As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2019

Registration No. 333-                    

 

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

LAIX Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Cayman Islands		Not Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of		(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)		Identification Number)

3/F, Building B, No. 1687 Changyang Road, Yangpu District

Shanghai, 200090

People’s Republic of China

+86 21-3511-7188

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

2014 Equity Incentive Plan

2018 Share Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

Puglisi & Associates

850 Library Avenue, Suite 204

Newark, Delaware 19711

+1 302-738-6680

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting 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. ☒

Copies to:

 

Bin Yu Chief Financial Officer LAIX Inc. 3/F, Building B, No. 1687 Changyang Road, Yangpu District Shanghai, 200090 People’s Republic of China +86 21-3511-7188		Z. Julie Gao, Esq. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP c/o 42/F, Edinburgh Tower, The Landmark 15 Queen’s Road Central Hong Kong +852 3740-4700		Haiping Li, Esq. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP JingAn Kerry Centre, Tower II, 46/F 1539 Nanjing West Road Shanghai, People’s Republic of China +86 21-61938200

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Securities to be Registered (1)		Amount to be Registered (2)		Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Share		Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price		Amount of Registration Fee
Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.001 per share(1)		2,982,399(3)		US$0.5353(3)		US$1,596,478.18		US$193.49
Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.001 per share(1)		8,017,601(4)		US$12.0000(4)		US$96,211,212.00		US$11,660.80
Total		11,000,000		—		US$97,807,690.18		US$11,854.29

(1)

These shares may be represented by the Registrant’s American Depositary Shares, or ADSs, each of which represents one Class A ordinary share. The Registrant’s ADSs issuable upon deposit of the ordinary shares registered hereby have been registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6 (333-227351).

(2)

Represents Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of options and pursuant to other awards granted under the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan and the 2018 Share Incentive Plan (the “Plans”). Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers an indeterminate number of additional shares which may be offered and issued to prevent dilution from share splits, share dividends or similar transactions as provided in the Plans. Any Class A ordinary shares covered by an award granted under the Plans (or portion of an award) that terminates, expires or lapses for any reason will be deemed not to have been issued for purposes of determining the maximum aggregate number of Class A ordinary shares that may be issued under the Plans.

(3)	Represent Class A ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options granted under the Plans as of the date of this registration statement and the corresponding proposed maximum offering price per share represents the weighted average exercise price of these outstanding options.

(4)

These Class A ordinary shares represent Class A ordinary shares that have been reserved for future award grants under the Plans as well as the estimated number of Class A ordinary shares that may be added to the award pool under 2018 Share Incentive Plan pursuant to its evergreen provision, and the proposed maximum offering price per share, which is estimated solely for the purposes of calculating the registration fee under Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act, is based on the average of the high and low prices for the Registrant’s ADSs as quoted on the New York Stock Exchange on February 21, 2019.

 

 

 

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

 

Item 1.

Plan Information*

 

Item 2.

Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information*

 

*

Information required by Part I 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 Note to Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing information specified in this Part I will be separately provided to the participants covered by the Plan, as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3.

Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The following documents previously filed by LAIX Inc. (the “Registrant”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) are incorporated by reference herein:

 

(a)

The Registrant’s prospectus dated September 26, 2018 (File No. 333-227151) filed with the Commission on September 28, 2018 pursuant to Rule 424 (b)(4) under the Securities Act; and

 

(b)

The description of the Registrant’s Class A ordinary shares incorporated by reference in the Registrant’s registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-38657) filed with the Commission on September 14, 2018, including any amendment and report subsequently filed for the purpose of updating that description.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), after the date of this registration statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this registration statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement will be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained in this registration statement or in any other later filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to be a part of this registration statement.

 

Item 4.

Description of Securities

Not applicable.

 

Item 5.

Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

Not applicable.

 

2

Item 6.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s articles of association may provide for indemnification of directors and officers, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. The Registrant’s currently effective fifth amended and restated articles of association, adopted by its shareholders on August 30, 2018, provide that the Registrant shall indemnify its directors and officers against actions, proceedings, costs, charges, losses, damages and expenses incurred by such persons in their capacity as such, except through fraud or dishonesty.

Pursuant to the indemnification agreements, the form of which was filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-227151), the Registrant has agreed to indemnify its directors and officers against certain liabilities and expenses incurred by such persons in connection with claims made by reason of their being such a director or officer.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the Registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

The Registrant also maintains a directors and officers liability insurance policy for its directors and officers.

 

Item 7.

Exemption From Registration Claimed

Not applicable.

 

Item 8.

Exhibits

See the Index to Exhibits attached hereto.

 

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 this 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 this 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 that 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-effective amendment by those 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 this registration statement;

 

3

(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 therein, 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 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this 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, 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.

 

4

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number		Description
4.1		Fifth Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-227151))
4.2		Registrant’s Specimen Certificate for Class  A Ordinary Shares (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-227151))
4.3		Form of Deposit Agreement among the Registrant, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas as depositary, and holders and beneficial owners of American Depositary Shares evidenced by American Depositary Receipts issued thereunder (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-227151))
5.1*		Opinion of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP regarding the validity of the Class A ordinary shares being registered and certain Cayman Islands tax matters
10.1		2014 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-227151))
10.2		2018 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-227151))
23.1*		Consent of Pricewaterhouse Coopers Zhong Tian LLP
23.2*		Consent of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1*		Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto)

 

*	Filed herewith.

 

5

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 Shanghai, China, on February 28, 2019.

 

 

6

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints, severally and not jointly, each of Yi Wang and Bin Yu, with full power to act alone, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with the power of substitution, for and in such person’s name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each said attorney-in-fact may lawfully 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 in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature		Title		Date
/s/ Yi Wang		Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer		February 28, 2019
Yi Wang		(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Zheren Hu		Director and Chief Technology Officer		February 28, 2019
Zheren Hu
/s/ Hui Lin		Director and Chief Scientist		February 28, 2019
Hui Lin
/s/ Bin Yu		Chief Financial Officer		February 28, 2019
Bin Yu		(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Jenny Hong Wei Lee		Director		February 28, 2019
Jenny Hong Wei Lee
/s/ Christopher Ludwig Eisgruber		Director		February 28, 2019
Christopher Ludwig Eisgruber
/s/ Li-Lan Cheng		Director		February 28, 2019
Li-Lan Cheng
/s/ Tiak Koon Loh		Director		February 28, 2019
Tiak Koon Loh

 

7

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE IN THE UNITED STATES

Pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of LAIX Inc., has signed this registration statement in Newark, Delaware, United States of America on February 28, 2019.

 

 

8

Exhibit 5.1

Ref:    VSL/742996-000001/14323927v3

LAIX Inc.

3/F, Building B, No. 1687 Changyang Road

Yangpu District, Shanghai, 200090

The People’s Republic of China

28 February 2019

Dear Sirs

LAIX Inc. (the “Company”)

We have acted as Cayman Islands legal counsel to the Company in connection with a registration statement on Form S-8 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on 28 February 2019 (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) of 11,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.001 per share (the “Shares”), issuable by the Company upon the exercise of options and pursuant to other awards granted under the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan of the Company and the 2018 Share Incentive Plan of the Company (together, the “Share Incentive Plans”).

For the purposes of giving this opinion, we have examined copies of the Registration Statement and the Share Incentive Plans. We have also reviewed copies of the fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company adopted by special resolution passed on 30 August 2018 and effective immediately prior to the completion of the Company’s initial public offering of American Depositary Shares representing its Class A ordinary shares (the “Memorandum and Articles”), the written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company dated 26 May 2014 and 31 July 2018 and the minutes of the meeting of the board of directors held on 27 February 2019 and the written resolutions of the shareholders of the Company dated 26 May 2014 (the “Resolutions”).

Based upon, and subject to, the assumptions and qualifications set out below, and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

 

1.	The Shares to be issued by the Company and registered under the Registration Statement have been duly and validly authorized.

 

2.	When issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Share Incentive Plans and in accordance with the Resolutions, and appropriate entries are made in the register of members (shareholders) of the Company, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

In this opinion letter, the phrase “non-assessable” means, with respect to the issuance of Shares, that a shareholder shall not, in respect of the relevant Shares, have any obligation to make further contributions to the Company’s assets (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).

 

1

These opinions are subject to the qualification that under the Companies Law (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands, the register of members of a Cayman Islands company is by statute regarded as prima facie evidence of any matters which the Companies Law (2018 Revision) directs or authorises to be inserted therein. A third party interest in the shares in question would not appear. An entry in the register of members may yield to a court order for rectification (for example, in the event of fraud or manifest error).

These opinions are given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion letter. These opinions only relate to the laws of the Cayman Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion letter. We express no opinion as to the meaning, validity or effect of any references to foreign (i.e. non-Cayman Islands) statutes, rules, regulations, codes, judicial authority or any other promulgations.

We have also relied upon the assumptions, which we have not independently verified, that (a) all signatures, initials and seals are genuine, (b) copies of documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals, and (c) upon the issue of any Shares, the consideration received by the Company shall be not less than the par value of such Shares.

We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and further consent to all references to us in the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto. In giving such consent, we do not consider that we are “experts” within the meaning of such term as used in the Securities Act, or the rules and regulations of the Commission issued thereunder, with respect to any part of the Registration Statement, including this opinion as an exhibit or otherwise.

 

Yours faithfully

/s/ Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP

Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP

 

2

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of LAIX Inc. (formerly known as LingoChamp Inc.) of our report dated June 13, 2018 relating to the consolidated financial statements, which appears in LAIX Inc. (formerly known as LingoChamp Inc.)’s Amendment No.1 to the Registration Statement on Form F-1 (No. 333-227151).

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP

Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China

February 28, 2019