Initial Registration Statement for Employee Benefit Plan (Form S-8)

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 16, 2026

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

CURIOSITYSTREAM INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware		84-1797523
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

8484 Georgia Ave., Suite 700 Silver Spring, Maryland		20910
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

CuriosityStream Inc. Inducement Equity Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

Tia Cudahy

Chief Operating Officer and Secretary

8484 Georgia Ave., Suite 700

Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

(Name and address of agent for service)

(301) 755-2050

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent of service)

With copies to:

Christopher Peterson

Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

250 West 55th Street

New York, NY 10019

(212) 836-8861

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. ☐

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 (this "Registration Statement") is being filed by CuriosityStream Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Registrant") for the purpose of registering 300,000 shares of the Registrant's common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the "Common Stock"), reserved for issuance pursuant to the CuriosityStream Inc. Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the "Inducement Plan").

The Inducement Plan was adopted by the Registrant's Board of Directors and became effective on June 10, 2026. The Inducement Plan provides for the grant of equity-based awards to individuals who were not previously employees or directors of the Registrant, as an inducement material to such individuals' entering into employment with the Registrant, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

Pursuant to the Inducement Plan, the Registrant has reserved 300,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance thereunder. This Registration Statement is filed to register such shares.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The documents containing the information specified in this Part I will be delivered to the participants in the Inducement Plan covered by this Registration Statement as required by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Such documents are not required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") as part of this Registration Statement.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The Company is incorporating by reference into this Registration Statement the filings listed below and any additional documents that the Registrant may file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), after the date of this Registration Statement, but prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, except the Registrant is not incorporating by reference any information that is not deemed to be "filed" under Section 18 of the Exchange Act or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section (including documents or information deemed furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K and corresponding information furnished under Item 9.01 as an exhibit thereto), unless the report or filing containing such information indicates that the information is to be considered "filed" under the Exchange Act or is to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:

●

The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Commission on March 12, 2026;

●

The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, filed with the Commission on May 14, 2026;

●

The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 4, 2026, February 5, 2026, March 11, 2026 (only with respect to Item 8.01), May 14, 2026 (only with respect to Item 8.01), and May 21, 2026; and

●

The portions of the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders filed with the Commission on April 10, 2026, that are incorporated by reference in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Subsection (a) of Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the "DGCL") empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or who is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person's conduct was unlawful.

Subsection (b) of Section 145 empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person acted in any of the capacities set forth above, against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

Section 145 further provides that to the extent a director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 145, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith; that indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the indemnified party may be entitled; and the indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of such person's heirs, executors and administrators. Section 145 also empowers the corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liabilities under Section 145.

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL provides that a corporation's certificate of incorporation may contain a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, provided that such provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

The registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided in its second amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Each indemnification agreement provides for indemnification and advancements by the registrant of certain expenses and costs relating to claims, suits or proceedings arising from his or her service to the registrant or, at the registrant's request, service to other entities, as officers or directors to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. The registrant believes that these provisions and agreements are necessary to attract qualified directors and executive officers.

The registrant also maintains standard policies of insurance under which coverage is provided (1) to its directors and officers against loss arising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act, while acting in their capacity as directors and officers of the registrant, and (2) to the registrant with respect to payments which may be made by the registrant to such officers and directors pursuant to any indemnification provision contained in the registrant's second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, as amended, or otherwise as a matter of law.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit No.

Description

Incorporated By Reference

Filed/Furnished Herewith

Form

File No.

Exhibit

Filing Date

3.1

Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

8-K

001-39139

3.1

October 14, 2020

3.2

Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of CuriosityStream Inc.

8-K

001-39139

3.1

August 13, 2024

3.3

Amended and Restated Bylaws

8-K

001-39139

3.2

October 14, 2020

3.4

First Amendment to Amended and Restated Bylaws

8-K

001-39139

3.1

April 15, 2024

4.1

Specimen Common Stock Certificate

S-1/A

001-39139

4.2

November 8, 2019

4.2

CuriosityStream Inc. Inducement Equity Incentive Plan

X

4.3†

Form of Standalone Restricted Stock Award Agreement (Inducement Grant)

X

5.1

Opinion of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

X

23.1

Consent of Grant Thornton LLP, independent registered public accounting firm

X

23.3

Consent of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1)

X

24.1

Power of Attorney (included on signature pages of this Registration Statement)

X

107

Filing Fee Table

X

†	This document is a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

Item 9. Undertakings.

(a) The 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 the 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) (§ 230.424(b) of this chapter) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Filing Fee Tables" or "Calculation of Registration Fee" table, as applicable, in the effective registration statement;

(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 paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs 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.

(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 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 that is incorporated by reference in the 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.

(h) 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 foregoing provisions, 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.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, CuriosityStream Inc. 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 Silver Spring, State of Maryland, on June 16, 2026.

Dated: June 16, 2026	By:	/s/ Clint Stinchcomb
	Name:	Clint Stinchcomb
	Title:	President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
Dated: June 16, 2026	By:	/s/ P. Brady Hayden
	Name:	P. Brady Hayden
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each individual whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints each of P. Brady Hayden and Tia Cudahy, acting singly, his true and lawful agent, proxy and attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to (i) act on, sign and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement together with all schedules and exhibits thereto and any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with all schedules and exhibits thereto, (ii) act on, sign and file such certificates, instruments, agreements and other documents as may be necessary or appropriate in connection therewith, (iii) act on and file any supplement to any prospectus included in this registration statement or any such amendment or any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and (iv) take any and all actions which may be necessary or appropriate in connection therewith, granting unto such agents, proxies and attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing necessary or appropriate to be done, as fully for all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby approving, ratifying and confirming all that such agents, proxies and attorneys-in-fact or any of their substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement and Power of Attorney have been signed on June 16, 2026, by the following persons in the capacities indicated.

Date: June 16, 2026		/s/ Clint Stinchcomb
	Name:	Clint Stinchcomb
	Title:	President and Chief Executive Officer, Director (Principal Executive Officer)
Date: June 16, 2026		/s/ P. Brady Hayden
	Name:	P. Brady Hayden
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
Date: June 16, 2026		/s/ John Hendricks
	Name:	John Hendricks
	Title:	Chairman of the Board, Director
Date: June 16, 2026		/s/ Elizabeth Saravia
	Name:	Elizabeth Saravia
	Title:	Director
Date: June 16, 2026		/s/ Patrick Keeley
	Name:	Patrick Keeley
	Title:	Director
Date: June 16, 2026		/s/ Matthew Blank
	Name:	Matthew Blank
	Title:	Director
Date: June 16, 2026		/s/ Jonathan Huberman
	Name:	Jonathan Huberman
	Title:	Director
Date: June 16, 2026		/s/ Mike Nikzad
	Name:	Mike Nikzad
	Title:	Director
Date: June 16, 2026		/s/ Andrew Hendricks
	Name:	Andrew Hendricks
	Title:	Director