Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Summary of significant accounting policies

Principles of consolidation

Principles of consolidation—The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries Aprea Therapeutics AB, which was incorporated in May 2009, Aprea US, Inc., which was incorporated in June 2016 and ATR Pharmaceuticals LLC which was incorporated in May 2022. Management has concluded it has a single reporting segment for purposes of reporting financial condition and results of operations. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

Unaudited interim consolidated financial statements

Unaudited interim consolidated financial statements—The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for reporting on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosure normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been

condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. These unaudited condensed interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC.

The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements, and in management’s opinion, include all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair presentation of the financial information for the interim periods have been made. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year or any future period.

Use of estimates

Use of estimates—The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses as of and during the reporting period. The Company bases estimates and assumptions on historical experience when available and on various factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Company assesses estimates on an ongoing basis; however, actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions, are used for, but not limited to, include stock-based compensation and accounting for research and development costs.

Foreign currency and currency translation

Foreign currency and currency translation—The functional currency for Aprea Therapeutics AB is the Swedish Krona. Assets and liabilities of Aprea Therapeutics AB are translated into United States dollars at the exchange rate in effect on the balance sheet date. Operating expenses are translated at the average exchange rate in effect during the period. Unrealized translation gains and losses are recorded as a cumulative translation adjustment, which is included in the consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. Adjustments that arise from exchange rate changes on transactions denominated in a currency other than the local currency are included in other income, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss as incurred.

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

Cash and cash equivalents— The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.

Restricted cash— The Company has restricted cash of $41,537 and $40,717 at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, that is securing the Company’s credit card program.

Fair value of financial instruments

Fair value of financial instruments—The accounting standard for fair value measurements provides a framework for measuring fair value and requires expanded disclosures regarding fair value measurements. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability between market participants at measurement dates. ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”), establishes a three-level valuation hierarchy for instruments measured at fair value. The hierarchy is based on the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The hierarchy defines three levels of valuation inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:

● Level 1 inputs: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

● Level 2 inputs: Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are either directly or indirectly observable, such as quoted market prices, interest rates and yield curves.

● Level 3 inputs: Unobservable inputs developed using estimates or assumptions developed by the Company, which reflect those that a market participant would use in pricing the asset or liability.

To the extent that the valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Company in

determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts payable and accrued expenses. The carrying amount of accounts payable and accrued expenses is considered a reasonable estimate of fair value due to the short-term maturity.

Series A Convertible Preferred Stock

Series A Convertible Preferred Stock—The Company classifies the Series A Preferred Stock as temporary equity outside of stockholders’ equity on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets due to certain events that are not within the Company's control. The Series A Preferred Stock was recorded at fair value upon the acquisition of Atrin in May 2022.

Accounting for leases

Accounting for leases—At the inception of an arrangement, the Company determines whether the arrangement is or contains a lease based on specific facts and circumstances, the existence of an identified asset(s), if any, and the Company’s control over the use of the identified asset(s), if applicable. Operating lease liabilities and their corresponding right of use assets are recorded based on the present value of future lease payments over the expected lease term. The interest rate implicit in lease contracts is typically not readily determinable. As such, the Company utilizes the incremental borrowing rate, which is the rate incurred to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment.

The Company has elected not to separate lease and non-lease components as a single component. Operating leases are recognized on the balance sheet as right of use (ROU) lease assets, lease liabilities current and lease liabilities non-current. Fixed rents are included in the calculation of the lease balances while variable costs paid for certain operating and pass-through costs are excluded. Lease expense is recognized over the expected term on a straight-line basis. The Company has also elected the short-term lease exemption for all leases with an original term of less than 12 months.

Research and development costs

Research and development costs—Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred. Research and development expenses incurred in performing research and development activities, include salaries and benefits, materials and supplies, preclinical expenses, stock-based compensation expense, depreciation of equipment, contract services, and other outside expenses. Costs for certain development activities are recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using information provided to the Company by its vendors on their actual costs incurred. Payments for these activities are based on the terms of the individual arrangements, which may differ from the pattern of costs incurred, and are reflected in the financial statements as prepaid or accrued research and development. Deposits made by the Company with certain service providers that are to be applied to future payments due under the service agreements or returned to the Company if not utilized are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets.

Revenue recognition

Revenue recognition— The Company’s revenue is primarily generated through grants from government and non-government organizations. Grant revenue is recognized during the period that the reimbursable research and development services occur, as qualifying expenses are incurred or conditions of the grants are met. Grant revenue received in advance is recorded as deferred grant revenue and recognized as revenue once the conditions for revenue recognition are met. Associated expenses are recognized when incurred as research and development expenses. The Company concluded that payments received under these grants represent conditional, nonreciprocal contributions, as described in ASC 958, Not-for-Profit Entities, and that the grants are not within the scope of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as the organizations providing the grants do not meet the definition of a customer.

Stock-based compensation

Stock-based compensation—The Company measures stock options and other stock-based awards granted to employees and directors based on their fair value on the date of the grant and recognize compensation expense of those awards over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award. The Company applies the straight-line method of expense recognition to all awards with only service based vesting conditions.

For stock-based awards granted to non-employees, compensation expense is recognized over the period during which services are rendered by such non-employees until completed in accordance with ASC 718.

The Company estimates the fair value of each stock option grant on the date of grant using the Black Scholes option pricing model, which uses as inputs the fair value of the Company’s common stock and assumptions the Company makes for the volatility of its common stock, the expected term of its stock options, the risk-free interest rate for a period that approximates the expected term of its stock options and its expected dividend yield. The Company elects to account for forfeitures when they occur.

The Company also awards restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to employees and directors. RSUs are generally subject to forfeiture if employment terminates prior to the completion of the vesting restrictions. The Company expenses the cost of the RSUs, which is determined to be the fair market value of the shares of common stock underlying the RSUs at the date of grant, ratably over the period during which the vesting restrictions lapse.

Net loss per share

Net loss per share—The Company has reported losses since inception and has computed basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period, without consideration for potentially dilutive securities. The Company computes diluted net loss per common share after giving consideration to all potentially dilutive common shares, including options to purchase common stock, outstanding during the period determined using the treasury-stock and if-converted methods, except where the effect of including such securities would be antidilutive. Because the Company has reported net losses since inception, these potential common shares have been anti-dilutive and basic and diluted loss per share have been the same.

Included within weighted average common shares outstanding for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 are 507,076 common shares issuable upon the exercise of certain warrants, which are exercisable at any time for nominal consideration, and as such, the shares are considered outstanding for the purpose of calculating basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders.

The following table sets forth the potentially dilutive securities that have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share because to include them would be anti-dilutive (in common stock equivalent shares):

	Nine months ended September 30,
	2024	2023
Convertible preferred stock (as converted)	28,112	28,112
Options to purchase common stock	734,131	582,641
Warrants to purchase common stock	2,194,788	—
Unvested restricted stock units	36,442	23,870
Total shares of common stock equivalents	2,993,473	634,623

Recently issued accounting pronouncements

Recently issued accounting pronouncements—From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies that the Company adopts as of the specified effective date.