Document:

EX-10.10

 EXHIBIT 10.10 

FIRST AMENDMENT TO OFFER LETTER 

THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO OFFER LETTER (the
“Amendment”) is made and entered into, effective as of January 8, 2016 (the “Effective Date”), by and between EXICURE, INC. a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”), and DR. EKAMBARESWARA RAO KANDIMALLA (“Employee”), with reference to the following facts: 

RECITALS: 

A. The parties previously executed that certain letter agreement dated September 16, 2015, “Re: Offer of Employment” (the
“Offer Letter”), pursuant to which the Company employs Employee as its Chief Scientific Officer. 
 B. The parties have
agreed to execute this Amendment in order to memorialize certain agreements regarding Employee’s severance benefits. 

AGREEMENTS: 

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, do hereby agree as follows: 

1. AMENDMENT OF OFFER LETTER. The Offer Letter is hereby amended as follows. 

1.1 TERMINATION. The paragraph entitled “Termination” is hereby amended and replaced in its entirety
with the following: 
 “Termination. Your employment by the Company is at will and may be terminated at any time
by you, with 14 days prior written notice, or by the Company. Nothing contained in this letter or the Confidentiality, Non-Compete, Non-Hire, Non-Disparagement, and Work Product Agreement will be construed as conferring upon you any right to remain employed by the Company or affect the right of the Company to terminate your employment at any time. Upon
your termination of employment, the Company will pay to you your salary through your date of termination and such other benefits in which you are vested or are otherwise entitled through the date of your termination. Except as expressly provided
above or by law, the Company will have no further obligations to you following your termination of employment. In the event that you are terminated by the Company other than for Cause, you will be entitled to a severance benefit in the amount of 6
months salary continuation (Termination without Cause), or in the case of “Double Trigger” per above, 6 months salary plus full bonus target and full acceleration of any unvested equity (Termination without Cause for Good Reason under
Change in Control). If you are terminated for Cause, you forfeit all option rights an there is no severance. “Cause” would mean: (i) your indictment or conviction or plea of nolo contender or guilty plea with respect to any crime of
moral turpitude or any felony arising from any act of fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement or material misconduct on your part, or (ii) your failure substantially to follow directives of your immediate supervisor, not inconsistent with the
terms of your intended duties and your failure to correct same within fifteen (15) business days after notice from your immediate supervisor.” 

2. MISCELLANEOUS. Except as expressly modified by Section 1, above, the Offer Letter is hereby ratified
and confirmed and shall remain in full force and effect. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and both of which, taken together, shall constitute 

  
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one and the same instrument, binding on each signatory thereto. A copy of this Amendment that is executed by a party and transmitted by that party to the other party by facsimile or as an
attachment (e.g., in “.tif” or “.pdf” format) to an email shall be binding upon the signatory to the same extent as a copy hereof containing that party’s original signature. 

[Signatures appear on the following page.] 

  
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 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have
executed this Amendment, effective as of the Effective Date set forth above. 
  

			
	“COMPANY:”	  	“EMPLOYEE:”
		
	EXICURE, INC., a Delaware corporation	  	

  

							
	By	 	/s/ David S. Snyder	 		 	/s/ Ekambareswara Rao Kandimalla
		 	David S. Snyder	 		 	Ekambareswara Rao Kandimalla

  
 3EX-10.11

 EXHIBIT 10.11 

CONSULTING AGREEMENT 

AuraSense Therapeutics, LLC 

THIS CONSULTING AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into effective as of the first day of October, 2011, by and
between AuraSense Therapeutics, LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company (the “Company”), located at 1801 Maple Avenue, Suite 4301, Evanston, IL 60201, and Chad A. Mirkin, Ph.D. (“Consultant”), an individual residing at
                    . 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain Consultant upon and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and
Consultant desires to render consulting services to the Company on such terms and conditions; 
 THEREFORE, for good and
valuable consideration, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and Consultant agree as follows: 
 1. Consulting
Relationship. The Company hereby engages Consultant to render services to the Company and Consultant hereby accepts such engagement on the terms and conditions set forth herein during the Term (as defined in Section 2 below).
Notwithstanding any provision hereof, for all purposes of this Agreement, the Consultant shall be deemed to be an independent contractor, and not an employee, of, the Company. The Consultant’s duties and services shall consist of providing
scientific advice and counseling to the Company regarding technological developments and initiatives in the field of Therapeutic Applications of Spherical Nucleic Acid Nano-Structures (the “Business”), advice to the Company about technical
priorities for the Business and the pursuit, negotiation and execution of development partnerships relating to the Business, as well as other activities as may reasonably be requested by the Company. The Consultant will make himself generally
available by telephone, electronic mail, and written correspondence with Company personnel to answer questions and address issues related to his duties. It is anticipated that some of the Consultant’s duties will be most appropriate to
undertake in person. 
 2. Term. The term of Consultant’s engagement hereunder commences on the date of
this Agreement and shall continue for an initial period of ten (10) years (the “Initial Term”), and shall automatically renew for successive one-year periods (each, a “Renewal
Period”), unless either party gives the other party written notice of the non-renewal of such engagement at least sixty (60) days prior to the end of the Initial Term or the then-current Renewal
Period, as the case may be, unless terminated earlier under Section 12 below (the “Term”). 
 3. Other Consulting or
Advisory Relationships. The Company and Consultant each acknowledge that during the Term, all arrangements, agreements or policies by which Consultant may from time to time provide consulting or advisory services to any other organization
which employs Consultant as a consultant, employee, advisor or principal (“Consultant’s Employer”) shall be described with sufficient particularity in Attachment I (“Employer’s Policies”), attached hereto and
incorporated herein by reference. The parties 

 
hereby acknowledge and agree that Consultant’s performance under this Agreement is subject to his compliance with Employer’s Policies. The Consultant represents and warrants that to the
best of his knowledge, he is in compliance with the Employer’s Policies, and to his knowledge, except as may be described in Attachment II, none of the activities or services for the Company currently contemplated would cause Consultant to be
in violation or breach of Employer’s Policies, including, but not limited to, any Employer Policies as to rights to inventions while engaged in the planning or implementation of any project, program, product or service offering of the Company
as contemplated by Sections 10 and 11 below. 
 4. Non-Competition. The Consultant
agrees that during the Term, and for one (1) year thereafter, the Consultant will not, without the Company’s express written consent, except as permitted by this Section 4, engage in any activity (whether as a principal, employee,
consultant, advisor or otherwise) that is substantially competitive with the Business; i.e., specifically, Consultant will not engage during such period in a business that deals with the development of therapeutics that utilize Spherical Nucleic
Acid constructs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this non-competition covenant shall not be deemed to have been breached if the specific conduct in which the Consultant desires to engage and all reasonably
relevant facts were fully disclosed to the Board of the Company by Consultant in writing, and within thirty (30) days after such written notice the Company has consented to such activities. During such
30-day period the Company and Consultant will engage in good faith discussions to resolve any disagreement regarding any such proposed activities which the Company has a reasonable basis for considering to be
potentially in violation of this Section 4. In addition, the Company recognizes that the Consultant may currently have certain agreements, functions or employment and perform consulting services for others as described in Attachment I
referenced above. The Consultant shall be permitted to terminate this Agreement at any time if he provides documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Company that subsequent to the date of this Agreement Consultant’s Employer has modified,
altered or expanded its Employer Policies to which Consultant is bound as a condition of his employment in such a manner as to present an irreconcilable conflict with the services the Consultant has agreed to perform for the Company. 

5. Non-Solicitation. The Consultant agrees that, during the Term and for a period of one
(1) year thereafter, the Consultant will not encourage or solicit, directly or indirectly, any employee or consultant of the Company to terminate his or her employment or consultancy with the Company for any reason, unless expressly requested
to do so by the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Consultant from providing a letter of recommendation to an employee with respect to a future employment opportunity. 

6. Compensation. As compensation for the services rendered by Consultant hereunder during the Term, the Company agrees to
pay Consultant fees of an initial annual compensation amount of $100,000. Such fees shall be paid monthly or with such other frequency as may be agreed upon by the Company and Consultant. The initial annual compensation amount shall be subject to
annual review and adjustment by the Company to reflect changes in market conditions (taking into consideration the demands imposed on Consultant by the Company; equity and other forms of compensation and benefits; and such other factors as the Board
of Managers of the Company, in consultation with any relevant consultants it may retain for such purposes, elect to consider after discussion with the Consultant); provided, however, that no such annual adjustment shall reduce the annual
compensation amount below $100,000. The first such annual review shall commence in January 2012. Each subsequent review shall commence in January of the applicable year with retroactive effect as of January 1 of that year. 

  
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 7. Expenses. The Company will pay or reimburse Consultant for all reasonable
and necessary out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the performance of services under this Agreement and pre-approved by the Company, in accordance with the Company’s
business expense reimbursement policy and subject to the presentment of appropriate documentation in accordance with the Company’s normal polices for expense verification. 

8. Confidential Information. During the Term and for a five (5)-year period following any termination of this Agreement,
the Consultant shall hold in strictest confidence and not use except for the Company’s benefit, and will not disclose to any person, firm or corporation without the Company’s written authorization, any of the Company’s Confidential
Information. “Confidential Information” means any Company proprietary information, technical data, trade secrets or know-how, including, but not limited to, research, product plans, products,
services, client lists and clients (including, but not limited to, clients of the Company with whom Consultant became acquainted during the Term), markets, software, developments, inventions, processes, formulas, technology, designs, drawings,
engineering, marketing, finances or other business information disclosed or made available to Consultant by the Company either directly or indirectly, orally or in writing. The Consultant acknowledges that this information constitutes a unique and
valuable asset of the Company and that any disclosure or other use of such knowledge or information other than for the sole benefit of the Company would cause irreparable harm to the Company. 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Confidential Information shall not include any of the information or materials described above which: 

 

	 	a.	at the time of disclosure to the Consultant, or thereafter became (prior to its publication, divulgence or use) through no fault of the Consultant, a part of the public domain by publication or otherwise; or

  

	 	b.	the Consultant can demonstrate by written evidence was already properly and lawfully in their possession at the time it was received from Company; or 

 

	 	c.	was lawfully received by the Consultant from a third party who was under no obligation of confidentiality with respect thereto; or 

  

	 	d.	is required by law or judicial process (including patent applications) to be disclosed; or 

  

	 	e.	is independently developed by the Consultant without reference to Company’s Confidential Information. 

9. Return of Company Property. Upon termination of Consultant’s engagement with the Company for any reason, Consultant
shall (a) cease and not thereafter commence use of 

  
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any Confidential Information or intellectual property (including any patent, invention, copyright, trade secret, trademark, trade name, logo, domain name or other source indicator) owned or used
by the Company or affiliates; (b) immediately destroy, delete, or return to the Company all originals and copies in any form or medium (including memoranda, books, papers, plans, computer files, letters and other data) in Consultant’s
possession or control (including any of the foregoing stored or located in Consultant’s office, home, laptop or other computer, whether or not Company property) that contain Confidential Information or otherwise relate to the business of the
Company or its affiliates, except that Consultant may retain only those portions of any personal notes, notebooks and diaries that do not contain any Confidential Information; and (c) notify and fully cooperate with the Company regarding the
delivery or destruction of any other Confidential Information of which Consultant is or becomes aware. 
 10. Ventures.
Subject to compliance with Section 3 above, if, during the Term, the Consultant is engaged in or associated with the planning or implementing of any project, program, product or service offering or venture involving the Company on behalf of the
Company, all rights in such project, program, product or service offering or venture shall belong to the Company, unless otherwise agreed in writing. 

11. Inventions. Subject to compliance with Section 3 above, the Consultant agrees that all inventions and
copyrighted materials of the Company for which the Consultant provides input and assistance in his capacity as a Consultant to the Company or that result from Confidential Information shall be the exclusive property of the Company, unless otherwise
agreed in writing. Whenever requested to do so by the Company, the Consultant will execute any and all applications, assignments or other instruments that the Company shall deem necessary to apply for and obtain letters patent of the United States
or any foreign country or to otherwise protect the Company’s interest therein at the Company’s expense. The Consultant agrees that he will not utilize the intellectual property, resources, assets, time, or personnel of any third party,
including entities which may otherwise employ or have consulting agreements with the Consultant, in connection with performing the services hereunder or assisting with the creation of Company inventions. 

12. Termination. 
  

	 	a.	The Term of Consultant’s engagement hereunder shall terminate upon the first to occur of the following events: (i) the mutual agreement of the Company and the Consultant to so terminate this Agreement;
(ii) the death or permanent disability (as defined below) of the Consultant; (iii) the Company’s election to terminate the Term and the Consultant’s engagement hereunder “for cause” (as defined below); or (iv) as a
result of the non-renewal of this Agreement by either party after the Initial Term or the then-current Renewal Period, as the case may be, of the engagement in accordance with Section 2 above.

  

	 	b.	The term “permanent disability” shall mean a disability of the Consultant that prevents the Consultant from fully performing his duties hereunder and continues for ninety (90) days or more in any one
hundred twenty (120) day period. 

  
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	 	c.	The term “for cause” shall mean any one or more of the following: 

  

	 	(i)	conviction of, plea of nolo contendere by, or plea or settlement agreement by Consultant for theft, embezzlement, fraud, misappropriation of funds, or other act of dishonesty, or the violation of any other law or
ethical rule related to the Consultant’s engagement with the Company; 

  

	 	(ii)	the conviction of the Consultant of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude by the Consultant; 

  

	 	(iii)	the impending bona fide threat upon the Company of any criminal liability caused by the action or inaction of the Consultant; or 

  

	 	(iv)	the Consultant’s material breach of the covenants set forth in Sections 4, 5 or 8 of this Agreement. 

  

	 	d.	Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the Consultant, in consideration of his services hereunder to the date of such termination, shall remain bound by the provisions of Sections 4, 5, 8, 10 and 11 which
relate to periods, activities or obligations upon or subsequent to the termination of this Agreement. 

 13.
Miscellaneous. 
  

	 	a.	Injunctive Relief. Consultant acknowledges and agrees that any violation or breach of this Agreement would cause irreparable harm to the Company for which damages would not be an adequate remedy,
and, therefore, the Company will be entitled to injunctive relief with respect thereto in addition to any other remedies. 

  

	 	b.	Governing Law. This Agreement is made under and shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflicts of laws provisions.

  

	 	c.	Severability. If one or more of the provisions of this Agreement are deemed void by law, then the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect provided they do not materially alter
the substantive business terms of the Agreement. 

  

	 	d.	Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which, when executed by both parties to this Agreement shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which
counterparts together shall constitute one and the same instrument. 

  
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	 	e.	Assignment. The Consultant may not assign this Agreement, in whole or in part, without the Company’s prior written consent. 

 

	 	f.	Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the Attachments referenced herein, constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and there are no other
agreements or understandings, either written or oral, with respect thereto. 

  

	 	g.	Enforceability. The failure of either party hereto to enforce any right under this Agreement shall not be construed to be a waiver of that right, or of damages caused thereby, or of any other rights under
this Agreement. 

  
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 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have hereunto affixed their signatures to this
Consulting Agreement effective as of the date first shown above. 
  

							
	Company	 		 	Consultant
			
	AuraSense Therapeutics, LLC	 		 	Chad A. Mirkin, Ph.D.
				
	 By
	 	 /s/ C. Shad Thaxton
	 		 	 /s/ Chad A. Mirkin, Ph.D.

	 Its
	 	VP/Board Member	 		 	Signature
	 Date
	 	12/07/2011	 		 	  
 12/07/2011

		 		 		 	Date

  
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 Attachment I 

Employer’s Policies 

 Attachment II 

Conflicts with Employer’s Policies

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