PULSE BIOSCIENCES, INC. 8-K

What Happened
Pulse Biosciences (PLSE) announced on Jan 8, 2026 that its Board elected Maria Sainz as a director, effective immediately; she was also appointed to the company’s Audit Committee. Ms. Sainz currently serves as President & CEO of Hyperfine, Inc. and brings over 30 years of healthtech leadership experience. She will serve until the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders and has signed the company’s standard indemnification agreement.

Key Details

• Effective date: January 8, 2026; press release filed Jan 9, 2026 (Exhibit 99.1).
• Equity and cash compensation: initial stock option to purchase 50,000 shares (one-third vests after 1 year, remainder vests monthly over next 2 years); eligible for annual option grants of 30,000 shares (vest monthly over 1 year).
• Cash retainers: non-employee directors receive $55,000 annually for Board service and $13,000 annually for Audit Committee service; Ms. Sainz will receive prorated retainers and may elect to convert cash retainer into a “Retainer Option” (conversion: cash foregone × 3 ÷ fair market value at grant).
• Governance/related-party: no family relationships with company officers/directors and no reportable related-party transactions disclosed.

Why It Matters
A new board member with deep medical device and commercialization experience can strengthen corporate governance and strategic oversight, particularly for a healthcare-focused company. The appointment to the Audit Committee is relevant for investors because it affects financial oversight responsibilities. The disclosed compensation and equity grants show the immediate and ongoing cost/ownership impact of the appointment but do not indicate any unusual related-party arrangements.