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Note 13 - EW Convertible Notes
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Notes to Financial Statements  
Convertible Notes [Text Block]

13. EW CONVERTIBLE NOTES

 

On January 18, 2024, the Company, Venus USA, Venus Canada and Venus Ltd (the “Guarantors”) entered into a Note Purchase and Registration Rights Agreement (the “Note Purchase Agreement”) with EW Healthcare Partners, L.P. (“EW”) and EW Healthcare Partners-A, L.P. (“EW-A,” and together with EW, the “EW Investors”). Pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, the Company issued and sold to the EW Investors $2.0 million in aggregate principal amount of secured subordinated convertible notes (the “2024 Notes").

 

The 2024 Notes accrue interest at a rate equal to the 90-day adjusted term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus 8.50% per annum; provided, however, that if there is an Event of Default (as defined below), the then-applicable interest rate will increase by 4.00% per annum. Interest is payable in kind in arrears on the last business day of each calendar quarter of each year after the original issuance date, beginning on March 31, 2024. The 2024 Notes mature on December 9, 2025, unless earlier redeemed or converted, at which time all outstanding principal and interest is payable in cash, except as described below. At any time prior to the maturity date, a holder may convert the 2024 Notes at their option into shares of common stock at the then-applicable conversion rate. The initial conversion rate is 72.6691 shares of common stock per one-thousand principal amount of 2024 Notes, which represents an initial conversion price of approximately $13.761 per share of common stock. The conversion rate is subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments. The 2024 Notes are redeemable, in whole and not in part, at the Company’s option at any time, at a redemption price equal to the principal amount of the 2024 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, the redemption date, plus a redemption premium. The Company’s redemption option is subject to satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the 2024 Notes, including that a registration statement covering the resale of the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the 2024 Notes is effective and available for use.

 

The 2024 Notes have customary provisions relating to the occurrence of “Events of Default,” as defined in the 2024 Notes. If an Event of Default occurs, then the EW Investors may, subject to the terms of the CNB Subordination Agreement (as defined below), (i) declare the outstanding principal amount of the 2024 Notes, all accrued and unpaid interest and all other amounts owing under the 2024 Notes and other transaction documents entered into in connection therewith to be immediately become due and payable, without any further action or notice by any person, and (ii) exercise all rights and remedies available to them under the 2024 Notes, the EW Security Agreement (as defined below) and any other document entered into in connection with the foregoing. The 2024 Notes constitute the Company’s secured, subordinated obligations and are (i) equal in right of payment with the Company’s existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness; (ii) senior in right of payment to the Company’s existing and future indebtedness that is expressly subordinated to the 2024 Notes; and (iii) subordinated to the Company’s existing secured indebtedness in a manner consistent with the Existing Subordination Agreements (as defined below).

 

On January 18, 2024, the Company and the Guarantors entered into a Guaranty and Security Agreement (the “EW Security Agreement”) with EW, as collateral agent. Pursuant to the EW Security Agreement, the Guarantors jointly and severally guaranteed to the EW Investors the prompt payment of all outstanding amounts under the 2024 Notes when due. The Guarantors also granted to the EW Investors a security interest in substantially all of their assets to secure the obligations under the 2024 Notes.

 

Pursuant to the EW Security Agreement, during the continuance of an Event of Default under the 2024 Notes, if the Company is unable to repay all outstanding amounts under the 2024 Notes, the EW Investors may, subject to the terms of the CNB Subordination Agreement (as defined below), foreclose on the collateral to collateralize such indebtedness. Any such foreclosure could significantly affect the Company’s ability to operate its business.

 

The EW Security Agreement contains various covenants that limit the Company’s ability to engage in specified types of transactions. Subject to limited exceptions, these covenants include restrictions on the Company’s ability, to incur, create or permit to exist additional indebtedness, or liens, and to make certain changes to its ownership structure, in each case without the Investor’s consent.

 

On January 18, 2024, the Company and the Guarantors entered into a Subordination of Debt Agreement (the “CNB Subordination Agreement”) with CNB and the EW Investors. The CNB Subordination Agreement provides that the 2024 Notes are subordinated to the Company’s existing secured indebtedness with CNB, in a manner consistent with the subordination of the Secured Subordinated Convertible Notes, dated October 4, 2023 (the “Madryn Notes”), issued to Madryn pursuant to those certain existing Subordination of Debt Agreements, dated as of December 8, 2020 entered into by the Company and the Guarantors, CNB, and Madryn (the “Existing Subordination Agreements”). The 2024 Notes and the Madryn Notes are secured by the same collateral, except that the 2024 Notes also receive a first priority perfected security interest and lien on the Company’s right to receive certain amounts from the Internal Revenue Service in respect of certain employee retention credits claimed by the Company (defined in the Notes as the “ERC Claim”).

 

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had approximately $2.3 million principal and interest of the 2024 Notes outstanding that were issued pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement.

 

In connection with the 2024 Notes, the Company recognized interest expense of $0.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2024. The 2024 Notes contained a conversion option, redemption right upon an event of default, change of control scenario, and interest rate penalty upon an event of default which were evaluated under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and determined that these features required bifurcation. These embedded derivatives were accounted for as liabilities at their estimated fair value as of the date of issuance, and then subsequently remeasured to fair value as of each balance sheet date, with the related remeasurement adjustment being recognized as a component of change in fair value of derivative liabilities in the consolidated statements of operations. The fair value of the embedded derivative liability at issuance and as of December 31, 2024 were $0.9 million and $0.2 million, respectively.

 

As of December 31, 2024, the Company was in compliance with all required covenants. The scheduled payments, inclusive of principal and interest of $2,965 are due in 2026 as per the amendment discussed in Note 19. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company did not make any principal payments.