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Related Party Transactions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

NOTE 8 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

2022 Transactions

 

Convertible Notes Payable

 

During the year ended December 31, 2022, two Directors, an affiliate of one of such Directors and one Executive Officer invested in $1.2 million of the Convertible Notes issued. See Note 7. In connection with the payment of interest on the Convertible Notes, 20,761 shares were issued to two Directors and an affiliate of one of the Directors.

 

Issuance of Common Stock

 

Two Directors and one Executive Officer invested $0.2 million in the common stock offering during the year ended December 31, 2022. See Note 9.

 

Credit Facility

 

On March 21, 2022 the Company entered into a Credit Facility with an accredited investor Mr. Stephen Garchik, who is both a current shareholder of the Company and a Note Investor, pursuant to which the accredited investor agreed to provide a $10.0 million unsecured standby line of credit facility that will rank behind the Convertible Notes and may be drawn down in several tranches, subject to certain conditions described in the Credit Facility. Pursuant to the Credit Facility, the Company agreed to pay the Lender the Facility Commitment Fee of 100,000 shares of our common stock upon the effective date of the Facility Agreement. Upon request by Mr. Garchik and until the full amount due under the Credit Facility is repaid in full, the Company will provide for the nomination of one designee specified in writing by Garchik for appointment to our board of directors and for subsequent election to our board of directors and to recommend such nominee for election to our board of directors. On April 18, 2022, Joseph Trelin, as Garchik’s designee under the Credit Facility, was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company. By virtue of such right of nomination Mr. Garchik considers himself a “director by deputization”.

 

As described in the Subsequent Events (see Note 1), the Credit Facility was amended and restated effective March 6, 2023 pursuant to which amendment the amount of the facility was reduced to $3.6 million, an initial advance of $900,000 was made and subsequent advances under the Credit Facility are subject to various conditions including the granting of a security interest over substantially all the Company’s assets.

 

Executive Officers

 

On April 25, 2022, Stuart Stoller indicated his intention to resign as Chief Financial Officer of the Company in connection with his planned retirement. The resignation and retirement were effective date of June 17, 2022 at which time Annie Pham was appointed Chief Financial Officer in his place. In connection with his retirement, the Board of Directors approved the vesting of approximately 122,222 stock options which were unvested as of June 17, 2022. Additionally, the Board of Directors approved a consulting arrangement for Mr. Stoller to provide transitional services on an as needed basis.

 

On April 25, 2022, Ms. Pham and the Company entered into an Offer Letter pursuant to which Ms. Pham agreed to serve as Chief Financial Officer commencing June 20, 2022. Ms. Pham receives an annual salary of $275,000. The Company agreed to provide a bonus of 40% of the base salary (pro rated for 2022) based on achievement of performance milestones, calculated and payable in accordance with the corporate milestones approved by the Board for the year 2022. For subsequent fiscal years the bonus shall be subject to performance targets to be mutually agreed with the Compensation Committee of the Board. In addition, Ms. Pham received a signing bonus in the amount of $25,000, which is fully refundable to the Company if Ms. Pham leaves her employment voluntarily or is terminated for cause prior to the first anniversary of the commencement of employment. Upon commencing employment, Ms. Pham was granted an option to acquire 350,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.41 and an exercise period of ten years subject to certain performance vesting requirements. In December 2022, Ms. Pham was granted an option to acquire 60,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.79 which will vest on December 31, 2023 with an exercise period of ten years.

 

Board of Directors

 

In April 2022, the Company appointed Joe Trelin as an additional independent director. The Company granted Mr. Trelin options to acquire 100,897 shares of common stock or a total of $270,000 at an exercise price of $3.13 per share for a term of ten years that vest one third per year after each Annual Meeting.

 

In September 2022 the Company granted additional options to acquire 34,996 shares of common stock each at an exercise price of $3.03 per share, to each of the non-employee Directors, by way of annual compensation under the Company’s compensation policy for non-employee directors, which vest monthly over a one-year-period.

 

2021 Transactions

 

Sale of Common Stock

 

On August 26, 2021, the Company completed the Offering of 1,642,856 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $7.00 per share, including 214,285 shares sold upon full exercise of the underwriter’s option to purchase additional shares, for gross proceeds of approximately $11.5 million. Two executive officers and three members of the Board of Directors participated in the offering and purchased approximately $1.3 million of common shares.

 

Convertible Notes Payable

 

See discussion in Note 7 regarding the $662,000 Stern Trust Note.

 

Additionally, Theodore Stern and Herbert Selzer (also a former member of the Board of Directors until June 9, 2021) provided conversion notices for their respective 2020 Notes converting the principal, repayment premium and interest in the amount of approximately $256,000 into approximately 41,000 shares of common stock.

 

Executive Officers

 

On June 14, 2021, Phillip L. Kumnick resigned as Chief Executive Officer of authID. Inc and Thomas L. Thimot was appointed Chief Executive Officer in his place. Further, Philip R. Broenniman resigned as President and Chief Operating Officer and Cecil N. Smith III (Tripp) was appointed President and Chief Technology Officer. In May 2021 the Company granted to each of Mr. Kumnick and Mr. Broenniman options (the “May 2021 Options”) to acquire a total of 1,166,667 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $7.20 per share for a term of ten years that vest upon the achievement of certain market capitalization thresholds, or performance conditions. In November 2021 Mr. Kumnick and Mr. Broenniman agreed to cancel 300,000 and 200,000, respectively, of these stock options in consideration of removing certain service conditions.

 

Mr. Thomas Thimot and Mr. Cecil Smith, became employed by the Company as Chief Executive Officer and President and Chief Technology Officer effective June 14, 2021. Mr. Thimot and the Company entered into an Offer Letter pursuant to which Mr. Thimot will earn an annual salary of $325,000 with a bonus target at 50% of the base salary (pro-rated for 2021) upon terms to be agreed with the Compensation Committee for 2021 and on the understanding that the 2022 target will include a requirement of the Company achieving three times the annual revenue of 2021. Additionally, Mr. Thimot was granted an option to acquire 1,200,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $7.80 per share for a term of ten years of which half of the options vest monthly over four years and the balance is subject to certain performance vesting requirements. Mr. Thimot resigned effective upon the appointment of Mr. Daguro as Chief Executive Officer on March 23, 2023.

 

On June 14, 2021, Mr. Smith and the Company entered an into an Offer Letter pursuant to which Mr. Smith will earn an annual salary of $275,000 with a bonus target at 50% of the base salary (pro-rated for 2021) upon terms to be agreed with the Compensation Committee for 2021. In addition, Mr. Smith will receive a bonus of $50,000 after 90 days of service. Additionally. Mr. Smith was granted an option to acquire 600,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $7.80 per share for a term of ten years of which half of the options vest monthly over four years and the balance is subject to certain performance vesting requirements. On February 15, 2023, Mr. Smith ceased to be an employee, and the President and Chief Technology Officer of the Company.

 

Board of Directors

 

On June 9, 2021 Theodore Stern, Herbert Selzer and Thomas Szoke resigned as directors of the Company. The size of the Board of directors was increased to seven and Dr. Michael A. Gorriz, Michael L. Koehneman, Sanjay Puri, Mr. Thimot and Jacqueline L. White were appointed as additional directors of the Company. Messrs. Stern, Selzer and Szoke did not advise the Company of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to its operations, policies or practices. Mr. Szoke continued with the Company as Chief Solutions Architect until December 1, 2021 and entered an agreement with the Company in lieu of his Executive Retention Agreement in which he will receive $305,000 equally on a monthly basis for twelve months.

 

The Company granted each of the four new Directors appointed in June 2021 stock options to acquire 62,500 shares of common stock or a total of 250,000 at an exercise price of $7.80 per share for a term of ten years that vest one third per year after each Annual Meeting. The Company granted the previously serving Directors stock options to acquire 93,470 common shares that were vested upon grant as the services were previously rendered. The stock options were granted in lieu of other forms of Director Compensation. The Company also granted Mr. Selzer and Mr. Stern 22,388 stock options to acquire common shares for service in 2021 prior to their resignation as Directors. Upon their resignation as Directors in June 2021, 13,992 stock options were vested and the balance was cancelled.

 

Additionally, the Company appointed another Director in November 2021 and granted stock options to acquire 29,173 shares of common stock that vest one third a year after each Annual Meeting beginning in 2022. One of the Directors appointed in June did not stand for reelection to the Board of Directors in December 2021 and forfeited 41,667 stock options. In December 2021, the Company granted additional options to acquire 10,238 shares of common stock each to five of the non-employee Directors by way of annual compensation under the Company’s compensation policy for non-employee directors and which vest monthly over a one-year-period.

 

Other

 

In 2021, the Company and Progress Partners Inc. (“Progress”) modified their Business Advisory Agreement dated May 6, 2020 (“Progress Agreement”). The amended Progress Agreement provides for Progress to undertake continuing business development activities for the Company, for which the Company paid Progress $350,000. Additionally, the Company paid Progress, another $115,000 for additional consulting services. Mr. Puri, a former Director of the Company from June 9, to December 29, 2021 is an employee and Managing Director of Progress but is not a principal shareholder nor an executive officer of Progress.