Note 8. Stockholders’ Equity 

As a result of the Merger, an aggregate of 5,500,006 shares of the Company’s Common Stock were issued to the holders of Akoustis Inc. stock. 

In connection with the a Split-Off Agreement, the Company transferred all pre-Merger assets and liabilities to the Company’s pre-Merger majority stockholder, in exchange for the surrender by him and cancellation of 9,854,019 shares of the Company’s Common Stock. These cancelled shares resumed the status of authorized but unissued shares of the Company’s Common Stock. The remaining shareholders of the Company owned 3,000,005 shares of Common Stock shown as a recapitalization on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity. 

On May 22, 2015, the Company issued 100,000 shares of Common Stock for professional services provided. These shares were expensed in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations for the grant date fair value of $150,000. 

During December 2015, 230,000 restricted shares were granted to two consultants pursuant to a one year investor relations agreement with a grant date fair value of $345,000. The restricted shares will vest over the life of the consulting agreement. These shares were not issued at December 31, 2015. The Company has recorded $20,795 and $0 in stock–based compensation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. The Company has recorded $20,795 and $0 in stock–based compensation expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and the period from May 12, 2014 (inception) through December 31, 2014, respectively, for the shares that have vested, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had $324,205 and $0, respectively, in unrecognized stock based compensation expense related to the unvested shares.  

As further discussed in Note 1, the Company issued 3,362,104 shares of Common Stock in connection with the private placement. 

As of December 31, 2015, the Company had 13,021,315 shares issued and outstanding. 

Stock incentive plan 

The Company had no equity compensation plans as of the end of fiscal year 2014.  

On May 22, 2015, the Board of Directors adopted, and on the same date the stockholders approved, the 2015 Plan, which reserves a total of 1,200,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance under the 2015 Plan. The 2015 Plan authorizes the grant to participants of nonqualified stock options, incentive stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, performance grants. The Company agreed not to grant awards under the 2015 Plan for more than 600,000 shares of Common Stock during the first year following the closing of the Merger. If an incentive award granted under the 2015 Plan expires, terminates, is unexercised or is forfeited, or if any shares are surrendered to the Company in connection with an incentive award, the shares subject to such award and the surrendered shares will become available for further awards under the 2015 Plan.  

In addition, the number of shares of our Common Stock subject to the 2015 Plan, any number of shares subject to any numerical limit in the 2015 Plan, and the number of shares and terms of any incentive award are expected to be adjusted in the event of any change in our outstanding Common Stock by reason of any stock dividend, spin-off, split-up, stock split, reverse stock split, recapitalization, reclassification, merger, consolidation, liquidation, business combination or exchange of shares or similar transaction. 

Options granted under the Plan vest as determined by the Company’s board of directors and expire over varying terms, but not more than seven years from date of grant. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option that is granted to a 10% shareholder on the date of grant, such Option shall not be exercisable after the expiration of five years from the date of grant. During the period ended December 31, 2015, 160,000 options were issued to four non-employee directors. 

The fair values of the Company’s options were estimated at the dates of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted average assumptions:

Expected term: The Company’s expected term is based on the period the options are expected to remain outstanding. The Company estimated this amount utilizing the “Simplified Method” in that the Company does not have sufficient historical experience to provide a reasonable basis to estimate an expected term.  

Risk-free interest rate: The Company uses the risk-free interest rate of a U.S. Treasury Note with a similar term on the date of the grant. 

Volatility: The Company calculates the expected volatility of the stock price based on the corresponding volatility of the Company’s peer group stock price for a period consistent with the options’ expected term.

Dividend yield: The Company uses a 0% expected dividend yield as the Company has not paid dividends to date and does not anticipate declaring dividends in the near future. 

The following is a summary of the option activity:

As of December 31, 2015 and March 31, 2015, the total intrinsic value of options outstanding and exercisable was $16,000. As of December 31, 2015, the Company has $94,660 in unrecognized stock based compensation expense attributable to the outstanding options which will be amortized over a period of 3.39 years. 

For the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company recorded $7,040 and $0, respectively, in stock-based compensation related to stock options which is reflected in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. 

For the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and the period May 12, 2014 (Inception) through December 31, 2014, the Company recorded $17,064 and $0, respectively, in stock-based compensation related to stock options which is reflected in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. 

Issuance of restricted shares – employees and consultants

Restricted stock awards are considered outstanding at the time of execution by the Company and the recipient of a restricted stock agreement, as the stock award holders are entitled to dividend and voting rights. At the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2016, the number of shares granted for which the restrictions have not lapsed was 463,841 shares.

Restricted shares are valued using the share price on the date of most recent equity raise or the value of the services performed, whichever is more readily determinable. The grant date fair value of the award is recorded as share–based compensation expense over the respective vesting period. Any unvested portion of the grant awarded to consultants is accrued on the Balance Sheet as a component of accounts payable and accrued expenses. As of December 31, 2015 and March 31, 2015, the accrued stock based compensation was $89,598 and $5,857, respectively. The Company has the right to repurchase some or all of such shares upon termination of the individual’s service with the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary, for 60 months from the date of termination (“repurchase option”). The unvested shares are subject to forfeiture upon termination of consulting and employment agreements.

During the nine months ended December 31, 2015, the Company amended the original restricted stock vesting and repurchase option for certain award recipients. According to the amendment, 75% of the shares that have not vested as of September 30, 2015, shall be released from the repurchase option on the third anniversary of the original effective date of the agreement. The remaining 25% of the shares shall be released from the repurchase option on the fourth anniversary of the original effective date.

On June 16, 2014, 307,876 restricted shares were granted and issued to certain consultants with a grant date fair value of $273,050. The restricted shares vest according to the amended vesting schedule - 75% three years from the date of original issue and the remaining shares vesting at the fourth year anniversary. As of December 31, 2015, 96,211 shares have vested and were released from the repurchase option. The Company has recorded $15,332 and $1,250 in stock–based compensation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. The Company has recorded $92,685 and $2,690 in stock–based compensation expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and the period from May 12, 2014 (inception) through December 31, 2014, respectively, for the shares that have vested which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had $180,365 and $270,360, respectively, in unrecognized stock based compensation expense related to the unvested shares.  

On July 21, 2014, 32,408 restricted shares were granted and issued to a certain employee with a fair value of $2,090. The restricted shares vest according to the amended vesting schedule - 75% three years from the date of original issue and the remaining shares vesting at the fourth year anniversary. As of December 31, 2015, 9,452 shares have vested and were released from the repurchase option. The Company has recorded $113 and $132 in stock–based compensation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. The Company has recorded $373 and $234 in stock–based compensation expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and the period from May 12, 2014 (inception) through December 31, 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had $1,717 and $1,856, respectively, in unrecognized stock based compensation expense related to the unvested shares.  

During August 2014, 81,020 restricted shares were granted and issued to certain consultants with a fair value of $120,563 at December 31, 2015. The restricted shares vest according to the amended vesting schedule - 75% three years from the date of original issue and the remaining shares vesting at the fourth year anniversary. As of December 31, 2015, 21,943 shares have vested and were released from the repurchase option. The Company has recorded $4,964 and $330 in stock–based compensation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. The Company has recorded $36,258 and $484 in stock–based compensation expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and the period from May 12, 2014 (inception) through December 31, 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had $84,305 and $120,079, respectively, in unrecognized stock based compensation expense related to the unvested shares.  

During September 2014, 129,633 restricted shares were granted and issued to certain consultants with a fair value of $54,570 at December 31, 2015. The restricted shares vest according to the amended vesting schedule - 75% three years from the date of original issue and the remaining shares vesting at the fourth year anniversary. As of December 31, 2015, 32,408 shares have vested and were released from the repurchase option. The Company has recorded $3,157 and $527 in stock–based compensation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. The Company has recorded $15,501 and $617 in stock–based compensation expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and the period from May 12, 2014 (inception) through December 31, 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had $39,069 and $53,953, respectively, in unrecognized stock based compensation expense related to the unvested shares.  

During March 2015, 72,918 restricted shares were granted and issued to a certain consultants with a fair value of $109,184 at December 31, 2015. The restricted shares vest according to the amended vesting schedule - 75% three years from the date of original issue and the remaining shares vesting at the fourth year anniversary. The Company has recorded $6,651 and $0 in stock–based compensation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. The Company has recorded $16,663 and $0 in stock–based compensation expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and the period from May 12, 2014 (inception) through December 31, 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had $92,521 and $0, respectively, in unrecognized stock based compensation expense related to the unvested shares.

On June 15, 2015, the Board of Directors authorized the grant of 293,000 restricted shares to three employees with a grant date fair value of $439,500 at October 5, 2015, the date the agreements were executed by the employees and the Company. The restricted shares will vest over a four year period - 50% two years from the date of issue and 25% vesting on the third and fourth annual anniversaries. The Company has recorded $41,564 and $0 in stock–based compensation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. The Company has recorded $41,564 and $0 in stock–based compensation expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and the period from May 12, 2014 (inception) through December 31, 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had $398,034 and $0, respectively, in unrecognized stock based compensation expense related to the unvested shares.

During November 2015, 36,200 restricted shares were granted to two employees with a grant date fair value of $54,300. The restricted shares will vest over a four year period - 50% two years from the date of issue and 25% vesting on the third and fourth annual anniversaries. These shares were not issued at December 31, 2015. The Company has recorded $2,634 and $0 in stock–based compensation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and the period from May 12, 2014 (inception) through December 31, 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had $51,666 and $0, respectively, in unrecognized stock based compensation expense related to the unvested shares.

During December 2015, 70,000 restricted shares were granted to one employee with a grant date fair value of $105,000. The restricted shares will vest over a four year period - 50% two years from the date of issue and 25% vesting on the third and fourth annual anniversaries. These shares were not issued at December 31, 2015. The Company has recorded $4,213 and $0 in stock–based compensation expense for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, for which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. The Company has recorded $4,213 and $0 in stock–based compensation expense for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 and the period from May 12, 2014 (inception) through December 31, 2014, respectively, which is a component of general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company had $100,787 and $0, respectively, in unrecognized stock based compensation expense related to the unvested shares.  

On July 23, 2015, the Board of Directors authorized an additional grant of 40,000 restricted shares to a certain employee.  These shares were not issued at December 31, 2015. The restricted stock agreement was executed by the employee on January 6, 2016. The restricted shares will vest over a four year period - 50% two years from the date of issue and 25% vesting on the third and fourth annual anniversaries.