Veteran diagnostics leader Mark Capone joins Sera Prognostics (NASDAQ: SERA) board
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Sera Prognostics appointed Mark Capone to its Board of Directors as a Class II director, effective July 1, 2026, with a term running until the 2029 annual meeting. He will also serve on the Compensation Committee.
Capone is a veteran healthcare executive with over 40 years of experience in diagnostics and life sciences, including a 17-year tenure at Myriad Genetics where he helped grow the business significantly. As a non-employee director, he will receive an initial equity award on July 10, 2026, equal to the lesser of a grant-date fair value of $167,072 (split roughly evenly between stock options and RSUs) or 150,000 option equivalents, plus ongoing cash fees under the existing director compensation policy.
After each annual meeting, he is eligible for additional equity of the lesser of $88,359 or 75,000 option equivalents, with RSUs and options vesting over one year. The Board determined he qualifies as an independent director under Nasdaq and SEC rules.
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8-K Event Classification
Key Figures
Key Terms
Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy financial
restricted stock units financial
independent director regulatory
preterm birth medical
laboratory-developed tests regulatory
PreTRM Test medical
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
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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
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Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On June 25, 2026, upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Sera Prognostics, Inc. (the “Company”), and pursuant to the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, the Board appointed, effective as of July 1, 2026, Mark Capone to serve as a Class II director, with an initial term expiring at the Company’s 2029 annual meeting of stockholders. In connection with and effective as of his appointment to the Board, Mr. Capone was also appointed to the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”).
Mark Capone is an accomplished healthcare executive with more than 40 years of experience in molecular diagnostics, genetics, biotechnology, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Since January 2024, Mr. Capone has served as a director and member of the audit committee of Mesa Laboratories, Inc. (Nasdaq: MLAB) (“Mesa”) and was also appointed as a member of Mesa’s compensation committee in August 2025. Since March 2020, Mr. Capone has served as the CEO of Precision Medicine Advisors, LLC, a consulting company advising biopharmaceutical organizations. Previously, Mr. Capone served for five years as CEO of Myriad Genetics, a pioneering precision medicine company. During his 17-year career at Myriad, he transformed the company from $14M revenue, 150 employees, and one product to a global leader in precision medicine with $850M in revenue, 3,000 employees, and 11 products, four of which were obtained through acquisitions that deployed more than $1B in capital. Prior to joining Myriad Genetics, Mr. Capone served in a variety of roles with Eli Lilly and Company, including as Sales Director, Plant Manager, R&D Team Leader, and Biochemical Engineer. He received his MS in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, an MS in (Bio) Chemical Engineering from MIT, a BS in Chemical Engineering from MIT, and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Penn State, graduating with highest distinction. Mr. Capone serves as a non-executive director of two privately held companies.
Mr. Capone will be entitled to standard compensation paid by the Company to its non-employee directors under the Company’s Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy (the “Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy”), which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this current report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein. Pursuant to the Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy, in connection with Mr. Capone's appointment to the Board, on July 10, 2026, (the “Grant Date”), Mr. Capone will be granted the lesser of (a) an equity award with a grant date fair value of $167,072, with approximately equal value coming from stock options and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) or (b) an equity award of 150,000 option equivalents. The RSUs shall vest in three substantially equal annual installments and the options shall vest and become exercisable in thirty-six substantially equal monthly installments. Mr. Capone will also receive cash compensation for his service on the Board and Compensation Committee in accordance with the Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy. Furthermore, pursuant to the Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy, following each annual meeting of stockholders, Mr. Capone is entitled to receive the lesser of (i) an equity award with a grant date fair value of $88,359, with approximately equal value coming from stock options and RSUs or (b) an equity award of 75,000 option equivalents. The RSUs shall vest in one annual installment and the options will vest in twelve substantially equal monthly installments, such that the awards shall be fully vested on the earlier of the first anniversary of the date of grant or the date of the next annual meeting, subject to Mr. Capone continuing to provide services to the Company through such vesting dates.
Mr. Capone will also enter into the Company’s standard indemnification agreement for directors, the form of which was filed as Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1/A, filed with the SEC July 8, 2021 and is incorporated herein by reference.
There is no arrangement or understanding between Mr. Capone and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Capone was appointed as a director. Mr. Capone is not a party to any transaction that would require disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Board has determined that Mr. Capone is an independent director in accordance with the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Global Market and the standards promulgated by the SEC, including enhanced independence criteria applicable to members of the Compensation Committee.
On June 30, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Mr. Capone as a director, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
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Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy |
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Press release dated June 30, 2026. |
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Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
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.
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SERA PROGNOSTICS, INC. |
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June 30, 2026 |
By: |
/s/ Austin Aerts |
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Austin Aerts |
Exhibit 99.1
SERA PROGNOSTICS ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF MARK CAPONE TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Salt Lake City – June 30, 2026 – Sera Prognostics Inc., The Pregnancy Company® (Nasdaq: SERA), focused on improving maternal and neonatal health by providing innovative pregnancy biomarker information to doctors and patients, today announced that Mark Capone will join its Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2026.
Mr. Capone is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 40 years of leadership experience across the diagnostics and life sciences sectors, including extensive service on private and public company boards and committees. In his last operating role, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Myriad Genetics, where he led the company’s transformation into a focused precision medicine organization, expanding its molecular diagnostics portfolio and strengthening its commercial execution. Prior to serving as CEO, Mr. Capone held several senior leadership roles at Myriad during his 17-year tenure, including President and Chief Operating Officer.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Capone held leadership positions at Eli Lilly and other healthcare organizations, building deep expertise in pharmaceutical commercialization, strategic planning, and business development.
“Sera is addressing a significant unmet need in maternal and fetal health, and I believe the company’s proteomics‑based approach has the potential to meaningfully improve outcomes,” said Mr. Capone. “I look forward to working with the Board and management team as Sera advances its mission and strategy.”
“Mark’s extensive experience commercializing complex diagnostic products and navigating reimbursement and payer environments will be highly valuable as we continue to expand adoption of the PreTRM® test,” said Zhenya Lindgardt, President and CEO of Sera Prognostics. “His proven ability to scale innovative diagnostic platforms and build high performing commercial organizations aligns well with Sera’s next phase of growth.”
Mr. Capone’s appointment reflects Sera’s continued focus on strengthening its Board with leaders who bring deep commercial, operational, and healthcare industry expertise to support the company’s long-term growth and execution.
About Sera Prognostics, Inc.
Sera Prognostics is a leading health diagnostics company dedicated to improving the lives of women and babies through precision pregnancy care. Sera’s mission is to provide early, pivotal pregnancy information to improve the health of mothers and newborns, resulting in reductions in the costs of healthcare delivery. Sera has a robust pipeline of innovative diagnostic tests focused on the early prediction of preterm birth risk and other complications of pregnancy. Sera’s precision medicine PreTRM® Test reports to a physician the individualized risk of spontaneous premature delivery in a pregnancy, enabling earlier proactive interventions in women with higher risk. Sera Prognostics is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
About Preterm Birth
Preterm birth is defined as any birth before 37 weeks’ gestation and is the leading cause of illness and death in newborns. The 2025 March of Dimes Report Card shows that, for the fourth consecutive year, the United States earned a D+ grade for preterm birth, making the longest stretch of the lowest grade in Report Card history. Prematurity is associated with a significantly increased risk of major long-term medical complications, including
learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, chronic respiratory illness, intellectual disability, seizures, and vision and hearing loss, and can generate significant costs throughout the lives of affected children. The annual health care costs to manage short- and long-term complications of prematurity in the United States were estimated to be approximately $25 billion for 2016.
About the PreTRM® Test
The PreTRM® Test is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood-based biomarker test that provides an early, accurate and individualized risk prediction for spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic singleton pregnancies. The PreTRM® Test measures and analyzes proteins in the blood that are highly predictive of preterm birth. The PreTRM® Test permits physicians to identify, during the weeks 18 through 20 of pregnancy, which women are at increased risk for preterm birth and its complications, enabling more informed, personalized clinical decisions based on each woman’s individual risk. The PreTRM® Test is ordered by a medical professional.
Sera, Sera Prognostics, the Sera Prognostics logo, The Pregnancy Company, and PreTRM are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sera Prognostics, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to Mr. Capone’s extensive experience being highly valuable in expanding adoption of the PreTRM® test; the Company’s next phase of growth; and the Company’s strategic directives under the caption “About Sera Prognostics, Inc.” These “forward-looking statements” are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: net losses, cash generation, and the potential need to raise more capital; revenues from the PreTRM Test representing substantially all Company revenues to date; the need for broad scientific and market acceptance of the PreTRM Test; a concentrated number of material customers; our ability to introduce new products; potential competition; our proprietary biobank; critical suppliers; estimates of total addressable market opportunity and forecasts of market growth; potential third-party payer coverage and reimbursement; new reimbursement methodologies applicable to the PreTRM Test, including new CPT codes and payment rates for those codes; changes in FDA regulation of laboratory-developed tests; the intellectual property rights protecting our tests and market position; and other factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our periodic and current reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and the Company undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
Investor Contact
Jennifer Zibuda, Head of Investor Relations
jzibuda@sera.com
+1 (801) 396-8043
Media Contact
Nicole Kaplan at Allison Worldwide
sera@allisonworldwide.com
+1 (847) 721-6033