on or off the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq, at prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices. If any underwriters, agents or dealers are involved in the sale of any of these securities, the applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the names of the underwriter, agent or dealer, and any applicable fees, commissions or discounts.
Our Ordinary Shares are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “LAES.” The last reported sale price of our Ordinary Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on November 18, 2024 was $0.5080 per share.
On November 18, 2024, the aggregate market value worldwide of our outstanding common equity held by non-affiliates, our “public float,” was approximately $12.7 million, based on 25,077,150 Ordinary Shares outstanding held by non-affiliates and a per share price of $0.5080 based on the closing sale price of the Ordinary Shares on Nasdaq on November 18, 2024. As of the date hereof, we have not sold any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.5 of Form F-3 during the prior 12 calendar month period that ends on and includes the date hereof. After the date of this prospectus, we will not sell in primary offerings under General Instruction I.B.5 of Form F-3 securities having an aggregate market value, when added to the aggregate market value of securities sold by us in primary offerings under General Instruction I.B.5 of Form F-3 during the 12 calendar months immediately prior to and including the date of sale, of more than one-third of our public float.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Please carefully consider the risks discussed in this prospectus under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 3 and the “Risk Factors” in “Item 3.D: Key Information—Risk Factors” of our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any applicable prospectus supplement for a discussion of the factors you should consider carefully before deciding to purchase these securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission, nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Prospectus dated November 27, 2024.
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a Registration Statement on Form F-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may sell our securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings up to a total dollar amount of $100,000,000. Furthermore, so long as the aggregate market value worldwide of our public float is less than $75 million, the aggregate market value of securities sold by us pursuant to this shelf registration statement during the period of 12 calendar months immediately prior to, and including, the sale, shall be no more than one- third of the public float. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement, certain parts of which are omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. Accordingly, you should refer to the registration statement and its exhibits for further information about us and our securities. Copies of the registration statement and its exhibits are on file with the SEC. Statements contained in this prospectus concerning the documents we have filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive, and in each instance we refer you to a copy of the actual document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC.
Each time we offer our securities pursuant to this registration statement, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement that will describe the specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities we offer. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. This prospectus, together with applicable prospectus supplements and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplements, includes all material information relating to this offering. Please read carefully both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described below under “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.”
This prospectus does not contain all of the information provided in the registration statement that we filed with the Commission. For further information about us or our securities, you should refer to that registration statement, which you can obtain from the Commission as described below under “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.”
You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. “Incorporated by reference” means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, our securities only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. We are not making, nor will we make, an offer to sell securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and any supplement to this prospectus is current only as of the dates on their respective covers. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
We prepare our financial statements in United States dollars and in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles.
Certain figures included in this prospectus have been subject to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, figures shown as totals in certain tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede them.
In this prospectus, “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company” and “SEALSQ” refers to SEALSQ Corp. Any reference to “WISeKey” is to WISeKey International Holding AG and its subsidiaries, except where the context otherwise requires.
All references in this prospectus to “$,” “U.S. Dollars” and “dollars” are to United States dollars.
This prospectus and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein include trademarks, service marks and trade names owned by us or other companies. Solely for convenience, trademarks referred to in this prospectus, including logos, artwork and other visual displays, may appear without the ® or ™ symbols. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies. All trademarks, service marks and trade names included or incorporated by reference into this prospectus or an accompanying prospectus supplement are the property of their respective owners.
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ABOUT OUR COMPANY
This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus that we consider important. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our securities. You should read this summary together with the entire prospectus, including the risks related to our business, our industry and investing in our securities that we describe under “Risk Factors,” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes incorporated by reference in this prospectus before making an investment in our securities.
Our mission at SEALSQ is to pioneer the integration of digital trust into the physical world.
SEALSQ stands at the intersection of physical and cyber trust, offering unparalleled assurance in an increasingly interconnected world. At the heart of our offerings is the innovative integration of Cybersecurity, Semiconductors and Post-Quantum Internet of Things (“IoT”.) We are transforming technology, utilizing IoT-generated data, protected and authenticated by our innovative technology, to enable operational enhancements.
SEALSQ is a semiconductor company, specializing in the design of secure microcontrollers, embedding countermeasures capable of resisting state of the art tampering attacks, including the anticipated attacks coming from Quantum computers. SEALSQ is one of the very few actors in the semiconductor industry who has been granted the highest security resistance level (CC EAL5+).
In addition, SEALSQ is a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) Root Certification Authority, certified by global organizations such as WEBTRUST, GSMA, CSA-MATTER, WI-SUN, each leader in their respective field: SSL/TLS, telecom, utilities, home automation. SEALSQ plans to introduce to the market in Q4 2024 a Root Certification Authority combining both PKI legacy and PostQuantum (ie Quantum Computer Resistant) cryptographic standards.
SEALSQ is the unique Cybersecurity player combining both Semiconductor and PKI technologies, and capable of delivering to its customers best in class Secure Elements pre-personalized with strong digital identities.
SEALSQ technologies aim to provide connected devices (IoT) with a unique identity, and with cryptographic means used for their authentication, and their secure communications with the platforms that they interface with.
Accordingly, SEALSQ provides its customers with the technology foundation to comply with global regulatory standards (US CybertrustMark, EU Cyber Resistant Act) that the US and the EU will likely start enforcing in 2025.
SEALSQ uses a patented method to digitally certify the authenticity of a physical object of value. The method includes a storage device, a digital certificate of authenticity (encrypted information reflecting at least one characteristic unique to the physical object, checking, whenever required, the validity of the digital certificate of authenticity by use of a network computer), the network computer cooperating with the storage device and a validating or a certifying authority.
With a rich portfolio of 40 patent families, covering over 110 fundamental individual patents, and another 12 patents under review, SEALSQ continues to expand its platform use in various domains. SEALSQ semiconductors secure millions of objects: luxury products, high-end watches, routers, gateways, utilities meters, drones, authentication dongles, storage memory USB sticks, medical devices, connected door-locks, and electronic consumers devices, among others. These semiconductors include Digital Identification technology, such as Keys, Certificates or non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”), that secures, authenticates, and proves ownership of digital and tangible assets.
Our semiconductors, when placed on an object, can securely link the object to NFTs, enabling authentication and tracking of the object. This model is much like an embedded ePassport, and confirm the identity of the object on the Blockchain ledger. This digital identity, used throughout the object’s lifetime, allows the object to become a “Trusted Object” of the Internet, and enables proof of its identity and provision of related verifiable data.
SEALSQ does not provide any technology or services in the management of the NFT creation or the distribution of NFTs. However, SEALSQ’s NFT-related business is to provide its security–related services, Secure Element, to customers in the form of security-enhanced semiconductors. The Secure Element service that SEALSQ provides enables SEALSQ’s customers to create and maintain a secure link between an object and its NFT (issued by a SEALSQ customer that purchases SEALSQ semiconductors) that is stored in a blockchain.
Recent Developments
The responsibility for the development of the decentralized technology project “SEALCOIN” was transferred to our parent company, WISeKey, as of June 27, 2024. While the SEALCOIN project was originally under development by WISeKey and SEALSQ as a collaborative ‘proof of concept’ (with the aim of assessing the practical potential of the concept), the parties concluded that the SEALCOIN platform and tokens would be developed by WISeKey (capitalizing on WISeKey’s cybersecurity expertise), whereas SEALSQ is to focus on the development of the related semiconductor technology hardware and firmware (capitalizing on SEALSQ’s semiconductor and PKI expertise). The future role of SEALSQ in this project is expected to be as a supplier of secure semiconductors to or through SEALCOIN AG, a subsidiary of WISeKey, with SEALCOIN AG as a distributor of those chips to B2B participants in the platform SEALCOIN AG will be developing. Agreements between SEALSQ Corp and SEALCOIN AG are to be entered into reflecting the commercial terms and the Company anticipates that the terms of this contract will be negotiated on an arm’s length basis and that the Company would aim to be the preferred supplier of secure semiconductors to SEALCOIN AG.
Corporate Information
SEALSQ Corp is a BVI business company incorporated and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands. Our registered office in the British Virgin Islands is at Craigmuir Chambers, Road Town, Tortola, VG 1110, British Virgin Islands. Our principal executive offices and effective place of management are located at Avenue Louis-Casaï 58, 1216 Cointrin, Switzerland. Our telephone number from the United States is 011 41 22 594 3000. Our website can be accessed at www.SEALSQ.com. The information on or linked to on our website is not a part of this prospectus.
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves significant risks. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” in the applicable prospectus supplement and under “Item 3.D: Key Information—Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, or any updates in our Reports on Form 6-K, together with all of the other information appearing in this prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, in light of your particular investment objectives and financial circumstances.
The risks so described are not the only risks facing us. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. The discussion of risks includes or refers to forward-looking statements; you should read the explanation of the qualifications and limitations on such forward-looking statements discussed elsewhere in this prospectus.
Sales of our Ordinary Shares, or the perception of such sales, including by the investors in our recent convertible note and warrant financings pursuant to the Registration Statement on Form F-1 filed on April 15, 2024 (File No.: 333-278685) in the public market or otherwise could cause the market price for our Ordinary Shares to decline.
The sale of our Ordinary Shares in the public market or otherwise could harm the prevailing market price of our Ordinary Shares. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate (which ability to sell equity securities is also subject to restrictions under the terms of the note and warrant financing agreements). Resales of our Ordinary Shares may cause the market price of our securities to drop significantly, regardless of the performance of our business.
Following the conversion of the notes and/or the exercise of the warrants issued in these financings, there are no limitations on the investors’ ability to sell the Ordinary Shares received by the investors. As such, sales of a substantial number of Ordinary Shares in the public market could occur at any time following such conversion or exercise. These sales, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our Ordinary Shares.
Given the substantial number of Ordinary Shares that were registered for potential resale by the investors pursuant to the Registration Statement on Form F-1 filed on April 15, 2024 (File No.: 333-278685), the sale of Ordinary Shares by the investors, or the perception in the market that the shareholders of a large number of Ordinary Shares intend to sell Ordinary Shares, could increase the volatility of the market price of our Ordinary Shares or result in a significant decline in the public trading price of our Ordinary Shares.
Our failure to meet Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements could result in a delisting of our Ordinary Shares.
On August 1, 2024, we received written notification from the NASDAQ Stock Market, indicating that because the closing bid price of our Ordinary Shares for 30 consecutive business days, from June 18, 2024 to July 31, 2024, was below the minimum $1.00 per share bid price requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, we were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the applicable grace period to regain compliance is 180 days, or until January 28, 2025. If we fail to maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing standards, whether due to the minimum bid price deficiency or any other future deficiency, are delisted from Nasdaq and our Ordinary Shares are not subsequently listed on another national securities exchange, we will be unable to meet certain transaction requirements that would effectively prevent us from offering and selling additional Ordinary Shares under this registration statement, and could be in breach of covenants in various contracts.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of our operations or our performance. Words such as “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “forecasts” and variations of such words and similar expressions, as they relate to us, WISeKey, our management or third parties, are intended to identify the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our business strategy, financial performance, results of operations, market data, events or developments that SEALSQ expects or anticipates will occur in the future, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding:
· | Our anticipated goals, growth strategies and profitability; |
· | Future operating or financial results; |
· | Our planned capital expenditure program for additional production lines to be added to our supply chain; |
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· | Our intention to make investments in sales and marketing operations including R&D of new products such as post-quantum cryptography; |
· | Our plans for global customer base expansion; |
· | Our intention to establish a Design Center, OSAT and Personalization project; |
· | Our anticipated pipe growth in 2024 and 2025; |
· | Our belief that the products resulting from our R&D will create additional opportunities for growth; |
· | Our expectation about the development of the markets for SEALSQ, including expanding the role of Metaverse, increase in cyber threats and growth of secure hardware market, growing demand for IoT solutions, increase in cybersecurity spending based on the recent regulations and legislations; |
· | Our intent to invest heavily in the ongoing development of our products and technology; |
· | Our expectation that we will continue to gain several benefits from our parent company, WISeKey, including cash management via a loan agreement, and the financial reporting and legal support via certain service agreements; and |
· | Assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. |
The preceding list is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all of our forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations of future performance, taking into account the information currently available to us and are only predictions based upon our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Those factors include, in addition to those set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein and under a similar heading in any applicable prospectus supplement., among others, the following:
· | The inability to realize estimated financial position, results of operations or cash flows; |
· | Our ability to anticipate market needs and opportunities; |
· | Our ability to attract new customers and retain existing customer base; |
· | Our ability to foster innovation, to develop new products and enhancements to our existing products; |
· | The demand for our products or for the goods into which our products are incorporated; |
· | Our expectation that order commitments and non-cancellable orders we received are properly executed; |
· | The sufficiency of our cash and cash equivalents to meet our liquidity needs; |
· | The impact of any supply chain disruption that we may experience; |
· | Our dependency on the timely supply of equipment and materials from our third-party suppliers; |
· | Our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; |
· | Our ability to keep pace with technical advances in cryptography and semiconductor design; |
· | Our ability to raise funds for investment by cash flow from operating activities, external financing and investment, advance payments from a key customer, and grants and other available subsidies from funding agencies; |
· | Our ability to reduce our cost structure and general and administrative costs; |
· | Our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; |
· | Our ability to attract new customers and retain and expand within our existing customer base; |
· | Our ability to foster innovation, to develop new products and enhancements to our existing products; |
· | The future growth of the information technology and cybersecurity industry; |
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· | Risks relating to SEALSQ’s ability to implement its growth strategies; |
· | Our ability to successfully form new strategic partnerships with our alliance partners; |
· | Our ability to continue beneficial transactions with material parties, including WISeKey and a limited number of significant customers; |
· | Our ability to prevent security breaches and unauthorized access to confidential customer information; |
· | Our ability to comply with modified or new laws and regulations relating to our industries; |
· | The activities of our competitors and the introduction of competing products by our competitors; |
· | Market demand and semiconductor industry conditions; |
· | Our ability to successfully introduce new technologies and products; |
· | The cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry; |
· | An economic downturn in the semiconductor industry; |
· | Our ability to comply with U.S. and other applicable international laws and regulations; |
· | Changes in our overall tax position as a result of changes in tax laws or tax rates, new or revised legislation, the outcome of tax audits or changes in international tax treaties which may impact our results of operations as well as our ability to accurately estimate tax credits, benefits, deductions and provisions and to realize deferred tax assets; |
· | The potential negative impact on the global economy and capital markets resulting from the conflict in Ukraine or any other geopolitical tensions materially affecting our business, the business of our clients, and the ability of our suppliers to source key components and material; |
· | Fluctuations in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the other major currencies we use for our operations; |
· | Our ability to collect accounts receivable; |
· | Changes in certain commodities used as raw material, which may affect our gross margin; and |
· | How long we will qualify as an emerging growth company or a foreign private issuer. |
Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.
WE UNDERTAKE NO OBLIGATION TO PUBLICLY UPDATE OR REVISE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR THE DOCUMENTS TO WHICH WE REFER YOU IN THIS PROSPECTUS, TO REFLECT ANY CHANGE IN OUR EXPECTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SUCH STATEMENTS OR ANY CHANGE IN EVENTS, CONDITIONS OR CIRCUMSTANCES ON WHICH ANY STATEMENT IS BASED, EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
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CAPITALIZATION
Our capitalization will be set forth in a prospectus supplement to this prospectus or in a report of foreign private issuer on Form 6-K subsequently furnished to the SEC and specifically incorporated herein by reference.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds of this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include but are not limited to merger and acquisition activities, working capital and research and development expenditure.
The intended application of proceeds from the sale of any particular offering of securities using this prospectus will be described in the accompanying prospectus supplement relating to such offering. The precise amount and timing of the application of these proceeds will depend on our funding requirements and the availability and costs of other funds.
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DESCRIPTION OF ORDINARY SHARES
The following description of our share structure is a summary of the material terms of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and BVI corporate law regarding our shares and the holders thereof. This description contains all material information concerning our shares but does not purport to be complete.
General
We are a British Virgin Islands Business Company (company number 2095496) and our affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association (“Articles”), the BVI Business Companies Act (“BVI Act”) and common law of the British Virgin Islands. Based upon the Articles, we are authorized to issue a maximum of 210,000,000 shares in two classes as follows:
(a) | 200,000,000 Ordinary Shares with a par value of USD 0.01 per share (“Ordinary Shares”); and |
(b) | 10,000,000 Class F Shares with a par value of USD 0.05 per share (“Class F Shares”). |
As of the date of this prospectus, 32,448,871 Ordinary Shares are issued and outstanding and 1,499,700 Class F Shares are issued and outstanding. No preferred shares are issued or outstanding or authorized by our Articles. The following description summarizes the material terms of our shares as set out more particularly in our Articles. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Share Rights
Each Ordinary Share confers upon the shareholder:
(a) | the right to attend any meeting of shareholders; |
(b) | the right to one vote per Ordinary Share on any resolution of shareholders as against each other Ordinary Share but, as a class, the Ordinary Shares shall retain 50.01% of the Company’s voting power; |
(c) | the right to an equal share in any dividend paid by the Company against each other Ordinary Share, which shall be one fifth of any amount paid by the Company against each Class F Share but which shall not rank in preference or be subordinate to any other share; |
(d) | the right to an equal share in the distribution of the surplus assets of the Company against each other Ordinary Share, which shall be one fifth of any amount paid by the Company against each Class F Share but which shall not rank in preference to any other share; and |
(e) | such other rights and entitlements as may be specified in the Articles. |
Our Ordinary Shareholders have no conversion, pre-emptive or other subscription rights and there are no sinking fund or redemption provisions applicable to the Ordinary Shares.
Each Class F Share confers upon the shareholder:
(a) | the right to attend any meeting of shareholders; |
(b) | a number of votes per Class F Share, on any matter that is submitted to a vote of shareholders, that would cause the total votes of all Class F Shares to equal 49.99% of the voting power of all shares (or, if the applicable voting standard is “a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on such matter”, 49.999999% of the voting power of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on such matter); |
(c) | the right to an equal share in any dividend paid by the Company against each other Class F Shares, and which shall be five times greater than any amount paid by the Company against each Ordinary Share but which shall not rank in preference to any other share; and |
(d) | the right to an equal share in the distribution of the surplus assets of the Company against each other Class F Shares, and which shall be five times greater than any amount paid by the Company against each Ordinary Share but which shall not rank in preference to any other share. |
The Class F Shares are subject to mandatory and automatic redemption, in the event of a change of control (being the acquisition by any person or entity, alone or jointly, of more than 50% of the voting rights of any Class F Shareholder which is a corporate entity), as determined by the Company’s board of directors, in exchange for the issuance of new Ordinary Shares at a ratio of five (5) Ordinary Shares for each one (1) Class F Share redeemed.
The Class F Shares are non-transferable.
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The Company and the holders of the Class F Shares have entered into a Class F Shareholders’ Agreement that provides, among other things, that the holders of Class F Shares:
· | will vote the Class F Shares held by them as one and in accordance with the majority (by the number of shares held) view of the holders of the Class F Shares; and |
· | are bound by the redemption provisions set out in the Articles and that they will take all necessary action to comply with them. |
Register of Members
Under the BVI Act, the shares are deemed to be issued when the name of the shareholder is entered in the register of members.
Our register of members will be maintained by our transfer agent, Computershare Inc.
If:
(a) | information that is required to be entered in the register of members is omitted from the register or is inaccurately entered in the register; or |
(b) | there is unreasonable delay in entering information in the register, |
a shareholder of the company, or any person who is aggrieved by the omission, inaccuracy or delay, may apply to the British Virgin Islands Courts for an order that the register be rectified, and the court may either refuse the application or order the rectification of the register, and may direct the Company to pay all costs of the application and any damages the applicant may have sustained.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on our shares to date. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings. Under the laws of the British Virgin Islands and our Articles, we may only pay a dividend or make a distribution to our shareholders if, following such dividend or distribution, the value of our assets will exceed our liabilities and we will be able to pay our debts as they fall due. In addition, the Second Tranche Notes prohibit us and our subsidiaries from paying dividends or other cash distributions, except for intercompany transfers to us and payments to WISeKey.
Comparison of Shareholder Rights
DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW | BVI CORPORATE LAW |
Class actions and derivative actions generally are available to shareholders of a Delaware corporation for, among other things, breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste and actions not taken in accordance with applicable law. In such actions, the court has discretion to permit the winning party to recover attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with such action. |
Class actions and derivative actions are generally not available to shareholders under British Virgin Islands law.
The British Virgin Islands courts, however, would ordinarily be expected to permit a shareholder to commence an action in the name of a company to remedy a wrong to the company where the act complained of is alleged to be beyond the corporate power of the company or illegal, or would result in the violation of the company’s memorandum and articles of association. Furthermore, consideration would be given by a British Virgin Islands court to acts that are alleged to constitute a fraud against the minority shareholders or, for instance, where an act requires the approval of a greater percentage of the company’s shareholders than that which actually approved it.
When the affairs of a company are being conducted in a manner which is oppressive or prejudicial to the interests of some part of the shareholders, one or more shareholders may apply to the High Court of the British Virgin Islands, which may make such order as it sees fit, including an order regulating the conduct of the company’s affairs in the future or ordering the purchase of the shares of any shareholders by other shareholders or by the company. |
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DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW | BVI CORPORATE LAW |
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, the board of directors has the authority to fix the compensation of directors, unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or bylaws. |
The Articles contain a provision that the board of directors has the power to determine the remuneration, if any, of the directors. |
Unless directors are elected by written consent in lieu of an annual meeting, directors are elected in an annual meeting of stockholders on a date and at a time designated by or in the manner provided in the bylaws. Re-election is possible.
Classified boards are permitted. |
The Articles provide that the directors shall be appointed at the Company’s annual general meeting and will hold office until the next annual general meeting or until their earlier death, resignation or removal. Re-election is possible. The directors of the Company may appoint directors where there is a vacancy. |
The Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a certificate of incorporation may contain a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors (but not other controlling persons) of the corporation for monetary damages for breach of a fiduciary duty as a director, except no provision in the certificate of incorporation may eliminate or limit the liability of a director for:
· any breach of a director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its shareholders;
· acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
· statutory liability for unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchase or redemption; or
· any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
A Delaware corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding, other than an action by or on behalf of the corporation, because the person is or was a director or officer, against liability incurred in connection with the proceeding if the director or officer acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation; and the director or officer, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
Unless ordered by a court, any foregoing indemnification is subject to a determination that the director or officer has met the applicable standard of conduct:
· by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to the proceeding, even though less than a quorum;
· by a committee of directors designated by a majority vote of the eligible directors, even though less than a quorum;
· by independent legal counsel in a written opinion if there are no eligible directors, or if the eligible directors so direct; or
· by the shareholders.
Moreover, a Delaware corporation may not indemnify a director or officer in connection with any proceeding in which the director or officer has been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for those expenses which the court deems proper. |
Section 132 of the BVI Act, and the Articles, provide that, subject to certain limitations, SEALSQ shall indemnify its directors and officers against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings. Such indemnity only applies if the person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and, in the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to believe that their conduct was unlawful.
Section 133 of the BVI Act permits a company to purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any officer or director in respect of any loss or liability attaching to them in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust, whether or not we may otherwise indemnify such officer or director. |
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DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW | BVI CORPORATE LAW |
A director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components:
· the duty of care; and
· the duty of loyalty. |
The BVI Act imposes a duty on directors and officers of a British Virgin Islands company:
(a) to act honestly and in good faith and in what the director believes to be in the best interests of the company when exercising their powers as a director;
(b) to exercise the reasonable care, diligence, and skill that a reasonable director would exercise in the same circumstances taking into account, but without limitation:
i. the nature of the company;
ii. the nature of the decision; and
iii. the position of the director and the nature of their responsibilities;
(c) to exercise their duties for proper purpose and in accordance with the BVI Act and the memorandum and association of the company; and
(d) to disclose any interest which they have in a transaction entered into or to be entered into by the company.
The statutory duties imposed on directors, by the BVI Act, are further supplemented by common law duties established (over centuries) of case law. There is considerable overlap between the common law and the BVI Act and in most circumstances it is not necessary to consider the two separately.
In addition, the BVI Act imposes various duties on directors and officers of a company with respect to certain matters of management and administration of the company. |
The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He must not use his corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interest of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence a breach of one of the fiduciary duties.
Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, a director must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction, and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation. |
The BVI Act also imposes a duty on directors and officers of a British Virgin Islands company to:
(a) act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company; and
(b) exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonable director or officer would exercise in the same circumstances.
In addition, the BVI Act imposes various duties on directors and officers of a company with respect to certain matters of management and administration of the company. |
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DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW | BVI CORPORATE LAW |
A Delaware corporation may, in its certificate of incorporation, eliminate the right of shareholders to act by written consent. |
The BVI Act provides that shareholders may take action by written consent. Under the Articles a resolution in writing is passed when it is signed by the shareholders of the Company who at the date of the notice of the resolution represent such majority of votes of shares as would be entitled to vote on such resolution. |
A shareholder of a Delaware corporation has the right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders, provided it complies with the notice provisions in the governing documents. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors or any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings. |
Under the Articles, shareholders entitled to exercise 30% or more of the voting rights, in respect of the matter for which the meeting is requested, can require the directors to convene a meeting of shareholders. |
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the corporation’s certificate of incorporation provides for it. |
Under British Virgin Islands law, the voting rights of shareholders are regulated by the company’s memorandum and articles of association and, in certain circumstances, by the BVI Act.
The Articles do not provide for cumulative voting. |
A Delaware corporation with a classified board may be removed only for cause with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. |
Under the Articles, a director may be removed:
(a) with or without cause, by resolution of shareholders passed at a meeting of shareholders called for the purpose of removing the director or for purposes including the removal of the director or by a written resolution passed by at least 75% of the votes of the shares entitled to vote; or
(b) with cause, by resolution of directors passed by all directors other than the director being removed at a meeting of directors called for the purpose of removing the director or for purposes including the removal of the director. |
The Delaware General Corporation Law generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in certain business combinations with an “interested shareholder” for three years following the date that such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder generally is a person or group who or which owns or owned 15.0% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock within the past three years. |
There is no similar law in the British Virgin Islands. |
Unless the board of directors of a Delaware corporation approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100.0% of the total voting power of the corporation. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s outstanding shares. Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board. |
As permitted by the BVI Act and our Articles, we may be voluntarily liquidated under Part XII of the BVI Act by resolution of directors or resolution of shareholders if we have no liabilities or we are able to pay our debts as they fall due and the value of our assets equals or exceeds our liabilities.
A company may also be wound up where a court deems it just and equitable to do so and in circumstances where they are insolvent in accordance with the terms of the BVI Insolvency Act. |
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DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW | BVI CORPORATE LAW |
A Delaware corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. |
Under the Articles, the rights conferred upon the holders of our shares of any class may only be varied with the consent in writing of the holders of a majority of the issued shares of that class or by a resolution approved at a meeting of the shares of that class by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes of the shares of that class which were present at the meeting and were voted. |
A Delaware corporation’s governing documents may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. |
A British Virgin Islands company’s memorandum and articles of association may be amended by resolutions of the board of directors and the shareholders, subject to the BVI Act and the memorandum and articles of association. |
Shareholders of a Delaware corporation, upon written demand under oath stating the purpose thereof, have the right during the usual hours for business to inspect for any proper purpose, and to obtain copies of list(s) of shareholders and other books and records of the corporation and its subsidiaries, if any, to the extent the books and records of such subsidiaries are available to the corporation. |
Under the BVI Act, members of the general public, on payment of a nominal fee, can obtain copies of the public records of a company available at the office of the BVI Registrar which will include the company’s certificate of incorporation, its memorandum and articles of association (with any amendments), a list of the current directors and records of license fees paid to date and will also disclose any articles of dissolution, articles of merger and a register of charges if the company has elected to file such a register.
A shareholder of a company is entitled, on giving written notice to the company, to inspect:
(a) the memorandum and articles;
(b) the register of members;
(c) the register of directors; and
(d) the minutes of meetings and resolutions of members and of those classes of members of which they are a member,
and to make copies of or take extracts from the documents and records referred to above.
Subject to the memorandum and articles of association, the directors may, if they are satisfied that it would be contrary to the company’s interests to allow a member to inspect any document, or part of a document, specified above, refuse to permit the member to inspect the document or limit the inspection of the document, including limiting the making of copies or the taking of extracts from the records.
Where a company fails or refuses to permit a member to inspect a document or permits a member to inspect a document subject to limitations, that member may apply to a British Virgin Islands Court for an order that they should be permitted to inspect the document or to inspect the document without limitation. |
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DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW | BVI CORPORATE LAW |
The board of directors may approve a dividend without shareholder approval. Subject to any restrictions contained in its certificate of incorporation, the board may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of its capital stock either:
· out of its surplus, or
· in case there is no such surplus, out of its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year.
Stockholder approval is required to authorize capital stock in excess of that provided in the charter. Directors may issue authorized shares without stockholder approval. |
Under British Virgin Islands law, the board of directors may declare a dividend without shareholder approval, but a company may not declare or pay dividends if there are reasonable grounds for believing that:
(a) the company is, or would after the payment be, unable to pay its debts as they fall due; or
(b) that the value of the company’s assets would be less than its liabilities. |
All creation of shares require the board of directors to adopt a resolution or resolutions, pursuant to authority expressly vested in the board of directors by the provisions of the company’s certificate of incorporation. |
The number of shares that a British Virgin Islands company is authorized to issue is set out in the memorandum and articles of association.
The Articles provide that the company is authorized to issue 210,000,000 shares in two classes as follows:
(a) 200,000,000 Ordinary Shares; and
(b) 10,000,000 Class F Shares. |
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, with certain exceptions, a merger, consolidation, sale, lease or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of a corporation must be approved by the board of directors and a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote thereon. A shareholder of a Delaware corporation participating in certain major corporate transactions may, under certain circumstances, be entitled to appraisal rights pursuant to which such shareholder may receive cash in the amount of the fair value of the shares held by such shareholder (as determined by a court) in lieu of the consideration such shareholder would otherwise receive in the transaction. The Delaware General Corporation Law also provides that a parent corporation, by resolution of its board of directors, may merge with any subsidiary, of which it owns at least 90.0% of each class of capital stock without a vote by the shareholders of such subsidiary. Upon any such merger, dissenting shareholders of the subsidiary would have appraisal rights. |
The consolidation or merger of a British Virgin Islands company with another company or corporation (other than certain affiliated companies) requires the consolidation or merger to be approved by the company’s board of directors and by its shareholders. Unless the company’s memorandum and articles of association provide otherwise, the approval of a majority of the shareholders voting at a meeting of shareholders is required to approve the consolidation or merger agreement.
Under British Virgin Islands law, in the event of a consolidation or merger of a British Virgin Islands company with another company or corporation, a shareholder of the British Virgin Islands company who did not vote in favor of the amalgamation or merger and who is not satisfied that fair value has been offered for such shareholder’s shares may seek fair value for those shares in accordance with Section 179 of the BVI Act. |
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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus and the related warrant agreements and warrant certificates. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any warrants offered under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. However, no prospectus supplement shall fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement that includes this prospectus or as an exhibit to a report filed under the Exchange Act.
General
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the warrants, including as applicable:
· | the offering price; |
· | the aggregate number or amount of underlying securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants and the exercise price; |
· | the number of warrants being offered; |
· | the date, if any, after which the warrants and the underlying securities will be transferable separately; |
· | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence, and the date on which the right will expire; |
· | the number of warrants outstanding, if any; |
· | any material BVI and/or U.S. federal income tax consequences; |
· | the terms, if any, on which we may accelerate the date by which the warrants must be exercised; and |
· | any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants. |
Warrants will be offered and exercisable for U.S. dollars only and will be in registered form only.
Holders of warrants will be able to exchange warrant certificates for new warrant certificates of different denominations, present warrants for registration of transfer, and exercise warrants at the designated office of the warrant agent in the applicable prospectus supplement. Prior to the exercise of any warrants, holders of the warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares will not have any rights of holders of Ordinary Shares, including the right to receive payments of dividends, if any, or to exercise any applicable right to vote.
Certain Risk Considerations
Any warrants we issue will involve a degree of risk, including risks arising from fluctuations in the price of the underlying Ordinary Shares and general risks applicable to the securities market (or markets) on which the underlying securities trade, as applicable. Prospective purchasers of the warrants will need to recognize that the warrants may expire worthless, and, thus, purchasers should be prepared to sustain a total loss of the purchase price of their warrants. This risk reflects the nature of a warrant as an asset that, other factors held constant, tends to decline in value over time and that may, depending on the price of the underlying securities, become worthless when it expires. The trading price of a warrant at any time is expected to increase if the price of or, if applicable, the dividend rate on, the underlying securities increases. Conversely, the trading price of a warrant is expected to decrease as the time remaining to expiration of the warrant decreases and as the price of or, if applicable, the dividend rate on, the underlying securities, decreases. Assuming all other factors are held constant, the more a warrant is “out-of-the-money” (i.e., the more the exercise price exceeds the price of the underlying securities and the shorter its remaining term to expiration), the greater the risk that a purchaser of the warrant will lose all or part of his or her investment. If the price of the underlying securities does not rise before the warrant expires to an extent sufficient to cover a purchaser’s cost of the warrant, the purchaser will lose all or part of his or her investment in the warrant upon expiration.
In addition, prospective purchasers of the warrants should be experienced with respect to options and option transactions, should understand the risks associated with options and should reach an investment decision only after careful consideration, with their financial advisers, of the suitability of the warrants in light of their particular financial circumstances and the information discussed in this prospectus and, if applicable, the prospectus supplement. Before purchasing, exercising or selling any warrants, prospective purchasers and holders of warrants should carefully consider, among other things:
· | the trading price of the warrants; |
· | the price of the underlying securities at that time; |
· | the time remaining to expiration; and |
· | any related transaction costs. |
Some of the factors referred to above are in turn influenced by various political, economic and other factors that can affect the trading price of the underlying securities and should be carefully considered prior to making any investment decisions.
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Purchasers of the warrants should further consider that the initial offering price of the warrants may be in excess of the price that a purchaser of options might pay for a comparable option in a private, less liquid transaction. In addition, it is not possible to predict the price at which the warrants will trade in the secondary market or whether any such market will be liquid. We may, but will not be obligated to, file an application to list any warrants on a U.S. national securities exchange. To the extent that any warrants are exercised, the number of warrants outstanding will decrease, which may result in a lessening of the liquidity of the warrants. Finally, the warrants will constitute our direct, unconditional and unsecured obligations and, as such, will be subject to any changes in our perceived creditworthiness.
Exercise of Warrants
Each holder of a warrant will be entitled to purchase that number or amount of underlying securities, at the exercise price, as will in each case be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the offered warrants. After the close of business on the warrant expiration date (which may be extended by us), unexercised warrants will become void.
Holders may exercise warrants by delivering to the warrant agent payment as provided in the applicable prospectus supplement of the amount required to purchase the underlying securities purchasable upon exercise, together with the information set forth on the reverse side of the warrant certificate. Warrants will be deemed to have been exercised upon receipt of payment of the exercise price, subject to the receipt of the warrant certificate evidencing the exercised warrants. Upon receipt of payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the designated office of the warrant agent in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, issue and deliver the underlying securities purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the warrants represented by a warrant certificate are exercised, we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining amount of warrants.
Amendments and Supplements to Warrant Agreements
We may amend or supplement the warrant agreement without the consent of the holders of the warrants issued under the agreement to effect changes that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the warrants and that do not adversely affect the interests of the holders of warrants.
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DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS
We may issue subscription rights to purchase our Ordinary Shares. These subscription rights may be issued independently or together with any other security offered hereby and may or may not be transferable by the shareholder receiving the subscription rights in such offering. In connection with any offering of subscription rights, we may enter into a standby arrangement with one or more underwriters or other purchasers pursuant to which the underwriters or other purchasers may be required to purchase any securities remaining unsubscribed for after such offering.
The prospectus supplement relating to any subscription rights we offer, if any, will, to the extent applicable, include specific terms relating to the offering, including some or all of the following:
· | the price, if any, for the subscription rights; |
· | the exercise price payable for each Ordinary Share upon the exercise of the subscription rights; |
· | the number of subscription rights to be issued to each shareholder; |
· | the number and terms of the Ordinary Shares which may be purchased per each subscription right; |
· | the extent to which the subscription rights are transferable; |
· | any other terms of the subscription rights, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the subscription rights; |
· | the date on which the right to exercise the subscription rights shall commence, and the date on which the subscription rights shall expire; |
· | the extent to which the subscription rights may include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities; and |
· | if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or purchase arrangement which may be entered into by us in connection with the offering of subscription rights. |
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any subscription rights we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable subscription right agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer subscription rights. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable subscription right agreement if we offer subscription rights, see “Where You Can Find More Information” below and “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference” below. We urge you to read the applicable subscription right agreement and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.
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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS
We may issue units comprised of one or more of the other securities described in this prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe:
· | the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; |
· | the material terms of a unit agreement under which the units will be issued; |
· | any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and |
· | whether the units will be issued in fully registered or global form. |
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any units. The preceding description and any description of units in the applicable prospectus supplement does not purport to be complete and is subject to and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the unit agreement and, if applicable, collateral arrangements and depositary arrangements relating to such units. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable unit agreement if we offer units, see “Where You Can Find More Information” below and “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference” below. We urge you to read the applicable unit agreement and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.
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TAXATION
The material BVI and U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of any of the securities offered by this prospectus will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement offering those securities or incorporated by reference from our Annual Report on Form 20-F or other public filings we make with the SEC.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may sell the securities described in this prospectus through underwriters or dealers, through agents, directly to one or more purchasers, “at-the-market” offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades or through a combination of these methods. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including:
● | the name or names of any underwriters, if any, and if required, any dealers or agents, and the amount of securities underwritten or purchased by each of them, if any; |
● | the public offering price or purchase price of the securities from us and the net proceeds to us from the sale of the securities; |
● | any underwriting discounts and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation; |
● | any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers; and |
● | any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed. |
We may distribute the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at:
● | a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; |
● | market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
● | varying prices determined at the time of sale related to such prevailing market prices; or |
● | negotiated prices. |
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Only underwriters named in the prospectus supplement will be underwriters of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement.
If we use underwriters in the sale, the underwriters will either acquire the securities for their own account and may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or sell the securities on a “best efforts, minimum/maximum basis” when the underwriters agree to do their best to sell the securities to the public. We may offer the securities to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or by underwriters without a syndicate. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may change from time to time.
If we use a dealer in the sale of the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, the securities will be sold directly to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.
Our ordinary shares are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Unless otherwise specified in the related prospectus supplement, all securities we offer, other than ordinary shares, will be new issues of securities with no established trading market. Any underwriter may make a market in these securities, but will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. We may apply to list securities that we offer on an exchange, but we are not obligated to do so. Therefore, there may not be liquidity or a trading market for any series of securities.
We may sell the securities directly or through agents we designate from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of securities and we will describe any commissions we may pay the agent in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We may authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in the applicable prospectus supplement.
In connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters, dealers or agents may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the securities for whom they act as agents in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities, and any institutional investors or others that purchase securities directly and then resell the securities, may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the securities by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act of 1933.
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LEGAL MATTERS
Certain legal matters with respect to British Virgin Islands law in connection with this offering are being passed upon for us by Harney Westwood & Riegels LP. Certain matters of U.S. federal and New York law are being passed upon for us by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, New York, New York.
EXPERTS
The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of BDO Ltd., an independent public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting. The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of BDO Rhône Alpes, an independent public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference our publicly filed reports into this prospectus, which means that information included in those reports is considered part of this prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents furnished, rather than filed), and, to the extent designated therein, reports on Form 6-K, until the offering of the securities under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part is terminated or completed:
· | our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 21, 2024; |
· | our Reports on Form 6-K furnished by us to the SEC on July 1, 2024, July 12, 2024, August 2, 2024, September 25, 2024 and November 19, 2024; and |
· | the description of our Ordinary Shares contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on May 18, 2023, as amended by Exhibit 2.4 to our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 21, 2024, as further amended and supplemented by the description of our Securities contained in this prospectus under “Description of Ordinary Shares,” including any subsequent amendment or any report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
The SEC maintains an Internet site at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers like us that file electronically with the SEC.
We will also incorporate by reference all subsequent Annual Reports on Form 20-F that we file with the SEC. In addition, we will incorporate by reference certain future materials furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K after the date of the initial registration statement, but only to the extent specifically indicated in those submissions or in a future prospectus supplement. Each subsequently filed Annual Report should be deemed to supersede entirely each earlier filed Annual Report and the materials furnished on an earlier Form 6-K and, unless explicitly stated otherwise, such earlier reports should not be deemed to be part of this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement and you should not rely upon statements made in those earlier periodic reports. In all cases, you should rely on the later information over different information in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.
We will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the above documents, other than exhibits to such documents which are not specifically incorporated by reference therein. You should direct any requests for documents to:
SEALSQ Corp
Avenue Louis-Casaï 58
1216 Cointrin Switzerland
Tel: 011-41-22-594-3000
Fax: 011-41-22-594-3001
The information relating to us contained in this prospectus is not comprehensive and should be read together with the information contained in the incorporated documents. Descriptions contained in the incorporated documents as to the contents of any contract or other document may not contain all of the information which is of interest to you. You should refer to the copy of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to our filings.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-3 under the Securities Act, relating to this offering of securities. As permitted by SEC rules, this prospectus does not contain all of the information contained in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Statements made in this prospectus concerning the contents of any contract, agreement or other document are summaries of all material information about the documents summarized, but are not complete descriptions of all terms of these documents. If we filed any of these documents as an exhibit to the registration statement, you may read the document itself for a complete description of its terms.
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to foreign private issuers. In accordance with the Exchange Act, we file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F containing financial statements audited by an independent accounting firm. We also furnish to the SEC, under cover of Reports of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K, material information required to be made public by us or filed by us with and made public by any stock exchange or distributed by us to our shareholders. Such reports and other information filed with the SEC are available to the public over the internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. We also generally make available on our own website (www.sealsq.com) our half-year and year-end financial statements as well as other information.
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements to shareholders, and our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the “short-swing profits” reporting and liability provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act and related Exchange Act rules. In addition, we are not required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.
We maintain a corporate website at www.sealsq.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus. We have included our website address in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference.
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands and our principal executive offices are located outside the United States. Most of our directors and officers and those of our subsidiaries are residents of countries other than the United States. Substantially all of our and our subsidiaries’ assets and a substantial portion of the assets of our directors and officers are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for United States investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us, our directors or officers or our subsidiaries, or to realize against us or them judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
Furthermore, there is substantial doubt that courts in jurisdictions outside the U.S. (i) would enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or our directors or officers based upon the civil liability provisions of applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws or (ii) would enforce, in original actions, liabilities against us or our directors or officers based on those laws.
EXPENSES
The following is an estimate of the expenses (all of which are to be paid by us) that we may incur in connection with the securities being registered hereby. Each prospectus supplement describing an offering of securities will reflect the estimated expenses related to the offering of securities under that prospectus supplement.
SEC registration fees | $ | 15,310 | |
FINRA filing fee | $ | 15,500 | |
Legal fees and expenses | $ | * | |
Accountants fees and expenses | $ | * | |
Miscellaneous | $ | * | |
Total | $ | * |
* These fees and expenses depend on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time. These fees will be provided by a prospectus supplement or a Report on Form 6-K that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
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13,157,896 Ordinary Shares
SEALSQ Corp
Prospectus Supplement
Maxim Group LLC
December 17, 2024
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