We previously entered into a sales agreement (as amended on February 13, 2024 by Amendment No.1 and as further amended on July 12, 2024 by Amendment No. 2 to the sales agreement) with B. Riley Securities, Inc. (the “Agent”), under which we may offer and sell up to $24.9 million of our common shares from time to time to or through the Agent acting as agent or principal. Sales of our common shares, if any, under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus will be made by any method that is deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act, including ordinary brokers’ transactions through the facilities of Nasdaq at market prices or in block transactions or as otherwise agreed between us and the Agent.
Each time we wish to issue and sell common shares under the sales agreement, we will notify the Agent of the number of common shares proposed to be issued, the time period in which such sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of common shares to be sold in any one day, any minimum price below which sales may not be made and other sales parameters as we deem appropriate. Once we have so instructed the Agent, unless the Agent declines to accept the terms of such notice, the Agent has agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such shares up to the amount specified on such terms. The obligations of the Agent under the sales agreement to sell our common shares are subject to a number of conditions that we must meet. We may instruct the Agent not to sell any common shares if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us in any instruction. We or the Agent may suspend any offering of common shares at any time and from time to time by notifying the other party. We and the Agent each have the right, by giving five days’ prior written notice as specified in the sales agreement, to terminate the sales agreement in each party’s sole discretion at any time.
Settlement for sales of common shares will occur on the second trading day following the date on which any sales were made, or on some other date that is agreed upon by us and the Agent in connection with a particular transaction, in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.
We will pay the Agent a commission equal to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds we receive from each sale of our common shares. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. In addition, pursuant to the sales agreement, we have agreed to reimburse the Agent for the fees and disbursements of its counsel, payable upon execution of the sales agreement, in an amount not to exceed $75,000, and an additional $5,000 per calendar quarter in which a sales notice is delivered to the Agent, so long as the sales agreement remains effective. Further, pursuant to Amendment No. 2 to the sales agreement, we have agreed to reimburse the Agent for legal fees and expenses incurred in an amount not to exceed $15,000 in connection with any such transactions contemplated therein. We estimate that the total expenses for the offering, excluding any commissions or expense reimbursement payable to the Agent under the terms of the sales agreement, will be approximately $250,000. The remaining sale proceeds, after deducting any other transaction fees, will equal our net proceeds from the sale of such shares.
In addition, the sales agreement provides that we will not (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or would reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any of our securities to facilitate the sale or resale of common shares, or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase common shares in violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the common shares under the sales agreement other than the Agent.
In connection with the sale of the common shares on our behalf, the Agent will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation of the Agent will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to the Agent against certain liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act.
Pursuant to the sales agreement, we may sell common shares to the Agent as principal for its own account under terms agreed by the Agent and us. To the extent required by applicable laws, we will disclose the terms of any sales by the Agent as principal in a separate filing with the SEC.
This summary of the material provisions of the sales agreement does not purport to be a complete statement of its terms and conditions. A copy of the sales agreement has been filed as Exhibit 1.1 to our Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on December 15, 2023 under the Exchange Act, and is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement.
The Agent and certain of its affiliates are full service financial institutions and have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our