# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0001768267
**File Stem:** 0001193125-23-028459
**Filing Date:** 2023-2
**Character Count:** 12539
**Document Hash:** 67670cb960cd941a8aa62f6f3579630c
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001193125-23-028459.hdr.sgml**: 20230208

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001193125-23-028459

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: S-8

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 4

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20230208

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20230208

**EFFECTIVENESS DATE**: 20230208

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** Cerence Inc.
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001768267
- **STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:** SERVICES-PREPACKAGED SOFTWARE [7372]
- **IRS NUMBER:** 834719946
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 0930

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** S-8
- **SEC ACT:** 1933 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 333-269642
- **FILM NUMBER:** 23599572

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 15 WAYSIDE ROAD
- **CITY:** BURLINGTON
- **STATE:** MA
- **ZIP:** 01880
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 617-580-0843

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 15 WAYSIDE ROAD
- **CITY:** BURLINGTON
- **STATE:** MA
- **ZIP:** 01880

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** Cerence LLC
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20190513

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** Diamond SpinCo, LLC
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20190215

**As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 8, 2023** 

**Registration No. 333-** 

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**SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION** 

**Washington, D.C. 20549** 

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**FORM S-8** 

**REGISTRATION STATEMENT** 

***Under***

***The Securities Act of 1933***

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## CERENCE INC.
**(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)** 

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---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Delaware** | **83-4177087** |
| **(State or other jurisdiction of**<br> **incorporation or organization)** | **(I.R.S. Employer**<br> **Identification No.)** |

---

**1 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 301A** 

**Burlington, Massachusetts 01803** 

**(857) 362-7300** 

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

**Cerence 2019 Equity Incentive Plan** 

**(Full title of the plan)** 

**Thomas Beaudoin** 

**Chief Financial Officer** 

**Cerence Inc.** 

**1 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 301A** 

**Burlington, Massachusetts 01803** 

**(857) 362-7300** 

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

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***Copies to:***

**Jennifer Salinas** 

**General Counsel** 

**Cerence Inc.** 

**1 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 301A** 

**Burlington, Massachusetts 01803** 

**(857) 362-7300** 

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| 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. ☐

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**EXPLANATORY NOTE** 

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 registers 1,200,528 additional shares of Common Stock under the Stock Plan which were added on January 1, 2023 as a result of an automatic annual increase provision therein. The additional shares are of the same class as other securities relating to the Stock Plan for which the Registrant's registration statement filed on Form S-8 on October 2, 2019 [(File No. 333-234040)](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1768267/000119312519260278/d807025ds8.htm) is effective. The information contained in the Registrant's registration statement filed on Form S-8 on October 2, 2019 [(File No. 333-234040)](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1768267/000119312519260278/d807025ds8.htm) is hereby incorporated by reference pursuant to General Instruction E.

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**PART II** 

**INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT** 

**Item 8.** **Exhibits.** <br>

See the Exhibit Index below for a list of exhibits filed as part of this registration statement on Form S-8, which Exhibit Index is incorporated herein by reference.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Exhibit**<br> **Number** | **Exhibit Document** |
| 4.1 | [Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Cerence Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 2, 2019 (File No. 001-39030))](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1768267/000119312519260136/d750594dex31.htm) |
| 4.2 | [Amended and Restated By-Laws of Cerence Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 2, 2019 (File No. 001-39030))](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1768267/000119312519260136/d750594dex32.htm) |
| 5.1\* | [Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP.](d462179dex51.htm) |
| 23.1\* | [Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).](d462179dex51.htm) |
| 23.2\* | [Consent of BDO USA, LLP.](d462179dex232.htm) |
| 24.1\* | [Power of Attorney (included as part of the signature page of this Registration Statement)](#sig) |
| 99.1 | [Cerence 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed with the SEC on October 2, 2019 (Filed No. 333-234040))](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1768267/000119312519260278/d807025dex43.htm) |
| 107\* | [Filing Fee Table](d462179dexfilingfees.htm) |

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\* Exhibits marked with an asterisk (\*) are filed herewith.

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**SIGNATURES** 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Burlington, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on February 8, 2023.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Cerence Inc.** | **Cerence Inc.** |
| By: | /s/ Stefan Ortmanns |
|  | Stefan Ortmanns |
|  | President and Chief Executive Officer |

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**POWER OF ATTORNEY** 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Stefan Ortmanns and Thomas Beaudoin, jointly and severally, as such person's attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of substitution, for such person in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Signature** | **Title** | **Date** |
| /s/ Stefan Ortmanns | Chief Executive Officer and Director | February 8, 2023 |
| Stefan Ortmanns | (Principal Executive Officer) |  |
| /s/ Thomas Beaudoin | Chief Financial Officer and Director<br> (Principal Financial and Principal Accounting Officer) | February 8, 2023 |
| Thomas Beaudoin |  |  |
| /s/ Arun Sarin | Chairman of the Board | February 8, 2023 |
| Arun Sarin |  |  |
| /s/ Marianne Budnik | Director | February 8, 2023 |
| Marianne Budnik |  |  |
| /s/ Sanjay Jha | Director | February 8, 2023 |
| Sanjay Jha |  |  |
| /s/ Kristi Ann Matus | Director | February 8, 2023 |
| Kristi Ann Matus |  |  |
| /s/ Alfred Nietzel | Director | February 8, 2023 |
| Alfred Nietzel |  |  |
| /s/ Doug Davis | Director | February 8, 2023 |
| Doug Davis |  |  |

---

## Exhibit 5.1

**Exhibit 5.1** 

February 8, 2023

Cerence Inc.

1 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 301A

Burlington, MA 01803

Re: <u>Securities Being Registered under Registration Statement on Form S-8</u>

We have acted as counsel to you in connection with your filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), on or about the date hereof relating to an aggregate of 1,200,528 shares (the "Shares") of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share ("Common Stock"), of Cerence Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), that may be issued pursuant to the Company's 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the "Plan").

We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinions set forth below. We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinion set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.

The opinion set forth below is limited to the Delaware General Corporation Law.

For purposes of the opinion set forth below, we have assumed that no event occurs that causes the number of authorized shares of Common Stock available for issuance by the Company to be less than the number of then unissued Shares.

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

This opinion letter and the opinion it contains shall be interpreted in accordance with the Core Opinion Principles as published in *74 Business Lawyer* 815 (Summer 2019).

We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

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| |
|:---|
| Very truly yours, |
| /s/ Goodwin Procter LLP |
| GOODWIN PROCTER LLP |

---

## Exhibit 23.2

**Exhibit 23.2** 

<u>Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm</u> 

Cerence Inc.

Burlington, Massachusetts

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our reports dated November 29, 2022, relating to the consolidated financial statements and effectiveness of Cerence Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting appearing in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2022.

---

| |
|:---|
| /s/ BDO USA, LLP |
| Boston, Massachusetts |

---

February 8, 2023

## Ex-Filing

**Exhibit 107** 

**Calculation of Filing Fee Table** 

<u>Form S-8</u> 

(Form Type)

<u>Cerence Inc.</u> 

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Table 1: Newly Registered Securities

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Title of Securities<br>to be Registered | Amount<br> to be<br>Registered (1) | Proposed<br>Maximum<br>Offering Price<br>Per Share (2) | Proposed<br>Maximum<br>Aggregate<br> Offering Price | Amount of<br> Registration Fee |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share | 1200528(3) | $28.11 | $33746842.08 | $3718.91 |

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(1) Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), this
Registration Statement shall be deemed to cover any additional shares of the Registrant's Common Stock ("Common Stock") that become issuable under the above listed plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or
similar transaction effected without the Registrant's receipt of consideration that results in an increase in the number of the outstanding shares of Common Stock.

(2) Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee and based on the average high and low sale
prices of the Common Stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on February 6, 2023 in accordance with Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act.

(3) Represents an automatic increase to the number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the
Registrant's 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, or Stock Plan, in accordance with the automatic annual increase provisions of the Stock Plan, effective as of January 1, 2023.