Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)]

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.25.1
Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
10.
Commitments and Contingencies

L3Harris Commitment

In conjunction with the Acquisition, the Company acquired the agreement (the “L3Harris Agreement) with L3Harris to receive satellite automatic identification system (“S-AIS”) data from the L3Harris AppStar payloads on-board Iridium NEXT Constellation, Iridium’s Real-Time, Second-Generation satellite constellation with 58 AppStar payloads. Under the Amended and Restated L3Harris Agreement dated January 21, 2020 (the “A&R L3Harris Agreement”), the Company incurs a fixed fee of $358 per month. The A&R L3Harris Agreement expires on August 7, 2031.

Under the A&R L3Harris Agreement, the Company will pay a 30% share of S-AIS data revenues for the portion of exactEarth annual S-AIS data revenue which is in excess of $16,000. No revenue share was owed to L3Harris under the A&R L3Harris Agreement, with respect to AIS Analytics sales, as of or for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. The Company recognized $1,224 and $1,238 in cost of revenue on the condensed consolidated statements of operations for costs incurred to acquire exclusive access rights to data generated from satellites for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

In connection with the closing of the Transactions, on April 25, 2025, the Company and L3Harris entered into the Settlement Agreement, pursuant to which, upon the closing of the Transactions, Buyer paid L3Harris $17,000 (the “Settlement”) for full and complete resolution and release of all disputes asserted in connection with the A&R L3Harris Agreement between exactEarth and L3Harris. The Company and Buyer further agreed that the Company would contribute $7,000 of the Settlement in the form of a reduction to the cash paid by Buyer to the Company at the closing of the Transactions.

 

The following table summarizes the operational fees commitment under the A&R L3Harris Agreement, which includes the fixed payment obligations to L3Harris as of March 31, 2025, prior to the Settlement Agreement on April 25, 2025:

 

 

Future Payment Obligations

 

Fiscal year ending December 31,

 

 

 

Remainder of 2025

 

$

3,225

 

2026

 

 

4,300

 

2027

 

 

4,300

 

2028

 

 

4,300

 

2029

 

 

4,300

 

Thereafter

 

 

6,889

 

 

$

27,314

 

Litigation

At times, the Company is party to various claims and legal actions arising in the normal course of business. Although the ultimate outcome of these matters is not presently determinable, management believes that the resolution of all such pending matters, based on an assessment of the current facts and circumstances, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows; however, there can be no assurance that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements in any period.

Stockholder Litigation

On August 20, 2024, the Company and two of its executive officers were named as defendants in a purported federal securities law class action filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, captioned Michal Bousso v. Spire Global, Inc. et al., Court File No. 1:24-cv-1458 (the “Bousso Lawsuit”). On October 14, 2024, a second plaintiff filed a similar lawsuit against the Company and three current or former executive officers, also in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, captioned Kohei Tagawa v. Spire Global, Inc. et al., Court File No. 1:24-cv-1810 (the “Tagawa Lawsuit”). On November 22, 2024, the court consolidated the Bousso Lawsuit and the Tagawa Lawsuit, appointed Michal Bousso as lead plaintiff, and renamed the case to “In re Spire Global, Inc. Securities Litigation,” Master File No. 1:24-cv-1458-MSN-WEF (the “Master Securities Lawsuit”). On December 23, 2024, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint in the Master Securities Lawsuit, which alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act (and Rule 10b-5 thereunder), arising from or relating to our announcements in August 2024 that certain of the Company’s previously issued audited and unaudited financial statements should not be relied upon. Plaintiff alleged that the Company and the individual defendants made false or misleading statements relating to (1) how revenue was recognized for pre-space services for certain space contracts, and (2) how costs for certain contracts were characterized. The plaintiff sought to represent a class of shareholders who purchased or otherwise acquired our Class A common stock between May 11, 2022 and August 14, 2024. The plaintiff sought damages and other relief, including attorneys’ fees and costs. On January 22, 2025, the defendants moved to dismiss the amended complaint in its entirety. The court in the Master Securities Lawsuit held argument on the Company’s motion to dismiss on March 14, 2025. After hearing argument from both sides, the court issued its order on the record dismissing the Master Securities Lawsuit without prejudice. The court granted the plaintiff 30 days to consider whether to amend, which deadline expired on April 13, 2025. The plaintiff did not file any amended complaint or any other paper after the court’s March 14, 2025 dismissal order.

On September 5, 2024, a stockholder derivative lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, purportedly on behalf of the Company against certain of its officers and directors and the Company (as a nominal defendant), captioned Lawrence Hollin v. Platzer et al., Court File No. 1:24-cv-01558 (the “Hollin Lawsuit”). On September 10, 2024, a second stockholder derivative lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, also purportedly on behalf of the Company against certain of its officers and directors and the Company (as a nominal defendant), captioned Richard Cobb v. Platzer et al., Court File No. 1:24-cv-01596 (the “Cobb Lawsuit”). On November 12, 2024, a third stockholder derivative lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, also purportedly on behalf of the Company against certain of its officers and directors and the Company (as a nominal defendant)

captioned L. Robert Oros v. Platzer et al., 1:24-cv-02020 (the “Oros Lawsuit”). On November 14, 2024, the Court consolidated the Hollin Lawsuit and the Cobb Lawsuit and renamed the case to In re Spire Global, Inc. Stockholder Derivative Litigation, No. 1:24-cv-01596 (the “Master Derivative Case”). On December 2, 2024, the Court consolidated the Oros Lawsuit into the Master Derivative Case. The lawsuits in the Master Derivative Case arise out of the same subject matter as the Master Securities Lawsuit, and they allege some or all of the following claims: (1) breach of fiduciary duty; (2) gross mismanagement; (3) waste of corporate assets; (4) unjust enrichment; (5) as against the director defendants, violations of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 14a-9 promulgated thereunder; (6) as against the officer defendants, contribution under Sections 10(b) and 21D of the Exchange Act; and (7) aiding and abetting. Each of the lawsuits in the Master Derivative Case seeks damages and other relief, including attorneys’ fees and costs. Following the dismissal of the Master Securities Lawsuit, on April 24, 2025, each of the parties to the Master Derivative Case agreed, and filed, a stipulation for voluntary dismissal of the Master Derivative Case.

Share Purchase Agreement Litigation

As previously disclosed, on November 13, 2024, we entered into a Purchase Agreement with the Buyer, pursuant to which the Company agreed to complete the Transactions. The maritime business sold pursuant to the Transactions did not include any part of the Company’s satellite network or operations. The purchase price agreed to be paid by Buyer to the Company at the closing of the Transactions was a cash payment based upon an enterprise value of $233,500, subject to certain adjustments. The Transactions also included a twelve-month transition service and data provision agreement for $7,500.

On February 10, 2025, the Company filed a complaint in the Delaware Court of Chancery against Buyer seeking a grant of specific performance ordering Buyer to satisfy its obligations under the Purchase Agreement and consummate the closing in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement. In the complaint, the Company also requested a declaratory judgment declaring that Buyer has breached its obligations under the Purchase Agreement and is not excused from performing its obligations under the Purchase Agreement, including proceeding with the closing.

Buyer removed the matter to the District of Delaware, pursuant to a contract term in the Purchase Agreement promising not to contest removal to that court. The District of Delaware initially selected a March 4 trial date, but on February 26, 2025, the court set a trial date of May 28-30, 2025. On April 6, 2025, the Company and Buyer reached an agreement to resolve the foregoing litigation and mutually release claims if closing in accordance with the terms of the Purchase Agreement occurred by April 25, 2025. On April 25, 2025, the Company dismissed the foregoing litigation following the completion of the Transactions.

Except as disclosed above, the Company is not currently a party to any legal proceedings that, if determined adversely to the Company, would, in the Company’s opinion, have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows. Future litigation may be necessary to defend the Company, its partners, and its customers by determining the scope, enforceability, and validity of third-party proprietary rights, or to establish the Company’s proprietary rights. The results of any current or future litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, and regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on the Company because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources, and other factors.

Note Receivable

The Company has outstanding a $4,500 note receivable plus accrued interest of $744 issued to a Space Services customer as of March 31, 2025. The note and accrued interest were due in October 2024. The Company is aware that the customer has been using cash in its operations and its available cash is low. The customer did not pay the note and accrued interest when it was due. The Company has an allowance for current expected credit loss on the note receivable and accrued interest balance for the full amount of $5,244 as of March 31, 2025.