---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001193125-21-352765"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "WATT"
cik: "0001575793"
company_name: "Energous Corp"
filed_at: "2021-12-09T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-28T02:26:22.142253+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "positive"
materiality_score: 0.65
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.65
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Energous appoints Cesar Johnston as permanent CEO effective Dec 6, 2021

## Summary
- Cesar Johnston appointed CEO effective Dec 6, 2021; was acting CEO since July 23, 2021.
- Base salary $400k; eligible for discretionary annual bonus up to 100% of salary beginning 2022.
- Sign-on bonus $120k in two installments; RSU grant of 150k shares; option to buy 300k shares.
- Performance share units of up to 287k; additional 25k per year for outperformance 2022-2024.
- Press release cites recent regulatory approvals for WattUp in Asia, U.S. FCC (10W up to 1m), and Europe.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001193125-21-352765
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: WATT
- cik: 0001575793
- company_name: Energous Corp
- filed_at: 2021-12-09T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: positive
- materiality_score: 0.65
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.65
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1575793/000119312521352765/0001193125-21-352765-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1575793/000119312521352765/d297628d8k.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-21-352765
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-21-352765.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-21-352765.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Cesar Johnston was appointed as Chief Executive Officer at Energous Corp.
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Chief Executive Officer
  source text: Cesar Johnston has been appointed as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective as of December 6, 2021.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1575793/000119312521352765/0001193125-21-352765-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.