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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF1934
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF1934
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number: 001-34992
SemiLEDs Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
20-2735523
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
3F, No.11 Ke Jung Rd., Chu-Nan Site,
Hsinchu Science Park, Chu-Nan 350,
Miao-Li County, Taiwan, R.O.C.
(Address of principal executive offices)
350
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number including area code: +886-37-586788
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Trading Symbol(s)
Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.0000056
LEDS
The Nasdaq Stock Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section13 or Section15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 during the preceding 12months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90days. Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to
Rule405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to
submit such files).Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company,
or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging
growth company” in Rule12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its
internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm
that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included
in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation
received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of February 29, 2024 (the last business day of the registrant’s
most recently completed second fiscal quarter), based upon the closing price of the common stock reported by the NASDAQ Capital Market on such
date, was approximately $5.4 million. Shares of common stock held by each executive officer and director of the registrant and by each person who
owns 10% or more of the registrant’s outstanding common stock have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This
determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.
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Number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s Common Stock, par value $0.0000056 per share, as of November 20, 2024: 7,211,738
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SemiLEDs Corporation
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Page
No.
PART I
Item 1.
Business
4
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
11
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
24
Item 1C.
Cybersecurity
24
Item 2.
Properties
25
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
25
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
25
PART II
Item 5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
26
Item 6.
[Reserved]
26
Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
27
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
41
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
41
Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
70
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures
70
Item 9B.
Other Information
70
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
70
PART III
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
71
Item 11.
Executive Compensation
76
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
82
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
83
Item 14.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
87
PART IV
Item 15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
88
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary
91
Signatures
92
Smaller Reporting Company— Scaled Disclosure
Pursuant to Item 10(f) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as indicated herein, we have
elected to comply with the scaled disclosure requirements applicable to “smaller reporting companies.”
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4
PART I.
Forward-looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Form 10-K, including
statements regarding the future results of operations of SemiLEDs Corporation, or “we,” “our” or the “Company,” and financial position,
strategy and plans, and our expectations for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Any statements contained herein that are not
statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “should,” “plan,” “potential,”
“project,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “design,” “intend,” “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. 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 financial condition, results of operations, strategy, short-term and long-term business
operations and objectives, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and
assumptions, including those described in Item 1A, Risk Factors. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking
events and circumstances discussed in this Form 10-K may not occur, and actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially
and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of many factors.
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future
results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. We have not assumed any obligation to, and you should not expect us to, update or
revise these statements because of new information, future events or otherwise.
Item 1. Business
Company Overview
We develop, manufacture and sell light emitting diode (LED) chips and LED components, LED modules and systems. Our products
are used for general lighting and specialty industrial applications, including ultraviolet, or UV, curing of polymers, LED light therapy in
medical/cosmetic applications, counterfeit detection, germicidal and viricidal devices LED lighting for horticulture applications, architectural
lighting and entertainment lighting.
Utilizing our patented and proprietary technology, our manufacturing process begins by growing upon the surface of a sapphire wafer,
or substrate, several very thin separate semiconductive crystalline layers of gallium nitride, or GaN, a process known as epitaxial growth, on
top of which a mirror-like reflective silver layer is then deposited. After the subsequent addition of a copper alloy layer and finally the removal
of the sapphire substrate, we further process this multiple-layered material to create individual vertical LED chips.
We package our LED chips into LED components, which we sell to distributors and a customer base that is heavily concentrated in a
few select markets, including Taiwan, the United States, the Netherlands and Japan. We also sell our “Enhanced Vertical,” or EV, LED
product series in blue, white, green and UV in selected markets. We sell our LED chips to packagers or to distributors, who in turn sell to
packagers. Our lighting products customers are primarily original design manufacturers, or ODMs, of lighting products and the end-users of
lighting devices. We also contract other manufacturers to produce for our sale certain LED products, and for certain aspects of our product
fabrication, assembly and packaging processes, based on our design and technology requirements and under our quality control specifications
and final inspection process.
We have developed advanced capabilities and proprietary know-how in:
•
reusing sapphire substrate in subsequent production runs;
•
optimizing our epitaxial growth processes to create layers that efficiently convert electrical current into light;
•
employing a copper alloy base manufacturing technology to improve our chip’s thermal and electrical performance;
•
utilizing nanoscale surface engineering to improve usable light extraction;
•
manufacturing extremely small footprint LEDs with optimized yield, ideal for Mini LED applications;
•
developing a LED structure that generally consists of multiple epitaxial layers which are vertically-stacked on top of a copper
alloy base;
•
developing low cost Chip Scaled Packaging (CSP) technology;
•
developing multi-pixel Mini LED packages for commercial displays; and
•
developing small format AI sensors having a light source and photodetector in cooperation with our Japanese partners for various
applications such as dot projectors and photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensors.
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These technical capabilities enable us to produce LED chips, LED component, LED modules and System products. We believe these
capabilities and know-how should also allow us to reduce our manufacturing costs and our dependence on sapphire, a costly raw material
used in the production of sapphire-based LED devices.
We were incorporated in the State of Delaware on January 4, 2005. We are a holding company for two principal owned subsidiaries.
SemiLEDs Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., or Taiwan SemiLEDs, is our wholly owned operating subsidiary, where a substantial portion of our
assets are held and located, and where a portion of our research, development, manufacturing and sales activities take place. Taiwan
SemiLEDs owns a 97.37% equity interest in Taiwan Bandaoti Zhaoming Co., Ltd., formerly known as Silicon Base Development, Inc., which
is engaged in the research, development, manufacture and a substantial portion of marketing and sale of LED products, including lighting
fixtures and systems, and is where most of our employees are based.
Our Technology
Our proprietary technology integrates copper alloy in a vertical LED structure. We first grow epitaxial layers on a sapphire wafer. The
epitaxial layers are multiple doped GaN layers. At this point in the process, our structure has the following order: (i)sapphire; (ii)n-doped
GaN (N-GaN); (iii)multi-quantum well layers (MQWs); and (iv)p-doped GaN (P-GaN). Next, we deposit and define (by patterning and
etching) multiple metal layers on the P-GaN layer. These metal layers consist of several different mirror layers and copper alloy layers, which
are deposited on top of the mirror layers by electroplating. The copper alloy metal layers, which are collectively called the P-Contact Metal
Layer, create low resistance contact with the P-GaN layer.
We then remove the sapphire wafer from the N-GaN layer through laser radiation, and the sapphire wafer is removed from the
production line and recycled. The remaining device structure—consisting of the P-Contact Metal Layer on top of the epitaxial layers— is
then ready for further processing. To complete our LED device structure, we then deposit and define additional metal layers on top of the
N-GaN layers to achieve low resistance contact with the N-GaN layers. These additional metal layers are collectively called the N-Contact
Metal Layer. After this process, our final LED chip structure is: (i)copper alloy metal layer; (ii)P-GaN; (iii)MQWs; (iv)N-GaN; and (v)
N-contact Metal layer. Our final LED chip structure is diced into individual LED chips and then separated, tested and binned according to
customer specifications, such as wavelength (color) and brightness. When a constant electrical current flows from our P-Contact Metal Layer
to our N-contact Metal layer, light is generated in the MQWs and emitted through the surface of the N-GaN.
We believe that most conventional GaN LEDs grown on sapphire wafers are based on a lateral design. However, we believe a superior
combination of both light output efficiency and heat removal is realized in a vertical LED chip design with a copper alloy metal structure.
Among pure metals at room temperature, copper has the second highest electrical and thermal conductivity, after silver. Heat is generated by
passing electrical current through resistive materials. In our vertical LED chips, electrical current flows from the low resistance copper alloy
base to the epitaxial layers also with low electrical resistance, thereby resulting in lower heat generation. Furthermore, due to the high thermal
conductivity of the copper alloy layer, the heat generated in our device is effectively conducted to the packaging materials, where it can be
dissipated through a heat sink. The resulting lower operating temperature helps to maintain LED device performance and reliability.
Once light is generated in the MQWs of our LED chips, the light is emitted out of the N-GaN surface. Our chip uses a high reflectivity
metal between the copper alloy layer and the P-GaN surface that acts as a mirror to reflect light more effectively out of the internal structure
of the device. In contrast, in conventional sapphire-based LED devices, leakage can occur when light escapes through the sides of the substrate
or is converted to heat due to the higher internal resistance of the device. Furthermore, by optimizing the internal structure and surface of our
epitaxial layers through our proprietary nanosurface engineering, a greater portion of light is extracted after generation within the device,
whereas conventional sapphire-based LED devices have a semi-transparent contact layer (STCL) which absorbs and reduces the amount of
light that can be emitted vertically from the chip. We are also developing various packaging technologies, such as component cost reducing
Advanced Packaging Technology called CSP, Multi-Channel Emitters (MCE) and Chip-On-Board (COB).
Discussed in further detail below, our newly developed wafer level package technology allows us to interconnect photonic devices
together with a photodetector and/or device driver Integrated Circuit (IC) without using an interposer in one thin-format package.
Our Products
LED Chips
We produce and purchase a wide variety of blue, white, green and UV LED chips, including our EV LED product series, currently
ranging from chip sizes of 380 microns, or µm, by 380µm to 1520µm by 1520µm. We sell our LED chips to packaging customers or to
distributors, who in turn sell to packagers. Our LED chips are used primarily for applications in the specialty lighting market, including
commercial, and industrial sectors. Our LED chips may be used in specialty industrial applications, such as UV curing of polymers, LED
light therapy in medical/cosmetic applications, counterfeit detection, LED lighting for horticulture applications, and architectural lighting.
Currently, we focus mostly on UV LED applications.
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LED Components
We currently package a portion of our LED chips into LED components for sale to distributors and end-customers in selected markets.
The majority of our LED components use chips that are greater than 860μm by 860μm, focusing on high wattage (>3W) applications. Our
packaged products can be categorized into three different groups: UV, Multi-Channel Emitter (MCE), automotive and Specialty lighting.
Besides the standard products, we provide customization service for all market segments. Our UV LED product portfolio ranges from two to
260 electrical watts, and are designed for industrial applications such as printing, coating, curing, and medical/cosmetic uses. The MCE
packages target entertainment, architectural, aquarium and horticultural lighting sectors. Variations of four, seven, 12, 16 channel LEDs allow
users to control each LEDs separately to produce all colors in the visible light spectrum. We use specialized chip bonding technology to
ensure minimal chip-to-chip distance in order to deliver optimized color mixing capability in compact packages. Specialty lighting is mainly
in the infrared spectrum with options of 30, 60, 90 and 120 degree view angles. These are used in surveillance, IP cameras and night vision
applications.
To differentiate ourselves from other LED package manufacturers, we are putting more resources towards module and system design.
Along with our technical know-how in the chip and package sectors, we are able to further integrate electrical, thermal and mechanical
manufacturing resources to provide customers with one-stop system services. Services include design, prototyping, OEM and ODM. Key
markets that we target at the system end include different types of UV LED industrial printers, aquarium lighting, medical applications, niche
imaging light engines, horticultural lighting, high standard commercial lighting and multi-pixel Mini-LED package (16 RGB pixels in one
package) for fine pitch Mini-LED display market, and disinfection markets.
Our packaging process includes chip bonding, wire bonding, phosphor coating, encapsulation, scribing, dicing and testing. We may,
from time to time, establish packaging operations in selected markets for sale to distributors and end-customers in such markets. We also
contract with other manufacturers to produce for our LED components based on our design and technology requirements and under our
quality control specifications and final inspection process.
Lighting Products
We design, assemble and sell lighting fixtures and systems for general lighting applications, including commercial, residential and
industrial lighting. Our lighting products consist primarily of LED luminaries and LED retrofits. Our lighting product customers are primarily
ODMs of lighting products and the end-users of lighting devices. Revenues from sales of our lighting products represented 4% and 5% of our
revenues for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
OEM/ODM Services
We provide design and manufacturing services at the modular and system level. Currently, most of the design projects involve high
power UV LED lamps to be incorporated/retrofitted into large scale press equipment. Besides hardware, we also provide software
development to lamp control and equipment-to-lamp signal communication. With our design capability and high precision packaging
capabilities, Taiwan Bandaoti Zhaoming Co., Ltd., formerly known as Silicon Base Development, Inc., assisted in the design and
manufacturing of transceiver modules to be used for ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) applications.
Sensor Development with Japanese Partner
We are working with a Japanese company developing new sensors for smartphones, smartwatches, and Augmented Reality/ Virtual
Reality glasses, utilizing our newly-developed wafer level package technology. This technology allows us to interconnect photonic devices
together with photodetectors and/or device drivers IC without using an interposer in one package having thin format. These new sensors, such
as dot projectors using Meta lens and photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensors, are intended for smartwatches, smartphones and smart glasses.
We also developing flood illuminator for 3D sensing.
Manufacturing
Our manufacturing operations are located in Taiwan. Since late 2011, we have suffered from the underutilization of our manufacturing
capacity, primarily for our LED chips. Consequently, a portion of our manufacturing equipment was idled, resulting in significant excess
capacity charges. We also use contract manufacturers to produce certain LED products, and for certain aspects of our product fabrication,
assembly and packaging processes, based on our design and technology requirements and under our quality control specifications and final
inspection process. We have moved toward a fabless business model in which we utilize foundry fabs to ODM our chips using our developed
technology and continue to explore opportunities to sell our chip manufacturing equipment, which will help us to reduce the idle capacity
costs. As part of our cost reduction efforts, we moved and consolidated our LED packaging facility to our headquarters in Chunan, Taiwan
in February 2018. Over the long term, we expect to invest substantially in LED component products development and production equipment
while managing our costs and expenses.
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Raw Materials and Components
We use the following raw materials in our LED chip manufacturing: metal organics, sapphire, copper alloy, gold slugs, sodium gold
sulfite, aluminum granules and electrolytic nickel, among others. We use the following assembly materials in the production of our LED
component products: gold bond wire, lead frame, ceramic substrate, phosphor, silicon zener-diode, silicone rubber, eutectic (AuSn) bonding
material and silver paste, among others. We also purchase industrial and general chemicals and gases for the manufacture of both our LED
chips and LED components. We do not manufacture our lighting products from the raw materials, but we assemble our lighting products from
individual components, such as LED emitters, electronic components, printed circuit boards, heat-sink, lenses and other metal and plastic
components.
We purchase raw materials and components from a wide range of suppliers around the world. The raw materials and components we
use are readily available. We have two or more suppliers for a majority of the raw materials we use. Historically, we have never experienced
any significant delay or shortage in the supply of our raw materials and components.
Quality Management
We have implemented quality control measures at each stage of our operations, including obtaining supplier qualifications, inspecting
incoming raw materials and random testing during our production process, to ensure consistent product yield and reliability. We test all new
processes and new products prior to commercial production. We also inspect all final products prior to deliver to our customers to ensure that
production standards are met. If we encounter defects, we conduct an analysis in an effort to identify the cause of the defect and take
appropriate corrective and preventative measures. We provide standard product warranties on our products, which generally range from three
months to two years. Our manufacturing facility is certified in compliance with ISO 9001:2015. The facility is subject to periodic inspection
by relevant governmental authorities for safety, environmental and other regulatory compliance.
We require all of our employees involved in the manufacturing and engineering process to receive quality control training, according
to a certification system depending on the level of skills and knowledge required. The training program is designed to ensure consistent and
effective application of our quality control procedures.
Sales and Marketing
We market and sell our products through both our direct sales force and distributors. We primarily sell our LED components to
distributors and end-customers in selected markets. Our packaging customers package our LED chips and sell the packaged product to
distributors or end-customers. Our distributors resell our LED chips either to packagers or to end-customers. We sell our LED chips to
packagers and distributors. Our lighting product customers consist primarily of ODMs of lighting products and the end-users of lighting
devices with the sales made by our direct sales force. For modules and systems, we mainly deal with end-customers directly.
Our direct sales force is primarily based in Taiwan. We assign our sales personnel to different geographic regions so that they can keep
abreast of trends in specific markets. We plan to continue expanding our sales coverage in Asia as we grow our business. In addition, we may
enter into strategic relationships with companies in Taiwan or other countries that we believe may provide strategic value to us.
We focus our marketing efforts on brand awareness, product advantages and qualified lead generation. We rely on a variety of marketing
strategies, including participation in industry conferences and trade shows, to share our technical message with customers, as well as public
relations, industry research and online advertising.
Customers
We package our LED chips into LED components, which we sell to distributors and end-customers in selected markets. In addition, we
sell a portion of our LED chips products to packaging customers and LED chip distributors.
We have historically derived a significant portion of our revenues from a limited number of customers. For the years ended August 31,
2024 and 2023, our top ten customers collectively accounted for approximately 91% of our revenues. Some of our largest customers and what
we produce, or have produced, for them have changed from quarter to quarter primarily as a result of the timing of discrete, large project-
based purchases and broadening customer base, among other things. For the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, sales to our three largest
customers, in the aggregate, accounted for 61% and 53% of our revenues, respectively. For the year ended August 31, 2024, sales to Shin-
Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. and INDEL Distribution B.V. accounted for 31% and 18% of our total revenues, respectively. For the year ended
August 31, 2023, sales to INDEL Distribution B.V. and Revlon, Inc. accounted for 20% and 17% of our total revenues, respectively.
Our revenues are concentrated in a few select markets. We expect that our revenues will continue to be substantially derived from these
countries for the foreseeable future. Given that we are operating in a rapidly changing industry, our sales in specific markets may fluctuate
from quarter to quarter. Therefore, our financial results will be impacted by general economic and political conditions in these markets.
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Intellectual Property
Our ability to compete successfully depends upon our ability to protect our proprietary technologies and other confidential information.
We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on a combination of confidentiality and license agreements with our employees, licensees and third
parties with whom we have relationships, and trademark, copyright, patent and trade secret protection laws, to protect our intellectual property,
including our proprietary technologies and trade secrets.
As of August 31, 2024, we had 96 patents issued and 15 patents pending with the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering
various aspects of our core technologies. As of August 31, 2024, we also had 96 patents issued and 14 patents pending before patent and
trademark offices outside the United States. Of these 192 issued patents, 124 expire between 2025 and 2029, 47 expire between 2030 and
2034, 18 expire between 2035 and 2041, and three expire after 2041. Thirty-four of our issued patents are design patents and one of our
pending patents is a design patent. We believe that factors such as the technological and innovative abilities of our personnel, the success of
our ongoing product development efforts and our efforts to maintain trade secret protection are more important than patents in maintaining
our competitive position. We pursue the registration of certain of our trademarks in the United States, Taiwan and China and have been
granted trademarks with respect to “SemiLEDs” in the United States, and “MvpLED” in China.
Our industry is characterized by frequent intellectual property litigation involving patents, trade secrets, copyrights, mask designs,
among others. From time to time, third parties may allege that our products infringe on their intellectual property rights. Defending against
any intellectual property infringement claims would likely result in costly litigation and ultimately may lead to our not being able to
manufacture, use or sell products found to be infringing. Furthermore, other third parties may also assert infringement claims against our
customers with respect to our products, or our customers’ products that incorporate our technologies or products. Any such legal action or
the threat of legal action against us, or our customers, could impair such customers’ continued demand for our products. This could prevent
us from growing or even maintaining our revenues, or cause us to incur additional costs and expenses, and adversely affect our financial
condition and results of operations. See “Risk Factors— Risks Related to Our Business— Intellectual property claims against us or our
customers could subject us to significant costs and materially damage our business and reputation.”
Research and Development
We focus our research and development efforts on our design methodology and process technology for our LED products. We also
focus on improving our production yields and increasing wafer sizes to lower our production costs. Our research and development team work
closely with our manufacturing team. We conduct our research and development activities at our manufacturing facilities in Taiwan. Our
future research and development strategy will primarily focus on developing new products in collaboration with our ODM partners utilizing
our vertical technology and our expertise in the manufacturing of LED components. We expect to be continually engineering new products
and systems, as well as enhancements to existing products, to meet the needs of our customers. By leveraging the fabless business model, we
expect to be able to minimize our own research and development costs associated with chip products, increase the scale of our business
without increasing overhead and diversify our business risk among many sales channels. In addition, we are partnering with a Japanese
manufacturer developing new sensors such as dot projectors and photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensors.
Competition
We believe that our advanced technology helps us to compete in the innovative, intensely competitive and rapidly changing market of
LED design and manufacturing. To succeed, however, we must continue to manufacture products that meet the demanding requirements of
high performance at low costs. We do not account for a significant percentage of the total market volume today, and we face significant
competition from other more established providers of similar products as well as from new entrants into our markets.
We compete with many LED chip manufacturers and LED packaging manufacturers, many of which compete directly with us and are
much larger than us. These potential competitors have extensive experience in developing semiconductor chips, which is similar to the
manufacturing process for LED chips and LED packaging. We are also aware of a number of well-funded private companies that are
developing competing products. We also compete with numerous smaller companies entering the market, some of whom may receive
significant government incentives and subsidies pursuant to government programs designed to encourage the use of LED lighting and to
establish LED-sector companies.
Some of our existing and potential competitors possess significant advantages, including longer operating histories, greater financial,
technical, managerial, marketing, distribution and other resources, more long-standing and established relationships with our existing and
potential customers, greater name recognition, larger customer bases and greater government incentives and support.
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We believe that the key competitive factors in our markets are:
•
consistently producing high-quality LED chips with high efficacy;
•
providing a low total cost of ownership (i.e., cost, efficacy and lifespan) for end-customers;
•
producing UVA LED for niche markets where customers value quality and performance more than cost;
•
providing unique and high performance UV LED systems to replace mercury lamp;
•
providing high precision packaging solutions to automotive industries to enable high accuracy demands for LiDAR applications;
•
providing a unique wafer level package technology; and
•
our sales channels.
Competition in the markets for LED products is intense, and we expect that competition will continue to increase, thereby creating a
highly aggressive pricing environment. Some of our competitors have in the past reduced their average selling prices, and the resulting
competitive pricing pressures have caused us to similarly reduce our prices, accelerating the decline in the gross margin of our products.
When prices decline, we must also write down the value of our inventory.
Government Regulation
In our research and development and manufacturing processes, we use a variety of hazardous materials and industrial chemicals. In
each of the jurisdictions in which we operate, we are subject to a variety of laws and regulations governing the exposure to and storage,
handling, emission, discharge and disposal of these materials or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment. Environmental laws
and regulations are complex and subject to constant change, with a tendency to become more stringent over time. Failure to comply with any
new or existing laws, whether intentional or inadvertent, could subject us to fines, penalties and other material liabilities to the government
or third parties, injunctions requiring the suspension of operations, redemption costs or other remedies, and the need for additional capital,
equipment or other process requirements, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation.
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Human Capital Resources
Talent is the catalyst for our success. We are fortunate to have talented and outstanding employees. To retain talented people who share
our goals and interests, we work hard to cultivate a dynamic and enjoyable work environment full of opportunities to learn new skills.
To that end, we aim to foster open communication between employees and management to create a sense of community and a shared
purpose. We stress teamwork, and we believe that high-performing teams are crucial to our success. We encourage our employees to
brainstorm, develop and refine new ideas to help us innovate and achieve our goals.
We award each employee according to their contributions. These awards consist of performance-based awards, including cash and
equity such as stock options and restricted share units. We believe these equity awards create a sense of ownership for the employee and
furthers employee commitment to the company’s long-term vision, while simultaneously helping to retain talented employees.
As of August 31, 2024, we had approximately 116 employees. All of our employees are based in Taiwan. None of our employees are
represented by a labor union. We consider relations with our employees to be good.
Financial Information about Geographic Areas
We derive a substantial portion of our revenue from product sales to international customers. For information concerning geographic
areas of our customers and geographic information concerning our long-lived assets, see Note 11, “Product and Geographic Information,” of
the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Annual Report. International
operations expose us to risks that are different from operating in the United States, including foreign currency translation and transaction risk,
risk of changes in tax laws, application of import/export laws and regulations and other risks described further in Item 1A, Risk Factors, of
this Annual Report.
Available Information
At our investor relations website, https://www.semileds.com/investors, we make available free of charge our Annual Report on Form
10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with or furnished to
the SEC. The information found on our website is not part of this or any other report we file with or furnish to the SEC. In addition, the SEC
maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding us, and
other issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The information on our website (or any webpages referenced in this Annual Report on
Form 10-K) is not part of this or any other report we file with, or furnish to, the SEC, and all website addresses in this report are intended to
be inactive textual references only.
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
A wide range of factors could materially affect our business, operating results and financial condition. The following factors and other
information included in this Annual Report should be carefully considered. Although the risk factors described below are the ones
management deems significant, additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we presently deem less significant may
also impair our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, operating results, and financial condition could
be adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose part or all of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business
We have incurred net losses in recent periods and may require additional financing. If financing is not available, we may be required to
further downsize or discontinue operations.
We incurred net losses attributable to SemiLEDs stockholders of $2.0 and $2.7 million for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023,
respectively. We can give no assurance that we will not continue to incur net losses in future periods. Our revenue and operating results may
continue to decline for a variety of reasons, some of which are described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section and are beyond our control.
As of August 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $189 million. And our cash and cash equivalents decreased to $1.7 million at August
31, 2024, these facts and conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, and our independent registered
public accounting firm has included an explanatory paragraph regarding going concern qualification in its audit report. However, our
management believes it has a liquidity plan, as further described in elsewhere in this annual report that if executed successfully should provide
sufficient liquidity to meet our obligations as they become due for a reasonable period of time. While we believe that these liquidity plan
measures will be adequate to satisfy our liquidity requirements for the twelve months ending August 31, 2025, there is no assurance that the
liquidity plan will be successfully implemented. Failure to successfully implement the liquidity plan may have a material adverse effect on
our business, results of operations and financial position, and may adversely affect our ability to continue as a going concern. If we do not
become consistently profitable, our accumulated deficit will grow larger and our cash balances will decline further, and we will require
additional financing to continue operations. Any such financing may not be accessible on acceptable terms, if at all. If we cannot generate
sufficient cash or obtain additional financing, we may be required to downsize our business further or discontinue our operations altogether.
We depend on contract manufacturing for portions of our supply chain. The inability of our contract manufacturers to produce products
that satisfy our requirements may have a material adverse effect on our business.
From time to time, we may use contract manufacturers to produce products or some parts of our products. Our reliance on such contract
manufacturers exposes us to a number of significant risks, including:
•
reduced control over delivery schedules, quality assurance, manufacturing yields and production costs;
•
lack of guaranteed production capacity or product supply; and
•
the possible breach of the manufacturing agreement by the contract manufacturers because of factors beyond our control.
If these contract manufacturers fail to deliver products on time and at a satisfactory level of quality, we could have difficulties fulfilling
our customer orders and our net revenues could decline. If our contract manufacturers were to become unable or unwilling to continue to
manufacture our products at requested quality, quantity, yields and costs, or in a timely manner, our business and reputation could be seriously
harmed. As a result, we would have to attempt to identify and qualify substitute manufacturers, which could be time consuming and difficult,
and might result in unforeseen manufacturing and operations problems. In such events, our customer relationships, business, financial
condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.
Our success depends on the successful development, introduction, commercialization and acceptance of new products and enhancements
to existing product lines.
Rapid change and technical innovation characterize the LED chips and components market. Our success depends on the successful
development, introduction, commercialization and acceptance of new products and enhancements to existing product lines. We have made
and continue to make significant investments in growth initiatives. For example, we moved down the supply chain, supplying customers with
full UV LED lamp systems. We expect to continue our efforts at further research and development of innovative products. We may need to
spend more time and money than we expect to develop and introduce new products or enhancements and, even if we succeed, these new
products or enhancements may not be sufficiently profitable for us to recover all or a meaningful part of our investment. In addition, our new
products or enhancements may need certifications or require qualifications by our customers or potential customers. However, both of the
certification and qualification processes are lengthy and uncertain and may negatively impact our sales and marketing efforts to sell or
transition our customers to such new products or enhancements. Furthermore, once introduced, new products may adversely impact sales of
our older generation products, or make them less desirable or even obsolete, and could adversely impact our revenues and operating results.
Our ability to successfully develop and introduce new products and product enhancements, and the revenues and costs associated with
these efforts, are affected by our ability to (i) properly identify customer needs, (ii) prove the feasibility of new products, (iii) price our
products competitively and profitably, (iv) accurately predict and control costs and yields associated with manufacturing the products, (v)
manufacture and deliver new products timely and in sufficient volume, (vi) assist the customers in qualifying or adopting the new products
in a timely manner and (vii) anticipate and compete successfully with competitors. Even if we are successful, if a customer requires certain
certifications for or new qualification process of our new products, the time when that customer will actually purchase our products and we
will be able to receive revenue from that customer will be significantly delayed.
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We derive a significant portion of our revenues from a limited number of customers, including distributor customers, and generally do
not enter into long-term customer contracts. The loss of, or a significant reduction in purchases by, one or more of these customers, or
the failure by one of these customers to pay, could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
We have historically derived a significant portion of our revenues from a limited number of customers, including distributor customers.
For the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, our top ten customers collectively accounted for approximately 91% of our revenues. Some
of our largest customers and what we produce/have produced for them change from quarter to quarter, primarily as a result of the timing of
discrete, large project-based purchases and broadening customer base, among other things. For the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023,
sales to our three largest customers, in the aggregate, accounted for approximately 61% and 53% of our revenues, respectively.
The sales cycle from initial contact to confirmed orders with our customers is typically long and unpredictable. We typically enter into
individual purchase orders with large customers, which can be altered, reduced or cancelled with little or no notice to us. We do not generally
enter into long-term commitment contracts with our customers. As such, these customers may alter their purchasing behavior and reduce or
cancel orders with little or no notice to us. Consequently, any one of the following events may cause material fluctuations or declines in our
revenues:
•
reduction, delay or cancellation of orders from one or more of our major customers;
•
loss of one or more of our major customers and our failure to identify additional or replacement customers; and
•
failure of any of our major customers to make timely payment for our products.
We may not be able to effectively develop, maintain and expand our sales and distribution channels, which could negatively affect our
ability to expand our sales and business and damage our brand reputation.
As part of our strategy, we market and sell our products through third-party distributors in certain markets. We rely on these distributors
to service end-customers, and our failure to maintain strong working relationships with such distributors could have a material adverse impact
on our operating results and revenues from such jurisdictions and damage our brand reputation. If we are unable to effectively develop and
expand our distribution channels, or do so in a timely manner, to ensure our products are reaching the appropriate customer base, our sales
and results of operations may be adversely impacted. In addition, if we successfully develop these channels, we cannot guarantee that
customers will accept our products or that we will be able to manufacture and deliver products in the timeline established by our customers.
We have attempted to direct our efforts to areas of business where we see the best opportunity for the most profitable sales of our LED
products, which includes primarily a focus on the UV LED market segment and placing a greater emphasis on the sale of LED components
in selected markets where pricing pressure is significant, and pursuing new market opportunities that leverage our core competencies. We are
now focused on developing as an end-to-end LED module solution supplier by providing our customers with high quality, flexible and more
complete LED system solution, customer technical support and LED module/system design, as opposed to just providing customers with
individual components. Continual introductions of new products and solutions, services, and enhancement of existing products and services,
and effective servicing of customers are key to our competitive strategy. We also work to develop relationships with a select number of our
customers to develop relationships which would continue to enhance our component product growth and profitability to complement our
strategic focus. Our primary business objective is to provide our customers with a convenient, full-service, one-stop shopping solution for
their needs by offering customized design services and high-quality products at good value. These strategies may negatively impact our
revenues as we may not be able to develop and expand our customer base and distribution channels in a timely manner, among other reasons.
We do not control the activities of our distributors with respect to the marketing and sales of and customer service support for our
products. Therefore, the reputation and performance of our distributors and the ability and willingness of our distributors to sell our products,
uphold our brand reputation for quality, by providing, for example, high quality service and pre- and post-sales support, and their ability to
expand their businesses and their sales channels are essential to the future growth of our business and has a direct and material impact on our
sales and profitability in such jurisdictions. Also, as with our individual customers, we do not have long-term purchase commitments from
our distributor customers, and they can therefore generally cancel, modify or reduce orders with little or no advance notice to us. As a result,
any reductions or delays in, or cancellations of, orders from any of our distributors may have a negative impact on our sales and budgeting
process.
In addition, we have entered and may from time to time enter into exclusivity or other restrictions or arrangements of a similar nature
as part of our agreements with our distributors. Such restrictions or arrangements may significantly hinder our ability to sell additional
products, or enter into agreements with new or existing customers or distributors that plan to sell our products, in certain markets, which may
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Moreover, we may not be able to compete successfully against those of our competitors who have greater financial resources and are
able to provide better incentives to distributors, which may result in reduced sales of our products or the loss of our distributors. The loss of
any key distributor may force us to seek replacement distributors, and any resulting delay may be disruptive and costly.
We operate in highly competitive markets that are characterized by rapid technological changes and declining average selling prices.
Competitive pressures from existing and new companies and/or damage to our brand may harm our business and operating results.
Competition in the markets for LED products is intense, and we expect that competition will continue to increase. Increased competition
could result in increased pricing pressure, reduced profit margins, increased sales and marketing expenses, and failure to increase, or the loss
of, market share, any of which would likely seriously harm our business, operating results and financial condition. Competitors may reduce
average selling prices faster than our ability to reduce costs, and competitive pricing pressures may accelerate the rate of decline of our
average selling prices. To address increased pricing pressure, we have improved and increased our production yields to reduce the per-unit
cost of production for our products. However, such cost savings currently have a limited impact on our gross profit, as we have suffered from
the underutilization of manufacturing capacity and must absorb a high level of fixed costs, such as depreciation.
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We compete with many LED chip manufacturers and LED packaging manufacturers. We have a number of competitors that compete
directly with us and are much larger than us. These potential competitors have extensive experience in developing semiconductor chips,
which is similar to the manufacturing process for LED chips and LED packaging. We are also aware of a number of well-funded private
companies that are developing competing products. We will also compete with numerous smaller companies entering the market, some of
whom may receive significant government incentives and subsidies pursuant to government programs designed to encourage the use of
LED lighting and to establish LED-sector companies.
Our existing and potential competitors may have a number of significant advantages over us, including greater financial, technical,
managerial, marketing, distribution and other resources, more long-standing and established relationships with our existing and potential
customers, greater name recognition, larger customer bases and greater government incentives and support. In addition, some of our
competitors have been in operation much longer than we have and therefore may have more long-standing and established relationships with
our current and potential customers.
We compete primarily on the basis of our products’ performance, price, quality, and reliability and on our ability to customize products
to meet customer needs. However, our competitors may be able to develop more competitive products, respond more quickly to new or
emerging technologies, offer comparable products at more competitive prices or bring new products to the market earlier. Any failure to
respond to increased competition in a timely or cost-effective manner could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition,
results of operations and prospects. Furthermore, intellectual property claims against us, including pending claims and litigation, regardless
of the outcome, could be used by our competitors to damage our brand reputation and our relationships with existing and potential customers.
We derive our revenues mainly from the sales of our LED components. Our inability to grow our revenues generated from the sales of
LED components would have a negative impact on our financial condition and results of operation.
LED components are the core products from which we derive our revenues. Revenues attributable to the sales of our LED components
represented approximately 51% and 56% of our revenues for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We expect to continue
to generate our revenues mainly from the sales of LED components for the foreseeable future. As such, the continued market acceptance of
our LED components is critical to our continued success. Our inability to grow our revenues generated from the sales of LED components
would have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The market for LEDs has historically been, and we expect will continue to be, highly volatile, which could harm our business and result
in significant fluctuations in the market price of our common stock.
Fluctuations in supply and demand for LEDs pose serious risks to our prospects, business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our industry, akin to the semiconductor industry, is highly cyclical and characterized by rapid technological change, rapid product
obsolescence, declining average selling prices and wide fluctuations in supply and demand. Our industry’s cyclicality results from a complex
set of factors, including, but not limited to:
•
fluctuations in demand for end-products that incorporate LED chips and LED components;
•
ongoing reductions in the number of LED chips and LED components required per application due to performance improvements;
and
•
fluctuations in the unutilized manufacturing capacity available to produce LED chips and LED components.
If market demand increases and we are not able to increase our capacity or if we experience delays or unforeseen costs in increasing
our capacity levels, we may not be able to achieve our financial targets. Alternatively, as market demand decreases or as market supply
surpasses demand, we may not be able to reduce manufacturing expenses or overhead costs proportionately. If an increase in supply outpaces
the increase in market demand, or if demand decreases, the resulting oversupply could adversely impact our sales and result in the
underutilization of manufacturing capacity, high inventory levels, changes in revenue mix and rapid price erosion, which would lower our
margins and adversely impact our financial results. For example, over the past few years, we recorded significant excess capacity charges as
we suffered from underutilization of our manufacturing capacity as a result of a decrease in customer demand, and significant write-downs
of inventories as a result of a decline in their average selling prices. We may experience similar problems in the future, and we cannot predict
when they may occur or the severity of such difficulties and the impact on our margins and operating results.
Our ongoing cost and capital expenditure reduction efforts may not be effective, might have unintended consequences, and could
negatively impact our business.
We have implemented certain actions to accelerate operating cost reductions and improve operational efficiencies in response to
changes in the economic environment, our industry and demand. In connection with the implementation of our cost and capital expenditure
reduction programs, we developed a strategic plan to address areas of business where we see the best opportunity for the most profitable sales
of our LED products, which includes primarily a focus on the UV LED market segment and placing a greater emphasis on the sale of LED
components in selected markets where pricing pressure is less significant, and pursuing new market opportunities that leverage our core
competencies. We continue to monitor prices and, consistent with our existing contractual commitments, may decrease our activity level and
capital expenditures further. This plan reflects our strategy of controlling capital costs and maintaining financial flexibility. We also disposed
of a certain level of our idle equipment to reduce the excess capacity charges that we have suffered for many years. In addition, to provide
sufficient liquidity to meet our obligations as they become due for a reasonable period of time, we reduced our capital expenditures as
appropriate. The cost reduction plan is further enhanced through the fabless business model in which we implemented certain workforce
reductions and have sold certain patents that we were no longer actively developing and are exploring the opportunities to consign or sell
certain equipment related to the manufacturing of vertical LED chips, in order to reduce the idle capacity charges, minimize our research and
development activities associated with chips manufacturing operation.
Despite our planning, some cost-cutting and capital expenditure reduction measures could have unexpected negative consequences. As
part of our ongoing cost reduction efforts, we may reduce our work force further and experience additional attrition, which may expose us to
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legal claims against us and loss of necessary human resources. If we face costly employee or contract termination claims, our operations and
prospects could be harmed. Furthermore, capital expenditure reduction could adversely impact our future sales. While our cost and capital
expenditure reduction efforts reduced, or are expected to reduce, our operating costs as well as capital expenditure, we cannot be certain that
all efforts will be successful or that we will not be required to implement additional actions to structure our business to operate in a cost-
effective manner in the future.
If we are unable to implement our product innovation strategy effectively, our business and financial results could be materially and
adversely affected.
As part of our growth strategy, we plan to continue to be innovative in product design, to deliver new products and improve our
manufacturing efficiencies. In particular, as the LED industry develops and technical specifications and market standards change, we must
continue to innovate and develop competitive products that are accepted by the marketplace. Our existing or potential customers could
develop, or acquire companies that develop, products or technologies that may render our products or technologies obsolete or
noncompetitive. Our future success depends on our ability to develop and introduce new, technologically advanced and lower cost products,
such as high quality, flexible and more complete LED system solution. If we are unable to achieve technological breakthroughs, introduce
new products that are commercially viable and meet rapidly evolving customer requirements, and keep pace with evolving technological
standards and market development, we may experience reduced market share and our ability to compete may be adversely impacted. If we
are unable to execute our product innovation strategy effectively, we may not be able to take advantage of market opportunities as they arise,
execute our business plan or respond to competition.
If UV LEDs fail to achieve widespread adoption in the UV lighting market, or if alternative technologies gain market acceptance, our
prospects will be materially and adversely impacted and we may be unable to achieve and maintain our profitability.
SemiLEDs had moved away from general lighting markets due to extreme price erosion led by companies in China. We have moved
on to focus on industrial UV applications. If UVLED does not achieve widespread acceptance and adoption, or if demand for UVLED
products does not grow as we anticipate, our revenues may decline and our prospects for growth and profitability will be limited. Moreover,
if existing sources of light other than LED devices, such as mercury lamp, remain popular, or if new sources of light are developed, our
current products and technologies could become less competitive or obsolete.
Potential customers for UVLED systems may not adopt UVLED as an alternative to mercury lamp technology because of UVLEDs’
higher upfront cost. In addition, manufacturers of mercury lamp systems may have substantial investments and know-how related to their
existing technologies, and may perceive risks relating to the complexity, reliability, quality, usefulness and cost-effectiveness of UVLED
products. Even if UVLED continues to achieve performance improvements and cost reductions, limited customer awareness of the benefits
of UVLEDs, lack of widely accepted standards governing UVLED systems, and customer unwillingness to adopt UVLEDs in favor of
entrenched solutions could significantly limit the demand for UVLED products. Additional factors that may limit the adoption of UVLEDs
for mercury lamps include, among others:
•
a significant reduction in or discontinuation of government regulations and economic incentives to promote the development of
the UVLED industry or government regulations that discourage the use of mercury;
•
changes in economic and market conditions that affect the use of mercury, for example declining environmental awareness of the
damage caused by mercury; and
•
capital expenditures for new and replacement systems by end-users of UVLED products, which may decline during economic
downturns.
Our gross margins could fluctuate as a result of changes in our product mix, decreases in the average selling prices of our products,
underutilization of our manufacturing capacity, and other factors, which may adversely impact our operating results.
Our gross margins have fluctuated and may continue to fluctuate from period to period as a result of the mix of products that we sell
and the utilization of our manufacturing capacity in any given period, among other things. For example, as a strategic plan, we placed greater
emphasis on the sales of LED components rather than the sales of LED chips where we have been forced to cut prices on older inventory. In
2023, sales and gross margin both decreased due to a decline in other revenues rather than LED components compared to 2022. In 2024, sales
decreased but gross margin increased due to higher other revenues rather than LED chips, LED components and lighting products sales
compared to 2023. We intend to continue to pursue opportunities for profitable growth in areas of business where we see the best opportunity
for our UV market, focusing on product enhancement and developing our UV LED into many other applications or devices. As we expand
and diversify our product offerings and with varying average selling prices, or execute new business initiatives, a change in the mix of products
that we sell in any given period may increase volatility in our revenues and gross margin from period to period.
Increased competition and the adoption of alternatives to our products, more complex engineering requirements, lower demand, over-
capacity in the market and other factors has led to price erosion and, as a result, lower product margins and lower revenues. For example,
some of our competitors have in the past reduced their average selling prices, and the resulting competitive pricing pressures have caused us
to similarly reduce our prices, accelerating the decline in the gross margin of our products. We anticipate our competitors will continue to
implement such competitive strategies from time to time in the future. Our introduction of new LED component products, such as the LED
components that incorporate EV or UV LED chips may further reduce the selling prices of our older generation products or render them
obsolete.
We rely on a limited number of key suppliers for certain key raw materials and equipment. The loss of key suppliers may have a material
adverse effect on our business.
There are a limited number of companies which supply certain of the specialized raw materials that are important to the manufacture
of our products as well as a very limited number of manufacturers of equipment that are critical to our operations. We generally enter into
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spot purchase orders with our suppliers and do not have long-term or guaranteed supply arrangements with any of them. For example, we
purchase Red or IR LED chips, the key material used in the manufacture of our LED components, from a limited number of suppliers. A
major shortage of these key raw materials would impair our ability to meet our production needs resulting in increased costs.
We also purchase gases, photo chemicals and other materials from various suppliers on the spot market. Although supply constraints
do not currently have an impact on our ability to procure supply, supply constraints have occurred in the past and may occur again from time
to time in the future. Additionally, we use metals such as copper alloy and other commodities in our manufacturing process. The price
volatility of such materials may make our procurement planning challenging. If the prices of materials increase it may adversely affect our
operating margins. Although these materials are generally available and are not considered to be specialty chemicals, our inability to procure
such materials in volumes and at commercially reasonable prices could result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
If any of our key raw material suppliers fails to meet our needs on time or at all, we may not be able to procure replacement supplies
from other sources on a timely basis or on commercially reasonable terms and our production may be delayed or interrupted, which could
impair our ability to meet our customers’ needs and damage our customer relationships.
We may not be able to effectively expand our production capacity or upgrade our production facilities or do so in a timely or cost-effective
manner, which could prevent us from growing our sales, margins and market share.
While we intend to focus on managing our costs and expenses in the short term, over the long term we expect to be required to invest
substantially if we are to grow. This will mean having to continually expand our production capacity or upgrade our production facilities as
we deem appropriate under future market conditions and future customer demand. Such investment could take time to become fully
operational, and could otherwise increase our costs, and we may not be able to execute quickly to take advantage of market opportunities as
they arise.
Upgrading or expanding existing facilities could result in manufacturing problems that may reduce our yields and utilization rates below
our target levels. For example, we have experienced difficulties in the past in achieving acceptable yields when we moved our manufacturing
facilities to a new location and when we introduced new products or new manufacturing processes, which has adversely affected our operating
results.
Upgrading or expanding production facilities or capacity requires a significant amount of fixed cost since it requires us to add and
purchase manufacturing lines, equipment and additional raw materials and other supplies. If we are not able to recoup these costs through
increased sales and profits, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Sales of our products are concentrated in a few select markets. Adverse developments in these markets could have a material and
disproportionate impact on us.
Our revenues are highly concentrated in a few select markets, including the Netherlands, Taiwan, the United States and Japan. Net
revenues generated from sales to customers in the Netherlands, Taiwan, the United States, and Japan, in the aggregate, accounted for
approximately 91% and 89% of our net revenues for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As a result of the concentration
of our revenues in these markets, economic downturns, changes in governmental policies and increased competition in these markets could
have a material and disproportionate impact on our revenues, operating results, business and prospects. Any unfavorable economic or market
conditions in such jurisdictions could have a negative impact on our sales and profitability.
Variations in our production yields and limitations in the amount of process improvements we can implement could impact our ability to
reduce costs and could cause our margins to decline and our operating results could suffer.
Our products are manufactured using technologies that are highly complex. The number of saleable products, or yield, from our
production processes may fluctuate as a result of many factors, including but not limited to the following:
•
variability in our process repeatability and control;
•
contamination of the manufacturing environment;
•
equipment failure, variations in the manufacturing process, or power outages;
•
lack of consistency and adequate quality and quantity of components and raw materials;
•
losses from broken wafers, inventory damage or human errors;
•
defects in packaging either within our facilities or at our subcontractors; and
•
any transitions or changes in our production process, planned or unplanned.
Introduction of new products and manufacturing processes are often characterized by lower yields in the initial commercialization stage.
LED chip and component manufacturing is complicated and consists of many layers of complex materials that must interact with each other.
In addition, when we introduce new products and processes, we often use new chemical solutions and chemical compounds with which we
have less experience. We must analyze how the various solutions, compounds and layers of materials interact with each other and perform as
parts of the LED chip structure. It takes time for us to analyze the data from our initial manufacturing runs and optimize our processes, and
over time we generally achieve higher yield rates as we gain more experience with the product or processes. We have continuously improved
and increased our production yields to reduce the per-unit cost of production for our new LED components that incorporate EV or UV LED
chips; however, such cost savings currently have limited impact on our gross profit, as we currently suffer from the underutilization of
manufacturing capacity and must absorb a high level of fixed costs, such as depreciation. In the past, we have experienced difficulties in
achieving acceptable yields when introducing new products or new manufacturing processes, which has adversely affected our operating
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results. We may experience similar problems in the future, and we cannot predict when they may occur or the severity of such difficulties and
the impact on our business.
In some instances, we may offer products for future delivery at prices based on planned yield improvements or increased cost
efficiencies from other production advances. Failure to achieve these planned improvements or advances could significantly affect our
margins and operating results.
We may face challenges further expanding our LED components business. In addition, our strategy of marketing our LED components
in jurisdictions with limited intellectual property enforcement regimes may limit the markets where we can sell our LED components and
may subject our intellectual property rights to infringement.
We face challenges in further expanding our LED components business, which has been our core product now and onward, because it
involves processes and technologies that are significantly different from our manufacturing processes for LED chips. For example, we are
developing advanced-level LED component manufacturing techniques, such as processes that allow us to manufacture wafer-level packaging.
If we are not able to further develop our LED components business or if competitors create or adopt more advanced packaging technologies
than ours, then our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Our distribution strategy limits the sales of our LED components as we are selling only in countries that may not necessarily have the
highest demand or market potential. The intellectual property rights related to LED components are particularly complex and characterized
by aggressive enforcement of those rights. To minimize the likelihood that one of our competitors or another third party will assert a claim
related to our LED components, we have sought to market these products only in countries in which we believe enforcement of intellectual
property rights has historically been more limited as identified below and to ensure the new line of LED products are not subject to any
effective injunction in the United States, because we believe that it is important for us to consciously manage our exposure to litigation. Any
such litigation, whether with or without merit, could divert our management, financial and other resources away from our business and thereby
have a negative impact on our continued development and growth. We do not currently sell our LED components in all countries that meet,
what we believe to be, an acceptable litigation risk profile. We review profiles of different countries and may determine from time to time
that we should sell our products in one or more additional countries that meet our litigation risk profile for sale of our LED components.
However, we may not be able to identify additional countries that we find to be suitable markets for these products. We have considered the
potential loss of revenues and income that we may suffer as a result of our strategy to sell only in certain select countries and have concluded
that, on balance, the potential loss of such revenues and income is not outweighed by the potential litigation risks. Also, there can be no
guarantee that, by selling our LED components in these countries, we have not exposed our intellectual property rights, including our patents,
to infringement by others. With respect to any potential infringement of our patents and other intellectual property rights by others in countries
where we currently sell our LED components, we have considered the potential loss of revenues and income that we may suffer associated
with such sales and have made a business judgment that the benefits outweigh any potential loss. In addition, if the countries in which we
currently sell our LED components increase their enforcement of intellectual property rights, the risk of litigation would materially increase
and our ability to continue to sell our LED components in these markets may be materially and adversely affected. Sales of our LED
components and our other products may also be limited in the event that they are subsequently shipped or otherwise resold in a country and
a claim is brought against us or our customer pursuant to the intellectual property laws of the country of final destination.
As we continue to operate in the lighting fixtures market, we may face additional competition and our existing customers may reduce
orders.
As we continue to operate in the lighting fixtures market and seek to increase our sales of lighting products in the future, we may face
competition from fixtures and bulbs manufactured and marketed by other LED lighting fixture companies and from lighting products
incorporating incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, ceramic metal halide or other lighting technology. In addition, many of our existing
customers who purchase our LED chips and LED components develop and manufacture lighting fixtures using those chips and components.
As we continue to operate in that market, our customers may respond by reducing or discontinuing their orders for our products. This could
prevent us from growing or even maintaining our revenues from the sale of LED chips and LED components, which would negatively impact
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As with our LED components, to minimize the likelihood that one of our lighting fixture competitors or another third party will assert
an intellectual property right related to our lighting fixtures, we have sought to market these products only in countries in which we believe
enforcement of intellectual property rights has been more limited. Our sales of lighting products to customers in the United States decreased
significantly in recent years. This distribution strategy may limit our sales to countries that do not have the highest demand or market potential,
and raise similar issues and risks to those raised with respect to our use of this strategy in connection with marketing our LED components.
We are highly dependent on our customers’ ability to produce and sell products incorporating our LED products. If our customers are
not successful, our operating results could be materially and adversely affected.
Our customers incorporate our LED products into their products. As such, demand for our products is dependent on demand for our
customers’ end-products that incorporate our LED products and our customers’ ability to sell these products. The general lighting market has
only recently begun to develop and adopt standards for fixtures that incorporate LED devices. If the end-customers for our products are unable
to manufacture fixtures that meet these standards, our customers’ sales, and consequently our sales, will suffer.
With respect to the sale of our LED components, a substantial portion of which is used in specialty industrial applications, such as UV
curing of polymers, LED light therapy in medical/cosmetic applications, counterfeit detection, LED lighting for horticulture applications, and
architectural lighting. A majority of our sales are to such end-customers in selected markets. Sales by end-customers of our products are
generally dependent on their ability to develop high quality and highly efficient lighting products and require complex designs and processes,
including thermal design, optical design and power conversion. We are making a transition to develop as an end-to-end LED module solution
supplier by providing our customers with high quality, flexible and more complete LED system solution, customer technical support and LED
module/system design, as opposed to just providing customers with individual components. Our customer’s timely and successful product
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development, the success of our customers’ new product introductions and market acceptance could be materially and adversely affected our
operating results.
Any undetected defects in our products may harm our sales and reputation and adversely affect our manufacturing yields.
The manufacture of LED chips and components is highly complex, requiring precise processes in a highly controlled and sterile
environment using specialized equipment. We manufacture our LED products to meet customer requirements with respect to quality,
performance and reliability. Although we utilize quality control procedures at each stage of our manufacturing process, our products may still
contain defects that are undetected until after they are shipped or inspected by our customers, or on operation of the device. For example,
there could be sub-micron defects that would not be detected by our quality control procedures; such sub-micron defects may increase the
current leakage in the device and could negatively affect the product performance over time. Unsatisfactory performance of or defects in our
products may cause us to incur additional expenses, including costs in relation to product warranties, cancellation and rescheduling of orders
and shipments, and product returns or recalls. Failure to detect and rectify defects in our products before delivery could subject us to product
liability claims and harm our credibility and market reputation, which could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.
In addition, we do not currently have fully automated manufacturing processes, which could potentially introduce contaminants to the
production processes through human error. Defects or other difficulties in the manufacturing process can prevent us from achieving maximum
capacity utilization, which is the actual number of wafers that we are able to produce in relation to our capacity, and also can prevent acceptable
yields of quality LED chips from those wafers.
Our operations involve the use of hazardous materials and we must comply with environmental laws, which can result in significant costs,
and may affect our business and operating results.
Our research and development and manufacturing activities involve the use of hazardous materials, including acids, adhesives and other
industrial chemicals. As a result, we are subject to a variety of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations governing the use,
storage, handling, transportation, emission, discharge, exposure to, and disposal of such hazardous materials. Compliance with applicable
environmental laws and regulations in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate can be costly, and there can be no assurance that violations
of these laws will not occur in the future as a result of human error, accident, equipment failure, or other causes. Liability under environmental
and health and safety laws can be joint and several, and without regard to fault or negligence. The failure to comply with past, present, or
future laws could subject us to increased costs and significant fines and penalties, damages, legal liabilities, suspension of production or
operations, alteration of our manufacturing facilities or processes, curtailment of our sales and adverse publicity. Any of these events could
harm our business and financial condition.
Furthermore, environmental protection and workplace safety regulations may become more stringent in the future, and although we
cannot predict the ultimate impact of any such new laws, they may impose greater compliance costs or result in increased risks or penalties,
which could harm our business. Existing and future environmental laws and regulations could also require us to acquire pollution abatement
or remediation equipment, modify our product designs or incur other expenses associated with such laws and regulations. As our industry
continues to evolve, we may be required to evaluate and use new materials in our manufacturing process that may be subject to regulation
under existing or future environmental laws and regulations, and our use of such new materials may be restricted. Any such restriction could
require us to alter our manufacturing processes or increase our expenses. If we fail to comply with current and future environmental laws and
regulations, whether intentional or inadvertent, we may be required to pay fines and other liabilities to the government or third parties, suspend
production or even cease operation.
Risks Relating to Our Holding Company Structure
Our ability to receive dividends and other payments from Taiwan SemiLEDs may be restricted by commercial and legal restrictions, which
may materially and adversely affect our ability to grow, fund investments, make acquisitions, pay dividends and otherwise fund and
conduct our business.
We are a holding company with one material asset, which is our ownership interest in Taiwan SemiLEDs.
Dividends and interest on intercompany loans we receive from our subsidiaries in Taiwan, if any, will be subject to withholding tax
under Taiwan law. The ability of our subsidiaries in Taiwan to pay dividends, repay intercompany loans from us or make other distributions
to us is restricted by, among other things, the availability of funds, the terms of various credit arrangements entered into by our subsidiaries,
as well as statutory and other legal restrictions. In addition, although there are currently no foreign exchange control regulations that restrict
the ability of our subsidiaries located in Taiwan to distribute dividends to us, we cannot assure you that the relevant regulations will not be
changed and that the ability of our subsidiaries to distribute dividends to us will not be restricted in the future. A Taiwan company is generally
not permitted to distribute dividends or to make any other distributions to stockholders for any year in which it did not have either earnings
or retained earnings (excluding reserves). In addition, before distributing a dividend to stockholders following the end of a fiscal year, the
company must recover any past losses, pay all outstanding taxes and set aside 5% of its annual net income (less prior years’ losses and
outstanding taxes) as a legal reserve until the accumulated legal reserve equals its paid-in capital, and may set aside a special reserve.
Our ability to operate our holding company in the U.S. is dependent on Taiwan SemiLEDs’ ability to repay its obligations to SemiLEDs
Corporation.
SemiLEDs Corporation has substantial intercompany receivables from Taiwan SemiLEDs. However, we are dependent on Taiwan
SemiLEDs’ ability to raise money through the sale of a portion of its subsidiary and the restructuring of its chip operation to pay back
SemiLEDs Corporation. On July 5, 2019, Taiwan SemiLEDs entered into two new loan agreements to refinance existing real estate loans of
Taiwan SemiLEDs and provide for operating capital.
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Our ability to make further investments in Taiwan SemiLEDs may be dependent on regulatory approvals in Taiwan.
Taiwan SemiLEDs depends on us to meet its equity financing requirements. Any capital contribution by us to Taiwan SemiLEDs
requires the approval of the relevant Taiwan authorities, such as the Hsinchu Science Park Administration. We may not be able to obtain any
such approval in the future in a timely manner, or at all. We cannot assure you that we will be able to complete these government registrations
or obtain the government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans or capital contributions by us to our subsidiaries or
any of their respective subsidiaries. If we fail to complete these registrations or obtain the approvals, our ability to capitalize Taiwan
SemiLEDs may be negatively affected, which could adversely and materially affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our
business.
The rights of stockholders may be limited as we conduct a substantial portion of our operations in Taiwan and a substantial portion of
our assets and substantially all of our directors and officers reside outside the United States.
Although we are incorporated in Delaware, a substantial portion of our operations are conducted in Taiwan through Taiwan SemiLEDs
and its subsidiaries. As such, a substantial portion of our assets are located in Taiwan. In addition, substantially all of our directors and officers
reside outside the United States, and a substantial portion of the assets of those persons are located outside of the United States. Therefore, it
may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you
believe that your rights have been infringed under applicable securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action,
the laws of Taiwan may render you unable to enforce a United States judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.
For judgments obtained in courts outside of Taiwan to be recognized and enforceable in Taiwan without review of the merits, the
Taiwan court in which the enforcement is sought must be satisfied that: the foreign court rendering such judgment has jurisdiction over the
subject matter in accordance with the Taiwan law; the judgment and the court procedure resulting in the judgment are not contrary to the
public order or good morals of Taiwan; the judgment is a final judgment for which the period for appeal has expired or from which no appeal
can be taken; if the judgment was rendered by default by the foreign court, the defendant was duly served in the jurisdiction of such court
within a reasonable period of time in accordance with the laws and regulations of such jurisdiction, or process was served on the defendant
with the Taiwan judicial assistance; and judgment of Taiwan courts is recognized and enforceable in the foreign court rendering the judgment
on a reciprocal basis.
Risks Related to Owning Our Common Stock
We may fail to qualify for continued listing on Nasdaq which could make it more difficult for investors to sell their shares.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. To maintain that listing, we must satisfy the continued listing requirements
of Nasdaq for inclusion in the Nasdaq Capital Market, including among other things, a minimum stockholders’ equity of $2.5 million and a
minimum bid price for our common stock of $1.00 per share, that a majority of the members of our board of directors are independent under
the Nasdaq Listing Rules and that our audit committee consist of three independent directors who satisfy additional requirements under the
Exchange Act.
On July 10, 2023, Roger Lee resigned from our Board of Directors effective immediately, which resulted in one vacancy on our audit
committee. In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(c)(4)(B), we were provided a cure period until the earlier of our next annual meeting
of stockholders or July 10, 2024, or if the next annual stockholders’ meeting is held before January 8, 2024, then we must evidence compliance
no later than January 8, 2024 to regain compliance with the audit committee requirements. On July 3, 2024, we appointed Dr. Chris Chang
Yu as a director and member of our audit committee, effective immediately. With the appointment of Dr. Yu to our audit committee, we once
again meet the requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(c)(2)(A), being comprised of three independent members.
Additionally, on July 11, 2023, we received a notice from NASDAQ indicating that we did not meet the minimum of $2,500,000 in
stockholders’ equity required by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) for continued listing or the alternatives of market value of listed securities
or net income from continuing operations. Pursuant to the Nasdaq listing rule, we submitted a plan to regain compliance. Nasdaq accepted
our plan and granted us an extension to January 8, 2024.
In January 2024, we converted the total principal and accrued interest of our outstanding convertible unsecured promissory notes, in an
aggregate amount of $1,608,848, to 1,228,128 shares of our common stock at a conversion price of $1.31 per share. We also issued 305,343
shares of our common stock at a price of $1.31 per share in January 2024 to repay $400,000 of (1) accrued interest and, once repaid in full,
(2) principal, on our existing Loan Agreement with Simplot Taiwan Inc. In February 2024, we prepaid $800,000 of principal on our existing
Loan Agreement with Trung Doan by delivering 629,921 shares of our common stock to Mr. Doan, based on the closing price of $1.27 per
share on February 8, 2024. Based on these transactions, Nasdaq issued a conditional compliance letter on January 18, 2024.
However, our stockholders equity has again declined below the $2,500,000 minimum as of August 31, 2024, so we may receive another
deficiency notice. There can be no assurance that we will be able to regain or maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing
requirements or that our common stock will not be delisted from Nasdaq in the future.
If our common stock is delisted by Nasdaq, we expect prices for our common stock to be quoted on one of the OTC Markets or the
OTC Bulletin Board. Under such circumstances, stockholders may find it more difficult to sell, or to obtain accurate quotations, for our
common stock, and our common stock would become substantially less attractive to certain purchasers such as financial institutions, hedge
funds and other similar investors. There is no assurance, however, that prices of our common stock would be quoted on one of these other
trading systems or that an active trading market for our common stock would thereafter exist, which would materially and adversely impact
the market value of our common stock.
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We may seek additional capital that may result in stockholder dilution.
We expect to require additional capital due to continuing losses, deteriorating business conditions or other future developments. If our
current sources of capital are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities, including
through our at-the-market equity program, or obtain bank loans and credit facilities. The sale of convertible debt securities or additional equity
securities could result in dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of further indebtedness, whether in the form of public debt or bonds or
bank financing, would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict
our operations and liquidity.
Our ability to obtain external financing is subject to a number of uncertainties, including:
•
our future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and the trading price of our common stock;
•
the state of global credit markets and our creditworthiness;
•
raising additional cash through potential equity offerings, sales of assets and/or issuance of debt as considered necessary and
looking at other potential business opportunities;
•
general market conditions for financing activities by companies in our industry; and
•
economic, political and other conditions in Taiwan, China and elsewhere.
We cannot assure you that financing, if needed, would be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.
Our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders have substantial control over us and will be able to influence corporate
matters.
As of November 20, 2024, our directors and executive officers, together with their affiliates, beneficially owned, in the aggregate,
approximately 53.4% of our outstanding common stock. As a result, certain of these stockholders acting alone or these stockholders, acting
together, would have the ability to practically control the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election
of our directors and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. In addition, these stockholders, acting together,
would have the ability to control the management and affairs of our company. Accordingly, this concentration of ownership might harm the
market price of our common stock by:
•
limiting stockholders’ ability to influence corporate matters;
•
delaying, deferring or preventing a change in corporate control;
•
impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us; or
•
discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.
There can be no assurance that our interests will not conflict with those of these stockholders, who may also take actions that are not in
line, or may conflict, with our other stockholders’ best interests.
Delaware law and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws will contain anti-takeover provisions that could delay or discourage takeover
attempts that stockholders may consider favorable.
Certain provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or
changes in our management. As long as our major stockholder, Simplot Taiwan, Inc., which is beneficially owned by Scott R. Simplot, one
of our directors, continues to hold 25% or more of the total voting power of all outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote generally in
the election of directors, shareholders holding at least 25% of the total voting power of all outstanding shares of our stock entitled to vote
generally in the election of directors are able to call a special meeting in accordance with our bylaws; provided, however, at such time when
the ownership interest of Simplot Taiwan, Inc. first falls below 25% of our total voting power, our amended and restated certificate of
incorporation requires that a special meeting may be called only by a majority of our board of directors. Our amended and restated certificate
of incorporation precludes stockholder action by written consent. In addition, our amended and restated bylaws require that any stockholder
proposals or nominations for election to our board of directors must meet specific advance notice requirements and procedures, which may
make it more difficult for our stockholders to make proposals or director nominations. In addition, the authorization of undesignated preferred
stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the
success of any attempt to change our control.
Furthermore, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General
Corporation Law. These provisions may prohibit or restrict large stockholders, in particular those owning 15% or more of our outstanding
voting stock, from merging or combining with us. These provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and under Delaware law
could discourage potential takeover attempts and could reduce the price that investors might be willing to pay for shares of our common stock
in the future and result in our market price being lower than it would be without these provisions.
General Risks
Epidemics, pandemics, and other outbreaks could disrupt the Company’s operations and adversely affect its business, results of
operations, and cash flows.
Epidemics, pandemics, and other outbreaks of an illness, disease, or virus have adversely affected, and could adversely affect in the
future, workforces, customers, economies, and financial markets globally, potentially leading to economic downturns. The significance of the
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impact on our operations of an epidemic, pandemic, or other outbreak depends on numerous factors that we may not be able to accurately
predict or effectively respond to, including, without limitation: the duration and scope of an outbreak (including the extent of surges,
mutations, or strains of the outbreak and the efficacy of vaccination and other efforts to contain the outbreak or treat its effects); actions taken
by governments, businesses, and individuals in response to the outbreak; the effect on economic activity and actions taken in response; the
effect on customers and their demand for our products and services; the effect on the health, wellness, and productivity of our employees;
and our ability to manufacture, sell, and service its products, including without limitation as a result of supply chain challenges, facility
closures, social distancing, restrictions on travel, fear or anxiety by the populace, and shelter-in-place orders. These and other factors relating
to or arising from an epidemic, pandemic, or other outbreak could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and
cash flows, as well as the trading price of our common stock.
Our operating results may fluctuate from quarter to quarter, which could make our future performance difficult to predict and could
cause our operating results for a particular period to fall below expectations, resulting in a severe decline in the price of our common
stock.
Our quarterly operating results are difficult to predict and may fluctuate significantly in the future. We have experienced seasonal and
quarterly fluctuations in the past. As such, our past quarterly operating results may not be good indicators of future performance.
The following factors could cause our operating results to fluctuate:
•
our ability to retain existing customers, attract new customers and successfully enter new geographic markets;
•
changes in supply and demand and other competitive market conditions, including pricing actions by our competitors and our
customers’ competitors;
•
timing of orders from and shipments to major customers and end-customers, including as part of LED project-based orders, and
our ability to forecast demand and manage lead times for the manufacturing of our products; and
•
seasonal fluctuations in our customers’ purchasing patterns.
For these or other reasons, the results of any prior quarterly or annual periods should not be relied upon as indications of our future
performance, and our actual revenue and operating results in future quarters may fall short of the expectations of investors and financial
analysts, which could have a severe adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock.
Our stock price has been and may continue to be volatile and you may be unable to resell shares of our common stock at or above the
price you paid.
The trading price of our common stock has been and may continue to be subject to broad fluctuations. The market price of shares of
our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various risk factors listed in this section and others beyond our control,
including:
•
actual or anticipated fluctuations in our key operating metrics, financial condition and operating results;
•
changes in the composition of and the orders received from our customers;
•
actual or anticipated changes in our growth rate;
•
issuance of new or updated research or reports by securities analysts that have a change in outlook regarding the performance of
our business or the future trading price of our common stock;
•
our announcement of actual results for a fiscal period that are higher or lower than projected or expected results or our
announcement of revenue or earnings guidance that is higher or lower than expected;
•
fluctuations in the valuation of companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;
•
share price and volume fluctuations attributable to inconsistent trading volume levels of our shares;
•
sales or expected sales of additional common stock;
•
announcements from, or operating results of, our competitors; and
•
general economic and market conditions.
Furthermore, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the
market prices of equity securities of many companies. These fluctuations often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating
performance of those companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general economic, political and market conditions,
such as recessions, interest rate changes or international currency fluctuations, may cause the market price of shares of our common stock to
decline. In the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action
litigation. We had ever been a defendant in two filed actions and may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Securities litigation
against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm
our business.
We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock and, consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your
investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our common stock.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock or convertible preferred stock and do not intend to do so for
the foreseeable future. We currently intend to invest our future earnings, if any, to fund our growth. Therefore, you are not likely to receive
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any dividends on your common stock for the foreseeable future and the success of an investment in shares of our common stock will depend
upon future appreciation in their value. There is no guarantee that shares of our common stock will appreciate in value or maintain the price
at which our stockholders purchased their shares.
We may be exposed to litigation, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
In the ordinary course of our business, we may be exposed to general commercial claims related to the conduct of our business, class
action lawsuits, employment claims and other litigation claims. Any such litigation, whether with or without merit, could result in significant
costs. In addition, members of our senior management may be required to divert significant attention and resources to these matters, reducing
the time, attention and resources they have available to devote to managing our business. These additional expenses and diversion of attention
and resources, along with any reputational issues raised by these lawsuits, may have a material negative impact on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
We are required to assess our internal control over financial reporting on an annual basis and any future adverse findings from such
assessment could result in a loss of investor confidence in our financial reports, significant expenses to remediate any internal control
deficiencies and ultimately have an adverse effect on our share price.
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that we include a management report that assesses the effectiveness of our
internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 10-K. Our testing may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over
financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses, which we will be required to disclose. Our compliance with Section 404
requires that we incur substantial accounting expenses and expend significant management resources and time on compliance related issues.
If we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, or if we identify deficiencies in our internal controls
over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses, we may be subject to sanctions or investigations by regulatory agencies
such as the SEC. In addition, failure to meet the requirements of Section 404 or to disclose any material weakness may cause investors to lose
confidence in our financial statements and the trading price of our common stock may decline. Moreover, if we fail to remedy any material
weakness, our financial statements may be inaccurate, our ability to report our financial results on a timely and accurate basis may be adversely
affected, our access to the capital markets may be restricted, we may be subject to sanctions or investigation by regulatory authorities,
including the SEC and The Nasdaq Stock Market, or Nasdaq, and our stated results of operations and reputation may be materially and
adversely affected.
Cost-method investments could reduce our earnings.
Some of our investments are accounted for under the equity method of accounting, which we record our proportionate share of their
net income or loss, or using the cost method. However, they must also be tested for impairment. For the investments we account for under
the equity method or the cost method, the impairment test considers whether the fair value of the equity investment as a whole, not the
underlying net assets, has declined and whether that decline is other than temporary. If we determine that impairment is indicated, we would
be required to take an immediate non-cash charge to earnings, which could adversely impact our operating results.
We may undertake joint ventures, investments, acquisitions, joint projects, and other strategic alliances and such undertakings, as well as
our existing joint ventures, may be unsuccessful and may have an adverse effect on our business.
We have grown our business in part through strategic alliances and acquisitions. We continually evaluate and explore strategic
opportunities as they arise, including product, technology, business or asset transactions, such as acquisitions or divestitures. Such
undertakings may not be successful or may take a substantially longer period than initially expected to become successful, and we may never
recover our investments or achieve desired synergies or economies from these undertakings.
This notwithstanding, we may in the future continue to seek to grow our operations in part by entering into joint ventures, undertaking
acquisitions or establishing other strategic alliances with third parties in the LED and LED-related industries. These activities involve
challenges and risks in negotiation, execution, valuation and integration, and closing of the transactions could be delayed or prevented by
regulatory approval requirements, including antitrust review, or other conditions.
Any future agreements that we may enter into also could expose us to new operational, regulatory, market, litigation and geographical
risks as well as risks associated with significant capital requirements, the diversion of management and financial resources, unforeseen
operating difficulties and expenditures, sharing of proprietary information, loss of control over day-to-day operations, non-performance by a
counterparty and potential competition and conflicts of interest. In addition, we may not be successful in finding suitable targets on terms that
are favorable to us, or at all. Even if successfully negotiated and closed, expected synergies from a joint venture, acquisition or other strategic
alliance may not materialize or may not advance our business strategy, may fall short of expected return-on-investment targets or may not
prove successful or effective for our business. We may also encounter difficulty integrating the operations, personnel and financial and
operating systems of an acquired business into our current business.
We may need to raise additional debt funding or sell additional equity securities to enter into such joint ventures or make such
acquisitions. However, we may not be able to obtain such debt funding or sell equity securities on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. The
raising of additional debt funding by us, if required and available, would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in
additional operating and financing covenants, or liens on our assets, that would restrict our operations. The sale of additional equity securities,
if required and available, could result in dilution to our stockholders.
We are also exposed to liquidity risk in the event of non-performance by the counterparty to the convertible note in the purchase
agreement.
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Risks Related to Human Capital
We rely on certain key personnel. The loss of any of our key personnel, or our failure to attract, assimilate and retain other highly qualified
personnel in the future, could harm our business.
Our future success depends on the continued service and performance of our key personnel, including in particular Trung T. Doan, our
chief executive officer, and members of our executive team. We do not maintain key man insurance on any of our officers or key employees.
If Mr. Doan or other key personnel were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them
readily or on terms that are reasonable, if at all. As such, the loss of Mr. Doan or other key personnel, including other key members of our
management team and certain of our key marketing, sales, product development or technology personnel, could significantly disrupt our
operations and prevent the timely achievement of our development strategies and growth, which would likely have an adverse effect on our
financial condition, operating results and prospects. Moreover, we may lose some of our customers if any of our officers or key employees
were to join a competitor or form a competing company. The loss of the services of our senior management for any reason could adversely
affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
In addition, competition for experienced employees in our industry can be intense, and we may not be successful in recruiting,
motivating or retaining sufficiently qualified personnel on terms that are reasonable, or at all. Cyclical volatility in our industry and in our
business may aggravate this problem. For example, the challenges we faced in recent years relating to loss of market share and a sustained
decrease in the market price of our common stock, among others, could impact our ability to attract and retain employees. When consumer
demand for our products is reduced or delayed, we expect lower net revenue and reduced profitability. When our stock price declines, our
equity incentive awards may lose retention value. In response to such downturns, we may further implement cost reduction actions, including
spending controls, forced holidays and company shutdowns, employee layoffs, shortened workweeks and involuntary salary reductions.
Layoffs during an industry downturn could make it more difficult for us to retain key talent and staff members, or to rehire employees should
business improve.
Risks Relating to Intellectual Property
We may be exposed to intellectual property infringement or misappropriation claims by third parties, which could adversely affect our
financial condition and results of operations.
Trademark, patent, copyright and other intellectual property rights are critical to our business and the business of our competitors. Our
industry is characterized by frequent intellectual property litigation involving patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and mask designs among
others. Competitors of ours and other third parties have in the past and will likely from time to time in the future allege that our products
infringe on their intellectual property rights.
Litigation to determine the validity and scope of any claim against us for infringement, misappropriation, misuse or other violation of
third-party intellectual property rights can be highly uncertain because of the complex scientific, legal and factual questions and analyses
involved. Defending against any intellectual property infringement claims would likely result in costly litigation, diversion of the attention
and efforts of our technical and management personnel and ultimately may lead to our not being able to manufacture, use or sell products
found to be infringing. As a result of any such dispute, we may be required to develop non-infringing technology, pay substantial damages,
enter into royalty or licensing agreements to use third-party technology, cease selling certain products, adjust our marketing and advertising
activities or take other actions to resolve the claims. These actions, if required, may be costly or unavailable on terms acceptable to us. If we
are unable to obtain sufficient rights or develop non-infringing intellectual property or otherwise alter our business practices on a timely basis,
our business and competitive position may be adversely affected.
The intellectual property rights related to packaging LEDs with phosphors to make white light LED components are particularly
complex and characterized by aggressive enforcement of those rights. Many of our competitors and other third parties hold patents or licenses
or cross-licenses that relate to phosphors and the use of phosphors in LED packages to make white light LED components. We have sought
to minimize the risk that one of our competitors or another third party will assert a claim related to our packaged LED components by
marketing these products only in certain countries in which we believe enforcement of intellectual property rights has historically been more
limited. We cannot assure you that our belief with respect to the enforcement of rights within those markets is accurate. In addition, if the
products we sell in a particular country are subsequently shipped or resold to another country, the intellectual property laws of the country of
final destination may also apply to our products. Further, we may be subject to claims if our packaging customers for our LED chips lack
sufficient intellectual property rights with respect to their packaging process and related packaging materials. We cannot assure you that our
competitors or others will not claim that our LED chips or our LED components infringe their intellectual property rights or that, if such
claims are made, we will be able to successfully dispute such claims.
If our intellectual property, including our proprietary technologies and trade secrets, are not adequately protected to prevent misuse or
misappropriation by our competitors, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished, and our business may be
materially and adversely affected. In addition, the sale of certain patents increases our business risk.
Our future success and competitive position depends in part on our ability to protect our intellectual property, including proprietary
technologies and trade secrets. In particular, we have developed advanced capabilities and proprietary know-how in sapphire reclamation,
gallium nitride, or GaN, epitaxial growth, copper alloy technology, nanoscale surface engineering and vertical LED structure technology that
are critical to our business. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on a combination of confidentiality and license agreements with our
employees, licensees, partner and third parties with whom we have relationships, and trademark, copyright, patent and trade secret protection
laws, to protect our intellectual property, including our proprietary technologies and trade secrets.
There can be no assurance that the steps we have taken or plan to take in the future are adequate to protect our intellectual property,
including our proprietary technologies and trade secrets. We expect to continue to seek patent and trademark protection for our technologies
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and know-how. However, we will only be able to protect such technologies and know-how from unauthorized use by third parties to the
extent that valid, protectable and enforceable rights cover them. We cannot be certain that our patent and trademark applications will lead to
patents being issued and registered trademarks being granted in a timely manner, or at all. Even if we are successful in obtaining such rights,
the intellectual property laws of other countries in which our products are sold or may in the future be sold may not protect our products and
intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. For example, China currently is thought to afford less protection
to intellectual property rights generally than some other jurisdictions. As such, the lack of strong patent and other intellectual property
protection in China may significantly increase our vulnerability as regards unauthorized disclosure or use of our intellectual property and
undermine our competitive position. The legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property
rights in LED-related industries are uncertain and still evolving, both in the United States and in other countries. Moreover, the contractual
agreements that we enter into with employees, licensees and third parties to protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights afford only
limited protection and may not been enforceable.
We also expect that the more successful we are, the more likely it will be that competitors will try to develop or patent similar or
superior technologies, products and services. In the event that our competitors or others are able to obtain knowledge of our know-how, trade
secrets and technologies through independent development, our failure to protect such know-how, trade secrets and technologies and/or our
other intellectual property and proprietary rights may undermine our competitive position. In addition, third parties may knowingly or
unknowingly infringe our trademarks and other intellectual property rights, and litigation may be necessary to protect and enforce our
intellectual property rights or determine the validity and scope of our proprietary rights. Any such litigation could be very costly and could
divert management attention and resources away from our business, and the outcome of such litigation may not be in our favor. If the
protection of our intellectual property, including our proprietary technologies and trade secrets, is inadequate to prevent use or appropriation
by third parties, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished and competitors may be able to more effectively mimic
our products and methods of operation. Any of these events may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, reputation
and competitive position.
We have also sold certain patents, generally for technology that we are no longer actively developing. While we plan to continue to
monetize our patent portfolio through sales of non-core patents, we may not be able to realize adequate interest or prices for those patents.
Accordingly, we cannot provide assurance that we will be able to generate revenue from these sales. In addition, although we seek to be
strategic in our decisions to sell patents, we might incur reputational harm if a purchaser of our patents sues one of our customers for
infringement of the purchased patent, and we might later decide to enter a space that requires the use of one or more of the patents we sold.
Confidentiality agreements with employees and others may not adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary
information.
To protect a substantial amount of our technologies, we have chosen to rely primarily on trade secrets law rather than seeking protection
through patents. Trade secrets are inherently difficult to protect. In order to protect our intellectual property rights, including our proprietary
technologies and trade secrets, we rely in part on security measures, as well as confidentiality agreements with our employees, licensees and
other third parties. These measures and agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information, including trade secrets,
and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. While we believe we use
reasonable efforts to protect our trade secrets, we could potentially lose future trade secret protection if any unintentional or willful disclosure
by our directors, employees, consultants or contractors of such information occurs, including disclosure by employees during or after the
termination of their employment with us, in particular if they were to join one of our competitors. Laws regarding trade secret rights in certain
markets in which we operate may afford little or no protection. The loss of trade secret protection could make it easier for third parties to
compete with our products by copying functionality. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the
scope of our proprietary rights, and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our business, revenue, reputation
and competitive position.
The reduction or elimination of government investment in LED lighting or the elimination of, or changes in, policies in certain countries
that encourage the use of LEDs over some traditional lighting technologies could cause demand for our products to decline, which could
materially and adversely affect our revenues, profits and margins.
We believe the near-term growth of the LED market will be driven in part by government policies in certain countries that either directly
promote the use of LEDs or discourage the use of some traditional lighting technologies. Today, the upfront cost of LED lighting exceeds the
upfront cost for some traditional lighting technologies that provide similar lumen output in many applications. However, for environmental
reasons, among others, some governments around the world have used policy initiatives to accelerate the development and adoption of LED
lighting and other non-traditional lighting technologies that are seen as more environmentally-friendly compared to some traditional lighting
technologies. Reductions in, or eliminations of, government investment and favorable energy policies could result in decreased demand for
our products and decrease our revenues, profits, margins and prospects.
Political, Geographical and Economic Risks
Due to the location of our operations, we are vulnerable to natural disasters and other events, which may seriously disrupt our operations.
Most of our operations are located in Taiwan, and the operations of many of our LED manufacturing service providers, suppliers and
customers are located in Taiwan and the PRC. Our revenues derived from customers located in Taiwan and China (including Hong Kong)
were 14% and 21% for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our operations and the operations of our customers and
suppliers are vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, typhoons, fires, power losses and other major catastrophic events,
including the outbreak, or threatened outbreak, of any widespread communicable diseases. Disruption of operations due to any of these events
may require us to evacuate personnel or suspend operations, which could reduce our productivity. Such disasters may also damage our
facilities and equipment and cause us to incur additional costs to repair our facilities or procure new equipment, or result in personal injuries
or fatalities or result in the termination of our leases and land use agreements. Any resulting delays in shipments of our products could also
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cause our customers to obtain products from other sources. Although we maintain property insurance for such risks, there is no guarantee that
future damages or business losses from earthquakes and catastrophic other events will be covered by such insurance, that we will be able to
collect from our insurance carriers, should we choose to claim under our insurance policies, or that such coverage will be sufficient. In
addition, natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and typhoons, may also disrupt or seriously affect the operations of our
customers and suppliers, resulting in reduced orders or shipments or the inability to perform contractual obligations. The occurrence of any
of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Strained relations between the PRC and Taiwan could negatively affect our business and the market price of our common stock.
Taiwan has a unique international political status. Since 1949, Taiwan and the PRC have been separately governed. The PRC
government claims that it is the sole government in China and that Taiwan is part of China. Although significant economic and cultural
relations have been established during recent years between Taiwan and the PRC, the PRC government has refused to renounce the possibility
that it may at some point use force to gain control over Taiwan. Furthermore, the PRC government adopted an anti-secession law relating to
Taiwan. Relations between Taiwan and the PRC governments have been strained in recent years for a variety of reasons, including the PRC
government’s position on the “One China” policy and tensions concerning arms sales to Taiwan by the United States government. Any tension
between the Taiwan government and the PRC government, or between the United States and China, could materially and adversely affect the
market prices of our common stock.
Past developments in relations between the R.O.C. and the PRC have on occasions depressed the market prices of the securities of
companies in the R.O.C. Such initiatives and actions are commonly viewed as having a detrimental effect to reunification efforts between
the R.O.C. and the PRC. Relations between the R.O.C. and the PRC and other factors affecting military, political or economic conditions in
Taiwan could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, as well as the market price and the liquidity
of our securities.
If the U.S. dollar or other currencies in which our sales, raw materials, component purchases and capital expenditures are denominated
fluctuate significantly against the New Taiwan, or NT, dollar and other currencies, our profitability may be seriously affected.
We have significant foreign currency exposure, and are primarily affected by fluctuations in exchange rates among the U.S. dollar, the
NT dollar and other currencies. A portion of our revenues and expenses are denominated in currencies other than NT dollars, primarily U.S.
dollars. We do not hedge our net foreign exchange positions through the use of forward exchange contracts or otherwise and as a result we
are affected by fluctuations in exchange rates among the U.S. dollar, the NT dollar and other currencies. For example, the announcement of
Brexit caused severe volatility in global currency exchange rate fluctuations that resulted in the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against foreign
currencies in which we conduct business. Any significant fluctuation in exchange rates may be harmful to our financial condition and results
of operations.
The PRC government’s control of currency conversion and changes in the exchange rate between the Renminbi and other currencies
could negatively affect our financial condition and our ability to pay dividends.
The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance
of currency out of China. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions,
interest payments and expenditures from trade related transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from State
Administration of Foreign Exchange in China, or SAFE, provided that we satisfy certain procedural requirements. However, approval from
SAFE or its local counterpart is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital
expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in
the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. Our revenue from sales in China (including Hong Kong) accounted for 1%
and 2% of our revenues for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Failure to comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could subject us to penalties and other adverse consequences.
We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, which generally prohibits U.S. companies from engaging in bribery
or making other prohibited payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. In addition, we are required to
maintain records that accurately and fairly represent our transactions and have an adequate system of internal accounting controls. Foreign
companies, including some that may compete with us, may not be subject to these prohibitions, and therefore may have a competitive
advantage. In the past, there have been instances of corruption, extortion, bribery, pay-offs, theft and other fraudulent practices in Taiwan and
China, as well as other Asian countries and Russia. We cannot assure that our employees or other agents will not engage in such conduct and
render us responsible under the FCPA. If our employees or other agents are found to have engaged in corrupt or fraudulent business practices,
we could suffer severe penalties and other consequences that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and
results of operations.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not applicable.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Risk Management and Strategy
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We have dedicated to advance our cybersecurity risk management and integrated it into our overall risk management program, which
program manages cybersecurity, financial, operational and compliance risks. To access, identify and manage cybersecurity threats, we
implemented a cybersecurity risk management program with oversight by our Board of Directors (“Board”). Our management, led by an
experienced information security team, continually monitors cybersecurity risk incidents.
Our cybersecurity risk management program sets forth a framework provided by our information security team to identify and mitigate
vulnerabilities and risks in our information systems. Elements of the program include, among the other things, penetration tests on our
networks and engaging in annual employee cybersecurity training.
We have engaged a third-party service provider periodically to review and improve our cybersecurity risk management framework,
including by identifying third-parties information systems that could cause cybersecurity incidents to our business.
Governance
Our information security team, including our system engineering department leader who manages our information technology, is
responsible for accessing and managing cybersecurity operations and incident response, reports cybersecurity incidents to management and,
if the incidents are material, our audit committee. The members of our information security team each have over 10 years of experience and
extensive knowledge in managing cybersecurity programs.
Our Audit Committee assists the Board in overseeing cybersecurity risks, including discussing with management and the information
security team if cybersecurity threats are identified, and recommends cybersecurity framework improvements to the Board.
Item 2. Properties
The following are significant manufacturing and office facilities that we own or lease as of August 31, 2024:
•
We own a four-story building located in Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan. We occupy approximately 183 thousand square feet of
the building, and we lease approximately 55 thousand square feet of space to a third-party tenant. Approximately 32% of our
occupied space in the building is devoted to our manufacturing operations. We lease the land on which the building is situated
from the Science Park Administration in Hsinchu.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Due to the complex technology required to compete successfully in the LED industry, participants in our industry are often engaged in
significant intellectual property licensing arrangements, negotiations, disputes and litigation. We are directly or indirectly involved from time
to time and may be named in various other claims or legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business or otherwise.
There were no material pending legal proceedings or claims as of August 31, 2024.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II.
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Price Information for our Common Stock
Our common stock began trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “LEDS” on December 8, 2010 and was
transferred to the NASDAQ Capital Market effective November 5, 2015 where it continues to trade under the same symbol.
There were 50 holders of record of our common stock as of November 20, 2024.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain any future earnings to fund
the development and expansion of our business, and therefore we do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock in the
foreseeable future. Any future determination to pay dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our results
of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
We did not make any repurchases of our common stock, and no purchases of common stock were made on our behalf during the fourth
quarter of our fiscal 2024.
Item 6. [Reserved]
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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon and should be read in
conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well
as the Risk Factors contained in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other information provided from time to time in
our other filings with the SEC.
Overview
We develop, manufacture and sell light emitting diode (LED) chips, LED components, LED modules and systems. Our products are
used for general specialty industrial applications, including ultraviolet, or UV, curing of polymers, LED light therapy in medical/cosmetic
applications, counterfeit detection, LED lighting for horticulture applications, architectural lighting and entertainment lighting.
We package our LED chips into LED components, which we sell to distributors and a customer base that is heavily concentrated in a
few select markets, including Netherlands, Taiwan, the United States, and Japan. We also sell our “Enhanced Vertical,” or EV, LED product
series in blue, white, green and UV in selected markets. Our lighting products customers are primarily original design manufacturers, or
ODMs, of lighting products and the end users of lighting devices. We also contract other manufacturers to produce for our sale certain LED
products, and for certain aspects of our product fabrication, assembly and packaging processes, based on our design and technology
requirements and under our quality control specifications and final inspection process.
We are a holding company for various wholly owned subsidiaries. SemiLEDs Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., or Taiwan SemiLEDs, is our
wholly owned operating subsidiary, where a substantial portion of our assets are held and located and where a portion of our research,
development, manufacturing and sales activities take place. Taiwan SemiLEDs owns a 97.37% equity interest in Taiwan Bandaoti Zhaoming
Co., Ltd., formerly known as Silicon Base Development, Inc., which is engaged in the research, development, manufacture, and substantial
portion of marketing and sale of LED products, and where most of our employees are based.
Key Factors Affecting Our Financial Condition, Results of Operations and Business
The following are key factors that we believe affect our financial condition, results of operations and business:
•
Our ability to raise additional debt funding, sell additional equity securities and improve our liquidity. We need to improve our
liquidity, access alternative sources of funding and obtain additional equity capital or debt when necessary for our operations.
However, we may not be able to obtain such debt funding or sell equity securities on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. The
raising of additional debt funding by us, if required and available, would result in increased debt service obligations and could
result in additional operating and financing covenants, or liens on our assets, that would restrict our operations. The sale of
additional equity securities, if required and available, could result in dilution to our stockholders.
•
Our ability to source chips from other chip suppliers. Our reliance on our chip suppliers exposes us to a number of significant
risks, including reduced control over delivery schedules, quality assurance and production costs, lack of guaranteed production
capacity or product supply. If our chip suppliers are unable or unwilling to continue to supply our chips at requested quality,
quantity, performance and costs, or in a timely manner, our business and reputation could be seriously harmed. Our inability to
procure chips from other chip suppliers at the desired quality, quantity, performance and cost might result in unforeseen
manufacturing and operations problems. In such events, our customer relationships, business, financial condition and results of
operations would be adversely affected.
•
Industry growth and demand for products and applications using LEDs. The overall adoption of LED lighting devices to
replace traditional lighting sources is expected to influence the growth and demand for LED chips and component products and
impact our financial performance. We believe the potential market for LED lighting will continue to expand. LEDs for efficient
generation of UV light are also starting to gain attention for various medical, germicidal and industrial applications. Since a
substantial portion of our LED chips, LED components and our lighting products are used by end-users in general lighting
applications and specialty industrial applications such as UV curing, medical/cosmetic, counterfeit detection, horticulture,
architectural lighting and entertainment lighting the adoption of LEDs into these applications will have a strong impact on the
demand of LED chips generally and, as a result, for our LED chips, LED components and LED lighting products.
•
Average selling price of our products. The average selling price of our products may decline for a variety of factors, including
prices charged by our competitors, the efficacy of our products, our cost basis, changes in our product mix, the size of the order
and our relationship with the relevant customer, as well as general market and economic conditions. Competition in the markets
for LED products is intense, and we expect that competition will continue to increase, thereby creating a highly aggressive pricing
environment. For example, some of our competitors have in the past reduced their average selling prices, and the resulting
competitive pricing pressures have caused us to similarly reduce our prices, accelerating the decline in our revenues and the gross
margin of our products. When prices decline, we must also write down the value of our inventory. Furthermore, the average
selling prices for our LED products have typically decreased over product life cycles. Therefore, our ability to continue to
innovate and offer competitive products that meet our customers’ specifications and pricing requirements, such as higher efficacy
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LED products at lower costs, will have a material influence on our ability to improve our revenues and product margins, although
in the near term the introduction of such higher performance LED products may further reduce the selling prices of our existing
products or render them obsolete.
•
Changes in our product mix. We anticipate that our gross margins will continue to fluctuate from period to period as a result of
the mix of products that we sell and the utilization of our manufacturing capacity in any given period, among other things. For
example, we continue to pursue opportunities for profitable growth in areas of business where we see the best opportunity to
develop as an end-to-end LED module solution supplier by providing our customers with high quality, flexible and more complete
LED system solution, customer technical support and LED module/system design, as opposed to just providing customers with
individual components. As a strategic plan, we have placed greater emphasis on the sales of LED components rather than the
sales of LED chips where we have been forced to cut prices on older inventory. The growth of our module products and the
continued commercial sales of our UV LED product are expected to improve our gross margin, operating results and cash flows.
In addition, we have adjusted the lower-priced LED components strategy as appropriate. We have adopted a strategy to adjust
our product mix by exiting certain high volume but low unit selling price product lines in response to the general trend of lower
average selling prices for products that have been available in the market for some time. However, as we expand and diversify
our product offerings and with varying average selling prices, or execute new business initiatives, a change in the mix of products
that we sell in any given period may increase volatility in our revenues and gross margin from period to period.
•
Our ability to reduce cost to offset lower average selling prices. Competitors may reduce average selling prices faster than our
ability to reduce costs, and competitive pricing pressures may accelerate the rate of decline of our average selling prices. To
address increased pricing pressure, we have improved and increased our production yields to reduce the per-unit cost of
production of our products. However, such cost savings currently have limited impact on our gross profit, as we currently suffer
from the underutilization of manufacturing capacity and must absorb a high level of fixed costs, such as depreciation. While we
intend to focus on managing our costs and expenses, over the long term we expect to be required to invest substantially in LED
component products development and production equipment if we are to grow.
•
Our ability to continue to innovate. As part of our growth strategy, we plan to continue to be innovative in product design, to
deliver new products and to improve our manufacturing efficiencies. Our continued success depends on our ability to develop
and introduce new, technologically advanced and lower cost products, such as more efficient, better performance LED component
products. If we are unable to introduce new products that are commercially viable and meet rapidly evolving customer
requirements or keep pace with evolving technological standards and market developments or are otherwise unable to execute
our product innovation strategy effectively, we may not be able to take advantage of market opportunities as they arise, execute
our business plan or be able to compete effectively. To differentiate ourselves from other LED package manufacturers, we are
putting more resources towards module and system design. Along with our technical know-how in the chip and package sectors,
we are able to further integrate electrical, thermal and mechanical manufacturing resources to provide customers with one-stop
system services. Services include design, prototyping, OEM and ODM. Key markets that we intend to target at the system end
include different types of UV LED industrial printers, aquarium lighting, medical applications, niche imaging light engines,
horticultural lighting and high standard commercial lighting. The modules are designed for various printing, curing, and PCB
exposure industrial equipment, providing uncompromised reliability and optical output. Our LED components include different
sizes and wattage to accommodate different demands in the LED market.
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•
General economic conditions and geographic concentration. Many countries including the United States and the European
Union (the “E.U.”) members have instituted, or have announced plans to institute, government regulations and programs designed
to encourage or mandate increased energy efficiency in lighting. These actions include in certain cases banning the sale after
specified dates of certain forms of incandescent lighting, which are advancing the adoption of more energy efficient lighting
solutions such as LEDs. When the global economy slows or a financial crisis occurs, consumer and government confidence
declines, with levels of government grants and subsidies for LED adoption and consumer spending likely to be adversely
impacted. Our revenues have been concentrated in a few select markets, including the Netherlands, Taiwan, the United States,
and Japan. Given that we are operating in a rapidly changing industry, our sales in specific markets may fluctuate from quarter
to quarter. Therefore, our financial results will be impacted by general economic and political conditions in such markets. For
example, the aggressive support by the Chinese government for the LED industry through significant government incentives and
subsidies to encourage the use of LED lighting and to establish the LED-sector companies has resulted in production overcapacity
in the market and intense competition. Furthermore, due to Chinese package manufacturers increasing usage of domestic LED
chips, prices are increasingly competitive, leading to Chinese manufacturers growing market share in the global LED industry.
In addition, we have historically derived a significant portion of our revenues from a limited number of customers. Some of our
largest customers and what we produce/have produced for them have changed from quarter to quarter primarily as a result of the
timing of discrete, large project-based purchases and broadening customer base, among other things. For the years ended August
31, 2024 and 2023, sales to our three largest customers, in the aggregate, accounted for 61% and 53% of our revenues,
respectively.
•
Intellectual property issues. Competitors of ours and other third parties have in the past and will likely from time to time in the
future allege that our products infringe on their intellectual property rights. Defending against any intellectual property
infringement claims would likely result in costly litigation and ultimately may lead to our not being able to manufacture, use or
sell products found to be infringing. However, other third parties may also assert infringement claims against our customers with
respect to our products, or our customers’ products that incorporate our technologies or products. Any such legal action or the
threat of legal action against us, or our customers, could impair such customers’ continued demand for our products. This could
prevent us from growing or even maintaining our revenues, or cause us to incur additional costs and expenses, and adversely
affect our financial condition and results of operations.
•
Cash position. Our cash and cash equivalents were $1.7 million and $2.6 million as of August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
We have implemented actions to accelerate operating cost reductions and improve operational efficiencies. The plan is further
enhanced through the fabless business model in which we implemented certain workforce reductions and are exploring the
opportunities to sell certain equipment related to the manufacturing of vertical LED chips, in order to reduce the idle capacity
charges and minimize our research and development activities associated with chips manufacturing operation. Based on our
current financial projections and assuming our outstanding notes are converted or extended, we believe that we will have
sufficient sources of liquidity to fund our operations and capital expenditure plans for the next 12 months.
Components of Consolidated Statements of Operations
Revenues, net
Our core products are LED components, LED modules and systems, which are the most important part of our business, as well as LED
chips and lighting products.
Our revenues are affected by sales volumes of our LED chips, LED components and lighting products and our average selling prices
for such products. In addition, as we expand and diversify our product offerings and with varying average selling prices, any change in the
mix of products that we sell in any given period may affect our total revenues. For example, average selling prices for our LED components
are generally higher than for LED chips and the average selling prices for our lighting products are higher than for our LED chips and LED
components.
We recognize revenue on sales of our products when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable,
ownership and risk of loss has transferred and collection of the sales proceeds is probable. We obtain written purchase authorizations from
our customers as evidence of an arrangement and these authorizations generally provide for a specified amount of product at a fixed price.
We typically consider delivery to have occurred at the time of shipment, unless otherwise agreed in the applicable sales terms, as this is
generally when title and risk of loss for the product passes to the customer.
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Our larger customers typically provide us with non-binding rolling forecasts of their requirements for the coming one to three months;
however, recent global economic uncertainty and weakness has led to reduced spending in our target markets and made it difficult for our
customers and us to accurately forecast and plan future business activities. Our customers may increase, decrease, cancel or delay purchase
orders already in place, with no material consequences to the customer. As a result, we may face increased inventories and our backlog may
decline as a result of any economic downturn or material change in market conditions or economic outlook. We price our products in
accordance with prevailing market conditions, taking into account the technical specifications of the product being sold, the order volume,
the strength and history of our relationship with the customer, our inventory levels and our capacity utilization. When average selling prices
drop, as they did in recent years, inventory write-downs to net realizable values may also result.
Our customers consist primarily of packagers, ODMs and end-customers. Our revenues attributable to our ten largest customers
accounted for 91% of our revenues for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023.
Our revenues have been concentrated in a few select markets, including the Netherlands, Taiwan, the United States and Japan. Net
revenues generated from these countries, in the aggregate, accounted for 91% and 89% of our net revenues for the years ended August 31,
2024 and 2023, respectively. We expect that our revenues will continue to be substantially derived from these countries for the foreseeable
future. Given that we are operating in a rapidly changing industry, our sales in specific markets may fluctuate from quarter to quarter.
Therefore, our financial results will be impacted by general economic and political conditions in such markets.
Our revenues are presented net of estimated sales returns and discounts. We estimate sales returns and discounts based on our historical
discounts and return rates and our assessment of future conditions.
Cost of Revenues
Our cost of revenues consists primarily of cost of materials, depreciation expenses, manufacturing overhead costs, direct labor costs
and utilities cost, all related to the manufacture of our LED products. Materials include raw materials, other materials such as gases and
chemicals, consumables, and assembly materials. Because our products are manufactured based on customers’ orders and specifications and
we purchase materials and supplies to support such orders, we generally purchase our materials at spot prices in the marketplace and do not
maintain long-term supply contracts. We purchase materials from several suppliers. Our procurement policy is to select only a small number
of qualified vendors who demonstrate quality of materials and reliability on delivery time. We are subject to variations in the cost of our
materials and consumables from period to period. Moreover, because we consume a significant amount of electricity in our manufacturing
process, any fluctuations in electricity costs will have an impact on our cost of revenues. We also use contract manufacturers to produce for
our certain LED products, and for certain aspects of our product fabrication, assembly and packaging processes, based on our design and
technology requirements and under our quality control specifications and final inspection process.
Direct labor costs consist of salary (including stock-based compensation expenses), bonus, training, retirement and other costs related
to our employees engaged in the manufacture of our products. Manufacturing overhead costs consist primarily of salaries, bonuses and other
benefits (including stock-based compensation expenses) for our administrative personnel allocated to manufacturing functions, repairs and
maintenance costs for equipment and machinery maintenance costs and lease expenses.
Our cost of revenues also includes excess capacity charges as a result of the underutilization of our manufacturing capacity and
inventory valuation adjustments to write down our inventories to their estimated net realizable values as a result of declines in their average
selling prices.
Operating Expenses
Research and development. Our research and development expenses, which are expensed as incurred, consist primarily of expenses
related to employee salaries, bonuses and other benefits (including stock-based compensation expenses) for our research and development
personnel, engineering charges related to product design, purchases of materials and supplies, repairs and maintenance and depreciation
related expenses.
Selling, general and administrative. Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries, bonuses and other
benefits (including stock-based compensation expenses) for our administrative, sales and marketing personnel, expenses for professional
services, which include fees and expenses for accounting, legal, tax and valuation services, amortization and depreciation related expenses,
marketing related travel, lease expenses, entertainment expenses, allowance for doubtful accounts and general office related expenses, as well
as compensation to our directors. We expect our selling, general and administrative expenses to decrease as we continue to implement cost
reduction initiatives, such as spending controls, and as we continue to streamline our operations.
Gain on disposal of long-lived assets, net. We recognized a gain of $49 thousand and zero on the disposal of long-lived assets for the
years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Due to the excess capacity charges that we have suffered for many years, considering
the risk of technological obsolescence and according to the production plan built based on our sales forecast, we disposed of a certain level
of our idle equipment.
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Other Income (Expense)
Interest expenses, net. Interest expenses, net consist of interest income and interest expense. Interest income represents interest earned
from our cash and cash equivalents deposited with commercial banks in the United States and Taiwan. As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, we
had cash and cash equivalents of $1.7 million and $2.6 million, respectively, which consisted of time deposits with initial maturity of greater
than three months but less than one year. Interest expense consists primarily of interest on our convertible notes and long-term borrowings
and/or short-term lines of credit with certain banks in Taiwan as well as with our Chairman and largest stockholder. We had long-term debt
totaling $3.7 million and $6.4 million as of August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Other income, net. Other income for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 primarily consists of rental income from the lease of
spare space in our Hsinchu building.
Foreign currency transaction gain (loss), net. We recognized foreign currency transaction loss of $13 thousand and $52 thousand for
the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, primarily due to the appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the NT dollar from bank
deposits and accounts payable held by Taiwan SemiLEDs and Taiwan Bandaoti Zhaoming Co., Ltd. in currency other than the functional
currency of such subsidiaries.
Provision for Income Taxes
United States tax treatment. We and one of our subsidiaries, Helios Crew, are United States corporations and are therefore required to
file federal income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service as well as with certain applicable state tax authorities. As our operations in
the United States have been minimal, we have not to date recorded nor paid any significant federal or state corporate income tax.
We have investments in controlled foreign corporations and affiliates, which under Subpart F of the United States Internal Revenue
Code, or Subpart F, may under certain circumstances subject our investments in controlled foreign corporations and affiliates to taxation in
the United States. Subpart F provides that United States corporations may be required to include in their income certain undistributed earnings
of the foreign corporations and affiliates as though such earnings had been distributed currently. Subpart F applies only to United States
shareholders (such as us) who hold an interest in a foreign corporation and affiliates that meet the definition of a “controlled foreign
corporation.” Under Section 957(a) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, a “controlled foreign corporation” means any foreign
corporation if more than 50% of either (i) the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of such corporation entitled to vote, or (ii)
the total value of the stock of such corporation, is owned by “United States Shareholders” on any day during the foreign corporation’s taxable
year.
Subpart F does not apply, however, to the income of a controlled foreign corporation generated from the sale of goods that are
manufactured in its country of incorporation. Also, any income attributable to a controlled foreign corporation and its affiliates that is not
engaged in a United States trade or business is generally not subject to United States taxation until its earnings are distributed, or the stock of
the foreign corporation is disposed. All of our products are manufactured in Taiwan by Taiwan SemiLEDs, our wholly owned foreign
subsidiary. Because Taiwan SemiLEDs conducts its manufacturing activities in Taiwan, the income or loss of Taiwan SemiLEDs is included
in our consolidated financial statements, but is not considered taxable income for United States taxation purposes pursuant to Section
954(d)(1)(A) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. This generally enables a United States taxpayer, such as us, to indefinitely defer
United States taxation on the profits earned by its controlled foreign corporations and affiliates by retaining the earnings in such entities. We
do not currently have any plans to repatriate any of our retained earnings from any of our controlled foreign subsidiaries or affiliates and we
do not currently have any plans to declare or pay any dividends from such entities.
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was adopted, which among other effects, reduced the U.S. federal corporate
income tax rate to 21% from 34% (or 35% in certain cases) beginning in 2018, requires companies to pay a one-time transition tax on certain
unrepatriated earnings from non-U.S. subsidiaries that is payable over eight years, makes the receipt of future non-U.S. sourced income of
non-U.S. subsidiaries tax-free to U.S. companies and creates a new minimum tax on the earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries relating to the
parent’s deductions for payments to the subsidiaries. Our provisional estimate is that no tax will be due under this provision.
The current presidential administration in the United States modified the rules governing taxation of controlled foreign corporations
and affiliates and any such changes were not expected to result in our having to pay applicable taxes in the United States on income earned
by such entities.
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32
Taiwan tax treatment. The corporate income tax rate in Taiwan is 20% for the year ended August 31, 2024 and 2023. Corporate income
taxes payable, however, are subject to an alternative minimum tax. The Taiwan government enacted the Taiwan Alternative Minimum Tax
Act, or the AMT Act, on January 1, 2006. Under the AMT Act, a taxpayer must pay the higher of its taxable income multiplied by the
corporate income tax rate or the alternative minimum tax, or AMT. In calculating the AMT amount, the taxpayer must include income that
would otherwise be exempt from taxation pursuant to various tax holidays or investment tax credits, other than certain exemptions or tax
credits that have been grandfathered for the purposes of calculating AMT. The AMT rate for business entities is 12%. In addition to the
statutory corporate taxes payable, or the AMT, corporate taxpayers in Taiwan are subject to an additional tax on distributable retained earnings
(after statutory legal reserves) to the extent that such earnings are not distributed prior to the end of the subsequent year. This undistributed
earnings surtax is determined in the subsequent year when the distribution plan relating to earnings attributable to the prior year is approved
by a company’s stockholders and is payable in the subsequent year. The surtax rate has been reduced from 10% to 5%, starting applicable to
the undistributed retained earnings of the year ended August 31, 2019. Because most of our subsidiaries in Taiwan incurred losses before
income tax for both our fiscal year 2024 and 2023, we do not expect to pay such taxes on undistributed earnings.
In addition, in accordance with the Taiwan Income Tax Act, dividends distributed by companies incorporated in accordance with the
Taiwan Company Act shall be deemed as income derived from sources in Taiwan and income taxes shall be levied on the shareholders
receiving such dividends. In the event that a Taiwan incorporated company distributes dividends to its foreign shareholders, it will be required
to withhold tax payable by the foreign shareholders at the time of payment at a rate of 20% or a lower tax treaty rate if applicable. Therefore,
dividends received from our subsidiaries in Taiwan, if any, will be subjected to withholding tax under Taiwan law.
As of August 31, 2024, we had total foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $37 million, arising primarily from certain of our
consolidated and majority owned subsidiaries in Taiwan, which will expire in various amounts in future years. Pursuant to the Taiwan Income
Tax Act, as amended in January 2009, net operating loss carryforwards can be carried forward for a period of ten years.
Income Taxes
We are subject to income taxes in both the United States and foreign jurisdictions. Significant management judgment is required in
determining our income taxes, our deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance recorded against our net deferred tax assets.
Our deferred tax assets represent future tax benefits to be received when certain expenses previously recognized in our consolidated statements
of operations become deductible expenses under applicable income tax laws or when loss or credit carryforwards are utilized. Realization of
these deferred tax assets is dependent on our ability to earn future taxable income against which these deductions, losses and credits can be
utilized. Therefore, we assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and, to the extent we
believe that recovery is not more likely than not, a valuation allowance is established. These estimates and judgments about our future taxable
income are based on assumptions that are consistent with our future plans. A net cumulative loss in recent years is a significant piece of
negative evidence in determining the realization of the benefits of deferred tax assets. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected
in the period in which the change in judgment occurs. We have provided a full valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets because our
cumulative losses in recent years causes us to believe that realization of our deferred tax assets is not more likely than not.
Inventory Valuation
Inventories consist of raw materials, work in process and finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. We
determine cost using a weighted average. For work in process and manufactured inventories, cost consists of raw materials, direct labor and
an allocated portion of our production overhead. At each balance sheet date, we evaluate our ending inventories for excess quantities and
obsolescence, and we write down our inventory to its estimated net realizable value based upon assumptions about future demand and market
conditions. Our estimation of future demand is primarily based on the backlog of customer orders as of the balance sheet date and projections
based on our actual historical sales trends and customers’ demand forecast. We evaluated our inventories on an individual item basis. For our
finished goods and work in process, if the estimated net realizable value for an inventory item, which is the estimated selling price in the
ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs to completion and disposal, is lower than its cost, the specific inventory item is
written down to its estimated net realizable value. Market for raw materials is based on replacement cost. We also write down items that are
considered obsolete based upon changes in customer demand, manufacturing process changes or new product introductions that may eliminate
demand for the product. Once written down, inventories are carried at this lower amount until sold or scrapped. Provisions for inventory
write-downs are included in our costs of revenues in the consolidated statements of operations. There is significant judgment involved with
the estimates of excess and obsolescence and if our estimates regarding customer demand or other factors are inaccurate or actual market
conditions or technological changes are less favorable than those estimated by management, additional future inventory write-downs may be
required that could adversely affect our operating results. Inventory write-downs totaled $411 thousand and $627 thousand for the years ended
August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. A majority of our inventory write-downs during the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 was
related to finished goods and work in process, primarily as a result of obsolescence.
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33
Useful Life of Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation on property, plant and
equipment is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized
using the straight-line method over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the asset. We make estimates of the useful life
of our property, plant and equipment in order to determine depreciation expense to be recorded each reporting period based on similar assets
purchased in the past and our historical experience with such similar assets, as well anticipated technological or market changes. The estimated
useful life of our property, plant and equipment directly impacts the timing of when our depreciation expense is recognized. There is
significant judgment involved with estimating the useful lives of our property, plant and equipment, and a change in the estimates of such
useful lives could cause our depreciation expense in future periods to increase significantly.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
In assessing the recoverability of our long-lived assets, we first, determine whether indicators of impairment are present. Circumstances
such as the discontinuation of a product or product line, a sudden or consistent decline in the forecast for a product, changes in technology or
in the way an asset is being used, a history of negative operating cash flow, or an adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate,
among others, may trigger an impairment review. Second, if we determine that indicators of impairment are present, we determine whether
the estimated undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated from the use and eventual disposal of the potentially impaired assets (or asset
group) are less than the carrying amount. Third, if such estimated undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying amount, we estimate
the fair value of the asset (or asset group) and recognize an impairment charge if the carrying amount is greater than the fair value of the asset
(or asset group). Fair value is determined through various valuation techniques, including discounted cash flow models, quoted market values
and third-party independent appraisers, as considered necessary. We group our long-lived assets with other assets and liabilities at the lowest
level for which identifiable cash flows are generated, or an asset group. We determined that we have two asset groups for impairment testing
purposes, one of which is associated with the manufacture and sale of LED chips and LED components, and the other is associated with our
Ning Xiang subsidiary, which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of lighting fixtures and systems.
The estimates of future cash flows involve subjective judgments and represent our best estimate at each date of assessment about future
developments, determined based on reasonable and supportable assumptions and projections taking into account past experience, as well as
market data obtained from independent external sources. The use of different assumptions could increase or decrease the estimates of expected
future cash flows and consequently, increase or decrease the related impairment charges. For example, if the average selling prices continue
to decline beyond the assumptions used in our forecast of future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset groups, or if demand for
our LED products does not grow as we anticipate, or if utilization rates are lower than anticipated, it is reasonably possible that the estimate
of expected future cash flows may change in the near term resulting in the need to adjust our determination of fair value.
For the year ended August 31, 2024, lower than projected sales of our LED products and lower market capitalization compared to our
consolidated net book values again indicated potential impairment of our long-lived assets. We projected undiscounted future cash flows to
analyze potential impairment, based upon a variety of factors, including primarily our continuous efforts to suppress gross loss from chip
sales and the cooperation model discussed with other parties, considering all known trends and uncertainties. The significant assumptions
used in determining the estimated undiscounted cash flows for the LED chips and components asset group were revised to reflect the new
operation status. Based on the assessment, the expected undiscounted cash flows to be generated by this asset group exceeded its carrying
value. Consequently, no asset impairment was recognized during the year ended August 31, 2024.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We believe that the application of the following accounting policies, which are important to our financial position and results of
operations, require significant judgments and estimates on the part of management. For a summary of our significant accounting policies,
including the accounting policies discussed below, see Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes the amount of revenue when the Company satisfies a performance obligation to which it expects to be entitled
for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The Company obtains written purchase authorizations from its customers as
evidence of an arrangement and these authorizations generally provide for a specified amount of product at a fixed price. Generally, the
Company considers delivery to have occurred at the time of shipment as this is generally when title and risk of loss for the products will pass
to the customer. The Company provides its customers with limited rights of return for non-conforming shipments and product warranty
claims. Based on historical return percentages, which have not been material to date, and other relevant factors, the Company estimates its
potential future exposure on recorded product sales, which reduces product revenues in the consolidated statements of operations and reduces
accounts receivable in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company also provides standard product warranties on its products, which
generally range from three months to two years. Management estimates the Company’s warranty obligations as a percentage of revenues,
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34
based on historical knowledge of warranty costs and other relevant factors. To date, the related estimated warranty provisions have been
insignificant. Refer to Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for our revenue recognition policies.
Accounts Receivable
The allowance for doubtful accounts is based on management’s assessment of the collectability of customer accounts. Management
regularly reviews the allowance by considering certain factors such as historical experience, industry data, credit quality, age of accounts
receivable balances and current economic conditions that may affect a customer’s ability to pay. No bad debt expenses were recognized
during the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023.
Write-down of Inventories
The Company writes down excess and obsolete inventory to its estimated net realizable value. The net realized value of inventories is
the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business less the estimated costs of completion and disposal. The estimation of net realized
value is based on current market conditions and historical experience with product sales of similar nature. Changes in market conditions may
have a material impact on the estimation of the net realizable value. For finished goods and work in process, if the estimated net realizable
value for an inventory item, which is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predicable costs to
completion and disposal, is lower than its cost, the specific inventory item is written down to its estimated net realizable value. Net realizable
value for raw materials is based on replacement cost. Provisions for inventory write downs are included in cost of revenues in the consolidated
statements of operations. Once written down, inventories are carried at this lower cost basis until sold or scrapped. Inventory write-downs to
estimated net realizable values for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 were $411 thousand and $627 thousand, respectively.
Exchange Rate Information
We are a Delaware corporation and, under SEC requirements, must report our financial position, results of operations and cash flows
in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP. At the same time, our subsidiaries
use the local currency as their functional currency. For example, the functional currency for Taiwan SemiLEDs is the NT dollar. The assets
and liabilities of the subsidiaries are, therefore, translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at each balance sheet date, and income
and expense accounts are translated at average exchange rates during the period. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded to a
separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within equity. Any gains and losses from transactions denominated
in currencies other than their functional currencies are recognized in the consolidated statements of operations as a separate component of
other income (expense). Due to exchange rate fluctuations, such translated amounts may vary from quarter to quarter even in circumstances
where such amounts have not materially changed when denominated in their functional currencies.
The translations from NT dollars to U.S. dollars were made at the exchange rates set forth in the statistical release of the Bank of
Taiwan. On August 31, 2024 the exchange rate was 31.94 NT dollars to one U.S. dollar. On November 20, 2024, the exchange rate was 32.5
NT dollars to one U.S. dollar.
No representation is made that the NT dollar or U.S. dollar amounts referred to herein could have been or could be converted into U.S.
dollars or NT dollars, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.
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35
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth, for the periods presented, our consolidated statements of operations information. In the table below and
throughout this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” the following consolidated
statement of operations data for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements
included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The information contained in the table below should be read in conjunction with
our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Annual
Report on Form 10-K. The historical results presented below are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future
period:
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
% of
% of
$
Revenues
$
Revenues
(in thousands)
Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:
Revenues, net
$
5,183
100 % $
5,979
100 %
Cost of revenues
4,130
80 %
4,972
83 %
Gross profit
1,053
20 %
1,007
17 %
Operating expenses:
Research and development
1,160
22 %
1,353
23 %
Selling, general and administrative
2,891
56 %
3,058
51 %
Gain on disposals of long-lived assets, net
(49)
(1) %
-
— %
Total operating expenses
4,002
77 %
4,411
74 %
Loss from operations
(2,949)
(57) %
(3,404)
(57) %
Other income (expenses):
Investments loss
(3)
— %
(1)
— %
Interest expenses, net
(247)
(5) %
(287)
(5) %
Other income, net
1,181
23 %
1,054
18 %
Foreign currency transaction loss, net
(13)
— %
(52)
(1) %
Total other income, net
918
18 %
714
12 %
Loss before income taxes
(2,031)
(39) %
(2,690)
(45) %
Income tax expense
—
—
—
—
Net loss
(2,031)
(39) %
(2,690)
(45) %
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
5
— %
—
— %
Net loss attributable to SemiLEDs stockholders
$
(2,036)
(39) % $
(2,690)
(45) %
Year Ended August 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended August 31, 2023
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
% of
% of
Change
Change
$
Revenues
$
Revenues
$
%
(in thousands)
LED chips
$
93
2 % $
111
2 % $
(18)
(16) %
LED components
2,656
51 %
3,345
56 %
(689)
(21) %
Lighting products
212
4 %
321
5 %
(109)
(34) %
Other revenues (1)
2,222
43 %
2,202
37 %
20
1 %
Total revenues, net
5,183
100 %
5,979
100 %
(796)
(13) %
Cost of revenues
4,130
80 %
4,972
83 %
(842)
(17) %
Gross profit
$
1,053
20 % $
1,007
17 % $
46
5 %
(1) Other includes primarily revenues attributable to the sale of epitaxial wafers, scraps and raw materials, the provision of services and
the lease of manufacturing as well as research and development facilities.
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36
Revenues, net
Our revenues decreased by 13% from $6.0 million for the year ended August 31, 2023 to $5.2 million for the year ended August 31,
2024. The decrease in revenues was driven primarily by a $689 thousand decrease in sales of LED components, a $109 thousand decrease in
sales of LED lighting products and a $18 thousand decrease in sales of LED chips, offset by a $20 thousand increase in other revenues.
Revenues attributable to the sales of our LED components were $2.7 million and $3.3 million, representing 51% and 56% of our
revenues for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease in sales of LED components was primarily due to less
volumes sold.
Revenues attributable to the sales of lighting products were $212 thousand and $321 thousand, representing 4% and 5% of our revenues
for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease in sales of lighting products was mainly due to less demand for
LED lighting products.
Revenues attributable to the sales of our LED chips were $93 thousand and $111 thousand, representing 2% of our revenues for both
the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023. The slight decrease was primarily due to a lower volumes of LED chips sold in the fiscal year
ended August 31, 2024.
Revenues attributable to other revenues represented 43% and 37% of our revenues for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023,
respectively. The increase in other revenues was primarily due to the provision of services and the sale of raw materials.
We have adopted a strategy to adjust our product mix by exiting certain high volume but low unit selling price product lines in response
to the general trend of lower average selling prices for products that have been available in the market for some time and to focus on the
profitable products.
Cost of Revenues
Our cost of revenues decreased by 17% from $5.0 million for the year ended August 31, 2023 to $4.1 million for the year ended August
31, 2024. The decrease in cost of revenues was primarily due to a decrease in the volume of products sold. Inventory write-downs totaled
$411 thousand and $627 thousand for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. A majority of our inventory write-downs
during the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 was related to finished goods and work in process, primarily as a result of obsolescence.
Gross Profit
Our gross profit increased from $1.0 million for the year ended August 31, 2023 to $1.1 million for the year ended August 31, 2024.
Our gross margin percentage was 20% for the year ended August 31, 2024, as compared to 17% for the year ended August 31, 2023 as a
result of an increase in other revenues.
Operating Expenses
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
% of
% of
Change
Change
$
Revenues
$
Revenues
$
%
(in thousands)
Research and development
$
1,160
22 % $
1,353
23 % $
(193)
(14) %
Selling, general and administrative
2,891
56 %
3,058
51 %
(167)
(5) %
Gain on disposals of long-lived assets, net
(49)
(1 ) %
—
— %
(49)
— %
Total operating expenses
$
4,002
77 % $
4,411
74 % $
(409)
(9) %
Research and development. Our research and development expenses were $1.2 million and $1.4 million for the year ended August 31,
2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease was primarily due to a $124 thousand decrease in payroll expense and a $64 thousand decrease in
materials and supplies.
Selling, general and administrative. Our selling, general and administrative expenses were $2.9 million and $3.1 million for the years
ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease was mainly attributable to a $116 thousand decrease in payroll expense, a $15
thousand decrease in insurance expenses, a $10 thousand decrease in repair and maintenance expense and a $8 thousand decrease in employee
benefit.
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37
Gain on disposal of long-lived assets, net. We recognized a gain of $49 thousand and zero on the disposal of long-lived assets for the
years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Due to the excess capacity charges that we have suffered for many years, and considering
the risk of technological obsolescence and according to the production plan built based on our sales forecast, we disposed of certain of our
idle equipment.
Other Income (Expenses)
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
% of
% of
$
Revenues
$
Revenues
(in thousands)
Investment loss from unconsolidated entities
$
(3)
— % $
(1)
— %
Interest expenses, net
(247)
(5) %
(287)
(5) %
Other income, net
1,181
23 %
1,054
18 %
Foreign currency transaction loss, net
(13)
— %
(52)
(1) %
Total other income, net
$
918
18 % $
714
12 %
Investment loss from unconsolidated entities. Investment loss from unconsolidated entities increased from $1 thousand for the year
ended August 31, 2023 to $3 thousand for the year ended August 31, 2024, primarily due to the increased losses of the unconsolidated entities.
Interest expenses, net. Interest expenses, net primarily consisted of accrued interest payments on convertible notes, NT dollar
denominated long-term notes and $2.4 million of loans with our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and our largest shareholder. The
decrease in interest expense, net was primarily due to lower outstanding debt.
Other income, net. Other income, net increased from $1.1 million for the year ended August 31, 2023 to $1.2 million for the year ended
August 31, 2024.
Foreign currency transaction loss, net. We recognized a net foreign currency transaction loss of $13 thousand and a net foreign
currency transaction loss of $52 thousand for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, primarily due to the appreciation of
the U.S. dollar against the NT dollar from bank deposits and accounts payables held by Taiwan SemiLEDs and Taiwan Bandaoti Zhaoming
Co., Ltd. in currency other than the functional currency of such subsidiaries.
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
Our effective tax rate is expected to be approximately zero for both fiscal year 2024 and 2023, since Taiwan SemiLEDs incurred losses,
and because we provided a full valuation allowance on all deferred tax assets, which consisted primarily of net operating loss carryforwards
and foreign investment loss.
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, we recognized full valuation allowances of $13.6 million and $23.8 million, respectively, on our net
deferred tax assets to reflect uncertainties related to our ability to utilize these deferred tax assets, which consist primarily of certain net
operating loss carryforwards and foreign investment loss. We considered both positive and negative evidence, including forecasts of future
taxable income and our cumulative loss position, and continued to report a full valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets as of both
August 31, 2024 and 2023. We continue to review all available positive and negative evidence in each jurisdiction and our valuation allowance
may need to be adjusted in the future as a result of this ongoing review. Given the magnitude of our valuation allowance, future adjustments
to this allowance based on actual results could result in a significant adjustment to our results of operations.
As of August 31, 2024, we had U.S. federal net operating loss (“NOLs”) carryforwards of $4.3 million, which will expire in various
amounts beginning in our fiscal 2025. NOLs generated in tax years prior to August 31, 2018 can be carried forward for twenty years, whereas
NOLs generated after August 31, 2018 can be carried forward indefinitely. Utilization of these net operating losses carryforwards may be
subject to an annual limitation due to applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and local tax laws if we have experienced an
“ownership change” in the past, or if an ownership change occurs in the future.
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38
As of August 31, 2024, we had total foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $37 million, arising primarily from certain of our
consolidated and majority owned subsidiaries in Taiwan. Pursuant to the Taiwan Income TaxAct, as amended in January 2009, net operating
losses carryforwards can be carried forward for a period of ten years.
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
% of
% of
$
Revenues
$
Revenues
(in thousands)
Net Income attributable to noncontrolling interests
$
5
— % $
—
— %
We recognized $5 thousand net income attributable to non-controlling interests and zero net loss attributable to non-controlling interests
for the year ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, which was attributable to the share of the net income of Taiwan Bandaoti Zhaoming
Co., Ltd. held by the non-controlling holders. Non-controlling interests represented 2.63% equity interest in Taiwan Bandaoti Zhaoming Co.,
Ltd. for both the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
This section includes a discussion and analysis of our cash requirements, contingencies, sources and uses of cash, operations, working
capital and long-term assets and liabilities.
Contingencies
We have several operating leases with third parties, primarily for land, plant and office spaces in Taiwan, including cancellable and
noncancelable leases that expire at various dates between December 2024 and December 2040. See Note 6, "Commitments and
Contingencies" in the notes to our audited consolidated financial statements in this Form 10-K.
Sources and Uses of Cash
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $1.7 million and $2.6 million, respectively, which were
predominately held in U.S. dollar denominated demand deposits and/or money market funds. We require cash to fund our operating expenses,
working capital requirements and service our debts, including principal and interest.
Long-term assets and liabilities
Our long-term assets consist primarily of property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, operating lease assets and investments in
unconsolidated entities. Our manufacturing rationalization plans have included efforts to utilize our existing manufacturing assets and supply
arrangements more efficiently. We believe that near-term access to additional manufacturing capacity, should it be required, could be readily
obtained on reasonable terms through manufacturing agreements with third parties. We will continue to look for opportunities to make
strategic manufacturing in the future for additional capacity.
Our long-term liabilities consist primarily long-term debt and operating lease liabilities.
Our long-term debt, which consisted of NT dollar denominated long-term notes, convertible unsecured promissory notes, and loans
from our Chairman and our largest shareholder, totaled $3.7 million and $6.4 million as of August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Our NT dollar denominated long-term notes, totaled $1.3 million and $1.8 million as of August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. These
long-term notes consisted of two loans which we entered into on July 5, 2019, with aggregate amounts of $3.2 million (NT$100 million). The
first loan originally for $2.0 million (NT$62 million) has an annual floating interest rate equal to the NTD base lending rate plus 0.64% (or
2.415% currently), and was exclusively used to repay the existing loans. The second loan originally for $1.2 million (NT$38 million) has an
annual floating interest rate equal to the NTD base lending rate plus 1.02% (or 2.795% currently) and is available for operating capital. These
loans are secured by an $78 thousand (NT$2.5 million) security deposit and a first priority security interest on the Company’s headquarters
building.
•
Starting from May 2021, the first note payable requires monthly payments of principal in the amount of $25 thousand plus interest
over the 74-month term of the note with final payment to occur in July 2027 and, as of August 31, 2024, our outstanding balance
on this note payable was approximately $820 thousand.
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39
•
Starting from May 2021, the second note payable requires monthly payments of principal in the amount of $15 thousand plus
interest over the 74-month term of the note with final payment to occur in July 2027 and, as of August 31, 2024, our outstanding
balance on this note payable was approximately $503 thousand .
Property, plant and equipment pledged as collateral for our notes payable were $2.0 million and $2.3 million as of August 31, 2024 and
2023, respectively.
On January 8, 2019, we entered into loan agreements with each of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the largest shareholder
of the Company, with aggregate amounts of $1.7 million and $1.5 million, respectively, and an annual interest rate of 8%. All proceeds of
the loans were exclusively used to return the deposit to Formosa Epitaxy Incorporation in connection with the proposed sale of our
headquarters building pursuant to the agreement dated December 15, 2015. We were initially required to repay the loans of $1.5 million on
January 14, 2021 and $1.7 million on January 22, 2021, respectively. On January 16, 2021, the maturity date of these loans was extended
with same terms and interest rate for one year to January 15, 2022, and on January 14, 2022, the maturity date of these loans was extended
again with same terms and interest rate for one more year to January 15, 2023. On January 13, 2023, the maturity date of these loans was
further extended with same terms and interest rate for one year to January 15, 2024.
On January 7, 2024, J.R. Simplot Company assigned and transferred all of its right, title and interest in and to the loan agreement to
Simplot Taiwan Inc., in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions of the loan agreement.
On January 7, 2024, we entered into the Fourth Amendment to the loan agreements with each of Simplot Taiwan Inc. and Trung Doan
(each, a “Fourth Amendment”).
The Fourth Amendment with Simplot Taiwan Inc. (i) extended the maturity date of its loan agreement to January 15, 2025, and (ii)
upon mutual agreement of we and Simplot Taiwan Inc., permitted us to repay any principal amount or accrued interest, in an amount not to
exceed $400,000, by issuing shares of our common stock in the name of Simplot Taiwan Inc. as partial repayment of the loan agreement at a
price per share equal to the closing price of our common stock immediately preceding the business day of the payment notice date. All other
terms and conditions of the loan agreement with Simplot Taiwan Inc. remained the same.
On January 7, 2024, we issued 305,343 shares of our common stock at a price of $1.31 per share to repay $400,000 of accrued interest
on the Loan Agreement with Simplot Taiwan Inc. The shares of common stock were issued in reliance on Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended.
The Fourth Amendment to the loan agreement with Trung Doan amends the loan agreement’s maturity date with same terms and
interest rate to January 15, 2025. All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement with Trung Doan remained the same.
On February 9, 2024, we and Trung Doan entered into the Fifth Amendment to the loan agreement (the “Fifth Amendment”). The Fifth
Amendment, upon the mutual agreement of we and Trung Doan, permitted us to repay any principal amount or accrued interest, in an amount
not to exceed $800,000, by issuing shares of our common stock to Trung Doan as partial repayment of the loan agreement at a price per share
equal to the closing price of our common stock immediately preceding the business day of the payment notice date.
On February 9, 2024, we repaid $800,000 of loan principal by delivering 629,921 shares of our common stock to Mr. Doan, based on
the closing price of $1.27 per share on February 8, 2024. The shares of common stock were issued on February 9, 2024 in reliance on Section
4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On July 3, 2024, we and Trung Doan entered into the Sixth Amendment to the loan agreement (the “Sixth Amendment”). The Sixth
Amendment amended the loan agreement to permit, upon the mutual agreement of we and Trung Doan, us to repay a portion of the principal
amount or accrued interest under the loan agreement, by issuing shares of our common stock to Trung Doan as partial repayment of the loan
agreement at a price per share equal to the closing price of our common stock immediately preceding the business day of the payment notice
date. All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement, as amended by the Sixth Amendment, remained the same.
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, these loans totaled $2.4 million and $3.2 million, respectively. The loans are secured by a second
priority security interest on our headquarters building.
On November 25, 2019 and on December 10, 2019, we issued convertible unsecured promissory notes (the “Notes”) to J.R. Simplot
Company, its largest shareholder, and Trung Doan, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, (together, the “Holders”) with a principal sum
of $1.5 million and $500 thousand, respectively, and an annual interest rate of 3.5%. Principal and accrued interest is due on demand by the
Holders on and at any time after May 30, 2021. On February 7, 2020, J.R. Simplot Company assigned all of its right, title and interest in the
Notes to Simplot Taiwan Inc. The outstanding principal and unpaid accrued interest of the Notes may be converted into shares of our common
stock at a conversion price of $3.00 per share, at the option of the Holders any time from the date of the Notes. On May 25, 2020, each of the
Holders converted $300,000 of the Notes into 100,000 shares of our common stock. On May 26, 2021, the Notes were extended with the
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40
same terms and interest rate for one year and a maturity date of May 30, 2022. On May 26, 2022, the Notes were second extended with the
same terms and interest rate for one year and a maturity date of May 30, 2023. On June 6, 2023, we entered into the Third Amendment to the
Notes (the “Third Amendments”) to amend the Notes to (i) extend the maturity date from May 30, 2023 to May 30, 2024, and (ii) change the
conversion price from $3.00 to $2.046 per share. All other terms and conditions of the Notes remained the same.
After the close of market on January 5, 2024, we entered into the Fourth Amendment to the Notes (the “Note Fourth Amendments”) to
amend the Notes to (i) convert the total principal and accrued interest on the Notes to our common stock to be issued in the names of the
Holders, and (ii) change the conversion price of the Notes from $2.046 per share to the closing price immediately preceding the signing of
the Note Fourth Amendments, or $1.31 per share. All other terms and conditions of the Notes remained the same.
On January 5, 2024, the Holders converted the total principal and accrued interest of the Notes, in an aggregate amount of $1,608,848,
to 1,228,128 shares of our common stock at a conversion price of $1.31 per share.
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, the outstanding principal of these notes totaled zero and $1.4 million, respectively.
Working Capital
We have incurred significant losses since inception, including net losses attributable to SemiLEDs stockholders of $2.0 million and
$2.7 million during the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023. Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended August 31, 2024 was
$365 thousand. As of August 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $1.7 million. We have undertaken actions to decrease losses
incurred and implemented cost reduction programs in an effort to transform the Company into a profitable operation. In addition, we are
planning to issue additional equity to our stockholders.
We estimate that our cash requirements to service debt and contractual obligations in fiscal 2025 is approximately $3.4 million, which
we expect to fund through the issuance of additional equity to repay principal and accrued interest and through loan extensions. Based on our
current financial projections and assuming the successful implementation of our liquidity plans, we believe that we will have sufficient sources
of liquidity to fund our operations and capital expenditure plans for the next 12 months and beyond. The remaining loans with each of our
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and our largest shareholder are expected to be extended upon maturity. However, there can be no
assurances that our planned activities will be successful in raising additional capital, reducing losses and preserving cash. If we are not able
to generate positive cash flows from operations, we may need to consider alternative financing sources and seek additional funds through
public or private equity financings or from other sources, or refinance our indebtedness, to support our working capital requirements or for
other purposes. There can be no assurance that additional debt or equity financing will be available to us or that, if available, such financing
will be available on terms favorable to us.
We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial
conditions, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that
is material to our common stock.
Cash Flows
The following summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated has been derived from our consolidated financial statements, which
are included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (in thousands):
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
Net cash used in operating activities
$
(365) $
(984 )
Net cash used in investing activities
$
(101) $
(321 )
Net cash used in financing activities
$
(449) $
(456 )
Cash Flows Used in Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 was $365 thousand and $984 thousand, respectively.
The decrease in cash flows used in operating activities was primary attributable to a decrease in net loss of $659 thousand and a decrease in
inventory of $1.0 million, partially offset by an increase in depreciation and amortization of $396 thousand, stock-based compensation
expense of $236 thousand and accounts payable of $447 thousand.
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41
Cash Flows Used in Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 was $101 thousand and $321 thousand, respectively.
The decrease in cash flows used in investing activities was primary attributable to a decrease in cash used in the purchase of machinery and
equipment of $78 thousand and a decrease in cash used in proceeds from sales of property, plant and equipment of $51 thousand.
Cash Flows Used in Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 was $449 thousand and $456 thousand, respectively.
The decrease in cash flows used in financing activities was primary attributable to a decrease in cash used in repayment of long-term debt of
$7 thousand.
Capital Expenditures
We had capital expenditures of $123 thousand and $200 thousand for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our
capital expenditures consisted primarily of the purchases of machinery and equipment, construction in progress, prepayments for our
manufacturing facilities and prepayments for equipment purchases. We expect to continue investing in capital expenditures in the future as
we expand our business operations and invest in such expansion of our production capacity as we deem appropriate under market conditions
and customer demand. However, in response to controlling capital costs and maintaining financial flexibility, our management continues to
monitor prices and, consistent with its existing contractual commitments, may decrease its activity level and capital expenditures as
appropriate.
Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
Please refer to ‘Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Recent Accounting Pronouncements’ for more details.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Not applicable.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Pages
41-42
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM (PCAOB ID: 2851)
Page
43
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS AS OF AUGUST 31, 2024 AND 2023
Page
44
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE YEARS ENDED AUGUST 31,
2024 AND 2023
Page
45
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS FOR THE YEARS ENDED
AUGUST 31, 2024 AND 2023
Page
46
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY FOR THE YEARS ENDED
AUGUST 31, 2024 AND 2023
Page
47
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEARS ENDED AUGUST 31,
2024 AND 2023
Pages
48
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
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42
Audit • Tax • Consulting • Financial Advisory
Registered with Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the stockholders and the board of directors of SemiLEDs Corporation
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of SemiLEDs Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of August 31,
2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss, changes in equity, and cash flows for the years then ended,
and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present
fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of August 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash
flows for the years then ended, in conformity with the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Consideration of the Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. As described in
Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company incurred recurring losses from operations and has an accumulated deficit, which raises substantial
doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans with regard to these matters are described in Note 2. The accompanying
consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the
Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal
securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The
Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we
are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness
of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error
or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts
and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable
basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated
or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements
and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any
way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a
separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Critical Audit Matter Description
As described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s revenue is derived from the delivery of its products. The sale of
products by the Company is considered complete when the products are delivered at that time the ownership and risk of loss have been transferred
to the customer.
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43
The Company considers the contracts with its customer contain one performance obligation, and the Company is entitled to the consideration when
performance obligation is satisfied at a point in time. The amount of revenue to be recognized is determined by the contracts between the Company
and its customer. The Company recognizes revenue when the product is delivered.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to revenue recognition, specifically the identification and
evaluation of the timing and amount of revenue recognition, is a critical audit matter, involved judgment exercised by management in identifying
and evaluating the performance obligation. Auditor judgement is involved in performing our audit procedures to evaluate whether the timing and
amount of revenue recognition was appropriately stated.
How the Critical Audit Matter Will Be Addressed in the Audit
Our audit procedures over determining the timing and amount of revenue recognition involved, among others, evaluation of management’s
assessment in regard to the identification of performance obligation of revenue. We selected customer agreements and performed the following
procedures:
-
Evaluated the terms and conditions of each selected contract and the appropriateness of the accounting treatment within the context
of the five-step model prescribed by ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and evaluated whether management’s
conclusions were appropriate.
-
Tested the accuracy of management’s recognition of revenue for the performance obligation.
/s/ KCCW Accountancy Corp.
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2019.
Diamond Bar, California
November 26, 2024
KCCW Accountancy Corp.
3333 South Brea Canyon Rd. #206, Diamond Bar, CA 91765, USA
Tel: +1 909 348 7228 ● Fax: +1 909 895 4155 ● info@kccwcpa.com
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44
SEMILEDS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands of U.S. dollars and shares, except par value)
August 31,
2024
2023
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents
$
1,671
$
2,572
Restricted cash and cash equivalents
78
78
Accounts receivable (including related parties), net of allowance for doubtful accounts
of $173 as of both August 31, 2024 and 2023)
416
793
Inventories, net
3,574
4,022
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
223
129
Total current assets
5,962
7,594
Property, plant and equipment, net
2,798
3,233
Operating lease right of use assets
1,091
1,371
Intangible assets, net
90
97
Investments in unconsolidated entities
969
974
Other assets
228
186
TOTAL ASSETS
$
11,138
$
13,455
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Current installments of long-term debt
$
2,854
$
5,042
Accounts payable
137
436
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
2,936
2,711
Other payable to related parties
1,001
1,374
Operating lease liabilities, current portion
94
139
Total current liabilities
7,022
9,702
Long-term debt, excluding current installments
870
1,327
Operating lease liabilities, less current portion
997
1,232
Total liabilities
8,889
12,261
Commitments and contingencies (Note 6)
EQUITY:
SemiLEDs stockholders’ equity
Common stock, $0.0000056 par value—7,500 shares authorized; 7,212 shares
and 4,941 shares issued and outstanding as of August 31, 2024 and 2023,
respectively
—
—
Additional paid-in capital
187,337
184,246
Accumulated other comprehensive income
3,545
3,550
Accumulated deficit
(188,681)
(186,645 )
Total SemiLEDs stockholders’ equity
2,201
1,151
Noncontrolling interests
48
43
Total equity
2,249
1,194
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
$
11,138
$
13,455
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
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45
SEMILEDS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands of U.S. dollars and shares, except per share data)
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
Revenues, net
$
5,183
$
5,979
Cost of revenues
4,130
4,972
Gross profit
1,053
1,007
Operating expenses:
Research and development
1,160
1,353
Selling, general and administrative
2,891
3,058
Gain on disposals of long-lived assets, net
(49)
—
Total operating expenses
4,002
4,411
Loss from operations
(2,949)
(3,404 )
Other income (expenses):
Investments loss
(3)
(1 )
Interest expenses, net
(247)
(287 )
Other income, net
1,181
1,054
Foreign currency transaction loss, net
(13)
(52 )
Total other income, net
918
714
Loss before income taxes
(2,031)
(2,690 )
Income tax expense
—
—
Net loss
(2,031)
(2,690 )
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
5
—
Net loss attributable to SemiLEDs stockholders
$
(2,036) $
(2,690 )
Net loss per share attributable to SemiLEDs stockholders:
Basic and diluted
$
(0.32) $
(0.55 )
Shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to SemiLEDs stockholders:
Basic and diluted
6,320
4,881
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
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46
SEMILEDS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(In thousands of U.S. dollars)
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
Net loss
$
(2,031) $
(2,690 )
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax of $0 for both periods
(5)
(149 )
Comprehensive loss
(2,036)
(2,839 )
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests
5
(2 )
Comprehensive loss attributable to SemiLEDs stockholders
$
(2,041) $
(2,837 )
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
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47
SEMILEDS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
(In thousands of U.S. dollars and shares)
Accumulated
Total
Additional
Other
SemiLEDs
Non-
Common Stock
Paid-in
Comprehensive
Accumulated
Stockholders’
Controlling
Total
Shares
Amount
Capital
Income
Deficit
Equity
Interests
Equity
BALANCE—September 1, 2022
4,832
$ —
$ 183,711
$
3,697
$ (183,955) $
3,453
$
45
$
3,498
Issuance of common stock under equity
incentive plans
109
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Stock-based compensation
—
—
518
—
—
518
—
518
Convertible notes equity component
—
—
17
—
—
17
—
17
Comprehensive loss
—
Other comprehensive loss
—
—
—
(147)
—
(147)
(2 )
(149)
Net loss
—
—
—
—
(2,690)
(2,690)
—
(2,690)
BALANCE—August 31, 2023
4,941
—
184,246
3,550
(186,645)
1,151
43
1,194
Issuance of common stock under equity
incentive plans
108
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Stock-based compensation
—
—
282
—
—
282
—
282
Conversion of convertible notes payable to
common stock
1,228
—
1,609
—
—
1,609
—
1,609
Issuance of common stock to repay long-term
loan
935
—
1,200
—
—
1,200
—
1,200
Comprehensive loss
Other comprehensive loss
—
—
—
(5)
—
(5)
—
(5)
Net (loss) income
—
—
—
—
(2,036)
(2,036)
5
(2,031)
BALANCE—August 31, 2024
7,212
$ —
$ 187,337
$
3,545
$ (188,681) $
2,201
$
48
$
2,249
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
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48
SEMILEDS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands of U.S. dollars)
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net loss
$
(2,031) $
(2,690 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
612
1,003
Stock-based compensation expense
282
518
Provisions for inventory write-downs
411
627
Loss on disposal of patents
—
3
Loss from unconsolidated entities
3
—
Gain on disposals of long-lived assets, net
(49)
—
Changes in :
Accounts receivable
460
(147 )
Inventories
28
(1,008 )
Prepaid expenses and other assets
14
155
Accounts payable
(289)
157
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
194
398
Net cash used in operating activities
(365)
(984 )
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment
(123)
(200 )
Proceeds from sales of property, plant and equipment
51
—
Payments to acquire equity method investments
—
(93 )
Payments for development of intangible assets
(29)
(28 )
Net cash used in investing activities
(101)
(321 )
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Repayments of long-term debt
(449)
(456 )
Net cash used in financing activities
(449)
(456 )
Changes in cash balance included in deconsolidated subsidiaries
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
14
50
NET DECREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
(901)
(1,711 )
CASH, AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH—Beginning of year
2,741
4,452
CASH, AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH—End of year
$
1,840
$
2,741
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
Cash paid for interest
$
288
$
371
Cash paid for income taxes
$
—
$
—
NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Conversion of convertible notes payable to common stock
$
1,609
$
—
Issuance of common stock to repay long-term loan
$
1,200
$
—
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
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49
SEMILEDS CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1.
BUSINESS
SemiLEDs Corporation (“SemiLEDs” or the “parent company”) was incorporated in Delaware on January 4, 2005 and is a holding
company for various wholly owned subsidiaries. SemiLEDs and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) develop, manufacture and sell
high performance light emitting diodes (“LEDs”). The Company’s core products are LED components, LED modules and systems, as well
as LED chips and lighting products. LED components, modules and systems have become the most important part of its business. A portion
of the Company’s business consists of the sale of contract manufactured LED products. The Company’s customers are concentrated in a few
select markets, including the United States, Japan, Taiwan and Netherlands.
As of August 31, 2024, SemiLEDs had two wholly owned subsidiaries. SemiLEDs Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., or Taiwan SemiLEDs, is
the Company’s wholly owned operating subsidiary, where a substantial portion of the assets is held and located, and where a portion of
research, development, manufacturing and sales activities take place. Taiwan SemiLEDs owns a 97.37% equity interest in Taiwan Bandaoti
Zhaoming Co., Ltd., formerly known as Silicon Base Development, Inc., which is engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and
a substantial portion of marketing and sale of LED components, and where most of the Company’s employees are based.
SemiLEDs’ common stock trades on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “LEDS”.
2.
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation — The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).
Going Concern — The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which
contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The realization of assets and the
satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business are dependent on, among other things, the Company’s ability to operate profitably,
to generate cash flows from operations, and to pursue financing arrangements to support its working capital requirements.
The Company has suffered losses from operations of $2.9 million and $3.4 million, and used net cash in operating activities of $365
thousand and $984 thousand for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. These facts and conditions have raised substantial
doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, even though gross profit on product sales was $1.1 million for the year
ended August 31, 2024 compared to $1.0 million for the year ended August 31, 2023. On August 31, 2024, the Company’s cash and cash
equivalents decreased to $1.7 million mainly due to operating losses. Management believes that it has developed a liquidity plan, as
summarized below, that, if executed successfully, should provide sufficient liquidity to meet the Company’s obligations as they become due
for a reasonable period of time, and allow the development of its core business. The plan includes:
•
Gaining positive cash-inflow from operating activities through continuous cost reductions and the sales of new higher margin
products. Steady growth of module products and the continued commercial sales of its UV LED product are expected to improve
the Company’s future gross margin, operating results and cash flows. The Company is targeting niche markets and focusing on
product enhancement and developing its LED product into many other applications or devices.
•
Continuing to monitor prices, work with current and potential vendors to decrease costs and, consistent with its existing
contractual commitments, possibly decrease its activity level and capital expenditures further. This plan reflects its strategy of
controlling capital costs and maintaining financial flexibility.
•
Raising additional cash through potential equity offerings, sales of assets and/or issuance of debt as considered necessary and
looking at other potential business opportunities.
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While the Company’s management believes that the measures described in the above liquidity plan will be adequate to satisfy its
liquidity requirements for the twelve months after the date that the financial statements are issued, there is no assurance that the liquidity plan
will be successfully implemented. Failure to successfully implement the liquidity plan may have a material adverse effect on its business,
results of operations and financial position, and may adversely affect its ability to continue as a going concern. These consolidated financial
statements do not include any adjustments related to the recoverability and classification of recorded assets or the amounts and classification
of liabilities or any other adjustments that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
Revenue Recognition — Effective September 1 2018, the Company adopted ASC 606 using the modified retrospective transition
method. The Company applied the following five steps to achieve the core principles of ASC 606: 1) identified the contract with a customer;
2) identified the performance obligations (promises) in the contract; 3) determined the transaction price; 4) allocated the transaction price to
the performance obligations in the contract; and 5) recognized revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies a performance obligation. The
Company recognizes the amount of revenue when the Company satisfies a performance obligation to which it expects to be entitled for the
transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The Company obtains written purchase authorizations from its customers as evidence of
an arrangement and these authorizations generally provide for a specified amount of product at a fixed price. Generally, the Company
considers delivery to have occurred at the time of shipment as this is generally when title and risk of loss for the products will pass to the
customer. The Company provides its customers with limited rights of return for non-conforming shipments and product warranty claims.
Based on historical return percentages, which have not been material to date, and other relevant factors, the Company estimates its potential
future exposure on recorded product sales, which reduces product revenues in the consolidated statements of operations and reduces accounts
receivable in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company also provides standard product warranties on its products, which generally range
from three months to two years. Management estimates the Company’s warranty obligations as a percentage of revenues, based on historical
knowledge of warranty costs and other relevant factors. To date, the related estimated warranty provisions have been insignificant.
Principles of Consolidation — The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of SemiLEDs and its consolidated
subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated during consolidation.
On September 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASC 825-10, “Financial Instruments- Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial
Assets and Financial Liabilities”. This standard allows equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values to be re-measured
at fair value either upon the occurrence of an observable price change or upon identification of impairment. The standard also simplifies the
impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring assessment for impairment qualitatively
at each reporting period.
Investments in which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee but not a controlling financial
interest, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting and are not consolidated. These investments are in joint ventures that are
not subject to consolidation under the variable interest model, and for which the Company: (i) does not have a majority voting interest that
would allow it to control the investee, or (ii) has a majority voting interest but for which other shareholders have significant participating
rights, but for which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies. Under the equity
method, investments are stated at cost after adding or removing the Company’s portion of equity in undistributed earnings or losses,
respectively. The Company’s investment in these equity-method entities is reported in the consolidated balance sheets in investments in
unconsolidated entities, and the Company’s share of the income or loss of these equity-method entities, after the elimination of unrealized
intercompany profits, is reported in the consolidated statements of operations in equity in losses from unconsolidated entities. When net losses
from an equity-method investee exceed its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the investment is reduced to zero. The Company then
suspends using the equity method to provide for additional losses unless the Company has guaranteed obligations or is otherwise committed
to provide further financial support to the equity-method investee. The Company resumes accounting for the investment under the equity
method if the investee subsequently returns to profitability and the Company’s share of the investee’s income exceeds its share of the
cumulative losses that have not been previously recognized during the period the equity method is suspended.
Investments in entities that are not consolidated or accounted for under the equity method are recorded as investments without readily
determinable fair values. Investments without readily determinable fair values are reported on the consolidated balance sheets in investments
in unconsolidated entities, at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly
transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer. Dividend income, if any, received is reported in the consolidated
statements of operations in equity in losses from unconsolidated entities.
If the fair value of an equity investment declines below its respective carrying amount and the decline is determined to be
other-than-temporary, the investment will be written down to its fair value.
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Use of Estimates — The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the
date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant items
subject to such estimates and assumptions include the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements on the basis that the
Company will continue as a going concern, the collectability of accounts receivable, inventory net realizable values, realization of deferred
tax assets, valuation of stock-based compensation expense, the useful lives of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, the
recoverability of the carrying amount of property, plant and equipment, intangible assets and investments in unconsolidated entities, the fair
value of acquired tangible and intangible assets, income tax uncertainties, provision for potential litigation costs and other contingencies.
Management bases its estimates on historical experience and also on assumptions that it believes are reasonable. Management assesses these
estimates on a regular basis; however, actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Certain Significant Risks and Uncertainties — The Company is subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could have a material
and adverse effect on the Company’s future financial position or results of operations, which risks and uncertainties include, among others:
it has incurred significant losses over the past several years, any inability of the Company to compete in a rapidly evolving market and to
respond quickly and effectively to changing market requirements, any inability of the Company to grow its revenue and/or maintain or
increase its margins, it may experience fluctuations in its revenues and operating results, any inability of the Company to protect its intellectual
property rights, claims by others that the Company infringes their proprietary technology, and any inability of the Company to raise additional
funds in the future.
Concentration of Supply Risk — Some of the components and technologies used in the Company’s products are purchased and
licensed from a limited number of sources and some of the Company’s products are produced by a limited number of contract manufacturers.
The loss of any of these suppliers and contract manufacturers may cause the Company to incur transition costs to another supplier or contract
manufacturer, result in delays in the manufacturing and delivery of the Company’s products, or cause it to carry excess or obsolete inventory.
The Company relies on a limited number of such suppliers and contract manufacturers for the fulfillment of its customer orders. Any failure
of such suppliers and contract manufacturers to perform could have an adverse effect upon the Company’s reputation and its ability to
distribute its products or satisfy customers’ orders, which could adversely affect the Company’s business, financial position, results of
operations and cash flows.
Concentration of Credit Risk — Financial instruments that subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of
cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable.
The Company keeps its cash and cash equivalents in demand deposits with prominent banks of high credit quality and invests only in
money market funds. Cash accounts at each institution are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the U.S.A or Central
Deposit Insurance Corporation in Taiwan up to certain limits. At times, such deposits may be in excess of the insurance limit. Accounts are
guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to $250,000. As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no cash
in excess of FDIC insured limits. The Company maintains cash in state-owned banks in Taiwan. In Taiwan, the insurance coverage of each
bank is NTD$3,000,000 (approximately USD$94,000). As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had $1,268 thousand and $2,168
thousand cash in excess of the insured amount, respectively. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts. As of August
31, 2024 and 2023, cash and cash equivalents of the Company consisted of the following (in thousands):
August 31,
Cash and Cash Equivalents by Location
2024
2023
United States;
Denominated in U.S. dollars
$
187
$
190
Taiwan;
Denominated in U.S. dollars
1,357
2,192
Denominated in New Taiwan dollars
82
174
Denominated in other currencies
45
16
Total cash and cash equivalents
$
1,671
$
2,572
The Company’s revenues are substantially derived from the sales of LED products. A significant portion of the Company’s revenues
are derived from a limited number of customers and sales are concentrated in a few select markets. Management performs ongoing credit
evaluations of its customers and generally does not require collateral on accounts receivable. Management evaluates the need to establish an
allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated potential credit losses at each reporting period. The allowance for doubtful accounts is based
on the management’s assessment of the collectability of its customer accounts. Management regularly reviews the allowance by considering
certain factors, such as historical experience, industry data, credit quality, ages of accounts receivable balances and current economic
conditions that may affect a customer’s ability to pay.
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52
Customers that accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s total net accounts receivable as of August 31, 2024 and 2023 consist of
the following:
August 31,
Customers
2024
2023
Customer A
36 %
14 %
Customer B
18 %
12 %
Customer C
16 %
10 %
Customer D
—
45 %
The customers accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s total net revenues for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, as
follows (in thousands, except percentages):
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
% of
% of
Customers
Amount
Revenues
Amount
Revenues
Customer A
$
1,621
31% $
968
16 %
Customer B
919
18%
1,222
20 %
Customer C
598
12%
1,007
17 %
Customer D
503
10%
212
4 %
Customer E
495
10%
578
9 %
Customer F
101
2%
881
15 %
Cash and Cash Equivalents — The Company considers all highly liquid investment instruments purchased with initial maturities of
three months or less to be cash equivalents.
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, cash and cash equivalents of the Company consist of the following (in thousands):
August 31,
Cash and Cash Equivalents
2024
2023
Cash;
Cash and demand deposits
$
1,671
$
2,572
Total cash and cash equivalents
$
1,671
$
2,572
Restricted Cash Equivalents — Restricted cash primarily consists of cash held in reserved bank accounts in Taiwan. As of August
31, 2024 and 2023, the Company’s restricted cash equivalents at current portion amounted $78 thousand. As of August 31, 2024 and 2023,
the Company’s restricted cash at noncurrent portion, which was recorded as other assets, amounted to $91 thousand.
Foreign Currency — The Company’s subsidiaries use the local currency as their functional currency. The assets and liabilities of the
subsidiaries are, therefore, translated into the U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at each balance sheet date, with the resulting translation
adjustments recorded to a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within equity. Income and expense accounts
are translated at average exchange rates during the period. Any gains and losses from transactions denominated in foreign currencies are
recognized in the consolidated statements of operations as a separate component of other income (expense).
Accounts Receivable — Accounts receivable (including related parties with zero net book value as of August 31, 2024 and 2023,
respectively) are recorded at invoiced amounts, net of allowances for doubtful accounts, and do not bear interest. The allowance for doubtful
accounts is based on management’s assessment of the collectability of customer accounts. Management regularly reviews the allowance by
considering certain factors such as historical experience, industry data, credit quality, age of accounts receivable balances and current
economic conditions that may affect a customer’s ability to pay. No bad debt expenses was recognized during both the years ended August
31, 2024 and 2023.
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53
Inventories — Inventories consist of raw materials, work in process and finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost or net
realizable value. Cost is determined using a weighted average. For work in process and manufactured inventories, cost consists of raw
materials, direct labor and an allocated portion of the Company’s production overhead. The Company writes down excess and obsolete
inventory to its estimated net realizable value based upon assumptions about future demand and market conditions. For finished goods and
work in process, if the estimated net realizable value for an inventory item, which is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of
business, less reasonably predicable costs to completion and disposal, is lower than its cost, the specific inventory item is written down to its
estimated net realizable value. Net realizable value for raw materials is based on replacement cost. Provisions for inventory write-downs are
included in cost of revenues in the consolidated statements of operations. Once written down, inventories are carried at this lower cost basis
until sold or scrapped.
Property, Plant and Equipment — Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation, amortization and
impairment. Depreciation on property, plant and equipment is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives, less
estimated salvage values of the assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the lease
term or estimated useful life of the asset.
The estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment are as follows:
Buildings and improvements
5 to 20
years
Machinery and equipment
1 to 10
years
Leasehold improvements
2 to 15
years
Other equipment
2 to 6
years
Major Maintenance Activities — The Company incurs maintenance costs on its major equipment. Repair and maintenance costs are
expensed as incurred.
Intangible Assets — Intangible assets consist of patents, trademarks and acquired technology. Intangible assets are initially recognized
at their respective acquisition costs. All of the Company’s intangible assets have been determined to have finite useful lives and are, therefore,
amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives:
Patents and trademarks
5 to 25
years
Acquired technology
5
years
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets — Management evaluates the Company’s long-lived assets, excluding goodwill, that consist of
property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, for indicators of possible impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate
the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Impairment exists if the carrying amounts of such assets exceed the estimates of
future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by such assets. Should impairment exist, the impairment loss would be measured
based on the excess carrying amount of the asset over the estimated fair value of the asset. Fair value is determined through various valuation
techniques, including discounted cash flow models, quoted market values and third-party independent appraisers, as considered necessary.
No impairment charge was recognized in the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023.
Recovery of Investments in Unconsolidated Entities — Management evaluates the recoverability of the carrying amount of the
Company’s equity investments accounted for using the equity method and cost method when there is an indication of potential impairment.
If the estimated realizable value of an equity investment falls below its carrying amount and management determines that this shortfall is
other-than-temporary, the carrying amount of such investment is written down to its estimated realizable value. In determining whether a
decline in value is other-than-temporary, management considers the length of time and the extent to which such value has been less than the
carrying amount, the financial condition and prospects of the investee, and the Company’s ability and intent to retain the equity investment
for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in value.
No impairment charge was recognized in the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023.
Income Taxes — The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method. As part of the process of preparing the
consolidated financial statements, the Company estimates its income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which it operates. The Company
estimates actual current tax expense together with assessing temporary differences resulting from differing accounting treatment for items
such as accruals and allowances that are not currently deductible for tax purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities
which are included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. In general, deferred tax assets represent future tax benefits to be received
when certain expenses previously recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations become deductible expenses under
applicable income tax laws or when operating loss or tax credit carryforwards are utilized. Accordingly, realization of the deferred tax assets
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54
is dependent on the Company’s ability to earn future taxable income against which these deductions, losses and credits can be utilized.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to be applicable to the taxable income in the years in which
those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates on the Company’s deferred tax assets
and liabilities is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations in the period the change in the tax law was enacted.
Management assesses the likelihood that the Company’s deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and, to the
extent management believes that recovery is not more likely than not, a valuation allowance is established. The Company recognizes the
effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are
measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected
in the period in which the change in judgment occurs. The Company records interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits
in income tax expense.
Stock-based Compensation — Compensation costs related to employee stock options and restricted stock units are based on the fair
value of the options and stock units on the date of grant, net of estimated forfeitures. The Company determines the grant date fair value of the
options using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The related stock-based compensation expense is generally recognized on a
straight-line basis over the period in which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the options and stock units, or the
vesting period of the respective options and stock units.
Research and Development Costs — Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs are
presented as a separate line item in the consolidated statements of operations.
Advertising Costs — Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising costs totaled $3 thousand and $2 thousand for the years
ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements
of operations.
Segment Reporting — The Company uses the management approach in determining reportable operating segments. The management
approach considers the internal organization and reporting used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker for making operating
decisions, allocating resources and assessing performance as the source for determining the Company’s reportable segments. During the years
ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, the Chief Executive Officer has been identified as the chief operating decision maker. The Company’s chief
operating decision maker regularly reviews consolidated assets and consolidated operating results prepared under U.S. GAAP for the
enterprise as a whole when making decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance of the Company. Consequently,
management has determined that the Company does not have any operating segments as defined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board
(the “FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 280-10-50-1, “Segment Reporting.”
Shipping and Handling Costs — The Company includes costs from shipping and handling within cost of revenues in the period in
which they are incurred.
Net Income (Loss) Per Share of SemiLEDs Common Stock — Basic net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income
(loss) attributable to SemiLEDs stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Net
income (loss) attributable to SemiLEDs stockholders is determined by allocating undistributed earnings as if all of the earnings for the period
had been distributed. Diluted net income (loss) per share is computed by using the weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding,
including potential dilutive shares of common stock assuming the dilutive effect of outstanding stock options and unvested restricted stock
units using the treasury stock method.
Noncontrolling Interests — Noncontrolling interests are classified in the consolidated statements of operations as part of consolidated
net income (loss) and the accumulated amount of noncontrolling interests in the consolidated balance sheets as part of equity. Changes in
ownership interest in a consolidated subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control are accounted for as an equity transaction. If a change in
ownership of a consolidated subsidiary results in loss of control and deconsolidation, any retained ownership interests are remeasured with
the gain or loss reported in net earnings.
On September 1, 2018, Taiwan Bandaoti Zhaoming Co., Ltd., the Company’s wholly owned operating subsidiary, issued 414,000
common shares and amended its certificate of incorporation to increase its common stock issued from 12,087,715 shares to 12,501,715 shares.
As of the issuance date, the increased capital of $176 thousand (NT$5.4 million) has been completely received in cash by Taiwan Bandaoti
Zhaoming Co., Ltd. The Company did not subscribe for any newly issued common shares, and, as a result, the noncontrolling interest in the
Company increased from zero to 3.31%. From January 2019 to September 2020, the Company purchased an additional 33,000 common
shares of SBDI from non-controlling shareholders. From March 2022 to May 2022, the Company purchased an additional 52,000 common
shares of SBDI from non-controlling shareholders. The noncontrolling interest in SBDI were 2.63% as of both August 31, 2024 and 2023.
Commitments and Contingencies — Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines, and penalties
and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Legal costs
incurred in connection with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred.
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55
Fair Value Measurements — The Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize
the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible. The Company determines fair value based on assumptions that market participants
would use in pricing an asset or liability in the principal or most advantageous market. When considering market participant assumptions in
fair value measurements, the following fair value hierarchy distinguishes between observable and unobservable inputs, which are categorized
in one of the following levels:
•
Level1 Inputs: Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities accessible to the reporting entity at the
measurement date.
•
Level2 Inputs: Other than quoted prices included in Level1 inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or
indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.
•
Level3 Inputs: Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability used to measure fair value to the extent that observable inputs are
not available, thereby allowing for situations in which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability at measurement
date.
See Note12 for further details.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Debt — Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives
and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s
Own Equity (“ASU 2020-06”). ASU 2020-06 simplifies the accounting for convertible debt by eliminating the beneficial conversion and cash
conversion accounting models. Upon adoption of ASU 2020-06, convertible debt, unless issued with a substantial premium or an embedded
conversion feature that is not clearly and closely related to the host contract, will no longer be allocated between debt and equity components.
This modification will reduce the issue discount and result in less non-cash interest expense in financial statements. ASU 2020-06 also updates
the earnings per share calculation and requires entities to assume share settlement when the convertible debt can be settled in cash or shares.
For contracts in an entity’s own equity, the type of contracts primarily affected by ASU 2020-06 are freestanding and embedded features that
are accounted for as derivatives under the current guidance due to a failure to meet the settlement assessment by removing the requirements
to (i) consider whether the contract would be settled in registered shares, (ii) consider whether collateral is required to be posted, and (iii)
assess shareholder rights. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023. The Company is currently evaluating
the impact that the standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.
In May 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-04, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Debt — Modifications and Extinguishments (Subtopic
470-50), Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718), and Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic
815-40): Issuer’s Accounting for Certain Modifications or Exchanges of Freestanding Equity-Classified Written Call Options (“ASU 2021-
04”). ASU 2021-04 provides guidance as to how an issuer should account for a modification of the terms or conditions or an exchange of a
freestanding equity-classified written call option (i.e., a warrant) that remains classified after modification or exchange as an exchange of the
original instrument for a new instrument. An issuer should measure the effect of a modification or exchange as the difference between the
fair value of the modified or exchanged warrant and the fair value of that warrant immediately before modification or exchange and then
apply a recognition model that comprises four categories of transactions and the corresponding accounting treatment for each category (equity
issuance, debt origination, debt modification, and modifications unrelated to equity issuance and debt origination or modification). ASU
2021-04 was effective for the fiscal years beginning September 1, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. An entity should
apply the guidance provided in ASU 2021-04 prospectively to modifications or exchanges occurring on or after the effective date. The
Company concluded that the standard will have no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment
Disclosures (“ASU 2023-07”). The amendments in ASU 2023-07 improve reportable segment disclosure requirements through enhanced
disclosures about significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (CODM). In addition, the
amendments enhance interim disclosure requirements, clarify circumstances in which an entity can disclose multiple segment measures of
profit or loss, provide new segment disclosure requirements for entities with a single reportable segment, and contain other disclosure
requirements. ASU 2023-07 will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within
annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on its
consolidated financial statements.
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56
3.
BALANCE SHEET COMPONENTS
Inventories
Inventories as of August 31, 2024 and 2023 consist of the following (in thousands):
August 31,
2024
2023
Raw materials
$
349
$
491
Work in process
727
1,216
Finished goods
2,498
2,315
Total
$
3,574
$
4,022
Inventory write-downs to estimated net realizable values for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 were $411 thousand and $627
thousand, respectively.
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment as of August 31, 2024 and 2023 consist of the following (in thousands):
August 31,
2024
2023
Buildings and improvements
$
13,262
$
13,136
Machinery and equipment
26,355
26,606
Leasehold improvements
153
154
Other equipment
2,249
2,165
Construction in progress
—
118
Total property, plant and equipment
42,019
42,179
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization
(39,221)
(38,946 )
Property, plant and equipment, net
$
2,798
$
3,233
Depreciation expense was $595 thousand and $991 thousand for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Property, plant and equipment pledged as collateral for the Company’s notes payable were $2.0 million and $2.3 million as of August
31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets as of August 31, 2024 and 2023 consist of the following (in thousands):
August 31, 2024
Weighted
Average
Gross
Net
Amortization
Carrying
Accumulated
Carrying
Period (Years)
Amount
Amortization
Amount
Patents and trademarks
15
$
570
$
480
$
90
Acquired technology
5
319
319
—
Total
$
889
$
799
$
90
August 31, 2023
Weighted
Average
Gross
Net
Amortization
Carrying
Accumulated
Carrying
Period (Years)
Amount
Amortization
Amount
Patents and trademarks
15
$
568
$
471
$
97
Acquired technology
5
320
320
—
Total
$
888
$
791
$
97
Amortization expense was $17 thousand and $12 thousand for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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No impairment charge was recognized in the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023.
The estimated future amortization expense for the Company’s intangible assets as of August 31, 2024 is as follows (in thousands):
Years Ending August 31,
Total
2025
$
9
2026
9
2027
9
2028
9
2029
9
Thereafter
45
Total
$
90
Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities as of August 31, 2024 and 2023 consist of the following (in thousands):
August 31,
2024
2023
Accrued compensation and benefits
$
1,886
$
1,766
Customer deposits
344
346
Accrued business expenses
287
163
Accrued professional service fees
102
102
Other (individually less than 5% of total accrued expenses and other current
liabilities)
317
334
Total
$
2,936
$
2,711
4.
INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES
The Company’s ownership interest and carrying amounts of investments in unconsolidated entities as of August 31, 2024 and 2023
consist of the following (in thousands, except percentages):
August 31, 2024
August 31, 2023
Percentage
Percentage
Ownership
Amount
Ownership
Amount
Equity investment without readily determinable fair value
Various
$
876
Various
$
881
Equity method investments, net
47.62
$
93
47.62
$
93
Total investments in unconsolidated entities
$
969
$
974
There were no dividends received from unconsolidated entities through August 31, 2024.
Equity Investment without Readily Determinable Fair Value
Equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the
Company) which do not have readily determinable fair values are recorded as equity investment without readily determinable fair value. All
equity investments without readily determinable fair value are assessed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that
the carrying amounts may not be recoverable, and measured at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable
price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer. The recoverable value of the investment was
determined based on the Company’s best estimate of the amount that could be realized from the investment, which considered the latest
financial information. During the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, no impairment losses were recognized for the equity investments
without readily determinable fair value.
Equity Method Investments
In July 2023, TSLC Corporation, the Company’s subsidiary, had a board resolution to hold an equity interest in Yi Yang Optoelectronics
Co., Ltd., accounting for its equity interest using the equity method to accounts for its equity investment as prescribed in ASC 323,
Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (“ASC 323”). Equity method adjustments include the Company’s proportionate share of
investee’s income or loss and other adjustments required by the equity method. As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company owns 47.62%
common stock shares of Yi Yang Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.
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58
5.
INDEBTEDNESS
Long-term Debt
Long-term debt as of August 31, 2024 and 2023 consist of the following loans (in thousands):
August 31,
2024
2023
First note payable- Mega Bank
$
821
$
1,106
Second note payable- Mega Bank
503
677
Loans from Chairman and Shareholders
2,400
3,200
Convertible notes issued to Chairman and Shareholders
—
1,386
Total long-term debt
3,724
6,369
Less: Current installments
(2,854)
(5,042 )
Total long-term debt, excluding current installments
$
870
$
1,327
Our long-term debt, which consisted of New Taiwan dollar (“NTD”) denominated long-term notes, convertible unsecured promissory
notes and loans from the Chairman and the largest shareholder of the Company, totaled $3.7 million and $6.4 million as of August 31, 2024
and 2023, respectively.
On July 5, 2019, the Company and Mega International Commercial Bank (“Mega Bank”) entered into two NTD denominated loan
agreements in an aggregate amount of $3.2 million (NT$100 million). The first note of $2.0 million (NT$62 million) payable to Mega Bank
has an annual floating interest rate equal to the NTD base lending rate plus 0.64% (or 2.415% currently), and was exclusively used to repay
original notes with E Sun Bank. The second note of $1.2 million (NT$38 million) payable to Mega Bank has an annual floating interest rate
equal to the NTD base lending rate plus 1.02% (or 2.795% currently) and is available for operating capital. Both note payables are secured
by a first priority security interest on the Company’s headquarters building. Income from renting the collateral must be deposited into a
reserved account opened with Mega Bank, and only the balance of deposits exceeding $78 thousand (NT$2.5 million) after deducting the
principal and interest payable for the current month (including the accumulated outstanding amount) may be transferred outwards. The balance
of the reserve account is $78 thousand as of August 31, 2024 and 2023. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mega bank agreed to
give the Company a deferment period for twelve months starting from May 2020 until April 2021. During this period, the Company did not
need to pay the monthly payments of the principal but only the interest. Starting from May 2021, the two notes payables to Mega Bank require
monthly payments of principal in the amount of $24 thousand plus interest and $14 thousand plus interest, respectively, over the 74-month
term of the notes with final payment to occur in July 2027.
On January 8, 2019, the Company entered into loan agreements with each of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the largest
shareholder of the Company, with aggregate amounts of $1.7 million and $1.5 million, respectively, and an annual interest rate of 8%. All
proceeds of the loans were exclusively used to return the deposit to Formosa Epitaxy Incorporation in connection with the proposed sale of
the Company's headquarters building pursuant to the agreement dated December 15, 2015. The Company were initially required to repay the
loans of $1.5 million on January 14, 2021 and $1.7 million on January 22, 2021, respectively. On January 16, 2021, the maturity date of these
loans was extended with same terms and interest rate for one year to January 15, 2022, and on January 14, 2022, the maturity date of these
loans was extended again with same terms and interest rate for one more year to January 15, 2023. On January 13, 2023, the maturity date of
these loans was further extended with same terms and interest rate for one year to January 15, 2024.
On January 7, 2024, J.R. Simplot Company assigned and transferred all of its right, title and interest in and to the loan agreement to
Simplot Taiwan Inc., in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions of the loan agreement.
On January 7, 2024, the Company entered into the Fourth Amendment to the loan agreements with each of Simplot Taiwan Inc. and
Trung Doan (each, a “Fourth Amendment”).
The Fourth Amendment with Simplot Taiwan Inc. (i) extended the maturity date of its loan agreement to January 15, 2025, and (ii)
upon mutual agreement of the Company and Simplot Taiwan Inc., permitted the Company to repay any principal amount or accrued interest,
in an amount not to exceed $400,000, by issuing shares of the Company’s common stock in the name of Simplot Taiwan Inc. as partial
repayment of the loan agreement at a price per share equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock immediately preceding the
business day of the payment notice date. All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement with Simplot Taiwan Inc. remained the same.
On January 7, 2024, the Company issued 305,343 shares of its common stock at a price of $1.31 per share to repay $400,000 of accrued
interest on the Loan Agreement with Simplot Taiwan Inc. The shares of common stock were issued in reliance on Section 3(a)(9) of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
The Fourth Amendment to the loan agreement with Trung Doan amends the loan agreement’s maturity date with same terms and
interest rate to January 15, 2025. All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement with Trung Doan remained the same.
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On February 9, 2024, the Company and Trung Doan entered into the Fifth Amendment to the loan agreement (the “Fifth Amendment”).
The Fifth Amendment, upon the mutual agreement of the Company and Trung Doan, permitted the Company to repay any principal amount
or accrued interest, in an amount not to exceed $800,000, by issuing shares of the Company’s common stock to Trung Doan as partial
repayment of the loan agreement at a price per share equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock immediately preceding the
business day of the payment notice date.
On February 9, 2024, the Company repaid $800,000 of loan principal by delivering 629,921 shares of the Company’s common stock
to Mr. Doan, based on the closing price of $1.27 per share on February 8, 2024. The shares of common stock were issued on February 9,
2024 in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On July 3, 2024, the Company and Trung Doan entered into the Sixth Amendment to the loan agreement (the “Sixth Amendment”).
The Sixth Amendment amended the loan agreement to permit, upon the mutual agreement of the Company and Trung Doan, the Company to
repay a portion of the principal amount or accrued interest under the loan agreement, by issuing shares of the Company’s common stock to
Trung Doan as partial repayment of the loan agreement at a price per share equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock
immediately preceding the business day of the payment notice date. All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement, as amended by the
Sixth Amendment, remained the same.
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, these loans totaled $2.4 million and $3.2 million, respectively. The loans are secured by a second
priority security interest on the Company's headquarters building.
On November 25, 2019 and on December 10, 2019, the Company issued convertible unsecured promissory notes (the “Notes”) to J.R.
Simplot Company, its largest shareholder, and Trung Doan, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, (together, the “Holders”) with a
principal sum of $1.5 million and $500 thousand, respectively, and an annual interest rate of 3.5%. Principal and accrued interest is due on
demand by the Holders on and at any time after May 30, 2021. On February 7, 2020, J.R. Simplot Company assigned all of its right, title and
interest in the Notes to Simplot Taiwan Inc. The outstanding principal and unpaid accrued interest of the Notes may be converted into shares
of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $3.00 per share, at the option of the Holders any time from the date of the Notes.
On May 25, 2020, each of the Holders converted $300,000 of the Notes into 100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. On May 26,
2021, the Notes were extended with the same terms and interest rate for one year and a maturity date of May 30, 2022. On May 26, 2022, the
Notes were second extended with the same terms and interest rate for one year and a maturity date of May 30, 2023. On June 6, 2023, the
Company entered into the Third Amendment to the Notes (the “Third Amendments”) to amend the Notes to (i) extend the maturity date from
May 30, 2023 to May 30, 2024, and (ii) change the conversion price from $3.00 to $2.046 per share. All other terms and conditions of the
Notes remained the same.
After the close of market on January 5, 2024, the Company entered into the Fourth Amendment to the Notes (the “Note Fourth
Amendments”) to amend the Notes to (i) convert the total principal and accrued interest on the Notes to common stock of the Company to be
issued in the names of the Holders, and (ii) change the conversion price of the Notes from $2.046 per share to the closing price immediately
preceding the signing of the Note Fourth Amendments, or $1.31 per share. All other terms and conditions of the Notes remained the same.
On January 5, 2024, the Holders converted the total principal and accrued interest of the Notes, in an aggregate amount of $1,608,848,
to 1,228,128 shares of its common stock at a conversion price of $1.31 per share.
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, the outstanding principal of these notes totaled zero and $1.4 million, respectively.
The scheduled principal payments for the Company’s long-term debt as of August 31, 2024 consist of the following (in thousands):
Scheduled
Principal
Years Ending August 31,
Payments
2025
$
2,854
2026
454
2027
416
Total
$
3,724
6.
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Operating Lease Agreements — The Company has several operating leases with third parties, primarily for land, plant and office
spaces in Taiwan, including cancellable and noncancelable leases that expire at various dates between December 2024 and December 2040.
Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet; the Company recognizes lease expense for these leases
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on a straight-line basis over the lease term. For lease agreements entered into or reassessed after the adoption of Topic 842, the Company did
not combine lease and non-lease components.
Most leases do not include options to renew. The exercise of lease renewal options has to be agreed by the lessors. The depreciable life
of assets and leasehold improvements are limited by the term of leases, unless there is a transfer of title or purchase option reasonably certain
of exercise. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Lease expense related to these noncancelable
operating leases were $155 thousand and $166 thousand for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Balance sheet information related to the Company’s leases is presented below:
August 31,
2024
2023
Assets
Operating lease right of use assets
$
1,091
$
1,371
Liabilities
Operating lease liabilities, current portion
$
94
$
139
Operating lease liabilities, less current portion
997
1,232
Total
$
1,091
$
1,371
The following provides details of the Company’s lease expenses:
August 31,
2024
2023
Operating lease expenses
$
155
$
166
Other information related to leases is presented below:
August 31,
2024
2023
Cash Paid for amounts Included In Measurement of Liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases
$
155
$
166
Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term:
Operating leases
15.55 years
15.9 years
Weighted Average Discount Rate
Operating leases
1.76%
1.76%
As most of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its average borrowing rate from non-related parties
of 1.76% based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments.
The aggregate future noncancelable minimum rental payments for the Company’s operating leases as of August 31, 2024 consist of the
following (in thousands):
Operating
Years Ending August 31,
Leases
2025
$
113
2026
81
2027
81
2028
81
2029
82
Thereafter
807
Total future minimum lease payments, undiscounted
1,245
Less: Imputed interest
154
Present value of future minimum lease payments
$
1,091
Purchase Obligations — The Company had purchase commitments for inventory, property, plant and equipment in the amount of
$521 thousand and $116 thousand as of August 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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Litigation — The Company is directly or indirectly involved from time to time in various claims or legal proceedings arising in the
ordinary course of business. The Company recognizes a liability when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount is reasonably
estimable. There is significant judgment required in assessing both the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome and whether the amount of loss,
if any, can be reasonably estimated.
As of August 31, 2024, there was no pending litigation that could have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results
of operations or cash flows.
7.
COMMON STOCK
On July 6, 2021, the Company entered into a Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Roth Capital Partners, LLC (the “Agent”).
In accordance with the terms of the Sales Agreement, the Company could offer and sell from time to time through the Agent the Company’s
common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $20,000,000 (the “Placement Shares”). Sales of the Placement Shares were made
on Nasdaq at market prices by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended. The Company paid a commission to the Agent of 3.0% of the gross proceeds of the sale of the Placement Shares
sold under the Agreement and reimbursed the Agent for certain expenses. During the year ended August 31, 2022, the Company sold 286,328
shares of common stock for gross proceeds of $995 thousand with $31 thousand paid as placement agent fees under our ATM program.
During the year ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company did not sell any shares of its common stock under its ATM program. The
ATM program expired in July 2024.
8.
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
The Company currently has one equity incentive plan (the “2010 Plan”), which provides for awards in the form of restricted shares,
stock units, stock options or stock appreciation rights to the Company’s employees, officers, directors and consultants. In April 2014,
SemiLEDs’ stockholders approved an amendment to the 2010 Plan that increases the number of shares authorized for issuance under the plan
by an additional 250 thousand shares. On July 31, 2019, the stockholders approved an increase in the authorized share reserve under the 2010
plan by an additional 500 thousand shares, to extend expiration of the 2010 Plan to November 3, 2023, to remove the IRS Code section
162(m) provisions, and to modify the maximum grant limit to 35 thousand shares to one person in a one year period. On September 25, 2020,
the stockholders approved an amendment to the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan to increase the authorized shares reserve by an additional 400
thousand shares. On March 17, 2023, the Board approved the amendment of the 2010 Plan to extend the term to March 17, 2033, which was
approved by the Company's stockholders at the annual meeting held on May 18, 2023.
A total of 1,421 thousand and 1,421 thousand shares were reserved for issuance under the 2010 Plan as of August 31, 2024 and 2023,
respectively. As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, there were 544 thousand and 541 thousand shares of common stock available for future
issuance under the 2010 Plan, respectively.
In July 2023, SemiLEDs granted 10 thousand restricted stock units to its employees, which will vest 25% every three months from the
vesting commencement date of July 7, 2023 and will become fully vested upon a change in control. The grant-date fair value of the restricted
stock units was $2.44 per unit.
In April 2023, SemiLEDs granted 110.5 thousand restricted stock units to its employees, which will vest 12.5% every three months
from the vesting commencement date of April 25, 2023 and will become fully vested upon a change in control. The grant-date fair value of
the restricted stock units was $1.87 per unit.
In March 2023, SemiLEDs granted 20 thousand restricted stock units to its employee, which will vest 25% every anniversary starting
from the vesting commencement date of March 8, 2023 and will become fully vested upon a change in control. The grant-date fair value of
the restricted stock units was $2.30 per unit.
In November 2022, SemiLEDs granted 15 thousand restricted stock units to its directors that vest 25% every three months on February
7, 2023, May 7, 2023, August 7, 2023 and November 7, 2023. 100% of the unvested stock units was immediately vested on May 18, 2023,
the date of the 2023 annual meeting. The grant-date fair value of the restricted stock units was $2.33 per unit.
In November 2021, SemiLEDs granted 15 thousand restricted stock units to its directors that vest in quarterly installments on February
12, 2022, May 12, 2022, August 12, 2022 and November 12, 2022. Because the 2022 annual meeting was held on September 13, 2022, 100%
of the stock units immediately vested on the date of the 2022 annual meeting. The grant-date fair value of the restricted stock units was $7.10
per unit.
In November 2021, SemiLEDs granted 98.5 thousand restricted stock units to its employees, which vest in eight quarterly installments
commencing November 2021 and will become fully vested upon a change in control. The grant-date fair value of the restricted stock units
was $7.10 per unit.
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62
Stock-based Compensation Expense
The total stock-based compensation expense consists of stock-based compensation expense for stock options and restricted stock units
granted to employees, directors, nonemployees and also includes stock options to purchase SemiLEDs’ common stock as part of an
employment agreement related to the Company’s acquisition of SBDI (later on renamed as TSLC Corporation). A summary of the stock-
based compensation expense for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 is as follows (in thousands):
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
Cost of revenues
$
86
$
152
Research and development
88
157
Selling, general and administrative
108
209
$
282
$
518
Stock-based compensation expense is recorded net of estimated forfeitures such that expense is recorded only for those stock-based
awards that are expected to vest. A forfeiture rate is estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual
forfeitures differ from initial estimates. A forfeiture rate of zero is estimated for stock-based awards with vesting term that is less than or
equal to one year from the date of grant.
There was no recognized stock-based compensation tax benefit for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, as the Company recorded
a full valuation allowance on net deferred tax assets as of August 31, 2024 and 2023.
Stock Options Awards
The grant date fair value of stock options is determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes
option-pricing model requires inputs including the market price of SemiLEDs’ common stock on the date of grant, the term that the stock
options are expected to be outstanding, the implied stock volatilities of several of the Company’s publicly-traded peers over the expected
term of stock options, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend. The expected term is derived from historical data on employee exercises
and post-vesting employment termination behavior after taking into account the contractual life of the award. The risk-free interest rate is
based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for zero coupon U.S. Treasury notes with maturities approximately equal
to the expected term of the related options. The expected dividend has been zero for the Company’s option grants as SemiLEDs has never
paid dividends and does not expect to pay dividends for the foreseeable future. Each of these inputs is subjective and generally requires
significant judgment to determine. During the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company has no options granted, forfeited, or
exercised. As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company has no unvested stock options and the unrecognized compensation costs related to
unvested stock options were nil.
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Restricted Stock Units Awards
The grant date fair value of stock units is based upon the market price of SemiLEDs’ common stock on the date of the grant. This fair
value is amortized to compensation expense over the vesting term.
A summary of the restricted stock unit awards outstanding and changes for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 is presented
below:
Weighted-
Number of
Average
Stock Units
Grant Date
Outstanding
Fair Value
(In thousands)
Outstanding—September 1, 2022
120
$
4.96
Granted
156
2.00
Vested
(109)
4.61
Forfeited
(8)
2.55
Outstanding—August 31, 2023
159
$
2.13
Granted
—
—
Vested
(107)
1.99
Forfeited
(3)
1.87
Outstanding—August 31, 2024
49
$
2.07
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock unit awards of $109 thousand and
$325 thousand, respectively, is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.35 years and 0.19 years, respectively, and will
be adjusted for subsequent changes in estimated forfeitures.
9.
NET LOSS PER SHARE OF COMMON STOCK
The following stock-based compensation plan awards were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share of common
stock for the periods presented because including them would have an antidilutive effect on the net loss per share (in thousands of shares):
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
Stock units and stock options to purchase common stock
49
99
Convertible notes to convert into common stock
—
684
10.
INCOME TAXES
Income taxes are recognized for the amount of taxes payable for the current year and for the impact of deferred tax assets and liabilities,
which represent future tax consequences of events that have been recognized differently in the financial statements than for tax purposes.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are established using the enacted statutory tax rates and are adjusted for any changes in such rates in the
period of change.
United States
SemiLEDs Corporation is incorporated in the United States of America and is subject to United States federal taxation. No provisions
for income taxes have been made as the Company has no taxable income for the period.
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs
Act (the “Tax Act”). The Tax Act included significant changes to the U.S. corporate income tax system including, among other things,
lowering the U.S. statutory federal tax rate to 21%. The reduction of the U.S. corporate tax rate caused the Company to adjust its U.S. deferred
tax assets and liabilities to the lower federal rate of 21% in the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019. The Tax Act also added many new
provisions, including a one-time repatriation tax on deemed repatriation of historical earnings of foreign subsidiaries (“transition tax”),
changes to bonus depreciation, limits on deductions for executive compensation and interest expense, a tax on global intangible low-taxed
income (“GILTI”), the base erosion anti-abuse tax (“BEAT”) and a deduction for foreign-derived intangible income. The Company has
elected to account for the tax on GILTI and BEAT as a period cost and thus has not adjusted any net deferred tax assets of its foreign
subsidiaries for the new tax. However, the Company has considered the potential impact of GILTI and BEAT on its U.S. federal net operating
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loss (“NOL”) carryforward and determined that the projected tax benefit to be received from its NOL carryforward may be reduced due to
these provisions.
The changes included in the Tax Act are broad and complex. The SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (SAB 118), as amended
by ASU 2018-05, which provides guidance for companies related to the Tax Act. ASU 2018-05 allows for a measurement period of up to one
year after the enactment date of the Tax Act to finalize the recording of the related tax impacts. The Company’s accounting for the tax effects
of the Tax Act were completed in fiscal 2019. Although the Company believes the effects of the Tax Act have been appropriately recorded,
it will continue to monitor, among other things, changes in interpretations of the Tax Act, any legislative action arising because of the Tax
Act and any changes in accounting standards for income taxes or related interpretations in response to the Tax Act. The Company intends to
assess the impact of any such changes in legislative interpretations or standards and adjust its provision as new information becomes available.
In accordance with SAB 118, the Company has made reasonable estimates related to (1) the remeasurement of its U.S. deferred tax
balances for the reduction in the statutory tax rate, (2) the liability for the transition tax and (3) the partial valuation allowance recorded against
its federal NOL carryforward due to the impact of the GILTI and BEAT provisions. In fiscal 2024, the Company determined that there were
no material changes to the provisional amounts recorded as of August 31, 2024.
Taiwan
The Company’s loss before income taxes is primarily derived from the operations in Taiwan and income tax expense is primarily
incurred in Taiwan.
As a result of amendments to the “Taiwan Income Tax Act” enacted by the Office of the President of Taiwan on February 7, 2018, the
statutory income tax rate increased from 17% to 20% and the undistributed earning tax, or a surtax, decreased from 10% to 5% effective from
January 1, 2018. As a result, the statutory income tax rate in Taiwan is 20% for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023. An additional
surtax, of which rate was reduced from 10% to 5% being applied to the Company starting from September 1, 2018, is assessed on undistributed
income for the entities in Taiwan, but only to the extent such income is not distributed or set aside as a legal reserve before the end of the
following year. The 5% surtax is recorded in the period the income is earned, and the reduction in the surtax liability is recognized in the
period the distribution to stockholders or the setting aside of legal reserve is finalized in the following year.
The Company’s loss before income taxes for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 was attributable to the following jurisdictions
(in thousands):
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
U.S. operations
$
(578) $
(793 )
Foreign operations
(1,453)
(1,897 )
Loss before income taxes
$
(2,031) $
(2,690 )
Income tax expense differed from the amounts computed by applying the statutory U.S. federal income tax rate of 21% to loss before
income taxes for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, as a result of the following (in thousands):
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
Computed “expected” income tax benefit
$
(427 ) $
(565 )
Foreign tax rate differential
13
18
Valuation allowance
(2,191 )
(3,525 )
Other
2,605
4,072
Income tax expense
$
—
$
—
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities) as of August 31, 2024 and 2023 consist of the following (in thousands):
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65
August 31,
2024
2023
Deferred tax assets:
Inventories, primarily due to inventory obsolescence and lower of cost or market
provisions
$
1,691
$
1,684
Allowance for doubtful accounts
33
33
Accruals and other
4
(5 )
Property, plant and equipment
435
458
Stock-based compensation
387
397
Net operating loss carryforwards
11,064
21,210
Total gross deferred tax assets
13,614
23,777
Less: Valuation allowance
(13,614)
(23,777 )
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance
$
—
$
—
A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization
of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences
become deductible and operating loss carryforwards utilizable. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities,
carryback availability, projected future income, and tax-planning strategies in making this assessment. The Company established full
valuation allowances to offset all of its deferred tax assets due to the uncertainty of realizing future tax benefits from its net operating loss
carryforwards and other deferred tax assets.
As of August 31, 2024 the Company had the U.S. net operating losses (the “U.S. NOLs”) of approximately $4,319 thousand, which
begins to expire in 2025. The U.S. NOLs generated in tax years prior to August 31, 2018, can be carryforward for twenty years, whereas U.S.
NOLs generated after August 31, 2018 can be carryforward indefinitely. The unused net operating loss carryforwards were as follows (in
thousands):
August 31,
Expiration
2024
Year
U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards (after August 31, 2018)
$
4,319
—
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards (expiring over the next 5 years)
28,977
2025-2029
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards (expiring in more than 5 years)
8,162
2030-2033
Total unused net operating loss carryforwards and income tax credits
$
41,458
Unrecognized Tax Benefits
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was adopted, which among other effects, reduced the U.S. federal corporate
income tax rate to 21% from 34% (or 35% in certain cases) beginning in 2018, requires companies to pay a one-time transition tax on certain
unrepatriated earnings from non-U.S. subsidiaries that is payable over eight years, makes the receipt of future non-U.S. sourced income of
non-U.S. subsidiaries tax-free to U.S. companies and creates a new minimum tax on the earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries relating to the
parent’s deductions for payments to the subsidiaries. Provisional estimate of the Company is that no tax will be due under this provision.
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits.
The Company is subject to taxation in the United States and various states and certain foreign jurisdictions. As of August 31, 2024, the
2020 through 2023 tax years remain subject to examination by the U.S. tax authorities. With few exceptions, as of August 31, 2024, the
Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, local, or foreign examinations by tax authorities for tax years before 2019. Below is a
summary of open tax years by major tax jurisdiction:
Open
Tax Year
U.S. federal
2020-2023
U.S. state
2020-2023
Foreign—Taiwan
2023
The Company is not currently under examination by income tax authorities in any federal, state or foreign jurisdictions. The Company
does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will change significantly within the next 12 months.
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66
11.
PRODUCT AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Revenues by products for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 are as follows (in thousands):
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
LED chips
$
93
$
111
LED components
2,656
3,345
Lighting products
212
321
Other (1)
2,222
2,202
Total
$
5,183
$
5,979
(1) Other includes primarily revenues attributable to the sale of epitaxial wafers, scraps and raw materials, the provision of services and the
lease of manufacturing as well as research and development facilities.
Revenues by geography are based on the billing address of the customer. The following table sets forth revenues by geographic area
for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):
Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
Japan
$
1,647
$
1,001
United States
1,450
1,952
Netherlands
924
1,224
Taiwan
696
1,150
Other (individually less than 5% of total net revenues)
466
652
Total
$
5,183
$
5,979
Tangible Long-Lived Assets
Substantially all of the Company’s tangible long-lived assets are located in Taiwan.
12.
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of the Company’s financial instruments as of August 31,
2024 and 2023 (in thousands):
August 31, 2024
August 31, 2023
Carrying
Fair
Carrying
Fair
Amount
Value
Amount
Value
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash
$
1,749
$
1,749
$
2,650
$
2,650
Receivables (including related parties)
416
416
793
793
Other assets (non-derivatives)
298
298
194
194
Financial liabilities:
Payables (including related parties)
$
4,073
$
4,073
$
4,521
$
4,521
Long-term debt (including current installments)
3,724
3,724
6,369
6,369
The fair values of the financial instruments shown in the above table as of August 31, 2024 and 2023 represent the amounts that would
be received to sell those assets or that would be paid to transfer those liabilities in an orderly transaction between market participants at that
date. Those fair value measurements maximize the use of observable inputs. However, in situations where there is little, if any, market activity
for the asset or liability at the measurement date, the fair value measurement reflects management’s own judgments about the assumptions
that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Those judgments are developed by management based on the best
information available in the circumstances, including expected cash flows and appropriately risk-adjusted discount rates, available observable
and unobservable inputs.
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67
The following methods and assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments:
•
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, receivables and payables (including related parties) and notes payable to banks: The
carrying amounts, at face value or cost plus accrued interest, approximate fair value because of the short maturity of these
instruments.
•
Other assets (non-derivatives) include primarily value-added tax (“VAT”) refund receivables, refundable deposits, and restricted
time deposits. The fair value of VAT refund receivables approximates the carrying amount because of the short maturity. The
fair value of refundable deposits and restricted time deposits with no fixed maturity is based on the carrying amount.
•
Long-term debt: The fair value of the Company’s variable rate long-term debt is estimated based on the prevailing market rate
adjusted by the Company’s credit spread.
13.
CONDENSED PARENT COMPANY ONLY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As a holding company, dividends received from SemiLEDs’ subsidiaries in Taiwan, if any, will be subject to withholding tax under
Taiwan law, as well as statutory and other legal restrictions. The condensed parent company only financial information for SemiLEDs is
presented below (in thousands):
August 31,
Condensed Balance Sheets
2024
2023
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents
$
187
$
190
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
4,396
4,442
Total current assets
4,583
4,632
Intangible assets, net
1
1
Investments in subsidiaries
1,229
2,687
TOTAL ASSETS
$
5,813
$
7,320
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
$
1,164
$
1,539
Long-term debt, current portion
2,400
4,586
Total current liabilities
3,564
6,125
Total equity
2,249
1,195
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
$
5,813
$
7,320
SemiLEDs had no contingencies, long-term obligations and guarantees as of August 31, 2024 or August 31, 2023.
Years Ended August 31,
Condensed Statements of Operations
2024
2023
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative
$
452
$
452
Loss from operations
(452)
(452 )
Other expenses:
Equity in losses from subsidiaries, net
(1,350)
(1,897 )
Interest expenses
(244)
(323 )
Other income (expense), net
10
(18 )
Total other expenses, net
(1,584)
(2,238 )
Net loss
$
(2,036) $
(2,690 )
Years Ended August 31,
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows
2024
2023
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities
$
(3) $
7,275
Investing activities
—
(9,300 )
Financing activities
—
—
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents
(3)
(2,025 )
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
190
2,215
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year
$
187
$
190
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68
14.
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
On January 8, 2019, the Company entered into loan agreements with each of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the largest
shareholder of the Company, with aggregate amounts of $1.7 million and $1.5 million, respectively, and an annual interest rate of 8%. All
proceeds of the loans were exclusively used to return the deposit to Formosa Epitaxy Incorporation in connection with the proposed sale of
the Company's headquarters building pursuant to the agreement dated December 15, 2015. The Company were initially required to repay the
loans of $1.5 million on January 14, 2021 and $1.7 million on January 22, 2021, respectively. On January 16, 2021, the maturity date of these
loans was extended with same terms and interest rate for one year to January 15, 2022, and on January 14, 2022, the maturity date of these
loans was extended again with same terms and interest rate for one more year to January 15, 2023. On January 13, 2023, the maturity date of
these loans was further extended with same terms and interest rate for one year to January 15, 2024.
On January 7, 2024, J.R. Simplot Company assigned and transferred all of its right, title and interest in and to the loan agreement to
Simplot Taiwan Inc., in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions of the loan agreement.
On January 7, 2024, the Company entered into the Fourth Amendment to the loan agreements with each of Simplot Taiwan Inc. and
Trung Doan (each, a “Fourth Amendment”).
The Fourth Amendment with Simplot Taiwan Inc. (i) extended the maturity date of its loan agreement to January 15, 2025, and (ii)
upon mutual agreement of the Company and Simplot Taiwan Inc., permitted the Company to repay any principal amount or accrued interest,
in an amount not to exceed $400,000, by issuing shares of the Company’s common stock in the name of Simplot Taiwan Inc. as partial
repayment of the loan agreement at a price per share equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock immediately preceding the
business day of the payment notice date. All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement with Simplot Taiwan Inc. remained the same.
On January 7, 2024, the Company issued 305,343 shares of its common stock at a price of $1.31 per share to repay $400,000 of accrued
interest on the loan agreement with Simplot Taiwan Inc. The shares of common stock were issued in reliance on Section 3(a)(9) of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
The Fourth Amendment to the loan agreement with Trung Doan amends the loan agreement’s maturity date with same terms and
interest rate to January 15, 2025. All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement with Trung Doan remained the same.
On February 9, 2024, the Company and Trung Doan entered into the Fifth Amendment to the loan agreement (the “Fifth Amendment”).
The Fifth Amendment, upon the mutual agreement of the Company and Trung Doan, permitted the Company to repay any principal amount
or accrued interest, in an amount not to exceed $800,000, by issuing shares of the Company’s common stock to Trung Doan as partial
repayment of the loan agreement at a price per share equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock immediately preceding the
business day of the payment notice date.
On February 9, 2024, the Company repaid $800,000 of loan principal by delivering 629,921 shares of the Company’s common stock
to Mr. Doan, based on the closing price of $1.27 per share on February 8, 2024. The shares of common stock were issued on February 9,
2024 in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On July 3, 2024, the Company and Trung Doan entered into the Sixth Amendment to the loan agreement (the “Sixth Amendment”).
The Sixth Amendment amended the loan agreement to permit, upon the mutual agreement of the Company and Trung Doan, the Company to
repay a portion of the principal amount or accrued interest under the loan agreement, by issuing shares of the Company’s common stock to
Trung Doan as partial repayment of the loan agreement at a price per share equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock
immediately preceding the business day of the payment notice date. All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement, as amended by the
Sixth Amendment, remained the same.
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, these loans totaled $2.4 million and $3.2 million, respectively. The loans are secured by a second
priority security interest on the Company's headquarters building.
On November 25, 2019 and on December 10, 2019, the Company issued convertible unsecured promissory notes (the “Notes”) to J.R.
Simplot Company, its largest shareholder, and Trung Doan, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, (together, the “Holders”) with a
principal sum of $1.5 million and $500 thousand, respectively, and an annual interest rate of 3.5%. Principal and accrued interest is due on
demand by the Holders on and at any time after May 30, 2021. On February 7, 2020, J.R. Simplot Company assigned all of its right, title and
interest in the Notes to Simplot Taiwan Inc. The outstanding principal and unpaid accrued interest of the Notes may be converted into shares
of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $3.00 per share, at the option of the Holders any time from the date of the Notes.
On May 25, 2020, each of the Holders converted $300,000 of the Notes into 100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. On May 26,
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69
2021, the Notes were extended with the same terms and interest rate for one year and a maturity date of May 30, 2022. On May 26, 2022, the
Notes were second extended with the same terms and interest rate for one year and a maturity date of May 30, 2023. On June 6, 2023, the
Company entered into the Third Amendment to the Notes (the “Third Amendments”) to amend the Notes to (i) extend the maturity date from
May 30, 2023 to May 30, 2024, and (ii) change the conversion price from $3.00 to $2.046 per share. All other terms and conditions of the
Notes remained the same.
After the close of market on January 5, 2024, the Company entered into the Fourth Amendment to the Notes (the “ Note Fourth
Amendments”) to amend the Notes to (i) convert the total principal and accrued interest on the Notes to common stock of the Company to be
issued in the names of the Holders, and (ii) change the conversion price of the Notes from $2.046 per share to the closing price immediately
preceding the signing of the Note Fourth Amendments, or $1.31 per share. All other terms and conditions of the Notes remained the same.
On January 5, 2024, the Holders converted the total principal and accrued interest of the Notes, in an aggregate amount of $1,608,848,
to 1,228,128 shares of its common stock at a conversion price of $1.31 per share.
As of August 31, 2024 and 2023, the outstanding principal of these notes totaled zero and $1.4 million, respectively.
15.
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company follows the guidance in FASB ASC 855-10 for the disclosure of subsequent events. On September 1, 2024, Taiwan
SemiLEDs entered into several share purchase agreements to purchase the additional 2.63% of the outstanding shares of Taiwan Bandaoti
Zhaoming Co., Ltd from non-controlling shareholders. As a result, Taiwan SemiLEDs owns 100% common stock shares of Taiwan
Bandaoti Zhaoming Co., Ltd.
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70
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Not applicable.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer, or CEO, and our chief financial officer, or CFO, has evaluated
the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act as of August
31, 2024. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no
matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the
design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply
its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
Based upon the aforementioned evaluation, our CEO and CFO have concluded that, as of August 31, 2024, our disclosure controls and
procedures are designed at a reasonable assurance level and are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be
disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC rules
and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO and CFO, as appropriate to
allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Under the
supervision and with the participation of our management, including our CEO and CFO, we assessed the effectiveness of our internal control
over financial reporting as of the end of the period covered by this report based on the framework in “Internal Control— Integrated Framework
(2013)” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that assessment, our CEO and CFO
concluded that our internal control over financial reporting is effective to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial
reporting and the preparation of the financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, as of August 31, 2024.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended August 31, 2024 that have
materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information
During the fiscal quarter ended August 31, 2024, none of our directors or officers informed us of the adoption or termination of a “Rule
10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as those terms are defined in Regulation S-K, Item 408.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Not applicable.
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71
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Our Board of Directors
Trung T. Doan, 65, has served as a director, Chairman of our Board and as our CEO since January 2005, and as our President since
August 2012. Prior to joining us, Mr. Doan served as Corporate Vice President of Applied Global Services (AGS) Product Group at Applied
Materials, Inc. and also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Jusung Engineering, Inc., a semiconductor/LCD equipment
company in Korea. In addition, Mr. Doan served as Vice President of Process Development at Micron Technology Inc. Mr. Doan previously
served as a director of Advanced Energy Industries, a publicly traded manufacturer of power conversion and control systems. Mr. Doan also
previously served as a director of Dolsoft Corporation, a privately held software company, as a director of Nu Tool Inc., a semiconductor
technology company, and as a director of EMCO, a publicly traded manufacturer of advanced flow control devices and systems. Mr. Doan
holds a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he graduated with honors, and a
Master of Science in chemical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Our Board has determined that Mr. Doan should
serve on our Board and as our Chairman based on his in-depth knowledge of our business and industry and his experience serving on the
boards of directors of several major technology companies, as well as in management roles in the technology industry.
Walter Michael Gough, 69, has served as a director since April 2016. Mr. Gough has led Gough and Associates, a firm that specializes
in financial consulting for domestic and international companies since 2005. He was also a tenured faculty member in Accounting and
Business at DeAnza College in Cupertino, California where he taught as a professor from 1985 to 2019. From June 2000 to June 2004, he
was Chief Financial Officer and Financial Consultant at NuTool Inc., a semiconductor equipment manufacturer. From 1995 through 1999,
he was a founding member and Chief Financial Officer of Invest In Yourself, LLC; an organization that provided consulting for professional
sports franchises. Prior to teaching and consulting, Mr. Gough was a financial analyst and contracts manager at Watkins-Johnson Company,
a high technology electronics firm. Before Watkins-Johnson, Mr. Gough worked for Kidder Peabody, an investment banking firm. He holds
MBA and BA degrees (cum laude) from Santa Clara University, and a Masters in English from Notre Dame de Namur University. Our Board
has determined that Mr. Gough should serve on our Board based on his experience as a consultant to technology companies in both the United
States and Taiwan, his prior experience as a chief financial officer of several companies, and his expertise in accounting and finance.
Dr. Edward Kuan Hsiung Hsieh, 72, has served as a director since February 2012. Dr. Hsieh has been Chairman, Chief Executive
Officer and a director of Eton Intelligent Technologies, a media and publications company, since April 2000 and Chairman, Chief Executive
Officer and a director of VR Networks, a VoIP and VR application company, since January 2000. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor
at National Taiwan University since February 2009. From February 2007 to February 2010, Dr. Hsieh was Chief Executive Officer of Asia
Pacific Telecom, a 3G mobile, and fixed line telecommunications company, as well as Executive Director of APOL, an Internet service
provider. Dr. Hsieh holds a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University, a master of science degree
in electrical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a doctor of philosophy degree in electrical engineering and
applied physics from Cornell University. He also studied accounting at the University of California, Los Angeles. Our Board has determined
that Dr. Hsieh should serve as a director based on his experience teaching Master of Business Administration classes at National Taiwan
University, his service as an International Financial Adviser with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith and his management roles at several
start-up companies.
Scott R. Simplot, 77, has served as a director since March 2005. Mr. Simplot has been Chairman of the Board of Directors and a
Director of J. R. Simplot Company since May 2001 and August 1970, respectively. Mr. Simplot served as a Manager of or Partner in various
closely held entities such as Block 22 LLC, Broadway Hospitality LLC, Columbia Developments LLC, Empty JP3 Shell, LLC, Idaho Sports
Properties LLC, Indian Creek Cattle, LLC, JRS Management L.L.C., JRS Properties III L.P., ESP Development LLC, Hotel 43 LLC, SBP
LLLP, Simplot Ketchum Investment, LLC, Simplot Ketchum Properties, LLC, SR Management LLC, SRS Green River LLC, Sunny Slope
Orchards Partnership, SRS Properties LLLP, Downtown Boise Areana, LLC, Grove Hotel-Boise, LLC, and Highland Stables Park LLC. Mr.
Simplot also serves as a director to various companies such as Bar -U-, Inc., Block 65 and 66 Master Association, Inc., Cal-Ida Chemical
Company, Claremont Realty Company, CS Beef Packers, LLC, CS Property Development, LLC, Glen Dale Farms, Inc., J. R. Simplot
Company Foundation, Inc., J. R. Simplot Foundation, Inc., JUMP, Inc., JRS India Corporation Private Limited, OSL Depot Condominium
Management Association, Inc., Simplot India, LLC, Simplot India Foods Private Limited, Simplot India Properties LLC, Simplot Livestock
Co., Simplot Taiwan Inc., SPS International, Inc., SR Simplot Foundation, Inc., Three Creek Ranch Company, and Camas, Inc. Mr. Simplot
holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business from the University of Idaho and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University
of Pennsylvania. Our Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Simplot should serve as a director based on the extensive knowledge and
insight he brings to our board of directors from his experience serving as Chairman and holding a variety of management positions at a large
private company and serving on the boards of directors of companies in a variety of industries. Mr. Simplot became a Director on our board
as part of his duties as the Chairman of the Board of J. R. Simplot Company, the 100 % owner of Simplot Taiwan, Inc., which was entitled
to designate two members of our board of directors in connection with J. R. Simplot Company’s investment in our Series A convertible
preferred stock.
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72
Dr. Chris Chang Yu, 66, has served as a director since July 2024. Dr. Yu currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of CRS Holding
Inc., Changhe Bio-Medical Science Co., Ltd, Ningkasai Science (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, Changwei System Science (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, Anpac
Bio-Medical Science (Lishui) Co., Ltd, Adanced Life Therapeutics Co., Ltd and New-Herizon Bio-Medical Science Co., Ltd and as executive
director of Anpac Bio-Medical Science (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, Lisui Anpac Medical Laboratory Co., 3Ltd, Shiji (Hainan) Medical Technology
Co., Ltd, Shanghai Muqing Anpac Health Technology Co., Ltd, Anpac (Shanghai) Health Management Consulting Co., Ltd and Annadi Life
Technology (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. Dr. Yu also currently serves as a director of Anji Cayman, serves as an executive partner of Jiaxing Changxin
Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership) and Jiaxing Ningbeika Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership),
and serves as a general manager of Changhe Bio-Medical Science Co., Ltd and Annadi Life Technology (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. Dr. Yu is also
a co-founder of Fresh2 Group Limited (formerly named AnPac Bio-Medical Science Co., Ltd.). Dr. Yu served as Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer of Fresh2 Group from its inception in January 2010 until April 2022 and was re-appointed as Co-Chairman of the
Board and Co-CEO in May 2022. He subsequently resigned as Co-Chairman of the Board of Fresh2 Group in October 2022 and resigned as
Co-CEO in May 2023. Prior to founding Fresh2 Group, he co-founded Anji Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in 2004. Dr. Yu served as
a technical director at Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation from 2002 to 2004. Dr. Yu also served as a vice president of
the research and development team of Cabot Microelectronics Corporation. Dr. Yu received his bachelor and master’s degrees in physics
from the University of Missouri Kansas-City Campus. He received his doctoral degree in physics from the Pennsylvania State University.
The Board has determined that Dr. Yu should serve as a director based on his significant experience managing integrated circuit and
technology companies and his experience as a CEO and director of a public company.
Executive Officers
In addition to Mr. Doan, our CEO, who also serves as a director, our executive officers consist of the following:
Christopher Lee, 53, has served as our Chief Financial Officer since September 2015. From November 2014 until his appointment as
Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Lee was the interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Mr. Lee joined SemiLEDs in September 2014. He
has served on the Board of Directors of Aixin Life International Inc. since February 2021. Mr. Lee has over 25 years of experience in
accounting and finance, including US GAAP, PCAOB standards and SEC rules and regulations. Prior to joining us, Mr. Lee was a partner of
KEDP CPA Group from August 2009 to June 2011 and a self-employed accountant from July 2011 to August 2014. Mr. Lee holds a BS
degree in accounting from Ohio State University and a MS degree in business taxation from Golden Gate University and is licensed as a
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the United States.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Board Composition
Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is charged with identifying and evaluating individuals qualified to serve as
members of the Board and recommending to the full Board nominees for election as directors. We seek directors with experience in areas
relevant to the strategy and operations of the Company. We seek a Board that collectively has a range and diversity of skills, experience, age,
industry knowledge and other factors in the context of the needs of the Board. The biographies of each of the nominees below contains
information regarding the person’s service as a director, business experience, director positions held currently or at any time during the last
five years and the experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that caused the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to
determine that the person should serve as a director of our Company. In addition to the information presented below regarding each director’s
specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board to the
conclusion that he should serve as a director, we also believe that each of our directors has a reputation for integrity, honesty and adherence
to high ethical standards. Each of our directors has demonstrated business acumen and an ability to exercise sound judgment, as well as a
commitment of service to our Company and our Board. Each of our director nominees is currently serving on the Board.
Board Responsibilities and Structure
The Board oversees, counsels, and directs management in the long-term interests of the Company and our stockholders. The Board’s
responsibilities include:
•
selecting, evaluating the performance of, and determining the compensation of the CEO and other executive officers;
•
overseeing the risks that the Company faces;
•
reviewing and approving our major financial objectives and strategic and operating plans, and other significant actions;
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•
overseeing the conduct of our business and the assessment of our business and other enterprise risks to evaluate whether the
business is being properly managed; and
•
overseeing the processes for maintaining our integrity with regard to our financial statements and other public disclosures, and
compliance with law and ethics.
The Board and its committees met throughout the year on a set schedule, held special meetings, and acted by written consent from time
to time as appropriate. During fiscal year 2024, the Board held executive sessions for the independent directors to meet without Mr. Doan
present at the end of every Board meeting.
Our Bylaws do not dictate a particular Board structure and the Board is free to determine whether or not to have a Chairman and, if so,
to select that Chairman and our CEO in the manner it considers our best interest. Currently, the Board has selected Mr. Doan to hold the
position of both Chairman of the Board and CEO. Mr. Doan’s experience at the Company has afforded him intimate knowledge of the issues,
challenges and opportunities facing each of the Company’s businesses. Accordingly, he is well positioned to focus the Board’s attention on
the most pressing issues facing the Company. The Board has not appointed a lead independent director. The Board believes its administration
of its risk oversight function has not affected the Board’s leadership structure.
Board Committees and Charters
The Board delegates various responsibilities and authority to different Board committees. Committees regularly report on their activities
and actions to the full Board. The Board currently has, and appoints the members of, a standing Audit Committee, Compensation Committee,
and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each of the Board committees has a written charter approved by the Board, and we
post each charter on our web site at https://www.semileds.com/corporategovernance. Each committee can engage outside experts, advisors
and counsel to assist the committee in its work. The following table identifies the directors who served on committees during fiscal 2024.
Nominating
and Corporate
Name
Audit
Compensation
Governance
Dr. Edward Kuan Hsiung Hsieh
Chair
˅
Walter Michael Gough
˅
Scott R. Simplot
Chair
Chair
Dr. Chris Chang Yu(1)
Number of Committee Meetings Held in Fiscal Year 2024
4
3
3
(1) Dr. Yu was appointed to our Board effective July 3, 2024.
Audit Committee
Our Audit Committee is responsible for, among other things:
•
reviewing and approving the selection of our independent auditors, and approving the audit and non-audit services to be
performed by our independent auditors;
•
monitoring the integrity of our financial statements and our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements as they relate to
financial statements or accounting matters;
•
reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of our internal control policies and procedures;
•
discussing the scope and results of the audit with the independent auditors and reviewing with management and the independent
auditors our interim and year-end operating results;
•
overseeing cybersecurity risks; and
•
preparing the Audit Committee Report that the SEC requires in our annual proxy statement.
The Board believes that each current member of our Audit Committee is an independent director under the Nasdaq rules and meets the
additional SEC independence requirements for audit committee members. It has also determined that Dr. Hsieh and Mr. Gough, each of whom
are independent directors, meet the requirements of an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Regulation S-K.
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74
Compensation Committee
Our Compensation Committee is responsible for, among other things:
•
overseeing our compensation policies, plans and benefit programs;
•
reviewing and approving for our executive officers: the annual base salary, the annual incentive bonus, including the specific
goals and amount, equity compensation, employment agreements, severance arrangements and change in control arrangements,
and any other benefits, compensation or arrangements;
•
reviewing and determining our equity-based compensation plans; and
•
administering our equity-based compensation plans.
Although the Compensation Committee has the authority to determine the compensation paid to executive officers, other officers,
employees, consultants and advisors, it can delegate its responsibility for setting compensation for individuals other than the CEO to a
subcommittee, in the case of other officers, or to officers, in the case of employees and consultants. It may also delegate to officers the
authority to grant options or other equity or equity-based awards to employees who are not executive officers or members of the Board. It
may also generally take into account the recommendations of the CEO, other than with respect to his own compensation.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for, among other things:
•
identifying prospective director nominees and recommending nominees for each annual meeting of stockholders to the Board;
•
reviewing developments in corporate governance practices and developing and recommending governance principles applicable
to our Board;
•
overseeing the evaluation of our Board and management; and
•
recommending members for each Board committee to our Board.
Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has not established any minimum qualifications for directors although in
assessing the skills and characteristics of individual members, it must give due regard for independence and financial literacy considerations
dictated by the Nasdaq rules. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not at this time have a policy regarding its
consideration of director candidates recommended by stockholders, as it has not yet received any such recommendations. It may adopt a
policy if such recommendations are received. In nominating candidates, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee takes into
consideration such factors as it deems appropriate. These factors may include judgment, skill, diversity, experience with businesses or other
organizations of comparable size, the interplay of the candidate’s experience with the experience of other Board members, requirements of
Nasdaq and the SEC to maintain a minimum number of independent or non-interested directors, requirements of the SEC as to disclosure
regarding persons with financial expertise on the Company’s Audit Committee and the extent to which the candidate generally would be a
desirable addition to the Board and any committees of the Board. The Committee believes the Board generally benefits from diversity of
skills, experience, age, industry knowledge of background, and views among its members, and considers this a factor in evaluating the
composition of the Board, but has not adopted any specific policy in this regard. Dr. You was recommended as a director by Trung Doan, our
Chairman and CEO.
Attendance at Board, Committee and Annual Stockholders’ Meetings
The Board held five meetings in fiscal 2024. We expect each director to attend every meeting of the Board and the committees on
which he serves, and encourage them to attend the annual stockholders’ meeting. All directors, except for Dr. Chris Chang Yu, who joined
the Company effective July 3, 2024, attended at least 75% of the aggregate meetings of the Board and the committees on which they served
in fiscal 2024 and all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders.
Risk Management
The Board is involved in the oversight of risks that could affect the Company. The Board also monitors cyber threat trends, regulatory
developments, and major threats to the Company, including setting expectations and accountability for management, as well as assessing the
adequacy of resources, funding, and focus on cyber risk management activities. This oversight is conducted primarily through the Audit
Committee which, on behalf of the Board, is charged with overseeing the principal risk exposures we face and our mitigation efforts in respect
of these risks. The Audit Committee is responsible for interfacing with management and discussing with management the Company’s
principal risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control risk exposures, including risk assessment and risk
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management policies. The Compensation Committee also plays a role in that it is charged, in overseeing the Company’s overall compensation
structure, with assessing whether that compensation structure creates risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us.
Insider Trading Policy
We are committed to promoting high standards of ethical business conduct and compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations.
As such, we have adopted our insider trading policy (the “Insider Trading Policy“) applicable to our directors, officers, and employees, and
have implemented processes that we believe are reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules, and regulations,
and the Nasdaq Stock Market listing standards applicable to us.
Among other things, our insider trading policy does not permit hedging or derivative transactions involving Company securities,
"cashless" collars, forward contracts, equity swaps or other similar or related transactions. In addition, we recommend that employees and
directors not margin or pledge Company securities to secure a loan and that employees and directors not purchase Company securities "on
margin". A copy of our Insider Trading Policy is filed as Exhibit 19.1 to this Form 10-K.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our employees, officers and directors, including those
officers responsible for financial reporting. These standards are designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote honest and ethical conduct. The
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available at our website at https://www.semileds.com/corporategovernance. Any amendments to the
Code, or any waivers of its requirements required to be disclosed pursuant to SEC or Nasdaq requirements, will be disclosed on the website.
Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan Policy
We have adopted a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan policy, which permits our officers, directors, and certain other persons to enter into trading
plans complying with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act. Generally, under these trading plans, the individual relinquishes control over the
transactions once the trading plan is put into place and can only put such plans into place while the individual is not in possession of material
non-public information. Accordingly, sales under these plans may occur at any time, including possibly before, simultaneously with, or
immediately after significant events involving our company.
Communications from Stockholders and Other Interested Parties to Directors
The Board recommends that stockholders and other interested parties initiate communications with the Board, any committee of the
Board or any individual director in writing to the attention of our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive office at 3F, No.11 Ke Jung
Rd., Chu-Nan Site, Hsinchu Science Park, Chu-Nan 350, Miao-Li County, Taiwan, R.O.C. This process will assist the Board in reviewing
and responding to stockholder communications in an appropriate manner. The Board has instructed our Corporate Secretary to review such
correspondence and, at his discretion, not to forward items if he deems them to be of a commercial or frivolous nature or otherwise
inappropriate for the Board’s consideration.
Board Diversity Matrix
The matrix below is information concerning the gender and demographic background of each of our current directors, as self-identified
and reported by each director. This information is being provided in accordance with Nasdaq’s board diversity rules.
Board Diversity Matrix (as of August 31, 2024)
Total Number of Directors
5
Male
Female
Part I: Gender Identity
Directors
5
—
Part II: Demographic Background
Asian
3
—
White
1
—
Did Not Disclose Demographic Background
1
—
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76
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, executive officers and beneficial owners of more than 10% of our common
stock to file with the SEC an initial report of ownership of our stock on Form 3 and reports of changes in ownership on Form 4 or Form 5.
Persons subject to Section 16 are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms that they file. As a matter
of practice, our administrative staff assists our executive officers and directors in preparing initial ownership reports and reporting ownership
changes, and typically files those reports on their behalf. Based solely on a review of the copies of such forms in our possession and on written
representations from reporting persons, we believe that during fiscal year 2024 all of our executive officers, directors and 10% beneficial
owners filed the required reports on a timely basis under Section 16(a).
Item 11. Executive Compensation
COMPENSATION OF THE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Executive Compensation
This executive compensation section discloses the compensation awarded to or earned by our “named executive officers” during fiscal
years 2024 and 2023.
We held our last non-binding advisory vote regarding compensation of our named executive officers at the 2021 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders and expect to hold our next vote at our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth all of the compensation earned by our named executive officers during the fiscal years 2024 and 2023.
None of our named executive officers were awarded options during those years.
Stock
Option
All Other
Name and Principal Position
Fiscal
Year
Salary
($)
Bonus
($)
Awards
($)(1)
Awards
($)
Compensation
($)
Total
($)
Trung T. Doan
2024
243,000
—
—
—
—
243,000
Chief Executive Officer
2023
243,000
—
—
—
—
243,000
Christopher Lee
2024
87,543
—
19,360
—
—
106,903
Chief Financial Officer
2023
89,151
—
35,050
—
—
124,201
(1)
The amount reported in this column represent the grant date fair value of the RSUs granted in the fiscal years ended August 31, 2024
and 2023, respectively, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Each restricted stock unit award was granted pursuant to
our 2010 Plan.
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77
Disclosure Policies and Practices Related to the Grant of Equity Awards Close in Time to the Release of Material Nonpublic
Information
We do not grant stock options or similar awards as part of our equity compensation programs. If stock options or similar awards are
granted, our policy is to not grant stock options or similar awards in anticipation of the release of material nonpublic information that is likely
to result in changes to the price of our common stock, such as a significant positive or negative earnings announcement, and not time the
public release of such information based on stock option grant dates. In addition, it is our policy to not grant stock options or similar awards
during periods in which there is material nonpublic information about our company, including (i) during “blackout” periods or outside a
“trading window” established in connection with the public release of earnings information under our insider trading policy or (ii) at any time
during the four business days prior to or the one business day following the filing of our periodic reports or the filing or furnishing of a Form
8-K that discloses material nonpublic information. These restrictions do not apply to RSUs or other types of equity awards that do not include
an exercise price related to the market price of our common stock on the date of grant.
During the period covered by this report, we have not timed the disclosure of material nonpublic information for the purpose of affecting
the value of executive compensation.
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024, none of our named executive officers were awarded options with an effective grant date
during any period beginning four business days before the filing or furnishing of a Form 10-Q, Form 10-K, or Form 8-K that disclosed
material nonpublic information (other than a Form 8-K that disclosed a material new option award grant under Item 5.02(e)), and ending one
business day after the filing or furnishing of such reports.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
The following table sets forth the outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of the fiscal year ended August
31, 2024.
Option Awards
Stock Awards
Equity
Equity
Market
Incentive
Incentive
Value of
Awards:
Plan
Shares
Market or
Awards:
Number of
or
Payout Value
Number of
Number of
Number of
Shares or
Units of
of Unearned
Securities
Securities
Securities
Units
Stock
Shares, Units
Underlying
Underlying
Underlying
of Stock
That
or Other
Unexercised
Unexercised
Unexercised
Option
That
Have
Rights That
Options
Options
Unearned
Exercise
Award
Have Not
Not
Have Not
Name
Exercisable
Un-
exercisable
Options
Price ($)
Date
Vested (1)
Vested ($)(2)
Vested ($)
Trung T. Doan
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Christopher Lee
—
—
—
—
04/25/23
3,000
(3)
4,050
—
(1)
Represents RSU awards granted pursuant to our 2010 Plan.
(2)
Amounts calculated using the closing market price of a share of our common stock as of August 31, 2024, which was $1.35.
(3)
This RSU award vests in eight quarterly installments with the first installment vesting three months after the grant date.
Pension Benefits
We do not maintain any defined benefit pension plans.
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
We do not maintain any nonqualified deferred compensation plans.
Severance and Change in Control Benefits
Mr. Doan entered into an employment agreement in 2005, which provides that if he is terminated by us without cause or resigns due to
a constructive termination, he will receive as severance an amount equal to six months of his then-current salary plus his current medical
insurance for six months following his termination date. We offered such severance to motivate Mr. Doan to continue as our executive officer
by providing severance protection in the event that he is terminated by us without having committed any egregious act constituting cause or
if we adversely change his position such that he resigns. Cause is defined as (a) the conviction of a felony or of any criminal offense involving
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78
moral turpitude; (b) the repeated failure to satisfactorily perform duties reasonably required by us; (c) material breach of the proprietary
information and invention agreement, our written policies established by our Board or any term of his employment agreement; or (d)
misappropriation of our property or unlawful appropriation of our corporate opportunity or our business. If we determine cause exists, we
will provide Mr. Doan with written notice alleging cause and his failure to remedy the alleged cause within 30 days may result in a termination
for cause. Constructive termination is defined as one of the following events when we have not received Mr. Doan’s written consent for such
event: (a) a significant reduction of his duties, position or responsibilities relative to his duties, position or responsibilities in effect
immediately prior to such reduction or his removal from such position, duties and responsibilities, provided that a reduction in duties, position
or responsibilities solely by virtue of us being acquired and made part of a larger entity will not constitute a constructive termination; (b) a
substantial reduction, without good business reasons, of the facilities and perquisites available to him immediately prior to such reduction;
(c) a reduction of his base salary unless such reduction is a part of a Company-wide reduction for similarly situated persons; or (d) a material
reduction in the kind or level of employee benefits to which he is entitled immediately prior to such reduction, with the result that his overall
benefits package is significantly reduced, unless such reductions are part of a Company-wide reduction for similarly situated persons.
Employment Agreements
Mr. Doan entered into an employment agreement in 2005, which provides for the severance payments and benefits described under
“ Severance and Change in Control Benefits” above.
Pay Versus Performance
As required by Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the“Pay Versus Performance
Rules”), we are providing the following information about the relationship between executive compensation actually paid and the financial
performance of the Company. This disclosure has been prepared in accordance with the Pay Versus Performance Rules and does not
necessarily reflect how the Compensation Committee evaluates compensation decisions. Because we are a “smaller reporting company” as
defined under the U.S. federal securities laws, in accordance with the smaller reporting rules under Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K, the
Company has provided the information required by Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K for two fiscal years and is not required to provide disclosure
under Item 402(v)(2)(iv), (v)(5), (v)(2)(vi) or (v)(6).
Year(1)
Summary
Compensation Table
Total for PEO
Compensation Actually
Paid to PEO(2)(3)
Average Summary
Compensation Table
Total for Non-PEO
NEOs(2)(4)
Average
Compensation
Actually Paid
to Non-PEO
NEOs
Value of Initial
Fixed $100
Investment
Based On Total
Shareholder
Return(5)
Net Income (Loss)
($ in thousands)
2024
$
243,000
$
243,000
$
106,903
$
87,560
$
22.41
$
(2,036 )
2023
$
243,000
$
243,000
$
124,201
$
98,537
$
33.33
$
(2,690 )
2022
$
243,000
$
243,000
$
113,265
$
72,081
$
73.98
$
(2,726 )
(1)
The following table lists the PEO and non-PEO NEOs for each of fiscal years 2024, 2023 and 2022.
Year
PEO
Non-PEO NEOs
2024
Trung T. Doan
Christopher Lee
2023
Trung T. Doan
Christopher Lee
2022
Trung T. Doan
Christopher Lee
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79
(2)
The dollar amounts reported represent the amount of “compensation actually paid,” as calculated in accordance with the Pay
Versus Performance Rules. These dollar amounts do not reflect the actual amounts of compensation earned by or paid to our
NEOs during the applicable year. For purposes of calculating “compensation actually paid,” the fair value of equity awards is
calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718 using the same assumption methodologies used to calculate the grant date fair
value of awards for purposes of the Summary Compensation Table (refer to “Compensation of the Named Executive Officers
and Directors – Executive Compensation – Summary Compensation Table” for additional information).
(3)
The following table shows the amounts deducted from and added to the Summary Compensation Table total to calculate
“compensation actually paid” to Mr. Doan in accordance with the Pay Versus Performance Rules:
Year
Summary
Compensation
Table Total
for PEO
Change
in
Pension
Value
Pension
Service
Cost
Reported
Value of
Equity
Awards
Year
End Fair
Value of
Equity
Awards
Granted
in the
Year
and
Unvested
at Year
End
Year over
Year
Change in
Fair Value
of
Outstanding
and
Unvested
Equity
Awards
Granted in
Prior Years
Fair
Value
as of
Vesting
Date of
Equity
Awards
Granted
and
Vested
in the
Year
Change
in Fair
Value of
Equity
Awards
Granted
in Prior
Years
that
Vested
in the
Year
Fair Value
at the End
of the
Prior Year
of Equity
Awards
that Failed
to Meet
Vesting
Conditions
in the
Year
Value of
Dividends
or other
Earnings
Paid on
Stock or
Option
Awards
not
Otherwise
Reflected
in Fair
Value
Compensation
Actually Paid
to PEO
2024
$
243,000
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
— $
243,000
(4)
The following table shows the amounts deducted from and added to the average Summary Compensation Table total
compensation to calculate the average “compensation actually paid” to our non-PEO NEOs in accordance with the Pay Versus
Performance Rules:
Year
Average
Summary
Compensation
Table Total
for Non-PEO
NEOs
Average
Change
in
Pension
Value
Average
Pension
Service
Cost
Average
Reported
Value of
Equity
Awards
Average
Year
End Fair
Value of
Equity
Awards
Granted
in the
Year
and
Unvested
at Year
End
Average
Year over
Year
Change in
Fair Value
of
Outstanding
and
Unvested
Equity
Awards
Granted in
Prior Years
Average
Fair
Value as
of
Vesting
Date of
Equity
Awards
Granted
and
Vested
in the
Year
Average
Change
in Fair
Value of
Equity
Awards
Granted
in Prior
Years
that
Vested
in the
Year
Average
Fair Value
at the End
of the
Prior Year
of Equity
Awards
that Failed
to Meet
Vesting
Conditions
in the
Year
Average
Value of
Dividends
or other
Earnings
Paid on
Stock or
Option
Awards
not
Otherwise
Reflected
in Fair
Value
Average
Compensation
Actually Paid
to Non-PEO
NEOs
2024
$
106,903
—
— $(19,360 )$ 4,050 $
(1,170)
— $(2,863)
—
— $
87,560
(5)
Assumes $100 was invested for the period starting August 31, 2021, through the end of the listed year in the Company.
Historical stock performance is not intended to forecast nor be indicative of the future stock performance of our common stock.
Relationship Between Financial Performance Measures
While the Company utilizes several performance measures to align executive compensation with Company performance, not all of
those Company measures are presented in the Pay versus Performance table. Moreover, the Company generally seeks to incentivize long-
term performance, and therefore does not specifically align the Company’s performance measures with compensation that is actually paid
(as computed in accordance with SEC rules) for a particular year. In accordance with SEC rules, the Company is providing the following
descriptions of the relationships between information presented in the Pay versus Performance table.
Compensation and Cumulative Total Shareholder Return
The following chart sets forth the relationship between PEO compensation, the average compensation of our Non-PEO NEOs, and the
Company’s cumulative total shareholder return (“TSR”) for the years ended August 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
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80
Compensation and Net Income
The following chart sets forth the relationship between PEO compensation, the average compensation of our Non-PEO NEOs, and the
Company’s net income for the years ended August 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
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81
Director Compensation
Our Board amended our director compensation policy on November 11, 2020 to replace the annual cash retainers for board and
committee service with additional restricted stock units, as a result of which non-employee members of the Board now receive the following
compensation for their board and committee services:
•
no annual cash retainer for general Board or committee service;
•
no cash payments for attendance at general Board meetings; and
•
each year shortly following the annual stockholder meeting an annual grant of 5,000 shares of restricted stock units, which fully
vest on the earlier of the next annual meeting or the one-year anniversary of the grant date, whichever is earlier, subject to
continued service through the vesting date, provided that the restricted stock units will fully vest if we are subject to a change in
control during their service.
The director compensation policy requires directors to attend at least 75% of the meetings each year in order to be renominated. The
policy also includes an equity ownership guideline whereby our directors will be expected to own and hold shares of our common stock until
retirement from their Board service. We also reimburse non-employee directors for travel, lodging and other expenses incurred in connection
with their attendance at Board or committee meetings.
Director Compensation Table
The following table sets forth the total compensation for our non-employee directors for the year ended August 31, 2024:
Fees Earned or
All Other
Name
Paid in Cash
($)
Stock Awards
($)(2)
Compensation
($)
Total
($)
Dr. Edward Kuan Hsiung Hsieh
—
23,850
—
23,850
Walter Michael Gough
—
23,850
—
23,850
Scott R. Simplot (1)
—
—
—
—
Chris Chang Yu (3)
—
—
—
—
(1)
Mr. Simplot waived any right to compensation.
(2)
The amount reported in this column represent the grant date fair value of the RSUs granted in the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024,
calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Each restricted stock unit award was granted pursuant to our 2010 Plan. Unless
otherwise specified, each restricted stock unit award will vest in four equal installments commencing on the grant date, 100% of the
stock units shall immediately vest on the date of the 2025 annual meeting, subject to continued service through the vesting date, provided
that the restricted stock units will fully vest if we are subject to a change in control during their service.
(3)
Dr. Yu was appointed to our Board of Directors effective July 3, 2024.
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82
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of November 20, 2024 with
respect to:
•
each person, or group of affiliated persons, who is known by us to own beneficially 5% or more of our common stock;
•
each of our directors;
•
each of our named executive officers; and
•
all directors and executive officers as a group.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC. All shares of our common stock subject to options currently
exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of November 20, 2024 and RSUs that will vest within 60 days of November 20, 2024, are deemed
to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of the person or group holding options and RSUs, but are not
deemed to be outstanding for computing the percentage of ownership of any other person.
Unless otherwise indicated by the footnotes below, we believe, based on the information furnished to us, that each stockholder named
in the table has sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned, subject to applicable community property
laws.
Percentage of ownership is based on 7,211,738 shares of common stock outstanding as of November 20, 2024.
Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes to the table, the address of each individual listed in the table is c/o SemiLEDs Corporation,
3F, No.11, Ke Jung Rd., Chu-Nan Site, Hsinchu Science Park, Chu-Nan 350, Miao-Li County, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Shares Beneficially Owned
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
Number
Percent
5% Stockholders:
Simplot Taiwan, Inc.
3,752,334 (1)
52.0 %
J.R. Simplot Company
Trung Tri Doan
3,752,334 (2)
52.0 %
Executive Officers and Directors:
Trung Tri Doan
3,752,334 (2)
52.0 %
Walter Michael Gough
31,068
*
Dr. Edward Kuan Hsiung Hsieh
43,571
*
Scott R. Simplot
3,752,334 (1)
52.0 %
Christopher Lee
24,800 (3)
*
All executive officers and directors as a group (6 persons)
3,851,773
52.0 %
*
Indicates beneficial ownership of less than 1%.
(1)
Based on Schedule 13D/As filed with the SEC on June 4, 2024. Represents beneficial ownership of 3,752,334 shares consisting of (i)
2,445,299 shares held of record by Simplot Taiwan, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Simplot Company of which Scott R. Simplot is
Chairman, (ii) 31,036 shares held of record by JRS Properties, of which Mr. Simplot is one of the managers of the sole general partner,
JRS Management, (iii) 1,148,858 shares held of record by Mr. Doan and which may be attributable to Mr. Simplot by virtue of his
relationships with Simplot Taiwan, Inc. and JRS Properties III LLLP, both of which are parties to the Voting Agreement dated June 3,
2024 (the “Voting Agreement”), and (iv) 127,141 shares held of record by the Trung Doan 2010 GRAT and which may be attributable
to Mr. Simplot by virtue of his relationships with Simplot Taiwan, Inc. and JRS Properties III LLLP, both of which are parties to the
Voting Agreement. Mr. Simplot is the Chairman of the Simplot Company and a manager of JRS Management. Accordingly, Mr.
Simplot may be deemed to have shared voting power over 3,752,334 shares and shared dispositive power over 2,476,335 shares. Mr.
Simplot disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. The address of Simplot
Taiwan, Inc. is 1099 West Front Street, Boise, Idaho 83702.
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83
(2)
Based on a Schedule 13D/A filed with the SEC on June 4, 2024. Includes (1) 127,141 shares owned directly by The Trung Doan 2010
GRAT, of which Mr. Doan is the sole trustee and (2) 1,148,858 shares held directly by Mr. Doan. Also includes 31,036 shares directly
owned by JRS Properties III LLLP and 2,445,299 shares directly held by Simplot Taiwan, Inc,, which may be attributable to Mr. Doan
by virtue of the Voting Agreement. Accordingly, Mr. Doan may be deemed to have shared voting power over 3,752,334 shares and
sole dispositive power over 1,275,999 shares. Mr. Doan disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his
pecuniary interest therein.
(3)
Includes 1,000 restricted stock units that will vest within 60 days.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table summarizes information about our equity compensation plans as of August 31, 2024. All outstanding awards relate
to our common stock.
Plan category
Number of securities
to be issued upon
exercise of outstanding
options, warrants
and rights
(a)
Weighted-
average
exercise price of
outstanding
options,
warrants
and rights(2)
(b)
Number of securities
remaining available for
future issuance under
equity compensation
plans (excluding
securities reflected in
column (a))
(c)
(in thousands)
(in thousands)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
49
(1)
$
2.07
544
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
—
—
—
Total
49
544
(1) Consists of stock options granted under the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan and the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan, and restricted stock units
granted under the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan. No additional grants could be made under the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan after December
8, 2010. In April 2014 and July 2019, SemiLEDs’ stockholders approved amendments to the 2010 Plan that increased the number of
shares authorized for issuance under the plan by an additional 250 thousand shares and 500 thousand shares, respectively. On September
25, 2020, SemiLEDs' stockholders approved an increase in the authorized Equity Incentive Plan share reserve under the 2010 plan by
an additional 400 thousand shares.
(2) The weighted average exercise price does not take into account the shares issuable upon vesting of outstanding restricted stock unit
awards, which have no exercise price. The information required by this Item with respect to the securities ownership of directors,
officers and certain beneficial owners is set forth under the heading “Principal Stockholders” above.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Since September 1, 2022, there has not been any transaction or series of similar transactions to which we were or are a party in which
the amount involved exceeded or exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of the average of our total assets at year-end for the last two
completed fiscal years, and in which any of our directors or executive officers, any holder of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities
or any member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than the
transactions described below, some of which represent continuing transactions from prior periods.
Loan Agreements with Chief Executive Officer and Significant Stockholder
On January 8, 2019, the Company entered into loan agreements with each of Trung Doan, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer and J.R. Simplot Company, the largest stockholder of the Company, with aggregate amounts of $1.7 million and $1.5 million,
respectively, and an annual interest rate of 8%. All proceeds of the loans were exclusively used to return the deposit to Formosa Epitaxy
Incorporation in connection with the proposed sale of the Company's headquarters building pursuant to the agreement dated December 15,
2015. The Company was initially required to repay the loans of $1.5 million on January 14, 2021 and $1.7 million on January 22, 2021,
respectively. On January 16, 2021, the maturity date of these loans was extended with same terms and interest rate for one year to January
15, 2022, and on January 14, 2022, the maturity date of these loans was extended again with same terms and interest rate for one more year
to January 15, 2023. On January 13, 2023, the maturity date of these loans was further extended with same terms and interest rate for one
year to January 15, 2024.
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84
On January 7, 2024, J.R. Simplot Company and the Company entered into an assignment agreement pursuant to which J.R. Simplot
assigned and transferred all of its right, title and interest in and to the loan agreement to Simplot Taiwan Inc., in accordance with and subject
to the terms and conditions of the loan agreement.
On January 7, 2024, the Company entered into the Fourth Amendment to the loan agreements with each of Simplot Taiwan Inc. and
Trung Doan (each, a “Fourth Amendment”).
The Fourth Amendment with Simplot Taiwan Inc. (i) extends the maturity date of its loan agreement to January 15, 2025, and (ii) upon
mutual agreement of the Company and Simplot Taiwan Inc., permits the Company to repay any principal amount or accrued interest, in an
amount not to exceed $400,000, by issuing shares of the Company’s common stock in the name of Simplot Taiwan Inc. as partial repayment
of the loan agreement at a price per share equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock immediately preceding the business day
of the payment notice date. All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement with Simplot Taiwan Inc. remained the same. The Fourth
Amendment to the loan agreement with Trung Doan to amend the loans maturity date with same terms and interest rate to January 15, 2025.
All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement with Trung Doan remained the same.
On January 7, 2024, the Company issued 305,343 shares of its common stock at a price of $1.31 per share to repay $400,000 of accrued
interest on the loan agreement with Simplot Taiwan Inc. The shares of common stock were issued in reliance on Section 3(a)(9) of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
The Fourth Amendment with Trung Doan amends the loan agreement’s maturity date with same terms and interest rate to January 15,
2025. All other terms and conditions of the loan agreement with Trung Doan remained the same.
On February 9, 2024, the Company and Trung Doan entered into the Fifth Amendment to the loan agreement (the “Fifth Amendment”).
The Fifth Amendment, upon the mutual agreement of the Company and Trung Doan, permits the Company to repay any principal amount or
accrued interest, in an amount not to exceed $800,000, by issuing shares of the Company’s common stock to Trung Doan as partial repayment
of the loan agreement at a price per share equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock immediately preceding the business day
of the payment notice date.
On February 9, 2024, the Company repaid $800,000 of loan principal by delivering 629,921 shares of the Company’s common stock
to Mr. Doan, based on the closing price of $1.27 per share on February 8, 2024. The shares of common stock were issued on February 9,
2024 in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On July 3, 2024, the Company entered into the Sixth Amendment to the Loan Agreement with Mr. Doan to, upon the mutual agreement
of Mr. Doan and the Company, permits the Company to repay a portion of the principal amount or accrued interest, by issuing shares of the
Company’s common stock to Mr. Doan as repayment of the Loan Agreement at a price per share equal to the closing price of the Company’s
common stock immediately preceding the business day of the payment notice date.
As of August 31, 2024, the aggregate principal balance of the loan agreement with Trung Doan was $900 thousand, and the aggregate
principal balance of the loan agreement with Simplot Taiwan was $1.5 million. The loans are secured by a second priority security interest
on the Company's headquarters building.
Convertible Promissory Notes
On November 25, 2019 and on December 10, 2019, the Company issued convertible unsecured promissory notes (the “Notes”) to J.R.
Simplot Company, the largest stockholder of the Company, and Trung Doan, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, (together,
the “Holders”) with a principal sum of $1.5 million and $500 thousand, respectively, and an annual interest rate of 3.5%. Principal and accrued
interest is due on demand by the Holders on and at any time after May 30, 2021. The outstanding principal and unpaid accrued interest of the
Notes may be converted into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $3.00 per share, at the option of the Holders
any time from the date of the Notes. On February 7, 2020, J.R. Simplot Company assigned all of its right, title and interest in the Notes to
Simplot Taiwan Inc. On May 25, 2020, each of the Holders converted $300,000 of the Notes into 100,000 shares of the Company’s common
stock. On May 26, 2021, the Notes were extended with the same terms and interest rate for one year and a maturity date of May 30, 2022. On
May 26, 2022, the Notes were second extended with the same terms and interest rate for one year and a maturity date of May 30, 2023. On
June 6, 2023, the Company entered into the Third Amendment to the Notes to amend the Notes to (i) extend the maturity date from May 30,
2023 to May 30, 2024, and (ii) change the conversion price from $3.00 to $2.046 per share. All other terms and conditions of the Notes
remained the same.
After the close of market on January 5, 2024, the Company entered into the Fourth Amendment to the Notes (the “Note Fourth
Amendments”) to amend the Notes to (i) convert the total principal and accrued interest on the Notes to common stock of the Company to be
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85
issued in the names of the Holders, and (ii) change the conversion price of the Notes from $2.046 per share to the closing price immediately
preceding the signing of the Note Fourth Amendments, or $1.31 per share. All other terms and conditions of the Notes remained the same.
On January 5, 2024, the Holders converted the total principal and accrued interest of the Notes, in an aggregate amount of $1,608,848,
to 1,228,128 shares of its common stock at a conversion price of $1.31 per share.
As of August 31, 2024, the aggregate principal balance of the loans outstanding was zero.
Voting Agreement
On June 3, 2024, Mr. Doan, in his capacity as a stockholder of the Company, entered into a Voting Agreement by and between Simplot
Taiwan, Inc., an Idaho corporation (“Simplot”), JRS Properties III LLLP, an Idaho limited liability limited partnership (“JRS Properties” and
together with Simplot, the “Simplot Shareholders”), and The Trung Tri Doan 2010 GRAT (the “Doan Trust”) of which Mr. Doan is the sole
trustee (Doan and the Doan Trust together, the “Doan Shareholders” and together with the Simplot Shareholders, the “Stockholder Group”).
The aggregate amount of shares of the Company owned by them constitutes a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company
as of the date of the Voting Agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the Voting Agreement, the Simplot Shareholders and Doan Shareholders
agreed to vote the shares of the Common Stock owned by them in favor of certain matters presented by the Company to its stockholders as
provided in the Voting Agreement.
The Voting Agreement is effective as of June 3, 2024, and terminates upon at least ten days’ written notice to the other members of the
Stockholder Group or upon material breach of the terms therein. In addition, the Voting Agreement automatically terminates upon the earliest
of (1) the Simplot Shareholders or the Doan Shareholders no longer own securities of the Company; (2) the sale of all or substantially all of
the Company’s assets; (3) the dissolution, insolvency or liquidation of the Company; (4) the death, bankruptcy, insolvency or dissolution of
any of the Shareholders (as defined in the Voting Agreement), or (5) the Stockholder Group’s joint written agreement to terminate the Voting
Agreement.
As of August 31, 2024, the shares subject to the Voting Agreement represent approximately 52% of the voting power of our common
stock.
Employment Agreements
See “Compensation of the Named Executive Officers and Directors—Employment Agreements.”
Policies and Procedures for Related Party Transactions
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86
Our Board has adopted a formal, written related party transactions policy pursuant to which, our executive officers, directors, beneficial
owners of more than 5% of our common stock, and any member of the immediate family of and any firm, corporation or other entity at which
any of the foregoing persons is employed or is a general partner or principal or in a similar position or in which such person has a 5% or
greater beneficial interest, are not permitted to enter into a related party transaction with us without prior consent and approval of our Audit
Committee. This policy covers any transaction, arrangement or relationship, or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or
relationships in which we are a participant, the aggregate amount involved will or may be expected to exceed $120,000 in any year and a
related person has or will have a direct or indirect material interest (other than solely as a result of being a director or a less than 10% beneficial
owner of another entity), including, without limitation, purchases of goods or services by or from the related person or entities in which the
related person has a material interest, indebtedness, guarantees of indebtedness or employment by us of a related person.
The Audit Committee has determined that a related person does not have a direct or indirect material interest in the following categories
of transactions and that each will be deemed to be preapproved:
•
any transaction with another company at which a related person’s only relationship is as an employee (other than an executive
officer), director, or beneficial owner of less than 10% of that company’s shares, if the aggregate amount involved does not
exceed the greater of $1 million or 2% of that company’s total annual revenue.
Director Independence
The published listing requirements of Nasdaq dictate that a majority of the Board be comprised of independent directors whom our
Board has determined have no material relationship with our Company and who are otherwise “independent” directors under those listing
requirements. Our current Board consists of the five persons listed above. The Board has determined that Dr. Hsieh, Dr. Yu and Mr. Gough
each qualify as an independent director under applicable Nasdaq and SEC rules.
The Nasdaq rules have objective tests and a subjective test for determining who is an “independent director.” Under the objective tests,
a director cannot be considered independent if:
•
the director is, or at any time during the past three years was, an employee of the company;
•
the director or a family member of the director accepted any compensation from the company in excess of $120,000 during any
period of 12 consecutive months within the three years preceding the independence determination (subject to certain exclusions,
including, among other things, compensation for board or board committee service);
•
a family member of the director is, or at any time during the past three years was, an executive officer of the company;
•
the director or a family member of the director is a partner in, controlling stockholder of, or an executive officer of an entity to
which the company made, or from which the company received, payments in the current or any of the past three fiscal years that
exceeded 5% of the recipient’s consolidated gross revenue for that year or $200,000, whichever was greater (subject to certain
exclusions);
•
the director or a family member of the director is employed as an executive officer of an entity where, at any time during the past
three years, any of the executive officers of the company served on the compensation committee of such other entity; or
•
the director or a family member of the director is a current partner of the company’s outside auditor, or at any time during the
past three years was a partner or employee of the company’s outside auditor, and who worked on the company’s audit.
The subjective test states that an independent director must be a person who lacks a relationship that, in the opinion of the Board, would
interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The Board has not established categorical
standards or guidelines to make these subjective determinations but considers all relevant facts and circumstances.
In addition to the Board-level standards for director independence, the Nasdaq rules provide that directors, of whom there must be three,
who serve on the Audit Committee must each satisfy standards established by the SEC that require that members of audit committees must
not be affiliated persons of the issuer and may not accept directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the
issuer other than their director compensation.
Transactions Considered in Independence Determinations
In making its independence determinations, the Board considered transactions that occurred since the beginning of fiscal year 2024
between the Company and entities associated with the independent directors or members of their immediate family. All identified transactions
that appeared to relate to the Company and a family member of, or entity with a known connection to, a director were presented to the Board
for consideration.
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87
Nither Dr. Hsieh, Dr. Yu nor Mr. Gough were disqualified from “independent” status under the objective tests. In making its subjective
determination that Dr. Hsieh, Dr. Yu and Mr. Gough are independent, the Board reviewed and discussed additional information provided by
the directors and the Company with regard to each director’s business and personal activities as they may relate to the Company and the
Company’s management. The Board considered the transactions in the context of the Nasdaq objective standards, the special standards
established by the SEC for members of audit committees, and the SEC standards for compensation committee members. Based on all of the
foregoing, as required by the Nasdaq rules, the Board made a subjective determination that, because of the nature of the director’s relationship
with the entity and/or the amount involved, no relationships exist that, in the opinion of the Board, would impair Dr. Hsieh, Dr. Yu and Mr.
Gough’s independence. Mr. Simplot now controls a majority of the voting power of the Company, so he is no longer deemed independent.
Item14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Fees Billed by Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The following table shows the fees and related expenses for audit and other services provided by KCCW Accountancy Corp and its
subsidiaries billed for fiscal year 2024 and 2023. The services requiring pre-approval by the audit committee may include audit services, audit
related services, tax services and other services. The pre-approval requirement is waived with respect to the provision of non-audit services
if (i) the aggregate amount of all such non-audit services provided to us constitutes not more than 5% of the total fees paid by us to our
independent auditors during the fiscal year in which such non-audit services were provided, (ii) such services were not recognized at the time
of the engagement to be non-audit services, and (iii) such services are promptly brought to the attention of the Audit Committee or by one or
more of its members to whom authority to grant such approvals has been delegated by the Audit Committee. During fiscal 2024 and 2023,
100% of the audit related services, tax services and all other services provided by KCCW Accountancy Corp. for the periods as our principal
independent registered public accountant were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.
Fiscal Years Ended August 31,
2024
2023
Audit Fees
$
161,000
$
178,000
Audit-Related Fees
—
—
Tax Fees
7,000
7,000
All Other Fees
—
5,000
Total
$
168,000
$
190,000
Audit Fees. This category includes the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements, review of our quarterly condensed
consolidated financial statements and services that are normally provided by our independent auditors in connection with statutory and
regulatory filings or engagements. This category also includes statutory audits required by the Tax Bureau of Taiwan for certain of our
subsidiaries in Taiwan.
Tax Fees. This category includes tax return preparation and technical tax advice.
All Other Fees. The services for the fees disclosed in this category include permitted services other than those that meet the criteria
above and represent fees related to our at-the-market equity program in fiscal year 2023.
The Audit Committee concluded that the provision of the non-audit services listed above is compatible with maintaining the
independence of KCCW Accountancy Corp.
Table of Contents
88
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(2) Exhibits:
Table of Contents
89
Exhibit
Filed
No
Exhibit Title
Form
File No.
Exhibit
Filing Date
Herewith
3.1
Amended and Restated Certification of Incorporation of
Registrant
S-1/A
333-168624
3.1(c)
November 22,
2010
3.2
Certificate of Amendment of Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation
8-K
001-34992
3.1
April 15, 2016
3.3
Certificate of Amendment of Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation
8-K
001-34992
3.1
July 3, 2018
3.4
Certificate of Amendment of Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation
8-K
001-34992
3.1
October 16,
2024
3.5
Amended and Restated Bylaws of Registrant
S-1/A
333-168624
3.2(b)
November 22,
2010
3.6
Amendment No.1 to the Bylaws of Registrant
8-K
001-34992
3.1
October 16,
2024
4.1
Form of Common Stock Certificate
S-1/A
333-168624
4.1
November 22,
2010
4.2 (d)
Description of the Registrant’s Securities Under Section
12 of the Exchange Act
10-K
001-34992
4.2(d)
November 20,
2019
10.3†
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with
Trung T. Doan, dated March 15, 2005
S-1
333-168624
10.3
August 6, 2010
10.4†
SemiLEDs Corporation 2010 Equity Incentive Plan,
Stock Unit Grant Agreement (Director Form)
8-K
001-34992
99.1
February 9,
2012
10.5†
SemiLEDs Corporation 2010 Equity Incentive Plan, Form
of Stock Unit Agreement (Officer Form)
8-K
001-34992
99.1
February 24,
2012
10.6
Form of Proprietary Information and Inventions
Agreement
S-1/A
333-168624
10.8
September 14,
2010
10.7
Form of Non-competition Agreement
S-1/A
333-168624
10.9
September 14,
2010
10.8†
Form of Option Agreement for the 2010 Equity Incentive
Plan
S-1/A
333-168624
10.10
November 16,
2010
10.9†
Form of Indemnification Agreement with directors and
officers
S-1/A
333-168624
10.11
October 26,
2010
10.10
Loan Agreement dated January 8, 2019 between
SemiLEDs Corporation and Trung Doan
10-Q
001-34992
10.1
January 11,
2019
10.11
Loan Agreement dated January 8, 2019 between
SemiLEDs Corporation and J. R. Simplot Company
10-Q
001-34992
10.2
January 11,
2019
10.12
The First Loan Agreement between Mega International
Commercial Bank and SemiLEDs Optoelectronics Co.,
Ltd. dated July 5, 2019 (translation)
10-K
001-34992
10.12
November 20,
2019
10.13
The Second Loan Agreement between Mega International
Commercial Bank and SemiLEDs Optoelectronics Co.,
Ltd. dated July 5, 2019 (translation)
10-K
001-34992
10.13
November 20,
2019
10.14
Amendment to Convertible Unsecured Promissory Note
dated May 26, 2021 to Trung Doan
10-K
001-34992
10.14
November 29,
2021
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90
10.15
Amendment to Convertible Unsecured Promissory Note
dated May 26,2021 to Simplot Taiwan Inc.
10-K
001-34992
10.15
November 29,
2021
10.16
Second Amendment to Convertible Unsecured
Promissory Note dated May 26, 2022 between SemiLEDs
Corporation and Simplot Taiwan Inc.
8-K
001-34992
1.1
May 26, 2022
10.17
Second Amendment to Convertible Unsecured
Promissory Note dated May 26, 2022 between SemiLEDs
Corporation and Trung Doan
8-K
001-34992
1.2
May 26, 2022
10.18
Third Amendment to Convertible Unsecured Promissory
Note dated June 6, 2023 between SemiLEDs Corporation
and Simplot Taiwan Inc.
8-K
001-34992
10.1
June 6, 2023
10.19
Third Amendment to Convertible Unsecured Promissory
Note dated June 6, 2023 between SemiLEDs Corporation
and Trung Doan
8-K
001-34992
10.2
June 6, 2023
10.20
Second Amendment to Loan Agreement dated January
14, 2022 between SemiLEDs Corporation and J.R.
Simplot Company
8-K
001-34992
1.1
January 18,
2022
10.21
Second Amendment to Loan Agreement dated January
14, 2022 between SemiLEDs Corporation and Trung
Doan
8-K
001-34992
1.2
January 18,
2022
10.22
Third Amendment to Loan Agreement dated January 13,
2023 between SemiLEDs Corporation and J.R. Simplot
Company
8-K
001-34992
1.1
January 18,
2023
10.23
Third Amendment to Loan Agreement dated January 13,
2023 between SemiLEDs Corporation and Trung Doan
8-K
001-34992
1.2
January 18,
2023
10.24
2010 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended March 17, 2023
DEF14A
001-34992
1.1
April 7, 2023
10.25
Fourth Amendment to Convertible Unsecured Promissory
Note dated January 5, 2024 between SemiLEDs
Corporation and Simplot Taiwan Inc.
8-K
001-34992
10.1
January 9,
2024
10.26
Fourth Amendment to Convertible Unsecured Promissory
Note dated January 5, 2024 between SemiLEDs
Corporation and Trung Doan
8-K
001-34992
10.2
January 9,
2024
10.27
Fourth Amendment to Loan Agreement dated January 7,
2024 between SemiLEDs Corporation and Simplot
Taiwan Inc.
8-K
001-34992
10.3
January 9,
2024
10.28
Fourth Amendment to Loan Agreement dated January 7,
2024 between SemiLEDs Corporation and Trung Doan
8-K
001-34992
10.4
January 9,
2024
10.29
Assignment of Loan Agreement dated January 7, 2024
8-K
001-34992
10.5
January 9,
2024
10.30
Fifth Amendment to Loan Agreement dated February 9,
2024 between SemiLEDs Corporation and Trung Doan
8-K
001-34992
10.1
February 20,
2024
10.31
Sixth Amendment to Loan Agreement dated July 3, 2024
between SemiLEDs Corporation and Trung Doan
8-K
001-34992
10.1
July 8, 2024
19.1
Insider Trading Policy
X
Table of Contents
91
21
Subsidiaries of the Registrant
X
23.1
Consent of KCCW Accountancy Corp, Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm
X
31.1
Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)
X
31.2
Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)
X
32.1*
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to
18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
X
32.2*
Certification of the Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18
U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
X
97
Compensation Recovery Policy
X
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document
X
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
X
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
Document
X
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
Document
X
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase
Document
X
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
Document
X
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline
XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)
X
† Management contract or compensatory arrangement
* This certification is deem not filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liability of that
section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
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92
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this
report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: November 27, 2024
SemiLEDs Corporation
By:
/s/ TRUNG TRI DOAN
Trung Tri Doan
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons
on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ TRUNG TRI DOAN
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
November 27, 2024
Trung Tri Doan
/s/ CHRISTOPHER LEE
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
November 27, 2024
Christopher Lee
/s/ SCOTT R. SIMPLOT
Director
November 27, 2024
Scott R. Simplot
/s/ DR. EDWARD KUAN HSIUNG HSIEH
Director
November 27, 2024
Dr. Edward Kuan Hsiung Hsieh
/s/ GOUGH WALTER MICHAEL
Director
November 27, 2024
Gough Walter Michael
/s/ DR. CHRIS CHANG YU
Director
November 27, 2024
Dr. Chris Chang Yu
Table of Contents
93
SEMILEDS CORPORATION
SCHEDULE II— VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
Years Ended
August 31,
2024
2023
(In thousands)
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Including Related Parties):
Beginning balance
$
173
$
306
Charged to bad debt expense
—
—
Write-downs charged against the allowance
Effect of exchange rate changes
—
(133 )
Ending balance
$
173
$
173
Years Ended
August 31,
2024
2023
(In thousands)
Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets:
Beginning balance
$
23,777
$
22,510
Charged to income tax expense
4,904
8,454
Net operating loss carryforward expired
(10,189)
(9,255 )
Effect of exchange rate changes
956
2,068
Ending balance
$
19,448
$
23,777
Exhibit 19.1
SEMILEDS CORPORATION
INSIDER TRADING AND DISCLOSURE POLICY
( November 15 ,2021 amended )
This document sets forth the Insider Trading and Disclosure Policy (the “Policy”)
regarding trading in the stock and other securities of SemiLEDs Corporation (the “Company”)
and, where applicable, the disclosure of such transactions. All references to the “Company” in
the document include any subsidiaries of SemiLEDs Corporation.
I.
APPLICABILITY
This Policy applies to all officers and employees of the Company, all members of the
Company’s Board of Directors, and any consultants, advisors and contractors to the Company
and its Affiliates, as well as members of the immediate families and households of these persons,
and others, in each case where such persons have or may have access to material, nonpublic
information (each a “Covered Person”). The Policy also applies to family trusts (or similar
entities) controlled by or benefiting individuals subject to the Policy.
II.
GENERAL STATEMENT
Nonpublic information relating to the Company or its business is the property of the
Company. The Company prohibits the unauthorized disclosure of any such nonpublic
information acquired in the work-place or otherwise as a result of an individual’s employment
or other relationship with the Company, as well as the misuse of any material nonpublic
information about the Company or its business in securities trading.
III.
INSIDER TRADING COMPLIANCE OFFICER
The Company has designated Christopher Lee as its current Insider Trading
Compliance Officer (the "Compliance Officer"). Please direct your questions as to any of the
matters discussed in this Policy to Mr. Lee, who can be reached by phone at +886-37-586788
or by e- mail at Christopher.lee@semileds.com.
IV.
INSIDER TRADING POLICIES
1.
General Policies Applicable to All Covered Persons. The following are the
general rules of the Company’s Insider Trading Policy that apply to all Covered Persons. It is
very important that you understand and follow these rules. If you violate them, you may be
subject to disciplinary action by the Company (including termination of your employment for
cause). You could also be in violation of applicable securities laws (and subject to civil and
criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment). Note that it is your individual
responsibility to comply with the laws against insider trading. This Policy is intended to assist
you in complying with these laws, but you must always exercise appropriate judgment in
connection with any trade in the Company’s securities.
(a)
Don’t trade during black-out periods. During the end of each fiscal
quarter and until public disclosure of the financial results for that quarter, you
may possess material nonpublic information about the expected financial results
for the fiscal quarter. Even if you don't actually possess any such information,
any trades by you during that period may give the appearance that you are
trading on inside information. Accordingly, the Company has designated a
regularly scheduled fiscal quarterly "black-out period" on trading beginning with
the last seventh day of the last month of each fiscal quarter and to end at the close
of the first full trading day (day on which the stock market is open) after
disclosure of the quarterly financial results. In addition to the regularly-scheduled
black-out periods, the Company may from time to time designate other periods of
time as a special black-out period (for example, if there is some development
with the Company's business that merits a suspension of trading by each Covered
Person).
The Company prohibits all Covered Persons from trading during all
black-out periods, whether regularly scheduled black-out periods, or special
black-out periods implemented from time to time. Furthermore, the Company
may not widely announce the commencement of a special black-out period, as
that information can itself be sensitive information. If you are informed that the
Company has implemented a special black-out period, you may not disclose the
fact that trading has been suspended to anyone, including other Company
employees (who may themselves not be subject to the black-out), family
members (other than those subject to this Policy who would be prohibited from
trading because you are), friends or brokers. You should treat the imposition of a
special black-out period as material nonpublic information.
Remember to cancel any “limit” orders or other pending trading
orders you have in place during a black-out period (unless the orders were
made pursuant to an approved Rule 10b5-1(c) trading program).
(b)
Don’t trade while in possession of material nonpublic information.
From time to time you may come into possession of material nonpublic
information as a result of your relationship with the Company. You may not buy,
sell or trade in any stock of the Company or other securities involving the
Company’s stock at any time while you possess material nonpublic information
concerning the Company (whether during a “black-out period” or at any other
time). You must wait to trade until newly released material information has been
public for at least two (2) full trading days (a trading day is a day on which the
stock market is open).
(c)
Pre-clear trades involving Company securities. If you are unsure about
whether information you possess would qualify as material nonpublic
information and whether you therefore should refrain from trading in the
Company’s securities, you should pre-clear any transactions involving Company
securities that you intend to engage in with the Compliance Officer.
(d)
Don’t give nonpublic information to others. Don’t give nonpublic
information concerning the Company (commonly referred to as “tipping”) to
any other person, including family members, and don’t make recommendations
or express opinions about trading in the Company’s securities under any
circumstances.
(e)
Don’t discuss Company information with the press, analysts or other
persons outside of the Company. Announcements of Company information is
regulated by Company policy (separate from this Policy) and may only be made
by persons specifically authorized by the Company to make such
announcements. Laws and regulations govern the nature and timing of such
announcements to outsiders or the public and unauthorized disclosure could
result in substantial liability for you, the Company and its management. If you
receive inquiries by any third party about Company information, you should
notify the Compliance Officer immediately.
(f)
Don’t participate in Internet “chat rooms” in which the Company is
discussed. You may not participate in on-line dialogues (or similar activities)
involving the Company, its business or its securities.
(g)
Don’t use nonpublic information to trade in other companies’
securities. Don’t trade in the securities of the Company’s customers, vendors,
suppliers or other business partners when you have nonpublic information
concerning the Company or these business partners that you obtained in the
course of your relationship with the Company and that would give you an
advantage in trading.
(h)
Don’t engage in hedging or derivative transactions involving
Company securities. You may not engage in hedging or derivative transactions,
such as “cashless” collars, forward contracts, equity swaps or other similar or
related transactions.
(i)
Don’t engage in speculative transactions involving the Company’s
securities. Don’t engage in any transactions that suggest you are speculating in
the Company’s securities (that is, that you are trying to profit in short-term
movements, either increases or decreases, in the stock price). You may not
engage in any short sale, “sale against the box” or any equivalent transaction
involving the Company’s securities (or the securities of any of the Company’s
business partners in any of the situations described above). A short sale involves
selling shares that you do not own at a specified price with the expectation that
the price will go down so you can buy the shares at a lower price before you
have to deliver them.
Note that many hedging transactions, such as “cashless” collars, forward
sales, equity swaps and other similar or related arrangements may indirectly
involve a short sale. The Company prohibits you from engaging in such
transactions. In addition, if you are trading in Company securities pursuant to a
“blind trust” or a Rule 10b5-1(c) trading program (see “Exceptions for Blind
Trusts and Pre-Arranged Trading Programs” below), there may be additional
restrictions on your ability to engage in a hedging transaction.
In addition, the Company recommends that you not margin or pledge
your Company securities to secure a loan to you and that you not purchase
Company securities “on margin” (that is, borrow funds to purchase securities,
including in connection with exercising any Company stock options).
(j)
Make sure your family members and persons controlling family trusts
(and similar entities) do not violate this Policy. For purposes of this Policy, any
transactions involving Company securities in which members of your immediate
family engage, or by family trusts, partnerships, foundations and similar entities
over which you or members of your immediate family have control, or whose
assets are held for the benefit of you or your immediate family, are the same as
transactions by you. You are responsible for making sure that such persons and
entities do not engage in any transaction that would violate this Policy if you
engaged in the transaction directly.
Certain family trusts and other entities of this type having an
independent, professional trustee who makes investment decisions on behalf of
the entity, and with whom you do not share Company information, may be
eligible for an exemption from this rule. Please contact the Compliance Officer if
you have questions regarding this exception. You should assume that this
exception is not available unless you have first obtained the approval of the
Compliance Officer.
Exceptions to the General Policies
The following exceptions to the general insider trading policies apply:
(a)
Exceptions for Purchases Under Employee Stock Option and Stock
Purchase Plans. The exercise (without a sale) of stock options under the
Company’s stock option plans and the purchase of shares under the Company’s
employee stock purchase plan are exempt from this Policy, since the other
party to the transaction is the Company itself and the price does not vary with
the market but is fixed by the terms of the option agreement or the plan.
However, any subsequent sale of shares acquired under a Company stock
plan is subject to this Policy.
(b)
Exceptions for Blind Trusts and Pre-Arranged Trading Programs.
Rule 10b5-1(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
“Exchange Act”) provides an affirmative defense against insider trading liability
under federal securities laws for a transaction done pursuant to “blind trusts”
(generally, trusts or other arrangements in which investment control has been
completely delegated to a third party, such as an institutional or professional
trustee) or pursuant to a written plan, or a binding contract or instruction,
entered into in good faith at a time when the insider was not aware of material
nonpublic
information, even though the transaction in question may occur at a time when
the person is aware of material nonpublic information. The Company may, in
appropriate circumstances, permit transactions pursuant to a blind trust or a pre-
arranged trading program that complies with Rule 10b5-1 to take place during
periods in which the individual entering into the transaction may have material
nonpublic information or during black-out periods.
If you wish to enter into a blind trust arrangement or a pre-arranged
trading program, you must notify the Compliance Officer. The Compliance
Officer will review proposed arrangements to determine whether they will or
may result in transactions taking place during periods in which you may be in
possession of material nonpublic information. The Company reserves the right to
bar any transactions in Company securities, even those pursuant to arrangements
previously approved, if the Company determines that such a bar is in the best
interests of the Company.
(c)
Exceptions for Emergency, Hardship or Other Special Circumstances.
In order to respond to emergency, hardship or other special circumstances,
exceptions to the prohibition against trading during black-out periods will require
the approval of the Compliance Officer
2.
Additional Policies and Restrictions Applicable to Officers, Directors and
Key Employees Designated by the Company. In addition to the general policies described in
Section IV-1 above, officers, directors and other key employees designated by the Company in
Exhibit B from time to time are subject to the following additional policies and restrictions
(with the more restrictive policy applying in any case where there is a conflict):
(a)
You must pre-clear all trades involving the Company’s securities. All
executive officers, members of the Board of Directors, and certain other officers,
employees and consultants designated by the Company, must refrain from
trading in the Company’s securities, even during an open trading window,
unless they first comply with the Company’s pre-clearance procedures. To pre-
clear a transaction, you must get the approval of the Compliance Officer before
you enter into the transaction. In pre-clearing a trade, and in addition to
reviewing the subsistence of the proposed trade, the Compliance Officer may
consider whether it will be possible for both the individual and the Company to
comply with any applicable public reporting requirements. You should contact
the Compliance Officer at least two (2) days before you intend to engage in any
transaction to allow enough time for pre-clearance procedures.
You are required to pre-clear all transactions involving Company
securities if you are listed on Exhibit B to this Policy. If you are added to the list
of persons subject to the Company’s mandatory pre-clearance policy, you will
be notified by the Compliance Officer.
(b)
You must pre-clear any margin transactions involving Company
securities. If you are listed on Exhibit B, you may not enter into any margin
transaction involving Company securities unless you have first pre-cleared it
with the Compliance Officer. The Compliance Officer will review proposed
margin transactions in light of guidelines (including public reporting guidelines)
that he or she from time to time establishes with input from the Board of
Directors, if appropriate.
3.
Additional Policies and Restrictions Applicable to Officers, Directors and
10% Stockholders. In addition to the general policies described in Section IV-1 above, officers,
directors and 10% stockholders are subject to the following additional policies and restrictions
(with the more restrictive policy applying in any case where there is a conflict):
(a)
Observe the Section 16 liability rules applicable to officers and Board
members and 10% stockholders. Certain officers of the Company, members of
the Company’s Board of Directors and 10% stockholders must also conduct their
transactions in Company securities in a manner designed to comply with the
“short-swing” trading rules of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act. The practical
effect of these provisions is that officers and directors who purchase and sell, or
sell and purchase, Company securities within a six-month period must disgorge
all profits to the Company whether or not they had any nonpublic information at
the time of the transactions.
You are subject to Section 16 if you are listed on Exhibit C to this Policy.
(b)
Comply with public securities law reporting requirements. Federal
securities laws require that officers, directors, large stockholders and affiliates of
the Company publicly report transactions in Company securities (on Forms 3, 4
and 5 under Section 16, Form 144 with respect to restricted and control securities,
and, in certain cases, Schedules 13D and 13G). The Company takes these
reporting requirements very seriously and requires that all persons subject to
public reporting of Company securities transactions adhere to the rules applicable
to these forms. Where issues arise as to whether reporting is technically required
(particularly issues that turn on facts specific to the transaction and the individuals
involved, or on unsettled issues of law), the Company encourages its insiders to
choose to comply with the spirit and not the letter of the law – in other words, to
err on the side of fully and promptly reporting the transaction even if not
technically required to do so.
(c)
Comply with trading restrictions imposed in connection with pension
plan black-out periods. Federal securities laws prohibit Section 16 officers and
directors of public companies from trading in company securities during a
“pension plan black-out period.” The Company is required to provide you with
advance notice of a pension plan black-out period. If you receive such a notice,
you must refrain from engaging in most transactions involving Company
securities (including exercising stock options, notwithstanding the provisions
contained in “Exemptions for Purchases Under Employee Stock Option and
Stock Purchase Plans” above) until the pension plan black-out period has
terminated. If you engage in a prohibited transaction during a pension plan black-
out period,
you will be required to turn over profits on the transaction (which may include
amounts in excess of actual economic profits you realize on the transaction) to
the Company.
In addition, where the Company is required to report transactions by
individuals, the Company expects full and timely cooperation by the individual.
V.
APPLICATION OF POLICY AFTER EMPLOYMENT TERMINATES
If you are subject to the black-out periods imposed by this Policy and your employment
terminates during a black-out period, or if your employment terminates at a time when you
possess or think you possess material nonpublic information about the Company or its business
partners, you will continue to be subject to the Policy, and specifically to the ongoing
prohibition against trading, until the black-out period ends (or otherwise until the close of the
second full trading day following public announcement of the material nonpublic information).
If you have questions as to whether you possess material nonpublic information after you have
left the employ of the Company, you should direct questions to the Compliance Officer.
VI.
POTENTIAL CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LIABILITY AND/OR
DISCIPLINARY ACTION
The penalties for “insider trading” include civil fines of up to three times the profit
gained or loss avoided, and criminal fines of up to US$1,000,000 and up to ten years in jail for
each violation of applicable securities laws. You can also be liable for improper transactions by
any person to whom you have disclosed nonpublic information or made recommendations on
the basis of such information as to trading in the Company’s securities (“tippee liability”). The
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has imposed large penalties even when the
disclosing person did not profit from the trading. The SEC, the stock exchanges and the
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) use sophisticated electronic surveillance
techniques to uncover insider trading. Employees of the Company who violate this Policy shall
also be subject to disciplinary action by the Company, which may include ineligibility for future
participation in the Company’s equity incentive plans or termination of employment for cause.
Note that it is your individual responsibility to comply with the laws against insider
trading. This Policy is intended to assist you in complying with these laws, but you must always
exercise appropriate judgment in connection with any trade in the Company’s securities.
VII.
DEFINITIONS
1.
Affiliate. An affiliate of the Company is a person that directly, or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common
control with, the Company.
2.
Immediate Family. The following persons are considered members of your
“immediate family”: your spouse, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren and siblings,
including any such relationship that arises through marriage or by adoption. It also includes
members of your household, whether or not they are related to you.
3.
Material Information. It is not possible to define all categories of “material”
information, but information should be regarded as material if it is likely that it would be
considered important to an investor in making an investment decision regarding purchase or
sale of the Company’s securities.
While it may be difficult to determine whether particular information is material or not,
there are some categories of information that are particularly sensitive and that should almost
always be considered material. Examples include: financial results and projections (especially to
the extent the Company’s own expectations regarding its future financial results differ from
analysts’ expectations), news of a merger or acquisition, gain or loss of a major customer or
supplier, major product announcements, changes in senior management, a change in the
Company’s accountants or accounting policies, or any major problems or successes of the
business. Either positive or negative information may be material. If you have any questions
regarding whether information you possess is material or not, you should contact the
Compliance Officer.
4.
Nonpublic Information. Information about the Company is considered to be
“nonpublic” if it is known within the Company but not yet disclosed to the general public. The
Company generally discloses information to the public either via press release or in the regular
quarterly and annual reports that the Company is required to file with the SEC. Information is
considered “public” only after it has been publicly available, through press release or
otherwise, for at least forty-eight hours. If you have any questions regarding whether any
information you possess is nonpublic or has been publicly disclosed, you should contact the
Compliance Officer.
5.
Trading Window. The period outside a black-out period is referred to as the
“trading window.” Trading windows that occur between the regularly-scheduled quarterly
black-out periods can be “closed” by the imposition of a special black-out period if there are
developments meriting a suspension of trading by Company personnel.
QUESTIONS
Please direct questions you have regarding this Policy and any transactions in Company
securities to Christopher Lee , the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Officer, at +886-37-
586788 or by e-mail at Christopher.lee@semileds.com.
EXHIBIT A
INSIDER TRADING AND DISCLOSURE POLICY
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I certify that I have read, understand and agree to comply with the SemiLEDs
Corporation Insider Trading and Disclosure Policy (the "Policy"). I agree that I will be
subject to sanctions imposed by the Company, in its discretion, for violation of the Policy,
and that the Company may give stop-transfer and other instructions to the Company’s
transfer agent against the transfer of Company securities as necessary to ensure
compliance with the Policy. I acknowledge that one of the sanctions to which I may be
subject as a result of violating the Policy is termination of my employment including
termination for cause.
Date:
Signature:
Printed Name:
EXHIBIT B
SEMILEDS CORPORATION
PERSONS DESIGNATED BY THE COMPANY AS SUBJECT TO THE
PRE-CLEARANCE PROCEDURES OF THE INSIDER TRADING
POLICY AS OF NOVEMBER 15 ,2021
Name
Title (if any)
(Includes all persons listed
in Exhibit C)
Chris Wang Vice President
Albert Chu
CTO
Samson Sung Vice President
EXHIBIT C
SEMILEDS CORPORATION
PERSONS SUBJECT TO SECTION
16 AS OF NOVEMBER 15 ,2021
Name
Title (if any)
Trung T. Doan
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Christopher Lee Chief Financial Officer
Scott R. Simplot Director
Walter Michael Gough Director Edward
Kuan Hsiung Hsieh
Director
Roger
Lee
Director
Exhibit 21
Subsidiaries of the Registrant
The following is a list of subsidiaries of the Registrant at August 31, 2024. All companies are subsidiaries of the Registrant and,
if indented, are subsidiaries of the company under which they are listed.
Percentage of
Jurisdiction of
Our Ownership
Name
Incorporation
Interest
Wholly and Majority Owned Subsidiaries:
SemiLEDs Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.
Taiwan
100.00 %
Taiwan Bandaoti Zhaoming Co., Ltd. (Silicon Base Development, Inc.)
Taiwan
97.37 %
Helios Crew Corporation
Delaware
100.00 %
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of SemiLEDs Corporation:
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statements (Nos.333-171107, 333-197417 and 333-251372) on
Form S-8 and the registration statement (No. 333-256613) on Form S-3 of SemiLEDs Corporation of our report dated November 27,
2024, with respect to the consolidated balance sheet of SemiLEDs Corporation and its subsidiaries as of August 31, 2024 and 2023, and
the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss, changes in equity and cash flows, and the related consolidated
financial statement schedules for the years ended August 31, 2024 and 2023, which report appears in the August 31, 2024 annual report
on Form 10-K of SemiLEDs Corporation. Our report dated November 27, 2024 contains an explanatory paragraph that states that the
Company has suffered recurring losses from operations, has not generated sufficient net cash flows from operating activities and has an
accumulated deficit, which raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements
and financial statement schedule do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of that uncertainty.
/s/ KCCW Accountancy Corp.
Diamond Bar, California
November 26, 2024
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO EXCHANGE ACT RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Trung Tri Doan, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form10-K of SemiLEDs Corporation (the “Registrant”);
2.
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
the period covered by this report;
3.
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
report;
4.
The Registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act
Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Registrant and have:
a)
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b)
Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed
under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of
financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c)
Evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on
such evaluation; and
d)
Disclosed in this report any change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
Registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the Registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
affected, or is reasonable likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5.
The Registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
reporting, to the Registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the
equivalent functions):
a)
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which
are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information;
and
b)
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the
Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Dated: November 27, 2024
/s/ Trung Tri Doan
Name: Trung Tri Doan
Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO EXCHANGE ACT RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Christopher Lee, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form10-K of SemiLEDs Corporation (the “Registrant”);
2.
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
the period covered by this report;
3.
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
report;
4.
The Registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act
Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Registrant and have:
a)
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b)
Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed
under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of
financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c)
Evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on
such evaluation; and
d)
Disclosed in this report any change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
Registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the Registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
affected, or is reasonable likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5.
The Registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
reporting, to the Registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the
equivalent functions):
a)
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which
are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information;
and
b)
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the
Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
Dated: November 27, 2024
/s/ Christopher Lee
Name: Christopher Lee
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report of SemiLEDs Corporation (the “Registrant”) on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2024
as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as of the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Trung Tri Doan, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of the Registrant, hereby certify pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002 that:
(1)
the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;
and
(2)
the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of
the Registrant.
Dated: November 27, 2024
/s/ Trung Tri Doan
Name: Trung Tri Doan
Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report of SemiLEDs Corporation (the “Registrant”) on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2024,
as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as of the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Christopher Lee, Chief Financial Officer
of the Registrant hereby certify pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that:
(1)
the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a)or 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
(2)
the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of
the Registrant.
Dated: November 27, 2024
/s/ Christopher Lee
Name: Christopher Lee
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Exhibit 97
SEMILEDS CORPORATION
COMPENSATION RECOVERY POLICY
(adopted and approved on November 21, 2023)
1. Purpose
SemiLEDs Corporation (collectively with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) is committed to promoting high
standards of honest and ethical business conduct and compliance with applicable laws, rules and
regulations. As part of this commitment, the Company has adopted this Compensation Recovery Policy
(this “Policy”). This Policy is designed to comply with Section 10D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the ”Exchange Act”) and explains when the Company will be required to seek recovery of
Incentive Compensation awarded or paid to a Covered Person. Please refer to Exhibit A attached hereto
(the “Definitions Exhibit”) for the definitions of capitalized terms used throughout this Policy.
2. Miscalculation of Financial Reporting Measure Results
In the event of a Restatement, the Company will seek to recover, reasonably promptly, all Recoverable
Incentive Compensation from a Covered Person. Such recovery, in the case of a Restatement, will be
made without regard to any individual knowledge or responsibility related to the Restatement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company is required to undertake a Restatement, the Company will
not be required to recover the Recoverable Incentive Compensation if the Compensation Committee
determines it Impracticable to do so, after exercising a normal due process review of all the relevant facts
and circumstances.
If such Recoverable Incentive Compensation was not awarded or paid on a formulaic basis, the Company
will seek to recover the amount that the Compensation Committee determines in good faith should be
recouped.
3. Other Actions
The Compensation Committee may, subject to applicable law, seek recovery in the manner it chooses,
including by seeking reimbursement from the Covered Person of all or part of the compensation awarded
or paid, by electing to withhold unpaid compensation, by set-off, or by rescinding or canceling unvested
stock.
In the reasonable exercise of its business judgment under this Policy, the Compensation Committee may
in its sole discretion determine whether and to what extent additional action is appropriate to address the
circumstances surrounding a Restatement to minimize the likelihood of any recurrence and to impose such
other discipline as it deems appropriate.
4. No Indemnification or Reimbursement
Notwithstanding the terms of any other policy, program, agreement or arrangement, in no event will the
Company or any of its affiliates indemnify or reimburse a Covered Person for any loss under this Policy
and in no event will the Company or any of its affiliates pay premiums on any insurance policy that would
cover a Covered Person’s potential obligations with respect to Recoverable Incentive Compensation under
this Policy.
5. Administration of Policy
115
The Compensation Committee will have full authority to administer this Policy. The Compensation
Committee will, subject to the provisions of this Policy and Rule 10D-1 of the Exchange Act, and the
Company’s applicable exchange listing standards, make such determinations and interpretations and take
such actions in connection with this Policy as it deems necessary, appropriate or advisable. All
determinations and interpretations made by the Compensation Committee will be final, binding and
conclusive.
6. Other Claims and Rights
The remedies under this Policy are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any legal and equitable claims the
Company or any of its affiliates may have or any actions that may be imposed by law enforcement agencies,
regulators, administrative bodies, or other authorities. Further, the exercise by the Compensation
Committee of any rights pursuant to this Policy will not impact any other rights that the Company or any of
its affiliates may have with respect to any Covered Person subject to this Policy.
7. Acknowledgement by Covered Persons; Condition to Eligibility for Incentive Compensation
The Company will provide notice and seek acknowledgement of this Policy[, in substantially the form
included as Exhibit B attached hereto,]1 from each Covered Person, provided that the failure to provide
such notice or obtain such acknowledgement will have no impact on the applicability or enforceability of
this Policy. After the Effective Date, the Company must be in receipt of a Covered Person's
acknowledgement as a condition to such Covered Person’s eligibility to receive Incentive Compensation.
All Incentive Compensation subject to this Policy will not be earned, even if already paid, until the Policy
ceases to apply to such Incentive Compensation and any other vesting conditions applicable to such
Incentive Compensation are satisfied.
8. Amendment; Termination
The Board or the Compensation Committee may amend or terminate this Policy at any time.
9. Effectiveness
Except as otherwise determined in writing by the Compensation Committee, this Policy will apply to any
Incentive Compensation that is Received by a Covered Person on or after the Effective Date. This Policy
will survive and continue notwithstanding any termination of a Covered Person’s employment with the
Company and its affiliates.
10. Successors
This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Covered Persons and their successors,
beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators, or other legal representatives.
1 Note to Company: In lieu of sending and collecting paper or pdf copies of acknowledgements, consider email acknowledgements
as explained in Exhibit B. If using email acknowledgements, Exhibit B and this reference to Exhibit B should be removed.
116
Exhibit A
SEMILEDS CORPORATION
COMPENSATION RECOVERY POLICY
DEFINITIONS EXHIBIT
“Applicable Period” means the three completed fiscal years of the Company immediately preceding the
earlier of (i) the date the Board, a committee of the Board, or the officer or officers of the Company
authorized to take such action if Board action is not required, concludes (or reasonably should have
concluded) that a Restatement is required or (ii) the date a court, regulator, or other legally authorized body
directs the Company to prepare a Restatement. The “Applicable Period” also includes any transition period
(that results from a change in the Company’s fiscal year) within or immediately following the three completed
fiscal years identified in the preceding sentence.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Compensation Committee” means the Company’s committee of independent directors responsible for
executive compensation decisions, or in the absence of such a committee, a majority of the independent
directors serving on the Board.
“Covered Person” means any person who is, or was at any time, during the Applicable Period, an Executive
Officer of the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, a Covered Person may include a former Executive
Officer that left the Company, retired, or transitioned to an employee role (including after serving as an
Executive Officer in an interim capacity) during the Applicable Period.
"Effective Date” means October 2, 2023.
“Executive Officer” means the Company’s president, principal executive officer, principal financial officer,
principal accounting officer (or if there is no such accounting officer, the controller), any vice-president in
charge of a principal business unit, division, or function (such as sales, administration, or finance), any
other officer who performs a policy-making function, or any other person (including an officer of the
Company’s parent(s) or subsidiaries) who performs similar policy-making functions for the Company.
“Financial Reporting Measure” means a measure that is determined and presented in accordance with
the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements (including, but not limited
to, “non-GAAP” financial measures, such as those appearing in the Company’s earnings releases or
Management Discussion and Analysis), and any measure that is derived wholly or in part from such
measure. Stock price and total shareholder return (and any measures derived wholly or in part therefrom)
shall be considered Financial Reporting Measures.
“Impracticable” The Compensation Committee may determine in good faith that recovery of Recoverable
Incentive Compensation is “Impracticable” if: (i) pursuing such recovery would violate home country law of
the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company where that law was adopted prior to November 28, 2022
and the Company provides an opinion of home country counsel to that effect acceptable to the Company’s
applicable listing exchange; (ii) the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing this Policy
would exceed the Recoverable Incentive Compensation and the Company has (A) made a reasonable
attempt to recover such amounts and (B) provided documentation of such attempts to recover to the
Company’s applicable listing exchange; or (iii) recovery would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified
retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly available to employees of the Company, to fail to meet
the requirements of Section 401(a)(13) or Section 411(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended.
117
“Incentive Compensation” means any compensation that is granted, earned, or vested based wholly or in
part upon the attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure. Incentive Compensation does not include any
base salaries (except with respect to any salary increases earned wholly or in part based on the attainment
of a Financial Reporting Measure performance goal); bonuses paid solely at the discretion of the
Compensation Committee or Board that are not paid from a “bonus pool” that is determined by satisfying a
Financial Reporting Measure performance goal; bonuses paid solely upon satisfying one or more subjective
standards and/or completion of a specified employment period; non-equity incentive plan awards earned
solely upon satisfying one or more strategic measures or operational measures; and equity awards that
vest solely based on the passage of time and/or attaining one or more non-Financial Reporting Measures.
“Received” Incentive Compensation is deemed “Received” in the Company’s fiscal period during which the
Financial Reporting Measure specified in the Incentive Compensation award is attained, even if the
payment or grant of the Incentive Compensation occurs after the end of that period.
“Recoverable Incentive Compensation” means the amount of any Incentive Compensation (calculated
on a pre-tax basis) Received by a Covered Person during the Applicable Period that is in excess of the
amount that otherwise would have been Received if the calculation were based on the Restatement. For
the avoidance of doubt, Recoverable Incentive Compensation does not include any Incentive
Compensation Received by a person (i) before such person began service in a position or capacity meeting
the definition of an Executive Officer, (ii) who did not serve as an Executive Officer at any time during the
performance period for that Incentive Compensation, or (iii) during any period the Company did not have a
class of its securities listed on a national securities exchange or a national securities association. For
Incentive Compensation based on (or derived from) stock price or total shareholder return where the
amount of Recoverable Incentive Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from
the information in the applicable Restatement, the amount will be determined by the Compensation
Committee based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Restatement on the stock price or total
shareholder return upon which the Incentive Compensation was Received (in which case, the Company
will maintain documentation of such determination of that reasonable estimate and provide such
documentation to the Company’s applicable listing exchange).
“Restatement” means an accounting restatement of any of the Company’s financial statements filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act, or the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, due to the Company’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under
U.S. securities laws, regardless of whether the Company or Covered Person misconduct was the cause for
such restatement. “Restatement” includes any required accounting restatement to correct an error in
previously issued financial statements that is material to the previously issued financial statements
(commonly referred to as “Big R” restatements), or that would result in a material misstatement if the error
were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period (commonly referred to as “little
r” restatements).
Exhibit B
SEMILEDS CORPORATION
COMPENSATION RECOVERY POLICY
ACKNOWLEDGMENT2
By signing below, the undersigned acknowledges that they have read and understood, and they agree to
be subject to the terms of, the SemiLEDs Corporation Compensation Recovery Policy.
Date:
Signature:
Printed Name:
2 Note to Company: As discussed above, in lieu of sending and collecting paper or pdf copies of this acknowledgement, consider
seeking email acknowledgements. A sample cover e-mail:
Dear [Name],
Our Board has adopted the attached Compensation Recovery Policy in response to recent SEC rules. This policy outlines the
Company's ability to recover incentive compensation in certain circumstances.
To be eligible to receive incentive compensation going forward, please review the policy and use the voting button or reply to this e-
mail with the statement: "I acknowledge that I have read and understood, and agree to be subject to the terms of, the SemiLEDS
Corporation Compensation Recovery Policy."
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,