As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 23, 2019

Registration No. 333-______

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM S-8

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

Youdao, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Cayman Islands   Not Applicable
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

No. 399, Wangshang Road, Binjiang District

Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China

  310051
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

 

 

  Share Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

 

 

 

Cogency Global Inc.

122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor

New York, NY 10168

 
(Name and address of agent for service)
 
  +1 800-221-0102  

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

 

 

 

Copies to:

 

Feng Zhou

Chief Executive Officer

Youdao, Inc.

No. 399, Wangshang Road, Binjiang District

Hangzhou 310051, People’s Republic of China

+86 0571-8985-2163

Li He, Esq. 

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

2201 China World Office 2

No. 1 Jian Guo Men Wai Avenue

Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100004

People’s Republic of China

+86 10-8567-5000

James C. Lin, Esq.

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

c/o 18th Floor, The Hong Kong Club Building

3A Chater Road, Central

Hong Kong

+852 2533-3300

 

 

 

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.  

 

 

 

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(6)
Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share 8,349,300(3) US$2.40(3) US$20,038,320.00 US$2,600.97
Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share 1,872,922(4) US$13.95(4) US$26,127,261.90 US$3,391.32
Total 10,222,222(5) US$46,165,581.90 US$5,992.29
(1)The Class A ordinary shares of Youdao, Inc. (the “Registrant”) registered hereunder are represented by the Registrant’s American depositary shares (“ADSs”), with each ADS representing one Class A ordinary share, par value US$0.0001 per share. The Registrant’s ADSs issuable upon deposit of the Class A ordinary shares have been registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6 (333-234194).

 

(2)Represents Class A ordinary shares which are issuable upon exercise of options and pursuant to other awards granted under the Share Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) of the Registrant. Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement is deemed to cover an indeterminate number of Class A ordinary shares which may be offered and issued to prevent dilution resulting from share splits, share dividends or similar transactions as provided in the Plan.

 

(3)Represents Class A ordinary shares which are issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options previously granted under the Plan as of the date of this registration statement and the corresponding proposed maximum offering price per share represents the weighted average of the exercise price of options which have been already granted and are outstanding under the Plan.

 

(4)Represents Class A ordinary shares to be issued pursuant to the Plan. The proposed maximum offering price per share, which is estimated solely for the purposes of calculating the registration fee under Rule 457(h) and Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act, is based on US$13.95 per ADS, the average of the high and low prices for the Registrant’s ADSs as quoted on the New York Stock Exchange on December 17, 2019.

 

(5)Any Class A ordinary shares covered by an award granted under the Plan (or portion of an award) that is forfeited, cancelled or otherwise expires for any reason without having been exercised shall be deemed not to have been issued for purposes of determining the maximum aggregate number of ordinary shares which may be issued under the Plan.

 

(6)Pursuant to Rule 457(p) under the Securities Act, the Registrant hereby offsets a portion of the registration fee for this registration statement on Form S-8 by US$1,962.58, which represents the entirety of the registration fee of US$1,962.58 previously paid with respect to the 840,000 unsold securities previously registered on the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-234009) initially filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, 2019 and declared effective on October 24, 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 in the Plan covered by this Registration Statement, 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 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) by the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference.

 

(1)         The Registrant’s prospectus filed with the Commission on October 25, 2019 pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) under the Securities Act (Securities Act File No. 333-234009); and

 

(2)         The description of the Registrant’s Class A ordinary shares contained in the Registrant’s registration statement on Form 8-A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) filed on October 15, 2019, as modified by any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description (Exchange Act File No. 001-39087).

 

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 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 filing of such documents.

 

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 herein, or in any other subsequently filed document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration 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

 

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, 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 or

 

 

 

committing a crime. The Registrant’s fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide for indemnification of officers and directors against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, losses, damages and expenses which they or any of them shall or may incur or sustain by reason of any act done or omitted in or about the execution of their duty in their respective offices, except such (if any) as they shall incur or sustain by or through their own willful neglect or default and no such director or officer shall be answerable for the acts, receipts, neglects or defaults of any other director or officer or for joining in any receipt for the sake of conformity or for the solvency or honesty of any banker or other persons with whom any monies or effects belonging to the Registrant may be lodged or deposited for safe custody or for any insufficiency of any security upon which any monies of the Registrant may be invested or for any other loss or damage due to any such cause as aforesaid or which may happen in or about the execution of his office unless the same shall happen through the willful neglect or default of such director or officer.

 

Pursuant to the indemnification agreements, the form of which was filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-234009), the Registrant has agreed to indemnify its directors and officers against, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all expenses and liabilities actually and reasonably incurred by reason of such director’s or officer’s corporate status.

 

The Registrant maintains standard policies of insurance under which coverage is provided (a) to its directors and officers against loss arising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act and (b) to the Registrant with respect to payments which may be made by the Registrant to such officers and directors pursuant to the above indemnification provision or otherwise as a matter of law.

 

ITEM 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

 

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 8. EXHIBITS

 

The Exhibits listed on the accompanying Exhibit Index are filed as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Registration Statement (See Exhibit Index below).

 

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) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic 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 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 Section 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.

 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
Number
  Description of Exhibit
4.1   Fourth Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form F-1 initially filed on September 30, 2019, as amended) (Securities Act File No. 333-234009)
4.2   Registrant’s Specimen Certificate for Class A Ordinary Shares (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form F-1 initially filed on September 30, 2019, as amended) (Securities Act File No. 333-234009)
4.3   Form of Deposit Agreement between the Registrant, the depositary and holders of the American Depositary Shares (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form F-1 initially filed on September 30, 2019, as amended) (Securities Act File No. 333-234009)
5.1   Opinion of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP (filed herewith)
10.1   The First Amended and Restated 2015 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form F-1 initially filed on September 30, 2019, as amended) (Securities Act File No. 333-234009)
23.1   Consent of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.2   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (filed herewith)
24.1   Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration Statement)

 

 

 

 

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 Beijing, China, on December 23, 2019.

 

  Youdao, Inc.
     
  By:

/s/ Feng Zhou

  Name:    Feng Zhou
  Title: Chief Executive Officer and Director

 

 

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Dr. Feng Zhou, as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and re-substitution, for him and in his name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments, exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on December 23, 2019.

 

Signature Title
   

/s/ William Lei Ding

Director
Name: William Lei Ding  
   

/s/ Feng Zhou

Chief Executive Officer, Director
Name: Feng Zhou (principal executive officer)
   

/s/ Harry Heung Yeung Shum

Independent Director
Name: Harry Heung Yeung Shum  
   

/s/ Jimmy Lai

Independent Director
Name: Jimmy Lai  
   

/s/ Yongwei Li

Vice President of Finance
Name: Yongwei Li (principal financial officer and principal accounting officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE IN THE UNITED STATES

 

Pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of Youdao, Inc., has signed this registration statement or amendment thereto in New York on December 23, 2019.

 

  Authorized U.S. Representative
   
       
  By:

/s/ Colleen A. De Vries

    Name:       Colleen A. De Vries
    Title: Senior Vice President

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

Ref: KKZ/697248-000002/15827341v2

 

Youdao, Inc. 

No. 399, Wangshang Road 

Binjiang District 

Hangzhou 310051 

People’s Republic of China

 

23 December 2019

 

Dear Sirs

 

Youdao, 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 23 December 2019 (the "Registration Statement") relating to the registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "Securities Act") of 10,222,222 Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share (the "Shares"), issuable by the Company pursuant to the Company's 2015 Share Incentive Plan (the "Plan").

 

For the purposes of giving this opinion, we have examined copies of the Registration Statement and the Plan. We have also reviewed copies of the fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company adopted by special resolution passed on 27 September 2019 and effective immediately prior to the completion of the Company's initial public offering of its American depositary shares representing the Shares (the "Memorandum and Articles"), the written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company dated 3 February 2015 and 17 April 2018 (together, 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 authorised.

 

2.When issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Plan 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 the 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).

 

 

 

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, (c) there is nothing contained in the minute book or corporate records of the Company (which we have not inspected) which would or might affect the opinions set out above, and (d) 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

 

 

Exhibit 23.2

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Youdao, Inc. of our report dated July 11, 2019 relating to the financial statements, which appears in Youdao, Inc.’s Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-234009).

 

 

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP 


PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP
Beijing, the People’s Republic of China

December 23, 2019