Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) registers RSUs under Neuralfabric 2025 plan

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. filed a registration statement on Form S-8 to register restricted stock units granted under the Neuralfabric Corp. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan, which has been assumed by Cisco. The filing incorporates Cisco’s previously filed reports and future Exchange Act reports by reference, so those filings will govern the ongoing disclosure for these plan securities.

The document also describes Cisco’s indemnification protections for directors and officers under Delaware law, its certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and individual indemnity agreements, and notes that attorneys at Fenwick & West LLP beneficially own approximately 226 shares of Cisco common stock. Exhibits include the Neuralfabric 2025 plan, a form of Cisco restricted stock unit assumption agreement, required legal opinions, consents, and a filing fee table.

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 12, 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

CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware		77-0059951
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

170 West Tasman Drive

San Jose, California 95134

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Restricted stock units granted under the Neuralfabric Corp. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan, and assumed by the Registrant

(Full Title of the Plan)

Evan Sloves

Secretary

Cisco Systems, Inc.

170 West Tasman Drive

San Jose, California 95134

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

(408) 526-4000

(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, 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.

Large accelerated filer		☒		Accelerated filer		☐
Non-accelerated filer		☐		Smaller reporting company		☐
				Emerging growth company		☐

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 II

Information Required in the Registration Statement

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

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

(a) The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 26, 2025, filed with the Commission on September 3, 2025, pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”);

(b) All other reports filed 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 (a) above (other than the portions of these documents not deemed to be filed); and

(c) The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in Exhibit 99.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K12B filed with the Commission on January 25, 2021, and including any other amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All reports and definitive proxy or information statements filed pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the filing of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which de-registers 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 date of filing such documents, except as to specific sections of such statements as set forth therein. Unless expressly incorporated into this Registration Statement, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the rules of the Commission prior or subsequent to the date hereof shall not be 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 in any subsequently filed document which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

As of the date of this Registration Statement, attorneys of Fenwick & West LLP beneficially own an aggregate of approximately 226 shares of the Registrant’s common stock.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

The Registrant is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) authorizes a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnity to directors and officers under certain circumstances and subject to certain limitations. The terms of Section 145 of the DGCL are sufficiently broad to permit indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities, including reimbursement of expenses incurred, arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

As permitted by the DGCL, the Registrant’s restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that limit the liability of its directors for monetary damages to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL for any breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except liability for the following:

• any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders;

• acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

• under Section 174 of the DGCL (regarding unlawful dividends, stock purchases or redemptions); or

• any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

II-2

As permitted by the DGCL, the Registrant’s restated bylaws provide that:

• the Registrant is required to indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, subject to certain very limited exceptions;

• the Registrant may indemnify its other employees and agents as set forth in the DGCL;

• the Registrant is required to advance expenses, as incurred, to its directors and officers in connection with a legal proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, subject to certain very limited exceptions; and

• the rights conferred in the restated bylaws are not exclusive.

In addition, the Registrant has entered into indemnity agreements with each of its current directors and executive officers. These agreements provide for the indemnification of directors and executive officers for all reasonable expenses and liabilities incurred in connection with any action or proceeding brought against them by reason of the fact that they are or were agents of the Registrant.

The Registrant currently carries liability insurance for its directors and executive officers for securities matters.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit Number

Incorporated by Reference

Filed Herewith

Exhibit Description

Form

File No.

Exhibit

Filing Date

4.1

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Cisco Systems, Inc., as currently in effect.

8-K12B

001-39940

3.1

January 25, 2021

4.2

Amended and Restated Bylaws of Cisco Systems, Inc., as currently in effect.

8-K

001-39940

3.2

August 25, 2025

5.1

Opinion and Consent of Fenwick & West LLP.

X

23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

X

23.2

Consent of Fenwick & West LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

X

24

Power of Attorney (incorporated by reference to Page II-5 of this Registration Statement).

X

99.1

Neuralfabric Corp. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan

X

99.2

Form of Cisco Systems, Inc. Restricted Stock Unit Assumption Agreement.

X

107.1

Filing Fee Table

X

II-3

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; (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 this 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 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Filing Fee Tables” in the effective 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 clauses (1)(i) and (1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those clauses 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 this 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; and (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 into this 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 indemnification provisions summarized in Item 6, 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.

II-4

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 December 12, 2025.

Cisco Systems, Inc.
By:		/s/ Charles H. Robbins
		Charles H. Robbins
		Chair and Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below does hereby constitute and appoint Charles H. Robbins, Mark Patterson, Deborah L. Stahlkopf, M. Victoria Wong and Evan Sloves, and each of them, with full power of substitution, as such person’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents for such person, with full power and authority to do any and all acts and things and to execute any and all instruments which said attorneys and agents, and any one of them, determine may be necessary or advisable or required to enable said corporation to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules or regulations or requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with this Registration Statement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing power and authority, the powers granted include the power and authority to sign the names of the undersigned officers and directors in the capacities indicated below to this Registration Statement, to any and all amendments, both pre-effective and post-effective, and supplements to this Registration Statement, and to any and all instruments or documents filed as part of or in conjunction with this Registration Statement or amendments or supplements thereof, and each of the undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms that all said attorneys and agents, or any one of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. This Power of Attorney may be signed in several counterparts.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature		Title		Date
/s/ Charles H. Robbins Charles H. Robbins		Chair and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)		December 12, 2025
/s/ Mark Patterson Mark Patterson		Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)		December 12, 2025
/s/ M. Victoria Wong M. Victoria Wong		Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)		December 12, 2025

II-5

/s/ Wesley G. Bush Wesley G. Bush		Director		December 12, 2025
/s/ Michael D. Capellas Michael D. Capellas		Lead Independent Director		December 12, 2025
/s/ Mark Garrett Mark Garrett		Director		December 12, 2025
/s/ John D. Harris II John D. Harris II		Director		December 12, 2025
/s/ Kristina M. Johnson Dr. Kristina M. Johnson		Director		December 12, 2025
/s/ Sarah Rae Murphy Sarah Rae Murphy		Director		December 12, 2025
/s/ Daniel H. Schulman Daniel H. Schulman		Director		December 12, 2025
/s/ Marianna Tessel Marianna Tessel		Director		December 12, 2025
/s/ Kevin Weil Kevin Weil		Director		December 12, 2025

II-6

FAQ

What does Cisco Systems (CSCO) register in this Form S-8?

Cisco registers restricted stock units granted under the Neuralfabric Corp. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan, which has been assumed by Cisco.

What is the Neuralfabric Corp. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan mentioned by Cisco Systems (CSCO)?

It is an equity incentive plan originally established by Neuralfabric Corp.. Cisco’s filing states it covers restricted stock units granted under this 2025 Equity Incentive Plan, which Cisco has assumed, and includes the full plan as Exhibit 99.1.

How does Cisco Systems (CSCO) handle indemnification of directors and officers?

Cisco describes indemnification rights under Delaware General Corporation Law Section 145, its restated certificate of incorporation, restated bylaws, and individual indemnity agreements with current directors and executive officers. Cisco also maintains liability insurance for directors and executive officers for securities matters.

Who provides the legal opinion for this Cisco Systems (CSCO) Form S-8?

Fenwick & West LLP provides the opinion and consent filed as Exhibit 5.1, and a related consent in Exhibit 23.2. The filing notes that attorneys of Fenwick & West LLP beneficially own an aggregate of approximately 226 shares of Cisco’s common stock.

Which Cisco Systems (CSCO) documents are incorporated by reference into this Form S-8?

The filing incorporates by reference Cisco’s previously filed Exchange Act reports and definitive proxy or information statements, and states that all such documents filed after this registration statement and before any post-effective amendment that terminates the offering are also incorporated by reference.

What key exhibits are attached to the Cisco Systems (CSCO) S-8 for the Neuralfabric plan?

Key exhibits include Cisco’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (Exhibit 4.1), amended and restated bylaws (Exhibit 4.2), the Neuralfabric Corp. 2025 Equity Incentive Plan (Exhibit 99.1), a Cisco restricted stock unit assumption agreement form (Exhibit 99.2), legal opinions and consents (Exhibits 5.1, 23.1, 23.2), a power of attorney (Exhibit 24), and the filing fee table (Exhibit 107.1).