Pulse Biosciences Grants Inducement Awards to New Employees Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)
Pulse Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLSE), a bioelectric medicine company pioneering applications of its proprietary Nanosecond Pulsed Field Ablation™ (nsPFA™) technology through the nPulse™ platform, announced that its Board of Directors’ Compensation Committee has approved equity awards for three newly hired employees. The awards, made under the company’s 2017 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan, were granted on October 14, 2025, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).
This action reflects Pulse Biosciences’ ongoing efforts to attract and retain top-tier talent in the rapidly evolving field of energy-based medical technology. The inducement awards are intended to motivate new employees by aligning their interests with long-term shareholder value creation while supporting the company’s continued growth and innovation.
Strategic Purpose Behind the Inducement Awards
The newly granted awards consist of stock options to purchase up to 8,550 shares of Pulse Biosciences common stock in total. These options were specifically approved as employment inducement grants, meaning they were offered as a critical component of the company’s recruitment strategy to attract skilled professionals essential to advancing its proprietary platform technology.
By granting these awards under the 2017 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan rather than the standard 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, Pulse Biosciences ensures compliance with Nasdaq’s inducement grant rules while preserving the share pool available for existing employees under the main plan.
According to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), a company may issue equity awards to new employees outside of shareholder-approved plans if the grants are a material inducement to accepting employment. These inducement grants help growing, innovation-driven companies like Pulse Biosciences recruit high-caliber talent in a competitive life sciences market without requiring additional shareholder approval for every new hire.
Details of the Equity Awards
The inducement options have an exercise price of $17.26 per share, equal to the closing price of Pulse Biosciences common stock on the grant date, October 14, 2025. This ensures that the options’ value is directly tied to the company’s future performance, incentivizing the recipients to contribute to sustained business and stock growth.
Each of the options will vest over a four-year period, with 25% of each award vesting annually on the anniversary of the grant date, contingent upon the employee’s continued employment with Pulse Biosciences. This time-based vesting structure aligns with industry norms, promoting retention and reinforcing the company’s commitment to building a stable, experienced workforce capable of advancing its technology platform.
All options are governed by the terms and conditions of the 2017 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan and the award agreements entered into with each recipient. These agreements outline the vesting schedule, termination provisions, and other standard conditions related to employment-based equity incentives.
Building the Future of Bioelectric Medicine
Pulse Biosciences is at the forefront of developing and commercializing bioelectric technologies that harness ultra-short electrical pulses to selectively and precisely ablate cells while sparing surrounding non-cellular tissue. The company’s nPulse™ system, powered by its proprietary Nanosecond Pulsed Field Ablation (nsPFA™) energy, represents a novel, non-thermal ablation modality with potential applications across cardiology, oncology, dermatology, and other therapeutic areas.
The nsPFA™ platform offers a unique advantage over traditional ablation technologies by providing precise cellular targeting without heat damage, which could enable new treatment possibilities for a range of diseases. Pulse Biosciences’ scientific and engineering teams continue to refine this groundbreaking technology, advancing its application across multiple medical disciplines.
Recruiting highly skilled professionals is essential to accelerating this mission. By using inducement grants as a key recruitment tool, the company strengthens its ability to bring in specialized talent who can drive product innovation, regulatory strategy, and clinical development. These new hires are expected to play pivotal roles in the company’s upcoming programs and commercialization initiatives.
Supporting Long-Term Shareholder Value
The Compensation Committee’s decision to issue inducement awards underscores Pulse Biosciences’ commitment to maintaining a compensation structure that aligns employee incentives with shareholder interests. Stock-based compensation ensures that employees are rewarded not only for their contributions to short-term milestones but also for fostering the company’s sustainable growth trajectory.
This approach has been integral to Pulse Biosciences’ corporate culture—one that values ownership, accountability, and innovation. As the company continues to advance its nsPFA™ technology platform and expand its applications, attracting and retaining a highly motivated workforce remains central to its long-term success.
Commitment to Compliance and Governance
By granting these inducement awards in strict accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), Pulse Biosciences demonstrates its adherence to sound governance practices and transparent reporting standards. The rule is specifically designed to ensure that companies issuing equity compensation outside shareholder-approved plans do so only in limited, clearly defined circumstances—primarily for new hires whose contributions are expected to be material to the company’s future.
The independent Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors oversees all such awards to ensure alignment with corporate goals, compensation policies, and shareholder expectations. This process reinforces investor confidence in the company’s disciplined approach to compensation management.
Looking Ahead
With these inducement awards, Pulse Biosciences continues to invest strategically in the human capital needed to deliver on its mission: to harness the power of nanosecond pulsed field ablation for medical breakthroughs that improve patient care and outcomes.
As the company expands its leadership team and operational capacity, it remains focused on advancing its technology pipeline, conducting clinical evaluations, and exploring new applications for its nsPFA™ energy platform.
The combination of scientific innovation, operational discipline, and prudent talent management positions Pulse Biosciences to remain at the forefront of next-generation bioelectric medicine.
By integrating cutting-edge science with strategic workforce investments, the company reinforces its vision of transforming therapeutic energy delivery—making treatments safer, more precise, and more effective for patients worldwide.
