"Biolase has approximately 150 employees and is well under the 500-employee defined maximum for companies to participate in the PPP," company spokesman Todd Kehrli wrote in an email. He added that Biolase doesn't have plans to return the funds.
"Given the current economic situation, it was unlikely Biolase could access public equity markets to raise cash to help make up for the significant lost revenue we experienced," he added. "The PPP was essential in helping maintain Biolase as a viable business moving forward."
Others emphasized that being public doesn't necessarily mean access to sufficient capital whenever needed. That's especially true among small- or micro-cap companies, said Audrey Chang, a spokeswoman for travel company Lindblad Expeditions.
"Lindblad does not have a substantial market value, rather it is a micro-cap company with a $250 million market capitalization. The company does not have ready access to capital, although we are exploring these options," she wrote in an email.