UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 27, 2017
ENERGOUS CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
| Delaware | 001-36379 | 46-1318953 |
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
|
3590 North First Street, Suite 210 San Jose, California 95134 |
|
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (408) 963-0200 |
|
Not Applicable |
| (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report) |
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| ¨ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ¨ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company x
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
| Item 8.01. | Other Events |
On December 26, 2017, Energous Corporation (“Company”) issued a press release announcing approval by the Federal Communications Commission for the Company’s mid-filed wire-free charging technology for transmitters with an expected range of approximately a few centimeters to one meter. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this report. The Company will discuss these results further on a conference call scheduled at 5:30 AM Pacific time on December 27, 2017.
| Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
| (d) | Exhibits. |
|
Exhibit |
Description of Exhibit | |
| 99.1 | Press Release, dated December 26, 2017, issued by Energous Corporation. | |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| ENERGOUS CORPORATION | |||
| Date: December 27, 2017 | By: | /s/ Brian Sereda | |
| Brian Sereda | |||
| Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | |||
EXHIBIT INDEX
|
Exhibit |
Description of Exhibit | |
| 99.1 | Press Release, dated December 26, 2017, issued by Energous Corporation. | |
Exhibit 99.1
Energous Receives Industry-First FCC Certification for Over-the-Air, Power-at-a-Distance Wireless Charging
Approval marks major step forward for smart home, IoT and mobile devices
Conference Call Scheduled for Dec. 27, 5:30 a.m. PT
SAN JOSE, CA – December 26, 2017 – Energous Corporation (NASDAQ: WATT), the developer of WattUp®, a revolutionary wire-free, power-at-a-distance charging technology, today announced Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification of its first-generation WattUp Mid Field transmitter, which sends focused, RF-based power to devices at a distance. As the first FCC certification for power-at-a-distance wireless charging under Part 18 of the FCC’s rules, this development represents a new era of wireless charging, and opens up a tremendous opportunity for the electronics industry.
Energous’ WattUp Mid Field transmitter underwent rigorous, multi-month testing to verify it met consumer safety and regulatory requirements. As the first Part 18 FCC approved power-at-a-distance wireless charging transmitter, the certification marks a significant milestone for the consumer electronics industry and paves the way for future wireless charging ubiquity for nearly any small electronic device, including smartphones, tablets, fitness trackers, smart watches, earbuds, wireless keyboards and mice, smart speakers and more.
The company’s WattUp Mid Field transmitter can deliver power via radio frequency (RF) energy to WattUp-enabled electronic devices at a distance of up to three feet. As the only technology that can do both contact-based and non-contact-based wireless charging, as well as charge multiple devices at once, WattUp is highly scalable and automatically charges devices, as needed, until they are topped off. While older charging technologies allow for only contact-based charging, Energous is the only company to achieve Wireless Charging 2.0 to-date, which is the ability to charge devices both at contact (including fast charging large battery devices such as smartphones and tablets), as well as power-at-a-distance. Similar to WiFi, the WattUp ecosystem ensures interoperability between receivers and transmitters, regardless of the manufacturer, making the entire ecosystem flexible and accessible for consumers and manufacturing partners.
“Older wireless charging technologies have received limited adoption over the past 15 years, and are confined to contact-based charging only. The FCC certification of Energous’ power-at-a-distance wireless charging transmitter is a major market milestone. It opens up options, outside of just contact-based charging, to Wireless Charging 2.0: an ecosystem where devices can be charged both, via pad and at a distance,” said Stephen R. Rizzone, president and CEO of Energous. “Untethered, wire-free charging – such as charging a fitness band even while wearing it – is exactly what consumers have been waiting for. We are now in a position to move our consumer electronics, IoT and smart home customers forward at an accelerated pace.”
“WattUp from Energous represents an incredibly positive lifestyle change,” said Martin Cooper, Energous Board of Directors member and ‘Father of the Cell Phone’ – a pioneer and visionary of the wireless industry. “This ground-breaking technology allows users to automatically charge their WattUp-enabled devices without having to remove them from their wrist or pocket, plug them in or place them on a mat to charge, freeing them from ever having to think about charging their devices again.”
WattUp transmitter technology will continue to advance in both power, distance, efficiency and scale, with applications that could include integration into the bezel of computer monitors, soundbars, smart speakers, TVs, smart lighting, and other electronics in the home, office and beyond.
“Providing meaningful power-at-a-distance is a real game changer for wireless charging,” said Mark Tyndall, senior vice president corporate development and strategy, Dialog Semiconductor. “As the strategic partner and exclusive world-wide supplier of Energous’ WattUp technology, Dialog provides early adopters with the assurance of chip supply and support that comes from a top tier semiconductor company that ships millions of chips each month into some of the world’s most demanding customers.”
This represents the first time FCC equipment certification has been awarded to any device that charges wirelessly at a distance, and operates under Part 18 of the FCC’s rules. The FCC’s Part 18 rules permit higher-power operations than are permitted under the Part 15 rules that have been used to approve other at a distance charging devices.
The company will be demonstrating its very latest WattUp technology at CES 2018, the world’s largest consumer electronics show, January 9-12 in Las Vegas, NV. To learn more about Energous, please visit Energous.com or follow the company on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
Conference Call
Energous will hold a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at 5:30 a.m. PT to review the FCC certification details in greater depth and answer questions. To join the conference call:
Phone:
866-235-9911 (domestic); 412-317-1083 (international)
Replay: Accessible through January 10, 2018
877-344-7529 (domestic); 412-317-0088 (international); passcode 10115359
Webcast: Accessible at ir.energous.com; archive available for approximately one year
About Energous Corporation
Energous Corporation is the developer of WattUp® -- an award-winning, wire-free charging technology that will transform the way consumers and industries charge and power electronic devices at home, in the office, in the car and beyond. WattUp is a revolutionary radio frequency (RF) based charging solution that delivers intelligent, scalable power via radio bands, similar to a Wi-Fi router. WattUp differs from older wireless charging systems in that it delivers contained power-at-a-distance -- thus resulting in a wire-free experience that saves users from having to remember to plug in their devices. For more information, please visit Energous.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements that describe our future plans and expectations. These statements generally use terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or similar terms. Examples of our forward-looking statements in this release include statements in quotations from management and statements about our partnership with Dialog and development of market demand, production and deployment of products. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of this date; they are based on current expectations and we undertake no duty to update them. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from what we expect include: unexpected delays in our ability to develop commercially feasible technology; uncertain timing of further regulatory approvals; timing of customer orders and success of customer products; our dependence on distribution partners; market acceptance of our technology; and intense industry competition. We urge you to consider those factors, and the other risks and uncertainties described in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, in evaluating our forward-looking statements.
Energous Public Relations
PR@energous.com
408-963-0200
Investor Relations Contact:
Bishop IR
Mike Bishop
(415) 894-9633
IR@energous.com