S-3 1 zym-2022s3.htm S-3 Document

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 12, 2022
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Zymergen Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Delaware
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
46-2942439
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

5980 Horton Street, Suite 105
Emeryville CA 94608
(415) 801-8073
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
Mina Kim
Chief Legal Officer
5980 Horton Street, Suite 105
Emeryville, California 94608
(415) 801-8073
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)
Copies to:
Sarah K. Solum
Pamela L. Marcogliese
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP
2710 Sand Hill Road
Menlo Park, California 94025
Telephone: (650) 618-9250
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.
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. (Check one):

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.
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission acting pursuant to said section 8(a), may determine.




The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
 
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MAY 12, 2022
PROSPECTUS
$200,000,000

image_0.jpg
ZYMERGEN INC.

COMMON STOCK 
PREFERRED STOCK
DEPOSITARY SHARES
DEBT SECURITIES
WARRANTS
PURCHASE CONTRACTS
UNITS
We may issue securities from time to time in one or more offerings, in amounts, at prices and on terms determined at the time of offering. This prospectus describes the general terms of these securities and the general manner in which these securities will be offered. We will provide the specific terms of these securities in supplements to this prospectus, which will also describe the specific manner in which these securities will be offered and may also supplement, update or amend information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest. The aggregate offering price of the securities we sell pursuant to this prospectus will not exceed $200,000,000.
The foregoing securities may be offered directly by us, through agents designated from time to time by us or to or through underwriters or dealers. We reserve the sole right to accept, and together with any agents, dealers and underwriters, reserve the right to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of securities. If any agents, dealers or underwriters are involved in the sale of any of the foregoing securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement.
None of the foregoing securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “ZY”. As of May 12, 2022, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $1.42 per share. Each prospectus supplement will indicate whether the securities offered thereby will be listed on any securities exchange.
We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is defined under the federal securities laws and, as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements.
Investing in these securities involves certain risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4 of this prospectus, in any applicable prospectus supplement and in “Item 1A - Risk Factors” of our most recent report on Form 10-K or 10-Q that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus before you invest in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved these securities, or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is                        , 2022.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

We have not authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We do not take responsibility for, nor can we provide any assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement or in any such free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates.
The terms “Zymergen Inc.,” “Zymergen,” “the Company,” “our company,” “the registrant,” “we,” “our,” “ours” and “us” refer to Zymergen Inc. and not to any of its existing or future subsidiaries, unless specifically indicated or the context otherwise requires.





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THE COMPANY
Zymergen partners with Nature to design, develop and commercialize microbes, molecules, and materials for diverse end markets. Our goal is to create new products with our proprietary platform that unlocks the design and manufacturing efficiency of biological processes with technology’s ability to rapidly iterate and control diverse functions. We believe our process will create better products, a better way, for a better world.
Our platform revolves around three key capabilities: our collection of accessible biomolecules, our software and data science technology and our data driven microbe optimization processes. We have one of the world’s largest collections of accessible biomolecules. This physical and DNA sequence database has within it the potential to create hundreds of thousands of small molecules, millions of natural products and hundreds of millions of proteins. This provides novel starting points for the creation of interesting molecules, materials, enzymes, and potential therapeutics. Our software and data science platform informs, guides, and records our experiments forming the infrastructure for the virtuous learning cycle that continually enriches our processes. Once a promising biomolecule is selected, using our strain engineering capabilities we can work across organisms and employ numerous strategies to optimize performance, cost, and scalability to meet an unmet market need. Throughout our work, we power and scale the science with high-throughput automation.
We were incorporated in Delaware in 2013. Our principal executive offices are located at 5980 Horton Street, Suite 105, Emeryville, CA 94608, and our telephone number is (415) 801-8073. Our corporate website address is www.zymergen.com. We do not incorporate the information contained on, or accessible through, our corporate website into this prospectus or any prospectus supplement that we file, and you should not consider it part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement that we file. We have included our website address only as an inactive textual reference and do not intend it to be an active link to our website.
“Zymergen,” our logo and our other registered or common law trademarks, service marks, or trade names appearing in this prospectus are the property of Zymergen Inc. Other trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.
About this Prospectus
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we may sell, at any time and from time to time, any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $200,000,000. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that may be offered. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the securities being offered and the terms of that offering. Any prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
We have not authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or a prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates.

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These filings, including the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and the exhibits and schedules thereto, are available to the public in electronic form at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and all documents we file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on or after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering under this prospectus and any prospectus supplement (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules):
(i)our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 30, 2022, including portions incorporated by reference therein from our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 20, 2022;
(ii)our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 12, 2022;
(iii)our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 10, 2022, March 3, 2022, and March 8, 2022; and
(iv)the description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on April 19, 2021 under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, as updated by Exhibit 4.3 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by emailing or telephoning investor relations at investors@zymergen.com or (415) 801-8073. Information about us, including copies of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC, is also available at our website at www.zymergen.com. However, the information on our website is not a part of, or incorporated by reference in, this prospectus or any prospectus supplement that we file and should not be relied upon in determining whether to make an investment in our securities.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains or incorporates statements that are not historical in nature, are predictive in nature, or that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions or otherwise contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions or variations intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, but are based on management’s expectations as of the date such statements are made and assumptions that are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from our current expectations and any past results, performance or achievements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, those discussed in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 and any other documents we file with the SEC from time to time. The information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus is based upon the facts and circumstances known at this time, and any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. We undertake no duty to update this information except as required by law.

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RISK FACTORS
Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement involves risks. Before deciding whether to acquire any such securities, you should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” discussed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” contained in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and in our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as any amendments thereto reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, together with other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement. The risks described in these documents are not the only ones we face. There may be other unknown or unpredictable economic, business, competitive, regulatory or other factors, or factors that we currently deem immaterial, that could have material adverse effects on our future results. Past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. If any of the risks we face actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our securities to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. Please also read carefully the section above titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

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DILUTION
We will set forth in a prospectus supplement the following information, as required, regarding any dilution of the equity interests of investors purchasing securities in an offering under this prospectus:
the net tangible book value per share of our equity securities before and after such offering;
the amount of the change in such net tangible book value per share attributable to the cash payments made by purchasers in such offering; and
the amount of the immediate dilution from the public offering price that will be absorbed by such purchasers.
 
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USE OF PROCEEDS
Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, the net proceeds from the sale of the securities by us will be used for general corporate purposes and will be invested prior to use. General corporate purposes may include repayment of debt, acquisitions, additions to working capital, capital expenditures and investments in our subsidiaries.

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
General
This section describes our capital stock, which we may offer under this prospectus. The following summary description of our capital stock is based on the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws, the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and the agreements described below. This information may not be complete in all respects and is qualified entirely by reference to the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws, the Delaware General Corporation Law and such agreements. For information on how to obtain copies of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and such agreements, which are exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, see the section titled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Our authorized capital stock consists of 1,670,000,000 shares of capital stock, $0.001 par value, of which 1,500,000,000 shares are designated as common stock and 170,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol “ZY” and began trading on April 22, 2021. Prior to that date, there was no public trading market for our common stock.
There is no preferred stock outstanding.
Common Stock
The rights of the holders of the common stock are as described below:
Voting Rights. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote upon any matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders, including the election of directors. Holders of the common stock will vote as a single class on all matters submitted to a stockholder vote, subject to any voting rights granted to holders of any preferred stock. Holders of the common stock are not entitled to any cumulative voting rights.
Dividend Rights. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding preferred stock, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Rights upon Liquidation. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of common stock and any participating preferred stock outstanding at that time are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of outstanding debt and liabilities, subject to prior distribution rights of preferred stock, if any, then outstanding.
Other Rights. The holders of our common stock have no preemptive rights or other subscription rights. There are no conversion, redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors has the authority to issue the preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption or repurchase, redemption or repurchase prices, liquidation preferences, restrictions and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such series, without further vote or action by the stockholders.
The issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of our company without further action by the stockholders and may adversely affect the voting and other rights of the holders of common stock.

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Election and Removal of Directors; Vacancies
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our board of directors will consist of between five and 16 directors. The exact number of directors will be fixed from time to time by resolution of the board. Directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares of our capital stock present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors, subject to rights of holders of any class or series of outstanding preferred stock to elect additional directors.
No director may be removed except for cause, and directors may be removed for cause only by an affirmative vote of shares representing not less than a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors, subject to the rights that may be applicable to any outstanding preferred stock.
Any vacancy occurring on the board of directors and any newly created directorship may be filled only by a majority of the remaining directors then in office, subject to the rights that may be applicable to any outstanding preferred stock. These provisions would prevent a stockholder from increasing the size of our board of directors and then gaining control of our board of directors by filling the resulting vacancies with its own nominees. This could make it more difficult to change the composition of our board of directors and will promote continuity of management.
Staggered Board
Our directors is divided into three classes serving staggered three-year terms. Class I, Class II and Class III directors will serve until our annual meetings of stockholders in 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively. At each annual meeting of stockholders, directors will be elected to succeed the class of directors whose terms have expired. This classification of our board of directors could have the effect of increasing the length of time necessary to change the composition of a majority of the board of directors.
Limitation on Action by Written Consent
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that holders of our common stock will not be able to act by written consent without a meeting. This provision might delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or for stockholders controlling a majority of our capital stock to take any action, including the removal of directors.
Stockholder Meetings
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority of the directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws specifically deny any power of any other person to call a special meeting. This provision might delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or for stockholders controlling a majority of our capital stock to take any action, including the removal of directors.
Amendment of Charter and Bylaws Provisions
Any amendment of certain articles of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, including the above provisions, would require approval by holders of at least 6623% of the voting power of our then outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting as a single class.
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These provisions could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change in control. These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of the board of directors and in the policies formulated by the board of directors and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change of control. These provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal. The provisions also are intended to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares and, as a consequence, they also may inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our shares of common stock that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. Such provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our management or delaying or preventing a transaction that might benefit minority stockholders.
Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations
Our amended and restated bylaws provide for advance notice procedures for stockholders seeking to bring business before our annual meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of stockholders. Our amended and restated bylaws also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. These provisions might preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders if the proper procedures are not followed. We expect that these provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.
Limitation of Liability of Directors and Officers
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that no director will be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except as required by applicable law, as in effect from time to time. Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for:
any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to our company or our stockholders;
any act or omission not in good faith or which involved intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions as provided in Section 174 of the DGCL; and
any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
As a result, neither we nor our stockholders have the right, through stockholders’ derivative suits on our behalf, to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, including breaches resulting from grossly negligent behavior, except in the situations described above.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, we will indemnify any officer or director of our company against all damages, claims and liabilities arising out of the fact that the person is or was our director or officer, or served any other enterprise at our request as a director or officer. Amending this provision will not reduce our indemnification obligations relating to actions taken before an amendment.
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Forum Selection
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law unless we otherwise consent in writing to an alternative forum: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by, or otherwise wrongdoing by, any director, stockholder, officer or other employee of our company to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws (as each may be amended from time to time); (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the amended and restated certificate of incorporation or the bylaws (as each may be amended from time to time); or (v) any action asserting an internal corporate claim (as defined in Section 115 of the DGCL) or a claim otherwise implicating our internal affairs, except as to each of (i) through (v) above, any claim as to which the Court of Chancery determines that it does not have subject matter jurisdiction or there is an indispensable party not subject to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten (10) days following such determination), or which is statutorily vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court other than the Court of Chancery. For the avoidance of doubt, this provision would not apply to any direct action brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or any successor thereto or the Exchange Act. Furthermore, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our shares of capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing forum selection provisions.
Our exclusive forum provision does not relieve us of our duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations.
This choice of forum provision may limit a Company stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that stockholder finds favorable for disputes with the Company or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims, although Company stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Alternatively, the enforceability of similar federal court choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find this type of provision to be inapplicable or unenforceable.
Delaware Takeover Statute
We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, an anti-takeover statute. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years following the time the person became an interested stockholder, unless (with certain exceptions) the business combination or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder is approved in a prescribed manner. Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Generally, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns (or within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, did own) 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock. The existence of this provision would be expected to have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by the board of directors, including discouraging attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of common stock held by stockholders.
Stockholders owning individually or collectively, as of the date of instituting a derivative suit, at least 2% of the outstanding shares may maintain a derivative lawsuit to enforce the requirements that the board of directors will manage or direct our business and affairs in a manner that balances the pecuniary interests of the stockholders, the best interests of those materially affected by our conduct and the specific public benefits identified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.
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Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws to be Adopted and Delaware Law That May Have an Anti-Takeover Effect
Provisions of the DGCL and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make it more difficult to acquire our company by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or otherwise or to remove incumbent officers and directors. These provisions, summarized above, are intended to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of these provisions outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging certain takeover or acquisition proposals because, among other things, negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms and enhance the ability of our board of directors to maximize stockholder value. However, these provisions may delay, deter or prevent a merger or acquisition of us that a stockholder might consider is in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the prevailing market price of our common stock.
Public Benefit Corporation Status
In connection with our initial public offering, we converted to a public benefit corporation incorporated in Delaware as a demonstration of our long-term commitment to our mission to displace the petrochemicals that pollute the Planet by designing, developing, and commercializing bio-based materials that deliver better performance than existing products, at attractive costs. We make products with broad applications and global reach that are safer for the people who manufacture them, healthier for the people who use them and better for the environment.
Public benefit corporations are intended to produce a public benefit and to operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. Under the DGCL, public benefit corporations are required to identify in their certificate of incorporation the public benefit or benefits they will promote. As provided in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our public benefit is: to displace the petrochemicals that pollute the Planet by designing, developing, and commercializing bio-based materials that deliver better performance than existing products, at attractive costs. We make products with broad applications and global reach that are safer for the people who manufacture them, healthier for the people who use them and better for the environment. Public benefit corporation directors have a duty to manage the affairs of the corporation in a manner that balances the pecuniary interests of the stockholders, the best interests of those materially affected by the corporation’s conduct and the specific public benefit or public benefits identified in the public benefit corporation’s certificate of incorporation. Public benefit corporations organized in Delaware are also required to publicly disclose at least biennially a report that assesses their benefit performance. In connection with this report, our board of directors is required to set objectives and standards to assess our benefit performance and to assess our performance based on those standards. While a Delaware public benefit corporation may provide in its certificate of incorporation that it will measure the corporation's benefit performance against an objective third-party standard, our certificate of incorporation does not contain that requirement.
Holders of our common stock have voting, dividend and other economic rights that are the same as the rights of stockholders of a corporation that is not designated as a public benefit corporation.
Subject to the amendment provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, stockholders representing a majority of the voting power of our then outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting as a single class, must vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to delete or amend the requirements of our public benefit purpose.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. Its address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219.
Listing on The Nasdaq Global Select Market
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “ZY”.

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DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES REPRESENTING PREFERRED STOCK
The applicable prospectus supplement will include further description of the material terms of any depositary shares representing preferred stock offered hereby.
General
We may, at our option, elect to offer fractional shares of preferred stock, or depositary shares, rather than full shares of preferred stock. If we do, we will issue to the public receipts, called depositary receipts, for depositary shares, each of which will represent a fraction, to be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, of a share of a particular series of preferred stock. Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement, each owner of a depositary share will be entitled, in proportion to the applicable fractional interest in a share of preferred stock represented by the depositary share, to all the rights and preferences of the preferred stock represented by the depositary share. Those rights include dividend, voting, redemption, conversion and liquidation rights.
The shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares will be deposited with a bank or trust company selected by us to act as depositary under a deposit agreement between us, the depositary and the holders of the depositary receipts. The depositary will be the transfer agent, registrar and dividend disbursing agent for the depositary shares.
The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the depositary agreement. Holders of depositary receipts agree to be bound by the deposit agreement, which requires holders to take certain actions such as filing proof of residence and paying certain charges.
The summary of terms of the depositary shares contained in this prospectus is not complete. You should refer to the form of the deposit agreement, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the certificate of designation for the applicable series of preferred stock that are, or will be, filed with the SEC.
Dividends and Other Distributions
The depositary will distribute all cash dividends or other cash distributions, if any, received in respect of the preferred stock underlying the depositary shares to the record holders of depositary shares in proportion to the numbers of depositary shares owned by those holders on the relevant record date. The relevant record date for depositary shares will be the same date as the record date for the underlying preferred stock.
If there is a distribution other than in cash, the depositary will distribute property (including securities) received by it to the record holders of depositary shares, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make the distribution. If this occurs, the depositary may, with our approval, adopt another method for the distribution, including selling the property and distributing the net proceeds from the sale to the holders.
Liquidation Preference
If a series of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares has a liquidation preference, in the event of the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of us, holders of depositary shares will be entitled to receive the fraction of the liquidation preference accorded each share of the applicable series of preferred stock, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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Withdrawal of Stock
Unless the related depositary shares have been previously called for redemption, upon surrender of the depositary receipts at the office of the depositary, the holder of the depositary shares will be entitled to delivery, at the office of the depositary to or upon his or her order, of the number of whole shares of the preferred stock and any money or other property represented by the depositary shares. If the depositary receipts delivered by the holder evidence a number of depositary shares in excess of the number of depositary shares representing the number of whole shares of preferred stock to be withdrawn, the depositary will deliver to the holder at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing the excess number of depositary shares. In no event will the depositary deliver fractional shares of preferred stock upon surrender of depositary receipts. Holders of preferred stock thus withdrawn may not thereafter deposit those shares under the deposit agreement or receive depositary receipts evidencing depositary shares therefor.
 
Redemption of Depositary Shares
Whenever we redeem shares of preferred stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem as of the same redemption date the number of depositary shares representing shares of the preferred stock so redeemed, so long as we have paid in full to the depositary the redemption price of the preferred stock to be redeemed plus an amount equal to any accumulated and unpaid dividends on the preferred stock to the date fixed for redemption. The redemption price per depositary share will be equal to the redemption price and any other amounts per share payable on the preferred stock multiplied by the fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by one depositary share. If less than all the depositary shares are to be redeemed, the depositary shares to be redeemed will be selected by lot or pro rata or by any other equitable method as may be determined by the depositary.
After the date fixed for redemption, depositary shares called for redemption will no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights of the holders of depositary shares will cease, except the right to receive the monies payable upon redemption and any money or other property to which the holders of the depositary shares were entitled upon redemption upon surrender to the depositary of the depositary receipts evidencing the depositary shares.
Voting the Preferred Stock
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of the preferred stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail the information contained in the notice of meeting to the record holders of the depositary receipts relating to that preferred stock. The record date for the depositary receipts relating to the preferred stock will be the same date as the record date for the preferred stock. Each record holder of the depositary shares on the record date will be entitled to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights pertaining to the number of shares of preferred stock represented by that holder’s depositary shares. The depositary will endeavor, insofar as practicable, to vote the number of shares of preferred stock represented by the depositary shares in accordance with those instructions, and we will agree to take all action that may be deemed necessary by the depositary in order to enable the depositary to do so. The depositary will not vote any shares of preferred stock except to the extent that it receives specific instructions from the holders of depositary shares representing that number of shares of preferred stock.
Charges of the Depositary
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary arrangements. We will pay charges of the depositary in connection with the initial deposit of the preferred stock and any redemption of the preferred stock. Holders of depositary receipts will pay transfer, income and other taxes and governmental charges and such other charges (including those in connection with the receipt and distribution of dividends, the sale or exercise of rights, the withdrawal of the preferred stock and the transferring, splitting or grouping of depositary receipts) as are expressly provided in the deposit agreement to be for their accounts. If these charges have not been paid by the holders of depositary receipts, the depositary may refuse to transfer depositary shares, withhold dividends and distributions and sell the depositary shares evidenced by the depositary receipt. 
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Amendment and Termination of the Deposit Agreement
The form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares and any provision of the deposit agreement may be amended by agreement between us and the depositary. However, any amendment that materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders of depositary shares, other than fee changes, will not be effective unless the amendment has been approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding depositary shares. The deposit agreement may be terminated by the depositary or us only if:
all outstanding depositary shares have been redeemed; or
there has been a final distribution of the preferred stock in connection with our dissolution and such distribution has been made to all the holders of depositary shares.
Resignation and Removal of Depositary
The depositary may resign at any time by delivering to us notice of its election to do so, and we may remove the depositary at any time. Any resignation or removal of the depositary will take effect upon our appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment. The successor depositary must be appointed within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal and must be a bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States and having the requisite combined capital and surplus as set forth in the applicable agreement.
Notices
The depositary will forward to holders of depositary receipts all notices, reports and other communications, including proxy solicitation materials received from us, that are delivered to the depositary and that we are required to furnish to the holders of the preferred stock. In addition, the depositary will make available for inspection by holders of depositary receipts at the principal office of the depositary, and at such other places as it may from time to time deem advisable, any reports and communications we deliver to the depositary as the holder of preferred stock.
Limitation of Liability
Neither we nor the depositary will be liable if either is prevented or delayed by law or any circumstance beyond its control in performing its obligations. Our obligations and those of the depositary will be limited to performance in good faith of our and its duties thereunder. We and the depositary will not be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding in respect of any depositary shares or preferred stock unless satisfactory indemnity is furnished. We and the depositary may rely upon written advice of counsel or accountants, on information provided by persons presenting preferred stock for deposit, holders of depositary receipts or other persons believed to be competent to give such information and on documents believed to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.


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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

This section describes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. The debt securities may either be senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities. The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between Zymergen Inc. and a trustee to be identified in an accompanying prospectus supplement (the “trustee”). The debt securities may be issued in one or more series established in or pursuant to a board resolution and set forth in an officers’ certificate or supplemental indenture.
When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities we will describe the specific terms for the securities in a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will also indicate whether the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.
We have summarized certain terms and provisions of the indenture. The summary is not complete. The form of indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement for these debt securities that we have filed with the SEC. You should read the indenture and applicable board resolution and officers’ certificate or supplemental indenture (including the form of debt security) relating to the applicable series of debt securities for the provisions which may be important to you. The indenture is subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”).
General
The indenture will not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue. We have the right to “reopen” a previous issue of a series of debt securities by issuing additional debt securities of such series. We may issue debt securities up to such aggregate principal amount as we may authorize from time to time. The senior debt securities will rank equally with all of our other senior unsecured and unsubordinated debt from time to time outstanding. The subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to all our senior indebtedness to the extent and in the manner described in the prospectus supplement and as set forth in the supplemental indenture, board resolution or officer’s certificate relating to such offering. Our secured debt, if any, will be effectively senior to the debt securities to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt. The debt securities will be exclusively our obligations and not of our subsidiaries and therefore the debt securities will be structurally subordinate to the debt and liabilities of any of our subsidiaries. The prospectus supplement will describe the material terms and conditions of any debt securities we may offer, including, as applicable, the following:
the title;
any limit upon the aggregate principal amount;
the date or dates on which the principal is payable;
the rate or rates at which the debt securities shall bear interest, if any, or the method by which such rate shall be determined;
the date or dates from which interest shall accrue;
the date or dates on which interest shall be payable;
the record dates for the determination of holders to whom interest is payable;
the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of such extension;
the place or places where the principal of and any interest shall be payable;
the terms, if any, pursuant to which any debt securities will be subordinate to any of our other debt;
the price or prices at which, the period or periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which debt securities may be redeemed;
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our obligation, if any, to redeem, purchase or repay the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or otherwise or at the option of a holder thereof;
if applicable, the price or prices at which and the period or periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which the debt securities shall be redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in part;
if other than denominations of $1,000 and any multiple thereof, the denominations in which the debt securities of the series shall be issuable;
the percentage of the principal amount at which the debt securities will be issued and, if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of such principal amount that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof or provable in bankruptcy;
any and all other terms of the series, including any terms that may be required by or advisable under U.S. law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the debt securities;
whether the debt securities are issuable as global securities or definitive certificates and, in the case of global securities, the identity of the depositary;
any deletion from, modification of or addition to the events of default or covenants;
any provisions granting special rights to holders when a specified event occurs;
whether and under what circumstances we will pay additional amounts on the debt securities held by a person who is not a U.S. person in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge withheld or deducted;
any special tax implications of the notes;
any trustees, authenticating or paying agents, transfer agents or registrars or any other agents with respect to the debt securities;
any guarantors or co-issuers, including whether any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries will guarantee the debt securities;
any special interest premium or other premium;
whether the debt securities are convertible or exchangeable into common stock or other of our equity securities and the terms and conditions upon which such conversion or exchange shall be effected; and
the currency in which payments shall be made, if other than U.S. dollars.
Subordination
The prospectus supplement, if any, relating to any offering of subordinated debt securities will describe the specific subordination provisions, including the extent of subordination of payments by us of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on such subordinated debt securities.
Events of Default
When we use the term “Event of Default” in the indenture with respect to the debt securities of any series here are some examples of what we mean:
(1)default in paying interest on the debt securities when it becomes due and the default continues for a period of 30 days or more;
(2)default in paying principal, or premium, if any, on the debt securities when due;
(3)failure to make sinking fund payments when due;
(4)default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant in the indenture (other than defaults specified in clause (1) or (2) above) and the default or breach continues for a period of 90 days or more after there has been given to us a written notice from the trustee or there has been given to us and the trustee a written
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notice from the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the series;
(5)certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, administration or similar proceedings with respect to us or any material subsidiary has occurred; or
(6)any other Events of Default set forth in a prospectus supplement relating to such series of debt securities.
If an Event of Default under the indenture specified in clause (1) or (2) occurs and is continuing with respect to any series of debt securities, then the trustee may and, at the direction of the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of each affected series of debt securities, will by written notice, require us to repay immediately the entire principal amount of all outstanding securities of each affected series, together with all accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if any.
If an Event of Default under the indenture specified in clause (3) or (4) occurs and is continuing with respect to all series of senior debt securities or all series of subordinated debt securities, as the case may be, then the trustee may and, at the direction of the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of all of the series of senior debt securities or all series of subordinated debt securities, as the case may be, then outstanding, will by written notice, require us to repay immediately the entire principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of all of the series of senior debt securities or all of the series of subordinated debt securities, as the case may be, together with all accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if any.
However, if an Event of Default under the indenture specified in clause (3) or (4) occurs and is continuing with respect to less than all series of senior debt securities or less than all series of subordinated debt securities, as the case may be, then the trustee may and, at the direction of the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of each affected series of senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities, as the case may be, then outstanding (each such series voting as a separate class), will by written notice, require us to repay immediately the entire principal amount of all debt securities of such affected series, together with all accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if any.
If an Event of Default under the indenture specified in clause (5) with respect to us occurs and is continuing, then the entire principal amount of the outstanding debt securities will automatically become due immediately and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder.
After a declaration of acceleration or any automatic acceleration under clause (5) described above, the holders of a majority in principal amount of outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind this accelerated payment requirement if all existing Events of Default, except for nonpayment of the principal and interest on the debt securities of that series that has become due solely as a result of the accelerated payment requirement, have been cured or waived and if the rescission of acceleration would not conflict with any judgment or decree. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series also have the right to waive past defaults, except a default in paying principal or interest on any outstanding debt security, or in respect of a covenant or a provision that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of all holders of the debt securities of that series.
Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series may seek to institute a proceeding only after they have made written request, and offered such indemnity as the trustee may reasonably require, to the trustee to institute a proceeding and the trustee has failed to do so within 60 days after it received this notice. In addition, within this 60-day period, the trustee must not have received directions inconsistent with this written request by holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series. These limitations do not apply, however, to a suit instituted by a holder of a debt security for the enforcement of the payment of principal, interest or any premium on or after the due dates for such payment.
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During the existence of an Event of Default of which a responsible officer of the trustee has actual knowledge or has received at the corporate trust office written notice from us or any holder of the debt securities, the trustee is required to exercise the rights and powers vested in it under the indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent person would under the circumstances in the conduct of that person’s own affairs. If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the trustee is not under any obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers at the request or direction of any of the holders unless the holders have offered to the trustee such security or indemnity as the trustee may reasonably require. Subject to certain provisions, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust, or power conferred on the trustee.
The trustee will, within 45 days after any default occurs, give notice of the default to the holders of the debt securities of that series, unless the default was already cured or waived. Unless there is a default in paying principal, interest or any premium when due, the trustee can withhold giving notice to the holders if it determines in good faith that the withholding of notice is in the interest of the holders.
We are required to furnish to the trustee an annual statement as to compliance with all conditions and covenants under the indenture.
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may amend or modify the indenture or the debt securities without the consent of any holder of debt securities in order to:
cure ambiguities, mistake defects or inconsistencies;
provide for the assumption of our obligations in the case of a merger or consolidation and our discharge upon such assumption;
make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the holders of the debt securities of a series;
provide for or add guarantors with respect to the debt securities of any series;
secure the debt securities of a series;
establish the form or forms of debt securities of any series;
maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;
conform any provision in the indenture to this “Description of Debt Securities”; or
make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder in any material respect.
Other amendments and modifications of the indenture or the debt securities may be made with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the amendment or modification (voting as one class), and our compliance with any provision of the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities may be waived by written notice to the trustee by the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the waiver (voting as one class). However, no modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security affected:
reduce the principal amount, or extend the fixed maturity, of the debt securities, or alter or waive the redemption provisions of the debt securities;
change the currency in which principal, any premium or interest is paid;
reduce the percentage in principal amount outstanding of debt securities of any series that must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver or consent to take any action;
impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on the debt securities;
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modify any of the subordination provisions or the definition of senior indebtedness applicable to any subordinated debt securities in a manner adverse to the holders of those securities;
waive a payment default with respect to the debt securities or any guarantor;
reduce the interest rate or extend the time for payment of interest on the debt securities; or
adversely affect the ranking of the debt securities of any series.
Certain Covenants
Principal and Interest
We covenant to pay the principal of and interest on the debt securities when due and in the manner provided in the indenture.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets
We will not consolidate or combine with or merge with or into or, directly or indirectly, sell, assign, convey, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets to any person or persons in a single transaction or through a series of transactions, unless:
we shall be the continuing person or, if we are not the continuing person, the resulting, surviving or transferee person (the “surviving entity”) is a company organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any State or territory;
the surviving entity will expressly assume all of our obligations under the debt securities and the indenture, and will execute a supplemental indenture in form reasonably satisfactory to the trustee;
immediately after giving effect to such transaction or series of transactions on a pro forma basis, no default has occurred and is continuing; and
we or the surviving entity will have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and opinion of counsel stating that the transaction or series of transactions and the supplemental indenture, if any, complies with this covenant and that all conditions precedent in the indenture relating to the transaction or series of transactions have been satisfied.
The restrictions in the third and fourth bullets shall not be applicable to:
the merger or consolidation of us with an affiliate of ours if our board of directors determines in good faith that the purpose of such transaction is principally to change our state of incorporation or convert our form of organization to another form; or
the merger of us with or into a single direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of ours pursuant to Section 251(g) (or any successor provision) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
If any consolidation or merger or any sale, assignment, conveyance, lease, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all our assets occurs in accordance with the indenture, the surviving entity will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of ours under the indenture with the same effect as if such surviving entity had been named in our place in the indenture. We will (except in the case of a lease) be discharged from all obligations and covenants under the indenture and any debt securities issued thereunder.
Satisfaction, Discharge and Covenant Defeasance
We may terminate our obligations under the indenture when:
either of the following occur:
all the debt securities of any series issued that have been authenticated and delivered have been accepted by the trustee for cancellation; or
all the debt securities of any series issued that have not been accepted by the trustee for cancellation have become due and payable or will become due and payable within one year (a “discharge”) or are to be called for redemption within one year and we have made irrevocable arrangements satisfactory to
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the trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by such trustee in our name, and at our expense, and in all cases we have irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee sufficient funds to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the series of debt securities to pay principal, interest and any premium;
we have paid or caused to be paid all other sums then due and payable under the indenture; and
we have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel each stating that all conditions precedent under the indenture relating to the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture have been complied with.
We may elect to have our obligations under the indenture discharged with respect to the outstanding debt securities of any series (a “legal defeasance”). Legal defeasance means that we will be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the outstanding debt securities of such series under the indenture, except for:
the rights of holders of the debt securities to receive principal, interest and any premium when due;
our obligations with respect to the debt securities concerning issuing temporary debt securities, registration of transfer of debt securities, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities and the maintenance of an office or agency for payment for debt securities payments held in trust;
the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the trustee; and
the defeasance provisions of the indenture.
In addition, we may elect to have our obligations released with respect to certain covenants in the indenture (a “covenant defeasance”). Any failure to comply with these obligations will not constitute a default or an event of default with respect to the debt securities of any series. In the event covenant defeasance occurs, certain events, not including non-payment, bankruptcy and insolvency events, described under “Events of Default” will no longer constitute an event of default for that series.
In order to exercise either legal defeasance or covenant defeasance with respect to outstanding debt securities of any series:
we must irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee as trust funds for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to the benefits of the holders of the debt securities of a series:
cash;
U.S. Government obligations; or
a combination of cash and U.S. Government obligations,
in each case sufficient without reinvestment, in the written opinion of an internationally recognized firm of independent public accountants to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the trustee to pay and discharge, all of the principal, interest and any premium at due date or maturity or if we have made irrevocable arrangements satisfactory to the trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the trustee in our name and at our expense, the redemption date;
in the case of legal defeasance, we must have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that, as a result of an Internal Revenue Service ruling or a change in applicable federal income tax law, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge to be effected and will be subject to the same federal income tax as would be the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge did not occur;
in the case of covenant defeasance, we must have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and covenant defeasance to be effected and will be subject to the same federal income tax as would be the case if the deposit and covenant defeasance did not occur;
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no default with respect to the outstanding debt securities of that series has occurred and is continuing at the time of such deposit after giving effect to the deposit or, in the case of legal defeasance, no default relating to bankruptcy or insolvency has occurred and is continuing at any time on or before the 91st day after the date of such deposit, it being understood that this condition is not deemed satisfied until after the 91st day;
the legal defeasance or covenant defeasance will not cause the trustee to have a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, assuming all debt securities of a series were in default within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act;
the legal defeasance or covenant defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other agreement or instrument to which we are a party;
the legal defeasance or covenant defeasance will not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), unless the trust is registered under the Investment Company Act or exempt from registration; and
we have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel stating that all conditions precedent with respect to the defeasance or covenant defeasance have been complied with.
Unclaimed Funds
All funds deposited with the trustee or any paying agent for the payment of principal, interest, premium or additional amounts in respect of the debt securities that remain unclaimed for two years after the maturity date of such debt securities will be repaid to us upon our request. Thereafter, any right of any noteholder to such funds shall be enforceable only against us, and the trustee and paying agents will have no liability therefor.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
This section describes certain general terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus. We may issue warrants to purchase our debt or equity securities or securities of third parties or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities and may be attached to, or separate from, such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent. The terms of any warrants to be issued and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the material terms and conditions of any warrants that we may offer, including, as applicable, the following:
the title of such warrants;
the aggregate number of such warrants;
the price or prices at which such warrants will be issued;
the currency or currencies in which the price of such warrants will be payable;
the securities or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing, purchasable upon exercise of such warrants;
whether the warrants are to be sold separately or with other securities as parts of units;
whether the warrants will be issued in definitive or global form or in any combination of these forms, although, in any case, the form of a warrant included in a unit will correspond to the form of the unit and of any security included in that unit;
the price at which and the currency or currencies in which the securities or other rights purchasable upon exercise of such warrants may be purchased;
the date on which the right to exercise such warrants shall commence and the date on which such right shall expire;
if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such warrants which may be exercised at any one time;
if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which such warrants are issued and the number of such warrants issued with each such security;
if applicable, the date on and after which such warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable;
information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;
the identity of the warrant agent for the warrants and of any other depositaries, execution or paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or other agents;
the antidilution provisions, and other provisions for changes to or adjustment in the exercise price, of the warrants, if any;
any redemption or call provisions;
if applicable, a discussion of any material United States Federal income tax considerations; and
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any other terms of such warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of such warrants.
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DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS
This section describes certain general terms and provisions of the purchase contracts that we may offer under this prospectus. Although the features we have summarized below will generally apply to any future purchase contracts we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any purchase contracts that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may issue purchase contracts for the sale of:
debt or equity securities issued by us or securities of third parties, a basket of such securities, an index or indices of such securities or any combination of the above as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement;
currencies; or
commodities.
The specific terms of any purchase contracts may differ from the description provided below as a result of negotiations with third parties in connection with the issuance of those purchase contracts, as well as for other reasons. Because the terms of any purchase contracts we offer under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below, you should rely solely on information in the applicable prospectus supplement if that summary is different from the summary in this prospectus.
We will incorporate by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the form of any purchase contract that we may offer under this prospectus before the sale of the related purchase contract. We urge you to read any applicable prospectus supplement related to specific purchase contracts being offered, as well as the complete instruments that contain the terms of the securities that are subject to those purchase contracts. Certain of those instruments, or forms of those instruments, have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplements to those instruments or forms may be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part from reports we file with the SEC.
We may issue purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and obligating us to sell to holders, a specific or variable number of securities or other property at a future date or dates. Alternatively, the purchase contracts may obligate us to purchase from holders, and obligate holders to sell to us, a specific or varying number of securities or other property at a future date or dates.
If we offer any purchase contracts, certain terms of such purchase contracts will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following:
the price of the securities or other property subject to the purchase contracts (which may be determined by reference to a specific formula described in the purchase contracts);
whether the purchase contracts are issued separately, or as a part of units each consisting of a purchase contract and one or more other securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, securing the holder’s obligations under the purchase contract;
any requirement for us to make periodic payments to holders or vice versa, and whether the payments are unsecured or pre-funded;
any provisions relating to any security provided for the purchase contracts;
whether the purchase contracts obligate the holder or us to purchase or sell, or both purchase and sell, the securities or other property subject to purchase under the purchase contract, and the nature and amount of each of those securities, or the method of determining those amounts;
whether the purchase contracts are to be prepaid or not;
whether the purchase contracts are to be settled by delivery, or by reference or linkage to the value, performance or level of the securities or other property subject to purchase under the purchase contract;
any acceleration, cancellation, termination or other provisions relating to the settlement of the purchase contracts;
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a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the purchase contracts;
whether the purchase contracts will be issued in fully registered or global form; and
any other terms of the purchase contracts and any securities subject to such purchase contracts.
 

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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS
This section describes certain general terms and provisions of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue units consisting of one or more purchase contracts, warrants, debt securities, shares of preferred stock, shares of common stock, depositary shares or any combination of such securities. The applicable supplement will describe the material terms of the units that we may offer, including, as applicable, the following:
the terms of the units and of the other securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances the securities comprising the units may be traded separately;
a description of the terms of any unit agreement governing the units; and
a description of the provisions for the payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units.

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FORMS OF SECURITIES
Unless we indicate differently in an applicable prospectus supplement, each debt security, warrant and unit we may issue under this prospectus will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of securities. Certificated securities in definitive form and global securities will be issued in registered form. Definitive securities name you or your nominee as the owner of the security, and in order to transfer or exchange these securities or to receive payments other than interest or other interim payments, you or your nominee must physically deliver the securities to the trustee, registrar, paying agent or other agent, as applicable. Global securities name a depositary or its nominee as the owner of the debt securities, warrants or units represented by these global securities. The depositary maintains a computerized system that will reflect each investor’s beneficial ownership of the securities through an account maintained by the investor with its broker/dealer, bank, trust company or other representative, as we explain more fully below.
Global Securities
We may issue the registered debt securities, warrants and units in the form of one or more fully registered global securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and registered in the name of that depositary or nominee. In those cases, one or more registered global securities will be issued in a denomination or aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal or face amount of the securities to be represented by registered global securities. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole for securities in definitive registered form, a registered global security may not be transferred except as a whole by and among the depositary for the registered global security, the nominees of the depositary or any successors of the depositary or those nominees.
If not described below, any specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any securities to be represented by a registered global security will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to those securities. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements.
Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be limited to persons, called participants, that have accounts with the depositary or persons that may hold interests through participants. Upon the issuance of a registered global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants’ accounts with the respective principal or face amounts of the securities beneficially owned by the participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to interests of participants, and on the records of participants, with respect to interests of persons holding through participants. The laws of some states may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of these securities in definitive form. These laws may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in registered global securities.
So long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a registered global security, that depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities represented by the registered global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security will not be entitled to have the securities represented by the registered global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the securities under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a registered global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for that registered global security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a registered global security desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement, the depositary for the registered global
27


security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take that action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through them to give or take that action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.
Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments on debt securities, and any payments to holders with respect to warrants or units, represented by a registered global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the registered global security. None of Zymergen, the trustee, any warrant agent, unit agent or any other agent of Zymergen, or any of their respective agents will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the registered global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to those beneficial ownership interests.
We expect that the depositary for any of the securities represented by a registered global security, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest or other distribution of underlying securities or other property to holders on that registered global security, will immediately credit participants’ accounts in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in that registered global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security held through participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with the securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of those participants.
If the depositary for any of these securities represented by a registered global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. Any securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global security will be registered in the name or names that the depositary gives to the relevant trustee, warrant agent, unit agent or other relevant agent of ours or theirs. It is expected that the depositary’s instructions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. In addition, we may at any time determine that the securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a global security and will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for such global security pursuant to the procedure described above.

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may sell any of the securities described in this prospectus in the following manner or any manner specified in a prospectus supplement:
directly to purchasers, through a specific bidding or auction process or otherwise;
through agents;
to or through underwriters;
through dealers; and
through a combination of any of the foregoing methods of sale.
We may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, or agents may be designated to solicit such offers. We will, in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering, name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act, and describe any commissions that we must pay. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis. Agents, dealers and underwriters may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
If any underwriters or agents are utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will enter into an underwriting agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering the names of the underwriters or agents and the terms of the related agreement with them.
If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which the prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.
Remarketing firms, agents, underwriters and dealers may be entitled under agreements which they may enter into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may overallot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.
Any underwriter, agent or dealer utilized in the initial offering of securities will not confirm sales to accounts over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of its customer.
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VALIDITY OF SECURITIES
In connection with particular offerings of the securities in the future, and if stated in the applicable prospectus supplements, the validity of those securities will be passed on for us by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP. Additional legal matters may be passed on for us, or for any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel named in the applicable prospectus supplement.

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EXPERTS
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

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$200,000,000

image_0.jpg



COMMON STOCK 
PREFERRED STOCK 
DEPOSITARY SHARES
DEBT SECURITIES
WARRANTS
PURCHASE CONTRACTS
UNITS


________________________
PROSPECTUS
________________________

              , 2022





Part II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following table sets forth the costs and expenses payable by the Registrant in connection with the sale of the securities being registered hereby.
 Amount to Be Paid
Registration fee    
$18,540
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority filing fee    
30,500
Printing    
*
Legal fees and expenses (including Blue Sky fees)    
*
Trustee fees    
*
Rating Agency fees    
*
Accounting fees and expenses    
*
Miscellaneous    
*
TOTAL    
    *
*    Omitted because these fees and expenses will depend on the securities offered and the number of issuances, and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time. The expenses of any offering will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), no director shall be personally liable to our company or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. Our amended and restated bylaws provide that each person who was or is party or is threatened to be made a party to, or was or is otherwise involved in, any threatened, pending or completed proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of our company or was serving at the request of our company as a director, officer, employee, agent or trustee of another entity shall be indemnified and held harmless by us to the full extent authorized by the DGCL against all expense, liability and loss actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith, subject to certain limitations.
Section 145(a) of the DGCL authorizes a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to a threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful.
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Section 145(b) of the DGCL provides in relevant part that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
The DGCL also provides that indemnification under Sections 145(a) and (b) can only be made upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer or employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because such person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Sections 145(a) and (b). Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (1) by a majority vote of directors who are not a party to the action at issue (even though less than a quorum), (2) by a majority vote of a designated committee of these directors (even though less than a quorum), (3) if there are no such directors, or these directors authorize, by the written opinion of independent legal counsel or (4) by the stockholders.
Section 145(g) of the DGCL also empowers a corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under Section 145 of the DGCL. We maintain standard policies of insurance under which, subject to the limitations of the policies, coverage is provided (a) to our directors and officers against loss rising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful acts as a director or officer, including claims relating to public securities matters and (b) to us with respect to payments which we may make to such officers and directors pursuant to our indemnification obligations or otherwise as a matter of law.
Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide for eliminating or limiting the personal liability of one of its directors for any monetary damages related to a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, as long as the corporation does not eliminate or limit the liability of a director for acts or omissions which (1) were in bad faith, (2) were the result of active and deliberate dishonesty and were material to the cause of action so adjudicated, (3) the director derived an improper personal benefit from (such as a financial profit or other advantage to which such director was not legally entitled) or (4) breached the director’s duty of loyalty. We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our executive officers and directors that provide, in general, that we will indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by law in connection with their service to us or on our behalf. Certain of our non-employee directors may, through their relationships with their employers, be insured and/or indemnified against certain liabilities incurred in their capacity as members of our board of directors.
Any underwriting agreement or distribution agreement that we enter into with any underwriters or agents involved in the offering or sale of any securities registered hereby may require such underwriters or dealers to indemnify us, some or all of our directors and officers and our controlling persons, if any, for specified liabilities, which may include liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a)The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:
Incorporation by Reference
Exhibit NumberDescriptionFormFile No.Exhibit(s)Filing Date
1.1†Form of Underwriting Agreement
3.18-K001-403543.1April 26, 2021
3.28-K001-403543.2April 26, 2021
4.1S-1333-2546124.1March 23, 2021
4.2S-1333-2546124.2March 23, 2021
4.3†Form of Preferred Stock Certificate
4.4*
4.5†Form of Warrant Agreement
4.6†Form of Purchase Contract
4.7†Form of Unit Agreement
4.8†Form of Depositary Agreement
5.1*
23.1*
23.2*
24.1*
25.1†Statement of Eligibility of Trustee for Indenture on Form T-1.
107*
*    Filed herewith.
†    To be filed, if necessary, by amendment or on a Current Report on Form 8-K in connection with the issuance of the applicable securities.

Item 17. Undertakings
(a)The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1)To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made of securities registered hereby, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i)To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered
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(if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective 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 (i), (ii) and (iii) above 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 Securities and Exchange Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
(2)That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, 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.
(4)That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
(A)Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(B)Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof, provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(5)That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:
(a)The undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i)Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
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(ii)Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;
(iii)The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and
(iv)Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.
(b)The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(c)The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the 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.
(d)Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrants pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrants have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 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 Registrants will, unless in the opinion of their 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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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-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Emeryville, State of California, on May 12, 2022.
ZYMERGEN INC
By:/s/ Jay Flatley
Jay Flatley
Chairman and Acting Chief Executive Officer
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Jay Flatley, Enakshi Singh and Mina Kim, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power to act separately and full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and her and in his or her 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 all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or either of them or his or their substitute or substitutes 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, in the locations and on the dates indicated.

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NameTitleDate
/s/ Jay Flatley
Chairman and Acting Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
May 12, 2022
Jay Flatley
/s/ Enakshi Singh
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
May 12, 2022
Enakshi Singh
/s/ Sandra E. PetersonLead Independent DirectorMay 12, 2022
Sandra E. Peterson
/s/ Steven ChuDirectorMay 12, 2022
Steven Chu
/s/ Christine M. GorjancDirectorMay 12, 2022
Christine M. Gorjanc
/s/ Travis MurdochDirectorMay 12, 2022
Travis Murdoch
/s/ Matthew A. OckoDirectorMay 12, 2022
Matthew A. Ocko
/s/ Zach SerberDirectorMay 12, 2022
Zach Serber
/s/ Rohit SharmaDirectorMay 12, 2022
Rohit Sharma
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