Twist Bioscience (NASDAQ:TWST) held its 2026 annual meeting of stockholders via an online webcast, with Lead Independent Director Robert Chess serving as chairman. The meeting focused on three standard items of corporate governance: electing directors, conducting a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation, and ratifying the company’s independent auditor for fiscal 2026.
Attendance and meeting logistics
Chess opened the meeting by introducing directors and members of the company’s leadership team who were present. Directors in attendance included Nelson Chan, Keith Crandell, Trynka Shineman Blake, Jan Johannessen, Robert Ragusa, Melissa Starovasnik, and Emily Leproust. Company officers listed as attending included CEO Emily Leproust, Patrick Finn, Adam Laponis, Paula Green, Dennis Cho, and Angela Bitting. Dennis Cho served as secretary of the meeting.
Record date, notice, and quorum
According to the meeting proceedings, the board set December 26, 2025 as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting. The company reported that the notice of annual meeting, proxy statement, and the 2025 annual report to stockholders were mailed to stockholders of record beginning on or about January 6, 2026, supported by affidavits referenced during the meeting.
The board appointed Kathy Blackwell, a representative of Broadridge, to serve as inspector of election. Blackwell reported that proxies had been received for 56,260,506 shares of common stock, representing approximately 91.81% of the total votes that could be cast. The inspector determined that this constituted a quorum for the meeting.
Proposals presented to stockholders
Chess said the meeting included three proposals, each described in detail in the proxy statement:
- Election of directors: Stockholders voted on the election of three directors to serve until the 2029 annual meeting of stockholders (and until their successors are elected and qualified, or until earlier resignation or removal). The nominees were Keith Crandell, Jan Johannessen, and Trynka Shineman Blake. The board recommended a vote in favor of all three nominees.
- Advisory vote on executive compensation: Stockholders voted on a non-binding advisory resolution approving executive compensation as described in the proxy statement. The board recommended a vote in favor.
- Auditor ratification: Stockholders voted on ratifying the audit committee’s selection of Ernst & Young LLP as the company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2026. The board recommended a vote in favor.
Voting results and next steps
The polls were opened for voting during the webcast and later closed. Blackwell provided a preliminary report of results, stating that:
- All three director nominees—Crandell, Johannessen, and Shineman Blake—were duly elected.
- The advisory resolution approving executive compensation was approved.
- The proposal to ratify Ernst & Young LLP as independent auditor for fiscal 2026 was approved.
Company representatives said a full tally of the votes would be published in a Form 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission within four business days.
Adjournment and stockholder Q&A
Following the formal business, Chess adjourned the annual meeting and turned the session over to CEO Emily Leproust for stockholder questions submitted through the web portal, under posted rules of procedure. No questions were submitted during the allotted time, and the webcast concluded shortly thereafter.
About Twist Bioscience (NASDAQ:TWST)
Twist Bioscience Corporation is a synthetic biology company specializing in the development and commercialization of DNA-based products and solutions. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in South San Francisco, California, the company has pioneered a proprietary silicon-based DNA synthesis platform designed for high-throughput production of synthetic genes and oligonucleotides. Twist leverages semiconductor manufacturing techniques to enable precise, scalable synthesis of DNA at speeds and volumes unattainable with traditional methods.
At the core of Twist’s offering is its proprietary platform that automates the synthesis of custom DNA fragments, gene libraries, and long oligonucleotides.
