OPTT Ocean Power Technologies Inc

 

Registration No. 333-

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

OCEAN POWER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Delaware (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

22-2535818 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

28 Engelhard Drive, Suite B

Monroe Township, New Jersey

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

 

Amended & Restated 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

 

 

Name, Address and Telephone Number of Agent for Service:		Copy of Communications to:
Philipp Stratmann President and Chief Executive Officer 28 Engelhard Drive, Suite B Monroe Township, New Jersey 08831 (609) 730-0400		Kevin J. Poli Porter Hedges LLP 1000 Main Street, 36th Floor Houston, Texas 77002-6336 (713) 226-6600

 

 

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

 

Large accelerated filer		☐		Accelerated filer		☐
Non-accelerated filer		☒		Smaller reporting company		☒
				Emerging growth company		☐

 

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. ☐

 

 

 

PART I

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

 

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) prepared this Registration Statement in accordance with the requirements of Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to register 20,000,000 shares of our common stock related to the Amended & Restated 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “A&R 2015 Plan”). The documents containing the information specified in Part I of this Registration Statement will be sent or given to participants in the A&R 2015 Plan, as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act. Such documents need not be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 promulgated under the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirement of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

 

The following documents, which have previously been filed by the Company with the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are incorporated herein by reference:

 

	●	The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, filed with the Commission on July 25, 2024, as amended by the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed on August 28, 2024 (File No. 001-33417);
	●	The Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended July 31, 2024 and October 31, 2024 filed with the Commission on September 16, 2024 and December 16, 2024, respectively (File No. 001-33417);
	●	The Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K and 8-K/A, filed with the Commission on May 6, 2024, May 14, 2024, May 30, 2024, June 7, 2024, June 14, 2024, June 17, 2024, June 26, 2024, July 5, 2024, July 10, 2024, July 17, 2024, July 25, 2024, August 1, 2024, August 8, 2024, August 15, 2024, August 23, 2024, August 30, 2024, September 4, 2024, September 5, 2024, September 12, 2024, September 20, 2024, September 30, 2024, October 7, 2024, October 17, 2024, November 1, 2024, December 3, 2024, December 12, 2024, December 20, 2024, December 23, 2024 and January 21, 2025 (File No. 001-33417) (excluding any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any such Current Report on Form 8-K); and
	●	The description of our common stock set forth in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed on April 18, 2007 (File No. 001-33417) and in any and all subsequent amendments and reports filed for the purpose of updating that description.

 

In addition, all documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (excluding any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 on any Current Report on Form 8-K) prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of 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 for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, as the case may be, 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.

 

Item 4. Description of Securities.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

Not applicable.

 

 

Item 6. Indemnification of Officers and Directors.

 

Section 102 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors of a corporation to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. The Registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides that no director of the Registrant shall be personally liable to it or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability, except to the extent that the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty.

 

Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation and certain other persons serving at the request of the corporation in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlements actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with an action, suit or proceeding to which he is or is threatened to be made a party by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

 

The Registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides that the Registrant will indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the Registrant) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer of the Registrant, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the Registrant’s request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the Registrant’s best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The Registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides that the Registrant will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to an action or suit by or in the right of the Registrant to procure a judgment in the Registrant’s favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer of the Registrant, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the Registrant’s request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee or, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Registrant, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Registrant, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith. Expenses must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.

 

The Registrant maintains a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of the Registrant’s directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

 

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 8. Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.		Description
*5.1		Opinion of Porter Hedges LLP with respect to the legality of the securities.
10.1		Amended & Restated 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Annex A to Proxy Statement filed on November 18, 2024).
*23.1		Consent of EisnerAmper LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
*24.1		Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this registration statement).
*107		Filing Fees Exhibit.

 

* Filed herewith.

 

 

Item 9. Undertakings.

 

(a) The Company 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 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

(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) 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 Company pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act 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 Company hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Company’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 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.

 

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Company 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 Company of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Company 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 Company 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, 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 Monroe Township, State of New Jersey, on this 31^st day of January, 2025.

 

OCEAN POWER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
	By:	/s/ Philipp Stratmann
		Philipp Stratmann
		President and Chief Executive Officer

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

We the undersigned officers and directors of Ocean Power Technologies, Inc., hereby, severally constitute and appoint Philipp Stratmann and Robert P. Powers, each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power to them and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below, the registration statement on Form S-8 filed herewith and any and all pre-effective and post-effective amendments to said registration statement and any subsequent registration statement for the same offering which may be filed under Rule 462(b) and generally to do all such things in our names and on our behalf in our capacities as officers and directors to enable Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of them, to said registration statement and any and all amendments thereto or to any subsequent registration statement for the same offering which may be filed under Rule 462(b).

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature		Title	Date
		President, Chief Executive Officer
/s/ Philipp Stratmann		and Director (Principal Executive Officer)	January 31, 2025
Philipp Stratmann
/s/ Robert P. Powers		Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer	January 31, 2025
Robert P. Powers		(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Terence J. Cryan		Chairman of the Board and Director	January 31, 2025
Terence J. Cryan
/s/ Clyde W. Hewlett		Director	January 31, 2025
Clyde W. Hewlett
/s/ Diana G. Purcel		Director	January 31, 2025
Diana G. Purcel
/s/ Peter E. Slaiby		Director	January 31, 2025
Peter E. Slaiby

 

 

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

1000 Main Street, 36th Floor Houston, Texas 77002 Telephone {713} 226-6000 Telecopier {713} 228-1331 porterhedges.com

 

January 31, 2025

 

014660/0002

 

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc.
28 Engelhard Drive, Suite B

Monroe Township, NJ 08831

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to Ocean Power Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Registration Statement relates to the registration of an additional 20,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), issuable pursuant to the Company’s Amended & Restated 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

 

We have examined the Plan and such corporate records, documents, instruments and certificates of the Company, and have reviewed such questions of law as we have deemed necessary, relevant or appropriate to enable us to render the opinion expressed herein. In such examination, we have assumed without independent investigation the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, and the conformity of any documents submitted to us as copies to their respective originals. As to certain questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied without independent investigation upon statements or certificates of public officials and officers of the Company.

 

Based upon such examination and review, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly and validly authorized and will, upon issuance and delivery as contemplated by the Plan, be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable outstanding shares of Common Stock.

 

This Firm consents to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that this Firm is in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

This opinion is rendered on the date hereof and we disclaim any duty to advise you regarding any changes in the matters addressed herein.

 

 

	Very truly yours,
	/s/ Porter Hedges LLP
	PORTER HEDGES LLP

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement of Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. on Form S-8 to be filed on or about January 31, 2025 of our report dated July 25, 2024, on our audits of the financial statements as of April 30, 2024 and 2023 and for each of the years then ended, which report was included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed July 25, 2024, as amended on August 28, 2024. Our report includes an explanatory paragraph about the existence of substantial doubt concerning the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

 

/s/ EisnerAmper LLP
EISNERAMPER LLP
Iselin, NJ
January 31, 2025

 

 

Exhibit 107

 

Calculation of Filing Fee Tables

 

S-8

(Form Type)

 

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

Table 1: Newly Registered Securities

 

Security Type		Security Class Title		Fee Calculation Rule				Amount Registered				Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit				Maximum Aggregate Offering Price				Fee Rate				Amount of Registration Fee
Equity		Common stock, par value $0.001 per share			457(c)				20,000,000	(1)		$	0.74	(2)		$	14,800,000				0.00015310			$	2,266
Total Offering Amounts																$	14,800,000							$	2,266
Total Fee Offsets																									N/A
Net Fee Due																								$	2,266

 

(1)	Pursuant to Rule 416(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement also registers hereunder an indeterminate number of shares of common stock issuable as a result of the anti-dilution provisions of the Amended & Restated 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).
(2)	Pursuant to Rule 457(c), the registration fee is calculated on the basis of the average of the high and low sale prices for the common stock on the NYSE American on January 28, 2025. Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, the registration fee is calculated only with respect to additional securities registered under the Plan.

 

Table 2: Fee Offset Claims and Sources

 

Registrant or Filer Name

Form or Filing Type

File Number

Initial Filing Date

Filing Date

Fee Offset Claimed

Security Type Associated with Fee Offset Claimed

Security Title Associated with Fee Offset Claimed

Unsold Securities Associated with Fee Offset Claimed

Unsold Aggregate Offering Amount Associated with Fee Offset Claimed

Fee Paid with Fee Offset Source

Rule 457(p)

Fee Offset Claims

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Fee Offset Sources

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

 

 

---