Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
Convertible Notes Exchange Agreements
On September 22, 2021, Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc. (the "Company") entered into
separate, privately negotiated exchange agreements (the "Exchange Agreements")
with certain holders of its 2.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 (the
"Notes"). Under the terms of the Exchange Agreements:
(1) certain holder(s) have agreed to exchange with the Company approximately $46
million in aggregate principal amount of Notes held by them for 5,945,718 shares
of the Company's common stock, which is equal to 129.2547 shares per $1,000
principal amount of Notes exchanged; and
(2) certain holder(s) have agreed to exchange with the Company approximately $5
million in aggregate principal amount of Notes held by them for (a) 106,732
shares of the Company's common stock, which is equal to 21.3463 shares per
$1,000 principal amount of Notes exchanged plus (b) an additional number of
shares of the Company's common stock per $1,000 principal amount of Notes
exchanged equal to the sum, for each of the trading days during an agreed upon
refence period commencing on September 23, 2021, of the quotient of (i) $41.87
divided by (ii) the daily volume-weighted average price for such trading day
(collectively, the "Exchange Shares").
These exchange transactions are expected to close on September 29, 2021 and
October 15, 2021, respectively, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing
conditions.
The issuances of the Exchange Shares under the Exchange Agreements are being
made in reliance on the exemption from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2)
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The Exchange
Shares will be issued only to investors that qualify as "qualified institutional
buyers" (as such term is defined in Rule 144A of the Securities Act) or
institutional "accredited investors" (as such term is defined in Rule 501 of the
Securities Act).
On September 23, 2021, the Company issued a press release announcing the
execution of the Exchange Agreements, a copy of which is filed herewith as
Exhibit 99.1.
Rescission Agreement
As previously announced, on December 24, 2020, the Company entered into a
securities purchase agreement (the "Original Securities Purchase Agreement")
with certain directors and officers of the Company, or entities affiliated with
such persons (collectively, the "Original Purchasers"), for the issuance and
sale by the Company of an aggregate of 4,166,663 shares of the Company's common
stock (the "Common Shares") to the Original Purchasers in an offering exempt
from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506
promulgated thereunder. Additionally, on December 24, 2020, the Company entered
into a registration rights agreement (the "Registration Rights Agreement") with
the Original Purchasers pursuant to which the Company agreed to register the
resale of the Common Shares pursuant to the terms set forth therein.
The Jack W. Schuler Living Trust (the "Schuler Trust"), which was the entity
affiliated with Mr. Schuler that originally entered into the Original Securities
Purchase Agreement for the purchase of 3,964,843 Common Shares for an aggregate
purchase price of approximately $30.5 million, subsequently entered into an
assignment and assumption agreement whereby it assigned all of its rights and
obligations as an Original Purchaser to the Tanya Eva Schuler Trust, the Therese
Heidi Schuler Trust and Schuler Grandchildren LLC (collectively, the "Schuler
Purchasers"). These three entities are related to Mr. Schuler but are not
affiliates of his.
Pursuant to the Original Securities Purchase Agreement, the Original Purchasers
agreed to purchase the Common Shares for an aggregate purchase price of
approximately $32 million. The Original Securities Purchase Agreement
contemplated that the closing of the purchase and sale of the Common Shares
would occur in three approximately equal tranches on the dates specified in the
agreement or such other dates as the parties may agree, with the first and
second tranches having closed on February 19, 2021 and April 9, 2021,
respectively.
On September 17, 2021, the Company entered into a rescission agreement (the
"Rescission Agreement") with the Schuler Purchasers and the Schuler Trust
pursuant to which, effective as of January 29, 2021, the Company and the Schuler
Purchasers agreed to rescind and unwind the Original Securities Purchase
Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement for all legal, tax and financial
purposes ab initio as if the related transactions, including the issuance and
sale of the Common Shares in each of the two tranches that have closed and the
pending third tranche under the Original Securities Purchase Agreement, had
never occurred with respect to the Schuler Purchasers and the Company. The
Rescission Agreement was entered into due to the unanticipated legal, tax and/or
financial consequences that may have otherwise resulted from the Original
Securities Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.
New Securities Purchase Agreement
On September 22, 2021, the Company entered into a new securities purchase
agreement (the "New Securities Purchase Agreement") with the Schuler Parties for
the issuance and sale by the Company of an aggregate of 3,954,546 shares of the
Company's newly designated Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share
(the "Series A Preferred Shares"), to the Schuler Parties in an offering exempt
from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506
promulgated thereunder. Each of the Schuler Parties is an "accredited investor"
as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act.
. . .
Item 3.02. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.
The information set forth in Item 1.01 of this Report under the headings "New
Securities Purchase Agreement" and "Convertible Notes Exchange Agreements" is
incorporated by reference into this Item 3.02.
Item 3.03. Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders.
The information set forth in Item 5.03 of this Report is incorporated by
reference into this Item 3.03.
Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal
Year.
On September 22, 2021, the Company filed with the Secretary of State of the
State of Delaware a Certificate of Designation of the Series A Preferred Stock
of the Company (the "Certificate of Designation"), which was effective upon
filing and designates the rights, preferences and privileges of 3,954,546 shares
of a series of the Company's preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share,
designated as "Series A Preferred Stock." The Certificate of Designation was
adopted by resolution of the Company's board of directors (the "Board") pursuant
to the certificate of incorporation of the Company, as amended (the "Charter"),
which vests in the Board the authority to provide for the authorization and
issuance of one or more series of preferred stock of the Company within the
limitations and restrictions set forth in the Charter. The Certificate of
Designation was filed in connection with the sale of the Series A Preferred
Shares pursuant to the New Securities Purchase Agreement described in Item 1.01
of this Report under the heading "New Securities Purchase Agreement."
The Company's Series A Preferred Stock ranks, with respect to the payment of
dividends, senior to the Company's common stock and to any other class of
securities it may issue in the future that is specifically designated as junior
to the Series A Preferred Stock. The holders of Series A Preferred Stock are
entitled to receive dividends, out of any assets at the time legally available
therefor, prior in preference to any declaration or payment of any dividend on
the Company's common stock at the rate of $0.25 per share per annum on each
outstanding share of Series A Preferred Stock (as appropriately adjusted for any
subsequent stock splits, stock dividends, combinations, reclassifications and
the like), when, as and if declared by the Board.
In the event of a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding
up of the Company, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock then outstanding are
entitled to participate with the holders of the Company's common stock or any
other junior securities then outstanding, pro rata on an as-converted basis, in
the distribution of all the remaining assets and funds of the Company available
for distribution to its stockholders.
The holders of Series A Preferred Stock generally have no voting rights with
respect to their shares of Series A Preferred Stock, except as provided by law
or to amend, modify or waive any provision of the Certificate of Designation.
Each share of Series A Preferred Stock is convertible, at the option of the
holder, at any time into one share of the Company's common stock. Additionally,
each share of Series A Preferred Stock will automatically be converted into one
share of the Company's common stock immediately upon a sale of all outstanding
stock of the Company or a merger of the Company into another corporation where
the pre-merger Company's stockholders cease to be the controlling stockholders
of the post-merger corporation.
The foregoing description of the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock is not
complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the
Certificate of Designation, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 3.1 and
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit No. Description
3.1 Certificate of Designation of the Series A Preferred Stock of
Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc.
10.1 Rescission Agreement, dated September 17, 2021, by and among
Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc., the Tanya Eva Schuler Trust, the
Therese Heidi Schuler Trust, Schuler Grandchildren LLC and the Jack
W. Schuler Living Trust
10.2 Securities Purchase Agreement, dated September 22, 2021, by and
among Accelerate Diagnostics, Inc., the Tanya Eva Schuler Trust, the
Therese Heidi Schuler Trust and Schuler Grandchildren LLC
10.3 Form of Exchange Agreement
99.1 Press Release, dated September 23, 2021
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (cover page XBRL tags are embedded
within the Inline XBRL document)
Forward-Looking Statements
This Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and
uncertainties and reflect the Company's judgment as of the date of this Report.
Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements
relating to the expected closing of the second tranche pursuant to the New
Securities Purchase Agreement and the expected closing of the exchanges of the
Notes pursuant to the Exchange Agreements. Such forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from predicted or expected results. The inclusion of forward-looking
statements should not be regarded as a representation by the Company that any of
these results will be achieved. Actual results may differ from those set forth
in this Report due to the risks and uncertainties associated with the
satisfaction of closing conditions under the New Securities Purchase Agreement
and the Exchange Agreements, as well as risks and uncertainties described in the
Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These
forward-looking statements are made only as the date hereof, and, except as
required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their
entirety by this cautionary statement.
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