425 1 form8k.htm FORM 8-K Sphere 3D Corporation: Form 8-K - Filed by newsfilecorp.com

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 18, 2020

Sphere 3D Corp.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Ontario, Canada 001-36532 98-1220792
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.) 
     

895 Don Mils Road,

Bldg. 2, Suite 900
Toronto, Ontario

M3C 1W3
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code (858) 571-5555

Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[X] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d- 2(b))

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e- 4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered

 

 

 

Common Shares

ANY

NASDAQ Capital Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. [  ]



Item 8.01

Other Events

A copy of the press release issued by Sphere 3D Corp. on August 18, 2020, is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.


Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit

Number

Description

   

99.1

Press Release dated  August 18, 2020

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction, Sphere and Rainmaker intend to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 or F-4, as applicable, which will contain an information statement of Rainmaker and a proxy statement/prospectus of Sphere (the "Proxy Statement/Prospectus"), and intend to mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to the Company's stockholders when available. SECURITY HOLDERS OF SPHERE AND RAINMAKER ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND ANY RELATED AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SPHERE, RAINMAKER, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Security holders may obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other documents (when available) that Sphere and Rainmaker file with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.

Participants in the Solicitation

Sphere, Rainmaker and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and employees may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of the shareholders of Rainmaker in connection with the transaction, including a description of their respective direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be included in the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus when it is filed with the SEC. Information regarding Sphere's executive officers and directors is included in Sphere's proxy statement for its 2019 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on December 6, 2019 and in Sphere's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed with the SEC on May 14, 2020 and amended on May 15, 2020 ("Annual Report"). Changes in the director or indirect interests of Sphere's directors and executive officers are set forth in Forms 3, 4 and 5 as filed with the SEC. These documents are available free of charge as described above.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events and these include statements using the words such as will and expected, and similar statements. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations of Sphere. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) the risk that the transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect Sphere's business and the price of its common stock, (ii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the transaction, including the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the stockholders of Rainmaker, and the receipt of certain governmental and regulatory approvals, (iii) the failure of Sphere and Merger Sub to obtain the necessary financing, (iv) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement, (v) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transaction on Sphere's or Rainmaker's business relationships, operating results, and business generally, (vi) risks that the proposed transaction disrupts Sphere's or Rainmaker's current plans and operations, (vii) risks related to diverting management's attention from Sphere's or Rainmaker's ongoing business operations, and (viii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Sphere, Rainmaker or Merger Sub related to the Merger Agreement or the transaction contemplated thereby. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect the businesses of Sphere described in the "Risk Factors" section of Sphere's Annual Report and other reports and documents filed from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Sphere assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Sphere does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Date: August 21, 2020

SPHERE 3D CORP.

By: /s/ Peter Tassiopoulos                                                                       

 Name: Peter Tassiopoulos

 Title: Chief Executive Officer




EXHIBIT INDEX

Form 8-K

Exhibit

Number

Description

   

99.1

Press Release dated August 18, 2020