Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

v2.4.0.8
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]  
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
3.
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
 
2013 Stock Incentive Plan
 
On June 18, 2013, the Company established the 2013 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2013 Plan”). Under the 2013 Plan, during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013, a maximum number of 7,825,388 shares of the Company’s authorized and available common stock could be issued in the form of: Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, sales or bonuses of restricted stock, restricted stock units or dividend equivalent rights, and an award may consist of one such security or benefit, or two or more of them in any combination or alternative.  Commencing with the first business day of each fiscal year of the Company beginning with the current fiscal year, such maximum aggregate number of Shares shall be increased by a number equal to the lesser of (A) 3,000,000 Shares, (B) four (4) percent of the number of shares outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year of the Company, or (C) such lesser number of shares as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”). The exercise price of each stock option shall be the fair market value as determined in good faith by the Board at the time each option is granted.  On October 1, 2013, the aggregate number of authorized shares under the Plan was increased by 2,405,809 shares to a total of 10,231,197 shares.
 
Share-based awards
 
During the nine months ended June 30, 2014, the Company granted options to purchase 2,754,212 shares of the Company’s common stock to employees and options to purchase 2,115,000 shares of common stock to consultants under the 2013 Plan.  The options have terms ranging from 3 to 10 years, are subject to vesting terms over periods ranging from 1 year to 3 years and have exercise prices ranging from $0.19 to $0.37.
 
The Company recognizes compensation expense for stock option awards on a straight-line basis over the applicable service period of the award.  The service period is generally the vesting period, with the exception of options granted subject to a consulting agreement, whereby the option vesting period and the service period are defined pursuant to the terms of the consulting agreement. Share-based compensation expense for awards granted during the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014, were based on the fair market value at period end or grant date fair value estimated using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model.  The following assumptions were used to calculate the fair value of share based compensation for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014; expected volatility, 86% - 115%, risk-free interest rate, 0.91% - 2.77%, expected forfeiture rate, 0.00%, expected dividend yield, 0.00%, expected term, 3 to 10 years.
 
Expected price volatility is the measure by which the Company’s stock price is expected to fluctuate during the expected term of an option.  The Company exited shell company status on June 26, 2013.  In situations where a newly public entity has limited historical data on the price of its publicly traded shares and no other traded financial instruments, authoritative guidance is provided on estimating this assumption by basing its expected volatility on the historical, expected, or implied volatility of similar entities whose share option prices are publicly available.  In making the determination as to similarity, the guidance recommends the consideration of industry, stage of life cycle, size and financial leverage of such other entities.  The Company’s expected volatility is derived from the historical daily change in the market price of its common stock since it exited shell company status, as well as the historical daily changes in the market price for the peer group as determined by the Company.
 
For so called “plain vanilla” options granted to employees, the expected term of the options is based upon the simplified method as defined in ASC 718-10-S99 which averages an award’s weighted-average vesting period and the contractual term for share options. The Company will continue to use the simplified method until it has the historical data necessary to provide a reasonable estimate of expected life in accordance with ASC Topic 718. The Company’s estimation of the expected term for stock options not subject to the simplified method is based upon the contractual term of the option award.  For the purposes of estimating the fair value of stock option awards, the risk-free interest rate used in the Black-Scholes calculation is based on the prevailing U.S. Treasury yield.  The Company has never paid any dividends on its common stock and does not anticipate paying dividends on its common stock in the foreseeable future.
 
Stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, reduced for estimated forfeitures.  Authoritative guidance requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant, and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Due to the Company’s minimal stock-based compensation activity, the Company has not had significant forfeitures of stock options granted to employees, directors and non-employees. Therefore, the Company has estimated the forfeiture rate of its outstanding stock options as zero, but will continually evaluate its historical data as a basis for determining expected forfeitures.
 
Stock compensation plan activity is as follows:
 
Common Stock Options
 
Stock compensation activity under the 2013 Plan is as follows:
 
 
 
Option
Shares
Outstanding
 
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term (years)
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
 
Outstanding at October 1, 2013
 
 
3,000,000
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Awarded
 
 
4,869,212
 
$
0.36
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Exercised
 
 
(231,250)
 
 
0.40
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Forfeited
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Outstanding at June 30, 2014
 
 
7,637,962
 
$
0.36
 
 
5.49
 
$
29,600
 
Vested
 
 
2,546,470
 
$
0.36
 
 
5.08
 
$
6,100
 
Vested and expected to vest at June 30, 2014
 
 
7,637,962
 
$
0.36
 
 
5.49
 
$
29,600
 
 
As of June 30, 2014, 2,361,985 shares are available for future grants under the 2013 Plan.  Share-based compensation expense recorded in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014 resulting from stock options awarded to the Company’s employees, directors and consultants was $245,245 and $748,600, respectively.  Of this amount during the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014, $132,941 and $287,288, respectively was recorded in General and Administrative expenses and $112,304 and $461,312 respectively was recorded to Research and Development expenses in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations.
 
As of June 30, 2014, there is approximately $1,368,033 of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock-based compensation arrangements granted under the 2013 Plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.06 years.
 
For the three and nine months ended June 30, 2013, the Company did not recognize any stock based compensation expense.
 
Restricted Stock
 
On March 24, 2014, the Company issued 300,000 restricted shares of common stock to a consultant as consideration for services to be performed, 150,000 shares vested immediately and 75,000 shares vested on June 1, 2014. The remaining shares are subject to vesting over a 5 month period. During the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014, the Company recorded the fair value of the shares of $25,875 and $77,625, respectively to General and Administrative expenses. The unvested shares of common stock are not considered outstanding shares for accounting purposes until the holders provide the requisite services and the shares vest. As of June 30, 2014, there was $25,875 of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock granted, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 0.42 years.
 
 
 
Option
Shares
Outstanding
 
Weighted
Average
Grant
Date
Fair
Value
 
Unvested at October 1, 2013
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
Awarded
 
 
300,000
 
$
0.345
 
Vested
 
 
(225,000)
 
 
0.345
 
Unvested at June 30, 2014
 
 
75,000
 
$
0.345