UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 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) May 3, 2023

YIELD10 BIOSCIENCE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (617) 583-1700

N/A

(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 obligation 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:

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 1.02. Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement

On May 3, 2023, Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (the “Company”) terminated its Equity Distribution Agreement, dated January 23, 2023 (“Distribution Agreement”), with Maxim Group LLC (the “Agent”), pursuant to which the Company could from time to time offer and sell up to an aggregate of $4,200,000 of shares of its common stock subject to any applicable limits when using Form S-3, through the Agent in “at-the-market-offerings” (the “ATM Program”), as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Prior to termination, the Company issued and sold 94,665 shares of its common stock under the Distribution Agreement, raising net proceeds of approximately $290,440.27. The Company terminated the Distribution Agreement because it does not intend to raise additional capital through the ATM Program.

The foregoing description of the Distribution Agreement is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Distribution Agreement, a copy of which was filed as Exhibit 1.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-33133) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 24, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference.

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.