Initial Registration Statement for Employee Benefit Plan Form S 8

scwo_s8.htm

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 2, 2024

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

____________________________

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

____________________________

374Water Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

____________________________

Delaware		88-0271109
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

701 W Main Street, Suite 410

Durham, NC 27701

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

374Water Inc. Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and restated

(Full Title of the Plan)

____________________________

Chris Gannon

President and Chief Executive Officer

374Water Inc.

701 W Main Street, Suite 410

Durham, NC 27701

(Name and Address of Agent For Service)

(440) 609-9677

(Telephone Number, including area code, of agent for service)

____________________________

Copies to:

Justin "JT" Ho, Esq.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

405 Howard Street

San Francisco, California 94105

(415) 773-5700

____________________________

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a 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 Rule 12b-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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

Item 1. Plan Information.

Information required by this Item 1 to be contained in the Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from this registration statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") in accordance with Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and the instructions to Form S-8. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

Item 2. Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.

Information required by this Item 2 to be contained in the Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 under the Securities Act and the instructions to Form S-8. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

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PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents filed by 374Water Inc. (the "Registrant") with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), are incorporated herein by reference:

	(a)	the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Commission on March 29, 2024 pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act;
	(b)	all other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Registrant's Annual Report referred to in (a) above; and
	(c)	the description of the Registrant's common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act on June 13, 2022, including any amendment or report filed with the Commission for the purpose of updating this description.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment, which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents, except as to specific sections of such statements as set forth therein.

Unless expressly incorporated into this Registration Statement, a report furnished on Form 8-K prior or subsequent to the date hereof shall not be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement, except as to specific sections of such statements as set forth therein. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document, which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

The Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation limits personal liability of the Registrant's directors and officers to the Registrant and its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except liability for (i) acts or omissions which involve intentional misconduct, fraud or knowing violations of law; or (ii) the payment of distributions in violation of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL"). Section 102 of the DGCL allows a corporation to limit the personal liability of a director or officer to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except for liability of:

	-	A director or officer for any breach of his or her duty of loyalty to the Registrant and its stockholders;
	-	A director or officer for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or knowing violation of law;
	-	A director under Section 174 of the DGCL (unlawful payment of dividends or redemption of shares);
	-	A director or officer for any transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit; or
	-	An officer in any action by or in the right of the corporation.

If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors or officers, then the liability of the Registrant's directors and officers shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.

The Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation indemnifies and holds harmless a director, officer, employee, or agent of the Registrant, or a person serving at the request of the Registrant as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise to the fullest extent authorized under the DGCL. The Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation requires that expenses must be advanced to directors and officers under certain circumstances.

Section 145 of the DGCL provides that that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or a person serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding to which such person was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, by reason of the fact that the person is or was serving in such position, if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person's conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper. Section 145 of the DGCL permits corporations to advance expenses to a director or officer under certain circumstances.

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Section 145 of the DGCL, and the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, permit the Registrant's directors to buy and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant, or is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person's status as such, whether or not the Registrant would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under Section 145 of the DGCL.

The Registrant maintains a directors' and officers' insurance policy pursuant to which its directors and officers are insured against liability for certain actions taken in their capacities as directors and officers.

In addition, the Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its current directors and executive officers to provide these directors and executive officers additional contractual assurances regarding the scope of the indemnification set forth in the Registrant's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws and to provide additional procedural protections.

See also the undertakings set out in response to Item 9 hereof.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit Number	Exhibit Title
5.1	Opinion of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
23.1	Consent of Cherry Bekaert LLP, independent registered public accounting firm
23.2		Consent of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1	Power of Attorney (filed as part of signature page)
99.1	374Water Inc. 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to 374Water Inc.'s Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2024 filed with the Commission on August 14, 2024)
107	Filing Fee Exhibit

Item 9. Undertakings.

	a.	The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
		(1)	To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
			(i)	To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
			(ii)	To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement; and
			(iii)	To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effectiveamendment by such paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

		(2)	That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
		(3)	To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
	b.	The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
	c.	Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered hereby, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in city of Alamo, California on October 2, 2024.

	374Water Inc.
Date: October 2, 2024	By:	/s/ Chris Gannon
	Name:	Chris Gannon
	Title:	President and Chief Executive Officer

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned officers and directors of 374Water Inc., a Delawarecorporation, do hereby constitute and appoint Chris Gannon, the lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power and authority to do any and all acts and things and to execute any and all instruments which said attorneys and agents, and any one of them, determine may be necessary or advisable or required to enable said corporation to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules or regulations or requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with this Registration Statement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing power and authority, the powers granted include the power and authority to sign the names of the undersigned officers and directors in the capacities indicated below to this Registration Statement, to any and all amendments, both pre-effective and post-effective, and supplements to this Registration Statement, and to any and all instruments or documents filed as part of or in conjunction with this Registration Statement or amendments or supplements thereof, and each of the undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms that all said attorneys and agents, or any one of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature		Title		Date
/s/ Chris Gannon		President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)		October 2, 2024
Chris Gannon
/s/ Adrienne Anderson		Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)		October 2, 2024
Adrienne Anderson
/s/ Deanna Rene Estes		Chair		October 2, 2024
Deanna Rene Estes
/s/ Richard Davis		Director		October 2, 2024
Richard Davis
/s/ Marc Deshusses		Director		October 2, 2024
Marc Deshusses
/s/ Terry Merrell		Director		October 2, 2024
Terry Merrell
/s/ Buddie Joe Penn		Director		October 2, 2024
Buddie Joe Penn
/s/ James Vanderhider		Director		October 2, 2024
James Vanderhider

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