IWSY ImageWare Systems Incorporated (CE)

ImageWare Systems, Inc.

 

Subscription Form

  

Subscriber’s name (the “ Subscriber ”):	_____________________________________________________
Subscriber’s address	_____________________________________________________
	_____________________________________________________
Subscriber’s social security or federal tax identification number:	_____________________________________________________
Brokerage firm (for delivering shares):	_____________________________________________________
Account number at brokerage firm:	_____________________________________________________
DTC participant number:	_____________________________________________________
Number of shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Shares ”) subscribed for:	______________________________________________________
Amount Owed for Shares:	____________________________________ ($_____ per share)

Contact information, if we have any questions:	__________________________________	(Phone)
	_________________________________	(Email)

 

Signature:		______________________________
		By:___________________________
		Date:__________________________

Risk Factors

 

Our business is subject to substantial risk. Please carefully consider the section titled “ Risk Factors ” on page 5 of this prospectus for a discussion of the factors you should carefully consider before deciding to purchase securities that may be offered by this prospectus.

 

Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. You should be able to bear a complete loss of your investment.

 

Corporate Information

 

We were incorporated in the state of Delaware in 2005, and previously incorporated in California in 1987 as a California corporation. Our principal place of business is located at 10815 Rancho Bernardo Road, Suite 310, San Diego, California 92127. Our telephone number is (858) 673-8600. We maintain a corporate website at  http://www.iwsinc.com . The information contained on our website is not, and should not be interpreted to be, a part of this prospectus.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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RI S K FA CTORS

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to purchase any of our securities, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described under “ Risk Factors ” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, any subsequent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our other filings with the SEC, all of which are incorporated by reference herein. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected and we may not be able to achieve our goals, the value of our securities could decline and you could lose some or all of your investment. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of these risks occur, the trading price of our securities could decline materially and you could lose all or part of your investment .

 

 

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTES REGA R DING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements contained in this prospectus other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

 

The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements about:

 

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the availability of capital to satisfy our working capital requirements;

 

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the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenues and capital requirements;

 

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anticipated trends and challenges in our business and the markets in which we operate;

 

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our ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced products to meet those needs;

 

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our expectations regarding market acceptance of our products;

 

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the success of competing products by others that are or become available in the market in which we sell our products;

 

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our ability to protect our confidential information and intellectual property rights;

 

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our ability to manage expansion into international markets;

 

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our ability to maintain or broaden our business relationships and develop new relationships with strategic alliances, suppliers, customers, distributors or otherwise;

 

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developments in the U.S. and foreign countries; and

 

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other risks and uncertainties, including those  described under Item 1A, “ Risk Factors ,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, which risk factors are incorporated herein by reference .

 

These forward-looking statements are only predictions and we may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, so you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and operating results. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this prospectus, as well as certain information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, that could cause actual future results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make.

 

You should read this prospectus with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

 

 

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USE O F  PROCEEDS

 

Unless we state otherwise in an accompanying prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by us under this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement for general corporate purposes including, but not limited to, capital expenditures, repayment of indebtedness, and additions to working capital. We cannot currently allocate specific percentages of the net proceeds that we may use for the purposes specified above. When a particular series of securities is offered, the prospectus supplement relating to that series will set forth our intended use for the net proceeds we receive from the sale of those securities. Pending the application of the net proceeds, we intend to invest the net proceeds in short- and intermediate-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.

 

 

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SECUR I TIES THAT MAY BE OFFERED

 

General

 

Our certificate of incorporation, as amended (our “ Charter ”), authorizes the issuance of up to 175,000,000 shares of our common stock, $0.01 par value per share, and 4,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share.

 

As of June 27, 2018 we had 95,180,459   shares of common stock issued and outstanding. Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock are available for issuance without action by our stockholders. All shares of common stock now outstanding are fully paid and non-assessable. In addition, our Board of Directors has designated two series of preferred stock, Series A Convertible Preferred (“ Series A Preferred ”) and Series B Convertible Redeemable Stock (“ Series B Preferred ”). As of June 27, 2018, there were 31,021 designated shares of Series A Preferred, 30,571 of which are issued and outstanding, and 750,000 shares designated as Series B Preferred, of which 239,400 shares are issued and outstanding.

 

We may elect or be required to amend our Charter to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance prior to completing sales of shares of our common stock, or securities convertible and/or exchangeable into shares of our common stock described in this prospectus.

Transfer Agent

 

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts 02021.

 

Common Stock

 

This section describes the general terms of our common stock that we may offer from time to time. For more detailed information, a holder of our common stock should refer to our Charter and our bylaws, copies of which are filed with the SEC as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

 

Except as otherwise expressly provided in our Charter, or as required by applicable law, all shares of our common stock have the same rights and privileges and rank equally, share ratably and are identical in all respects as to all matters, including, without limitation, those described below. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable.

 

The holders of our common stock have equal ratable rights to dividends from funds legally available, when, as and if declared by our Board of Directors. To date, we have not paid any dividends on our common stock. Holders of common stock are also entitled to share ratably in all of our assets available for distribution to holders of common stock upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs. The holders of our common stock have no preemptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock.

 

Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. The holders of shares of common stock do not have cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of such outstanding shares, voting for the election of directors, can elect all of the directors to be elected, if they so choose and in such event, the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any of our directors. The holders of 50% percent of the outstanding common stock constitute a quorum at any meeting of shareholders, and the vote by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares are required to effect certain fundamental corporate changes, such as liquidation, merger or amendment of our Charter.

  

Preferred Stock

 

This section describes the general terms and provisions of our outstanding shares of preferred stock, as well as preferred stock that we may offer from time to time. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms of the shares of preferred stock offered through that prospectus supplement, which may differ from the terms we describe below. We will file a copy of the certificate of designation that contains the terms of each new series of preferred stock with the SEC each time we issue a new series of preferred stock, and these certificates of designation will be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Each certificate of designation will establish the number of shares included in a designated series and fix the designation, powers, privileges, preferences and rights of the shares of each series as well as any applicable qualifications, limitations or restrictions. A holder of our preferred stock should refer to the applicable certificate of designation, our Charter and the applicable prospectus supplement (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) for more specific information.

 

 

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Our Board of Directors has the authority, without action by our stockholders to designate and issue preferred stock in one or more series and to designate the rights, preferences and privileges of each series, which may be greater than the rights of our common stock. It is not possible to state the actual effect of the issuance of any shares of our preferred stock upon the rights of holders of our common stock until our Board of Directors determines the specific rights of the holders of our preferred stock. However, the effects might include, among other things:

 

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restricting dividends on our common stock;

 

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diluting the voting power of our common stock;

 

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impairing the liquidation rights of our common stock; or

 

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delaying or preventing a change in control of our Company without further action by our stockholders.

 

Series A Preferred

 

On September 15, 2017, our Board designated 31,021 shares of our authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock as Series A Preferred. S hares of Series A Preferred accrue dividends at a rate of 8% per annum if paid in cash, and 10% per annum if paid by the issuance of shares of our common stock. Each share of Series A Preferred has a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share and is convertible, at the option of the holder, into that number of shares of the Company’s common stock equal to the Liquidation Preference, divided by $1.15. Each holder of the Series A Preferred is entitled to vote on all matters, together with the holders of our common stock, on an as converted basis.

 

The holders of Series A Preferred may elect to convert shares of Series A Preferred into shares of our common stock (“ Conversion Shares ”) at any time. In the event the volume-weighted average price (“ VWAP ”) of the our common stock is at least $2.15 per share for at least 20 consecutive trading days, we may elect to convert one-half of the shares of Series A Preferred issued and outstanding, on a pro-rata basis, into Conversion Shares, or, if the VWAP of our Common Stock is at least $2.15 for 80 consecutive trading days, we may convert all issued and outstanding shares of Series A Preferred into Conversion Shares. In addition, in the event of a Change of Control, we will have the option to redeem all issued and outstanding shares of Series A Preferred for 115% of the Liquidation Preference per share.

 

The Company had 30,571 shares of Series A Preferred outstanding as of June 27, 2018 and cumulative undeclared dividends of approximately $720,000. 

 

Series B Preferred

 

In April 1995, our Charter was amended to designate 750,000 shares of Series B Preferred stock for issuance. Every 5.275 shares of Series B Preferred is convertible into one share of our common stock.

 

The holders of Series B Preferred are entitled to cumulative preferred dividends payable at the rate of $0.2125 per share, per annum, subject to legally available funds. Shares of Series B Preferred and accrued but unpaid dividends are convertible at the option of the holder into shares of common stock at a conversion price equal to the original Series B Preferred issue price, as adjusted to prevent dilution.

 

The holders of Series B Preferred, on an as-converted basis, have the same voting rights per share as common stock; provided, however, that the holders of Series B Preferred have a special right to elect one director if the Company defaults in the payment of any dividend to the holders of Series B Preferred. The holders of Series B Preferred are entitled to initial distributions of $2.50 per share of Series B Preferred outstanding, upon liquidation and in preference to common shares and any other series of preferred stock plus all accrued but unpaid dividends.

 

The Company presently has the right to redeem all or some of the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred at a price equal to the original issue price, plus all accrued but unpaid dividends.

 

The Company had 239,400 shares of Series B Preferred outstanding as of June 27, 2018, and cumulative undeclared dividends of approximately $8,000.

 

 

 

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Warrants

 

The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplements or free writing prospectus, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus. Warrants may be offered independently or together with common stock or preferred stock offered by any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, and may be attached to or separate from those securities. While the terms we have summarized below will generally apply to any future warrants we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any warrants that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. The terms of any warrants we offer under a prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may differ from the terms we describe below.

 

In the event that we issue warrants, we will issue the warrants under a warrant agreement, which we will enter into with a warrant agent to be selected by us. Forms of these warrant agreements and forms of the warrant certificates representing the warrants, and the complete warrant agreements and forms of warrant certificates containing the terms of the warrants being offered, will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC. We use the term “warrant agreement” to refer to any of these warrant agreements. We use the term “warrant agent” to refer to the warrant agent under any of these warrant agreements. The warrant agent will act solely as an agent of ours in connection with the warrants and will not act as an agent for the holders or beneficial owners of the warrants.

 

The following summaries of material provisions of the warrants and the warrant agreements are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the warrant agreement applicable to a particular series of warrants. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements or free writing prospectus related to the warrants that we sell under this prospectus, as well as the complete warrant agreements that contain the terms of the warrants.

 

General

 

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus the terms relating to a series of warrants. If warrants for the purchase of common stock or preferred stock are offered, the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus will describe the following terms, to the extent applicable:

 

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the offering price and the aggregate number of warrants offered;

 

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the total number of shares that can be purchased if a holder of the warrants exercises them and, in the case of warrants for preferred stock, the designation, total number and terms of the series of preferred stock that can be purchased upon exercise;

 

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the designation and terms of any series of preferred stock with which the warrants are being offered and the number of warrants being offered with each share of common stock or preferred stock;

 

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the date on and after which the holder of the warrants can transfer them separately from the related common stock;

 

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the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock that can be purchased if a holder exercises the warrant and the price at which such common stock or preferred stock may be purchased upon exercise, including, if applicable, any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price and in the securities or other property receivable upon exercise;

 

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the terms of any rights to redeem or call, or accelerate the expiration of, the warrants;

 

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the date on which the right to exercise the warrants begins and the date on which that right expires;

 

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federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising the warrants; and

 

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any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the warrants.

 

 

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Exercise of Warrants

 

Each holder of a warrant is entitled to purchase the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, at the exercise price described in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. After the close of business on the day when the right to exercise terminates (or a later date if we extend the time for exercise), unexercised warrants will become void.

 

A holder of warrants may exercise them by following the general procedure outlined below:

 

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delivering to the warrant agent the payment required by the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus to purchase the underlying security;

 

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properly completing and signing the reverse side of the warrant certificate representing the warrants; and

 

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delivering the warrant certificate representing the warrants to the warrant agent within five business days of the warrant agent receiving payment of the exercise price.

    

If you comply with the procedures described above, your warrants will be considered to have been exercised when the warrant agent receives payment of the exercise price, subject to the transfer books for the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrant not being closed on such date. After you have completed those procedures and subject to the foregoing, we will, as soon as practicable, issue and deliver to you the common stock or preferred stock that you purchased upon exercise. If you exercise fewer than all of the warrants represented by a warrant certificate, a new warrant certificate will be issued to you for the unexercised amount of warrants. Holders of warrants will be required to pay any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with transferring the underlying securities in connection with the exercise of the warrants.

 

Amendments and Supplements to the Warrant Agreements

 

We may amend or supplement a warrant agreement without the consent of the holders of the applicable warrants to cure ambiguities in the warrant agreement, to cure or correct a defective provision in the warrant agreement, or to provide for other matters under the warrant agreement that we and the warrant agent deem necessary or desirable, so long as, in each case, such amendments or supplements do not materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of the warrants.

 

Warrant Adjustments

 

Unless the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus states otherwise, the exercise price of, and the number of securities covered by, a common stock warrant or a preferred stock warrant will be adjusted proportionately if we subdivide or combine our common stock or preferred stock, as applicable. In addition, unless the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus states otherwise, if we, without receiving payment:

 

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issue capital stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock or preferred stock, or any rights to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire any of the foregoing, as a dividend or distribution to holders of our common stock or preferred stock;

 

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pay any cash to holders of our common stock or preferred stock other than a cash dividend paid out of our current or retained earnings or other than in accordance with the terms of the preferred stock;

 

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issue any evidence of our indebtedness or rights to subscribe for or purchase our indebtedness to holders of our common stock or preferred stock; or

 

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issue common stock or preferred stock or additional stock or other securities or property to holders of our common stock or preferred stock by way of spinoff, split-up, reclassification, combination of shares or similar corporate rearrangement,

 

then the holders of common stock warrants and preferred stock warrants, as applicable, will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the warrants, in addition to the securities otherwise receivable upon exercise of the warrants and without paying any additional consideration, the amount of stock and other securities and property such holders would have been entitled to receive had they held the common stock or preferred stock, as applicable, issuable under the warrants on the dates on which holders of those securities received or became entitled to receive such additional stock and other securities and property.

 

 

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Except as stated above or as otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the exercise price and number of securities covered by a common stock warrant and preferred stock warrant, and the amounts of other securities or property to be received, if any, upon exercise of such warrants, will not be adjusted or provided for if we issue those securities or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for those securities, or securities carrying the right to purchase those securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable for those securities.

 

Holders of common stock warrants and preferred stock warrants may have additional rights under the following circumstances:

 

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certain reclassifications, capital reorganizations or changes of the common stock or preferred stock, as applicable;

 

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certain share exchanges, mergers, or similar transactions involving us and which result in changes of the common stock or preferred stock, as applicable; or

 

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certain sales or dispositions to another entity of all or substantially all of our property and assets.

 

If one of the above transactions occurs and holders of our common stock or preferred stock are entitled to receive stock, securities or other property with respect to or in exchange for their securities, the holders of the common stock warrants and preferred stock warrants then outstanding, as applicable, will be entitled to receive upon exercise of their warrants the kind and amount of shares of stock and other securities or property that they would have received upon the applicable transaction if they had exercised their warrants immediately before the transaction.

 

Units

 

This section outlines some of the provisions of the units and the unit agreements. This information may not be complete in all respects and is qualified entirely by reference to the unit agreement with respect to the units of any particular series. The specific terms of any series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. If so described in a particular prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the specific terms of any series of units may differ from the general description of terms presented below.

 

As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue units consisting of one or more shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, warrants or any combination of such securities.

 

The applicable prospectus supplement will specify the following terms of any units in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered:

 

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the terms of the units and of any of the shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, or warrants comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances the securities comprising the units may be traded separately;

 

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a description of the terms of any unit agreement governing the units;

 

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if appropriate, a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations; and

 

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a description of the provisions for the payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units.

 

 

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CERT AIN PROVISIONS OF DELAWARE LAW AND

OUR CHARTER AND BYLAWS

 

Certain provisions of Delaware law, our Charter and bylaws discussed below may have the effect of making more difficult or discouraging a tender offer, proxy contest or other takeover attempt. These provisions are expected to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of our company to first negotiate with our Board of Directors. We believe that the benefits of increasing our ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure our company outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

 

Delaware Anti-Takeover Law.  

 

We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Section 203 generally prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless:

 

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prior to the date of the transaction, the Board of Directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

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upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding specified shares; or

 

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at or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by the Board of Directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

Section 203 defines a “business combination” to include:

 

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any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder;

 

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any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation to or with the interested stockholder;

 

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subject to exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder;

 

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subject to exceptions, any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; or

 

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the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation.

 

In general, Section 203 defines an “interested stockholder” as any person that is:

 

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the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation;

 

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an affiliate or associate of the corporation who was the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation at any time within three years immediately prior to the relevant date; or

 

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the affiliates and associates of the above.

 

Under specific circumstances, Section 203 makes it more difficult for an “interested stockholder” to effect various business combinations with a corporation for a three-year period, although the stockholders may, by adopting an amendment to the corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, elect not to be governed by this section, effective 12 months after adoption.

 

Our Charter and bylaws do not exclude us from the restrictions of Section 203. We anticipate that the provisions of Section 203 might encourage companies interested in acquiring us to negotiate in advance with our Board of Directors since the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if a majority of the directors then in office approve either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder.

 

 

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Charter and Bylaws.

 

Provisions of our Charter and bylaws may delay or discourage transactions involving an actual or potential change of control or change in our management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares, or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. Therefore, these provisions could adversely affect the price of our common stock. Among other things, our Charter and bylaws:

 

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permit our Board of Directors to issue up to 4,000,000 shares of preferred stock, with any rights, preferences and privileges as they may designate (including the right to approve an acquisition or other change of control);

 

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provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by the vote of a majority of the Company’s shareholders at a properly convened annual meeting, or by the written consent of a majority of the Company’s shareholders, or by the Board of Directors;

 

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provide that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law, be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;

 

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provide that stockholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at a meeting of stockholders must provide advance notice in writing, and also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice; and

 

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do not provide for cumulative voting rights (therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose).

 

 

 

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PLAN O F DISTRIBUTION

 

We may sell the securities described in this prospectus to or through underwriters or dealers, through agents, or directly to one or more purchasers. A prospectus supplement or supplements (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including, to the extent applicable:

 

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the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents, if applicable;

 

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the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds we will receive from the sale;

 

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any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us;

 

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any agency fees or underwriting discounts and other items constituting agents’ or underwriters’ compensation;

 

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any public offering price;

 

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any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers; and

 

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any securities exchange or market on which the securities offered in the prospectus supplement may be listed.

 

Only those underwriters identified in such prospectus supplement are deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities offered by the prospectus supplement.

  

If underwriters are used in the sale, they will acquire the securities for their own account and may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to the conditions set forth in the applicable underwriting agreement. We may offer the securities to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or by underwriters without a syndicate. Subject to certain conditions, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may change from time to time. We may use underwriters with whom we have a material relationship. We will describe in the prospectus supplement that names the underwriter, the nature of any such relationship.

 

We may sell securities directly or through agents we designate from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of securities, and we will describe any commissions we will pay the agent in the prospectus supplement. Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, our agent will act on a best-efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

 

We may authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by certain types of institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in the prospectus supplement.

 

We may provide agents and underwriters with indemnification against civil liabilities related to this offering, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or contribution with respect to payments that the agents or underwriters may make with respect to these liabilities. Agents and underwriters may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.

  

Any underwriters or agents that are qualified market makers on the OTCQB Marketplace may engage in passive market making transactions in the securities on the OTCQB Marketplace in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act, during the business day prior to the pricing of the offering, before the commencement of offers or sales of the securities. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for such security; if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded. Passive market making may stabilize the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.

 

In compliance with guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“ FINRA ”), the maximum consideration or discount to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker dealer may not exceed 8% of the aggregate amount of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement. 

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

 

 

LEG A L MATTERS

 

Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for us by Disclosure Law Group, a Professional Corporation, of San Diego, California.

 

EX P ERTS

 

Our consolidated financial statements appearing in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, have been audited by Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.  of San Diego, California , an independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FI N D MORE  INFORMATION

 

We are a public company and file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC . You may read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. You can request copies of these documents by writing to the SEC and paying a fee for the copying cost. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for more information about the operation of the public reference room. Our SEC filings are also available, at no charge, to the public at the SEC’s web site at  http://www.sec.gov .

 

INCORPORATION OF  CERT A IN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

 

The following documents filed by us with the SEC are incorporated by reference in this prospectus:

 

●	Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, filed on March 19, 2018;
●	Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 filed on May 10, 2018;
●	Current Report on Form 8-K, filed February 13, 2018; and
●	The description of our common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act on March 21, 2000, including any amendment or report filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating this description.

 

We also incorporate by reference all documents we file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act (other than any portions of filings that are furnished rather than filed pursuant to Items 2.02 and 7.01 of a Current Report on Form 8-K) after the date of the initial registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to effectiveness of such registration statement. All documents we file in the future pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering are also incorporated by reference and are an important part of this prospectus.

 

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for the purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration statement.

 

We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in the prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus. You may request a copy of these filings, excluding the exhibits to such filings which we have not specifically incorporated by reference in such filings, at no cost, by writing to or calling us at:

 

ImageWare Systems, Inc.

Attn: Corporate Secretary

10815 Rancho Bernardo Road, Suite 310

San Diego, California 92127

(858) 673-8600

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. You should only rely on the information or representations contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide information other than that provided in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. We are not making an offer of the securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of the document.

 

 

 

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5,954,545 Shares of Common Stock

 

 

 

 

 

   

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Prospectus Supplement

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Needham & Company

 

 

 

 

 

April 29, 2019