AEye wins multi-million lunar rover lidar deal

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

AEye, Inc. (LIDR) reported a new commercial engagement in which its Apollo™ long-range lidar has been selected by Lunar Outpost, Inc. for integration onto the Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle that will transport Artemis astronauts on the Moon. The engagement is described as a multi-million-dollar commercial space contract and marks AEye’s entry into the space mobility market, expanding beyond its automotive, defense, and industrial focus.

Apollo’s software-defined, solid-state design is intended to withstand lunar vacuum, thermal extremes, and constant vibration, and to support terrain perception, obstacle detection, and autonomous navigation on the lunar surface. AEye also highlights its broader product suite, including STRATOS™ with up to one-and-a-half-kilometer detection and the OPTIS™ full-stack perception platform.

Filing Explained

The Lunar Outpost award is not yet a realized revenue event: AEye warns it may produce no revenue or commercial sales, while Apollo integration, vehicle completion, and lunar deployment remain uncertain.

8-K Event Classification

2 items: 8.01, 9.01

2 items

Item 8.01 Other Events Other

Voluntary disclosure of events the company deems important to shareholders but not covered by other items.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits Exhibits

Financial statements, pro forma financial information, or exhibit attachments filed with this report.

Key Figures

Commercial engagement value description: Multi-million-dollar commercial space engagement Apollo™ detection range: Up to one kilometer STRATOS™ detection range: Up to one-and-a-half kilometers +2 more

5 metrics

Commercial engagement value description Multi-million-dollar commercial space engagement Describes the size of the Apollo™ contract award with Lunar Outpost

Apollo™ detection range Up to one kilometer Apollo™ flagship lidar’s object detection distance

STRATOS™ detection range Up to one-and-a-half kilometers STRATOS™ lidar’s object detection distance

Lunar Outpost missions to the Moon 10 missions before 2030 Lunar Outpost states it is leading the industry with these missions

Common Stock par value $0.0001 per share Par value of AEye, Inc. common stock listed on Nasdaq

Key Terms

software-defined lidar, space mobility, Lunar Terrain Vehicle, at-the-market equity offering program, +1 more

5 terms

software-defined lidar technical

"AEye, Inc., a global leader in software-defined, high-performance lidar solutions"

A software-defined lidar is a light-based sensing system whose behavior and features are shaped mainly by software rather than fixed hardware settings, letting the same device be updated, reconfigured, or improved through code. For investors, that flexibility can lower product costs, speed new features to market, extend useful life, and create recurring revenue from updates or services—similar to buying a camera that keeps getting better through app updates rather than needing a new model.

space mobility technical

"diversifies AEye’s commercial footprint beyond its core markets into space mobility"

Lunar Terrain Vehicle technical

"for integration onto the Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV)"

A lunar terrain vehicle is a crewed or uncrewed wheeled or tracked vehicle designed to travel across the Moon’s surface, like an off‑road truck built for low gravity, rocks and dust instead of Earth roads. For investors, it matters because development and procurement of these vehicles drive contracts, technology advances, supply‑chain activity and capital spending in aerospace and defense, affecting revenue prospects and project risk for companies involved.

at-the-market equity offering program financial

"prospectus supplements relating to the Company’s at-the-market equity offering program"

A program that lets a company sell newly issued shares directly into the open market at whatever the current trading price is, usually through a broker, and do so gradually over time instead of all at once. Investors care because it can dilute existing ownership and put steady selling pressure on the stock price, while giving the company a flexible, on-demand way to raise cash — like adding small amounts of water to a pool rather than dumping in a bucket.

forward-looking statements regulatory

"Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements"

Forward-looking statements are predictions or plans that companies share about what they expect to happen in the future, like estimating sales or profits. They matter because they help investors understand a company's outlook, but since they are based on guesses and assumptions, they can sometimes be wrong.

FAQ

What did AEye (LIDR) announce regarding Lunar Outpost and the Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle?

AEye announced that its Apollo™ long-range lidar was selected by Lunar Outpost for integration onto the Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle, which will transport Artemis astronauts on the lunar surface, representing a multi-million-dollar commercial space engagement and AEye’s entry into the space mobility market.

How does the new engagement impact AEye (LIDR)’s market focus?

AEye states that the Lunar Outpost engagement diversifies its commercial footprint beyond core automotive, defense, and industrial markets into space mobility, a new market category tied to the broader buildout of lunar infrastructure and the global lunar rover market.

What performance capabilities of Apollo™ lidar does AEye (LIDR) highlight?

AEye highlights Apollo™ for its software-defined architecture, solid-state design, compact form factor, and ability to support terrain perception, obstacle detection, and autonomous navigation in the lunar environment, which has no atmosphere, thermal extremes, and constant vibration.

What other products besides Apollo™ does AEye (LIDR) describe in this disclosure?

AEye describes STRATOS™, which can detect objects at up to one-and-a-half kilometers, and its OPTIS™ platform, a full-stack system that creates a high-resolution 3D image of the world, interprets it, and provides directions to act in real time.

What growth expectations for the space mobility or lunar rover market does AEye (LIDR) reference?

AEye states that the global lunar rover market is among the fastest-growing segments of the space economy, driven by sustained multi-year government investment and increasing commercial activity, and links its Apollo™ engagement to this emerging space mobility market.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 1, 2026

AEYE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware		001-39699		37-1827430
(State or other jurisdiction		(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)
of incorporation)

4670 Willow Road, Suite 125, Pleasanton, California		94588
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (925) 400-4366

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share		LIDR		The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 8.01 Other Events.

On September 1, 2026, AEye, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing a commercial engagement with Lunar Outpost, Inc. A copy of the press release is attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated into this Item 8.01 by reference.

The information contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1, is intended to be, and shall be deemed to be, “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and shall be deemed incorporated by reference into the Company’s registration statements on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-274546 and 333-296038), including the base prospectuses and the prospectus supplements relating to the Company’s at-the-market equity offering program, and into any other effective registration statement of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, in each case to the extent provided in such registration statement or the related prospectus.

Item 9.01. Financial Statement and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit Number		Description
99.1		Press release dated September 1, 2026.
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).

1

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	AEye, Inc.
Dated: September 1, 2026	By:	/s/ Siraj Husain
		Siraj Husain
		Vice President and General Counsel

2

Exhibit 99.1

AEye’s Apollo™ Lidar Selected by Lunar Outpost for Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle, Opening a New Market Category in Space Mobility

Multi-Million-Dollar Commercial Space Engagement Marks AEye’s Entry into the Space Mobility Market Expected to Scale Alongside the Push for a Permanent Human Presence on the Moon

PLEASANTON, CA – September 1, 2026 – AEye, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIDR), a global leader in software-defined, high-performance lidar solutions, today announced that its Apollo™ long-range lidar has been selected by Lunar Outpost, the leader in space mobility and infrastructure, for integration onto the Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), which will transport Artemis astronauts across the lunar surface. The contract award further diversifies AEye’s commercial footprint beyond its core automotive, defense, and industrial markets into space mobility, a new market category tied to the broader buildout of lunar infrastructure. The global lunar rover market is among the fastest-growing segments of the space economy, driven by sustained, multi-year government investment and increasing commercial activity.

“This multi-million-dollar contract award is a testament to our technology and its ability to address this significant market opportunity,” said Matt Fisch, AEye’s Chairman and CEO. “Space mobility is a new market opportunity for AEye, and the lunar environment represents the most demanding proving ground any sensor can face: no atmosphere, no margin for error, and no opportunity for in-mission repair. Apollo’s™ software-defined architecture enabled us to tune its performance for exactly what this mission required, with the same adaptability and durability we have proven in defense, now validated in the harshest environment there is.”

Lunar Outpost CSO, Forrest Meyen said, “As Lunar Outpost works to establish a sustained human presence at the Moon’s South Pole, we need partners who can scale with us. Apollo™ gives Pegasus enhanced perception to traverse safely, perform advanced autonomous operations, and begin building NASA’s Moon Base.”

Lunar Outpost selected Apollo™ for its cutting edge solid-state design that delivers the ruggedness needed to withstand the lunar vacuum, thermal extremes, and constant vibration with no possibility of field repair; its software-defined architecture lets scan patterns and performance be tuned to the mission using software rather than locked into a fixed configuration; and its compact form factor retains all this capability without competing for the mass and volume budget every lunar vehicle demands.

Lunar Outpost will leverage Apollo™ to support terrain perception, obstacle detection, and autonomous navigation functions for Pegasus, helping crews and mission operators traverse the challenging lunar environment, protecting both the vehicle and the astronauts aboard it as NASA establishes a permanent human presence at the Moon’s South Pole.

About AEye

AEye offers a suite of unique software-defined lidar solutions that address a wide range of real-world needs including advanced driver-assistance, vehicle autonomy, smart infrastructure, security, defense, and logistics applications. AEye’s flagship product, Apollo™, has been widely recognized for its small form factor and its ability to detect objects at up to one kilometer. In addition to Apollo™, AEye also offers STRATOS™ with the ability to detect objects at up to one-and-a-half kilometers as well as a full-stack solution through its OPTIS™ platform. OPTIS™ provides a complete system that captures a high-resolution 3D image of the world, interprets it, and provides direction to act upon what it sees in real-time.

About Lunar Outpost

Lunar Outpost is the leader in space mobility and infrastructure, developing advanced robotic systems for extreme environments. From operating the first commercial rover on the Moon and making oxygen on Mars to driving NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle program, Lunar Outpost is accelerating the new space economy for the betterment of life here on Earth. Leading the industry with 10 missions launching to the Moon before 2030, Lunar Outpost is scaling the core technologies that power the industrialization of space. For more information, visit lunaroutpost.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are sometimes accompanied by words such as “believe,” “continue,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “predict,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “outlook,” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends, or that are not statements of historical matters. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements about the potential benefits to AEye of the contract award from Lunar Outpost, the integration of AEye’s Apollo™ lidar technology onto the Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle, the anticipated growth of the space mobility market, and the suitability of the Apollo™ lidar technology to meet the demands of the lunar environment, among others. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by an investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are very difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from the assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of AEye. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the risks that the contract award from Lunar Outpost may not result in revenue or commercial sales for AEye to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (ii) the risks that the Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle may not be developed, completed, or deployed on the lunar surface to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all, including as a result of changes in, delays to, or the cancellation of NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services program or the Artemis program, or changes in government funding priorities or appropriations; (iii) the risks that Lunar Outpost’s work to integrate AEye’s Apollo™ lidar technology onto the Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle, and Lunar Outpost’s planned lunar missions, may not occur to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (iv) the risks that AEye’s Apollo™ lidar technology may not withstand the lunar vacuum, thermal extremes, vibration, or other conditions of the lunar environment, or otherwise perform in space applications, to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (v) the risks that AEye’s Apollo™ lidar technology may not support the terrain perception, obstacle detection, and autonomous navigation functions of the Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle, or provide the safety and operational benefits described in this press release, to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (vi) the risks that the space mobility market, including the global lunar rover market, may not develop or grow to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all, including as a result of reductions or delays in government investment in, or commercial activity related to, lunar infrastructure; (vii) the risks that the diversification of AEye’s commercial footprint beyond its core automotive, defense, and industrial markets into space mobility may not occur to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (viii) the risks that a sustained or permanent human presence on the Moon, including at the Moon’s South Pole, may not be established to the extent or in the time frame anticipated, or at all; (ix) the risks that lidar adoption may occur slower than anticipated or fail to occur at all; (x) the risks that AEye’s products may not meet the diverse range of performance and functional requirements of target markets and customers; (xi) the risks that AEye’s products may not function as anticipated by AEye, or by target markets and customers; (xii) the risks that AEye may not be in a position to adequately or timely address either the near or long-term opportunities that may or may not exist in the evolving space economy; (xiii) the risks associated with U.S. government contracting, procurement, and export control laws and regulations applicable to AEye’s participation in space and defense programs; (xiv) the risks that laws and regulations are adopted impacting the use of lidar that AEye is unable to comply with, in whole or in part; (xv) the risks associated with changes in competitive and regulated industries in which AEye operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, and changes in laws and regulations affecting AEye’s business; (xvi) the risks that AEye is unable to adequately implement its business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and identify and realize additional opportunities; and (xvii) the risks of economic downturns and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive and evolving industry in which AEye operates. These risks and uncertainties may be amplified by current or future global conflicts and current and potential trade restrictions, trade tensions, and tariffs, all of which continue to cause economic uncertainty. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the periodic report that AEye has most recently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and other documents filed by us or that will be filed by us from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.

2

Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements; AEye assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. AEye gives no assurance that AEye will achieve any of its expectations.

Contacts

AEye Investor Relations

AEye, Inc. Investor Relations

info@aeye.ai

925-400-4366

Keaton Olsen

lidrir@allianceadvisors.com

AEye Media Relations

Alliance Advisors IR

Aayushi

media@allianceadvisors.com

Lunar Outpost Media Relations

LaunchSquad for Lunar Outpost

Lo@launchsquad.com

3

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

4 documents

Press Releases

• EX-99.1 PRESS RELEASE DATED SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 17.4 KB

Other Documents

• EX-101 XBRL SCHEMA FILE 2.9 KB
• EX-101 XBRL LABEL FILE 33.4 KB
• EX-101 XBRL PRESENTATION FILE 21.8 KB