SEC Form 424B3 filed by AEye Inc.

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)

Registration No. 333-281235

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT NO. 3

To Prospectus dated August 21, 2024

AEYE, INC.

Up to 25,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

_________________________________

This prospectus supplement (this “Supplement”) supplements the prospectus dated August 21, 2024 (as may be supplemented from time to time, the “Prospectus”), which is part of a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-281235) relating to the offer and resale of up to 25,000,000 shares of common stock of AEye, Inc. (the “Common Stock”) by New Circle Principal Investments LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Selling Stockholder” or “New Circle”). The shares of Common Stock being offered by New Circle have been and may be issued pursuant to the share purchase agreement dated July 25, 2024 that we entered into with New Circle (the “Purchase Agreement”). The shares registered for resale also include 225,563 shares of Common Stock that we issued to New Circle as consideration for its commitment to purchase our Common Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (the “Commitment Shares”). We are not selling any securities under the Prospectus and will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of our Common Stock by New Circle. However, we may receive up to $50 million in aggregate gross proceeds from sales of our Common Stock to New Circle that we may make under the Purchase Agreement from time to time after the date of the Prospectus. See the sections entitled “The New Circle Transaction” in the Prospectus for a description of the transaction contemplated by the Purchase Agreement and “Selling Stockholder” in the Prospectus for additional information regarding New Circle.

This Supplement is being filed to update and supplement the information in the Prospectus with the information contained in the Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 14, 2024.

This Supplement is not complete without, and may not be delivered or utilized except in connection with, the Prospectus. This Supplement should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus, and if there is any inconsistency between the information in the Prospectus and this Supplement, you should rely on the information in this Supplement.

Our registration of the securities covered by this prospectus does not mean that New Circle will offer or sell any of the Common Stock. Subject to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, New Circle may sell the shares of our Common Stock included in the Prospectus in a number of different ways and at varying prices. We provide more information about how New Circle may sell the shares in the section in the Prospectus entitled “Plan of Distribution.” New Circle is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Any profits on the sales of our Common Stock by New Circle and any discounts, commissions or concessions received by New Circle may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.

New Circle will pay all sales and brokerage commissions and similar expenses in connection with the offer and resale of the Common Stock by New Circle pursuant to the Prospectus. We will pay the expenses (except sales and brokerage commissions and similar expenses) incurred in registering under the Securities Act the offer and resale of the shares included in the Prospectus by New Circle, including legal and accounting fees. See “Plan of Distribution” in the Prospectus.

We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, and are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. The Prospectus complies with the requirements that apply to an issuer that is an emerging growth company.

Our Common Stock is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) under the symbols “LIDR”. On November 14, 2024, the closing price of our Common Stock was $1.07 per share.

Our business and investment in our Common Stock involve significant risks. These risks are described in the section titled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 9 of the Prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this Supplement is November 15, 2024.

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

☒	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2024

 

OR

 

☐	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from ________ to ________

 

Commission file number 333-259554

 

 

AEye, Inc.

 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware		37-1827430
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
4670 Willow Road, Suite 125, Pleasanton, CA		94588
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

(925) 400-4366

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

 

Not Applicable

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, $0.0001 par value per share	LIDR	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Warrants to purchase one share of common stock	LIDRW	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports); and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.     Yes  ☒    No  ☐ 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).     Yes  ☒    No  ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer	☐	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☒	Smaller reporting company	☒
		Emerging growth company	☒

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

 

As of November 11, 2024, the registrant had 9,133,148 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, outstanding.

 

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1

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Form 10-Q”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements reflect the current views of management with respect to future events and our financial performance. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “outlook,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words or phrases, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance, our anticipated growth strategies, and anticipated trends in our business.

These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties, and other factors, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These factors include the information set forth in Part 1, Item 1A, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 under the heading “Risk Factors,” and Part II, Item 1A, of this Quarterly Report under the heading “Risk Factors,” which we encourage you to carefully read. Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance, or achievements. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this Form 10-Q to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Form 10-Q or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

PART 1. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial statements (Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

AEYE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(In thousands, except share amounts and per share data)
(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

AEYE, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023

(In thousands, except share amounts)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

AEYE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

AEYE, INC.

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(in thousands, except share and per share data or otherwise stated)

AEye, Inc. (the “Company” or “AEye”) is a provider of high-performance, active lidar systems for vehicle autonomy, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and smart industrial applications. AEye’s software-definable 4Sight^TM Intelligent Sensing Platform combines solid-state active lidar and integrated deterministic artificial intelligence to capture more intelligent information with less data, enabling faster, more accurate, and more reliable perception of the surroundings.

AEye, formerly known as CF Finance Acquisition Corp. III (“CF III”), was originally incorporated in Delaware on March 15, 2016 under the name CF SPAC Re Inc. On February 17, 2021, AEye Technologies, Inc., then known as AEye, Inc., entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with CF III. Based on CF III’s business activities, it was a “shell company” as defined under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. On August 16, 2021, the business combination contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger was closed and CF III changed its name to AEye, Inc.

The Company’s common stock and public warrants are listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) under the symbols “LIDR” and “LIDRW”, respectively. Unless otherwise specified, “we,” “us,” “our,” “AEye,” and the “Company” refers to AEye, Inc.

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial statements and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for fair presentation have been included. The accompanying interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2023 included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Principle of Consolidation and Liquidity

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company has funded its operations primarily through the business combination and issuances of stock. As of September 30, 2024, the Company’s existing sources of liquidity included cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of $22,435.

ASC 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern, requires management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued. In each reporting period, including interim periods, an entity is required to assess conditions known and reasonably knowable as of the financial statement issuance date to determine whether it is probable an entity will not meet its financial obligations within one year from the financial statement issuance date. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis.

As is common in early-stage companies with limited operating histories, the Company is subject to risks and uncertainties such as its ability to develop and commercialize its products; produce and deliver lidar and software products meeting acceptable performance metrics; attract new and retain existing customers; develop, obtain, or progress strategic partnerships; secure an automotive OEM design win; secure additional capital to support the business plan; and other risks and uncertainties.

Since its inception, the Company has incurred net losses and negative cash flows from operations. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $364,547. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company incurred a net loss of $26,912 and $59,344, respectively, and the Company had net cash outflows from operating activities of $21,814 and $41,508, respectively. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had $22,435 of cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities. As the Company is still in its early stages, it is expected to incur additional operating losses and negative cash flows as it continues to focus on achieving commercialization of its lidar solutions.

As described in Note 17, the Company was served with a complaint related to the alleged default of the lease for the Company’s former headquarters. The former landlord has claimed that the amount owed could be up to $8,500 and drew down the standby letter credit of $2,150, which was held as security for payment of rent. Management, with the assistance of legal counsel, has determined that it is remote that the Company would be required to make any payment related to this matter to the former landlord within one year from the financial statement issuance date. Depending on the outcome of this matter, there could be a material adverse effect on the liquidity, financial position, results of operations, or cash flows of the Company.

When conditions and events, in the aggregate, impact an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, management evaluates the mitigating effect of its plans to determine if it is probable that the plans will be effectively implemented, and, when implemented, the plans will mitigate the relevant conditions or events. 

The Company is dependent upon raising additional capital to provide the cash necessary to continue its ongoing operations and execute against its strategic objectives. During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company raised $6,009 in gross proceeds from financing activities. However, successfully raising capital is outside of management's control and there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain additional financing on terms acceptable to the Company, on a timely basis, or at all. Should the Company not be able to raise additional capital, the Company plans to adjust spending to preserve and extend liquidity over the next 12 months, these plans include managing its workforce to reduce payroll costs and managing other discretionary spending. There can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in these efforts to preserve cash. 

Management believes that these plans can be successfully implemented and alleviate the substantial doubt that was raised about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, which will result in sufficient liquidity and cash flows to support its ongoing operations and meet its obligations for at least one year following the date these condensed consolidated financial statements are issued.

Reverse Stock Split

On December 27, 2023, the Company effected a 1-for-30 reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding shares of common stock (the "Reverse Stock Split"). Pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split, every thirty (30) shares of issued and outstanding shares of common stock were combined into one (1) share of common stock. The Company did not issue fractional shares in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Stockholders who were otherwise entitled to fractional shares of common stock were instead entitled to receive a proportional cash payment. The number of shares of common stock issuable under our equity incentive plans and exercisable under the outstanding warrants were also proportionately adjusted.

In connection with the Reverse Stock Split, there was no change to the number of shares authorized or in the par value per share of common stock of $0.0001. Accordingly, all historical per share data, number of shares issued and outstanding, stock awards, and other common stock equivalents for the periods presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been adjusted retroactively, where applicable, to reflect the Reverse Stock Split.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, and accounts receivable. The Company places its cash and cash equivalents with major financial institutions, which management assesses to be of high credit quality, to limit the exposure of each investment. The Company’s marketable securities have investment grade ratings when purchased, which mitigates risk.

The Company’s accounts receivable are derived from customers located in the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The Company mitigates its credit risks by performing ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial conditions. The Company generally does not require collateral.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, to increase the transparency and usefulness of income tax information through improvements to the income tax disclosures primarily related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the effects of the new guidance.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. This standard requires public companies, including entities with a single reportable segment, to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses and other items on an interim and annual basis to provide more transparency about the expenses they incur from revenue generating business units. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024 on a retrospective basis, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of the new standard to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

The fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities is determined in accordance with the fair value hierarchy established in FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”). ASC 820 defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy of ASC 820 requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs when measuring fair value and classifies those inputs into three levels:

Level 1—Observable inputs, such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2—Observable inputs, other than Level 1 inputs, which are observable either directly or indirectly or can be corroborated by observable market data using quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities.

Level 3—Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

The Company's financial instruments that are not remeasured at fair value include accounts receivable, prepaid and other current assets, accounts payable, accrued expenses, other current and noncurrent liabilities, and convertible note. The carrying values of these financial instruments approximate their fair values.

The Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis and the level of inputs used for such measurements were as follows (in thousands):

The Company’s financial assets and liabilities subject to fair value procedures were comprised of the following:

Money Market Funds: The Company holds financial assets consisting of money market funds. These securities are valued using observable inputs, such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Marketable Securities: The Company holds financial assets consisting of fixed-income U.S. government agency securities, corporate bonds, and commercial paper. The securities are valued using prices from independent pricing services based on quoted prices of identical instruments in less active or inactive markets. Additionally, quoted prices of similar instruments in active market or industry models using data inputs such as interest rates and prices that can be directly observed or corroborated in active markets are used to value marketable securities.

Derivative Warrant Liability: On September 15, 2022, the Company entered into a convertible note agreement with a face value of $10,500 (the "2022 Note"). The Company’s derivative warrant liability includes the warrants that were issued by the Company as part of the 2022 Note. The warrants are recorded on the condensed consolidated balance sheets at fair value. The fair value is based on unobservable inputs, which represent Level 3 measurements within the fair value hierarchy. The fair value estimate of the warrants was based on a Monte-Carlo simulation model. Inherent in a Monte-Carlo simulation model are assumptions related to price, volatility, risk-free interest rate, term to expiration, and dividend yield. The price is based on the publicly traded price of the Company’s common stock as of the measurement date. The Company estimated the volatility for the warrants based on the historical and implied volatilities of the Company's publicly traded common stock. The risk-free interest rate is based on interpolated U.S. Treasury rates, commensurate with a similar term to the warrants. The term to expiration was calculated as the contractual term of the warrants of four years. Finally, the Company does not currently anticipate paying a dividend. Any changes in these assumptions can change the valuation significantly. Changes in fair value are recognized in other income (expense) for each reporting period. Derivative Warrant Liability is included within other noncurrent liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Private Placement Warrant Liability: The Private Placement Warrants are recorded on the condensed consolidated balance sheets at fair value. The fair value is based on observable Level 2 inputs, specifically, the observable input of the Company's public warrants, as terms of both warrants are substantially similar. Any changes in the fair value of the liability are reflected in other income (expense), net, on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Private Placement Warrant liability is included within other noncurrent liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, there were no net transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 inputs.

The following table presents a summary of the changes in fair value of the Company’s Level 3 financial instruments for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 (in thousands):

The key inputs into the Monte-Carlo simulation model for the derivative warrant liability valued at September 30, 2024 are as follows:

If factors or assumptions change, the estimated fair values could be materially different. The value of the Company’s derivative warrant liability would increase if a higher risk-free interest rate was used and would decrease if a lower risk-free interest rate was used. Similarly, a higher volatility assumption would increase the value of the liability, and a lower volatility assumption would decrease the value of the liability.

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash as of  September 30, 2024 and  December 31, 2023 were as follows (in thousands):

Restricted cash of $2,150 as of December 31, 2023 consisted of funds that were contractually restricted as to usage or withdrawal due to a contractual agreement. The Company had a letter of credit in the amount of $2,150 with Citibank N.A. as security for the payment of rent on its headquarters. In August 2024, the landlord drew down on the letter of credit and the restricted cash was used to offset the letter of credit draw (see further discussion in Note 6, Leases).

Inventory, net of write-downs, as of September 30, 2024 and  December 31, 2023 were as follows (in thousands):

The Company also had $209 and $208 of noncurrent inventory (raw materials), net of write-downs, classified within other noncurrent assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2024 and  December 31, 2023, respectively.

The Company’s current and noncurrent inventory as of September 30, 2024 and  December 31, 2023 was written down by $4,485 and $5,062, respectively, in order to reduce inventory to the lower of cost or net realizable value.

Prepaid and other current assets as of September 30, 2024 and  December 31, 2023 were as follows (in thousands):

The Company’s advances to suppliers as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were written down by $1,433 and $1,385, respectively, associated with the winding down of its existing industrial product as part of its revised strategic plan. See Note 15, Restructuring, for further details.

The Company leases office facilities in Northern California under non-cancelable operating leases. In July 2024, the Company entered into two new long-term leases, one of which the Company uses as its headquarters. 

In August 2024, one of the Company's existing leases, originally set to expire on November 30, 2026, was terminated early. In conjunction with the early termination, the Company recorded a net gain of $680 on termination of the operating lease. The net gain included a gain of $5,954, comprised of a $16,325 net liability reduction, partially offset by a $10,371 decrease in its remaining right of use asset.  Additionally, in accordance with terms in the lease agreement and based on certain assumptions, the Company recorded a lease termination loss of $5,274, representing estimated unpaid rent for the remaining term. The net gain was recorded in general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. The lease termination liability was reduced by the draw-down of the $2,150 letter of credit by the landlord in August 2024; the remaining lease termination liability of $3,124 is recorded in accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. See Note 15, Restructuring, and Note 17, Commitments and Contingencies, for further discussion. 

The components of operating lease expenses, excluding the gain on lease termination, net, of $680, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows (in thousands):

Maturities of lease liabilities are as follows (in thousands):

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities as of September 30, 2024 and  December 31, 2023 were as follows (in thousands):

2022 Convertible Note

On September 14, 2022, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with an investor allowing for the sale and issue of up to two convertible notes, each with a principal balance of $10,500 and gross cash proceeds of $10,000, for a total of $20,000 in proceeds between the two issuances (each, a “Note Closing”). The first Note Closing (“First Closing”) occurred on September 15, 2022, and the Company entered into a Senior Unsecured Convertible Note with the investor pursuant to which the Company issued to the investor one convertible note (“2022 Note”) with a principal balance of $10,500 for net cash proceeds of $9,850. As part of the First Closing, the Company also issued warrants to the investor. The second Note Closing (“Second Closing”) could have occurred up to March 15, 2024, upon which the Company’s right to effect a Second Closing automatically terminated. As of March 15, 2024, the Company did not effect a Second Closing.

The 2022 Note bore interest at an annual rate of 5.0%, in addition to an original issue discount of 4.76%, and had an initial maturity date of March 15, 2024.

Beginning December 14, 2022, and the first trading day of each subsequent month (each a “Monthly Redemption Date” or an “Installment Date”), the Company was required to redeem the Monthly Redemption Amount until the 2022 Note was fully redeemed. The Monthly Redemption Amount, in most instances, was 1/15th of the original principal amount, plus any amount accelerated pursuant to the 2022 Note, accrued but unpaid interest, and late fees, if any. The principal and interest could be settled in cash or, so long as certain equity conditions were met and at the option of the Company, shares of common stock, which was payable together with the Monthly Redemption Amount.

If the Company elected to settle the Monthly Redemption Amount in shares of common stock, the number of shares to be settled was based on an Installment Conversion Price equal to the lower of (i) $2.50 or (ii) 95% of the lowest daily volume weighted average price of the common stock during the five trading days immediately preceding the applicable Monthly Redemption Date. If the Company elected to settle the Monthly Redemption Amount in cash, the Monthly Redemption Amount would have included a 5% premium.

The investor was permitted to accelerate up to four Monthly Redemption Amounts in any calendar month (each, an “Acceleration”, and each such amount, an “Acceleration Amount”, and the Conversion Date of any such Acceleration, each an “Acceleration Date”) at the Acceleration Conversion Price, subject to a $2,800 limit per month. The Acceleration Conversion Price was the lower of (i) the Installment Conversion Price for such current Installment Date or (ii) the greater of $9.00 and 95% of the lowest daily volume weighted average price of the common stock during the five trading days immediately preceding the Acceleration Date.

If either the relevant Installment Conversion Price or Acceleration Conversion Price, as applicable, was less than $9.00 per share, then a Conversion Floor Price Condition existed and the Company must deliver to the investor the Conversion Installment Floor Amount in cash, in addition to the required number of shares, which were valued at $9.00 regardless of the actual trading price of the Company’s shares. The Conversion Installment Floor Amount was an amount in cash equal to the product obtained by multiplying (A) the higher of (i) the highest price that the common stock traded at on the Trading Day immediately preceding the relevant Share Delivery Date and (ii) the applicable Installment Conversion Price or Acceleration Conversion Price and (B) the difference obtained by subtracting (i) the number of shares of common stock delivered to the investor on the applicable Share Delivery Date with respect to such Conversion from (ii) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the applicable Installment or Acceleration amount subject to such Conversion, by (y) the applicable Installment Conversion Price. Interest payments were also trued-up in cash when the value of the Company’s shares was below $9.00 per share.

The Company elected to apply the fair value option to the measurement of the 2022 Note. As a result of adopting the fair value option, no embedded derivatives were bifurcated from the 2022 Note. The Company classified the 2022 Note as a liability at fair value and remeasured the 2022 Note to fair value at each reporting period. The fair value measurement included the assumption of accrued interest and expense and thus a separate amount was not reflected on the condensed consolidated statement of operations.

The 2022 Note was fully settled through Monthly Redemptions and Accelerations in 2023. As part of the debt extinguishment, the Company reclassified the accumulated change in fair value due to instrument-specific credit risk out of accumulated other comprehensive loss on the condensed consolidated balance sheet and into interest expense and other on the condensed consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss.

2024 Promissory Note

On May 10, 2024, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with an investor for the sale and issuance of 330,823 shares of common stock and a 5-year promissory note with a principal balance of $146 ( “May 2024 Note”) for total gross cash proceeds of $1,000. The May 2024 Note bears interest at an annual rate equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus 1.0%, which is compounded quarterly in arrears, and has a maturity date of June 4, 2029. At maturity, the principal balance and accrued, unpaid and uncapitalized interest can be settled in cash, shares of common stock based on the closing price of the common stock as of the immediately preceding trading day, or any combination of the foregoing at the option of the investor. 

Interest expense and other for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 consisted of the following (in thousands):

New Circle Principal Investments LLC (“New Circle”) Common Stock Purchase Agreement (the “CSPA”)

On July 25, 2024, the Company entered into a CSPA and a Registration Rights Agreement with New Circle. Under the terms and subject to the conditions of the CSPA, the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to sell to New Circle, and New Circle is obligated to purchase up to the lesser of (i) $50,000 of the Company’s common stock, or (ii) the Exchange Cap equal to 1,721,755 shares of the Company's common stock, unless the Company’s stockholders approve the issuance of shares in excess of the Exchange Cap, or the average price of all applicable sales of common stock to New Circle equals or exceeds $1.41 per share. The Company has sole discretion to initiate such sales of common stock over a period of 36 months. In all instances, the Company may not sell shares of its common stock to New Circle under the CSPA if doing so would result in New Circle beneficially owning more than 4.99% of the Company's common stock. 

The purchase price per share to be purchased by New Circle shall equal either (i) the lowest volume-weighted average price for common stock over a one-day trading period or intraday trading period on the applicable purchase date multiplied by 96.5%, or (ii) the volume-weighted average price for common stock for the three consecutive trading days commencing on the purchase notice date multiplied by 97.5%. The maximum number of shares the Company may sell to New Circle on any single business day is the lesser of (i) the number of shares equal to 100.0% of the average daily trading volume of the common stock of the Company during the five trading days immediately preceding the purchase notice, and (ii) 400,000 shares of common stock.

In connection with the CSPA, the Company issued to New Circle 225,563 shares of common stock in the Company as commitment shares for the facility. At issuance, the 225,563 shares of common stock had a fair value of $282 and were recorded to Interest expense and other in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company determined that the right to sell additional shares represents a freestanding put option under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and as such, the financial instrument was classified as a derivative asset with a fair value of zero at inception of the CSPA on July 25, 2024.

As of September 30, 2024, other than the commitment shares, the Company had issued 150 shares of its common stock to New Circle under the CSPA.

Alliance Global Partners (“A.G.P.”) At Market Issuance Sales Agreement (the “ATM Agreement”)

On September 12, 2024, the Company entered into the ATM and a Registration Rights Agreement with A.G.P. Under the terms and subject to the conditions of the ATM Agreement, the Company may issue and sell through AGP the Company’s common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $2,600 ("Placement Shares") from time to time through an "at-the-market" equity offering program. The Company has sole discretion to initiate such sales of common stock over a period of 36 months. Under the terms and subject to the conditions of the ATM Agreement, the Company will set the parameters for the sale of shares, including the number or dollar amount of Placement Shares to be issued, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number or dollar amount of Placement Shares that may be sold in any one trading day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made. The Company will pay a cash commission rate of up to 3.0% of the gross proceeds from the sale of Placement Shares sold pursuant to the ATM Agreement. 

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had sold 10,000 shares through A.G.P. under the ATM Agreement.

The changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by component for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 are as follows (in thousands):

The following table sets forth the basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the periods presented (in thousands, except share amounts and per share data):

Due to net losses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, basic and diluted net loss per share were the same, as the effect of all potentially dilutive securities would have been anti-dilutive. The following table sets forth the anti-dilutive common share equivalents for the periods listed:

The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense recorded in each financial statement line item in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):

The Company uses the Monte-Carlo simulation model to estimate the grant date fair value of awards with a market condition, which requires the input of subjective assumptions such as expected term, expected stock price volatility, risk-free interest rate, and dividend yield as discussed below.

Expected Term—The expected term for awards with a market condition is the length of time from the grant date to the date the market condition expires.

Expected Volatility—Expected volatility is estimated using a combination of the average historical volatility of the Company's own stock and those of comparable companies’ stock at the time of the grant.

Risk-Free Interest Rate—The risk-free interest rates are based on US Treasury yields in effect at the grant date for notes with comparable terms as the awards.

Dividend Yield—The expected dividend-yield assumption is based on the Company’s current expectations about its anticipated dividend policy.

There were no awards granted with a market condition during the nine months ended September 30, 2024.

Sale of Prototypes

The Company recorded revenue for prototype sales of $65 and $91 in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, and $56 and $426 in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. The Company does not incur significant contract costs in fulfilling or obtaining its contracts with customers.

Development Contracts

The Company has entered into research and development contracts as well as a sales, marketing and technical support services contract with companies primarily in the automotive industry. The Company assessed the number of performance obligations associated with the promises under each agreement, primarily the delivery of customized 4Sight^TM perception-related goods and services, and recognized $39 and $65 in revenue for performance obligations satisfied during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, and $132 and $969 during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively, in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Disaggregation of Revenue

The Company recognized the following revenues by geographic area based on the primary billing address of the customer and by the timing of the transfer of goods or services to customers (point in time or over time), as it believes such criteria best depict how the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of its revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors. Total revenue based on the disaggregation criteria described above is as follows (in thousands):

Contract Liabilities

The Company had $35 and $0 contract liabilities as of September 30, 2024 and  December 31, 2023, respectively.

The following table shows the significant changes in contract liabilities balance for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):

Remaining Performance Obligations

Revenue allocated to remaining performance obligations represents the transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied, or partially unsatisfied. It includes unearned revenue and amounts that will be invoiced and recognized as revenue in future periods and does not include contracts where the customer is not committed. The customer is not considered committed where they are able to terminate for convenience without payment of a substantive penalty under the contract. Additionally, as a practical expedient, the Company has not disclosed the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with an original expected length of one year or less. The contract liabilities balance represents the remaining performance obligations for contracts with an original duration of greater than one year.

In 2023, the Company implemented a revised strategic plan, which focused on key products and critical customer engagements in the Automotive market, and aligned the Company's operations with evolving business needs by focusing on a transition from research and development to the commercialization of the Company's automotive products, while winding down the existing industrial product and reducing fixed operating costs. In August 2024, the Company further reduced fixed operating costs and terminated its headquarters lease. See discussion in Footnote 6, Leases. 

The Company recorded restructuring benefits, net, of ($680) and ($557) in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, and restructuring charges of $172 and $1,470 in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively, primarily relating to the net gain on termination of operating lease, one-time employee termination benefits and losses on purchase commitments. Restructuring-related liabilities are included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Restructuring charges are summarized as follows as of  September 30, 2024 (in thousands):

Restructuring charges (benefits) are included in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 as follows (in thousands):

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company recognized $0 and $2 provision for income taxes, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recognized $5 and $43 provision for income taxes, respectively. The income tax rates vary from the federal and state statutory rates due to the valuation allowances on the Company’s net operating losses and foreign tax rate differences. The Company computes its quarterly income tax provision by using a forecasted annual effective tax rate and adjusts for any discrete items arising during the quarter.

Legal matters

The Company may be subject to legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. Litigation can be expensive and disruptive to normal business operations. Moreover, the results of complex legal proceedings are difficult to predict and the Company’s view of these matters may change in the future as the litigation and events related thereto unfold. The Company expenses legal fees as incurred. The Company records a provision for contingent losses when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated.

As previously disclosed, on August 28, 2024, the Company was served with a complaint that was filed in the Superior Court of California for the County of Alameda on August 26, 2024 that (1) alleges the Company is in breach of the lease for its former headquarters office in Dublin, California because of the Company’s failure to pay rent as required by the lease and (2) provides notice that the lease had been terminated by the landlord effective as of August 23, 2024.  The landlord claimed that the amount owed could be up to $8,500. Thereafter, in August 2024, the landlord fully drew down the standby letter of credit of $2,150, which was held as security for the payment of rent, due to the alleged default of the lease. The Company disputes, among other things, that the total damages claimed by the landlord equal the amount claimed. Depending on the outcome of this matter, there could be a material adverse effect on the financial position, results of operations, or cash flows of the Company.

From November 2016 to December 2023, the Company employed a sibling of Mr. Dussan, a director and the Company’s former Chief Technology Officer, who held the position of Director, Human Resources. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, Mr. Dussan’s sibling received total cash compensation of $113 and was granted 2,000 RSUs. In addition, he participated in all other benefits that the Company generally offers to all of its employees. There were no related party transactions for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections about our industry, business, and future financial results. Our actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those described in or implied by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed below and those set forth under “Risk Factors” herein and other filings we make with the SEC from time to time. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations to “we,” “our,” “us,” and “AEye,” refer to the business and operations of AEye, Inc.

Overview

This overview provides a high-level discussion of our operating results and some of the trends that affect our business. We believe that an understanding of these trends is important to understanding our financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, as well as our future prospects. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it intended to be a substitute for the detailed discussion and analysis provided elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, including our condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.

All dollar amounts expressed in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are in thousands of dollars, except for per share amounts and unless otherwise specified.

Reverse Stock Split

On December 27, 2023, we effected a 1-for-30 reverse stock split of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock (the “Reverse Stock Split”). Pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split, every thirty (30) shares of issued and outstanding shares of common stock were combined into one (1) share of common stock. We did not issue fractional shares in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Stockholders who were otherwise entitled to fractional shares of common stock were instead entitled to receive a proportional cash payment. The number of outstanding warrants was also proportionately adjusted.

In connection with the Reverse Stock Split, there was no change to the number of shares authorized or in the par value per share $0.0001. Accordingly, unless we indicate otherwise, all historical per share data, number of shares issued and outstanding, stock awards, and other common stock equivalents for the periods presented in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q have been adjusted retroactively, where applicable, to reflect the Reverse Stock Split.

Dowslake Transaction

On May 10, 2024, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with Dowslake Microsystems Corporation, or Dowslake, pursuant to which Dowslake agreed to purchase 330,823 shares of common stock for a purchase price of $854, which represents a per share purchase price of $2.58, and an unsecured promissory note in the principal amount of $146 for an aggregate purchase price of $1,000.

Registered Direct Offering

On May 29, 2024, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with certain institutional investors pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell, in a registered direct offering, an aggregate of 727,706 shares of Common Stock at a per share purchase price of $3.448 for gross proceeds of approximately $2,509, before deducting estimated offering expenses payable by us.

New Circle Transaction

On July 25, 2024, we entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with New Circle Principal Investments LLC, or New Circle, pursuant to which we have the right, but not the obligation, to sell to New Circle, and New Circle is obligated to purchase, up to $50,000 of our Common Stock. Such sales of common stock by us, if any, and may occur from time to time at our sole discretion, over a 36-month period.

A.G.P. Transaction

On September 12, 2024, we entered into an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement with Alliance Global Partners, or A.G.P., pursuant to which we may issue and sell through A.G.P., up to $2,600 of our common stock from time to time through an "at-the-market" equity offering program. Such sales of common stock by us, if any, may occur from time to time at our sole discretion, over a 36-month period.

Key Factors Affecting Our Operating Results

We believe that our future performance and success depends, to a substantial extent, on our ability to capitalize on the opportunities described herein, which in turn are subject to significant risks and challenges, including those discussed below and the risk factors described in the “Risk Factors” section of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

We are subject to those risks common in the technology industry and also those risks common to early stage companies including, but not limited to:

Market Trends and Uncertainties

We anticipate future demand for our 4Sight^TM Intelligent Sensing Platform will come from two major markets, Automotive and Industrial. In the near term, we anticipate concentrating on the Automotive market by more effectively leveraging our business model, focusing on advanced driver-assistance systems, or ADAS, autonomous driving, and commercial trucking. In the longer term, we will look for opportunities in the Industrial market, such as in the railway and intelligent transportation systems, or ITS segments, when it becomes cost-effective to do so based on higher volume production in the Automotive market. This strategy provides us with multiple opportunities for sustained growth by enabling new applications and product features across these market segments. However, as our customers continue their R&D projects to commercialize solutions that rely on lidar technology, it is difficult to estimate the timing of ultimate end market demand and customer adoption. In the Automotive market for example, which accounted for 0% and 71% of revenue in the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, our growth and financial performance will be heavily influenced by our ability to successfully integrate into OEM programs that require years of development, testing, and validation. Because of the size and complexity of these OEM programs, having Tier 1 partnerships should provide a substantial competitive advantage over our competitors given their large scale, mass-production capabilities, and existing OEM relationships. The decision by our former Tier 1 partner, Continental, to discontinue our joint lidar development program was a setback to our business, however, we were able to able engage LITEON as a replacement Tier 1 automotive supplier. If we are unable to establish and maintain our relationship with LITEON or find other Tier 1 automotive suppliers in the future, this could have a material and adverse effect on our business, as our business model is predicated on licensing our lidar designs and other intellectual property to Tier 1 automotive suppliers. Our primary focus in the Automotive market is on ADAS for passenger and commercial vehicle autonomy, particularly highway autonomy applications. We believe that growth in that market is driven by both more stringent safety regulations and consumer demand for vehicles offering increased safety and advanced driver assist features. We will need to anticipate and adapt to any changes in the regulatory environment, as well as changes in consumer demand, in order to take advantage of this opportunity.

As is common in early-stage companies with limited operating histories, we are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Since inception, we have incurred net losses and negative cash flows from operations and expect to continue incurring losses until after we reach commercialization. We are dependent upon raising additional capital to provide the cash necessary to continue our ongoing operations. We have been able to do so in the past, for example, through the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we were able to raise approximately $6,000  in gross proceeds from financing activities. Should we not be successful in raising additional capital, we will require alternative sources of liquidity to continue our operations for the next twelve months. In those circumstances, we would also plan to adjust spending in order to preserve and extend liquidity, and we have plans to further reduce operating expenses and cash outlays should we need to. We believe that these plans can be successfully implemented, which would likely result in adequate cash flows to support our ongoing operations for at least one year from the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Partnerships and Commercialization

Our technology is designed to be a key enabler in certain Automotive and Industrial market applications. Because our technology must be integrated into a broader solution by our customers, it is critical that we achieve design wins with these customers. The time to achieve a design win varies based on the market and application. We consider design wins to be critical to our future success, although the revenue that may be generated by each design win and the time necessary to achieve such a design win can vary significantly, making it difficult to predict our financial performance. In the Industrial market, our strategy has been to sell our lidar solutions to customers utilizing components that are sourced, in part, from the Tier 2 automotive supply chain and assembled by our contract manufacturing partners. In the Automotive market, we will utilize a licensing model with Tier 1 suppliers that would generate a royalty for us and, hence, can be more easily replicated with multiple Tier 1 suppliers. As the Tier 2 automotive supply chain matures, we intend to leverage those suppliers, and the volume created for the Automotive market, to participate in the Industrial market. With that in mind, in the fourth quarter of 2023, we made the decision to wind down our existing product line for the Industrial market and curtail support until we achieve sufficient scale in our automotive products, which we believe represents our largest market opportunity. If we fail to achieve sufficient scale in our automotive products, we may not be in a position to reenter the Industrial market in the time frame we expect, or at all. 

We have engaged with LITEON as our Tier 1 automotive supplier and are actively working with LITEON to bring our products to market. We have also recently with partners in an effort to penetrate the lidar market in China. Given both our engagement with LITEON and our partners in the China market are relatively recent, there is no guarantee that either or both endeavors will be successful.

We believe our revenue and profitability will also be dependent upon our success in licensing our technology to Tier 1 automotive suppliers, such as our Tier 1 partner, LITEON, or our previous partner, Continental, which represented 0% and 71% of revenue in the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, that intend to use our technology in volume production of lidar sensors for OEMs. Delays in autonomy programs by OEMs that we are currently or plan to be working with through our Tier 1 partners could result in us being unable to achieve our revenue and profitability targets in the time frame we anticipate, or at all.

Restructuring

In 2023, we implemented a revised strategic plan, which focused on key products and critical customer engagements in the Automotive market and aligned our operations with evolving business needs by focusing on our transition from research and development to the commercialization of our automotive products, while winding down our existing industrial product and reducing fixed operating costs.

Gross Margin

Our gross margins will depend on numerous factors, including, among others, the selling price of our products, pricing of our development contracts with customers, royalty rates on licenses we grant to our customers, unit volumes, product mix, component costs, personnel costs, contract manufacturing costs, overhead costs, and product features. Our gross margins have in the past been, and may continue to be, negatively impacted by inventory write-downs. As an example, in 2023, we recorded inventory write-downs of $7,005 relating to the transition to certain higher grade components in our automotive products as well as the winding down of our existing product line for the Industrial market. In the future, we expect to generate attractive gross margins from licensing our lidar technology and software to our Tier 1 partners in the Automotive market. We also anticipate being able to leverage on our foundation in the Automotive market to move to other markets.

To date, our revenue has primarily been generated through development contracts with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, as well as unit sales of our products to Industrial customers. These development contracts primarily focus on customization of our proprietary 4Sight^TM product capabilities to our customers’ applications, typically involving software implementation to assist with sensor connection and control, customization of scan patterns, and enhancement of particular perception capabilities to meet specific customer needs. In general, development contracts that require more complex configurations have higher prices. We expect development contracts to remain a significant part of our business in the near term, but represent a smaller share of our total revenue over time as we increase our focus on technology licensing in the Automotive market and over time leverage the economies of scale we achieve to move into other markets including the Industrial market.

Investment and Innovation

Our proprietary adaptive intelligent lidar technology delivers industry-leading performance that helps to solve the most difficult challenges in delivering partial or full autonomy. While traditional sensing systems passively collect data, our active 4Sight^TM Intelligent Sensing Platform leverages principles from automated targeting systems and biomimicry to scan the environment, while intelligently focusing on what matters most in order to enable safer, smarter, and faster decisions in complex scenarios.

We believe our financial performance is significantly dependent on our ability to maintain a technology leadership position. This is further dependent on the investments we make in research and development and our ability to commercialize our products. We believe price is becoming a critical differentiator in the marketplace and OEMs are favoring companies that have the infrastructure to build lower cost products at higher volumes. It is essential that we continually identify and respond to rapidly evolving customer requirements, develop and introduce innovative new products, enhance and service existing products, lower bill of materials, or BOM, costs, industrialize the manufacturing process, and generate strong market demand for our products. If we fail to do this, our market position and revenue may be adversely affected, and our investments in that area will not be recovered.

Basis of Presentation

We currently conduct our business through one operating segment.

Components of Results of Operations

Total Revenues

We categorize our revenue as (1) prototype sales and (2) development contracts. In 2024 and 2023, our prototype sales revenue primarily related to unit sales of our 4Sight^TM product. Revenue from prototype sales is typically recognized at a point in time when the control of goods is transferred to the customer, generally upon delivery or shipment to the customer.

Development contracts represented the majority of our total revenues in 2023. Revenue from development and/or collaboration arrangement contracts are earned from R&D activities and collaboration with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. These contracts primarily focus on customization of our proprietary 4Sight^TM capabilities to our customers’ applications, typically involving software implementation to assist with sensor connection and control, customization of scan patterns, and enhancement of perception capabilities to meet specific customer needs. Revenue from development contracts is recognized when we satisfy performance obligations in the contract, which can result in recognition at either a point in time or over time. This assessment is made at the outset of the arrangement for each performance obligation.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue includes the costs directly associated with the production of prototypes and certain costs associated with development contracts. Such costs for prototypes include direct materials, direct labor, indirect labor, inventory write downs, losses on purchase commitments, warranty expense, and allocation of overhead. Costs associated with development contracts include the direct costs and allocation of overhead costs involved in the execution of the contracts.

Operating Expenses

Research and Development

Our research and development, or R&D, efforts are focused primarily on hardware, software, and system engineering related to the design and development of our advanced lidar solutions. R&D expenses include:

R&D costs are expensed as they are incurred. We expect our investment in R&D to be reduced as a result of our revised strategic plan, with a reduced workforce and consolidated global footprint. We also plan to execute more focused spending with vendors in critical areas that support our strategy and product development, in line with our revised strategic plan and manage costs more efficiently.

Sales and Marketing

Our sales and marketing, or S&M, efforts are focused primarily on sales, business development, and marketing programs in pursuit of revenue contracts from potential and existing customers. S&M expenses include:

We expect our S&M expenses to be significantly reduced as a result of our revised strategic plan to focus on the commercialization of our automotive products. Through our capital light business, we are able to significantly reduce our workforce and consolidate our global footprint as we expect to leverage our Tier 1 partners to commercialize our products and manage relationships with the OEMs.

General and Administrative

Our general and administrative, or G&A, spending supports all business functions. G&A expenses include:

We expect our G&A expenses to be reduced as a result of our revised strategic plan with a reduced workforce and consolidated global footprint. We also plan to manage spending with vendors more effectively to support our revised strategic plan to manage costs.

Change in Fair Value of Convertible Note and Warrant Liabilities

Changes in fair value of the 2022 Note and warrant liabilities are the result of the change in fair value at each reporting date. The 2022 Note and warrant liabilities are recorded at fair value for each reporting period, and the changes in fair value are reported within other income (expense), net during the period. We also elected to record interest expense on the 2022 Note as changes in fair value.

Interest Income, Interest Expense and Other