SEC Form S-8 filed by 374Water Inc.

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 2, 2024

Registration No. 333-

 UNITED STATES

 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

____________________________

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

____________________________

____________________________

701 W Main Street, Suite 410

Durham, NC 27701

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

374Water Inc. Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and restated

 (Full Title of the Plan)

 ____________________________

Chris Gannon

President and Chief Executive Officer

374Water Inc.

701 W Main Street, Suite 410

Durham, NC 27701

 (Name and Address of Agent For Service)

(440) 609-9677

 (Telephone Number, including area code, of agent for service)

 ____________________________ 

Copies to:

 Justin “JT” Ho, Esq.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

 405 Howard Street

San Francisco, California 94105

(415) 773-5700

 ____________________________

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, 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.

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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

Item 1. Plan Information.

Information required by this Item 1 to be contained in the Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from this registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) in accordance with Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and the instructions to Form S-8. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

Item 2. Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.

Information required by this Item 2 to be contained in the Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 under the Securities Act and the instructions to Form S-8. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents filed by 374Water Inc. (the “Registrant”) with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are incorporated herein by reference:

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment, which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents, except as to specific sections of such statements as set forth therein.

Unless expressly incorporated into this Registration Statement, a report furnished on Form 8-K prior or subsequent to the date hereof shall not be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement, except as to specific sections of such statements as set forth therein. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document, which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

The Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation limits personal liability of the Registrant’s directors and officers to the Registrant and its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except liability for (i) acts or omissions which involve intentional misconduct, fraud or knowing violations of law; or (ii) the payment of distributions in violation of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”).  Section 102 of the DGCL allows a corporation to limit the personal liability of a director or officer to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except for liability of:

If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors or officers, then the liability of the Registrant’s directors and officers shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.

The Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation indemnifies and holds harmless a director, officer, employee, or agent of the Registrant, or a person serving at the request of the Registrant as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise to the fullest extent authorized under the DGCL. The Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation requires that expenses must be advanced to directors and officers under certain circumstances.

Section 145 of the DGCL provides that that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or a person serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding to which such person was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, by reason of the fact that the person is or was serving in such position, if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.  Section 145 of the DGCL permits corporations to advance expenses to a director or officer under certain circumstances. 

Section 145 of the DGCL, and the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, permit the Registrant’s directors to buy and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant, or is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the Registrant would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under Section 145 of the DGCL.

The Registrant maintains a directors’ and officers’ insurance policy pursuant to which its directors and officers are insured against liability for certain actions taken in their capacities as directors and officers.

In addition, the Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its current directors and executive officers to provide these directors and executive officers additional contractual assurances regarding the scope of the indemnification set forth in the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws and to provide additional procedural protections.

See also the undertakings set out in response to Item 9 hereof.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Item 9. Undertakings.

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by such paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in city of Alamo, California on October 2, 2024.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned officers and directors of 374Water Inc., a Delaware corporation, do hereby constitute and appoint Chris Gannon, the lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power and authority to do any and all acts and things and to execute any and all instruments which said attorneys and agents, and any one of them, determine may be necessary or advisable or required to enable said corporation to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules or regulations or requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with this Registration Statement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing power and authority, the powers granted include the power and authority to sign the names of the undersigned officers and directors in the capacities indicated below to this Registration Statement, to any and all amendments, both pre-effective and post-effective, and supplements to this Registration Statement, and to any and all instruments or documents filed as part of or in conjunction with this Registration Statement or amendments or supplements thereof, and each of the undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms that all said attorneys and agents, or any one of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant in the capacities and on the dates indicated.