D-Wave Quantum Inc. current report, 13 April 2023

D-Wave Quantum Inc. Form 8-K Summary

Business Context and Reporting Period

D-Wave Quantum Inc. filed a Form 8-K dated April 13, 2023, reporting a new secured term loan, related governance changes, and the appointment of a director. The filing does not report operating results for a quarterly or annual period.

Financial and Liquidity Matters

  • Term loan commitment: $50 million from PSPIB Unitas Investments II Inc., an affiliate of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board and a large Company shareholder.
  • Funding schedule: An initial $15 million advance was made on April 14, 2023; two additional advances of $15 million and $20 million are subject to specified conditions.
  • Interest: At the Company’s election, each advance bears monthly interest at either 10% payable in cash or 11% payable in kind, with PIK interest added to principal.
  • Fees: Each advance is subject to a 2% drawdown fee. Prepayment or repayment premiums range from 3% to 1% depending on timing, with no premium after the third anniversary of the loan closing.
  • Maturity and collateral: The loan matures March 31, 2027, and is secured by a first-priority interest in substantially all assets of the Company and its subsidiaries.
  • Financial results, cash flow, margins, and leverage: The filing does not provide revenue, profitability, cash-flow, margin, cash-balance, or debt-balance information beyond the new financing terms.

Material Changes Versus the Prior Comparable Period

  • The Company entered into a new $50 million term loan and created a new secured financial obligation.
  • PSPIB had also been a lender under the Company’s prior venture loan agreement dated March 3, 2022.
  • As a condition to the initial advance, the Board was expanded to nine members and Philip Adam Smalley III, an employee of PSPIB or an affiliate, was appointed as a Class II director.

Guidance, Outlook, Risks, and Unusual Items

  • The loan includes operational and financial covenants and customary events of default that may permit acceleration.
  • Future advances are conditional and may require the appointment of an additional PSPIB-affiliated or qualifying independent director.
  • The financing is secured by substantially all Company assets, increasing creditor claims on the Company’s collateral.
  • The cash-versus-PIK interest election creates a tradeoff between near-term cash usage and increasing principal debt.
  • The lender’s affiliation with a large shareholder and the Board appointment requirements create potential governance and related-party considerations.
  • The filing provides no management revenue or earnings guidance.

Most Important Facts for Investors to Verify

  • Whether and when the two conditional advances of $15 million and $20 million were funded.
  • The Company’s outstanding principal balance, including any PIK interest, drawdown fees, and applicable prepayment premiums.
  • Compliance with the loan’s operational and financial covenants and the availability of remaining borrowing capacity.
  • The effects of the first-priority security interest and the loan’s events of default on financial flexibility.
  • The governance implications of PSPIB’s director nomination rights and its relationship with the Company.
  • The complete terms of the Loan and Security Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.1, including redacted provisions.