Background, Basis of Presentation and Liquidity	6 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Background, Basis of Presentation and Liquidity	(1) Background, Basis of Presentation and Liquidity *a) Background* Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”, “we”, “us”, “our”) was founded in 1984 in New Jersey, commenced business operations in 1994 and re-incorporated in Delaware in 2007. We believe that we are a marine power solutions provider. We control the design, manufacture, sales, installation, operations and maintenance of our products and solutions while working closely with partners that provide payloads, integration services, and marine installation capabilities. We believe our solutions provide persistent and reliable distributed offshore power along with communications for remote surface and subsea applications. Our mission and purpose are to utilize our proprietary, state-of-the-art technologies to enhance the environment by reducing the global carbon footprint through clean and renewable solutions for reliable electrical power and, in so doing, drive demand for our products and services. Before 2015, government agencies had accounted for a significant portion of the Company’s revenues. These revenues were largely for the support of product development efforts relating to our technology. Today our goal is to generate the majority of our revenue from the commercialization of products and solutions, and sales of services to support our business operations. As we continue to develop and commercialize our products and services, we expect to have a net decrease in cash due to the use of cash from operating activities until we can achieve positive cash flow from the commercialization of solutions, products and services. *b) Basis of Presentation* The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and for interim financial information in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The interim operating results are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year or for any other interim period. Further information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results can be found in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2020 filed with the SEC and elsewhere in this Form 10-Q. *c) Liquidity/Going Concern* Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. The Company has experienced substantial and recurring losses from operations, which have contributed to an accumulated deficit of $226.5 million as of October 31, 2020. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. As of October 31, 2020, based in part on our equity raises discussed below, the Company had approximately $15.8 million in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash on hand. Based on the Company’s current cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash balances, and its ability to raise additional equity under facilities currently in place, the Company believes that it will be able to finance its capital requirements and operations for at least the next 12 months. Among other things, the Company is currently evaluating a variety of different financing alternatives and we expect to continue to fund our business with sales of our securities and through generating revenue with customers. The Company will require additional equity and/or debt financing to continue its operations into fiscal year 2022. The Company cannot provide assurances that it will be able to secure additional funding when needed or at all, or, if secured, that such funding would be on favorable terms. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded assets amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Management is evaluating different strategies to obtain the required additional funding for future operations. These strategies may include, but are not limited to, continued pursuit of business opportunities, additional funding from current and /or new investors, officers and directors; borrowings of debt; or a public offering of the Company’s equity or debt securities. There can be no assurance that any of these future-funding efforts will be successful. The Company currently has committed sources of equity financing through its At the Market Offering Agreement with A.G.P/Alliance Global Partners (“AGP”) and its equity line with Aspire Capital (discussed further below), but the Company cannot be sure that additional equity and/or debt financing will be available to the Company as needed on acceptable terms, or at all. Historically, the Company has raised capital through securities sales in the public capital markets. The sale of additional equity or convertible securities could result in dilution to stockholders. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of debt securities, these securities could have rights senior to those associated with the Company’s common stock and could contain covenants that would restrict its operations. Financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all. If the Company is unable to obtain required financing, the Company may be required to further curtail or limit operations, product development costs, and/or selling, general and administrative activities in order to reduce its cash expenditures, including its planned product development and marketing efforts, which could materially and adversely harm its financial condition and operating results. If the Company is unable to secure additional financing, it may be unable to execute its business plan, take advantage of future opportunities or be forced to cease operations. In fiscal year 2020 and during the first six months of fiscal year 2021 ended October 31, 2020, the Company has continued to make investments in ongoing product development efforts in anticipation of future growth. The Company’s future results of operations involve significant risks and uncertainties. Factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results and cause actual results to vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, risks from lack of available financing and insufficient capital, performance of products, its inability to market and commercialize its products and new products that it may develop, technology development, scalability of technology and production, dependence on skills of key personnel, concentration of customers and suppliers, deployment risks and laws, regulations and permitting. On January 7, 2019, the Company entered into an At the Market Offering Agreement (“2019 ATM Facility”) with AGP, under which the Company may issue and sell to or through AGP, acting as agent and/or principal, shares of the Company’s common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $25 million. From inception of the program through October 31, 2020, under the 2019 ATM Facility, the Company sold and issued an aggregate of 10,942,100 shares of its common stock with an aggregate market value of $11.1 million at an average price of $1.01 per share and paid AGP a sales commission of approximately $360,095 related to those shares. On November 20, 2020, the Company entered into a new At the Market Offering Agreement with AGP (the “2020 ATM Facility”). Under the 2020 ATM Facility, the Company may issue and sell to or through AGP, acting as agent and/or principal, shares of the Company’s common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50.0 million. In connection with the effectiveness of the 2020 ATM Facility, the 2019 ATM Facility was terminated. For more on the 2020 ATM Facility, see Note 19, Subsequent Events. On October 24, 2019, the Company entered into a new common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital which provided that, subject to certain terms, conditions and limitations, Aspire Capital is committed to purchase up to an aggregate of $10.0 million of shares of the Company’s common stock over a 30-month period. Through September 18, 2020, the Company has sold an aggregate of 6,424,205 shares of common stock with an aggregate market value of $4.0 million at an average price of $0.63 per share pursuant to this common stock purchase agreement. The agreement was fully utilized and cancelled on September 18, 2020. On September 18, 2020, the Company entered into a new common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital which provided that, subject to certain terms, conditions and limitations, Aspire Capital is committed to purchase up to an aggregate of $12.5 million of shares of the Company’s common stock over a 30-month period that does not exceed 19.99% of the outstanding common stock on the date of the agreement. The number of shares the Company could issue within the 19.99% limit is 3,722,251 shares. Shareholder approval is needed for sale of common stock over the 19.99% limit of the outstanding common stock on the date of the agreement. Through October 31, 2020, the Company has sold an aggregate of 500,000 shares of common stock with an aggregate market value of $0.6 million at an average price of $1.23 per share pursuant to this common stock purchase agreement.

Background, Basis of Presentation and Liquidity

6 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2020

Background, Basis of Presentation and Liquidity

(1) Background, Basis of Presentation and Liquidity

a) Background

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”, “we”, “us”, “our”) was founded in 1984 in New Jersey, commenced business operations in 1994 and re-incorporated in Delaware in 2007. We believe that we are a marine power solutions provider. We control the design, manufacture, sales, installation, operations and maintenance of our products and solutions while working closely with partners that provide payloads, integration services, and marine installation capabilities. We believe our solutions provide persistent and reliable distributed offshore power along with communications for remote surface and subsea applications. Our mission and purpose are to utilize our proprietary, state-of-the-art technologies to enhance the environment by reducing the global carbon footprint through clean and renewable solutions for reliable electrical power and, in so doing, drive demand for our products and services. Before 2015, government agencies had accounted for a significant portion of the Company’s revenues. These revenues were largely for the support of product development efforts relating to our technology. Today our goal is to generate the majority of our revenue from the commercialization of products and solutions, and sales of services to support our business operations. As we continue to develop and commercialize our products and services, we expect to have a net decrease in cash due to the use of cash from operating activities until we can achieve positive cash flow from the commercialization of solutions, products and services.

b) Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and for interim financial information in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The interim operating results are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year or for any other interim period. Further information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results can be found in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2020 filed with the SEC and elsewhere in this Form 10-Q.

c) Liquidity/Going Concern

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. The Company has experienced substantial and recurring losses from operations, which have contributed to an accumulated deficit of $226.5 million as of October 31, 2020. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. As of October 31, 2020, based in part on our equity raises discussed below, the Company had approximately $15.8 million in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash on hand. Based on the Company’s current cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash balances, and its ability to raise additional equity under facilities currently in place, the Company believes that it will be able to finance its capital requirements and operations for at least the next 12 months. Among other things, the Company is currently evaluating a variety of different financing alternatives and we expect to continue to fund our business with sales of our securities and through generating revenue with customers. The Company will require additional equity and/or debt financing to continue its operations into fiscal year 2022. The Company cannot provide assurances that it will be able to secure additional funding when needed or at all, or, if secured, that such funding would be on favorable terms.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded assets amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Management is evaluating different strategies to obtain the required additional funding for future operations. These strategies may include, but are not limited to, continued pursuit of business opportunities, additional funding from current and /or new investors, officers and directors; borrowings of debt; or a public offering of the Company’s equity or debt securities. There can be no assurance that any of these future-funding efforts will be successful. The Company currently has committed sources of equity financing through its At the Market Offering Agreement with A.G.P/Alliance Global Partners (“AGP”) and its equity line with Aspire Capital (discussed further below), but the Company cannot be sure that additional equity and/or debt financing will be available to the Company as needed on acceptable terms, or at all. Historically, the Company has raised capital through securities sales in the public capital markets. The sale of additional equity or convertible securities could result in dilution to stockholders. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of debt securities, these securities could have rights senior to those associated with the Company’s common stock and could contain covenants that would restrict its operations. Financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all. If the Company is unable to obtain required financing, the Company may be required to further curtail or limit operations, product development costs, and/or selling, general and administrative activities in order to reduce its cash expenditures, including its planned product development and marketing efforts, which could materially and adversely harm its financial condition and operating results. If the Company is unable to secure additional financing, it may be unable to execute its business plan, take advantage of future opportunities or be forced to cease operations.

In fiscal year 2020 and during the first six months of fiscal year 2021 ended October 31, 2020, the Company has continued to make investments in ongoing product development efforts in anticipation of future growth. The Company’s future results of operations involve significant risks and uncertainties. Factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results and cause actual results to vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, risks from lack of available financing and insufficient capital, performance of products, its inability to market and commercialize its products and new products that it may develop, technology development, scalability of technology and production, dependence on skills of key personnel, concentration of customers and suppliers, deployment risks and laws, regulations and permitting.

On January 7, 2019, the Company entered into an At the Market Offering Agreement (“2019 ATM Facility”) with AGP, under which the Company may issue and sell to or through AGP, acting as agent and/or principal, shares of the Company’s common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $25 million. From inception of the program through October 31, 2020, under the 2019 ATM Facility, the Company sold and issued an aggregate of 10,942,100 shares of its common stock with an aggregate market value of $11.1 million at an average price of $1.01 per share and paid AGP a sales commission of approximately $360,095 related to those shares. On November 20, 2020, the Company entered into a new At the Market Offering Agreement with AGP (the “2020 ATM Facility”). Under the 2020 ATM Facility, the Company may issue and sell to or through AGP, acting as agent and/or principal, shares of the Company’s common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50.0 million. In connection with the effectiveness of the 2020 ATM Facility, the 2019 ATM Facility was terminated. For more on the 2020 ATM Facility, see Note 19, Subsequent Events.

On October 24, 2019, the Company entered into a new common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital which provided that, subject to certain terms, conditions and limitations, Aspire Capital is committed to purchase up to an aggregate of $10.0 million of shares of the Company’s common stock over a 30-month period. Through September 18, 2020, the Company has sold an aggregate of 6,424,205 shares of common stock with an aggregate market value of $4.0 million at an average price of $0.63 per share pursuant to this common stock purchase agreement. The agreement was fully utilized and cancelled on September 18, 2020.

On September 18, 2020, the Company entered into a new common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital which provided that, subject to certain terms, conditions and limitations, Aspire Capital is committed to purchase up to an aggregate of $12.5 million of shares of the Company’s common stock over a 30-month period that does not exceed 19.99% of the outstanding common stock on the date of the agreement. The number of shares the Company could issue within the 19.99% limit is 3,722,251 shares. Shareholder approval is needed for sale of common stock over the 19.99% limit of the outstanding common stock on the date of the agreement. Through October 31, 2020, the Company has sold an aggregate of 500,000 shares of common stock with an aggregate market value of $0.6 million at an average price of $1.23 per share pursuant to this common stock purchase agreement.