As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 2019

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

APREA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan

(Full Title of the Plan)

Christian S. Schade

President and Chief Executive Officer

Aprea Therapeutics, Inc.

535 Boylston Street

Boston, MA 02116

(617) 463-9385

(Name, Address and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, 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. x

Calculation of Registration Fee

(1)         Consists of 5,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Aprea Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Registrant”), that may be issued pursuant to the Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. Pursuant to Rule 416 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement also covers such additional and indeterminate number of securities as may become issuable pursuant to the provisions of the plans relating to adjustments for changes resulting from a stock dividend, stock split or similar change.

(2)         Calculated solely for purposes of this offering under Rule 457(h) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), on the basis of the average of the high and low prices per share of the Registrant’s Common Stock on November 13, 2019, as reported by The Nasdaq Stock Market.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 are not required to be filed, and are not being filed, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) as part of this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and will be delivered to participants in the Plan in accordance with such rule.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference in this Registration Statement the following documents and information previously filed with the Commission:

(1)         The Registrant’s prospectus contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended (No. 333-233662);

(2)         The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on September 30, 2019, pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including any amendment or report for the purpose of updating such description;

(3)         The Registrant’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, filed with the Commission on November 14, 2019; and

(4)         The Registrant’s current report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on October 7, 2019.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the respective dates of filing of such documents (such documents, and the documents enumerated above, being hereinafter referred to as “Incorporated Documents”).

Any statement contained in an Incorporated Document 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 Incorporated Document 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.

Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of its directors for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his or her duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. The Registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides that none of its directors shall be personally liable to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability, except to the extent that the Delaware General Corporation Law prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation and certain other persons serving at the request of the corporation in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlements actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with an action, suit or proceeding to which he or she is or is threatened to be made a party by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have

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been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

The Registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides that it will indemnify each person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party or is involved in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of us) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, the Registrant’s director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the Registrant’s request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the Registrant’s best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The Registrant’s certificate of incorporation also provides that the Registrant will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to an action or suit by or in the right of us to procure a judgment in the Registrant’s favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, the Registrant’s director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the Registrant’s request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the Registrant’s best interests, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Registrant, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection therewith. If the Registrant does not assume the defense, expenses must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.

The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its executive officers and directors. In general, these agreements provide that the Registrant will indemnify the director or executive officer to the fullest extent permitted by law for claims arising in his or her capacity as a director or executive officer of the Registrant or in connection with their service at the Registrant’s request for another corporation or entity. The indemnification agreements also provide for procedures that will apply in the event that a director or executive officer makes a claim for indemnification and establish certain presumptions that are favorable to the director or executive officer.

The Registrant maintains a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of its directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

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Item 9. Undertakings.

(a) The 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;

(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; and

(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 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 the Registration Statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, 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 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.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, 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 Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the 18th day of November, 2019.

POWER OF ATTORNEY AND SIGNATURES

Each of the undersigned officers and directors of Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. does hereby severally constitute and appoint Christian S. Schade and Scott M. Coiante, and each of them acting alone, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution in each of them for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, and in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any applicable securities exchange or securities self-regulatory body, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them or their or his or her substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

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

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EXHIBIT 5.1

November 18, 2019

Aprea Therapeutics, Inc.

535 Boylston Street

Boston, MA 02116

Re:                             5,000,000 Shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We refer to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) being filed by Aprea Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation  (the “Company”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the registration of an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Registered Shares”), of the Company which may be issued under the Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

This opinion letter is being delivered in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

We have examined the Plan, the Registration Statement, the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as currently in effect, of the Company, and the Amended and Restated By-Laws, as currently in effect, of the Company, the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors authorizing the Plan and the issuance of the Registered Shares thereunder and the resolutions of the Company’s stockholders authorizing the Plan.  We have also examined originals, or copies of originals certified to our satisfaction, of such agreements, documents, certificates and statements of the Company and other corporate documents and instruments, and have examined such questions of law, as we have considered relevant and necessary as a basis for this opinion letter.  We have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all persons and the conformity with the original documents of any copies thereof submitted to us for examination. As to facts relevant to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied without independent investigation or verification upon, and assumed the accuracy and completeness of, certificates, letters and oral and written statements and representations of public officials and officers and other representatives of the Company.

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that each Registered Share that is newly issued pursuant to the Plan will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable when:  (i) the Registration Statement, as finally amended, shall have become effective under the Securities Act; (ii) such Registered Share shall have been duly issued and delivered in accordance with the Plan; and (iii) certificates representing such Registered Share shall have been duly executed, countersigned and registered and duly delivered to the person entitled thereto against payment of the agreed consideration therefor (in an amount not less than the par value thereof) or, if any Registered Share is to be issued in uncertificated form, the Company’s books shall reflect the issuance of such Registered Share to the person entitled thereto against payment of the agreed consideration therefor (in an amount not less than the par value thereof), all in accordance with the Plan.

This opinion letter is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.  We express no opinion as to the laws, rules or regulations of any other jurisdiction, including, without limitation, the federal laws of the United States of America or any state or non-U.S. securities or blue sky laws.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an Exhibit to the Registration Statement and to all references to our Firm included in or made a part of the Registration Statement.  In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

EXHIBIT 23.2

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 pertaining to the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan of Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. of our report dated August 20, 2019 (except for the retroactive effect of the 1-for-1.6045 stock split of the Company’s common stock as described in Note 1, as to which the date is September 27, 2019), with respect to the balance sheet as of July 11, 2019 of Aprea Therapeutics, Inc., and our report dated August 20, 2019 (except for the retroactive effect of the 1-for-1.6045 stock split of the Company’s preferred and common stock as described in Note 1, as to which the date is September 27, 2019), with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Aprea Therapeutics AB for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018, included in the Registration Statement (Form S-1 No. 333-233662) and related Prospectus of Aprea Therapeutics, Inc., filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

/s/ Ernst & Young AB

Stockholm, Sweden

November 18, 2019