Description of Business

Business Overview

EMCORE Corporation and its subsidiaries (referred to herein as the “Company”, “we”, “our”, or “EMCORE”), established in 1984 as a New Jersey corporation, designs and manufactures Indium Phosphide (InP) optical chips, components, subsystems and systems for the broadband and specialty fiber optics market. EMCORE is a provider of optical components, as well complete end-to end solutions for high-speed communications network infrastructures enabling systems and service providers to meet growing demand for bandwidth and connectivity. EMCORE's advance optical technologies are designed for Cable Television (CATV), Fiber-To-The-Premises (FTTP) networks, telecommunications and data centers, satellite communications, aerospace and defense, wireless networks, and broadcast and professional audio/video systems. With its InP semiconductor wafer fabrication facility, EMCORE has fully vertically-integrated manufacturing capability and also provides contract design, foundry and component packaging services.

We currently have one reporting segment: Fiber Optics. Until the first quarter of 2015, we operated as two segments: Fiber Optics and Photovoltaics. EMCORE's Solar Photovoltaics business, which was sold in December 2014, provided products for space power applications including high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells, Covered Interconnect Cells and complete satellite solar panels. In addition, EMCORE sold certain assets, and transferred certain liabilities, of the Company's telecommunications business, including the ITLA, micro-ITLA, T-TOSA and T-XFP product lines within the Company’s telecommunications business in January 2015. In addition to organic growth and development of our existing Fiber Optics market, we intend to pursue other strategies to enhance shareholder value, which may include acquisitions, investments in joint ventures, partnerships, and other strategic alternatives, such as dispositions, reorganizations, recapitalizations or other similar transactions. Accordingly, the Strategy Committee of the Board of Directors and our management may from time to time be engaged in evaluating potential strategic opportunities and may enter into definitive agreements with respect to, such transactions or other strategic alternatives.

Sale of Photovoltaics and Digital Products Businesses

On September 17, 2014, EMCORE entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Photovoltaics Agreement”) with SolAero Technologies Corporation ("SolAero") (formerly known as Photon Acquisition Corporation) pursuant to which SolAero agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets, and assume substantially all of the liabilities, primarily related to or used in connection with the Company's photovoltaics business, including EMCORE's subsidiaries EMCORE Solar Power, Inc. and EMCORE IRB Company, LLC (collectively, the "Photovoltaics Business" and, the sale of the Photovoltaics Business, the "Photovoltaics Asset Sale") for $150.0 million in cash, prior to a $0.1 million working capital adjustment pursuant to the Photovoltaics Agreement finalized and paid by EMCORE during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015. On December 10, 2014, EMCORE completed the Photovoltaics Asset Sale.

On October 22, 2014, EMCORE entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the "Digital Products Agreement") with NeoPhotonics Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("NeoPhotonics"), pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell certain assets, and transfer certain liabilities, of the Company's telecommunications business (collectively, the "Digital Products Business" and, the sale of the Digital Products Business, the "Digital Products Assets Sale") to NeoPhotonics for an aggregate purchase price of $17.5 million, subject to certain adjustments, consisting of $1.5 million in cash at closing and a promissory note in the principal amount of $16.0 million (the "Promissory Note").

On January 2, 2015, EMCORE and NeoPhotonics entered into Amendment No. 1 (the "APA Amendment") to the Digital Products Agreement dated October 22, 2014. Among other things, the APA Amendment revised the nature and timing of the financial deliverable requirements of the Company to NeoPhotonics under the original Digital Products Agreement. The assets sold pursuant to the Digital Products Agreement included certain fixed assets, inventory, accounts receivable and intellectual property for the ITLA, micro-ITLA, T-TOSA and T-XFP product lines within the Company’s telecommunications business. On January 2, 2015, EMCORE completed the sale of the Digital Products Business. On April 16, 2015, EMCORE and NeoPhotonics entered into an agreement to adjust the purchase price resulting in an adjusted balance of the Promissory Note of $15.5 million. On April 17, 2015, NeoPhotonics paid in full the outstanding balance of the Promissory Note of $15.5 million, plus accrued interest of $0.2 million.

The Photovoltaics Asset Sale and Digital Products Asset Sale are reported as discontinued operations. Also see Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 4 - Discontinued Operations.

Sale of Fiber Optics-related Assets

On March 27, 2012, we entered into a Master Purchase Agreement with a subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric Industries, LTD (SEI), pursuant to which we agreed to sell certain assets and transfer certain obligations associated with our Fiber Optics business. On May 7, 2012, we completed the sale of these assets to SEI and recorded a gain of approximately $2.8 million. Under the terms of the Master Purchase Agreement, we agreed to indemnify SEI for up to $3.4 million of potential claims and expenses for the two-year period following the sale and we recorded this amount as a deferred gain on our balance sheet as of September 30, 2015 and 2014. SEI paid $13.1 million in cash and deposited approximately $2.6 million into escrow as security for indemnification obligations and any purchase price adjustments. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013, we resolved the purchase price contingencies resulting in the reduction of the purchase price by $1.1 million. The reduced purchase price is recorded as an offset to the escrow receivable of $2.6 million. There remains a deferred gain of $3.4 million related to our indemnification obligation to SEI and an escrow receivable of $1.9 million as of September 30, 2015, as claims were made under the Master Purchase Agreement against these balances prior to the end of the indemnification period in May 2014. We are not able to determine at this time the outcome of any potential settlements associated with the remaining claims and as a result have not recorded any related adjustments to the deferred gain amount.

In May 2012, we also entered into a separate facility lease and transition services agreement (TSA) with SEI related to financial services, supply chain, facility, and information infrastructure support functions to be provided by us. We believe the values assigned to the facility lease and TSA approximate fair value. During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, we recognized $3.3 million and $2.8 million, respectively, related to TSA fees and facility rental income which was recorded as a benefit against operating expenses incurred for such services in discontinued operations.

The TSA included a $0.5 million credit to be applied against fees earned by Emcore over a twelve-month period through May 2013. We also incurred $0.6 million in expenses directly associated with this transaction. The TSA credit and transaction-related expenses incurred were applied against the proceeds received in determination of the gain recognized during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Historically, we have consumed cash from operations and incurred significant net losses. We have managed our liquidity position through sale of assets, a series of cost reduction initiatives, borrowings from our credit facility and capital markets transactions.

On June 15, 2015, we completed the modified "Dutch auction" tender offer (the "Tender Offer") and purchased 6.9 million shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $6.55 per share, for an aggregate cost of $45.0 million excluding fees and expenses. Repurchased common stock was recorded to treasury stock. The Company incurred costs of $0.7 million in connection with the Tender Offer, which were recorded to treasury stock.

As of September 30, 2015, cash and cash equivalents totaled $111.9 million and net working capital totaled approximately $128.0 million. Net working capital, calculated as current assets minus current liabilities, is a financial metric we use which represents available operating liquidity. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015, we earned net income of $63.1 million.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015, the following changes to our liquidity occurred:


•	Sale of Photovoltaics Business: On December 10, 2014, we completed the sale of our Photovoltaics Business for$150.0 million in cash prior to working capital adjustments of $0.1 million. We believe these proceeds will provide us with working capital for fiscal year 2016 and beyond.


•	Sale of Digital Products Business: On January 2, 2015, we completed the sale of our Digital Products Business for $1.5 million in cash and an adjusted Promissory Note balance of $15.5 million. On April 17, 2015, NeoPhotonics paid in full the outstanding balance of the Promissory Note of $15.5 million, plus accrued interest of $0.2 million.

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Credit Facility: On November 11, 2010, we entered into a Credit and Security Agreement (credit facility) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association ("Wells Fargo"). The credit facility, as it has been amended through its seventh amendment, currently provides us with a revolving credit of up to $15.0 million through November 2018 that can be used for working capital requirements, letters of credit, and other general corporate purposes. The credit facility is secured by the Company's assets and is subject to a borrowing base formula based on the Company's eligible accounts receivable, inventory, and machinery and equipment accounts.

On December 3, 2014, we entered into a Sixth Amendment to the credit facility, pursuant to which Wells Fargo agrees, to automatically release all encumbrances covering certain of the Company’s assets to be sold pursuant to the Photovoltaics Agreement and the Digital Products Agreement. In addition, on December 10, 2014 upon notice to Wells Fargo of the closing of the transaction contemplated by the Photovoltaics Agreement, the maximum borrowing allowed under the credit facility was reduced from $35.0 million to $15.0 million, and certain other changes to the borrowing base calculations went into effect. As of September 30, 2015, there were no amounts outstanding under the credit facility and the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants. As of September 30, 2015, the credit facility had approximately $0.9 million reserved for three stand-by letters of credit, leaving a remaining $8.6 million of borrowing available under the credit facility. As of December 14, 2015, there was no outstanding balance under this credit facility.

On November 10, 2015, we entered into a Seventh Amendment of the credit facility which extended the maturity date of the facility to November 2018, and adjusted the interest rate to LIBOR plus 2.5%.