RMBS Rambus Inc

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 24, 2025

Registration No. 333-   

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under

The Securities Act of 1933

RAMBUS INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

4453 North First Street, Suite 100

San Jose, California 95134

(Address of principal executive offices)

2015 Equity Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

John Shinn, Esq.

Senior Vice President and General Counsel

4453 North First Street, Suite 100

San Jose, California 95134

(Name and address of agent for service)

(408) 462-8000

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copy to:

Michael E. Coke, Esq.

Amanda N. Urquiza, Esq.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Professional Corporation

650 Page Mill Road

Palo Alto, California 94304

(650) 493-9300

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.

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. ☐

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) is filed by Rambus Inc. (the “Registrant”) for the purpose of registering 5,210,000 shares of Common Stock of the Registrant reserved for issuance under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan. The information specified in Item 1 and Item 2 of Part I of Form S-8 is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the introductory note to Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be delivered to the participants in the equity benefit plans covered by this Registration Statement as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”):

(1) The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the Commission on February 24, 2025, pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”);

(2) All other reports filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Registrant’s Annual Report referred to in (1) above; and

(3) The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on April 2, 1997, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents; provided, however, that documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the rules of the Commission shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

The Registrant’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide for the indemnification of present and former directors, officers, employees and agents of the Registrant and persons serving as directors, employees or agents of another corporation or entity at the request of the Registrant to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law. In addition, the Registrant enters into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers pursuant to which such persons are indemnified for costs and expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such persons in connection with a threatened, pending or completed claim arising out of service as a director, officer, employee, trustee and/or agent of the Registrant or another entity at the request of the Registrant. The Registrant maintains an insurance policy insuring its directors and officers against liability for certain acts and omissions while acting in their official capacities.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits

Item 9. Undertakings

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

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(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 (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 Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

(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 (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) 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 Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this 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 therein, 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.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) 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.

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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-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Jose, State of California, on this 24th day of February, 2025.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints each of Luc Seraphin, Desmond Lynch and John Shinn as such individual’s true and lawful agent, proxy and attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution, for such individual in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and 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 and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully for all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:

Exhibit 5.1

February 24, 2025

Rambus Inc.

4453 North First Street, Suite 100

San Jose, California 95134

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed by Rambus Inc., a Delaware corporation, with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about the date hereof, in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of 5,210,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”) reserved for issuance pursuant to the Company’s 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (which plan is referred to herein as the “Plan” and which shares of Common Stock are referred to herein as the “Shares”).

It is our opinion that the Shares, when issued and sold in the manner referred to in the Plan and pursuant to the agreements that accompany the Plan, will be legally and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and further consent to the use of our name wherever appearing in the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.

Exhibit 23.1

KPMG LLP

2755 Augustine Drive

Suite 701

Santa Clara, CA 95054

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the use of our report dated February 24, 2025, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Rambus Inc. and subsidiaries, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, incorporated herein by reference.

KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and a member firm of

the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with

KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee.

Exhibit 23.2

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Rambus Inc. of our report dated February 23, 2024, except for the change in the manner in which the Company accounts for segments discussed in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements, as to which the date is February 24, 2025, relating to the financial statements, which appears in Rambus Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.