COGT Cogent Biosciences Inc

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 6, 2024

Registration No. 333-    

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

COGENT BIOSCIENCES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

275 Wyman Street, 3rd Floor

Waltham, Massachusetts 02451

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code)

Cogent Biosciences, Inc. Non-Plan Inducement Stock Option Award

Cogent Biosciences, Inc. Non-Plan Inducement Restricted Stock Unit Award

(Full title of the plans)

Andrew Robbins

President and Chief Executive Officer

275 Wyman Street, 3rd Floor

Waltham, Massachusetts 02451

(Name and address of agent for service)

(617) 945-5576

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

Copies to:

Sean C. Feller

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

2029 Century Park East, Suite 4000

Los Angeles, CA 90067

(310) 552-8500

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.

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. ☐

INTRODUCTION

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is filed by Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (the “Registrant” or the “Company”) relating to up to 739,000 shares of the Registrant’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), issuable pursuant to a stand-alone inducement stock option award and a stand-alone inducement restricted stock unit award granted on May 25, 2024 to the Registrant’s new Chief Commercial Officer as an inducement for his commencement of employment with the Registrant pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The documents containing the information specified in this Item 1 will be sent or given to the participant as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

The documents containing the information specified in this Item 2 will be sent or given to the participant as specified by Rule 428(b) under the Securities Act. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Commission are incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:

All reports or other documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold hereunder, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of filing such reports and documents. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless specifically stated to the contrary in such filing, none of the information that the Registrant discloses under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K that it may from time to time furnish to the Commission will be incorporated by reference into, or otherwise be included in or deemed to be a part of, this Registration Statement.

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

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, authorizes a corporation to indemnify its directors and officers against liabilities arising out of actions, suits and proceedings to which they are made or threatened to be made a party by reason of the fact that they have served or are currently serving as a director or officer to a corporation. The indemnity may cover expenses (including attorneys’ fees) judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the director or officer in connection with any such action, suit or proceeding. Section 145 permits corporations to pay expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by directors and officers in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding. In addition, Section 145 provides that a corporation has the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of its directors and officers against any liability asserted against them and incurred by them in their capacity as a director or officer, or arising out of their status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the director or officer against such liability under Section 145.

Registrant has adopted provisions in its amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and its amended and restated bylaws that limit or eliminate the personal liability of its directors to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. Consequently, a director will not be personally liable to Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages or breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for:

These limitations of liability do not alter director liability under the federal securities laws and do not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as an injunction or rescission.

In addition, Registrant’s amended and restated bylaws provide that:

Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and its executive officers. These agreements provide that Registrant will indemnify each of its directors, its executive officers and, at times, their affiliates to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Registrant will advance expenses, including attorneys’ fees (but excluding judgments, fines and settlement amounts), to each indemnified director, executive officer or affiliate in connection with any proceeding in which indemnification is available and Registrant will indemnify its directors and officers for any action or proceeding arising out of that person’s services as a director or officer brought on behalf of the Company and/or in furtherance of its rights. Additionally, each of its directors may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by their affiliates, which indemnification relates to and might apply to the same proceedings arising out of such director’s services as a director referenced herein. Nonetheless, Registrant has agreed in the indemnification agreements that the Company’s obligations to those same directors are primary and any obligation of the affiliates of those directors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the expenses or liabilities incurred by those directors are secondary.

Not applicable.

(a) The undersigned 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) 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; and

(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 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the 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; and

(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 undersigned 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 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to 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.

(c) 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 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

[SIGNATURES ON THE NEXT PAGE]

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant 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 Waltham, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on August 6, 2024.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Andrew Robbins, John Green, and Evan Kearns, and each of them severally, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, in connection with the Registration Statement, including to sign and file in the name and on behalf of the undersigned as a director or officer of Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (1) any and all amendments or supplements (including any and all stickers and post-effective amendments) to the Registration Statement, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, and (2) any and all additional registration statements, and any and all amendments thereto, relating to the same offering of securities as those that are covered by the Registration Statement that are filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any applicable securities exchange or securities self-regulatory body, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the following persons have signed this Registration Statement in the capacities and on the date(s) indicated.

Exhibit 5.1

August 6, 2024

Cogent Biosciences, Inc.

275 Wyman Street, 3rd Floor

Waltham, Massachusetts 02451

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) of Cogent Biosciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the offering by the Company of up to 739,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”) underlying stand alone inducement stock options and restricted stock units (the “Inducement Awards”) granted to the Company’s new Chief Commercial Officer (the “CCO”) pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

In arriving at the opinions expressed below, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction as being true and complete copies of the originals, of such documents, corporate records, certificates of officers of the Company and of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable to enable us to render the opinions set forth below. In our examination, we have assumed without independent investigation the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity and competency of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.

We have also assumed that there are no agreements or understandings between or among the Company and the CCO that would expand, modify or otherwise affect the terms of the Inducement Awards or the rights or obligations of the CCO thereunder. Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, exceptions, qualifications and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when issued and sold in accordance with the terms of the Inducement Awards and against payment therefor, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

We render no opinion herein as to matters involving the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). We are not admitted to practice in the State of Delaware; however, we are generally familiar with the DGCL as currently in effect and have made such inquiries as we consider necessary to render the opinions above. This opinion is limited to the effect of the current state of the DGCL and the facts as they currently exist. We assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion in the event of future changes in such law or the interpretations thereof or such facts.

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving these consents, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

2029 Century Park East Suite 4000 | Los Angeles, CA 90067-3026 | T: 310.552.8500 | F: 310.551.8741 | gibsondunn.com

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8, of Cogent Biosciences, Inc. of our report dated February 26, 2024 relating to the financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in Cogent Biosciences Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

August 6, 2024

Exhibit 99.1

INDUCEMENT AWARD

NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

Pursuant to this Inducement Award Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (the “Agreement”), Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby grants to the Optionee named above an option (the “Stock Option”) to purchase on or prior to the Expiration Date specified above all or part of the number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Stock”) of the Company specified above at the Option Exercise Price per Share specified above subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein. This Stock Option has been granted as an inducement pursuant to Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) of the corporate governance rules of Nasdaq Stock Market. This Stock Option is not intended to be an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. This Stock Option is granted outside of the Company’s 2020 Inducement Plan (the “Plan”), but shall be subject to terms and conditions substantially identical to the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan as if the award were a stock option award granted under the Plan. Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan.

1. Exercisability Schedule. No portion of this Stock Option may be exercised until such portion shall have become exercisable. Except as set forth below, and subject to the discretion of the Administrator to accelerate the exercisability schedule hereunder, this Stock Option shall be exercisable with respect to the following number of Option Shares on the dates indicated so long as Optionee remains an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary on such dates: 25% of the Option Shares shall become exercisable on the first anniversary of the Grant Date and the remainder of the Option Shares shall vest in equal monthly installments over the subsequent 36 months.

Once exercisable, this Stock Option shall continue to be exercisable at any time or times prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, subject to the provisions hereof and of the Plan.

2. Manner of Exercise.

(a) The Optionee may exercise this Stock Option only in the following manner: from time to time on or prior to the Expiration Date of this Stock Option, the Optionee may give written notice to the Administrator of his or her election to purchase some or all of the Option Shares exercisable at the time of such notice. This notice shall specify the number of Option Shares to be purchased.

Payment of the purchase price for the Option Shares may be made by one or more of the following methods: (i) in cash, by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Administrator; (ii) through the delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of Stock that have been purchased by the Optionee on the open market or that are beneficially owned by the Optionee and are not then subject to any restrictions under any Company plan and that otherwise satisfy any holding periods as may be required by the Administrator; (iii) by the Optionee delivering to the Company a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to promptly deliver to the Company cash or a check payable and acceptable to the Company to pay the option purchase price, provided that in the event the Optionee chooses to pay the option purchase price as so provided, the Optionee and the broker shall comply with such procedures and enter into such agreements of indemnity and other agreements as the Administrator shall prescribe as a condition of such payment procedure; (iv) by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of shares of Stock issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price; or (v) a combination of (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above. Payment instruments will be received subject to collection.

The transfer to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent of the Option Shares will be contingent upon (i) the Company’s receipt from the Optionee of the full purchase price for the Option Shares, as set forth above, (ii) the fulfillment of any other requirements contained herein or in the Plan or in any other agreement or provision of laws, and (iii) the receipt by the Company of any agreement, statement or other evidence that the Company may require to satisfy itself that the issuance of Stock to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of Stock Options under this Agreement and any subsequent resale of the shares of Stock will be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In the event the Optionee chooses to pay the purchase price by previously-owned shares of Stock through the attestation method, the number of shares of Stock transferred to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Stock Option shall be net of the Shares attested to.

(b) The shares of Stock purchased upon exercise of this Stock Option shall be transferred to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent upon compliance to the satisfaction of the Administrator with all requirements under applicable laws or regulations in connection with such transfer and with the requirements hereof and of the Plan. The determination of the Administrator as to such compliance shall be final and binding on the Optionee. The Optionee shall not be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Stock subject to this Stock Option unless and until this Stock Option shall have been exercised pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company or the transfer agent shall have transferred the shares to the Optionee, and the Optionee’s name shall have been entered as the stockholder of record on the books of the Company. Thereupon, the Optionee shall have full voting, dividend and other ownership rights with respect to such shares of Stock.

(c) The minimum number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option may be exercised at any one time shall be 100 shares, unless the number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option is being exercised is the total number of shares subject to exercise under this Stock Option at the time.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof or of the Plan, no portion of this Stock Option shall be exercisable after the Expiration Date hereof.

3. Termination of Employment. If the Optionee’s employment by the Company or a Subsidiary is terminated, the period within which to exercise the Stock Option may be subject to earlier termination as set forth below.

(a) Termination Due to Death. If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s death, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date, to the extent exercisable on the date of death, may thereafter be exercised by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee for a period of 12 months from the date of death or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. Any portion of this Stock Option that is not exercisable on the date of death shall terminate immediately and be of no further force or effect.

(b) Termination Due to Disability. If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s disability (as determined by the Administrator), any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date, to the extent exercisable on the date of such termination of employment, may thereafter be exercised by the Optionee for a period of 12 months from the date of disability or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. Any portion of this Stock Option that is not exercisable on the date of disability shall terminate immediately and be of no further force or effect.

(c) Termination for Cause. If the Optionee’s employment terminates for Cause, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date shall terminate immediately and be of no further force and effect. For purposes hereof, “Cause” shall mean, unless otherwise provided in an employment agreement between the Company and the Optionee, a determination by the Administrator that the Optionee shall be dismissed as a result of (i) any material breach by the Optionee of any agreement between the Optionee and the Company; (ii) the conviction of, indictment for or plea of nolo contendere by the Optionee to a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; or (iii) any material misconduct or willful and deliberate non-performance (other than by reason of disability) by the Optionee of the Optionee’s duties to the Company.

(d) Other Termination. If the Optionee’s employment terminates for any reason other than the Optionee’s death, the Optionee’s disability or Cause, and unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of termination, for a period of three months from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. Any portion of this Stock Option that is not exercisable on the date of termination shall terminate immediately and be of no further force or effect.

The Administrator’s determination of the reason for termination of the Optionee’s employment shall be conclusive and binding on the Optionee and his or her representatives or legatees.

4. Incorporation of Plan. Although this Stock Option is not granted pursuant to the Plan, the terms of the Plan applicable to an award of stock options granted under the Plan are incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Agreement, and thus this Stock Option shall be subject to and governed by all the applicable terms and conditions of the Plan as though it were a stock option award granted under the Plan, including the powers of the Administrator set forth in Section 2(b) of the Plan and, in accordance with Section 18(f) of the Plan, this Stock Option shall be subject to the Company’s clawback policy, as in effect from time to time.

5. Transferability. This Agreement is personal to the Optionee, is non-assignable and is not transferable in any manner, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Stock Option is exercisable, during the Optionee’s lifetime, only by the Optionee, and thereafter, only by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee.

6. Tax Withholding. The Optionee shall, not later than the date as of which the exercise of this Stock Option becomes a taxable event for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of any Federal, state, and local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of such taxable event. The Company shall have the authority to cause the required tax withholding obligation to be satisfied, in whole or in part, by withholding from shares of Stock to be issued to the Optionee a number of shares of Stock with an aggregate Fair Market Value that would satisfy the withholding amount due.

7. No Obligation to Continue Employment. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is obligated by or as a result of this Agreement to continue the Optionee in employment and this Agreement shall not interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment of the Optionee at any time.

8. Recoupment. The Stock Option granted under this Agreement, and any shares of Stock issued or other payments made in respect thereof, shall be subject to any recoupment policy that the Company may adopt from time to time, to the extent any such policy is applicable to Optionee and to such compensation including, but not limited to, the Cogent Biosciences, Inc. Incentive Compensation Clawback Policy, designed to comply with the requirements of Rule 10D-1 promulgated under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as any recoupment provisions required under applicable law. For purposes of the foregoing, Optionee expressly and explicitly authorizes (x) the Company to issue instructions, on Optionee’s behalf, to any brokerage firm and/or third party administrator engaged by the Company to hold Optionee’s shares of Stock and other amounts acquired hereunder to re-convey, transfer or otherwise return such shares of Stock and/or other amounts to the Company and (y) the Company’s recovery of any covered compensation through any method of recovery that the Company deems appropriate, including without limitation by reducing any amount that is or may become payable to Optionee. Optionee further agrees to comply with any request or demand for repayment by any affiliate of the Company in order to comply with such policies or applicable law. To the extent that the terms of this Agreement and any Company recoupment policy conflict, the terms of the recoupment policy shall prevail.

9. Integration. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to this Stock Option and supersedes all prior agreements and discussions between the parties concerning such subject matter.

10. Data Privacy Consent. In order to administer the this Agreement and to implement or structure future equity grants, the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates and certain agents thereof (together, the “Relevant Companies”) may process any and all personal or professional data, including but not limited to Social Security or other identification number, home address and telephone number, date of birth and other information that is necessary or desirable for the administration of this Agreement (the “Relevant Information”). By entering into this Agreement, the Optionee (i) authorizes the Company to collect, process, register and transfer to the Relevant Companies all Relevant Information; (ii) waives any privacy rights the Optionee may have with respect to the Relevant Information; (iii) authorizes the Relevant Companies to store and transmit such information in electronic form; and (iv) authorizes the transfer of the Relevant Information to any jurisdiction in which the Relevant Companies consider appropriate. The Optionee shall have access to, and the right to change, the Relevant Information. Relevant Information will only be used in accordance with applicable law.

11. Notices. Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered to the Optionee at the address on file with the Company or, in either case, at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party in writing.

The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by the undersigned. Electronic acceptance of this Agreement pursuant to the Company’s instructions to the Optionee (including through an online acceptance process) is acceptable.

Exhibit 99.2

INDUCEMENT RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT

Name of Grantee:

No. of Restricted Stock Units:

Grant Date:

Pursuant to this Inducement Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby grants an award of the number of Restricted Stock Units listed above (an “Award”) to the Grantee named above. Each Restricted Stock Unit shall relate to one share of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Stock”) of the Company. This Award has been granted as an inducement pursuant to Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) of the corporate governance rules of Nasdaq Stock Market. This Award is granted outside of the Company’s Amended and Restated 2018 Stock Option and Incentive Plan as amended through the date hereof (the “Plan”), but shall be subject to terms and conditions substantially identical to the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan as if the award were an award of restricted stock units granted under the Plan. Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan.

1. Restrictions on Transfer of Award. This Award may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise encumbered or disposed of by the Grantee, and any shares of Stock issuable with respect to the Award may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise encumbered or disposed of until (i) the Restricted Stock Units have vested as provided in Paragraph 2 of this Agreement and (ii) shares of Stock have been issued to the Grantee in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the applicable provisions of the Plan.

2. Vesting of Restricted Stock Units. The restrictions and conditions of Paragraph 1 of this Agreement shall lapse on _________ (the “Vesting Date”) so long as the Grantee remains an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary on the Vesting Date. The Award is subject to a performance period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on _________ (the “Performance Period”). Restricted Stock Units subject to the Award (“RSUs”) may be earned at any time during the Performance Period based on the achievement of the performance milestones set forth below; however vesting does not occur (if at all) until the Vesting Date. All RSUs that are earned during the Performance Period will vest in full on the Vesting Date; provided that the Grantee remains an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary on the Vesting Date. Any RSUs that are not earned during the Performance Period will be forfeited. The performance milestones and the corresponding number of RSUs eligible to be earned are as follows: _________.

3. Termination of Employment. In the event the Grantee is terminated without Cause or quits for Good Reason (each as defined in the Grantee’s employment agreement) during the Performance Period, then all RSUs that have been “earned” prior to such termination shall accelerate in full and immediately vest at the time of such termination; all RSUs that have not been earned at the time of such termination shall be forfeited. In the event the Grantee voluntarily resigns and terminates his or her employment with the Company before the end of the Performance Period, then all RSUs shall be forfeited immediately, including any RSUs that had previously been “earned”.

4. Issuance of Shares of Stock. As soon as practicable following the Vesting Date, the Company shall issue to the Grantee the number of shares of Stock equal to the aggregate number of Restricted Stock Units that have vested pursuant to Paragraph 2 of this Agreement on such date and the Grantee shall thereafter have all the rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to such shares.

5. Incorporation of Plan. Although this Award is not granted pursuant to the Plan, the terms of the Plan applicable to an award of restricted stock units granted under the Plan are incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Agreement, and thus this Agreement and the Award shall be subject to and governed by all the applicable terms and conditions of the Plan as though it were an award of restricted stock units granted under the Plan, including the powers of the Administrator set forth in Section 2(b) of the Plan and, in accordance with Section 18(f) of the Plan, this Award shall be subject to the Company’s clawback policy, as in effect from time to time.

6. Tax Withholding. The Grantee shall, not later than the date as of which the receipt of this Award becomes a taxable event for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of any Federal, state, and local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of such taxable event. The Company shall have the authority to cause the required tax withholding obligation to be satisfied, in whole or in part, by withholding from shares of Stock to be issued to the Grantee a number of shares of Stock with an aggregate Fair Market Value that would satisfy the withholding amount due.

7. Section 409A of the Code. This Agreement shall be interpreted in such a manner that all provisions relating to the settlement of the Award are exempt from the requirements of Section 409A of the Code as “short-term deferrals” as described in Section 409A of the Code.

8. No Obligation to Continue Employment. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is obligated by or as a result of this Agreement to continue the Grantee in employment and this Agreement shall not interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment of the Grantee at any time.

9. Recoupment. The RSUs granted under this Agreement, and any shares of Stock issued or other payments made in respect thereof, shall be subject to any recoupment policy that the Company may adopt from time to time, to the extent any such policy is applicable to Optionee and to such compensation including, but not limited to, the Cogent Biosciences, Inc. Incentive Compensation Clawback Policy, designed to comply with the requirements of Rule 10D-1 promulgated under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as any recoupment provisions required under applicable law. For purposes of the foregoing, Grantee expressly and explicitly authorizes (x) the Company to issue instructions, on Grantee’s behalf, to any brokerage firm and/or third party administrator engaged by the Company to hold Grantee’s shares of Stock and other amounts acquired hereunder to re-convey, transfer or otherwise return

such shares of Stock and/or other amounts to the Company and (y) the Company’s recovery of any covered compensation through any method of recovery that the Company deems appropriate, including without limitation by reducing any amount that is or may become payable to Grantee. Grantee further agrees to comply with any request or demand for repayment by any affiliate of the Company in order to comply with such policies or applicable law. To the extent that the terms of this Agreement and any Company recoupment policy conflict, the terms of the recoupment policy shall prevail.

10. Integration. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to this Award and supersedes all prior agreements and discussions between the parties concerning such subject matter.

11. Data Privacy Consent. In order to administer this Agreement and to implement or structure future equity grants, the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates and certain agents thereof (together, the “Relevant Companies”) may process any and all personal or professional data, including but not limited to Social Security or other identification number, home address and telephone number, date of birth and other information that is necessary or desirable for the administration of this Agreement (the “Relevant Information”). By entering into this Agreement, the Grantee (i) authorizes the Company to collect, process, register and transfer to the Relevant Companies all Relevant Information; (ii) waives any privacy rights the Grantee may have with respect to the Relevant Information; (iii) authorizes the Relevant Companies to store and transmit such information in electronic form; and (iv) authorizes the transfer of the Relevant Information to any jurisdiction in which the Relevant Companies consider appropriate. The Grantee shall have access to, and the right to change, the Relevant Information. Relevant Information will only be used in accordance with applicable law.

12. Notices. Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered to the Grantee at the address on file with the Company or, in either case, at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party in writing.

The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by electronic acceptance, which, pursuant to the Company’s instructions to the Grantee (including through an online acceptance process) is acceptable.

Dated: