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Collaborative Research and Development Agreements, Government Programs and Licenses
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Research and Development [Abstract]  
Collaborative Research and Development Agreements, Government Programs and Licenses
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS, GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AND LICENSES
Unilever—Effective November 2009, the Company entered into a collaborative research and development agreement with Conopco, Inc. (doing business as Unilever) to develop oil for use in soap and other products. The Company completed the research and development under this agreement in the year ended December 31, 2010. In the first quarter of 2011, the Company and Unilever agreed to extend their research and development agreement with the expansion of a new oil development project through June 30, 2011.
In October 2011, the Company entered into a joint development agreement with Unilever, which expanded its then current research and development efforts. In September 2013, the Company and Unilever entered into a commercial supply agreement for at least 10,000 MT of the Company's algal oil, and in September 2015, the Company and Unilever agreed to extend their joint development agreement through September 30, 2017.
Algenist® Distribution Partners—The Company entered into a distribution contract with Sephora S.A. (Sephora EMEA) in December 2010 to distribute the Algenist® product line in Sephora stores in certain countries in Europe and select countries in the Middle East and Asia. In January 2011, the Company also entered into a distribution arrangement with Sephora USA, Inc. (Sephora Americas) to sell the Algenist® product line in the Sephora Americas stores (which currently includes locations in the United States and Canada). Under both arrangements, the Company pays the majority of the costs associated with marketing the products, although both Sephora EMEA and Sephora Americas contribute in the areas of public relations, training and marketing to support the brand. Sephora EMEA creates the marketing material, but the Company has an approval right over the materials and ultimately the Company has control over the marketing budget. With Sephora Americas, the Company is responsible for creating certain marketing and training materials. The Company is obligated to fund minimum marketing expenditures under the agreement with Sephora EMEA. The Company has also granted a license to Sephora Americas and Sephora EMEA to use the Algenist® trademarks and logos to advertise and promote the product line. In March 2011, the Company entered into an agreement with QVC, Inc. (“QVC”) and launched the sale of its Algenist® product line through QVC’s multimedia platform. In July 2014, the Company entered into an agreement with ULTA Beauty to sell the Algenist® line in its retail stores throughout the United States.
Bunge—In May 2011, the Company entered into a joint development agreement (“JDA”) with Bunge, a global agribusiness and food company, that extended through May 2013. In September 2013, the Company and Bunge agreed to extend the JDA, effective from May 2013 through September 2014. Pursuant to the JDA, the Company and Bunge jointly developed microbe-derived oils and explored the production of such oils from Brazilian sugarcane feedstock. The JDA also provided for Bunge to provide research funding to the Company through September 2014, payable quarterly in advance throughout the research term. The Company accounted for the JDA as an obligation to perform research and development services for others in accordance with FASB ASC 730-20, Research and Development Arrangements, and recorded the payments for the performance of these services as revenue in its condensed consolidated statement of operations. The Company recognized revenue on the JDA based on proportionate performance of actual efforts to date relative to the amount of expected effort incurred. The cumulative amount of revenue recognized under the JDA was limited by the amounts the Company was contractually obligated to receive as cash reimbursements. In March 2015, the Company entered into an additional JDA with Bunge to jointly develop a unique food ingredient. Research funding of $2,000,000 was paid to the Company through September 30, 2015 related to this JDA. The additional JDA was rolled into a project plan between the Solazyme Bunge JV and the Company in October 2015 and provides that the Solazyme Bunge JV will provide research funding to the Company covering periods through December 2018, payable quarterly in advance throughout the research term.
In April 2012, the Company and Bunge entered into a joint venture agreement forming a joint venture, or Solazyme Bunge JV, to build, own and operate a commercial-scale renewable algal oils production facility adjacent to Bunge’s Moema sugarcane mill in Brazil (see Note 11).
In October 2015, the Company and Bunge entered into an amended and restated joint venture agreement to expand the Solazyme Bunge JV to include certain oils for food and other nutrition products, as well as an amended and restated development agreement. This restated and amended development agreement, and project plans thereunder, incorporate development work from the March 2015 Bunge JDA associated with the development of a unique food ingredient, as well as new development work on nutrition products (see Note 11).
ADM—In November 2012, the Company and ADM entered into the Collaboration Agreement, establishing a collaboration for the production of algal triglyceride oil products at the Clinton Facility. In January 2014, the Company began commercial scale production of its products at the Clinton Facility using the Company's proprietary microbe-based catalysis technology. Feedstock for the facility is provided by ADM’s adjacent wet mill. Under the terms of the Collaboration Agreement, the Company pays ADM annual fees for use and operation of a portion of the Clinton Facility, a portion of which may be paid in Company common stock. In March 2013, the Company issued a series of warrants to ADM for payment in stock, in lieu of cash, at its election, of future annual fees for use and operation of a portion of the Clinton Facility. Downstream processing of products produced at the Clinton Facility is being done at a facility in Galva, Iowa ("Galva Facility") operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of American Natural Processors, Inc. On October 29, 2015, the Company provided to ADM a notice of termination of the Operating Agreement entered into with ADM in November 2012 related to the production of products at the Clinton Facility. As a result of the termination of the Operating Agreement, the Strategic Collaboration Agreement with ADM will automatically terminate on February 26, 2016. See Note 6.
In January 2013, the Company granted to ADM a warrant (“ADM Warrant”) to purchase 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, which vests in equal monthly installments over five years, commencing in November 2013. In addition, the Company shall grant to ADM a warrant (“ADM Extension Warrant”) covering an additional 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock upon the extension of the Collaboration Agreement for each further five year term, which shall vest in equal monthly installments over the applicable five year extension term. The measurement date of the ADM Warrant was established in July 2013 when the Company agreed that vesting of the ADM Warrant would commence in November 2013; therefore, it was determined that the future performance to earn the ADM Warrant shares was probable. The Company recognizes on a straight-line basis, the fair value of the ADM Warrant to rent expense beginning on the measurement date and over the lease term.
The Company recorded rent expense related to the ADM Warrant of $21,000 and $72,000 during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively, and $0.1 million and $0.5 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively, which is equal to the estimated fair value of the ADM Warrant shares that had vested over the lease term since the measurement date. The estimated fair value of the ADM Warrant shares that had vested was determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based upon the following assumptions during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:
 
September 30, 2015
 
September 30, 2014
Average volatility
78
%
 
54
%
Average risk-free interest rate
1.31
%
 
1.63
%
Exercise price
$7.17

 
$7.17

Average stock price
$2.77

 
$10.98

Average expected remaining life (in years)
3.7

 
4.7


As of September 30, 2015, 191,666 of the ADM Warrant shares had vested.
Mitsui—In February 2013, the Company entered into a $20.0 million multi-year agreement with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (“Mitsui”) to jointly develop a suite of triglyceride oils for use primarily in the oleochemical industry. Product development is expected to span a multi-year period, with periodic product introductions throughout the term of the joint development alliance. End use application may include renewable, high-performance polymer lubricants and other industrial products. Milestones within the Mitsui joint development agreement that are determined to be substantive and at risk at the inception of the arrangement are recognized as revenue upon achievement of the milestone, and are limited to those amounts for which collectability is reasonably assured. If these conditions are not met, the milestone payments are deferred and recognized as revenue over the estimated period of performance under the contract as completion of performance obligations occur. The Company recognized $0 and $2.1 million of revenue related to substantive milestones achieved under the Mitsui joint development agreement during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively and $0 and $1.5 million of revenue related to substantive milestones achieved under the Mitsui joint development agreement during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014.
AkzoNobel—In May 2013, the Company entered into a joint development agreement with AkzoNobel, a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals, targeting the development and commercial sales of triglyceride oils for use by AkzoNobel in its surface chemistry and decorative paints businesses. Product development efforts began in the second half of 2013, and in July 2014 the Company entered into a research and development plan with AkzoNobel which extends through June 2017.
Flotek—In March 2015, the Company entered into agreements with certain Flotek Industries Inc. affiliates (Flotek) to jointly commercialize Flocapso™, a drilling fluid additive, and to allow Flotek to market the Company's Encapso™ product in certain Middle Eastern markets.