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Equity
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Equity  
Equity

Note 6 – Equity

Common Stock and Preferred Stock

The Company is authorized to issue 62.5 million shares of common stock and 2.0 million shares of preferred stock. Preferences, limitations, voting powers and relative rights of any preferred stock to be issued may be determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. The Company has not issued any shares of preferred stock.

In July 2018, the Company completed a private equity offering and executed a Stock Purchase Agreement with clirSPV LLC (“clirSPV”) which permits participation in future capital raising transactions (the “Participation Right”) on the same terms as other investors participating in such transactions. In no event may the Participation Right be exercised to the extent it would cause clirSPV or any of its affiliates to beneficially own 20% or more of the Company’s then outstanding common stock. In May 2022, the Company signed an agreement with clirSPV, that provides for an election right to extend the Participation Right beyond the original expiration date of December 31, 2023, but to no later than June 30, 2027. This election is pursuant to specific terms and conditions and expires on December 31, 2023.

​

The Company has an At-The-Market (“ATM”) Offering Sales Agreement with Virtu Americas LLC, as sales agent pursuant to which it may currently sell shares of common stock with an aggregate offering price of up to $8.7 million. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company issued zero shares of its common stock from the ATM program. As of September 30, 2023, the Company has cumulatively issued approximately 1.6 million shares of common stock under the ATM program, at an average price of $3.84 per share. Gross proceeds totaled approximately $6.1 million and net cash proceeds was approximately $5.9 million.

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The Company is currently subject to the SEC’s “baby shelf rules,” which prohibits companies with a public float of less

than $75 million from issuing securities under a shelf registration statement in excess of one-third of such company’s

public float in a 12-month period. These rules may limit future issuances of shares by the Company under its Shelf

Registration statement on Form S-3, the ATM Offering Sales Agreement or other securities offerings.

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Equity Incentive Plan

On June 17, 2021, the Company's shareholders approved and the Company adopted the ClearSign Technologies Corporation 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”) which permits the Company to grant Incentive Stock Options, Non-statutory Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Units, and Performance Shares, to eligible participants, which includes employees, directors and consultants. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors is authorized to administer the 2021 Plan.

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The 2021 Plan provides for an annual increase in available shares equal to the lesser of (i) 10% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issued by the Company in the prior fiscal year; or (ii) such number provided by the Compensation Committee; provided, however, that the total cumulative increase in the number of shares available for issuance pursuant to this automatic share increase shall not exceed 400 thousand shares of common stock. In 2023, the board of directors approved an increase of 400,000 shares available for issuance pursuant to future awards in accordance with the terms of the 2021 Plan.

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​

Ending balances for the 2021 Plan is as follows:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

September 30, 

​

December 31, 

(in thousands)

    

2023

    

2022

Outstanding options and restricted stock units

 

3,467

 

3,202

Reserved but unissued shares under the Plan

​

2,381

​

2,777

Total authorized shares under the Plan

 

5,848

 

5,979

​

Stock Options

​

Under the terms of the 2021 Plan, incentive stock options and nonstatutory stock options must have an exercise price at or above the fair market value on the date of the grant. At the time of grant, the Company will determine the period within which the option may be exercised and will specify any conditions that must be satisfied before the option vests and may be exercised. The Company estimates the fair value of stock options on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model.

​

As permitted by SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 107, management utilized the simplified approach to estimate the expected term of the options, which represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. Expected volatility has been determined through the Company’s historical stock price volatility. The Company has not made an estimate of forfeitures at the time of the grant, but rather accounts for forfeitures at the time they occur. The risk-free rate for periods within the expected life of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield in effect at the time of grant. The Company has never declared or paid dividends and has no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.

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Inducement Options

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During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company granted non-qualified stock options to its Director of Customer Relationships and Business Development to purchase an aggregate of 150 thousand shares of common stock with an exercise price of $1.31 as a material inducement to accept employment with the Company. These inducement options vest in three equal installments, with one third of the option vesting on the grant date, and each remaining third of the options to vest on the second and third anniversaries of the grant date, subject to continued employment with the Company. The fair value of these options estimated on the date of grant using the Black Scholes valuation model was $160 thousand. The compensation expense recognized for these awards for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $62 thousand.

​

These inducement options were granted outside of the 2021 Plan and in accordance with the employment inducement

exemption provided under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

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Equity Incentive Plan Options

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Compensation expense associated with stock option awards for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 totaled $42 thousand and $132 thousand, respectively. Compensation expense associated with stock option awards for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 totaled $27 thousand and $84 thousand, respectively.

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​

A summary of the Company’s Equity Incentive Plan stock option activity and changes is as follows:

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​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

September 30, 

​

​

2023

(in thousands, except per share data)

​

Options to Purchase Common Stock

​

Weighted Average Exercise Price

​

Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)

Outstanding at beginning of year

 

2,779

​

$

2.05

 

6.43

Granted

 

—

​

$

—

 

—

Exercised

 

(20)

​

$

0.54

 

—

Forfeited/Expired

 

—

​

$

—

 

—

Outstanding at end of period

 

2,759

​

$

2.07

 

5.58

Exercisable at end of period

 

1,991

​

$

1.71

 

5.00

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The estimated aggregate pretax intrinsic value of the Company’s outstanding vested stock options at September 30, 2023 is $154 thousand. The intrinsic value is the difference between the Company’s common stock price and the option exercise prices multiplied by the number of in-the-money options. This amount changes based on the fair value of the Company’s common stock.

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At September 30, 2023, there was $1.0 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock option-based compensation arrangements. Vesting criteria ranges from time-based to performance-based. The Company records costs for time-based arrangements ratably across the timeframe, whereas performance-based arrangements require management to continually evaluate predetermined goals against actual circumstances.

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Restricted Stock Units

The Company awards employees and directors restricted stock units (“RSUs”) in lieu of cash payment for compensation. These awards are granted pursuant to the 2021 Plan. Employee vesting criteria is time based, and compensation expense is recognized ratably across the timeframe.

Director vesting criteria is contingent upon the occurrence of one of four future events, which the Company cannot predict or control. Therefore, compensation expense for director RSUs is not recognized until one of these four future events occur, which is in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Codification, Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, (ASC 718). Unrecognized compensation expense for director services as of September 30, 2023 and 2022 was $233 thousand and $256 thousand, respectively. Director compensation is earned on a quarterly basis with the target value of compensation set at approximately $83 thousand per quarter.

A summary of the Company’s RSUs activity and changes is as follows:

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​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

September 30, 

​

​

2023

(in thousands, except per share data)

​

Number of Shares

​

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value

Nonvested at beginning of year

 

423

​

$

1.49

Granted

 

538

​

$

0.78

Vested

 

(245)

​

$

1.34

Forfeited

​

(8)

​

$

0.79

Nonvested at end of period

 

708

​

$

1.01

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A summary of the Company’s RSU compensation expense is as follows:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

For the Nine Months Ended

​

​

September 30, 

(in thousands, except per share data)

​

2023

    

2022

Compensation Expense

​

$

225

$

219

​

Weighted Average Value Per Share

​

$

0.80

$

1.34

​

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Stock Awards

The Company awards employees stock in lieu of cash payment for compensation, typically to satisfy accrued bonus compensation. The awards are granted from the Company’s 2021 Plan.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

For the Nine Months Ended

​

​

September 30, 

(in thousands, except per share data)

    

2023

    

2022

Fair value

​

$

234

​

$

98

Weighted Average Value Per Share

​

$

0.79

​

$

1.43

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Consultant Stock Plan

The 2013 Consultant Stock Plan (the “Consultant Plan”) provides for the granting of shares of common stock to consultants who provide services related to capital raising, investor relations, and making a market in or promoting the Company’s securities. The Company’s officers, employees, and board members are not entitled to receive grants from the Consultant Plan. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors is authorized to administer the Consultant Plan and establish the grant terms. The Consultant Plan provides for periodic increases in the number of authorized shares available for issuance under the Consultant Plan on the first day of each of the Company’s fiscal quarters. The quarterly increases are equal to 1% of any new shares subsequently issued by the Company or such lesser amount as the Board of Directors shall determine.

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The Consultant Plan activity and change is as follows:

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​

​

​

​

​

​

September 30, 

(in thousands)

    

2023

Reserved but unissued shares at beginning of year

​

​

196

Increases in the number of authorized shares

​

​

5

Grants

​

​

(12)

Reserved but unissued shares at end of year

​

 

189

​

​

The Consultant Plan compensation expense is summarized as follows:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

For the Nine Months Ended

​

​

September 30, 

(in thousands, except per share data)

    

2023

    

2022

Compensation Expense

​

$

7

​

$

21

Weighted Average Value Per Share

​

$

0.66

​

$

1.93

​