Item 1A. Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves certain risks relating to our structure and investment objectives. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing Tingo. You should carefully consider these risks, together with all of the other information included in this 10-K, including our financial statements and the related notes thereto.
Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or not presently deemed material by us, may also impair our operations and performance.
If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. If that happens, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment.
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Risks Related to the Sale of Tingo Mobile and Receipt of TIO Stock
We may not be able to realize a benefit from the sale of Tingo Mobile to TIO.
Our sale of Tingo Mobile was intended to enhance its growth prospects and allow it to expand internationally, with greater access to growth capital via TIO’s capital markets exposure as a Nasdaq-traded entity. In addition, the sale was also intended to leverage Tingo Mobile’s proprietary technologies with those of TIO to create best-in-class financial platforms, products and services in a fully integrated fintech and agri-fintech service offering. The integration of the businesses of Tingo Mobile and TIO, as they relate to agri-fintech services, is expected to take time, and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Because our financial interest in Tingo Mobile is now solely as a result of our shareholding in TIO, we are dependent upon the market to appropriately value the efforts of TIO to expand and enhance the value of Tingo Mobile. Consequently, if the market does not ascribe value to these efforts, our shareholding in TIO may decrease in value and we may therefore not realize a benefit from the sale of Tingo Mobile.
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to convert our shares of TIO preferred stock.
As described above under Sale of Tingo Mobile , the conversion of our holding of TIO Series B Preferred Stock into TIO common stock requires the approval of the TIO shareholders, as well as the approval by Nasdaq of a change of control of TIO. If we do not receive TIO shareholder approval, or Nasdaq does not approve the change of control of TIO, we may not convert our shares of TIO Series B Preferred Stock and will, therefore, not control TIO and its subsidiaries, which includes Tingo Mobile. Instead of such conversion, we may require TIO to redeem our Series B Preferred Stock for (i) $666,666,667 in cash, or, in lieu thereof and at our option, (ii) receive a 33.0% ownership interest in TGH, the holding company of Tingo Mobile. If we are not able to convert our TIO Series B Preferred Stock, we may not avail the Company of the benefits of controlling TIO and its future direction and corporate strategy.
If we redeem our TIO preferred stock, TIO may not have the resources to pay the redemption price.
As described above under Sale of Tingo Mobile , if we are unable to convert our TIO Series B Preferred Stock by June 30, 2023, we may require TIO to redeem these shares for $666,666,667 in cash. If, at the time of such redemption, TIO does not have the cash resources to satisfy the redemption payment, we could seek to enforce our rights as a creditor of TIO, which enforcement may include a collection action against TIO and its assets. Any such action could be costly and time consuming, and TIO could raise various defenses to our attempts to collect and foreclose against its assets, which in turn could divert resources of the Company away from other endeavors which could have a material adverse effect on the Company, its results of operations, and financial condition.
We may not distribute our shareholding in TIO to our shareholders.
Unless and until we are able to develop or acquire other lines of business, our shareholding in TIO represents our principal asset. We are considering various alternatives, including the possible distribution of our share interest in TIO to our shareholders, after payment of our then outstanding obligations to creditors. Nevertheless, we may continue to hold these shares for the indefinite future. We may also determine to sell some or all of our position in TIO in exchange for cash or other consideration. Further, we may retain the proceeds of any such sale or distribute some or all of these proceeds to our shareholders. Our management has the discretion as to whether or not we will sell or exchange some or all of our position in TIO, and our board has the discretion as to whether or not we will distribute cash or shares of TIO to our shareholders as a dividend. In addition, a distribution of TIO shares to our shareholders may be taxable to them, and may be also be taxable to the Company. Moreover, a distribution of TIO shares would be complex and, because it would constitute a public offering of securities, would require us and/or TIO to file a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to register these shares. You should not acquire shares of the Company if you have an expectation that, at any time in the near future, the Company will distribute shares of TIO to you as a dividend or otherwise transfer shares of TIO to you.
Risks Related to Doing Business in Africa
Many of our countries of operation are, or have been, characterized by political instability or changes in regulatory or other government policies.
Frequent and intense periods of political instability make it difficult to predict future trends in governmental policies. For example, the Arab Spring of 2010 and 2011 caused substantial political turmoil across the Middle East and North Africa, particularly in Egypt. During this period of instability in Egypt, the government temporarily dissolved the parliament, suspended the constitution and shut down the internet. In addition, if government or regulatory policies in a market in which we operate were to change or become less business-friendly, our business could be adversely affected.
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Governments in Africa frequently intervene in the economies of their respective countries and occasionally make significant changes in policy and regulations. Governmental actions have often involved, among other measures, nationalizations and expropriations, price controls, currency devaluations, mandatory increases on wages and employee benefits, capital controls and limits on imports. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by changes in government policies or regulations, including such factors as exchange rates and exchange control policies, inflation control policies, price control policies, consumer protection policies, import duties and restrictions, liquidity of domestic capital and lending markets, electricity rationing, tax policies, including tax increases and retroactive tax claims, and other political, diplomatic, social and economic developments in or affecting the countries where we operate. For example, the Central Bank of Nigeria requires domestic companies to obtain a certificate to obtain foreign exchange for operation in other countries. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining these certificates. Any failure to obtain the required certificates could impact Tingo Mobile’s ability to utilize corporate funds in Nigeria for business purposes outside of Nigeria, or adversely affect the exchange rate at which such foreign exchange could be obtained.
In the future, the level of intervention by the Nigerian Centra Bank may continue to increase. These or other measures could have a material adverse effect on Tingo Mobile’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our business may be materially and adversely affected by an economic slowdown in any region of Africa.
While we believe that economic conditions in Africa will improve, poverty in Africa will decline and the purchasing power of African consumers will increase in the long term, there can be no assurance that these expected developments will actually materialize. The development of African economies, markets and levels of consumer spending are influenced by many factors beyond our control, including consumer perception of current and future economic conditions, political uncertainty, employment levels, inflation or deflation, real disposable income, poverty rates, wealth distribution, interest rates, taxation, currency exchange rates and weather conditions. For example, a collapse in oil prices in early 2016 placed pressure on Nigeria’s currency, causing a currency shortage and threatening substantial inflation. Consumer spending declined in the face of significant price increases. As Tingo Mobile’s operations in Nigeria generate the substantial majority of its revenues than affiliated operations in any other country, adverse economic developments in Nigeria could have a much more significant impact on its results than a similar downturn in other countries.
The occurrence of any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Uncertainties with respect to the legal system in certain African markets could adversely affect us .
Legal systems in Africa vary significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Many countries in Africa have not yet developed a fully integrated legal system, and recently-enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in such markets. In particular, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. Since local administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be difficult to predict the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and our level of legal protection in many of our markets. Moreover, local courts may have broad discretion to reject enforcement of foreign awards. These uncertainties may affect our ability to enforce our contractual rights or other claims. Uncertainty regarding inconsistent regulatory and legal systems may also embolden plaintiffs to exploit such uncertainties through unmerited or frivolous legal actions or threats in attempts to extract payments or benefits from us.
Many African legal systems are based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis, or at all, and may have retroactive effect. There are other circumstances where key regulatory definitions are unclear, imprecise or missing, or where interpretations that are adopted by regulators are inconsistent with interpretations adopted by a court in analogous cases. In Nigeria, for example, there are Sharia law courts that operate in the predominantly Muslim north, to which only Muslims are subject. Decisions of these courts are subject to appeal and reversal by the secular courts. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of certain policies and rules until after the violation. In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in Africa may be protracted, resulting in substantial expenses and the diversion of resources and management attention.
Our business may be materially and adversely affected by violent crime or terrorism in any region of Africa.
Many of the markets in which we operate or intend to operate suffer from a high incidence in violent crime and terrorism, which may harm our business. Violent crime has the potential to interfere with our delivery and fulfilment operations.
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Further, the terrorist attacks of Boko Haram have created considerable economic instability in north-eastern Nigeria for nearly a decade. Although it is difficult to quantify the economic effect of Boko Haram’s terrorist activities, countless markets, shops, and schools have been temporarily or permanently closed over the years out of fear of coordinated attacks. In some of the areas most devastated by terrorism, commercial banks have chosen to remain open for only three hours per day. Many Nigerians have also chosen to migrate from the north to the south, or out of the country altogether. If Boko Haram’s terrorist activities were to spread throughout Nigeria, the increasing violence could have material adverse effects on the Nigerian economy. Recently there have been nationwide protests resulting in deaths of demonstrators in clashes with the armed forces in Nigeria calling for the ban of a police unit, the Special Anti- Robbery Squad, which demonstrations have continued after the squad was disbanded as broader protests against police brutality and corrupt government. A terrorist attack in Nairobi in January 2019 by Somalia-based militant group al-Shabab drew increased attention to the risks of destabilization in Kenya. An increase in violent crime or terrorism in any region of Africa may interfere with transportation activities and discourage economic activity, weaken consumer confidence, diminish consumer purchasing power or cause harm to our sellers and consumers in other ways, any of which could have a material adverse effect on Tingo Mobile’s business, financial position, results of operations and prospects.
The operations of Tingo Mobile’s agricultural customer base in Nigeria may be affected by climate change.
The global climate is changing, and will continue to change, in ways that affect the planning and day to day operations of businesses, government agencies and other organizations. The manifestations of climate change include higher temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and more frequent or intense extreme events such as heatwaves, drought, and storms. Nigeria is still practicing rain fed agriculture which renders agricultural operations there vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Extreme events such as flooding, extreme heat and drought has led to soil degradation which has resulted in decreased agricultural production. These effects can impact agricultural operations in Nigeria and other African countries directly, as well as the personnel, physical assets, supply chain and marketing and distribution involved in those operations, and in turn adversely affect Tingo Mobile’s customer base.
Tingo Mobile is experiencing difficulties in obtaining foreign exchange for use in its operations outside of Nigeria and is dependent for those operations on financing providers not situated in Nigeria.
Tingo Mobile and other businesses in Nigeria generally are having difficulty sourcing foreign exchange through the Central Bank of Nigeria, which has restricted access to foreign exchange in an effort to support the local Naira currency. This has adversely affected our customers and the business community generally in Nigeria. As a result, it has been necessary for the Company to arrange financing outside of Nigeria for compliance, operations, and other expenses associated with our business in the United States and other locations outside of Nigeria. Nevertheless, if we are unsuccessful in raising capital or generated cash flow outside of Nigeria, the operations of our parent company, Tingo Inc., may be adversely affected.
Tingo Mobile's cash reserves are not diversified across a variety of financial institutions.
Tingo Mobile generates considerable cash flow from operations which it manages in conjunction with its primary deposit institution. Tingo Mobile has not, thus far, diversified its deposits among other financial institutions in Nigeria, and the amount that it has on hand vastly exceeds the maximum deposit insurance provided by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation. If Tingo Mobile’s primary deposit institution were to experience a liquidity shortage or an interruption in banking activity, it could be constrained from having access to its funds, and its operations could be materially adversely affected as a result.
Risks Related to Tingo Mobile’s Business and Industry Sectors in It Operates
Inflation may have an adverse effect on Tingo Mobile’s subscriber base.
Throughout 2020 and continuing through 2022, growing demand and supply chain disruption had resulted in increased prices of agricultural inputs, such as seeds and fertilizer, which in turn constrained growers’ ability to preserve margins on agricultural production, particularly for smaller farmers. Phosphate prices, for example, had increased approximately 139% from February 2020 to the end of 2021, while nitrogen had increased more than 80% during that period. The invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces in February 2022 has exacerbated inflationary pressure for these inputs, particularly inasmuch as Russia accounts for 13% of global production of potash, phosphate, and nitrogen and has been subjected to sweeping sanctions from western governments and the global financial system. Because of these input price pressures, our subscribers may find it more cost effective to produce at lower rates than historical levels, or abandon the current growing season entirely. Any diminution of growing activity by our subscriber base could also lead to lower activity on our Nwassa platform and lower revenue overall. We cannot guarantee you that Tingo Mobile’s subscriber base will not be adversely affected by inflationary pressures regarding agricultural inputs, or that Tingo Mobile’s financial condition or results
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of operations will not be adversely affected as a result.
Tingo Mobile faces competition, which may intensify.
In Nigeria, Tingo Mobile competes with a large number of mobile phone carriers. Current competitors, such as MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9 Mobile, being the four largest mobile networks, may seek to intensify their investments in those markets and also expand their businesses in new markets. Competitive pressure from current or future competitors or Tingo Mobile’s failure to quickly and effectively adapt to a changing competitive landscape could adversely affect its growth. Current or future competitors may offer lower prices and enhanced features, and Tingo Mobile may be forced to lower its prices and upgrade its phones and network in order to maintain its market share.
With respect to Tingo Mobile’s payment services, it faces competition from financial institutions with payment processing offerings, debit and credit card service providers, other offline payment options and other electronic payment system operators, in each of the markets in which Tingo Mobile and its affiliates operate. We expect competition to intensify in the future as existing and new competitors may introduce new services or enhance existing services. New entrants tied to established brands may engender greater user confidence in the safety and efficacy of their services. The expansion of mobile network operators and independent payment service providers may increase competition in the medium term.
If Tingo Mobile fails to compete effectively, it may lose existing users and fail to attract new users, which could have a material adverse effect on Tingo Mobile’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If Tingo Mobile fails to maintain its brand cost-effectively, its ability to expand the number of users of the Tingo network will be impaired, its reputation may be harmed, and its business, results of operations, and financial condition may suffer.
We believe that developing and maintaining awareness of the Tingo brand is critical to achieving widespread acceptance of the Tingo network and is an important element in attracting new users. Furthermore, we believe that the importance of brand recognition will increase as competition in the markets in which Tingo Mobile and its affiliates increases. Successful promotion of our brand will depend largely on the effectiveness of our marketing efforts and on our ability to ensure that the Tingo network remains reliable, and useful at competitive prices. Brand promotion activities may not yield increased revenue, and even if they do, any increased revenue may not offset the expenses Tingo Mobile incurs in building its brand. If Tingo Mobile fails to successfully promote and maintain its brand or incurs substantial expenses in an unsuccessful attempt to promote and maintain its brand, it may fail to attract new organizations as customers or grow or maintain its telecommunications network.
Tingo Mobile may not be able to respond quickly enough to changes in technology and technological risks, and to develop and maintain its intellectual property.
Changes in legislative, regulatory or industry requirements or in competitive technologies may render certain of our planned products obsolete or less attractive. Our communications equipment may become obsolete, and our ability to anticipate changes in technology and regulatory standards and to successfully develop and introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis will be a significant factor in our ability to remain competitive. We cannot provide assurance that we will be able to achieve the technological advances that may be necessary for us to remain competitive or that certain of our products will not become obsolete.
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We may not be able to protect the intellectual property rights upon which we rely, or the products and services utilized by us and our suppliers and service providers may infringe on intellectual property rights owned by others.
We rely on various patent, service mark, trademark, and trade secret laws and contractual restrictions to establish and protect our proprietary rights. Despite these actions, they only offer limited protection and may not prevent the misappropriation of our rights. Also, we may not be able to discover or determine the extent of or protect against any unauthorized use of our proprietary rights, which may increase the cost of protecting these rights or reduce our revenues. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. We also purchase products from suppliers, including device suppliers, and outsource services to service providers, including billing and customer care functions, that incorporate or utilize intellectual property. We and some of our suppliers and service providers have received, and may receive in the future, assertions and claims from third parties that the products or software utilized by us or our suppliers and service providers infringe on the patents or other intellectual property rights of these third parties. These claims could require us or an infringing supplier or service provider to cease certain activities or to cease selling the relevant products and services. These claims can be time-consuming and costly to defend and divert management resources. If these claims are successful, we could be forced to pay significant damages or stop selling certain products or services or stop using certain trademarks, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Negative outcomes of legal proceedings may adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We are regularly involved in a number of legal proceedings before various courts. These proceedings may be complicated, costly, and disruptive to our business operations. We may incur significant expenses in defending these matters and may be required to pay significant fines, awards, or settlements. In addition, litigation or other proceedings could result in restrictions on our current or future manner of doing business. Any of these potential outcomes, such as judgments, awards, settlements, or orders could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, or ability to do business.
Our reputation and business may be harmed and we may be subject to legal claims if there is a loss, disclosure, misappropriation of, unauthorized access to, or other security breach of our proprietary or sensitive information. Any disruption of our business operations due to a cyber attack, even for a limited amount of time, may adversely affect our business and financial condition.
Our information technology and other systems—including those of our third-party service providers—that maintain and transmit our proprietary information, the confidential information of our business partners and our employees, and our subscribers’ information, including credit card information, location data, or other personal information, may be compromised by a malicious third-party penetration of our network security, including by state-sponsored parties, or company employees or external actors, and impacted by advertent or inadvertent actions or inactions by our employees and agents. As a result, our proprietary or confidential information or the proprietary or confidential information of our business partners, employees and subscribers may be lost, disclosed, accessed, used, corrupted, destroyed, or taken without consent. Cyber attacks, such as the use of malware, computer viruses, dedicated denial of service attacks, or other means for disruption or unauthorized access, and data breaches have increased in frequency, scope, and potential harm in recent years. Cyber attacks may occur in conjunction with physical attacks on our network infrastructure. We also purchase equipment and software from third parties that could contain software defects, Trojan horses, malware, or other means by which third parties could access our network or the information stored or transmitted on such network or equipment.
While, to date, we are not aware of any cyber attacks or other cyber incidents that, individually or in the aggregate, have been material to our operations or financial condition, the preventive actions we take to reduce the risk of cyber incidents and protect our information technology and networks may be insufficient to repel a cyber attack in the future. In addition, the expenses of such preventative actions, including insurance coverage that we maintain relating to cybersecurity incidents, may be significant, which may adversely affect our results of operations. Any disruption of the information technology systems that are necessary to conducting normal business operations due to a cyber attack, even for a limited amount of time, may prevent us from conducting normal business operations and adversely affect our financial condition. Any major compromise of our data or network security or that of our third-party service suppliers, failure to prevent or mitigate a loss of our services or network, our proprietary information, or our subscribers’ information, and delays in detecting any such compromise or loss, even for a limited amount of time, could disrupt our operations, impact our reputation and subscribers’ willingness to purchase our service, and subject us to significant additional expenses. Such expenses could include incentives offered to existing subscribers and other business relationships in order to retain their business, increased expenditures on cyber security measures and the use of alternate resources, lost revenues from business interruption, significant penalties under privacy laws, and litigation, which could be material. Furthermore, the potential expenses associated with any such cyber attacks could be greater than the insurance coverage we maintain.
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We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, and similar laws, and non-compliance with such laws can subject us to criminal penalties or significant fines and harm our business and reputation.
We are subject to anti-corruption and anti-bribery and similar laws, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, Nigeria anti-corruption statutes and other anti-corruption, anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in countries in which we conduct activities. Anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws have been enforced aggressively in recent years and are interpreted broadly and prohibit companies and their employees and agents from promising, authorizing, making, or offering improper payments or other benefits to government officials and others in the private sector. As we expand our networks in Africa and internationally, our risks under these laws may increase. Noncompliance with these laws could subject us to investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, other enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminal penalties or injunctions, adverse media coverage, and other consequences. Any investigations, actions or sanctions could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We may also be subject to consumer privacy or consumer protection laws that may impact our sales, marketing, and compliance efforts, including laws related to subscriptions, billing, and auto-renewal. Consumer privacy and consumer protection laws may be interpreted or applied by regulatory authorities in a manner that could require us to make changes to our contracts, or our operations, or incur fines, penalties, or settlement expenses, which may result in harm to our business, results of operations, financial condition, and brand.
We are also subject to other Nigeria and international laws. Although we take precautions to prevent violations of these laws, our exposure for violating these laws increases as we continue to expand our international presence and any failure to comply with such laws could harm our reputation and our business.
Required licenses, permits or approvals may be difficult to obtain in the countries in which Tingo Mobile or its affiliates currently or intend to operate, and once obtained may be amended or revoked arbitrarily or may not be renewed.
Given Tingo Mobile’s diversified offering of services, it requires approvals and licenses from national, regional, and local governmental or regulatory authorities in the countries in which it currently operates. For example, Tingo Mobile may be required to obtain licenses to be able to continue offering or expand certain of its payment solutions, and there can be no assurance that we Tingo Mobile will obtain any such licenses in a timely manner or at all. Even if obtained, licenses are subject to review, interpretation, modification or termination by the relevant authorities. Any unfavorable interpretation or modification or any termination of a required license may significantly harm Tingo Mobile’s operations in the relevant country or may require Tingo Mobile to close down parts or all of its operations in the relevant country.
We can offer no assurance that the relevant authorities will not take any action that could materially and adversely affect these licenses, permits or approvals or Tingo Mobile’s ability to provide its telecommunications services. Tingo Mobile may experience difficulties in obtaining or maintaining some of these licenses, approvals and permits, which may require Tingo Mobile to undertake significant efforts and incur additional expenses. If Tingo Mobile operates without a license, we could be subject to fines, criminal prosecution or other legal action. Any difficulties in obtaining or maintaining licenses, approvals or permits or the amendment or revocation thereof could have a material adverse effect on Tingo Mobile’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We depend on our executive officers and other key employees, and the loss of one or more of these employees or an inability to attract and retain other highly skilled employees could harm our business.
Our success depends largely upon the continued services of our executive officers and other key employees, and in particular on Dozy Mmobuosi, our founder and CEO, and senior management staff. From time to time, there may be changes in our executive management team resulting from the hiring or departure of executives, which could disrupt our business. While we have employment agreements with our executive officers or other key personnel that require them to continue to work for us it is not for any specified period and, therefore, they could terminate their employment with us at any time. The loss of one or more of our executive officers, especially our Chief Executive Officer, or key employees could harm our business. Changes in our executive management team may also cause disruptions in, and harm to, our business.
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Our failure to raise additional capital or generate cash flows necessary to expand our operations and invest in new technologies in the future could reduce our ability to compete successfully and harm our results of operations.
Historically, we have funded our operations and capital expenditures primarily through equity issuances and cash generated from our operations along with negotiating credit terms with suppliers that allows to effectively match revenues from customers with supplier payment terms. Although we currently anticipate that our existing cash and cash equivalents and cash flow from operations will be sufficient to meet our cash needs for the foreseeable future, we will likely require additional financing, particularly during the interim period in which we are not in control of TIO. Further, we may not be able to obtain debt or equity financing on favorable terms, if at all. If we raise equity financing to fund operations or on an opportunistic basis, our stockholders may experience significant dilution of their ownership interests. If we engage in debt financing, we may be required to accept terms that restrict our ability to incur additional indebtedness, force us to maintain specified liquidity or other ratios or restrict our ability to pay dividends or make acquisitions.
We may be adversely affected by changes in the regulations applicable to the telecommunications sector.
As the internet continues to revolutionize commercial relationships on a global scale and online penetration increases, new laws and regulations relating to the use of the internet in general and the e-commerce sector in particular may be adopted. These laws and regulations may govern the collection, use and protection of data, consumer protection, online payments, pricing, anti-bribery, tax, country specific prices and website contents and other aspects relevant to our business. The adoption or modification of laws or regulations relating to our operations could adversely affect our business by increasing compliance expenses, including as a result of confidentiality or security breaches in case of non-compliance, and administrative burdens. In particular, privacy related regulation could interfere with our strategy to collect and use personal information as part of our data-driven approach along the value chain. We currently comply with these new guidelines, and our data protection and privacy policies address methods for continued compliance with such guidelines. We must comply with applicable regulations in all of the countries in which we operate, and any non-compliance could lead to fines and other sanctions.
Changes to the regulation applicable to the use of the internet and the e-commerce sector could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our use of open-source software may pose particular risks to Tingo Mobile’s proprietary software and systems.
Tingo Mobile uses open-source software in its proprietary software and systems and intends to continue using open-source software in the future. The licenses applicable to our use of open-source software may require that source code that is developed using open-source software be made available to the public and that any modifications or derivative works to certain open-source software continue to be licensed under open-source licenses.
From time to time, Tingo Mobile may face claims from third parties claiming infringement of their intellectual property rights, or demanding the release or license of the open source software or derivative works that we developed using such software (which could include its proprietary source code) or otherwise seeking to enforce the terms of the applicable open source license. These claims could result in litigation and could require Tingo Mobile to purchase a costly license, publicly release the affected portions of its source code, be limited in or cease using the implicated software unless and until Tingo Mobile can re-engineer such software to avoid infringement or change the use of, or remove, the implicated open source software.
In addition to risks related to license requirements, use of certain open source software can lead to greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open source licensors generally do not provide warranties, indemnities or other contractual protections with respect to the software (for example, non- infringement or functionality). Tingo Mobile’s use of open source software may also present additional security risks because the source code for open source software is publicly available, which may make it easier for hackers and other third parties to determine how to breach systems that rely on open source software.
Any of these risks could be difficult to eliminate or manage, and, if not addressed, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our planned risk management and compliance structure may prove inadequate.
We have a group-wide risk management and compliance program that is aimed at preventing corruption, fraud and other criminal or other forms of non-compliance by our management, employees, consultants, agents and sellers. The controls we have adopted may prove to be insufficient to prevent or detect non-compliant conduct. Additionally, certain employees, consultants, agents or sellers
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may still engage in illegal practices or corruption to win business or to conspire in order to circumvent our compliance controls. Similarly, our risk management function may fail to identify, mitigate or manage relevant risk exposures. Any failure of our compliance structure to prevent or detect non- compliant activities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We cannot guarantee that Tingo Mobile will continue to sustain profitability in the future.
Tingo Mobile and its affiliated companies operate an agri-fintech, agritech and agricultural marketplace business primarily in Nigeria and certain other African countries. Tingo Mobile supplies branded mobile phones as the means by which its subscriber base can access its agri-fintech solutions – ‘Device as a Service’ strategy. Tingo Mobile primarily generate revenue from sale and lease of its mobile phones, voice, internet, payment services and commissions from our agri-marketplace - Nwassa. There is no guarantee that Tingo Mobile will generate sufficient revenue in the future to operate profitably and maintain and grow its business. If Tingo Mobile cannot successfully generate revenue at a rate that exceeds the expenses associated with its business, it will not be able to achieve or sustain profitability or generate positive cash flow on a sustained basis and its revenue growth rate may decline. If Tingo Mobile fails to remain profitable, this could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
An economic downturn could affect our operating results.
An economic downturn may have a particularly adverse effect upon small and medium-sized companies, which are our primary market for investments. During periods of volatile economic conditions, these companies often experience decreased revenues, financial losses, difficulty in obtaining access to financing and increased funding expenses. During such periods, these companies also may have difficulty expanding their businesses and operations and may be unable to meet their debt service obligations or other expenses as they become due. Any of the foregoing developments could cause the value of our investments in these companies to decline. In addition, during periods of adverse economic conditions, we may have difficulty accessing financial markets, which could make it more difficult or impossible for us to obtain funding for additional investments. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.
We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including variations in, and the timing of, the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets, the ability to find and close suitable investments and general economic conditions. The volatility of our results is exacerbated by our relatively small number of investments. As a result of these factors, you should not rely on our results for any period as being indicative of performance in future periods.
