S-8

Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

Smaller reporting company

Emerging growth company

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 26, 2024

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under

the Securities Act of 1933

VIGIL NEUROSCIENCE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

83-1880494

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

100 Forge Road, Suite 700

Watertown, MA 02472

(857) 254-4445

(Address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

Vigil Neuroscience, Inc. 2021 Stock Option and Incentive Plan

Vigil Neuroscience, Inc. Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement for Inducement Award

(Full title of the plans)

Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch

President and Chief Executive Officer

100 Forge Road, Suite 700

Watertown, MA 02472

(857) 254-4445

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Kingsley L. Taft, Esq.

Jacqueline Mercier, Esq.

Gabriela Morales-Rivera, Esq.

Goodwin Procter LLP

100 Northern Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 02210

(617) 570-1000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, Vigil Neuroscience, Inc. (the “Registrant”) is filing this registration statement with the Commission to register 1,794,235 additional shares of the Registrant’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Common Stock”) available for issuance under the Registrant’s 2021 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), pursuant to the evergreen provisions of the Plan.

This Registration Statement incorporates by reference the contents of the Registrant’s Registration Statements on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 10, 2022 (File No. 333-262083) and March 21, 2023 (File No. 333-270711) related to the Plan, except to the extent supplemented, amended or superseded by the information set forth herein. Only those items of Form S-8 containing new information not contained in the earlier Registration Statements are presented herein.

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is also filed for the purpose of registering 330,000 shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock issuable under a previously announced inducement stock option award granted on March 18, 2024 (the “Inducement Award”). The Inducement Award was granted outside of the Plan.

Part I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

Item 1. Plan Information.

The documents containing the information specified in this Item 1 will be sent or given to (i) participants in the equity benefit plans covered by this Registration Statement and (ii) the employee issued the Inducement Award as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

Item 2. Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.

The documents containing the information specified in this Item 2 will be sent or given to (i) participants in the equity benefit plans covered by this Registration Statement and (ii) the employee issued the Inducement Award as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

Part II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference,

The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents filed with the Commission:

(a) The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Commission on March 26, 2024.

(b) The description of our common stock contained in Exhibit 4.3 to our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 25, 2022, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating this description.

All documents that the Registrant subsequently files pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all of the shares of Common Stock offered have been sold or which deregisters all of such shares then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement. Under no circumstances will any information furnished under current items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K be deemed incorporated herein by reference unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary.

Item 4. Description of Services.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) authorizes a corporation to indemnify its directors and officers against liabilities arising out of actions, suits and proceedings to which they are made or threatened to be made a party by reason of the fact that they have served or are currently serving as a director or officer to a corporation. The indemnity may cover expenses (including attorneys’ fees) judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the director or officer in connection with any such action, suit or proceeding. Section 145 permits corporations to pay expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by directors and officers in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding. In addition, Section 145 provides that a corporation has the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of its directors and officers against any liability asserted against them and incurred by them in their capacity as a director or officer, or arising out of their status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the director or officer against such liability under Section 145.

We have adopted provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws that limit or eliminate the personal liability of our directors to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. Consequently, a director will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages or breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for:

•

any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;

•

any act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

•

any unlawful payments related to dividends or unlawful stock purchases, redemptions or other distributions; or

•

any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

These limitations of liability do not alter director liability under the federal securities laws and do not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as an injunction or rescission.

In addition, our bylaws provide that:

•

we will indemnify our directors, officers and, in the discretion of our board of directors, certain employees to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it now exists or may in the future be amended; and

•

we will advance reasonable expenses, including attorneys’ fees, to our directors and, in the discretion of our board of directors, to our officers and certain employees, in connection with legal proceedings relating to their service for or on behalf of us, subject to limited exceptions.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. These agreements provide that we will indemnify each of our directors, our executive officers and, at times, their affiliates to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. We will advance expenses, including attorneys’ fees (but excluding judgments, fines and settlement amounts), to each indemnified director, executive officer or affiliate in connection with any proceeding in which indemnification is available and we will indemnify our directors and officers for any action or proceeding arising out of that person’s services as a director or officer brought on behalf of us or in furtherance of our rights. Additionally, certain of our directors or officers may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses or insurance provided by their affiliates or other third parties, which indemnification relates to and might apply to the same proceedings arising out of such director’s or officer’s services as a director referenced herein. Nonetheless, we have agreed in the indemnification agreements that our obligations to those same directors or officers are primary and any obligation of such affiliates or other third parties to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the expenses or liabilities incurred by those directors are secondary.

We also maintain general liability insurance which covers certain liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Item 7. Exhibits Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

The exhibits to this Registration Statement are listed in the Exhibit Index attached hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit No.		Description

4.1		Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (File No. 333-261230) filed on January 3, 2022).

4.2		Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 of the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (File No. 333-261230) filed on January 3, 2022).

4.3		Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement among the Registrant and certain of its stockholders, effective as of August 13, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261230) filed on November 19, 2021).

4.4		Form of Specimen Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (File No. 333-256949) filed on June 17, 2021).

5.1*		Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP.

23.1*		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm.

23.2*		Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

24.1*		Power of Attorney (included on signature page).

99.1		2021 Stock Option and Incentive Plan and form of award agreements thereunder (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (File No. 333-261230) filed on January 3, 2022).

99.2*		Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement Inducement Award

107*		Filing Fee Table

*	Filed herewith.

Item 9. Undertakings.

(a) The registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act.

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) herein do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)) that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Watertown, State of Massachusetts, on this 26 day of March, 2024.


VIGIL NEUROSCIENCE, INC.

By:		/s/ Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch
		Name: Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY AND SIGNATURES

KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENT, that each individual whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints each of Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch and Jennifer Ziolkowski as such person’s true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for such person in such person’s name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that any said attorney-in-fact and agent, or any substitute or substitutes of any of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following person in the capacities and on the date indicated.


Name	Title	Date

/s/ Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch	President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director (Principal Executive Officer)	March 26, 2024

/s/ Jennifer Ziolkowski Jennifer Ziolkowski	Chief Financial Officer (Principal Accounting Officer and Principal Financial Officer)	March 26, 2024

/s/ Bruce Booth Bruce Booth	Director, Chairperson	March 26, 2024

/s/ Cheryl Renee Blanchard Cheryl Renee Blanchard	Director	March 26, 2024

/s/ Mary Thistle Mary Thistle	Director	March 26, 2024

/s/ Gerhard Koenig Gerhard Koenig	Director	March 26, 2024

/s/ Suzanne Bruhn Suzanne Bruhn	Director	March 26, 2024

/s/ Stefan Vitorovic Stefan Vitorovic	Director	March 26, 2024

/s/ Samantha Budd Haeberlein Samantha Budd Haeberlein	Director	March 26, 2024