v3.26.1
Equity-Based Compensation
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Equity-Based Compensation Equity-Based Compensation
2017 Equity Incentive Plan
On September 22, 2017, the Company’s stockholders approved the Exicure, Inc. 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”), which became effective on November 15, 2017. The 2017 Plan provides for the issuance of incentive awards of up to 38,950 shares of Exicure common stock, which includes 14,466 shares of Exicure common stock to be issued to officers, employees, consultants and directors, plus a number of shares not to exceed 25,559 that are subject to issued and outstanding awards under the Exicure OpCo 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”) and were assumed in the merger transaction on September 26, 2017. Awards that may be awarded under the 2017 Plan include non-qualified and incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, bonus shares, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance units and cash-based awards. The number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2017 Plan automatically increases on January 1 of each year, beginning on January 1, 2020, by the lesser of (i) 30,667 shares, (ii) 5% of the total number of shares of its capital stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, or (iii) a lesser number of shares determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”). No future awards will be made under the 2015 Plan upon the effectiveness of the 2017 Plan. On January 1, 2025, pursuant to the terms of the 2017 Plan, the number of awards that are reserved and may be awarded under the 2017 Plan was automatically increased by 30,667 awards. As of March 31, 2026, the aggregate number of awards available for grant under the 2017 Plan was 154,672.
Awards granted under the 2017 Plan are contingent on the participants’ continued employment or provision of non-employee services and are subject to forfeiture if employment or continued service terminates for any reason. The initial award granted to an employee or consultant generally vests 25% on the first 12-month anniversary of the grant date and vests 1/48th monthly thereafter until fully vested at the end of 48 months. Subsequent awards granted to employees or consultants generally vest 1/48th monthly until fully vested at the end of 48 months. The initial stock option grant to a non-employee director vests 1/36th monthly until fully vested at the end of 36 months. Subsequent stock option grants to a non-employee director vests 1/12th monthly until fully vested at the end of 12 months. The term of common stock option grants is 10 years unless terminated earlier as described above.
Equity-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and for the year ended December 31, 2025 is included in the condensed consolidated financial statements and is immaterial.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
The 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”) was adopted by the Board in September 2017 and approved by the Company’s stockholders in September 2017. Through the ESPP, eligible employees may authorize payroll deductions of up to 15% of their compensation to purchase common stock. The maximum number of shares that an employee may purchase on any exercise date in an offer period will be the smaller of (i) 50 shares or (ii) such number of shares as has a fair market value (determined as of the offering date for such offer period) equal to $25,000 within one calendar year minus the fair market value of any other shares of common stock that are attributed to such calendar year. The purchase price per share at each purchase date is equal to 85% of the lower of (i) the closing market price per share of Exicure common stock on the employee’s offering date or (ii) the closing market price per share of Exicure common stock on the exercise date. Each offering period is approximately six months in duration and the first offering period began on November 16, 2020 and ended on May 14, 2021. No shares were issued during 2025 or 2024.
The ESPP provides that the number of shares reserved and available for issuance will automatically increase each January 1, beginning on January 1, 2018 and each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2027, by the least of (i) 2,000 shares; (ii) 0.3% of the outstanding shares of common stock on the last day of the immediately preceding calendar year; or (iii) a lesser number of shares determined by the Board. As of December 31, 2025, there were 12,394 shares available for issuance under the ESPP. On January 1, 2026, the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the ESPP increased by 10,000 shares. As of March 31, 2026, there were 22,394 shares available for issuance under the ESPP.