Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Our business and an investment in our company is speculative and subject to significant risks. We caution you that the following important factors, among others, could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf in filings with the SEC, press releases, communications with investors and oral statements. Any or all of our forward-looking statements contained in this Report and in any other public statements we make may turn out to be wrong. They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions we might make or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Many factors mentioned in the discussion below will be important in determining future results. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Actual future results may differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosure we make in our reports filed with the SEC.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
If the claims against the Company and Bidi that have been filed with the International Trade Commission are successful, the Company and Bidi could be prohibited from importing and selling the Bidi Stick into the United States.
On June 11, 2024, RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc., R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and RAI Services Company (collectively, the “RJ Reynolds Entities”) filed a patent infringement complaint with the International Trade Commission (the “ITC”) against Bidi, us, and forty (40) other respondents (the “ITC Complaint”) pursuant to Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. Specifically, the ITC Complaint alleges that one or more components or elements of the Bidi Stick infringe U.S. Patent No. 11,925,202, which is owned by one of the RJ Reynolds Entities. The ITC Complaint requests the ITC grant: (a) temporary and permanent limited exclusion orders pursuant to Section 337(e) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, which would prohibit the importation of the Bidi Stick in the United States; and (b) issue temporary and permanent cease and desist orders pursuant to 337(f) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, which would prohibit the sale and distribution of the Bidi Stick in the United States. On July 17, 2024, the Company was from the ITC proceeding and is no longer a in the ITC proceeding. No are recoverable in the proceedings before the ITC. On November 1, 2024, Bidi stipulated to a consent order prohibiting Bidi from selling for import, importing, or selling after importation the Bidi Stick. The ITC entered the consent order on December 6, 2024,
agreeing to cease all importation and distribution of the Bidi Stick until the RJ Reynolds Entities’ patent expires in October 2026. In November 2024, the ITC Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) denied temporary relief to the Reynolds Entities and the case proceeded on the merits. A trial was held in April 2025. The initial determination (ID) from the ALJ was issued on August 29, 2025. The ALJ found that violation of §337 based on infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,925,202 by the respondents, and that both the technical and economic prongs of domestic industry were satisfied. The ID will now be reviewed by the Commission for final approval, with respondents and complainants expected to file additional briefs. The Commission target deadline was November 24, 2025 , subject to potential extensions. The asserted patent expires in October 2026 as would any exclusion order that the ITC enters as a result of the ITC Complaint, as well as the Bidi consent order.
Our Business may permanently suffer as a result of the ITC Complaint
As a result of the ITC Complaint, Bidi no longer imports the Bidi Stick and we do not expect that we will have access to the Bidi Stick in the foreseeable future. Since we have been unable to sell the Bidi Stick our revenues have declined. We may not ever be able to increase our revenues to the levels they were at when we were able to sell Bidi Sticks, as a result our business may not financially recover in the near term.
We have a present need for additional funding, which raises questions about our ability to continue as a going concern. We may be unable to raise capital when needed, which would force us to delay, reduce or eliminate aspects of our business or cause our business to fail.
As of October 31, 2025, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $0.5 million. We believe that based on our current operating plan, our existing cash and cash equivalents will only be sufficient to enable us to fund our operations and other obligations for a very limited period. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources.”
Moreover, we will need significant additional funds to satisfy our outstanding payables, fund our working capital, and fully implement our business plan as we seek to grow our revenues and ultimately achieve positive cash flow and profitability. In addition, our ability to continue as a going concern is adversely affected by the denial of Bidi’s PMTA for its flavored Bidi Sticks and the 11 th Circuit’s denial of Bidi’s petition challenging the FDA’s January 2024 MDO relating to Classic Bidi ® Stick, as well as our negative cash flows from operations, significant recurring losses and present need for additional funding. All of these factors raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern.
There is therefore a material risk that we will be unable to generate sufficient revenues to pay our expenses, and if our existing sources of cash and cash flows are insufficient to fund our activities, we will need to raise additional funds. Additional equity or debt financing may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all, particularly in the current economic environment.
Until such time, if ever, we can generate substantial product revenues, we will be required to finance our cash needs through public or private equity offerings, debt financings and corporate collaboration and licensing arrangements. If we elect to raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience dilution. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. Any debt financing or additional equity that we may raise may contain terms, such as liquidation and other preferences, that are not favorable to us or our stockholders. If we raise additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements with third parties, it may be necessary to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, research programs or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us.
If we are unable to generate cash flow positive operations or achieve profitability, and if we are unable to raise additional funds on commercially reasonable terms or at all, we may be required to significantly reduce or cease our operations, declare bankruptcy or our business could fail, which could result in the loss to investors of their investment in our securities.
We rely primarily on Bidi for access to our key intellectual property rights, and any change in our relationship could adversely alter such rights or our access to them.
We currently have no intellectual property rights other than the intellectual property assets we acquired in May 2023 from GoFire and our trademarks KAIVAL BRANDS and KAIVAL LABS. We also indirectly rely on Bidi’s intellectual property rights related to the Bidi products, such as patents. We have from time to time considered, and discussed with Bidi, potential alterations to this arrangement, including a potential acquisition by us of all or a portion of the intellectual property owned by Bidi and related to Bidi products. Should we pursue such a transaction, it would be a “related party transaction,” as defined by the listing rules of Nasdaq and, thus, subject to the review of the Audit Committee of our Board (or, if deemed appropriate, a special Board committee comprised of disinterested directors). Further, should we undertake such a transaction, then we would become responsible to respond if a third-party challenged Bidi’s patents, or infringed upon such rights, in which case our business could be materially adversely affected.
We have a limited operating history, and our historical operating and financial results may not be indicative of future performance, which, along with the relative early stage of the ENDS industry, makes it difficult to predict our future business prospects and financial performance.
Our current business model is relatively new, and so business and prospects may be difficult to evaluate. Our limited operating history makes it difficult to evaluate both our operating history and our future potential. We have yet to demonstrate a consistent ability to generate revenue, and are still subject to many of the risks common to early-stage companies operating in the nicotine and non-nicotine delivery system products sector, including the uncertainty as to our ability to implement our business plan, market acceptance of business plan, under-capitalization, cash shortages, limitations with respect to personnel, financing and other resources and uncertainty of our ability to generate revenues. There is therefore a significant risk that our activities will not result in any material revenues or profit, and the likelihood of our business viability and long-term prospects must be considered in light of the stage of our development. There can be no assurance that we will be able to fulfill our stated business strategy and plans, or that financial, technological, market, or other limitations may force us to modify, alter, significantly delay, or significantly the implementation of such plans. We have results of operations in our current business model for investors to use to identify historical trends. Investors should consider our prospects considering the risk, expenses and we will encounter as an early-stage company. Our revenue and income potential is unproven and our business model is continually evolving. We are therefore subject to the risk that we will be to address these risks, and our to address these risks could lead to the of our business.
Our business is rapidly evolving and is particularly at risk given the FDA’s January 2024 MDO for Classic BIDI® Stick and FDA’s November 2025 denial of Bidi’s PMTA for the non-tobacco flavored BIDI® Sticks.
The ENDS industry is relatively new and is rapidly evolving, and the FDA has been aggressive in its oversight of the ENDS industry. Changes in existing laws, regulations and policies and the issuance of new laws, regulations, policies, as well as the FDA’s actions on ENDS-related PMTAs (including Bidi’s) and any other entry barriers in relation to the ENDS industry may materially and adversely affect our ability to conduct business and our results of operations.
Bidi was among the many companies that received a MDO for its non-tobacco flavored BIDI ® Sticks. On August 23, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit set aside (i.e., vacated) the MDO issued to the non-tobacco flavored BIDI® Sticks and remanded Bidi’s PMTA back to FDA for further review.
Separately, on or about May 13, 2022, FDA placed the tobacco-flavored Classic BIDI® Stick into the final Phase III scientific review. In March 2023, FDA issued a deficiency letter regarding the Classic BIDI® Stick PMTA, to which Bidi submitted a timely response in June 2023. Subsequently, on January 22, 2024, FDA issued a MDO for the Classic BIDI® Stick. On January 26, 2024, Bidi filed a petition for review of the MDO with the 11 th Circuit Court of Appeals, followed by a motion to stay the MDO. Bidi is arguing, among other things, that the MDO was arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. On February 2, 2024, Bidi filed a Time Sensitive Motion for a Stay Pending Review, which the court denied on February 18, 2024. The case is now proceeding on the merits, with Bidi’s opening merits brief filed on April 15, 2024. FDA filed its response brief on June 7, 2024, and Bidi filed its reply brief on July 29, 2024. Oral arguments were held before a three-judge panel on the 11 th Circuit on April 2, 2025. The Court issued a decision on April 24, 2025 upholding FDA’s denial order. Accordingly, at this time, the Classic BIDI® Stick is considered an adulterated tobacco product, the continued marketing and distribution of which is prohibited.
On November 4, 2025, FDA issued a MDO for the PMTA for the non-tobacco flavored Bidi Sticks. FDA’s basis for this MDO is that Bidi Vapor’s PMTAs for non-tobacco flavored BIDI Stick did not include sufficient, robust evidence showing that marketing the flavored products would be “appropriate for the protection of the public health” (APPH)—i.e., that adult-smoker benefits (complete switching or significant cigarette reduction) would be large enough to outweigh the well-established youth-appeal and youth-initiation risks of flavored ENDS. In particular, FDA said the submission lacked the kind of comparative evidence (e.g., RCT/longitudinal cohort comparing flavored vs tobacco-flavored ENDS) needed to demonstrate an added adult benefit. FDA therefore concluded the applications were insufficient and stopped further scientific review of other sections.
If it is determined or perceived that the usage of ENDS products poses long-term health risks, the use of ENDS products may decline significantly, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Negative publicity on the health consequences of ENDS products or other similar devices may also adversely affect the usage of ENDS products. For example, the FDA and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) issued a joint statement on August 30, 2019, linking a number of cases of respiratory illnesses to ENDS product use. On November 8, 2019, the CDC announced that it had preliminarily linked cases of severe respiratory illness to the presence of Vitamin E acetate, which was found in certain Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing ENDS cartridges for non-electronic nicotine delivery systems (non-ENDS) products that may have been obtained illegally. However, evidence is not sufficient to rule out the contribution of other chemicals of concern, including chemicals in either THC or non-THC products (THC is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis) . In January 2020, after further research, the FDA and CDC recommended against the use of THC-containing ENDS products, especially those from unofficial sources, and that the underage, pregnant women and adults who do not currently use tobacco products should not start using ENDS products. On February 25, 2020, the CDC issued a final update, stating that the number of cases of respiratory illnesses had to single digits as of February 9, 2020. The CDC also reconfirmed that (i) Vitamin E acetate, which was found in some THC-containing ENDS cartridges for non-ENDS ENDS products that were mostly obtained , was strongly linked to and indicated to be the primary cause of the respiratory illnesses, and (ii) THC-containing ENDS products from informal sources were linked to most cases of respiratory illnesses. Furthermore, there have been recent that users of ENDS products may a risk of more COVID-19 . However, it remains unclear whether the exposure to toxic chemicals through ENDS product usage will increase the risk of COVID-19.
Research regarding the actual causes of these illnesses is still ongoing. If ENDS product usage is determined or perceived to pose long-term health risks or to be linked to illnesses, the usage of ENDS products may significantly decline, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Although we currently do not offer products containing THC, any perceived correlation between THC and Vitamin E acetate may adversely affect the public’s perception of ENDS products in general, regardless of whether such products contain THC and/or Vitamin E.
We do not expect the assets acquired from GoFire will generate immediate revenue for us, and we may never be able to develop these assets into revenue generating products.
We purchased a certain vaporizer and inhalation-related patent portfolio from GoFire in May 2023 with the goal of diversifying our business and lessening our dependence on Bidi. We do not expect that the acquired assets will generate immediate revenue for us. While we will seek to monetize the acquired intellectual property, including through third-party licensing opportunities, we can give no assurances at this time that either (i) the patent applications we acquired will result in issued patents or (ii) we will be able to successfully monetize these assets. Our failure to capitalize on our GoFire assets would materially impair our strategy of diversifying our product offerings, leaving us even more reliant on the products we distribute for Bidi.
Our business may be damaged by events outside of our own or Bidi’s control, such as the impact of epidemics, political changes, or natural disasters.
Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of epidemics, political changes, wars or natural disasters. World economies and capital markets have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 and its variants, the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the recent eruption of hostilities in Israel and Gaza and political instability in the United States and elsewhere. The lasting impacts of these matters on the United States and broader global economy, including supply chain disruption, may have a significant continuing negative effect on our company and may continue to materially impact our company, our ability to conduct business, our financial condition and results of operations.
Reliance on information technology means a significant disruption could affect our communications and operations.
We increasingly rely on information technology systems for our internal communications, controls, reporting and relations with customers and suppliers, and information technology is becoming a significantly important tool for our sales staff. In addition, our reliance on information technology exposes us to cyber-security risks, which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete. Security and privacy breaches may expose us to liability and cause us to lose customers or may disrupt our relationships and ongoing transactions with other entities with whom we contract throughout our network. The failure of our information systems to function as intended, or the penetration by outside parties’ intent on disrupting business processes, could result in significant costs, loss of revenue, assets or personal or other sensitive data and reputational harm.
Security and privacy breaches may expose us to liability and cause us to lose customers.
Federal and state laws require us to safeguard our wholesalers’, retailers’, and consumers’ financial information, including credit information. Although we have established security procedures to protect against identity theft and the theft of our customers’ financial information, our security and testing measures may not prevent security breaches. We cannot guarantee that a future breach will not result in material liability or otherwise harm to our business. In the event of any such breach, we may be required to notify governmental authorities or consumers under breach disclosure laws, indemnify consumers, or other third parties for losses resulting from the breach, and expend resources investigating and remediating any vulnerabilities that contributed to the occurrence of the breach. We rely on third-party technology to safeguard the security of sensitive information in our possession. Advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography and quantum computing, facility security or other developments may result in a compromise or of the technology used by us to protect customer data. Any compromise of our security, even a security that does not result in a material liability could our reputation and, therefore, our business and financial condition. In addition, a party who can our security measures or in our security measures, could, among other effects, proprietary information, cause in our operations or customers and other entities with which we interact to computer viruses or other . Actual or perceived may lead to us. Any insurance coverage that we obtain to cover such risks may be to cover all or . To the extent the measures we have taken prove to be or , we may become subject to or administrative sanctions, which could result in significant , or and to our reputation.
We may fail to manage our growth.
In our early years we had opportunities to grow significantly in a short amount of time and we intended to continue that growth in the future. However, our future growth has been placed on hold with additional constraints and demand for our resources, and we cannot be sure we will be able to manage an acceptable growth effectively as we did in our early years. If we are unable to manage our growth while expanding the distribution of our products and increasing profit margins, or if new systems that we implement to assist in managing our growth do not produce the expected benefits, our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected. We may not be able to support, financially or otherwise, future growth, or hire, train, motivate and manage the required personnel. Our failure to manage growth effectively could also limit our ability to achieve our goals as they relate to streamlined sales, marketing and distribution operations and the ability to achieve certain financial metrics.
Adverse U.S. and global economic conditions could negatively impact our business, prospects, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
Our business and operations are sensitive to global economic conditions. These conditions include interest rates, energy costs, inflation, recession, fluctuations in debt and equity capital markets, and the general condition of the United States and world economies, including as a result of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. A material decline in the economic conditions affecting consumers, which cause a reduction in disposable income for the average consumer, may change consumption patterns, and may result in a reduction in spending on our product offerings or a switch to cheaper products or products obtained through illicit channels. As such, demand for our products may be particularly sensitive to economic conditions such as inflation, recession, high energy costs, unemployment, changes in interest rates and money supply, changes in the political environment, the ultimate effect on the economy of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors beyond our control, any combination of which could result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The departure of key management personnel and the failure to attract and retain talent could adversely affect our operations.
Our success depends upon the continued contributions of our senior executive management, especially our Interim Chief Executive Officer, Mark Thoenes, our Interim Chief Financial Officer, Eric Morris If one or more of our executive officers are unable or unwilling to continue in their current positions, we may not be able to replace them readily, if at all. Additionally, we may incur additional expenses to recruit and retain new executive officers. If any of our executive officers join a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose some or all of our customers. Finally, we do not maintain “key person” life insurance on any of our executive officers. Because of these factors, the loss of the services of any of these key persons could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our insurance may be insufficient to cover losses that may occur as a result of our operations.
We currently maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and property and general liability insurance. This insurance or other insurance we may elect to obtain may not be or remain available to us or be obtainable by us at commercially reasonable rates, and the amount of our coverage may not be adequate to cover any liability we incur. Future increases in insurance costs, coupled with the increase in deductibles, will result in higher operating costs and increased risk. If we were to incur substantial liability and such damages were not covered by insurance or were in excess of policy limits, or if we were to incur such liability at a time when we were not able to obtain liability insurance, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Securities
Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (our “Certificate of Incorporation”), and our Bylaws (our “Bylaws”), as well as the DGCL and certain regulations, could discourage or prohibit acquisition bids or merger proposals, which may adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.
Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and the DGCL may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition, or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares of our Common Stock. These provisions may also prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management.
In addition, Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder, which generally refers to a person which together with its affiliates owns, or within the last three years has owned, 15 percent or more of our voting stock, for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner.
The existence of the foregoing provisions and anti-takeover measures could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of Common Stock. They could also deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that our stockholders could receive a premium for their Common Stock in an acquisition.
For so long as any shares of Series B Preferred Stock remain outstanding, the majority holders of the Series B Preferred Stock are entitled to designate one individual to be nominated to serve as a director on our board of directors.
For so long as any shares of Series B Preferred Stock remain outstanding, the majority holders of the Series B Preferred Stock (or the Majority Holders) will be entitled to designate one (1) individual to be nominated to serve as a director (who we refer to as the Series B Preferred Director) on our board of directors (or the Board). At each annual meeting of the stockholders of our company, or at any special meeting called for the purpose of electing directors, the Board shall nominate such designee for election. Unless the Board shall have received from the Majority Holders a written designation by March 1 of each calendar year of an individual other than the then-sitting Series B Preferred Director, the Board shall nominate the then-sitting Series B Preferred Director for re-election to the Board. The Series B Preferred Director is subject to any board of directors-related provisions that may be contained in our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws. The Majority Holders, voting as a single class at a meeting called for such purpose (or by written consent signed by the Majority Holders in lieu of such a meeting), have the sole right to remove the Series B Preferred Director from the Board. Any vacancy created by the removal, resignation or death of a Series B Preferred Director may solely be filled by the Majority Holders, voting as a single class, at a meeting called for such purpose (or by written consent signed by the Majority Holders in lieu of such a meeting). The Series B Preferred Director shall be entitled to receive similar compensation, benefits, reimbursement (including of reasonable travel expenses), indemnification and insurance coverage for his or her service as a director of our company as the other non-employee directors of on the Board. As of the date of this Report, the seat on our Board designated for the Series B Preferred Director is vacant due to Mr. Cassidy’s from the Board on January 25, 2024. As a result of their Board appointment right, the Majority Holders could have a impact on our governance and operations, which could have an effect on our company.
The Series B Preferred Stock ranks senior to our Common Stock.
The Series B Preferred Stock ranks, with respect to dividend rights, rights on the distribution of assets on any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of our company, and redemption rights, senior to the Common Stock and each other class or series of securities now existing or hereafter authorized classified or reclassified, the terms of which do not expressly provide that such class or series ranks on a parity basis with or senior to the Series B Preferred Stock as to dividend rights, rights on the distribution of assets on any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of our company, and redemption rights.
Future offerings of debt or equity securities may rank senior to our Common Stock.
We have a present need for additional capital, and we will likely continue to seek to raise new funding from time to time through the issuance of debt or equity securities. Our Board of Directors has the ability, without further approval of our stockholders, to issue debt or equity securities in the future, in addition to the Series B Preferred Stock, ranking senior to our Common Stock or otherwise incur additional indebtedness, it is possible that these securities or indebtedness will be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility and limiting our ability to pay dividends to stockholders. Additionally, any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences, and privileges, including with respect to dividends, more favorable than those of our Common Stock and may result in dilution (perhaps significant) to our stockholders. Because our decision to issue debt or equity securities in any future offering or otherwise incur indebtedness will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, or nature of our future offerings or financings, any of which could reduce the market price of our Common Stock and dilute its value.
We may issue additional classes or series of preferred stock whose terms could adversely affect the voting power or value of our commons stock.
Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes us to issue, without the approval of our stockholders, one or more classes or series of preferred stock having such designations, preferences, limitations, and relative rights, including preferences over our Common Stock respecting dividends and distributions, as our Board may determine. The terms of one or more additional classes or series of preferred stock could adversely impact the voting power or value of our Common Stock. For example, we might grant holders of preferred stock the right to elect some number of our directors in all events or on the happening of specified events or the right to veto specified transactions. Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or dividend or liquidation preferences we might assign to holders of preferred stock could affect the residual value of our Common Stock.
The market price for our Common Stock is volatile and has and will fluctuate.
The market price for shares of our Common Stock may be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including the following: (i) action by the FDA with respect to Bidi’s PMTAs or regulatory action by FDA generally against Bidi, our company or our industry, (ii) actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly financial results; (iii) recommendations by securities research analysts; (iv) changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other issuers that investors deem comparable to ours; (v) addition or departure of our executive officers or members of our Board and other key personnel; (vi) release or expiration of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on outstanding shares of Common Stock; (vii) sales or perceived sales of additional shares of our Common Stock; (viii) the liquidity of our Common Stock or lack thereof; (ix) significant acquisitions or business combinations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or capital commitments by or involving us or our competitors; and (x) news reports relating to trends, concerns, technological or competitive developments, regulatory changes, and other related issues in our industry or target markets. Financial markets often experience significant price and volume fluctuations that affect the market prices of equity securities of public entities and that are, in many cases, unrelated to the operating performance, underlying asset values or prospects of such entities. Accordingly, the market price of our shares of Common Stock may even if our operating results, underlying asset values or prospects have not changed.
A limited trading market currently exists for our securities, and we cannot assure you that an active market will ever develop, or if developed, will be sustained.
There is currently a limited trading market for our Common Stock on the OTC Pink Market and an active trading market for our Common Stock may not develop. Consequently, we cannot assure you when and if an active-trading market in our shares will be established, or whether any such market will be sustained or sufficiently liquid to enable holders of shares of our Common Stock to liquidate their investment in our Company. If an active public market should develop in the future, the sale of unregistered and restricted securities by current stockholders may have a substantial impact on any such market.
Future sales of shares of our Common Stock by our controlling shareholders or by our officers and directors may negatively impact the market price for our Common Stock.
Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, our controlling shareholders Kaival Holdings and Bidi Vapor as well as our directors and officers and their affiliates may sell some or all of their shares of our Common Stock in the future. No prediction can be made as to the effect, if any, such future sales of shares of our Common Stock may have on the market price of the shares of our Common Stock prevailing from time to time. However, the future sale of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock by our directors and officers and their affiliates, or the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect prevailing market prices for our shares of our Common Stock.
The concentration of ownership by Kaival Holdings and Bidi Vapor and our officers and directors may result in conflicts of interest and may prevent other stockholders from influencing significant corporate decisions and depress our stock price.
Based on the number of shares outstanding as of the date of this Report, Kaival Holdings and Bidi Vapor, our affiliated majority stockholder, together with our officers and directors, beneficially own a combined total of approximately 21.9% percent of our outstanding Common Stock, including shares of our Common Stock subject to stock options that are currently exercisable or are exercisable and that vest within 60 days as of the date of this prospects. If our controlling stockholders, together with these officers and directors act together, they will be able to exert a significant degree of influence over our management and affairs and control matters requiring stockholder approval,
including the election of directors and approval of mergers, business combinations, or other significant transactions. For example, Kaival Holdings, together with our officers and directors, could cause us to enter into transactions or agreements that we would not otherwise consider or might not be in the best interests of our minority stockholders. Similarly, this concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of our company otherwise favored by our other stockholders. This, in turn, could have a negative effect on the market price of our Common Stock. It could also prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over the market price for their shares of our Common Stock. The concentration of ownership also may contribute to the low trading volume and volatility of our Common Stock. Moreover, any such conflicts of interest may not be easy to resolve and could impair our ability to operate our business.
Our Common Stock may become the target of a “short squeeze.”
Beginning in 2021, the securities of several companies have increasingly experienced significant and extreme volatility in stock price due to short sellers of shares of Common Stock and buy-and-hold decisions of longer investors, resulting in what is sometimes described as a “short squeeze.” Short squeezes have caused extreme volatility in those companies and in the market and have led to the price per share of those companies trading at a significantly inflated rate that is disconnected from the underlying value of the company. Sharp rises in a company’s stock price may force traders in a short position to buy stock to avoid even greater losses. Many investors who have purchased shares in those companies at an inflated rate face the risk of losing a significant portion of their original investment as the price per share has declined steadily as interest in those stocks has abated. We may be a target of a short squeeze, and investors may lose a significant portion or all their investment if they purchase our shares at a rate that is significantly disconnected from our underlying value.
We do not currently pay dividends on our shares of Common Stock and have no intention of paying dividends on shares of our Common Stock for the foreseeable future.
No dividends on the shares of our Common Stock have been paid by us to date. We do not intend to declare or pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Payment of any future dividends will be at the discretion of our Board, after considering a multitude of factors appropriate in the circumstances, including our operating results, financial condition, and current and anticipated cash needs. In addition, the terms of any future debt or credit facility may preclude us from paying any dividends unless certain consents are obtained, and certain conditions are met. There is no assurance that future dividends will be paid, and, if dividends are paid, there is no assurance with respect to the amount of any such dividend. Unless our Board decides to pay dividends, our stockholders will be required to look at appreciation of our Common Stock to realize a gain on their investment. There can be no assurance that this appreciation will occur.
For as long as we are an “emerging growth company” we intend to take advantage of reduced disclosure and governance requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, which could result in our Common Stock being less attractive to investors and could make it more difficult for us to raise capital as and when we need it.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we have taken advantage, and intend to continue to take advantage, of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Investors may find our Common Stock less attractive because we rely on these exemptions, which could contribute to a less active trading market for our Common Stock or volatility in our share price. In addition, we may be less attractive to investors, and it may be difficult for us to raise additional capital when we need it. Investors may be unable to compare our business with other companies in our industry if they believe that our financial accounting is not as transparent as other companies in our industry. If we are unable to raise additional capital as and when we need it, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
We may take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we are no longer an emerging growth company.
We have identified material weaknesses in our system of internal controls over financial reporting and, if we cannot remediate these material weaknesses, we may not be able to accurately report our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our Common Stock.
A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting that results in more than a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley also generally requires an attestation from our independent registered public accounting firm on the effectiveness of our system of internal controls over financial reporting. However, if we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of the exemption permitting us not to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.
Our management has identified, and we have disclosed, certain material weaknesses in our system of internal controls over financial reporting as of our fiscal year ended October 31, 2025. Specifically, our management has found that our internal control system over financial reporting was ineffective as of October 31, 2025, based on a determination that there was a lack of sufficient resources to provide adequate segregation of duties consistent with control objectives, the lack of sufficient and consistent real time remote communications, and the lack of a fully developed formal review process that includes multiple levels of review over financial disclosure and reporting processes.
To address these material weaknesses, and subject to the receipt of additional financing or cash flows, we have undertaken, and intend to continue to undertake, remediation measures to address such material weaknesses, including implementing prevent and detect internal control procedures pursuant to which we can ensure segregation of duties and hire additional resources to ensure appropriate review and oversight.
Our compliance with Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley will require that we incur substantial accounting expenses and spend significant management efforts. We may not be able to complete our evaluation, testing, and any required remediation in a timely fashion. During the evaluation and testing process, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our system of internal control over financial reporting is effective. We cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit our ability to accurately report our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. This may expose us, including individual executives, to potential liability which could significantly affect our business.
We cannot assure you that we will, in the future, identify areas requiring improvement in our system of internal controls over financial reporting. We cannot assure you that the measures we will take to remediate any areas in need of improvement will be successful or that we will implement and maintain adequate controls over our financial process and reporting in the future as we continue to grow. If we are unable to establish appropriate internal financial reporting controls and procedures, if we are unable to conclude that our system of internal controls over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm determines we have a material weakness or significant deficiency in our system of internal controls over financial reporting once that firm begins its audits of our systems of internal controls over financial reporting, it could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations, result in the of our financial statements, our operating results, cause investors to confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our common shares could , and we could be subject to sanctions or by Nasdaq, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities. to remedy any material in our system of internal controls over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain other internal control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to the capital markets.
Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to reasonably assure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. As of October 31, 2025, our Interim Chief Executive Officer and our Interim Chief Financial Officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of such date due to material weaknesses in internal controls identified above.
These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple errors or mistakes. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our internal controls system, misstatements, or insufficient disclosures due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
We have incurred, and will continue to incur, increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management has been required, and will continue to be required, to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.
As a public company, we have incurred and are continuing to incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses and these expenses may increase even more after we are no longer an “emerging growth company” and “smaller reporting company.” We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules adopted, and to be adopted, by the SEC. Our management and other personnel devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives.
Moreover, these rules and regulations have substantially increased our legal and financial compliance costs and made some activities more time-consuming and costly. The increased costs can result in our reporting a net loss. These rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to maintain sufficient directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage. We cannot predict or estimate the amount or timing of additional costs we may continue to incur to respond to these requirements. The ongoing impact of these requirements could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified people to serve on our Board, our Board committees, or as executive officers.
