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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.           )

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Check the appropriate box:

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Bicycle Therapeutics plc

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if Other Than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box)

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Bicycle Therapeutics plc

Building 900 Babraham Research Campus,

Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom

(Incorporated and Registered in England and Wales with Registered Company No. 11036004)

April 29, 2022

Dear Shareholder:

We are pleased to provide details of the 2022 Annual General Meeting (the “AGM”) of Bicycle Therapeutics plc to be held on Monday, June 27, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. (midday) London time (7:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time), at our principal executive offices, located at Building 900 Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom.

At the time of printing, all legal limits on social contact in England in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have been removed, and we expect that ordinary shareholders will be able to attend our AGM in person. We will continue to monitor the situation, including U.K. government guidance, and will continue to do so in the lead up to the AGM. Should regulations or government guidance change between now and the date of the AGM, we will provide an update on our website (https://investors.bicycletherapeutics.com) and ordinary shareholders are encouraged to check for any updates.

Details regarding the business to be conducted at AGM, and admission to the AGM, are described in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and proxy statement.

Your vote is important. We hope you will vote as soon as possible. You may vote through any of the means described in the accompanying proxy statement or, if you are a holder of our American Depositary Shares, the ADS proxy card provided to you. Please carefully review the instructions on each of your voting options described in this proxy statement, the notice and, if applicable, the voting instructions.

Thank you for your ongoing support of and continued interest in Bicycle Therapeutics plc. We look forward to receiving your vote in respect of the business to be conducted at the AGM.

Yours sincerely,

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/s/ Pierre Legault

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Pierre Legault

Chairman

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Bicycle Therapeutics plc
Building 900 Babraham Research Campus,
Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
(Incorporated and Registered in England and Wales with Registered Company No. 11036004)

NOTICE OF 2022 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, JUNE 27, 2022

NOTICE is hereby given that the 2022 Annual General Meeting (the “AGM”) of Bicycle Therapeutics plc, a public limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales (referred to herein as the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our”), will be held on Monday, June 27, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. (midday) London time (7:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time), at our principal executive offices, located at Building 900 Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom, for transaction of the following business:

Ordinary resolutions

Please refer to the attached proxy statement for detailed information on each of the resolutions. We encourage you to read the attached proxy statement in its entirety before voting. Our Board of Directors has approved each resolution and recommends that shareholders entitled to vote at the AGM vote in favor of each of the resolutions (or, in the case of proposal 4, vote in favor of the option for one year).

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Proposals 1 through 10 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and under English law, assuming that a quorum is present, an ordinary resolution is passed if it is approved by holders representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present (in person or by proxy) who (being entitled to vote) vote on the resolution.

Voting on all resolutions at the AGM will be conducted by way of a poll, rather than a show of hands.

The result of the shareholder votes on the ordinary resolutions in proposals 3, 4, 9 and 10 will not require our Board of Directors or any committee thereof to take any action. Our Board of Directors values the opinions of our shareholders as expressed through such votes and will carefully consider the outcome of the votes these proposals.

Only those ordinary shareholders of record as of 6:00 p.m. London time (1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time) on Thursday, June 23, 2022 will be entitled to attend, speak and vote at the AGM. Ordinary shareholders attending the AGM will have the right to ask questions at the AGM in accordance with the Companies Act.

Your vote is important, regardless of the number of shares you own. To make sure your shares are represented at the AGM, please vote as soon as possible. Holders of ordinary shares entitled to attend and vote at the AGM are entitled to appoint a proxy (or, if they hold more than one ordinary share, proxies) to exercise all or any of their rights to attend, speak and vote. Such proxy need not be one of our shareholders of record. Holders of our ordinary shares may vote by proxy either over the Internet or by returning a form of proxy in the envelope provided by no later than 12:00 p.m. (midday) London time (7:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time) on June 23, 2022. In addition, institutional investors may be able to appoint a proxy electronically via the Proxymity platform. You may revoke your proxy in the manner described in the accompanying proxy statement. Holders of our American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) may vote by following the voting instructions in the attached proxy statement.

The results of the polls taken on the resolutions at the AGM and any other information required by the Companies Act will be made available on our website (https://investors.bicycletherapeutics.com) as soon as reasonably practicable following the AGM and for the required period thereafter. The inclusion of our website address here and elsewhere in this proxy statement does not include or incorporate by reference the information on our website into this proxy statement.

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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the

Shareholder Meeting to be Held on June 27, 2022

The Notice of 2022 Annual General Meeting, the proxy statement, the Annual Report on Form 10-K, the 2021 U.K. Annual Report and form of proxy (collectively, the “Proxy Materials”) are available in the Investors section of our website at https://investors.bicycletherapeutics.com. Information included on our website, other than the Proxy Materials, is not part of our proxy soliciting materials.

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BICYCLE THERAPEUTICS PLC

Building 900 Babraham Research Campus,

Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom

(Incorporated and Registered in England and Wales with Registered Company No. 11036004)

PROXY STATEMENT

FOR THE 2022 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON JUNE 27, 2022

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THESE PROXY MATERIALS AND VOTING

We have sent you this proxy statement and the enclosed form of proxy because the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Bicycle Therapeutics plc is soliciting your proxy to vote at our annual general meeting of shareholders (the “AGM”). As used in this proxy statement, references to “we,” “us,” “our” and the “Company” refer to Bicycle Therapeutics plc.

The Notice of 2022 Annual General Meeting, this proxy statement, the form of proxy, our U.K. statutory annual accounts and reports for the year ended December 31, 2021 (“2021 U.K. Annual Report”) and our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Annual Report on Form 10-K,” and collectively with the Notice of 2022 Annual General Meeting, this proxy statement, the 2021 U.K. Annual Report and the form of proxy, “Proxy Materials”), will be made available to our ordinary shareholders of record for the first time on or about April 29, 2022.

While this proxy statement is made available to our ordinary shareholders of record, this document will also be sent to holders of American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) for the first time on or about April 29, 2022 and contains information relevant to holders of ADSs. In addition, we have provided brokers, dealers, bankers, and their nominees, at our expense, with copies of the Proxy Materials so that our record holders can supply these materials to the beneficial owners of our ordinary shares.

When is the AGM?

The meeting will be held on Monday, June 27, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. (midday) London time (7:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time), at our principal executive offices, located at Building 900 Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom.

What are the arrangements for the AGM given the current COVID-19 pandemic?

At the time of printing, all legal limits on social contact in England in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have been removed and we expect that ordinary shareholders will be able to attend our AGM in person. Should regulations or government guidance change between now and the date of the AGM, we will provide an update on our website (https://investors.bicycletherapeutics.com) and ordinary shareholders are encouraged to check our website for any updates. We will continue to monitor the situation, including U.K. government guidance, and will continue to do so in the lead up to the AGM.

Why am I receiving these materials?

We have made available the Proxy Materials to you because you are an ordinary shareholder of record and our Board is soliciting your proxy to vote at the AGM, including at any adjournments or postponements thereof. You do not need to attend the AGM to vote your shares.

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You may vote by proxy over the internet or by mail, and your vote will be cast on your behalf at the AGM. In addition, if you are an institutional investor, you may also be able to appoint a proxy electronically via the Proxymity platform. To submit your proxy, simply follow the instructions in this proxy statement. All proxies, however submitted, must be lodged with our registrar, Computershare Investor Services PLC (“Computershare”), by no later than 12:00 p.m. (midday) London time (7:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time) on Thursday, June 23, 2022.

Materials for ADS holders of record, including this proxy statement, the Annual Report on Form 10-K, the 2021 U.K. Annual Report and an ADS proxy card, will be mailed on or about April 29, 2022 to all ADS holders, including banks, brokers and nominees, who are registered as holders of ADSs in the ADS register by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on April 22, 2022 (the record date for ADS holders).

Who can vote at the AGM?

Ordinary shareholders of record

Only ordinary shareholders of record registered in the register of members at 6:00 p.m. London time (1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time) on Thursday, June 23, 2022 will be entitled to vote at the AGM. As of April 7, 2022 (being the last practicable date before the circulation of this proxy statement), there were 29,646,438 ordinary shares issued and outstanding and entitled to vote. As an ordinary shareholder of record, you may vote at the AGM or by proxy. We urge you to vote by proxy over the internet or by mail or, if applicable, via the Proxymity platform, as instructed below to ensure your vote is counted.

If, on or prior to June 23, 2022, you sell or transfer our ordinary shares that you currently hold, your form of proxy can no longer be used and if submitted (whether before or after you sell or transfer your ordinary shares) will be treated as invalid. Please pass this document to the person who arranged the sale or transfer for delivery to the purchaser or transferee. The purchaser or transferee should contact Jim Sutcliffe, Company Secretary, to request a new form of proxy for their use.

Beneficial owners of ordinary shares which are registered in the name of a broker, bank or other agent

If, on April 22, 2022, your ordinary shares were held in an account at a brokerage firm, bank or other similar organization and you are the beneficial owner of shares, these Proxy Materials should be forwarded to you by that organization. The organization holding your account is considered the shareholder of record for purposes of voting at the AGM. You are encouraged to provide voting instructions to your broker or other agent so that they may submit a proxy.

Holders of American Depositary Shares

If you or your brokerage firm, bank or nominee is registered as a holder of ADSs in the ADS register at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, April 22, 2022 (the record date for ADS holders), you are entitled to exercise your vote as a holder of an interest in our capital represented by ADSs. If you hold ADSs through a brokerage firm, bank or nominee on April 22, 2022, the materials for ADS holders, including the ADS proxy card, will be sent to that organization. The organization holding your account is considered the ADS holder of record. Please reach out to that organization to provide your voting instructions.

Please note that ADS proxy cards submitted by ADS holders must be received by the depositary, Citibank, N.A., no later than 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Citibank, N.A. will collate all votes properly submitted by ADS holders and submit a vote on behalf of all ADS holders.

What are the differences between ADS holders and ordinary shareholders?

Citibank, N.A., as depositary, executes and delivers ADSs on our behalf. We are requesting the depositary, which holds the ordinary shares underlying the ADSs, to seek ADS holders’ instructions as to voting for the AGM. As a result, ADS holders may instruct the depositary to vote the ordinary shares underlying their ADSs.

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Because we have asked the depositary to seek the instructions of ADS holders, the depositary will notify ADS holders of the upcoming vote and arrange to deliver the Proxy Materials to them. The depositary then tries, as far as practicable, to vote the ordinary shares as our ADS holders instruct. The depositary does not vote or attempt to exercise the right to vote other than in accordance with the instructions of the ADS holders. We cannot guarantee that ADS holders will receive this proxy statement and the other proxy materials from the depositary in time to permit them to instruct the depositary to vote their shares. In addition, there may be other circumstances in which ADS holders may not be able to exercise voting rights. Furthermore, ADS holders can exercise their right to vote the ordinary shares underlying their ADSs by exchanging their ADSs for ordinary shares. However, even though we are subject to U.S. domestic issuer proxy rules and our shareholder meetings are announced via press release and filed with the SEC, ADS holders may not know about the meeting early enough to exchange their ADSs for ordinary shares.

ADS holders are not required to be treated as holders of ordinary shares and do not have the rights of holders of ordinary shares.

What is the difference between a shareholder of record and a beneficial owner?

These terms describe how your ordinary shares are held. If your ordinary shares are registered directly in our register of members maintained by Computershare, our registrar, you are a shareholder of record and the Proxy Materials are being sent directly, or otherwise being made available, to you. If your ordinary shares are held in the name of a broker, bank, or other nominee, you are a beneficial owner of the shares held by your broker, bank or other nominee and the Proxy Materials are being made available or forwarded to you by your broker, bank, or other nominee, who is treated as the shareholder of record. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank, or other nominee on how to vote your ordinary shares by following the instructions on the voting instructions provided to you by such broker, bank or other nominee.

What are the requirements to approve each of the proposals?

You may cast your vote for or against proposals 1 through 10 or abstain from voting your shares on one or more of these proposals.

Proposals 1 through 10 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions. Under English law, assuming that a quorum is present, an ordinary resolution is passed if it is approved by holders representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present (in person or by proxy) who are entitled to vote and vote on the resolution.

The result of the shareholder votes on the ordinary resolutions in proposals 3, 4, 9 and 10 regarding advisory approval of the executive compensation of our named executive officers, advisory indication of the preferred frequency of shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation, receipt and adoption of the 2021 U.K. Annual Report and approval of the directors’ remuneration report for the year ended December 31, 2021 will not require our Board or any committee thereof to take any action. Our Board value the opinions of our shareholders as expressed through such votes and will carefully consider the outcome of the votes on these proposals.

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What are the voting recommendations of our Board regarding the election of directors and other proposals?

The following table summarizes the items that will be brought for a vote of our shareholders at the AGM, along with the Board’s voting recommendations.

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What constitutes a quorum?

For the purposes of the AGM, a quorum will be present if two members entitled to vote are present in person or by proxy or, in the case of a member which is a corporation, represented by a duly authorized officer, at the AGM. If there is no quorum, the AGM will stand adjourned to another day (not being less than 10 clear days after the date of the original meeting), and at such time and place or places, with such means of attendance and participation as the Chairman (or, in default, the Board) may determine. If at such adjourned meeting, a quorum is not present within 15 minutes from the time appointed for the holding of the meeting, one person entitled to vote on the business to be transacted, being a member or a proxy or a duly authorized representative of a corporation which is a member, shall be a quorum and any notice of an adjourned meeting shall state this.

How do I vote my shares?

You may vote “For” or “Against” or abstain from voting on the applicable proposal (or, in the case of proposal 4, you may choose “1 year,” “2 years” or “3 years” or may abstain from voting). The procedures for voting are as follows:

Ordinary shareholders of record

If you are an ordinary “shareholder of record,” you may vote at the AGM or by proxy. We urge you to vote by proxy over the Internet or by mail or, if applicable, via the Proxymity platform, as instructed below to ensure your vote is counted. You may still attend the AGM and vote in person during the AGM even if you have already voted by proxy.

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You may appoint more than one proxy in relation to the AGM (provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise the rights attached to a different ordinary share(s)). To appoint more than one proxy, you should contact our registrar, Computershare. Such proxy need not be a shareholder of record but must attend the AGM to represent you for your vote to be counted. We encourage all shareholders to appoint the Chairman of the AGM as their proxy.

You may vote using one of the following methods:

All proxies (however submitted) must be lodged with Computershare, our registrar, by no later than 12:00 p.m. (midday) London time (7:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time) on June 23, 2022.

If you properly give instructions as to your proxy appointment by executing and returning a form of proxy, or by submitting your proxy online, and your proxy appointment is not subsequently revoked, your shares will be voted in accordance with your instructions.

Beneficial owners of ordinary shares which are registered in the name of a broker, bank or other agent

If your ordinary shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm, bank or similar organization, you should follow directions provided by your broker, bank or other nominee.

Holders of American Depositary Shares

If you are a holder of ADSs, you should follow the directions on the ADS proxy card you received.

Please note that ADS proxy cards submitted by ADS holders must be received by Citibank, N.A. no later than 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Citibank, N.A. will collate all votes properly submitted by ADS holders and submit a vote on behalf of all ADS holders.

Holders of ADSs are not entitled to attend and vote at the AGM in person.

How will my ordinary shares or ADSs be voted if I do not specify how they should be voted?

If you sign and send your form of proxy but do not indicate how you want your ordinary shares to be voted, your shares may be voted by the person that you appoint as your proxy as he or she sees fit or such person may abstain in relation to any business of the AGM. As a reminder, we urge all shareholders to appoint the Chairman of the AGM as your proxy.

If a holder of ADSs does not submit an ADS proxy card to Citibank, N.A. by the deadline specified, the ADS holder shall be deemed to have instructed Citibank, N.A. to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us to vote the ordinary shares represented by his or her ADSs (provided that no such discretionary proxy shall be given if we inform Citibank, N.A. that we do not want such proxy to be given, substantial opposition exists or the rights of ADS

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holders may be adversely affected). If the enclosed ADS proxy card is signed but is missing voting instructions, Citibank, N.A. will deem the ADS holder to have instructed it to vote in favor of the proposals. If the enclosed ADS proxy card is improperly completed, Citibank, N.A. will not vote the ADSs to which such ADS proxy card relates; in particular, if more than one voting box is marked for any proposal, the ADS holder shall be deemed to have directed Citibank, N.A. to abstain on the proposal concerned.

Can I change my vote or revoke a proxy?

An ordinary shareholder of record can revoke his, her or its proxy before 12:00 p.m. (midday) London time (7:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time) on June 23, 2022 (the deadline for submission of proxies) in one of the following ways:

If your ordinary shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm, bank or similar organization, you may change or revoke your voting instructions by contacting the broker, bank or other nominee holding the shares. See also “What if I plan to attend the Meeting?”

If you hold ADSs, directly or through a broker, bank or other nominee, you must follow the instructions provided by Citibank, N.A. or such broker, bank or other nominee if you wish to change your vote. The last instructions you submit prior to the deadline indicated by Citibank, N.A. or the broker, bank or other nominee, as applicable, will be used to instruct Citibank, N.A. how to vote your ADSs.

Who counts the votes?

Computershare has been engaged as our independent agent to tabulate shareholder votes. If you are an ordinary shareholder of record, you can return your executed form of proxy to Computershare for tabulation or submit your proxy electronically over the Internet at www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy (see instructions on form of proxy).

If you hold your ordinary shares through a broker, your broker will return the form of proxy to Computershare or directly submit your proxy to Computershare online.

If you are a holder of record of ADSs, you can return your executed ADS proxy card to Citibank, N.A. for tabulation. If you hold your ADSs through a broker, bank or other organization, that organization can return the ADS proxy card to Citibank, N.A. following your instruction. Citibank, N.A. will submit your votes to Computershare for tabulation.

How are votes counted?

Voting on all resolutions at the AGM will be conducted by way of a poll, rather than a show of hands. Votes will be counted by Computershare, who will separately count “For,” “Against” and abstentions.

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What is an “abstention” and how would it affect the vote?

An abstention is not a vote in law and will not be counted in the calculation of the proportion of the votes for or against a particular resolution.

How many votes do I have?

On each matter to be voted upon, each ordinary shareholder of record present in person at the AGM or having submitted a proxy as set out in this proxy statement, or being a corporation present at the AGM by a duly authorized representative, has one vote for each ordinary share held as of 6:00 p.m. London time (1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time) on June 23, 2022.

On each matter to be voted upon, each holder of ADSs has one vote for each ADS held as of April 22, 2022.

What about joint holders?

In the case of joint holders of record of an ordinary share, the vote of the senior who tenders the vote (whether in person or by proxy) will be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of any other joint holders. For these purposes, seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in our relevant register of members of the company (as the case may be) in respect of the joint holding (with the first named being the most senior).

What if I plan to attend the Meeting?

Attendance at the AGM will be limited to ordinary shareholders of record as of 6:00 p.m. London time (1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time) on Thursday, June 23, 2022. In order to obtain admittance to the AGM each shareholder may be asked to present valid picture identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. If your ordinary shares are held through brokerage accounts or by a bank or other nominee, you may be able to attend at the discretion of the Chairman. Any corporation which is an ordinary shareholder of record may by resolution of its directors authorize one or more persons to act as its representative(s) at the AGM and the person(s) so authorized shall (on production of a certified copy of such resolution at the AGM) be entitled to exercise these same powers on behalf of the corporation as the corporation could exercise if it were one of our individual shareholders.

Holders of ADSs are not entitled to attend and vote at the AGM in person in any event.

How do you solicit proxies?

We will solicit proxies and will bear the entire cost of this solicitation. The initial solicitation of proxies may be supplemented by additional mail communications and by telephone, fax, e-mail, internet and personal solicitation by our directors, officers or other employees. No additional compensation for soliciting proxies will be paid to our directors, officers or other employees for their proxy solicitation efforts. We also reimburse Citibank, N.A. for its expenses in sending materials, including ADS proxy cards, to ADS holders of record.

What do I do if I receive more than one set of Proxy Materials?

If you hold ordinary shares in more than one account, you will receive Proxy Materials for each account. To ensure that all of your shares are voted, please sign, date and return all forms of proxy received. Please be sure to vote all of your shares.

If you hold ADSs in your own name registered on the books of the Depositary, you are considered the registered holder of the ADSs and will receive the Proxy Materials from the Depositary. If you hold ADSs through a broker, bank or other nominee, you are considered the beneficial owner of the ADSs and you will receive the Proxy Materials from your broker, bank or other nominee.

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Will there be any other business conducted at the Meeting?

Subject to any shareholder proposals submitted in accordance with section 338 of the U.K. Companies Act 2006 (the “Companies Act”) (as summarized below), no matters other than proposals 1 through 10 may be presented at the AGM. We have not been notified of, and our Board is not aware of, any other matters to be presented for action at the AGM.

Under section 338 of the Companies Act, shareholders meeting the threshold requirement in that section may require us to give to our shareholders entitled to receive this notice of the AGM notice of a resolution which may properly be moved and is intended to be moved at the AGM unless (i) it would, if passed, be ineffective whether by reason of inconsistency with any enactment or our constitution or otherwise, (ii) it is defamatory of any person or (iii) it is frivolous or vexatious. Such a request may be in hard copy form or in electronic form, must identify the resolution of which notice is to be given, must be authorized by the person or persons making it and must be received by us not later than Monday, May 16, 2022, the date six weeks before the AGM.

What is Computershare’s role?

Computershare is our registrar. All communications concerning ordinary shareholder of record accounts, including address changes, name changes, ordinary share transfer requirements and similar issues can be handled by contacting Computershare at tel: +44 (0) 370 703 0031 or by writing to Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZZ, England.

Communications concerning ADS holder of record accounts can be handled by contacting Citibank, N.A.—ADR Shareholder Services at +1-877- 248-4237 (toll free within the United States) or +1-781-575-4555 (for international callers) or by email at citibank@shareholders-online.com or at Citibank Shareholder Services, P.O. Box 43077, Providence, RI 02940-3077.

How can I find out the results of the voting at the Meeting?

Voting results will be announced by the filing of a current report on Form 8-K within four business days after the AGM. If final voting results are unavailable at that time, we will file an amended current report on Form 8-K within four business days of the day the final results are available.

Who do I contact regarding my ADS holdings?

If you are an ADS holder of record and have queries about how to deliver voting instructions, please contact Citibank, N.A.—ADR Shareholder Services by telephone at +1-877-248-4237 (toll free within the United States) or +1-781-575-4555 (for international callers) or by email at citibank@shareholders-online.com or at Citibank Shareholder Services, P.O. Box 43077, Providence, RI 02940-3077. If you hold your ADSs through a custodian, broker or other agent, you should refer to the contact information provided by your agent.

What do I do if I have additional questions?

If you have any further questions about voting or attending the AGM, please contact Jim Sutcliffe, Company Secretary, by email at jim.sutcliffe@bicycletx.com.com or by telephone at +44 (0)1223 261515.

Directions to AGM

Directions to the AGM, which is to be held at our principal executive offices, located at Building 900 Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom, are available at: https://investors.bicycletherapeutics.com. Information included on our website, other than the Proxy Materials, is not part of our proxy soliciting materials.

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RE-ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Our Board of Directors currently consists of seven directors. Our Articles of Association divides our Board into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, each of which will consist, as nearly as possible, of one-third of the total number of directors constituting our entire board and which will serve staggered three-year terms.

Under our Articles of Association, at the third annual general meeting following our listing on The Nasdaq Stock Exchange (“Nasdaq”), each director in Class III will retire from office but will be eligible for re-appointment by ordinary resolution at such annual general meeting and, in each case, where such director is so re-appointed, they will be entitled to serve until the third anniversary of such annual general meeting, at which point such director shall retire from office but shall be eligible for reappointment.

Acting upon the recommendation of our Nominating and Governance Committee, our Board nominated Richard Kender and Pierre Legault for re-election as Class III directors and no other nominees for directors have been presented. If elected, the nominees will hold office from the date of re-election until the 2025 annual general meeting of shareholders, which is the third anniversary of the AGM, and until his successor is elected and has been qualified, or until his earlier death, resignation or removal.

In connection with proposals 1 and 2, we set forth the biographical information for the nominees to our Board. For biographical information for the other directors, see the section of this proxy statement titled “Board of Directors and Corporate Governance.”

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PROPOSAL 1—RE-ELECTION OF PIERRE LEGAULT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Pierre Legault, MBA, CA, CPA is currently Chairman of our Board and has been nominated for re-election as a director. If re-elected, he will hold office from the date of his re-election until the third anniversary of the AGM, occurring in 2025, when he must retire by rotation and offer himself for re-election, or until his earlier death, resignation or removal. If re-elected, Mr. Legault will continue to serve as Chairman of our Board. Mr. Legault has agreed to serve if re-elected, and we have no reason to believe that he will be unable to serve.

Pierre Legault has served as our Chairman and a member of our Board since March 2019. Mr. Legault has served as Chairman of the board of directors of Amolyt Pharma SA since December 2020, has been Chairman of the board of directors of Artios Pharma Limited since February 2018, has been Chairman of the board of directors of Sitryx Therapeutics Limited since March of 2021, has served on the board of directors of Poxel SA since January 2016 and has been Chairman of such board since March 2016, has served on the board of directors of Urovant Sciences Limited as a director since July 2018, has served on the board of directors of Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since January 2017, and as Chairman of the board of directors of Egle Therapeutics SA since January 28, 2022. Mr. Legault has also previously served as a member of the boards of directors at Clementia Pharmaceuticals Inc., Forest Laboratories, Inc., Tobira Therapeutics, Inc., NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Regado Biosciences, Inc., ARMO Biosciences, Inc., Iroko Pharmaceuticals LLC, Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals Inc., Eckerd Pharmacy and NephroGenex, Inc., where he also served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 2012 to 2016. From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Legault served as the Chief Executive Officer of Prosidion Ltd., a subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc., and from 2009 to 2010, he served as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mr. Legault also previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of Eckerd Pharmacy and Chief Administrative Officer of the Rite Aid Corporation. Between 1989 and 2005, Mr. Legault held various global roles such as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer at legacy companies of the Sanofi-Aventis group. Mr. Legault earned a B.B.A. in Business & International Finance from HEC Montreal, an MBA in Marketing from McGill University and holds C.A. and C.P.A. diplomas. He also studied at Harvard Business School in their Graduate Executive MBA program. We believe that Mr. Legault is qualified to serve on our Board based on his experience leading and managing a number of biopharmaceutical companies.

Vote Required

The affirmative vote of holders representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present in person or by proxy who (being entitled to vote) vote on the matter will be required to re-elect Pierre Legault to the Board of Directors as a Class III director.

Our Recommendation

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE RE-ELECTION

OF PIERRE LEGAULT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS A CLASS III DIRECTOR

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PROPOSAL 2—RE-ELECTION OF RICHARD KENDER TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard Kender has served as a member of our Board since July 2019 and has been nominated for re-election as a director. If re-elected, he will hold office from the date of his re-election until the third anniversary of the AGM, occurring in 2025, when he must retire by rotation and offer himself for re-election, or until his earlier death, resignation or removal. Mr. Kender has agreed to serve if re-elected, and we have no reason to believe that he will be unable to serve.

Mr. Kender had an extensive career in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Licensing at Merck & Co., Inc. from 2000 until his retirement in 2013. During his career at Merck, Mr. Kender was greatly influential across Business Development, Licensing and in finance roles that supported the domestic and international research, commercial and manufacturing divisions. Mr. Kender currently serves on the board of directors and audit committee of Seres Therapeutics and on the board of directors and audit committee of Poxel SA. Mr. Kender earned his B.S. in accounting from Villanova University and his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. We believe Mr. Kender is qualified to serve on our Board because of his extensive business experience in the pharmaceutical industry and his financial expertise.

Vote Required

The affirmative vote of holders representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present in person or by proxy who (being entitled to vote) vote on the matter will be required to re-elect Richard Kender to the Board of Directors as a Class III director.

Our Recommendation

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE RE-ELECTION

OF MR. RICHARD KENDER TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS A CLASS III DIRECTOR

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PROPOSAL 3—ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and Section 14A of the Exchange Act, our shareholders are entitled to vote to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement in accordance with SEC rules.

This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our named executive officers and the philosophy, policies and practices described in this proxy statement. The compensation of our named executive officers subject to the vote is disclosed in the compensation tables and the related narrative disclosure contained in this proxy statement. We believe that our compensation policies and decisions are consistent with current market practices. Compensation of our named executive officers is designed to enable the Company to attract and retain talented and experienced executives to lead us successfully in a competitive environment.

Accordingly, the Board is asking the shareholders to indicate their support for the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as described in this proxy statement by casting a non-binding advisory vote “FOR” the following resolution:

“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the compensation tables and narrative discussion, is hereby APPROVED.”

Because the vote is advisory, it is not binding on the Board or the Company. Nevertheless, the views expressed by our shareholders, whether through this vote or otherwise, are important to management and the Board and, accordingly, the Board and the Compensation Committee intend to consider the results of this vote in making determinations in the future regarding executive compensation arrangements.

Vote Required

Advisory (non-binding) approval of our executive compensation requires the approval of holders representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present in person or by proxy who (being entitled to vote) vote on the matter.

Our Recommendation

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL OF

THE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PAID TO OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

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PROPOSAL 4—ADVISORY VOTE ON THE FREQUENCY OF SOLICITATION OF ADVISORY SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The Dodd-Frank Act and Section 14A of the Exchange Act also enable our shareholders, at least once every six years, to indicate their preference regarding how frequently we should solicit a non-binding advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in the Company’s proxy statement. Accordingly, we are asking shareholders to indicate whether they would prefer an advisory vote every year, every other year or every three years. Alternatively, shareholders may abstain from casting a vote.

After considering the benefits and consequences of each alternative, the Board recommends that the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers be submitted to shareholders each year.

The Board believes that an annual advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers is the most appropriate policy for us at this time. While our executive compensation program is designed to promote the creation of shareholder value over the long term, the Board recognizes that executive compensation disclosures are made annually, and holding an annual advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers provides us with more direct and immediate feedback on our executive compensation program, policies and disclosures. However, shareholders should note that because a proposed annual advisory vote would occur well after the beginning of the compensation year, and because the different elements of our executive compensation programs are designed to operate in an integrated manner and to complement one another, in many cases it may not be appropriate or feasible to change our compensation plans and arrangements for our executive officers in consideration of any single year’s advisory vote by the time of the following year’s annual meeting of shareholders. We believe, however, that an annual advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers is consistent with our practice of seeking input and engaging in dialogue with our shareholders on corporate governance matters.

Vote Required

While the Board believes that its recommendation is appropriate at this time, the shareholders are not voting to approve or disapprove that recommendation, but are instead asked to indicate their preferences, on an advisory basis, as to whether the non-binding advisory vote on the approval of our executive officer compensation practices should be held every year, every other year or every three years. You may cast your vote on your preferred voting frequency by choosing the option of “1 year,” “2 years,” “3 years,” or abstain from voting when you vote. The option that receives the highest number of votes cast by shareholders will be the frequency for the advisory vote on executive compensation that has been selected by shareholders.

The Board and the Compensation Committee value the opinions of the shareholders in this matter and, to the extent there is any significant vote in favor of one frequency over the other options, even if less than a majority, the Board will consider the shareholders’ concerns and evaluate any appropriate next steps. The Board may decide, however, because this vote is advisory and, therefore, not binding on the Board or the Company, that it is in the best interests of the shareholders that the Company hold an advisory vote on executive compensation more or less frequently than the option preferred by the shareholders. The vote will not be construed to create or imply any change or addition to the fiduciary duties of the Company or the Board.

Our Recommendation

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR “1 YEAR”

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PROPOSAL 5—APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT OF THE 2020 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN, AS AMENDED

On April 14, 2022, the Board amended the Bicycle Therapeutics plc 2020 Equity Incentive Plan with Non-Employee Sub-Plan (“2020 Plan”), subject to shareholder approval, to among other things, increase the number of ordinary shares authorized for issuance under the 2020 Plan by 750,000 shares. We refer to the 2020 Plan, as so amended, as the “Amended 2020 Plan” throughout this proxy statement. References in this proposal to the Board include the Compensation Committee of the Board where applicable.

The material terms of the Amended 2020 Plan are summarized below. The key differences between the terms of the 2020 Plan and the Amended 2020 Plan are as follows:

The Board believes the Amended 2020 Plan is an integral part of our long-term compensation philosophy and is necessary to continue providing the appropriate levels and types of equity compensation for our employees.

Equity Awards Are an Important Part of Our Compensation Philosophy

The Board believes that the grant of equity awards is a key element underlying our ability to attract, retain and motivate our employees, non-employee directors and consultants because of the strong competition for highly trained and experienced individuals among biopharmaceutical companies. The Amended 2020 Plan will allow us to continue to utilize equity awards as long-term incentives to secure and retain the services of our employees, non-employee directors and consultants, consistent with our compensation philosophy and common compensation practice for our industry. We believe the use of equity awards strongly aligns the interests of our employees with those of our shareholders by placing a considerable proportion of our employees’ total compensation “at risk” because it is contingent on the appreciation in value of our ordinary shares. In addition, we believe equity awards encourage employee ownership of our ordinary shares and promote retention through the reward of long-term company performance. The Amended 2020 Plan allows us to utilize a broad array of equity incentives with flexibility in designing such incentives, including traditional option grants, share appreciation rights, restricted share awards, restricted share unit awards and performance share awards.

As of March 31, 2022, only 899,821 shares remained available for future grant under the 2020 Plan. The Board believes that the issuance of equity awards is a key element underlying our ability to recruit, retain and motivate talent and is a substantial contributing factor to our success and the future growth of our business. However, we believe that the shares currently available for grant under the 2020 Plan will be insufficient to meet our anticipated recruiting and retention needs. Therefore, the Board believes that the approval of the Amended 2020 Plan is in the best interests of our Company and its shareholders and recommends a vote in favor of this proposal.

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If this Proposal No. 5 is adopted by our shareholders, the Amended 2020 Plan will become effective upon the date of the AGM. In the event that our shareholders do not approve this Proposal No. 5, the Amended 2020 Plan will not become effective, and the 2020 Plan will continue in its current form.

As of March 31, 2022, share awards covering an aggregate of 2,613,157 ordinary shares and 187,725 restricted share units were outstanding under the 2020 Plan, and up to 2,766,184 shares subject to options that were granted under the 2019 Plan and that were granted pursuant to option contracts granted prior to our IPO, in each case that expire, terminate, are forfeited or otherwise not issued from time to time, if any, will be added back to the share available for issuance.

If our request to increase the share reserve of the 2020 Plan by 750,000 shares is approved, we will have approximately 1,649,821 shares available for grant after the AGM, which the Board believes will provide sufficient equity for attracting, retaining and motivating employees for into at least 2024, based on our current anticipated needs.

We Carefully Manage the Use of Equity Awards

Our compensation philosophy reflects broad-based eligibility for equity awards, and we grant awards to substantially all of our employees. However, we recognize that equity awards dilute existing shareholders, and, therefore, we are mindful to responsibly manage the growth of our equity compensation program. We are committed to effectively monitoring our equity compensation share reserve, including our “burn rate,” to ensure that we maximize shareholders’ value by granting the appropriate number of equity awards necessary to attract, reward, and retain employees, non-employee directors and consultants.

The following table provides certain additional information regarding our use of equity awards.

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Common measures of an equity incentive plan’s cost include burn rate, dilution and overhang. The burn rate refers to how fast a company uses the supply of shares authorized for issuance under its equity incentive plan. Over the last three years, we have maintained an average burn rate of 11% of ordinary shares outstanding per year, including shares of preferred share on an as-converted basis. Dilution measures the degree to which our shareholders’ ownership has been diluted by share-based compensation awarded under our equity incentive plans and also includes shares that may be awarded under our equity incentive plans in the future (“overhang”).

The following table shows how our key equity metrics have changed over the past three years:

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In evaluating whether to approve the Amended 2020 Plan, the Board and Compensation Committee reviewed our historical issuances under the 2020 Plan and considered our future needs for equity awards under the 2020 Plan, based on our plans for future expansion and growth in light of our anticipated recruiting and retention needs and changes in Company capitalization and dilution. We intend to grant future equity awards under the Amended 2020 Plan in amounts that are reasonable and based on market data prepared by the independent compensation consultant to the Compensation Committee.

The approval of the Amended 2020 Plan will allow us to continue to grant options and restricted share units and would allow us to grant other awards described below, at levels determined appropriate by the Board or the Compensation Committee. The Amended 2020 Plan will continue to provide us with flexibility in designing equity incentives in an environment where competition for highly trained and experienced employees, non-employee directors and consultants is high among biopharmaceutical companies. The Amended 2020 Plan will allow us to continue to utilize equity awards as long-term incentives to secure and retain the services of our employees, non-employee directors and consultants, consistent with our compensation philosophy and common compensation practice for our industry.

The Amended 2020 Plan Combines Compensation and Governance Best Practices

The Amended 2020 Plan includes provisions that are designed to protect our shareholders’ interests and to reflect corporate governance best practices, including:

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Vote Required

The affirmative vote of holders representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present in person or by proxy who (being entitled to vote) vote on the matter will be required to approve the Amended 2020 Plan.

The Board of Directors Recommends

a Vote “For” Proposal 5.

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Description of Amended 2020 Plan

The material terms of the Amended 2020 Plan are summarized below. The following description of the Amended 2020 Plan is a summary only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the Amended 2020 Plan. Shareholders are urged to read the actual text of the Amended 2020 Plan in its entirety, which is attached to this proxy statement as Annex B. Except as otherwise required by the context, references below to our ordinary shares include our ADSs.

Purpose

The Amended 2020 Plan is designed to secure and retain the services of our employees, non-employee directors and consultants, to provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for the success of the Company and our affiliates, and to provide a means by which such persons may be given an opportunity to benefit from increases in the value of our ordinary shares. The Amended 2020 Plan is also designed to align employees’ interests with shareholder interests.

Eligibility

Our employees, directors who are also our employees, and employees of our subsidiaries, are eligible to receive awards under the Amended 2020 Plan. ISOs may be granted under the Amended 2020 Plan only to our employees. Our consultants and directors who are not employees and those of our subsidiaries, are eligible to receive awards under the 2020 Non-Employee Sub-Plan to the Amended 2020 Plan, as described below.

As of March 31, 2022, 147 of our employees, 6 of our non-employee directors and 8 consultants would be eligible to receive awards under the Amended 2020 Plan including under the Non-Employee Sub-Plan. Persons eligible to receive awards under the Amended 2020 Plan, including under the 2020 Non-Employee Sub-Plan, are together referred to as service providers below. Except as otherwise specified, references below to the Amended 2020 Plan include the Non-Employee Sub-Plan.

Administration

The 2020 Plan is administered by our Board, which may delegate its duties and responsibilities to one or more committees of our directors and/or officers (referred to as the plan administrator below), subject to certain limitations imposed under the 2020 Plan, and other applicable laws and stock exchange rules. The plan administrator has the authority to take all actions and make all determinations under the 2020 Plan, to interpret the 2020 Plan and award agreements and to adopt, amend and repeal rules for the administration of the 2020 Plan as it deems advisable. The plan administrator also has the authority to determine which eligible service providers receive awards, grant awards, set the terms and conditions of all awards under the 2020 Plan, including any vesting and vesting acceleration provisions, subject to the conditions and limitations in the 2020 Plan.

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Types of Awards

The Amended 2020 Plan provides for the grant of market value options, market value SARs or restricted shares, RSUs, performance share units (“PSUs”) and other share-based awards. All awards under the Amended 2020 Plan will be set forth in award agreements, which will detail the terms and conditions of awards, including any applicable vesting and payment terms, change of control provisions and post-termination exercise limitations.

Shares Available for Awards

The maximum number of ordinary shares that may be issued under our Amended 2020 Plan is 7,216,887, which is the sum of (i) 750,000 new shares, subject to approval of this Proposal No. 5 at the AGM, (ii) 889,821 shares remaining available for grant of new awards under the 2020 Plan as of March 31, 2022, (iii) the number of shares subject to options or other share awards granted under the 2020 Plan and our 2019 Share Option Plan (our “Prior Plan”) that expire, terminate, are forfeited or otherwise not issued, or are withheld to satisfy a tax withholding obligation in connection with an award or to satisfy a purchase or exercise price of an award (such as upon the expiration or termination of a share award prior to vesting), if any, and (iv) the number of shares subject to awards granted pursuant to option contracts issued prior to our initial public offering that may become available for issuance under the Amended 2020 Plan, as such shares become available from time to time, if any. The number of ordinary shares that were subject to outstanding awards granted under the 2020 Plan and our Prior Plan that may become available for issuance under the Amended 2020 Plan, as such shares become available from time to time, was 4,964,109 ordinary shares as of March 31, 2022, and the number of shares subject to awards granted pursuant to option contracts issued prior to our initial public offering that may become available for issuance under the Amended 2020 Plan, as such shares become available from time to time, was 602,957 as of March 31, 2022.

No more than 21,650,000 ordinary shares may be issued under the Amended 2020 Plan upon the exercise of ISOs.

In addition, the number of ordinary shares reserved for issuance under our Amended 2020 Plan will automatically increase on January 1 of each year, during the period commencing on January 1, 2023 and ending on (and including) January 1, 2032, in an amount equal to 5% of the total number of shares outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year. Our Board may act prior to January 1 of a given year to provide that there will be no increase for such year or that the increase for such year will be a lesser number of ordinary shares. Ordinary shares issued under the Amended 2020 Plan may be authorized but unissued shares, shares purchased on the open market or treasury shares.

If an award under the Amended 2020 Plan, expires, lapses or is terminated, exchanged for cash, surrendered, repurchased, cancelled without having been fully exercised or forfeited or if any shares subject to such award are withheld to satisfy a tax withholding obligation in connection with an award or to satisfy a purchase or exercise price of an award, any unused shares subject to the award will, as applicable, become or again be available for new grants under the Amended 2020 Plan.

Awards granted under the Amended 2020 Plan in substitution for any options or other equity or equity-based awards granted by an entity before the entity’s merger or consolidation with us or our acquisition of the entity’s property or shares will not reduce the number of ordinary shares available for grant under the Amended 2020 Plan but will count against the maximum number of ordinary shares that may be issued upon the exercise of incentive options.

Options and Share Appreciation Rights

Options provide for the purchase of our ordinary shares in the future at an exercise price set at no less than the fair market value of an ordinary share on the grant date. SARs entitle their holder, upon exercise, to receive from us an amount equal to the appreciation of the shares subject to the award between the grant date and the exercise date, with such amount payable in cash, shares or a combination of both. The plan administrator will determine the number of shares covered by each option and SAR, and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of each option and SAR.

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In general, the term of options and SARs granted under the Amended 2020 Plan may not exceed ten years from the grant date. If a holder violates the non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality or other similar restrictive covenant provisions of any employment contract, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement or other agreement with us, the right of the holder's right to exercise any option or SAR will terminate immediately upon such violation, unless otherwise determined by us. In addition, if a holder is given notice of the holder’s termination of service for cause, and the effective date of such termination of service is subsequent to the date of the delivery of such notice, the right of the holder to exercise any option or SAR will be suspended from the time of the delivery of such notice until the earlier of (i) such time as it is determined or otherwise agreed that the holder's service will not be terminated for cause or (ii) the effective date of the holder’s termination of service with us for cause (in which case the right of the holder to exercise any option or SAR will terminate immediately upon the effective date of such termination of service).

Acceptable forms of consideration for the purchase of our ordinary shares pursuant to an option issued under the Amended 2020 Plan will be determined by the plan administrator and may include cash, wire transfer of immediately available funds, check, ordinary shares previously owned by the holder, payment through a broker assisted exercise or a net exercise feature, delivery of a promissory note, or other good and valuable consideration approved by the plan administrator.

The aggregate maximum number of ordinary shares that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of ISOs granted under the Amended 2020 Plan is 21,650,000. The aggregate fair market value, determined at the time of grant, of our ordinary shares with respect to ISOs that are exercisable for the first time by a holder during any calendar year may not exceed $100,000. The options or portions of options that exceed this limit are treated as nonstatutory share options. No ISO may be granted to any person who, at the time of the grant, owns or is deemed to own shares possessing more than 10% of our total combined voting power or that of any affiliate unless the following conditions are satisfied:

Restricted Shares, RSUs and PSUs

Restricted shares are an award of non-transferable ordinary shares that remain forfeitable unless and until specified conditions are met and which may be subject to a purchase price. RSUs and PSUs are contractual promises to deliver our ordinary shares in the future, which may also remain forfeitable unless and until specified conditions are met. The plan administrator may provide that the delivery of the shares underlying RSUs will be deferred on a mandatory basis or at the election of the participant. The terms and conditions applicable to restricted shares, RSUs and PSUs will be determined by the plan administrator, subject to the conditions and limitations contained in the Amended 2020 Plan.

Other Share-Based Awards

Other share-based awards are awards of fully vested ordinary shares and other awards valued wholly or partially by referring to, or otherwise based on, our ordinary shares or other property. Other share-based awards may be granted to participants and may also be available as a payment form in the settlement of other awards, as standalone payments and as payment in lieu of compensation to which a participant is otherwise entitled. The plan administrator will determine the terms and conditions of other share-based awards, which may include any purchase price, performance goal, transfer restrictions and vesting conditions.

Performance Criteria

The plan administrator may select performance criteria for an award to establish performance goals for a performance period.

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Certain Transactions

In connection with certain corporate transactions and events affecting our ordinary shares, including a change of control, another similar corporate transaction or event, another unusual or nonrecurring transaction or event affecting us or our financial statements or a change in any applicable laws or accounting principles, the plan administrator has broad discretion to take action under the Amended 2020 Plan to prevent the dilution or enlargement of intended benefits, facilitate the transaction or event or give effect to the change in applicable laws or accounting principles. This includes canceling awards for cash or property, accelerating the vesting of awards, providing for the assumption or substitution of awards by a successor entity, adjusting the number and type of shares subject to outstanding awards and/or with respect to which awards may be granted under the Amended 2020 Plan and replacing or terminating awards under the Amended 2020 Plan. Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, in the event of a change of control of us, any awards will vest in full immediately prior to such change of control. Any awards in the form of options which vest in connection therewith will be exercisable for a period determined by the plan administrator (not exceeding six months) and shall lapse thereafter. In addition, in the event of certain non-reciprocal transactions with our shareholders, the plan administrator will make equitable adjustments to the Amended 2020 Plan, the limits thereunder and outstanding awards as it deems appropriate to reflect the transaction.

A change of control is defined in the Amended 2020 Plan as (i) a sale of all or substantially all of our assets; (ii) a person obtaining control of us (defined by reference to the ability to secure that the affairs of the company are conducted in accordance with that person's wishes due to the holding of our shares, other possession of voting power or pursuant to our articles of association or other document); or (iii) a person becoming bound or entitled under sections 979 to 985 of the UK Companies Act 2006 (or similar law of another jurisdiction) to acquire our ordinary shares. The occurrence of a change of control is determined by the plan administrator.

Plan Amendments and Termination

Our Board may amend or terminate the Amended 2020 Plan at any time; however, no amendment, other than an amendment that increases the number of shares available under the Amended 2020 Plan, may materially and adversely affect an award outstanding under the Amended 2020 Plan without the consent of the affected participant and shareholder approval will be obtained for any amendment to the extent necessary to comply with applicable laws. Further, the plan administrator may, without the approval of our shareholders, amend any outstanding option or SAR to reduce its price per share or cancel any outstanding option or SAR in exchange for cash or another award under the Amended 2020 Plan with an exercise price per share that is less than the exercise price per share of the original option or SAR. The Amended 2020 Plan will remain in effect until the tenth anniversary of its effective date (being the date of its approval by our shareholders) unless earlier terminated by our Board. No awards may be granted under the Amended 2020 Plan after its termination.

Transferability and Participant Payments

Except as the plan administrator may determine or provide in an award agreement, awards under the Amended 2020 Plan are generally non-transferrable, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution, or, subject to the plan administrator's consent, pursuant to a domestic relations order, and are generally exercisable only by the participant. With regard to tax withholding obligations arising in connection with awards under the Amended 2020 Plan, and exercise price obligations arising in connection with the exercise of options under the Amended 2020 Plan, the plan administrator may, in its discretion, accept cash, wire transfer or cheque, our ordinary shares that meet specified conditions, a promissory note, a “market sell order,” such other consideration as the plan administrator deems suitable or any combination of the foregoing.

Non-U.S. and Non-U.K. Participants

The plan administrator may modify awards granted to participants who are non-U.S. or U.K. nationals or employed outside the U.S. and the U.K. or establish sub-plans or procedures to address differences in laws, rules, regulations or customs of such international jurisdictions with respect to tax, securities, currency, employee benefit or

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other matters or to enable awards to be granted in compliance with a tax favorable regime that may be available in any jurisdiction.

2020 Non-Employee Sub-Plan

The 2020 Non-Employee Sub-Plan governs equity awards granted to our non-employee directors and consultants. The 2020 Non-Employee Sub-Plan provides for awards to be made on identical terms to awards made under our Amended 2020 Plan.

U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

The following is a summary of the principal United States federal income tax consequences to participants and us with respect to participation in the 2020 Plan. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive and does not discuss the income tax laws of any local, state or foreign jurisdiction in which a participant may reside. The information is based upon current federal income tax rules and therefore is subject to change when those rules change. Because the tax consequences to any participant may depend on his or her particular situation, each participant should consult the participant’s tax adviser regarding the federal, state, local and other tax consequences of the grant or exercise of an award or the disposition of shares acquired the 2020 Plan. The 2020 Plan is not qualified under the provisions of Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”) and is not subject to any of the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Our ability to realize the benefit of any tax deductions described below depends on our generation of taxable income as well as the requirement of reasonableness and the satisfaction of our tax reporting obligations.

Nonstatutory Share Options

Generally, there is no taxation upon the grant of a nonstatutory share option if the option is granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the underlying shares on the grant date. Upon exercise, a participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the underlying share on the date of exercise of the option over the exercise price. If the participant is employed by us or one of our affiliates, that income will be subject to withholding taxes. The participant’s tax basis in those shares will be equal to his or her fair market value on the date of exercise of the option, and the participant’s capital gain holding period for those shares will begin on that date.

Subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code, and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation, we will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the participant.

ISOs

The Amended 2020 Plan provides for the grant of ISOs. Under the Code, a participant generally is not subject to ordinary income tax upon the grant or exercise of an ISO. If the participant holds a share received upon exercise of an ISO for more than two years from the date the option was granted and more than one year from the date the option was exercised, which is referred to as the required holding period, the difference, if any, between the amount realized on a sale or other taxable disposition of that share and the participant’s tax basis in that share will be long-term capital gain or loss.

If, however, a participant disposes of a share acquired upon exercise of an ISO before the end of the required holding period, which is referred to as a disqualifying disposition, the participant generally will recognize ordinary income in the year of the disqualifying disposition equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the share on the date of exercise of the option over the exercise price. However, if the sales proceeds are less than the fair market value of the share on the date of exercise of the option, the amount of ordinary income recognized by the participant will not exceed the gain, if any, realized on the sale. If the amount realized on a disqualifying disposition exceeds the fair market value of the share on the date of exercise of the option, that excess will be short-term or long-term capital gain, depending on whether the holding period for the share exceeds one year.

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For purposes of the alternative minimum tax, the amount by which the fair market value of a share acquired upon exercise of an ISO exceeds the exercise price of the option generally will be an adjustment included in the participant’s alternative minimum taxable income for the year in which the option is exercised. If, however, there is a disqualifying disposition of the share in the year in which the option is exercised, there will be no adjustment for alternative minimum tax purposes with respect to that share. In computing alternative minimum taxable income, the tax basis of a share acquired upon exercise of an ISO is increased by the amount of the adjustment taken into account with respect to that share for alternative minimum tax purposes in the year the option is exercised.

We are not allowed a tax deduction with respect to the grant or exercise of an ISO or the disposition of a share acquired upon exercise of an ISO after the required holding period. If there is a disqualifying disposition of a share, however, we will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the participant, subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code, and provided that either the employee includes that amount in income or we timely satisfy our reporting requirements with respect to that amount.

Restricted Share Awards

Generally, the recipient of a restricted share award will recognize ordinary income at the time the share is received equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the share received over any amount paid by the recipient in exchange for the share. If, however, the share is not vested when it is received (for example, if the employee is required to work for a period of time in order to have the right to sell the share), the recipient generally will not recognize income until the share becomes vested, at which time the recipient will recognize ordinary income equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the share on the date it becomes vested over any amount paid by the recipient in exchange for the share. A recipient may, however, file an election with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, within 30 days following his or her receipt of the restricted share award, to recognize ordinary income, as of the date the recipient receives the restricted share award, equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the share on the date the restricted share award is granted over any amount paid by the recipient for the share.

The recipient’s basis for the determination of gain or loss upon the subsequent disposition of shares acquired from a restricted share award will be the amount paid for such shares plus any ordinary income recognized either when the share is received or when the share becomes vested.

Subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code, and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation, we will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the recipient of the restricted share award.

RSU Awards

Generally, the recipient of an RSU award structured to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code or an exception to Section 409A of the Code will recognize ordinary income at the time the shares are delivered equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the shares received over any amount paid by the recipient in exchange for the shares. To comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the shares subject to a RSU award may generally only be delivered upon one of the following events: a fixed calendar date (or dates), separation from service, death, disability or a change in control. If delivery occurs on another date, unless the RSU award otherwise complies with or qualifies for an exception to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code (including delivery upon achievement of a performance goal), in addition to the tax treatment described above, the recipient will owe an additional 20% federal tax and interest on any taxes owed.

The recipient’s basis for the determination of gain or loss upon the subsequent disposition of shares acquired from a RSU award will be the amount paid for such shares plus any ordinary income recognized when the shares are delivered.

Subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code, and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation, we will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the recipient of the RSU award.

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Share Appreciation Rights

Generally, if a SAR is granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the underlying ordinary share on the grant date, the recipient will recognize ordinary income equal to the fair market value of the shares or cash received upon such exercise. Subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code, and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation, we will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the recipient of the SAR.

Section 162(m) Limitations

Under Section 162(m) of the Code, compensation paid to any publicly held corporation’s “covered employees” that exceeds $1 million per taxable year for any covered employee is generally non-deductible. Awards granted under the Amended 2020 Plan will be subject to the deduction limit under Section 162(m) of the Code.

New Plan Benefits

Amended 2020 Plan

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2020 Plan Benefits

The following table sets forth, for each of the individuals and groups indicated, the total number of ordinary shares subject to awards that have been granted (even if not currently outstanding) under the 2020 Plan through March 31, 2022.

2020 Plan

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Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table provides certain information with respect to all of our equity compensation plans in effect as of December 31, 2021. Information is included for equity compensation plans approved by our shareholders. We do not have any equity compensation plans not approved by our shareholders.

The 2020 Plan provides that on the first day of each financial year following adoption of the 2020 Plan, and ending on and including January 1, 2030, the number of ordinary shares reserved for issuance pursuant to the 2020 Plan shall be cumulatively increased by 5% of the number of ordinary shares outstanding as of December 31 of the calendar year preceding such January 1. As of January 1, 2022, the number of ordinary shares available for issuance under the 2020 Plan increased automatically by 5% of our outstanding ordinary shares as of December 31, 2021, or 1,478,968 shares, pursuant to this provision. This increase is not reflected in the table above.

Similarly, the ESPP provides that on January 1, 2020 and each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2029, the number of ordinary shares reserved and available for issuance under the ESPP shall be cumulatively increased by the

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lower of: (i) 430,000 ordinary shares; (ii) one percent (1%) of the number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31; or (iii) such lesser number of shares as determined by the Compensation Committee. As of January 1, 2022, the number of ordinary shares available for issuance increased automatically by 1% of our outstanding ordinary shares as of December 31, 2021, or 295,793 shares, pursuant to this provision. This increase is not reflected in the table above.

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PROPOSAL 6—RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

AS OUR U.S. INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2022

​

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PROPOSAL 7—RE-APPOINTMENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

AS OUR U.K. STATUTORY AUDITORS, TO HOLD OFFICE UNTIL THE CONCLUSION

OF THE NEXT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

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PROPOSAL 8—AUTHORIZATION FOR THE AUDIT COMMITTEE TO DETERMINE THE U.K. STATUTORY AUDITORS’ REMUNERATION FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2022

The Audit Committee is responsible for the selection, appointment and negotiation of the remuneration of our U.S. independent registered public accounting firm and our U.K. statutory auditors. The Audit Committee has approved the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of England (“PwC”) as our U.S. independent registered public accounting firm for our fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 and the re-appointment of PwC as our U.K. statutory auditors until the conclusion of our 2023 annual general meeting of shareholders. In proposals 6 and 7, we are asking our shareholders to ratify the selection of PwC as our U.S. independent registered public accounting firm and to re-appoint PwC as our U.K. statutory auditors.

Our organizational documents do not require that the shareholders ratify the selection of PwC as our U.S. independent registered public accounting firm. However, the Audit Committee of the Board is submitting the selection of PwC to the shareholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. Even if the selection of PwC is ratified, the Audit Committee in its discretion may direct the appointment of a different U.S. independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if our Audit Committee determines to make such a change. In the event our shareholders fail to ratify the selection of PwC, our Audit Committee will consider whether to select other auditors for the year ending December 31, 2022.

In accordance with the Companies Act, our U.K. statutory auditors must be re-appointed at each meeting at which the annual report and accounts are presented to our shareholders. If this proposal is not approved by our shareholders at the AGM, our Audit Committee may appoint auditors to fill the vacancy.

PwC has served as our or our predecessor’s independent registered public accounting firm since 2010, which includes periods before we become subject to SEC reporting requirements. In addition, PwC has served as our or our predecessor’s U.K. statutory auditors since 2010. We expect representatives of PwC to be in attendance at the AGM, to make a statement if they so desire, and to be available to respond to appropriate questions.

In accordance with the Companies Act, the remuneration of our U.K. statutory auditors must be fixed in a general meeting of shareholders or in such manner as may be determined in a general meeting of shareholders. In proposal 8, we are asking our shareholders to authorize the Audit Committee to determine the remuneration of PwC as our U.K. statutory auditors for the year ending December 31, 2022.

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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees

The table below sets forth a summary of the fees billed to us by PwC for professional services rendered for the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. All such audit and audit-related services were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

The Audit Committee has adopted a policy and procedures for the pre-approval of audit, review and attest services and permitted non-audit services rendered by PwC. The policy generally permits the Audit Committee to pre-approve, on an annual basis, specified services in the defined categories of audit services, audit-related services, tax services and other permitted non-audit services. Pre-approval may also be given as part of the Audit Committee’s approval of the scope of the engagement of the auditor or on an individual, explicit, case-by-case basis before the auditor is engaged to provide each service.

The Audit Committee has determined that the rendering of certain services other than audit services by PwC are compatible with maintaining the accounting firm’s independence.

The Audit Committee has delegated to its chair the authority, from time to time, to pre-approve non-audit services not prohibited by law to be performed by our independent auditors and associated fees, provided that the estimated fees for such permitted non-audit services do not exceed specified thresholds and provided that the chair shall report any decisions to pre-approve such non-audit services and fees to our full Audit Committee at its next regular meeting.

Vote Required

​

The affirmative vote of holders representing a simple of a majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present in person or by proxy who (being entitled to vote) vote on the matter will be required to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our U.S. independent registered public accounting firm, to re-appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our U.K. statutory auditors and to authorize our Audit Committee to determine our U.K. statutory auditors’ remuneration for the year ending December 31, 2022.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE:

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PROPOSAL 9—RESOLUTION TO RECEIVE AND ADOPT OUR 2021 U.K. ANNUAL REPORT

In accordance with the Companies Act, our Board is required to present our 2021 U.K. Annual Report, which includes the audited portion of the directors’ annual report on remuneration, to the shareholders at the AGM. We will provide our shareholders with an opportunity to raise questions in relation to the 2021 U.K. Annual Report at the AGM. In accordance with best practice, we are proposing an ordinary resolution to receive and adopt the 2021 U.K. Annual Report.

The 2021 U.K. Annual Report may be found in the AGM section of our website at https://investors.bicycletherapeutics.com.

Vote Required

​

The affirmative vote of holders representing a simple of a majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present in person or by proxy who (being entitled to vote) vote on the matter will be required to receive and adopt the 2021 U.K. Annual Report.

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THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE RESOLUTION

TO RECEIVE AND ADOPT OUR 2021 U.K. ANNUAL REPORT

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PROPOSAL 10—APPROVAL OF OUR U.K. STATUTORY DIRECTORS’ ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION

The Companies Act requires that our directors’ remuneration report, as set forth as Annex A to this proxy statement and on pages 28 to 55 of the 2021 U.K. Annual Report, be subject to an annual advisory vote. Accordingly, we are asking shareholders to approve, on an advisory basis, the directors’ remuneration report.

Our Board considers that appropriate remuneration of directors plays a vital part in helping to achieve our overall objectives. We encourage shareholders to read the directors’ remuneration report. Our Board and the Compensation Committee believe that the policies and procedures as articulated in the directors’ remuneration report are effective and that as a result of these policies and procedures we have and will continue to have high-quality directors. Our U.K. statutory auditors, PwC, have audited those parts of the directors’ remuneration report that are required to be audited. Our Board has approved and signed the report in accordance with English law.

Vote Required

The affirmative vote of holders representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present in person or by proxy who (being entitled to vote) vote on the matter will be required to pass this resolution.

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This vote is advisory and non-binding and the directors’ entitlement to receive remuneration is not conditional on it. Payments made or promised to directors will not have to be repaid, reduced or withheld in the event that the resolution is not passed. Although non-binding, our Board and Compensation Committee will review and consider the voting results when making future decisions regarding our director remuneration program. Following the AGM, and as required under English law, the directors’ annual report on remuneration will be delivered to the U.K. Registrar of Companies.

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THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF OUR U.K. STATUTORY

DIRECTORS’ ANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION SET FORTH IN ANNEX A

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Board of Directors

Our nominees for re-election as directors at the AGM are both currently serving as members of our Board. Information about each such nominee is set forth in the proposals 1 and 2 and is incorporated into this section by reference. Set forth below is a list of our directors and their ages as of the date of this proxy statement.

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Biographical information for those directors who are not standing for re-election at the AGM and who will remain seated following the AGM, including each such individual’s principal occupation, business experience and education, and an explanation of the qualifications, skills and experiences that we believe are relevant to such individual’s service on our Board, are set forth below. Mr. Legault’s and Mr. Kender’s biographies are set forth above in Proposals 1 and 2, respectively.

Kevin Lee Ph.D., MBA has served as our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board since September 2015. From April 2012 to September 2015, Dr. Lee served as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Rare Disease Research Unit at Pfizer Inc., a pharmaceutical company. From November 2004 to April 2012, Dr. Lee worked at GlaxoSmithKline plc, where in addition to leading the formation of multiple strategic commercial and academic partnerships, he led epigenetics research and was responsible for the creation of the EpiNova Discovery Performance Unit. Before joining GlaxoSmithKline, Dr. Lee was a lecturer at Warwick University Medical School and founded Cambridge Biotechnology Ltd, which specialized in developing small molecule and peptide therapeutics for inflammation and metabolic diseases before its trade sale to Biovitrum in 2005 and Neurosolutions (now Oncosil Medical Ltd ASX). Dr. Lee received a BPharm from Nottingham University and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from Cambridge University. Dr. Lee has an MBA from Warwick Business School and currently serves as a non-executive director for Nodthera Ltd, a position he has held since October 2018, and as a non-executive director at Alchemab Ltd., a position he has held since May 2021. We believe that Dr. Lee is qualified to serve on our Board based on his extensive leadership, executive, managerial, business and pharmaceutical and biotechnology company experience, along with his years of industry experience in the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products.

Janice Bourque, MBA has served as a member of our Board since July 2019. Ms. Bourque is a Managing Director in Hercules Capital's life sciences group and has more than 25 years of life science experience and a focus on emerging growth stage companies. Previously, Ms. Bourque has consulted for Commons Capital, served as Senior Vice President and Group Head Life Sciences at Comerica Bank and was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. Ms. Bourque currently serves on the board of directors of Poxel, SA and the Village Bank. Ms. Bourque has also served on the board of directors of the MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. She holds a B.S. in veterinary science and an MBA in finance and accounting from the University of New Hampshire. We believe that Ms. Bourque is qualified to serve on our Board based on her extensive experience as a senior executive and board member in the life sciences sector.

Veronica Jordan, Ph.D. has served as a member of our Board since October 2019. Dr. Jordan has been a corporate director for more than 15 years, with extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, and has been an advisor to companies developing novel healthcare products. Since 2007, Dr. Jordan has served as an independent consultant to healthcare companies and contract research organizations and as Managing Director of Golden Seeds, an angel investor network. She was previously CEO and President of Medelle Corporation, a private medical device company, and held various executive roles at PAREXEL International during her 14 years on the company's

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management team. Dr. Jordan has been a member of the board of directors of Aspira Women's Health, Inc. (formerly Vermillion, Inc.) since 2014. From 2006 to 2016, she was a member of the board of directors of Albany Molecular Research, Inc. Dr. Jordan earned a B.A. in biochemistry from Cambridge University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry and cell biology from Oxford University. We believe that Dr. Jordan is qualified to serve on our Board based on her extensive experience across diverse corporate functions, including clinical operations, business development, and corporate governance.

Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, Ph.D. has served as a director since March 2021. Since January 2021, Dr. Gutierrez-Ramos has served as the Chief Science Officer at Danaher Corporation, a publicly traded science and technology company. Prior to that, Dr. Gutierrez‑Ramos was the Global Head of Global Drug Discovery at AbbVie, Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, from February 2020 to January 2021. From June 2018 to February 2020, he was the chief executive officer and president of Repertoire Immune Medicine Inc., a biotechnology company. From 2015 to May 2018, he served as chief executive officer and president of Synlogic, Inc., a biotechnology company. Earlier in his career, Dr. Gutierrez‑Ramos held positions at Pfizer Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Gutierrez‑Ramos has served on the board of directors of Momenta Pharmaceuticals since March 2016. Dr. Gutierrez‑Ramos received a B.S. from Universidad Complutense de Madrid and his Ph.D. in immunochemistry from the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. We believe that Dr. Gutierrez-Ramos is qualified to serve on our Board based on his executive experience at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as his prior experience with our company based on his service on our Scientific Advisory Board from 2017 to 2019.

Sir Gregory Winter, FRS is our Co-Founder and has served on of our Board since our inception. Sir Gregory was a member of staff of the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, U.K. from 1981 to 2012, serving as both Deputy and Acting Director. He is currently a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge and was previously the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge from October 2012 to June 2019. Sir Greg also serves as a consultant to biotechnology companies, is a non-Executive Director of Bit Bio Ltd and Immutrin Ltd, and a Science Partner of Ahren Innovation Capital. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and was knighted in 2004 for services to science. In 2018, Sir Gregory was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in developing phage display for the directed evolution of antibodies and peptides to produce new medicines. He was the Acting Chairman of Biosceptre International Limited from 2016 to 2018, and was a founder and non-Executive Director of Cambridge Antibody Technology and Domantis Ltd. We believe that Sir Greg is qualified to serve on our Board based on his extensive research experience, knowledge of antibody medicines and academic achievements, combined with his experience in the biotechnology industry.

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Board Diversity

The Board diversity matrix, below, provides the diversity statistics for our Board of Directors.

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Corporate Governance

Board Independence

As required under the Nasdaq listing standards, a majority of the members of a listed company’s Board must qualify as “independent,” as affirmatively determined by the Board. The Board consults with our counsel to ensure that the Board’s determinations are consistent with relevant securities and other laws and regulations regarding the definition of “independent,” including those set forth in pertinent listing standards of Nasdaq, as in effect from time to time.

Consistent with these considerations, after review of all relevant identified transactions or relationships between each director, or any of his or her family members, and us, our senior management and our independent auditors, the Board has affirmatively determined that all of our directors, other than Kevin Lee, Pierre Legault and Sir Greg Winter, are independent directors within the meaning of the applicable Nasdaq listing standards. In making this determination, the Board found that none of these directors or nominees for director had a material or other disqualifying relationship with us.

Board Leadership Structure

The leadership structure of our Board separates the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board in order to ensure independent leadership of the Board. Our Board believes that this separation is appropriate for us at this time because it allows for a division of responsibilities, with our Chief Executive Officer focused on leading our company while the Chairman can focus on leading the Board in overseeing management, and for a sharing of ideas between individuals having different perspectives. In addition, we believe that having a Chairman who is different from the Chief Executive Officer creates an environment that is more conducive to objective evaluation and oversight of management’s performance, increasing management accountability and improving the ability of the Board to monitor whether management’s actions are in the best interests of our company and its shareholders.

Role of the Board in Risk Oversight

Our Board believes that risk management is an important part of establishing, updating and executing on our business strategy. Our Board, as a whole and at the committee level, has oversight responsibility relating to risks that could affect our corporate strategy, business objectives, compliance, operations, financial condition and performance. Our Board focuses its oversight on the most significant risks facing our company and on its processes to identify, prioritize, assess, manage and mitigate those risks. Our Board and its committees receive regular reports from members of our senior management on areas of material risk to us, including strategic, operational, financial, legal and regulatory risks. While our Board has an oversight role, management is principally tasked with direct responsibility for management and assessment of risks and the implementation of processes and controls to mitigate their effects on our company.

Our Audit Committee, as part of its responsibilities, oversees the management of financial risks, including accounting matters, liquidity and credit risks, corporate tax positions, insurance coverage, and cash investment strategy and results. Our Audit Committee is also responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to the performance of our internal audit function, if required, and our independent registered public accounting firm, as well as our systems of internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures and risks related to data privacy and cybersecurity. Additionally, pursuant to its charter, the Audit Committee may retain, as necessary, subject matter experts and advisers to assist in its oversight of risk management within our company. Our Compensation Committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to our executive compensation and overall compensation and benefit strategies, plans, arrangements, practices and policies. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees the management of risks associated with our overall compliance and corporate governance practices and the independence and composition of our Board. It is the responsibility of the committee chairs to report findings regarding material risk exposures to the Board as quickly as possible. While the Board and its committees oversee risk management strategy, management is responsible for implementing and supervising day-to-day risk management processes and reporting to the Board and its committees on such matters.

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Meetings of the Board

Our Board held five meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. Each of the incumbent directors attended at least 80% of the total of the meetings of the Board and the meetings of the committees of the Board on which he or she served during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (in each case, which were held during the period for which he or she was a director and/or a member of the applicable committee). It is our policy to encourage our directors to attend the AGM.

As required under applicable Nasdaq listing standards, in fiscal year 2021, our independent directors met five times in regularly scheduled executive sessions at which only independent directors were present.

Committees of our Board of Directors

Our Board has established a standing Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The following table provides membership and meeting information for each committee for the year ended December 31, 2021:

Committee Chair

Member

Financial Expert

Below is a description of each committee of the Board. Each of the committees has authority to engage legal counsel or other experts or consultants, as it deems appropriate to carry out its responsibilities. The Board has determined that each member of each committee meets the applicable Nasdaq rules and regulations regarding “independence” and each member is free of any relationship that would impair his or her individual exercise of independent judgment with regard to our company. Each of the committees operates pursuant to a written charter and each committee reviews and assesses the adequacy of its charter and submits its charter to the Board for approval. The charters are available on our website at https://investors.bicycletherapeutics.com.

Audit Committee

Our Audit Committee is currently composed of Janice Bourque, Veronica Jordan, and Richard Kender, with Mr. Kender serving as chair of the committee. Our Board has determined that each member of our audit committee is financially literate and that Mr. Kender is an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of SEC regulations and the applicable Nasdaq listing standards. The Audit Committee held seven meetings during 2021.

The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include:

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AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

The material in this report is not “soliciting material,” is not deemed filed with the SEC and is not to be incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing.

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 with management of the Company. The Audit Committee has discussed with the U.S. independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) and the SEC. The Audit Committee has also received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding the independent accountants’ communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the U.S. independent registered public accounting firm the accounting firm’s independence. Based on the foregoing, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors

Richard Kender, Chair

Janice Bourque

Veronica Jordan

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Compensation Committee

Our Compensation Committee is currently composed of Janice Bourque, Veronica Jordan and Richard Kender, with Dr. Jordan serving as chair of the committee. The Compensation Committee held eight meetings during 2021.

The Compensation Committee’s responsibilities include:

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is composed of Janice Bourque and Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, with Ms. Bourque serving as chair of the committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held five meetings during 2021. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s responsibilities include:

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Director Nomination Process

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for identifying individuals qualified to serve as directors, consistent with criteria approved by our Board, and recommending such persons to be nominated for election as directors, except where we are legally required by contract, law or otherwise to provide third parties with the right to nominate.

The Board, upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee periodically determines the characteristics, skills and experience required to be a director and develops criteria to be considered in selecting nominees for director. The Board believes that candidates for director should have certain minimum qualifications, including: experience at a strategic or policymaking level in a business, government, non-profit or academic organization of high standing; proven achievement and competence in the nominee’s field and the ability to exercise sound business judgment; high standards of personal and professional ethics and integrity; having sufficient time to devote to the affairs of our company; and a demonstrated history of actively contributing at board meetings if the nominee serves or has previously served on other boards. However, the Board retains the right to modify these qualifications from time to time. Candidates for director nominees are also reviewed in the context of the current composition of the Board, the operating requirements of our company and the long-term interests of shareholders. In conducting this assessment, the Board and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee typically consider diversity, age, skills and such other factors as it deems appropriate, given the current needs of the Board and our company, to maintain a balance of knowledge, experience and capability. The Board also determines whether the nominee is independent for Nasdaq purposes, which determination is based upon applicable Nasdaq listing standards, applicable SEC rules and regulations and the advice of counsel, if necessary.

In the case of incumbent directors whose terms of office are set to expire, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews these directors’ overall service to our company during their terms, including the number of meetings attended, level of participation, quality of performance and any other relationships and transactions that might impair the directors’ independence. The Committee will take into account the results of the Board’s self-evaluation, conducted annually on a group and individual basis.

Generally, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee identifies candidates for director nominees in consultation with management, using search firms or other advisors, through the recommendations submitted by shareholders or through such other methods as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee deems to be helpful to identify candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee conducts any appropriate and necessary inquiries into the backgrounds and qualifications of possible candidates after considering the function and needs of the Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee meets to discuss and consider the candidates’ qualifications and then selects a nominee for recommendation to the Board by majority vote. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may gather information about the candidates through interviews, questionnaires, background checks or any other means that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee deems to be appropriate in the evaluation process. We have no formal policy regarding board diversity.

Shareholder Recommendations and Nominees

It is the policy of our Board that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consider both recommendations and nominations for candidates to the Board from shareholders so long as such recommendations and nominations comply with our Articles of Association and applicable laws, including the rules and regulations of the SEC. Shareholders may recommend director nominees for consideration by sending a written request to Bicycle Therapeutics plc, Building 900 Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom, Attn: Jim Sutcliffe, Company Secretary. The shareholder must also provide the shareholder’s name and address of record, a representation that the shareholder is a record holder of our securities (or, if not a record holder, evidence of ownership in accordance with Rule 14a-8(b)(2) of the Exchange Act), the nominee’s name, age, business and residential addresses, educational background, current principal occupation or employment, and principal occupation or employment for the

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preceding five full fiscal years, a description of the qualifications and background of the nominee which addresses the minimum qualifications and other criteria for Board membership approved by the Board; a description of all arrangements or understandings between the shareholder and the proposed director candidate, and consent of the nominee (i) to be named in the proxy statement relating to our annual meeting of shareholders and (ii) to serve as a director if elected at such annual meeting. Following verification of the shareholder status of the person submitting the recommendation, all properly submitted recommendations will be promptly brought to the attention of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

In accordance with our Articles of Association, no person (other than a director retiring by rotation or otherwise) shall be elected or re-elected as a director at any general meeting unless: (a) he or she is recommended by the Board; or (b) at least seven but not more than 42 clear days before the date appointed for the meeting we have received notice from a shareholder (other than the person proposed) entitled to vote at the meeting of their intention to propose a resolution for the election or re-election of that person, stating the particulars which would, if he or she were so elected or re-elected, be required to be included in our register of directors and a notice executed by that person of his or her willingness to be elected, or re-elected, is lodged at our registered office. Shareholders who desire to nominate persons directly for election to the Board of Directors at an annual general meeting of shareholders must meet the deadlines and other requirements to propose a resolution set forth under “Questions and Answers about these Proxy Materials and Voting ⸺ Will there be any other business conducted at the Meeting?” and “Additional Information—Shareholder Proposals for 2022 Annual General Meeting.” Any vacancies on the Board occurring between our annual general meetings of shareholders may be filled by the Board.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to all of our directors, officers and employees. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on our website at https://investors.bicycletherapeutics.com. We expect that any amendments to this code or any waivers of its requirements will be disclosed on our website.

Shareholder Communication with the Board

It is the policy of our Board to allow shareholders to communicate with its members. Communications may be addressed to the entire Board or to any individual director. All such communications will initially be received and processed by our Company Secretary. Spam, junk mail, advertisements and threatening, hostile, illegal and similar unsuitable communications will not be delivered to the Board. Shareholders can contact members of the Board by writing care of our Company Secretary at our registered office address.

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table and related footnotes set forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares, as of April 7, 2022, by:

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. Under these rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares as to which a person has sole or shared voting power or investment power. In computing the number of ordinary shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, ordinary shares subject to options, or other rights held by such person that are currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days of April 7, 2022 are considered outstanding. These ordinary shares, however, are not included in the computation of the percentage ownership of any other person. Applicable percentage ownership is based on 29,646,438 ordinary shares outstanding as of April 7, 2022.

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Unless otherwise indicated, the address for each of the shareholders listed in the table below is c/o Bicycle Therapeutics plc, Building 900 Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom.

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TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

Policies and Procedures Regarding Transactions with Related Parties

We have adopted a written related party transactions policy that such transactions must be approved by our Audit Committee. Pursuant to this policy, the Audit Committee has the primary responsibility for reviewing and approving or disapproving “related person transactions,” which are transactions between us and related persons in which the related person has a direct or indirect material interest. For purposes of this policy, a “related person” will be defined as a director, executive officer, nominee for director, or greater than 5% beneficial owner of any class of our voting securities, and their immediate family members.

In connection with the adoption of the policy, the Audit Committee pre-approved the following transactions that are not subject to further review by the Audit Committee. In connection with each regularly scheduled meeting of the Audit Committee, a summary of any new related person transactions deemed pre-approved (other than director and executive compensation arrangements) shall be provided to the Audit Committee for its review.

For purposes of the policy, we refer to certain related-party transactions below in which (a) we were a participant, (b) the amount involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000 or, during such time as we qualify as a “smaller reporting company,” the lesser of (1) $120,000 or (2) 1% of the average of our total assets for the last two completed fiscal years, and (c) one or more related persons had a direct or indirect material interest. Transactions involving compensation for services provided to us by an employee, director, consultant or individual performing in a similar capacity by a related person are not covered by this policy.

Certain Related Party Transactions

Below are our related-party transactions since January 1, 2020 to which we were a party or will be a party, other than compensation, termination and change of control arrangements with our named executive officers and directors, which are described where required under the sections entitled “Director Remuneration” and “Executive Compensation.”

We believe that the terms obtained or the consideration that we paid or received, in each case as applicable, in connection with the transactions described below were comparable to the terms available or the amounts that we would pay or receive, in each case as applicable, in arm’s-length transactions with unrelated third parties.

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Consulting Agreement with Stone Sunny Isles, Inc.

In March 2019, we entered into a consultancy agreement with Stone Sunny Isles, Inc., or Stone Sunny Isles, pursuant to which Stone Sunny Isles has agreed to make available Pierre Legault to provide advisory services to us as requested by our Board of Directors or our chief executive officer. In consideration for the provision of the advisory services, we pay Stone Sunny Isles a monthly retainer of £10,416, which is billed in U.S. Dollars. Pierre Legault is the President, Treasurer and Director of Stone Atlanta Estates LLC, the successor-in-interest to Stone Sunny Isles.

Founder Royalty Arrangements

We have entered into two royalty agreements with our founders, including Sir Greg Winter (who is one of our directors), and our initial investors, Atlas Venture Fund VIII LP (which was a holder of more than 5% of our share capital) and Novartis Bioventures LTD (which was and is a holder of more than 5% of our share capital). Pursuant to the first royalty agreement, we are obligated to pay a royalty percentage in the low single digits on net sales arising from products licensed under our collaboration agreement with Oxurion. Pursuant to the second royalty agreement, we are obligated to pay a royalty percentage in the low single digits on net sales arising from products licensed under the AstraZeneca collaboration agreement.

Indemnification Agreements

Prior to the completion of our initial public offering in May 2019, we entered into deeds of indemnity with each of our directors and officers. Pursuant to these deeds of indemnity, we agreed, subject to limitations set forth in each agreement, to indemnify each director and executive officer to the fullest extent permitted by law against liabilities arising out of or in connection with any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative, regulatory, or other proceeding that relates to any acts or omissions alleged to have occurred while such director or executive officer was acting in such capacity. On November 6, 2019, the Audit Committee approved the entry by us into amended and restated deeds of indemnity with each of our directors and executive officers. The amendments to the prior forms of indemnity deeds were intended to make certain technical and non-substantive changes.

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DIRECTOR REMUNERATION

Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy

We established our Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy at the time of our initial public offering in May 2019 in order to attract and retain non-employee directors who have the knowledge, skills and experience to serve as a member of our Board. Our non-employee directors are compensated through equity awards and the payment of cash fees, as described below. All equity awards granted in accordance with this policy shall be granted under our then-current equity incentive plan (or director equity incentive plan, if any). Directors who are employed by us will receive no additional compensation for their service as directors.

Equity Compensation

Following a non-employee director’s initial election to our Board, the Board or the Compensation Committee shall grant the non-employee director an option to purchase a specified number of ordinary shares (the “Initial Grant”) at the next scheduled meeting of the Board or the Compensation Committee, as applicable. In 2021, the Initial Grant comprised an option to purchase 32,000 ordinary shares that vested in 36 equal tranches at the end of each calendar month following the date of grant, subject to continued service by the director as of such vesting date. In December 2021, our Board approved an amendment to our Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy to provide that the Initial Grant shall be an option to purchase 20,000 of the Company’s ordinary shares and an RSU for 10,000 ordinary shares. The options and RSUs comprising the Initial Grant will vest in three equal installments on the first, second and third anniversaries of the date of grant, subject to continued service by the director as of such vesting date.

Our Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy also provides for an annual grant of options to be made to our non-employee directors. In December 2021, our Board approved an amendment to our Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy to provide that, in January of each year, the Board or the Compensation Committee will grant to each non-employee director (other than the Chairman) who has not announced an intention either to resign from the Board or not to stand for election at the next annual general meeting of shareholders, an option to purchase 10,000 ordinary shares and 5,000 RSUs, and the Chairman will be granted an option to purchase 20,000 ordinary shares and 10,000 RSUs (each, an “Annual Grant”). Each of Mses. Bourque, Jordan, Dr. Gutierrez-Ramos, Mr. Kender and Sir Gregory Winter received Annual Grants of options to purchase 10,000 ordinary shares and 5,000 RSUs, and Mr. Legault received an Annual Grant of an option to purchase 20,000 ordinary shares and 10,000 RSUs, in January 2022. If a new non-employee director joins our Board following the date of grant of the Annual Grant in any calendar year, such non-employee director will be granted a pro-rata portion of the next Annual Grant, based on the time between his or her appointment and the date of such Annual Grant. Annual Grants shall be vested in full as of the date of grant.

Cash Fees

Each non-employee director receives an annual cash fee for service on the Board and for service on each committee of which the director is a member. The chairs of the Board and of each committee receive higher fees for such service. In December 2021, our Board approved an amendment to our Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy which increased the fees paid to members and the chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee from $4,000 and $8,000, respectively, to $5,000 and $10,000, respectively. In addition, the Board approved fees to be paid to the members and Chair of our Scientific Committee. These changes were effective beginning January 1, 2022.

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For 2022, the fees payable to each non-employee director for service on the Board and for service on each committee of the Board on which the director is a member is as follows:

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The fees owed to our directors for their Board and committee service are payable in arrears in 12 substantially equal monthly installments, subject to deduction of applicable income tax or national insurance, which we are required by law to deduct, and any other statutory deductions, provided that (i) the amount of such payment shall be prorated for any portion of such month during which the director was not serving and (ii) no fee shall be payable in respect of any period prior to the date of our initial public offering. Non-employee director fees may be paid in GBP, USD, or a combination depending on the personal situation of each non-employee director. We also reimburse the reasonable expenses incurred by non-employee directors in connection with attendance at Board or committee meetings or other company-related activities upon submission of appropriate documentation.

Director Compensation

The following table sets forth information regarding the compensation earned for service on the Board by our non-employee directors during the year ended December 31, 2021. The compensation for Dr. Lee as an executive officer is set forth in the section of this proxy statement titled Executive Compensation—Summary Compensation Table.

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Deeds of Indemnification

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We entered into a deed of indemnity with each of our directors and executive officers to indemnify them against certain liabilities and expenses incurred by them in connection with claims made by reason of their being such a director or executive officer. In addition to such indemnification, we provide our directors and executive officers with directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.

Non-Executive Director Appointment Letters

We have entered into letters of appointment with each of our non-executive directors. These letters set forth the main terms on which each of our non-executive directors serve on our Board. Continued appointment under the letter is contingent on continued satisfactory performance as a member of the Board and as a member of a committee, if applicable, as well as being re-elected at the annual general meetings in accordance with our Articles of Association. Each appointment is normally terminable by either party on between one and three months’ written notice (or, in some cases, payment in lieu of notice), but may be terminated immediately in certain circumstances. Upon termination, the non-executive director is entitled to a pro-rata amount of the annual fee (if applicable) that is outstanding and payable up to the date of termination, and reimbursement in the normal way of any expenses properly incurred before that date.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE COMPANY

Below is a list of our executive officers and their ages as of the date of this proxy statement. There are no family relationships between any of our executive officers, and there is no arrangement or understanding between any executive officer and any other person pursuant to which the executive officer was selected.

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Biographical information for Dr. Lee is included above with the director biographies under the section of this proxy statement titled “Board of Directors and Corporate Governance.”

Lee Kalowski, MBA has served as our Chief Financial Officer since July 2017 and as our President since January 2019. Prior to joining us, from September 2014 until September 2016, Mr. Kalowski served as the Chief Financial Officer and from September 2016 until May 2017, served as the consulting Chief Financial/Business Officer of Tokai Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. Prior to Tokai, from June 2010 to September 2014, Mr. Kalowski served in global biotechnology equity research at Credit Suisse, where he covered companies in the biopharmaceutical industry as a Senior Analyst from May 2011 until September 2014 and as an Associate from June 2010 until May 2011. Mr. Kalowski received a B.A. in biology and economics from Union College and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Nigel Crockett, Ph.D. has served as our Chief Business Officer since September 2019. From 2005 until joining us, Dr. Crockett was founding partner at Tukan Partners, Ltd., a business consultancy specializing in biotechnology. Prior to Tukan, he held commercial and business development roles within the life sciences sector, including as Vice President, Business Development at Astex Therapeutics, a Cambridge, UK-based company focused on drug discovery and development for oncology and central nervous system disorders. Dr. Crockett earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Cambridge University and a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Manchester.

Nicholas Keen, Ph.D. has served as our Chief Scientific Officer since January 2017. Prior to joining us, from April 2011 until December 2016, Dr. Keen was the Head of Oncology Drug Discovery at the Cambridge (US) office of the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, a subsidiary of Novartis AG, a pharmaceutical company. Prior to Novartis, from August 2005 to March 2011, Dr. Keen led the early lead generation group for oncology at AstraZeneca plc’s US research site in Waltham, Massachusetts, and before this, from January 1997 to July 2005 worked in AstraZeneca’s UK oncology research group. Dr. Keen completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Cambridge, his graduate studies at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in Cambridge and his post-doctoral studies at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.

Alistair Milnes was appointed our Chief Operating Officer in January 2022, and previously he served as our Vice President, Human Resources and Communications since January 2021. Prior to joining us, Mr. Milnes provided independent human resources consulting services, including to us, from October 2020 to December 2020. He also previously served as Strategic Advisor, Transformation, People and Communications at Rio Tinto from January 2020 to December 2020, and in roles of increasing responsibility at Gazprom Marketing & Trading Ltd. from 2010 to October 2019, including serving as Director of Global Human Resources from December 2013 to November 2017, following which he became Director of Global Human Resources and Communications. Mr. Milnes received his B.A. from Edinburgh Napier University.

Michael Skynner, Ph.D. was appointed our Chief Technology Officer in January 2022, and previously he served as our Chief Operating Officer from January 2018, and as our Vice President of Operations from January 2016 to

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January 2018. Prior to joining us, Dr. Skynner worked at Pfizer Inc., a pharmaceutical company, from September 2013 to January 2016, where he was Head of Rare Disease Alliances, led rare disease efforts in Europe and founded and ran the Pfizer Rare Disease Consortium. Prior to Pfizer, from May 2008 to September 2013, Dr. Skynner worked at GlaxoSmithKline plc, a pharmaceutical company, where he focused on developing therapeutics targeting inflammatory kinases. Prior to GlaxoSmithKline, in 2001, Dr. Skynner co-founded Cambridge Biotechnology Ltd, which specialized in developing small molecule and peptide therapeutics for inflammation and metabolic diseases before its trade sale to Biovitrum in 2005. Dr. Skynner obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Imperial College.

Dominic Smethurst, MA, MBChB, MRCP, MFPM has served as our Chief Medical Officer since July 2020. Prior to joining us, from February 2019 to July 2020, Dr. Smethurst was a medical consultant, advising biopharma companies on clinical development strategies and licensing projects. Prior to that, from September 2016 to September 2018, he served as Chief Medical Officer of Tusk Therapeutics, an immuno-oncology company acquired by Roche. From June 2015 to September 2016, Dr. Smethurst served as Vice President Oncology and Global Therapeutic Area Lead at Icon, a global contract research organization. Before Icon, he held physician leadership roles at AstraZeneca, Amgen and Adaptimmune. Dr. Smethurst is a Member of both the Royal College of Physicians and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine. He earned an MBChB with Distinction from Addenbrooke’s Clinical School Cambridge, as well as an MA from Christ’s College Cambridge.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Summary Compensation Table

The following table provides a summary of compensation paid to our Chief Executive Officer, and the next two most highly compensated executive officers who were serving as our executive officers as of December 31, 2021 (collectively, the “named executive officers”):

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Narrative Disclosure to the Summary Compensation Table

Annual Base Salary

Our named executive officers receive a base salary to compensate them for services rendered to us. The base salary payable to each named executive officer is intended to provide a fixed component of compensation reflecting the executive’s skill set, experience, role and responsibilities. None of our named executive officers is currently party to an employment agreement or other agreement or arrangement that provides for automatic or scheduled increases in base salary going forward. See “—Employment and Service Arrangements with Our Named Executive Officers” for additional information.

Bonus

The amounts in the “Bonus” column of the Summary Compensation Table include a one-time bonus our Compensation Committee approved and which was paid to all of our employees in 2021 for exceptional performance during the Covid-19 pandemic.

For Dr. Skynner, the amount in the “Bonus” column of the Summary Compensation Table also includes Dr. Skynner’s portion of the Enzo Cerundolo Publication Award, which is an award that we give in Dr. Cerundolo’s honor for the best Bicycle publication each year. The Enzo Cerundolo Publication Award is $10,000, which is shared equally among the authors of the winning publication.

Equity-Based Incentive Awards

Our equity award program is the primary vehicle for offering long-term incentives to our executives. Our program is designed to incentivize the successful execution of our business strategy over the long term and to provide long-term retention of our executives. We believe that equity awards provide our executives with a strong link to our long-term performance, create an ownership culture and help to align the interests of our executives and our stockholders. Historically, we have used stock option grants for this purpose, in part because options can also provide tax and other advantages to our executive officers relative to other forms of equity compensation. Effective in January of 2022, we expanded our equity-based incentive program to include grants of restricted share units.

Our 2020 Equity Incentive Plan with Non-Employee Sub-Plan (the “2020 Plan”) allows the Compensation Committee to grant options to purchase ordinary shares and other share-based awards to our officers, employees, directors and other service providers (including consultants). We award equity grants broadly to our employees, including to our non-executive employees. Grants to our executives and other employees are made at the discretion of the Compensation Committee and are generally made upon commencement of employment, promotion or annually during the first quarter of each year. We believe that our equity awards are an important retention tool for our executive officers as well as for our other employees.

In connection with our annual grant process, on January 4, 2021, our Compensation Committee granted each of Dr. Lee, Mr. Kalowski and Dr. Skynner an option to purchase 250,000, 70,500 and 70,500 of our ordinary shares, respectively, at an exercise price of $17.95 per share under the 2020 Plan, which plan was the successor to our 2019 Share Option Plan (the “2019 Plan”).

Annual Performance-Based Cash Compensation

In May 2019, our Board adopted the Senior Executive Cash Incentive Bonus Plan (the “Bonus Plan”) to provide our named executive officers and other members of our management team with cash bonus payments based upon the attainment of performance targets established by our Compensation Committee. The payment targets will be related to financial and operational measures or objectives with respect to our company, or corporate performance goals, as well as individual performance objectives.

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Each executive officer who is selected to participate in the Bonus Plan will have a target bonus opportunity set for each performance period. The bonus formulas will be adopted in each performance period by the Compensation Committee and communicated to each executive. The corporate performance goals will be measured at the end of each performance period after our financial reports have been published or such other appropriate time as the Compensation Committee determines. If the corporate performance goals and individual performance objectives are met, payments will be made as soon as practicable following the end of each performance period. Subject to the rights contained in any agreement between the executive officer and us, an executive officer must be employed by us on the bonus payment date to be eligible to receive a bonus payment. The Bonus Plan also permits the Compensation Committee to approve additional bonuses to executive officers in its sole discretion and provides the Compensation Committee with discretion to adjust the size of the award as it deems appropriate to account for unforeseen factors beyond management’s control that affected corporate performance.

The Board determined a corporate goal achievement level of 138% for 2021 and also approved an individual performance multiplier applicable to those employees receiving top performance rankings. The amounts reported for 2021 represent the named executive officer’s respective cash bonus payments based upon the attainment of 138% of corporate performance targets, and individual performance. Such performance-based bonuses are typically paid shortly following the end of the calendar year in which they are earned. These performance-based bonuses are reflected above in the column of the Summary Compensation Table entitled “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation.”

Outstanding Equity Awards at 2021 Fiscal Year-End

The following table sets forth information regarding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2021. All options are options to purchase ordinary shares.

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Employment and Service Arrangements with Our Named Executive Officers

Below are descriptions of our employment and service agreements and arrangements with our named executive officers.

Kevin Lee

Our subsidiary BicycleTx Limited, or BicycleTx, entered into an amended and restated service agreement with Dr. Lee effective on September 26, 2019, which was subsequently amended in 2020 and 2021 solely with respect to exchange rate conversion provisions thereof (the “Lee Service Agreement”). Pursuant to the Lee Service Agreement, Dr. Lee currently serves as our Chief Executive Officer and reports to our Board. Dr. Lee’s base salary for 2020 was $592,250. Prior to 2021, Dr. Lee’s salary was set in USD and converted to and paid in GBP pursuant to a mechanism set out in his service agreement. To simplify administration and to control for disparate impacts of exchange rate fluctuations on our executive officers, our Compensation Committee approved a modification to our compensation practices to provide that as of January 1, 2021, the salaries of all of our United Kingdom-based executive officers would be both set and paid in GBP. Accordingly, Dr. Lee’s annual base salary for 2021 was set at £494,602 (or $675,572, converted by reference to the GBP: USD exchange rate on December 31, 2020 of 1.36589), and his annual base salary for 2022 has been set at £544,100 (or $734,388, converted by reference to the GBP: USD exchange rate on December 31, 2021 of 1.3497). Dr. Lee is eligible for an annual performance bonus, the target for which in 2021 was set at 60% of his annual base salary, which performance-based bonus may be paid in cash, in whole or in part, or options to purchase our ordinary shares. Dr. Lee received a cash bonus for 2021 performance in the amount of $653,631. Dr. Lee’s target bonus for 2022 was set at 65% of his 2022 annual base salary. Dr. Lee is also eligible to participate in BicycleTx’s employee benefit plans generally available to BicycleTx executive employees, subject to the terms of those plans.

Dr. Lee’s employment has no specified term, but can be terminated by either party by giving the other party no less than six months’ notice in writing. Dr. Lee’s employment may be terminated, immediately and without notice, pursuant to the conditions specified in the Lee Service Agreement, in which event Dr. Lee would then be entitled to certain accrued obligations and may, depending on the circumstances, be entitled to receive payment in lieu of salary and benefits for all or any part of the notice period to which he would otherwise have been entitled. If Dr. Lee’s employment is terminated as a result of his death, by BicycleTx without Cause or by Dr. Lee for Good Reason (each as defined in the Lee Service Agreement), BicycleTx will owe Dr. Lee severance pay, the amount of which will depend on whether such termination occurs within the 12 month period following a Change of Control (as defined in the Lee Service Agreement) of us. If such termination occurs within such 12 month period, Dr. Lee would be entitled to receive a payment equal to 1.5 times his then annual base salary and target annual performance bonus, and benefits continuation (or cash in lieu thereof) for 18 months following his termination. Any equity awards held by Dr. Lee subject to time based vesting would also become fully vested. If such termination occurs other than within the 12 month period following a Change of Control of us, Dr. Lee would be entitled to receive a payment equal to one times his then annual base salary, and benefits continuation (or cash in lieu thereof) for 12 months following termination. In order to receive any severance under the

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Lee Service Agreement, Dr. Lee must sign and not revoke a separation agreement that includes a release of claims and a reaffirmation of the non-competition provisions of the Lee Service Agreement. The Lee Service Agreement also binds Dr. Lee to customary confidentiality, intellectual property and post termination covenants.

Lee Kalowski

Our subsidiary Bicycle Therapeutics Inc., or Bicycle Inc., entered into an amended and restated employment agreement with Mr. Kalowski on September 26, 2019 (the “Kalowski Employment Agreement”). Pursuant to the Kalowski Employment Agreement, Mr. Kalowski serves as our President and Chief Financial Officer and reports to our Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Kalowski’s base salary for 2021 was $477,405, and his annual performance bonus target was 45% of his annual base salary. Mr. Kalowski received a cash bonus for 2021 performance in the amount of $322,200. Mr. Kalowski’s base salary for 2022 was increased by our Compensation Committee to $525,100. In addition, Mr. Kalowski’s target bonus for 2022 was increased to 50% of his 2022 annual base salary. Mr. Kalowski is also eligible to participate in Bicycle Inc.’s employee benefit plans generally available to, and on the same basis as, similarly-situated employees of Bicycle Inc., subject to the terms of those plans.

Mr. Kalowski’s employment is at will and may be terminated at any time by Bicycle Inc. or Mr. Kalowski. In the event Mr. Kalowski’s employment is terminated, he would then be entitled to certain accrued obligations. In the case of termination due to death or Disability (as defined in the Kalowski Employment Agreement) only, those accrued obligations would include the annual bonus amount that Mr. Kalowski would have otherwise earned for performance in such preceding calendar year. If Mr. Kalowski’s employment is terminated by Bicycle Inc. without Cause or by Mr. Kalowski for Good Reason (each as defined in the Kalowski Employment Agreement), provided he signs and does not revoke a separation agreement that includes a release of claims and a non-competition agreement, Bicycle Inc. will pay him severance, the amount of which will depend upon whether such termination occurs within the 12-month period following a Change of Control (as defined in the Kalowski Employment Agreement) of us. If such termination occurs within such 12-month period, Mr. Kalowski would be entitled to receive 12 months of continued base salary, his target annual performance bonus paid in one lump sum, and payment by Bicycle Inc. of the employer portion of premiums for continued group health coverage for up to 12 months following his termination. Any equity awards held by Mr. Kalowski subject to time-based vesting would also become fully vested. If such termination occurs other than within the 12-month period following a Change of Control of us, Mr. Kalowski would be entitled to receive nine months of continued base salary and payment by Bicycle Inc. of the employer portion of premiums for continued group health coverage for up to nine months following termination. The Kalowski Employment Agreement also binds Mr. Kalowski to customary confidentiality, intellectual property and post-termination covenants.

Michael Skynner

BicycleTx entered into an amended and restated service agreement with Dr. Skynner effective on September 26, 2019, which was subsequently amended in 2020, 2021, and 2022 solely with respect to exchange rate conversion provisions thereof (the “Skynner Service Agreement”). Pursuant to the Skynner Service Agreement, Dr. Skynner served as our Chief Operating Officer until January 2, 2022. Effective January 3, 2022, Dr. Skynner was appointed to the newly created position of Chief Technology Officer and reports to our Chief Executive Officer. To simplify administration and to control for disparate impacts of exchange rate fluctuations on our executive officers, our Compensation Committee approved a modification to our compensation practices to provide that as of January 1, 2021, the salaries of all of our United Kingdom-based executive officers would be both set and paid in GBP. Accordingly, Dr. Skynner’s annual base salary for 2021 was £368,290 (or $503,044, converted by reference to the GBP: USD exchange rate on December 31, 2020 of 1.36589). Dr. Skynner earned a cash bonus for 2021 performance in the amount of $341,989. Dr. Skynner’s base salary for 2022 is £405,100 (or $546,776, converted by reference to the GBP: USD exchange rate on December 31, 2021 of 1.3497). In March 2022, Dr. Skynner’s target bonus was increased to 50% of his 2022 annual base salary. Dr. Skynner is also eligible to participate in BicycleTx’s employee benefit plans generally available to BicycleTx executive employees, subject to the terms of those plans.

Dr. Skynner’s employment has no specified term, but can be terminated by either party in writing giving the other no less than six months’ notice. Dr. Skynner’s employment may also be terminated, immediately and without notice, pursuant to the conditions specified in the Skynner Service Agreement, in which event Dr. Skynner would be

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entitled to certain accrued obligations and may, depending on the circumstances, be entitled to receive payment in lieu of salary and benefits for all or any part of the notice period to which he would otherwise have been entitled. If Dr. Skynner’s employment is terminated as a result of his death, by BicycleTx without Cause or by Dr. Skynner for Good Reason (each as defined in the Skynner Service Agreement), BicycleTx will owe Dr. Skynner severance pay, the amount of which will depend on whether such termination occurs within the 12-month period following a Change of Control (as defined in the Skynner Service Agreement) of us. If such termination occurs within such 12-month period, Dr. Skynner would be entitled to receive a payment equal to 12 months of his then-annual base salary, his target annual performance bonus for the year of termination, and benefits continuation (or cash in lieu thereof) for 12 months following his termination. Any equity awards held by Dr. Skynner subject to time-based vesting would also become fully vested. If such termination occurs other than within the 12-month period following a Change of Control (as defined in the Skynner Service Agreement) of us, Dr. Skynner would be entitled to receive a payment equal to nine months of his then annual base salary, and benefits continuation (or cash in lieu thereof) for nine months following termination. In order to receive any severance under the Skynner Service Agreement, Dr. Skynner must sign and not revoke a separation agreement that includes a release of claims and a reaffirmation of the non-competition provisions of the Skynner Service Agreement. The Skynner Service Agreement also binds Dr. Skynner to customary confidentiality, intellectual property and post-termination covenants.

Personal Pension Plan

We currently maintain a defined contribution retirement plan, commonly referred to in the U.K. as a personal pension plan, provided by Scottish Widows Group, through which we make contributions to each of our eligible U.K. employee’s personal pension plan accounts, in an amount selected by us. In 2021, for employees with the job title ‘director’ and above, we contributed an amount equal to 12% of each participant’s basic annual earned salary to the participant’s personal pension plan account. For all other employees, this amount was equal to 8% of each participant’s basic annual earned salary, and all employees, subject to certain criteria based on their circumstances, have the option to receive the cash equivalent of this contribution at the election of the relevant employee. Each participant may also make additional contributions at his or her discretion.

401(k) Plan

We maintain a tax-qualified retirement plan that provides eligible U.S. employees with an opportunity to save for retirement on a tax-advantaged basis. Plan participants are able to defer eligible compensation subject to applicable annual limits pursuant to the Code. We have the ability to make discretionary contributions to the 401(k) plan and currently match each participant’s contribution up to a maximum of 4% of their eligible compensation. The 401(k) plan is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code with the 401(k) plan’s related trust intended to be tax exempt under Section 501(a) of the Code. As a tax-qualified retirement plan, contributions to the 401(k) plan and earnings on those contributions are not taxable to the employees until distributed from the 401(k) plan.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

U.K. Statutory Annual Accounts and Reports of the Board and Auditors of Bicycle Therapeutics plc for the year ended December 31, 2021

Consistent with its obligations under the Companies Act, our Board will present at the AGM our 2021 U.K. Annual Report, which has been approved by and, where appropriate, signed on behalf of our Board and will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies in the United Kingdom following the AGM. A copy of our U.K. statutory directors’ remuneration report, including the annual report on remuneration and the existing remuneration policy, is included as Annex A to this proxy statement. A complete copy of our 2021 U.K. Annual Report, including the statutory Board of Directors report, strategic report and auditor’s report on our U.K. accounts are being sent to you as part of the Proxy Materials. We will provide our shareholders with an opportunity to raise questions in relation to the 2021 U.K. Annual Report at the AGM.

Shareholders’ Rights to Call a General Meeting

Our shareholders have the right to call a meeting of our shareholders. The Companies Act generally requires the directors to call a general meeting once we have received requests to do so from shareholders representing at least 5% of our paid-up shares entitled to vote at a general meeting. The Companies Act generally prohibits shareholders of a U.K. public limited company from passing written resolutions. However, significant shareholders would, in any case, still have the power to call a general meeting and propose resolutions. These provisions are mandatory under the Companies Act and cannot be waived by our shareholders.

Shareholder Proposals and Director Nominations for 2023 Annual General Meeting

Pursuant to the various rules promulgated by the SEC and without prejudice to the rights of a shareholder of record under the Companies Act, shareholders interested in submitting a proposal for inclusion in our proxy materials and for presentation at the 2023 annual general meeting of shareholders may do so by following the procedures set forth in Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.

In order to be considered for inclusion in our proxy statement for our 2023 annual general meeting of shareholders, shareholder proposals must be received by our Company Secretary in writing at c/o Bicycle Therapeutics plc, Building 900 Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT no later than 120 days before the anniversary of the date on which we sent our proxy materials for the AGM, or December 30, 2022. However, if the date of such annual general meeting is more than 30 calendar days from the date of the anniversary of the Meeting, then the notice must be received by our Company Secretary a reasonable time before we begin to print and send our proxy materials.

Shareholder proposals submitted for consideration at our 2023 annual general meeting of shareholders, but not submitted for inclusion in our proxy statement for our 2023 annual general meeting of shareholders, must be received by our Company Secretary at our principal executive offices, Building 900 Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT no later than 45 days before the anniversary of the date of the AGM, or May 13, 2023. However, if the date of the 2023 annual general meeting is changed by more than 30 calendar days from the date of the anniversary of the Meeting, the notice must be received by our Company Secretary at least 45 days prior to the date we intend to distribute our proxy materials with respect to the 2023 annual general meeting. If a shareholder does not timely provide notice as described above, proxies solicited on behalf of our management for the 2023 annual general meeting will confer discretionary authority to vote with respect to any such matter, as permitted by Rule 14a-4 of the Exchange Act.

Under section 338 of the Companies Act, shareholders representing at least 5% of holders entitled to vote on a resolution at an annual general meeting may require us to include such resolution in our notice of an annual general meeting. Provided the applicable thresholds are met, notice of the resolution must be received by us at the Office of the Company Secretary, Building 900 Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT at least six weeks prior to the date of the annual general meeting, or, if later, at the time notice of the annual general meeting is delivered to shareholders.

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In addition to satisfying the forgoing requirements under our articles of association and the Companies Act, to comply with the universal proxy rules (once effective), shareholders who intend to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than our nominees must provide notice that sets forth the information required by Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act no later than April 28, 2023.

Shareholder Rights

Under section 527 of the Companies Act, members meeting the threshold requirement set out in that section have the right to require us to publish on a website a statement setting out any matter relating to: (i) the audit of our accounts (including the auditor’s report and the conduct of the audit) that are to be laid before the AGM; or (ii) any circumstance connected with our auditor ceasing to hold office since the previous meeting at which annual accounts or reports were laid in accordance with section 437 of the Companies Act. We may not require the shareholders requesting any such website publication to pay our expenses in complying with sections 527 or 528 of the Companies Act. Where we are required to place a statement on a website under section 527 of the Companies Act, we must forward the statement to our auditor not later than the time when we make the statement available on the website. The business which must be dealt with at the AGM includes any statement that we have been required, under section 527 of the Companies Act, to publish on a website.

Householding

The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (e.g., brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements for Proxy Materials with respect to two or more shareholders sharing the same address by delivering a single set of Proxy Materials addressed to those shareholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means extra convenience for shareholders and cost savings for companies.

This year, a number of brokers with account holders who are our shareholders will be “householding” the Proxy Materials. A single set of Proxy Materials will be delivered to multiple shareholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected shareholders. Once you have received notice from your broker that they will be “householding” communications to your address, “householding” will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in “householding” and would prefer to receive a separate set of Proxy Materials, please notify your broker or us. Direct your written request to Bicycle Therapeutics plc, Building 900 Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, United Kingdom, Attn: Jim Sutcliffe, Company Secretary. Shareholders who currently receive multiple copies of the Proxy Materials at their addresses and would like to request “householding” of their communications should contact their brokers.

Questions

If you have any questions or need more information about the AGM please write to us at:

Bicycle Therapeutics plc

Attn: Jim Sutcliffe, Company Secretary

Building 900 Babraham Research Campus

Babraham

Cambridge, CB22 3AT

United Kingdom

A copy of the Company’s Annual Report to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 is available without charge upon written request to: Company Secretary, Bicycle Therapeutics plc, Building 900, Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom.

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Annex A

Directors’ Remuneration Report

Annual Statement from the Chair of the Compensation Committee

Dear Shareholders,

As the Chair of the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”), I am pleased to present, on behalf of the board of directors (the “Board”) of Bicycle Therapeutics plc (the “Parent Company” and, together with its subsidiaries, the “Company”, “Bicycle”, “our”, “we” or “us”), the Directors’ Remuneration Report for the year ended 31 December 2021 (the “Remuneration Report”), which is the Company’s third such report following the Parent Company’s initial public offering (the “IPO”) and listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) on 23 May 2019.

The Remuneration Report will be subject to an advisory vote at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting to be held on 27 June 2022 (the “AGM”). There are no other matters that the Parent Company requires approval for under Chapter 4A of Part 10 of the Companies Act 2006. The Directors’ Remuneration Policy (the “Remuneration Policy”) was approved by the shareholders at the Parent Company’s first AGM on 29 June 2020. Following the IPO in May 2019, this will be the Parent Company’s third AGM as a listed company.

Introduction

Our shareholders approved our Remuneration Policy at our first AGM following our IPO on NASDAQ in 2019. We believe that our approved Remuneration Policy provides an appropriate framework to meet our objectives to establish a broad range of remuneration programs and policies, that both compensate and incentivise directors and senior executives to deliver growth in a long-term and sustainable manner, and that are aligned strategically with our shareholders to appropriately position the Company as a global biopharmaceutical company.

As we move into 2022 and beyond, the Committee’s role will be to continue to ensure that directors and senior executives are appropriately compensated and incentivised to deliver growth in a long-term and sustainable manner, and to continue to establishing remuneration programs that are grounded in market practice, effective at driving proper executive behaviours, clearly link pay and performance and are cost-efficient overall to shareholders. Key considerations guiding our Remuneration Policy are described in more detail on page A-3 of the Remuneration Report. The Remuneration Policy will be renewed every three years (unless a revised policy is approved by shareholders).

The global marketplace for talent

We are a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in the UK and with operations in both the UK and the U.S. Given that the market for experienced directors and biopharmaceutical executive talent, particularly in the U.S., is very competitive, the Committee references the U.S. market as the leading indicator for executive and director remuneration levels and practices. This will help attract and retain directors and motivate the superior executive talent needed to successfully manage the Company’s complex global operations. Being consistent in this market view of the U.S. as the primary benchmark for remuneration practices for our Executive and Non-Executive Directors is key for the Company as it builds its global operations in a manner designed to deliver sustainable long-term growth and shareholder value.

In taking any actions, the Committee is mindful of the general UK compensation framework, including investor bodies’ guidance and the UK Corporate Governance Code, and has considered these when determining the remuneration programs and policies where it believes they best serve the long-term interests of shareholders.

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Directors’ Remuneration Report (continued)

Pay for performance

We believe that a significant portion of the remuneration of our Executive Director should be based on achieving objectives designed to create inherent value in the Company, and ultimately on achieving value creation for our shareholders. In line with this belief, the compensation of our Executive Director includes short term incentives based on corporate and personal goals. Similarly, all directors receive equity incentives designed to reward long-term value creation for our shareholders.

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2021 remuneration outcome

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As outlined above, a core principle of Bicycle’s Remuneration Policy is the link between pay and performance. In the financial year 2021 (being the year ended 31 December 2021), the annual bonus paid to Kevin Lee, our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), was determined by the Board following an assessment of the corporate and personal objectives achieved in the year. Kevin Lee received a bonus of 160% of his target bonus, which resulted in a total bonus pay out of 96% of salary earned for the financial year 2021. The bonus was paid in cash in February 2022. This outcome was based on achievements versus goals in the following key areas: Corporate Development, Clinical Development, Financial and Organisational Development. In considering the above outcomes, the Committee assessed whether the outcomes reflected the underlying performance of the Company and concluded that no discretionary adjustments were required.

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Some of the key highlights of the 2021 year, all in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, included:

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Please see the remainder of the Remuneration Report for additional details on this bonus outcome and the pay for performance linkage.

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Conclusion

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The Committee believes the proposals put forth in this report will properly motivate our directors and senior executives to deliver sustainable growth and shareholder value over the long term and do so in a responsible and cost-efficient manner.

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I hope that you find the information in this report helpful and I look forward to your support at our AGM.

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Yours sincerely,

Veronica Jordan

Chair of the Compensation Committee

27 April 2022

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Directors’ Remuneration Report (continued)

Remuneration Policy

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This part of the Remuneration Report sets out the Remuneration Policy and has been prepared in accordance with the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) (Amendment) Regulations 2013, the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018, and the Companies (Directors’ Remuneration Policy and Directors’ Remuneration Report) Regulations 2019.

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The Remuneration Policy was approved by shareholders in a binding vote at our first AGM on 29 June 2020 and took effect from the date of approval and will continue to apply for a maximum period of three years (or until a revised policy is approved by shareholders). The Remuneration Policy is unchanged this year, and as such is not subject to a shareholder vote.

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The scenario charts have been updated to reflect the intended application of the policy for the 2022 financial year and references to prior financial years have been updated where appropriate to aid understanding. A copy of the shareholder-approved policy (including the scenario charts for the 2020 financial year) is in the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2019, which is available on the Company’s website.

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Key considerations when determining the Remuneration Policy

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The Committee designed the Remuneration Policy with a number of specific objectives in mind. The Remuneration Policy should:

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In seeking to achieve the above objectives, the Committee is mindful of the views of a broad range of stakeholders in the business and accordingly takes account of a number of factors when setting remuneration including: market conditions; pay and benefits in relevant comparator organisations; terms and conditions of employment across the Company; the Company’s risk appetite; the expectations of institutional shareholders; and any specific feedback received from shareholders and other stakeholders.

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Remuneration Policy table

The table in the following pages sets out, for each element of pay, a summary of how remuneration is structured and how it supports the Company’s strategy.

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Directors’ Remuneration Report (continued)

Executive Directors

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Directors’ Remuneration Report (continued)

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Directors’ Remuneration Report (continued)

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Directors’ Remuneration Report (continued)

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Directors’ Remuneration Report (continued)

Chair and Non-Executive Directors

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Directors’ Remuneration Report (continued)

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Directors’ Remuneration Report (continued)