ISPR Ispire Technology Inc. - 10-K
0001213900-25-087632Year-over-year tone shift - average net-tone change across Risk Factors and MD&A vs the prior 10-K. This filing is 0.26pp more bullish than last year's.
Why YoY instead of absolute: the LM lexicon has ~6.6× more negative words than positive (legal/risk-disclosure language is heavy on hedging), so every 10-K reads bearish on raw tone. Year-over-year change strips that bias and surfaces the actual shift in management's framing.
Tone shift by section
The two components the gauge averages: how Risk Factors and MD&A each shifted in net tone versus last year's 10-K. The headline above is their average, so a green needle over a soft section just means the other section carried it.
Sentence-level sentiment highlighting with category and subcategory filters is coming once the snippet-scoring pipeline lands. For now, dig into the actual section text on the Sections tab.
Language change vs prior 10-K
Risk Factors (Item 1A) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase- negatively+2
- damage+1
- impair+1
- disruption+1
- volatile+1
- successful+1
- despite+1
- progress+1
Risk Factors (Item 1A)
15,935 words
ITEM 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information contained in this Annual Report, before deciding to invest in our securities. If any of the following risks materialize, our business, financial condition, results of operation and prospects will likely be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our Common Stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
An investment in our Common Stock involves a high degree of risks. You should carefully consider all of the information in this Annual Report, including the risks and uncertainties described below, before making an investment in our Common Stock. Any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In any such case, the market price of our Common Stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
We sustained losses of approximately $39.2 million for the year ended June 30, 2025 and $14.8 million for the year ended June 30, 2024, and we cannot assure you that we can or will operate profitably in the future.
We sustained a loss of approximately $39.2 million, or $0.69 per share (basic and diluted) in the year ended June 30, 2025, and a loss of approximately $14.8 million, or $0.27 per share (basic and diluted) for the year ended June 30, 2024. The losses resulted primarily because of increased operating expenses for both periods. We cannot assure you that we will be able to operate profitably in the future.
Existing laws, regulations and policies and the issuance of new or more stringent laws, regulations, policies and any other restrictions or limitations in relation to the nicotine vaping industry have and can materially and adversely affect our business operations.
As vaping products have become more and more popular in recent years, government authorities worldwide have imposed laws, regulations and policies to regulate nicotine vaping products and the vaping industry and may impose more stringent controls either with changes in existing laws or regulations, with new laws or regulations, or with new interpretations of existing laws or regulations. Some governments have prohibited the usage of vaping products in certain areas, imposed specific taxes on vaping products or imposed restrictions, in certain areas such as product advertising, flavorings or nicotine concentration. Governments, primarily state and municipal, have imposed restrictions or prohibitions on smoking in public and on public transportation, such as on trains, airplanes and buses. Such prohibitions have been or may in the future be extended to e-cigarettes, including vaping products, and such restrictions may be imposed by local, regional or national governments. As a result of government laws and regulations affecting tobacco products, we ceased selling nicotine vaping products in the United States.
We cannot assure you that government authorities will not impose further restrictions on vaping nicotine products in the future, including but not limited to requirements to obtain and maintain licenses, approvals or permits for relevant business operation. Such restrictions, if any, may adversely affect supplies of raw materials, production and sales activities, taxation or other aspects of our business operation. We may not be able to comply with any or all changes in existing laws and regulations or any new laws and regulations and may incur significant compliance costs. All of the above may affect our production or market demand for vaping products and thus adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. To the extent that we grow in scale and significance, we expect to face increased scrutiny, which may result in increased investment in compliance and related capabilities.
The WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) have been clear in their view of the harmful effects of nicotine. Although they recognize that e-cigarettes may expose users to fewer harmful chemicals than burned cigarettes, which are considered very dangerous, and that any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe particularly for young people and pregnant women.
Countries have taken different steps to address the dangers of nicotine and to consider the difference between e-cigarettes and burned cigarettes. However, instances of death or serious illness resulting or perceived to result from the use of e-cigarettes as well as significant reported use by certain populations, including adolescents as well as nicotine-naïve individuals, may spur governments at all levels to increase restrictions on vaping products. We cannot assure you that the actions taken by municipal, state or provincial and national governments will not materially and adversely affect the market for vaping products generally and our business in particular.
Cannabis vapor products are subject to regulations and restrictions in the United States and are prohibited in many other countries.
Cannabis products are subject to federal and state regulation in the United States, and Western Europe generally prohibits the sale and use cannabis products, although some countries permit the use of approved cannabis products for medical purposes. Although an increasing number of states in the United States permit adult use of recreational marijuana, states have restrictions as to where the products can be sold and many of the states that permit recreational use of marijuana require that sales be made only at licensed stores. The U.S. federal government still prohibits non-hemp cannabis products (unless approved by the FDA) but has generally not enforced against entities and individuals operating in compliance with state laws permitting such products. Likewise, under certain circumstances, devices intended for use in consuming federally prohibited cannabis products may also technically qualify as prohibited drug paraphernalia under federal law and the laws of certain states that continue to broadly restrict production and sale of non-hemp cannabis. However, the Federal Controlled Substances Act includes an exemption for “any person authorized by local, State, or Federal law to manufacture, possess, or distribute such items.”
Despite the sale and use of cannabis products generally being prohibited, the Western European region has some of the most developed cannabis cultures in the world, such as in the Netherlands and Spain. On April 1, 2024, Germany legalized recreational cannabis use and is likely to accelerate the cannabis debate within the EU and promote the development of the industry at a regional level. Georgia, Luxembourg, and Malta have also legalized recreational cannabis use as of the date of this Annual Report. However, great differences persist among consumers, with older generations typically being more reluctant to allow cannabis use. Our ability to expand our marketing of cannabis products in the European market is dependent upon whether recreational cannabis will become legal in other Western European countries, and we cannot give any assurance that we will be able to sell products in Western Europe. These restrictions on the sale and use of cannabis could impair our ability to market and sell our products.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) recently made a recommendation to the US Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) to reschedule cannabis as a Schedule 3 drug. The DEA is currently going through a public comment period on the potential rescheduling. If the DEA accepts HHS’s recommendation and reschedules cannabis, there may be new regulatory compliance obligations placed upon cannabis operators in the U.S. Under the FD&C Act, Schedule 3 drugs must be dispensed with a prescription and the safety and efficacy of such products would be governed by FDA regulation under the FD&C Act. It is unclear how this would impact state-legal cannabis programs (both medical and adult use), if at all. If there are significant new regulatory barriers for the U.S. adult use cannabis industry, such increased regulation may negatively impact the sale of our cannabis vaporizer products in the U.S. marketplace.
While we believe that our business and sales do not violate the Federal Paraphernalia Law, legal proceedings alleging violations of such law or changes in such law or interpretations thereof could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Under U.S. Code Title 21 Section 863 (the “Federal Paraphernalia Law”), the term “drug paraphernalia” means “any equipment, product or material of any kind which is primarily intended or designed for use in manufacturing, compounding, converting, concealing, producing, processing, preparing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled substance.” That law exempts “(1) any person authorized by local, State, or Federal law to manufacture, possess, or distribute such items” and “(2) any item that, in the normal lawful course of business, is imported, exported, transported, or sold through the mail or by any other means, and traditionally intended for use with tobacco products, including any pipe, paper, or accessory.” Any non-exempt drug paraphernalia offered or sold by any person in violation of the Federal Paraphernalia Law can be subject to seizure and forfeiture upon the conviction of such person for such violation, and a convicted person can be subject to fines under the Federal Paraphernalia Law and even imprisonment.
Several states with legal cannabis programs, including California, have enacted legislation invoking this exemption to shield state-legal businesses from federal enforcement on paraphernalia grounds. In addition, a recent court decision from the U.S. Court of International Trade applied this exemption in prohibiting U.S. Customs and Border Protection from refusing import entry of cannabis paraphernalia components that the importer could legally possess in the state of importation.
We believe our sales do not violate the Federal Paraphernalia Law. We restrict the sale of products to comply with the Federal Paraphernalia Law’s exemption for sales authorized by state law. In particular, we (a) do not sell any vaping equipment or hardware into the 4 states that have maintained complete or near complete cannabis prohibition (i.e., Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, and Nebraska), and have the distributors we work with covenant that they will not sell our products into these states, and (b) in any states with laws that allow the sale of vaping equipment or hardware, but require such products to be sold to licensed cannabis businesses (such as dispensaries), we limit sales accordingly.
While we believe that our business and sales are legally compliant with the Federal Paraphernalia Law in all material respects, any legal action commenced against us under such law could result in substantial costs and could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, changes in cannabis laws or interpretations of such laws are difficult to predict and are subject to change, which could significantly affect our business.
Because Tuanfang Liu, our co-chief executive officer, who is also director, and his wife, Jiangyan Zhu, who is also a director, beneficially own 62.5% of our Common Stock as of June 30, 2025 and Mr. Liu owns 58.1% of the equity of our majority supplier, Mr. Liu has a conflict of interest.
Because our co-chief executive officer, Tuanfang Liu, and his wife own 62.5%, of our Common Stock as of June 30, 2025, they have the power to elect all of our directors and to approve any matter which is subject to stockholder approval. Mr. Liu also own 95% of the equity in Shenzhen Yi Jia, which is currently our major supplier. Mr. Liu is chairman of Shenzhen Yi Jia and his wife, Jiangyan Zhu, is its vice president of finance. The price and other terms at which Shenzhen Yi Jia sells product to us have been largely determined by Mr. Liu. In addition, as our co-chief executive officer, Mr. Liu has significant authority in the implementation of our business plan, including the expected commencement of our manufacturing operations in California and the opening of additional manufacturing operations in Malaysia. He has also historically been responsible for our product development and our present products have been the result of his research and development efforts. Mr. Liu’s interests may be different from our interests. Because of Mr. Liu’s conflict of interest, there is a risk that any actions he may take may have an adverse effect upon the success and development of our business and the price of our Common Stock.
As a result of the voting power of Mr. Liu and his wife, Ms. Zhu, investors will have little, if any, power to influence our business or to approve any action submitted to stockholders for their approval. The fact that they have a controlling interest in us may, by itself, serve as a deterrent to any person seeking to obtain control of us or to enter into any business relationship which might be beneficial to the minority stockholders.
Although our supply agreements with Shenzhen Yi Jia require Shenzhen Yi Jia to sell products to us at the most favorable market price that it sells similar products to third parties, because our products are designed for us and based on technology that was either developed by Mr. Liu prior to the date of the agreement or is developed by us, we cannot determine whether another supplier would be able to provide the products at the same or a better price. However, all pricing will be designed to enable us to sell the products at a price which enables us to generate a gross margin that we consider acceptable, and Mr. Liu will have significant input as to what is an acceptable gross margin. Our supply agreements also require Shenzhen Yi Jia to provide us with quality products and services in a timely manner, to provide to our customers the same warranty that we provide to our customer and to give first priority to the manufacture of our products over any other manufacturing obligations. However, as our co-chief executive officer, Mr. Liu has the ability to determine whether to pursuant any legal action to enforce our supply agreements. Thus, we will be relying on Mr. Liu taking actions that are in our best interests, and we run the risk that he may not do so.
The recent implementation of regulations relating to e-cigarettes has resulted in our decision not to market nicotine products in the United States until we secure PMTA approvals on our ENDS devices.
The FDA has authority to regulate e-liquids, e-cigarettes, and other vaping products that contain (or are used to consume e-liquid containing) tobacco-derived ingredients and nicotine from any source as “tobacco products” under the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the “Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act”), as amended by Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 (the “Tobacco Control Act”) and subsequent legislation. Through the issuance of the “Deeming Regulation” that became effective on August 8, 2016, the FDA began regulating e-liquids, e-cigarettes, and other vaping products that qualify as “tobacco products” under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act’s requirements added by the Tobacco Control Act. The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act requires that any Deemed Tobacco Product that was not commercially marketed as of the “grandfather” date of February 15, 2007, obtain premarket authorization before it can be marketed in the United States. The compliance policy generally allowed companies to market Deemed Tobacco Products that qualify as “new tobacco products” but that were on the U.S. market on August 8, 2016, until September 9, 2020, and the continued marketing of such products without otherwise-required authorization for up to one year during the FDA’s review of a pending marketing application submitted by September 9, 2020. The compliance policy did not apply to otherwise-eligible products (i) for which the manufacturer has failed to take (or is failing to take) adequate measures to prevent minors’ access and (ii) that are targeted to minors or with marketing that is likely to promote use by minors. In the absence of this policy, we would have had to obtain prior authorization from the FDA to market any of our products after August 8, 2016. Accordingly, through September 9, 2020, Aspire North America marketed tobacco vaping products in the United States pursuant to the FDA’s compliance policy based on evidence that they were on the U.S. market on August 8, 2016, and had not been physically modified since.
FDA authorization to introduce a “new tobacco product” (or to continue marketing a “new tobacco product” covered by the current compliance policy for Deemed Tobacco Products that were on the U.S. market on August 8, 2016) could be obtained via any of the following three authorization pathways: (1) submission of a PMTA and receipt of a marketing authorization order; (2) submission of a substantial equivalence report and receipt of a substantial equivalence order; or (3) submission of a request for an exemption from substantial equivalence requirements and receipt of a substantial equivalence exemption determination.
Since there were few, if any, e-liquid, e-cigarette, or other vaping products on the market as of February 15, 2007, there is no way to utilize the less onerous substantial equivalence or substantial equivalence exemption pathways that traditional tobacco companies can utilize for cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and other traditional tobacco products. In order to obtain marketing authorizations, manufacturers of practically all e-liquid, e-cigarette, or other vaping products would have to use the PMTA pathway, which could potentially cost $1.0 million or more per application. Furthermore, the Deeming Regulation created a significant barrier to entry for any new e-liquid, e-cigarette, or other vaping product seeking to enter the market after August 8, 2016, since any such product would require an FDA marketing authorization through one of the aforementioned pathways.
We filed a PMTA for the Nautilus Prime open system vaping products on September 9, 2020, and the FDA has not to date taken final action on our PMTA. For this reason, and based on public FDA statements, it appears that the FDA would not prioritize enforcement of the premarket review requirements against any covered Nautilus Prime products during the continued pendency of the PMTA’s review, despite the fact that the one-year compliance period closed on September 9, 2021.
We believe that, when equipped with our IKE Tech LLC Joint Venture age-gating technology, there is a path to getting an approval for ENDS products with characterizing flavors other than tobacco and menthol, as they will have strong technological barriers to prevent youth usage. The FDA has repeatedly indicated that the only way it will approve characterizing flavors in ENDS devices is if they are equipped with technology to prevent youth usage. We believe the technology we have access to will be desirable to the FDA. IKE met with the FDA on November 13, 2024, and submitted a “component” PMTA on this technology in April of 2025; however, there can be no guarantee that the FDA will approve our PMTA or any other PMTA we submit that contains the IKE age-gating technology.
Further, although we are not marketing e-cigarette products in the United States market, and we can contractually prohibit our distributors from selling our e-cigarette vaping products in the United States market, in the event that those products are sold in the United States market, we cannot assure you that we will not be subject to regulatory or enforcement action as a result of such products’ being sold in the United States. Though it is highly unlikely, we may also face regulatory or enforcement action from the FDA for certain of our products that remained distributed in the United States between September 9, 2020, and April 30, 2021, and for which we did not file a PMTA by the September 9, 2020, deadline. While we have taken steps intended to ensure that no such distribution occurs, we cannot assure you that, should the FDA prioritize these violations for regulatory action, the FDA will follow its standard of approach of issuing a public warning letter and seeking voluntary corrective action rather than initiating an enforcement action under its various Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act authorities. Such a result could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
On March 17, 2021, the FDA issued letters to four companies operating in the e-cigarette industry, including Aspire North America, requesting documents related to their social media marketing practices. Specifically, the FDA requested the documents “to further understand the relationship between rising youth exposure to online e-cigarette marketing and youth e-cigarette use,” and the FDA asserted in each letter that each recipient had “active brand pages on multiple popular social media platforms, a large number of followers, and did not use age restriction tools to prevent youth exposure.” Under its Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act authority requiring industry members to produce certain documents upon request, the FDA requested that we respond within 60 days but granted us a 30-day extension. On June 15, 2021, Aspire North America provided the required information to the FDA. To date, the FDA has not substantively responded or taken any further action in the matter. However, we cannot assure you that the FDA will consider the response adequate and will not initiate regulatory or enforcement action based on an alleged failure to comply with the request or that the FDA will not initiate regulatory or enforcement action on other grounds based on the contents of the documents produced in the response. Either result could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In the event that similar legislation or regulations are adopted with respect to cannabis products, our business is likely to be materially impaired since all of our sales of cannabis products were in the United States.
Recently enacted legislation and regulations in the United States may make it more difficult to sell nicotine and cannabis vaping products in the United States.
Provisions of the 2021 Appropriations Act subjected e-cigarettes and other vaping devices (including, based on recent regulations, cannabis and hemp vaporization products that aerosolize liquids), as well as e-liquids products, to the provisions of the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009 (the “PACT Act”), which imposes stringent rules on interstate shippers and, in particular, online sellers. Under the PACT Act, interstate shippers must register with the U.S. Attorney General and the tobacco tax administrator of each jurisdiction into which they ship products as well as submit monthly reports to such tobacco tax administrators. In addition, online retailers making delivery sales to consumers must also (i) verify the age of customers using a commercially available database, (ii) use private shipping services that collect an adult signature and verify the recipient’s age using government-issued identification at the point of delivery, (iii) if shipping to jurisdictions that tax vaping products, collect and remit all applicable local and state taxes and comply with all applicable licensing requirements of the recipient’s jurisdiction, (iv) comply with shipping-package quantity restrictions and labeling requirements, and (v) maintain records for five years of any delivery interrupted because the carrier or delivery service determines or has reason to believe that the person ordering the delivery is in violation of the PACT Act. Shippers and delivery sellers who do not comply with the PACT Act are subject to civil and criminal penalties. Accordingly, compliance with the requirements of the PACT Act may significantly increase the costs of our and our customers’ online businesses, increasing the prices of our products sold online and making them less attractive to consumers as compared to products sold at local retailers. In addition, failure to comply with the PACT Act could expose us to significant penalties that could materially adversely affect our business and our financial condition and results of operations. Further, as a result of the issuance of final regulations implementing the PACT Act amendments by the United States Postal Service (the “USPS”), the USPS generally prohibits the mailing of such products, subject to potential exceptions already applicable to combusted cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (e.g., for shipments between legally operating businesses). The USPS issued these final regulations on October 21, 2021, and the regulations took effect immediately. Further, the most commonly used carriers, Federal Express and United Parcel Service, have recently announced that they would cease all deliveries of vapor products. These restrictions on use of the USPS to ship our products and the decisions by private carriers not to deliver vapor products in the United States could materially impair our ability to sell products in the United States which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, since most of our revenue from cannabis vapor product sales is from sales to other cannabis vaping brands, if our customers are not able to deliver product in the United States, which is the largest market for cannabis vaping products, our ability to generate revenue from cannabis products would be materially impaired. We use a combination of advanced accounting software and PACT Act compliant carriers to remain compliant with the tax and delivery restrictions of the PACT Act. To the extent that the carriers that we currently use change their policies and refuse to ship or are prohibited from shipping vaping products and we are not able to find other carriers that are PACT Act compliant, our business and prospects will be materially impaired, and we may not be able to continue in the cannabis vaping business.
We are exposed to risks relating to our relationship with a related party, and we may not be able to successfully operate manufacturing operations.
The majority of our products are presently manufactured by Shenzhen Yi Jia, a related party. Due to the reliance on our business relationship with Shenzhen Yi Jia, any interruption of its operations, any failure of Shenzhen Yi Jia to accommodate our growing business demands, any termination or suspension of our cooperation terms, or any deterioration of cooperative relationships with Shenzhen Yi Jia may materially and adversely affect our operation. Failure by Shenzhen Yi Jia to provide us satisfactory products and/or services in a timely manner is likely to have a have material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. There is a risk in relying on any third-party supplier in that we are dependent on the supplier’s ability to produce a product which meets our quality standards and delivery requirements as well as being dependent upon the supplier’s priorities. These risks are present when the supplier is controlled by Tuanfang Liu, our co-chief executive officer. We do not presently have any plans to engage another supplier since Shenzhen Yi Jia is familiar with our products, and we are devoting our efforts to establishing our own production facilities with no assurance that we can successfully operate our new and to-be developed manufacturing facilities.
If it is determined or perceived that the usage of nicotine or cannabis vaping products poses long-term health risks, the use of vaping products may decline significantly, which is likely to materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Since vaping products were only introduced to the market in the last two decades and are rapidly evolving, studies relating to the long-term health effects of nicotine and cannabis vaping product usage are still ongoing. Currently, there remain uncertainties regarding whether vaping products are sufficiently safe for their intended use, and health risks associated with the usage of vaping products have been under scrutiny. According to the WHO, there is no conclusive evidence that the use of nicotine vaping products facilitates smoking cessation. The WHO recommended governments to strengthen relevant laws and regulations on the sale of vaping products, including to, among others, prohibit marketing strategies targeting the underage and the non-smoking population.
Negative publicity on the health consequences of vaping products or other similar devices may also adversely affect the usage of vaping products. For example, the FDA and the CDC issued a joint statement on August 30, 2019, linking a number of cases of respiratory illnesses to nicotine vaping 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 cannabis-derived tetrahydrocannabinol-containing vaping cartridges not intended for use with nicotine-containing e-liquids 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 cannabis or non-cannabis products. In January 2020, after further research, the FDA and CDC recommended against the use of cannabis-containing vaping 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 vaping products. On February 25, 2020, the CDC issued a final update, stating that the number of cases of severe respiratory illnesses had declined to single digits as of February 9, 2020. The CDC also reconfirmed that (i) Vitamin E acetate, which was found in some cannabis-derived vaping cartridges that were mostly obtained illegally, was strongly linked to and indicated to be the primary cause of the severe respiratory illnesses, and (ii) cannabis-derived vaping products from illicit sources were linked to most cases of severe respiratory illnesses.
If vaping product usage is determined or perceived to pose long-term health risks or to be linked to illnesses, the usage of vaping products may significantly decline, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Any perceived correlation between cannabis and Vitamin E acetate may adversely affect the public’s perception of vaping products in general, regardless of whether such products contain cannabis and/or Vitamin E acetate and may impact sales of our cannabis vapor product.
Because cannabis oil, unlike nicotine oil, is not of a uniform quality, products we design may not perform as intended, which could result in a loss of business.
We do not include cannabis oil in our products. The cannabis oil is provided by our customer before selling the product or a cartridge with oil is inserted in the product by the customer or the end user. Unlike nicotine oil, cannabis oil is not of a uniform quality or viscosity. If the end user uses cannabis oil that is too viscous for our product and does not have the desired experience from the product, our client may reject an order, cancel an order or seek a refund of the payment made to us and/or discontinue purchasing our products. These refunds and the cost of cancellation of orders are reflected as sales return. The amount of sales return for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 was $2,551,966 and $4,764,434, respectively. We cannot assure you that we will not incur significant warranty expenses and lose business as a result cannabis oil not providing the end user’s desired experience or that we will not lose significant business as a result of this problem.
The vaping market may develop more slowly or differently than we expect.
The e-cigarette vaping market worldwide has experienced rapid growth through 2019 and the cannabis market is developing, with the United States accounting for the overwhelming majority of sales. The growth rate for e-cigarette products decreased in 2021 and 2022, in part, we believe, because of the steps taken by governments worldwide to address the COVID-19 pandemic, which negatively affected our revenue and industry sales in general. The growth of cannabis vaping products is largely confined to those states in the United States where recreational cannabis is legal. The growth rate may decrease or decline due to uncertainties with respect to the acceptance of vaping technologies and products, health studies relating to vaping product use, general economic conditions, disposable income growth, and pace of development of technologies and other factors. There can be no assurance that the penetration of vaping products among adult smokers will further deepen, or that the tobacco and cannabis vaping market will grow at a pace that we expect. Additionally, vapor market development is subject to the uncertainty of overall regulatory landscape for such products, which may have a material impact on the market development of vaping products, particularly in Western Europe. There can be no assurance that the regulatory regime will be favorable to us or nicotine or cannabis vaping products in general. It is also uncertain whether our products and services will achieve and sustain high levels of market acceptance and meet users’ expectations. Our ability to increase the sales of our vaping products depends on several factors, some of which may be beyond our control, including users’ receptiveness towards and adoption of vaping technologies and products, market awareness of our brand, the market acceptance of our products and services, the “word-of-mouth” effects of our products and services, our ability to attract, retain and effectively train customer representatives, our ability to develop effective relationships with distributors and expand our distribution networks and the cost, performance and functionality of our products and services and meeting consumer trends. The market for nicotine products has recently seen a change in consumer preference as closed systems are overtaking open systems in market share. If we are not successful in implementing our business strategies, developing our vaping products, anticipating consumer trends or reaching adult smokers, or if these users do not accept our vaping products, the market for our products may not develop or may develop more slowly than we expect, any of which could materially and adversely affect our profitability and growth prospects.
We are exposed to product liability and user complaints arising from the products we sell, which could have a material adverse impact on us.
Currently, we primarily sell our e-cigarette products to our distributors, who then supply our products to wholesale companies that in turn sell to retail outlets, and we sell our cannabis products primarily to other cannabis brands on an ODM basis, and the customers sell the products through their own distribution networks. The retail market is dominated by stores, primarily grocery stores, convenience stores and tobacco stores. Even though we generally do not sell our products directly to users, we may nevertheless be liable for defects in our products pursuant to general laws on product liability. We are exposed to potential product liability claims from users of our products in the event that the use of our products results in any personal injury, property damage or health and safety issues.
There is no assurance that we can succeed in defending ourselves, and we may be required to pay significant amounts of damages for product liability claims and, to the extent that we are able to obtain product liability coverage, product liability insurance may not provide sufficient coverage against claims of injury based on the fact that they are inhaling a nicotine product. Further, product liability claims against us, whether or not successful, are costly and time-consuming to defend. These claims, whether against us or another manufacturer, may result in negative publicity that could severely damage our reputation and affect the marketability of our products, and could result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources and management’s attention. Any of the above could in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we may seek indemnification or contribution from our suppliers in certain circumstances, we cannot assure you that we will be able to receive indemnification or contribution in full, or at all.
We maintain limited product liability insurance for claims of personal injury and property damage caused by our products. Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover claims which may be made against us. Our insurance does not provide coverage for all liabilities (including liability for certain events involving pollution or other environmental claims). In addition, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain our product liability insurance on acceptable terms. If we cannot maintain our product liability insurance on reasonable terms or our insurance does not sufficiently compensate us for the losses we sustain in the event of a legal proceeding, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.
At present, a majority of our products are manufactured by Shenzhen Yi Jia, a Chinese company of which Tuanfang Liu, our co-chief executive officer is a 95% owner. In the event of any claim of product liability resulting from a product manufactured by Shenzhen Yi Jia, any legal action would most likely be brought against us since the plaintiff may not be willing or able to commence an action against Shenzhen Yi Jia in China. Our co-chief executive officer has a conflict of interest in determining the extent to which Shenzhen Yi Jia would accept responsibility for any product liability claim relating to a product manufactured by Shenzhen Yi Jia or for making changes in the manufacturing process to address the substance of any claim, whether or not such claim is valid. To the extent that that we have product liability insurance, the insurer may seek to recover any amount paid from Shenzhen Yi Jia for products manufactured by Shenzhen Yi Jia.
Further, although we may have legal recourse against Shenzhen Yi Jia pursuant to applicable laws, attempts to enforce our rights against Shenzhen Yi Jia may be expensive, time-consuming and may not be successful, particularly since Shenzhen Yi Jia is located in China, and we may not be able prevail in a Chinese court.
The interests of the stockholders of Shenzhen Yi Jia in their capacities as such stockholders may differ from our interests. What is in the best interests of Shenzhen Yi Jia may not be in our best interests, including with respect to matters such as the warranty period and allocation of expenses with respect to the warranted repair or replacement. There can be no assurance that when conflicts of interest arise, the stockholders of Shenzhen Yi Jia, principally, our chairman as 95% owner, will act in our best interests of or that any conflicts of interest will be resolved in our favor. In addition, these related parties may breach or refuse to renew the existing cooperation arrangements with us.
Since our products involve inhaling nicotine or cannabis, we may be subject to claims based on the known effects of nicotine or cannabis. Because e-vaping is a relatively recent method of ingesting nicotine and cannabis and is thought by some that, for adults, it may be less toxic than cigars and cigarettes or marijuana cigarettes, it is possible that long-term effects of inhaling nicotine or cannabis may not become generally known for many years and may prove to be not significantly less toxic than cigars, cigarettes and marijuana cigarettes, and we cannot assure you that manufacturers and distributors of vaping products may not face liability resulting from the nature of the product – a device for inhaling nicotine or cannabis, which could materially impair our ability to operate profitably if at all.
Furthermore, negative publicity including but not limited to negative online reviews on social media and crowd-sourced review platforms, industry findings or media reports related to the quality, functionality and health concerns of vaping products, whether or not accurate, and whether or not concerning our products, can adversely affect our business, results of operations and reputation. Such negative publicity may reduce users’ confidence in us, our products and our brand, which may adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely impacted by product defects or other quality issues.
Our products may contain defects that are not detected until after they are shipped or inspected by our users. The failure of our supplier or, when we commence manufacturing operations, our operations to maintain the consistency and quality throughout our production process could result in substandard quality or performance of our products, and product defects could cause significant damage to our market reputation and reduce our sales and market share. For example, the products we distribute may contain lithium-ion or similar types of batteries. Defects in these products could result in personal injury, property damage, pollution, release of hazardous substances or damage to equipment and facilities. As we primarily rely on one supplier, Shenzhen Yi Jia, which is a related party, to supply our products, if this supplier does not produce products that meet the industrial and our standards, we may fail to maintain our quality control over our products. Actual or alleged defects in the products we distribute may give rise to claims against us for losses and expose us to claims for damages. If we deliver any defective products, or if there is a perception that our products are of substandard quality, we may incur substantial costs associated with mass product recalls, product returns and replacements and significant warranty claims, our credibility and market reputation could be harmed and our results of operations and market share may be adversely affected.
Further, defective products may result in compliance issues that could subject us to administrative proceedings and unfavorable results such as product recall and other actions. Such proceedings and unfavorable results could have a material adverse effect on our brand, reputation and results of operations.
Our business may be negatively affected by global political events and foreign policy responses, including tariffs.
Geopolitical uncertainties and events could cause damage or disruption to international commerce and the global economy and thus could have a material adverse effect on us, our suppliers, logistics providers, manufacturing vendors and customers, including our distributors and other channel partners. For example, escalating tensions between the U.S., China and other countries may result in changes in laws or regulations that will affect our ability to manufacture and sell our products. As of the date of this Annual Report, the U.S. tariff rate on all goods imported from China is 30% and the tariff rate on all goods imported from Malaysia is 19%. These tariff rates have been volatile since April 2025 and may further increase or decrease over the near term. We purchase the majority of our nicotine and cannabis vaping products from Shenzhen Yi Jia, a company located in Shenzhen, China, which constitutes a significant portion of our cost of revenue and could increase our cost of revenue should tariffs continue to rise. We are currently able to manufacture a wide range of cannabis hardware in Malaysia and import into the U.S. at a comparatively low tariff rate compared to goods imported from China. However, there is no guarantee that the current tariff on goods imported from Malaysia will not increase to the previous rate of 24% or higher. Any continuation or increase of tariffs on products imported from Malaysia or China could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The progress and continuation of trade negotiations between the U.S. and China continues to be uncertain and a further escalation of the trade war remains a possibility. These tariffs have, and will continue to have, an adverse effect on our results of operations and profit margins. We can provide no assurance regarding the magnitude, scope or duration of the imposed tariffs or the magnitude, scope or duration from any relief in increases to such tariffs, as well as the potential for additional tariffs or trade barriers by the U.S., China or other countries, nor that any strategies we may implement to mitigate the impact of such tariffs or other trade actions will be successful.
Our business and the industry in which we operate are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, including, among others, developments in regulatory landscape, medical discovery and market acceptance of vaping devices.
Our business and the industry in which we operate are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, including, among others, developments in regulatory landscape, medical discovery and market acceptance of vaping devices. Our business and the vaping industry are subject to inherent risks, challenges and uncertainties, including but not limited to the following:
the regulatory landscape in the jurisdictions to which we market our products are constantly evolving, and there may be further restrictions, bans or requirements with respect to e-cigarettes and vaping devices that may increase our cost of compliance or prevent us from marketing our products to certain jurisdictions;
we may face unforeseen capital requirements caused by the changing industry requirements or consumer tastes and demands; demands for our vaping devices may decline significantly due to the decrease in market acceptance for our products or vaping devices generally;
we may not be able to establish business relationships with customers or compete with other more established competitors as, for an evolving industry, customers generally prefer to choose more established suppliers, including Juul Labs, Inc. the largest producer of nicotine vapor products, rather than us.
we may not be able to adjust our procurement and/or production in time to meet the changes in market demands; and
future changes in our industry may not be consistent with our prediction. Therefore, our industrial prospects, research and development focus and business plans may not be effective in helping sustain our competitive position in the vaping industry.
If we fail to cope with the challenges and compete with other industry players in such uncertain and evolving vaping industry, our future prospects, business, financial conditions and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
We may not be able to develop and introduce new products or upgrade existing products in a timely and cost-effective manner, which may adversely affect our business, results of operations and prospects.
To optimize adult vapers’ experience, we must introduce new products and upgrade our existing products to meet our users’ evolving preferences and to incorporate the latest technological developments. It is difficult to predict the preferences of users or a specific segment of users. Changes and upgrades to our existing products may not be well received by our users, and newly introduced products may not achieve expected results. Going forward, we may introduce new products with different features. Such efforts may require substantial investments of additional human capital and financial resources. However, if we are not able to develop or obtain rights to the latest technological developments, we may not be able to market a product that meets the adult consumer’s changing taste. If we fail to improve our existing products or introduce new products that meet consumer taste ones in a timely or cost-effective manner, our ability to attract and retain users may be impaired, and our results of operations and prospects may be adversely affected.
Although we endeavor to understand user preferences through surveys, sampling and other forms of interactions from time to time, we cannot assure you that we can anticipate, identify, develop or market products that respond to changes in users’ preferences and expectations. For example, our surveys may not yield accurate or useful insights on user behaviors, and feedbacks on our products may be different after such products are commercially available to a wider public. There can be no assurance that any of our new products will achieve market acceptance or generate sufficient revenues to offset the costs and expenses incurred in relation to our development and promotion efforts. There can be no assurance that each of our new products will achieve market acceptance and be successful.
Misuse or abuse of our products may lead to potential adverse health effects, subjecting us to complaints, product liability claims and negative publicity.
We are unable to control how our users choose to use our products. For example, we cannot prevent the users from misusing or abusing our products or prevent minors from obtaining access to our products. Our users may also use our products to inhale chemicals obtained from informal sources and in other potentially hazardous applications that can result in personal injury, product liability and environmental claims.
Misuse or abuse of our products, including use of our products in combination with other products and components from third parties, may significantly and adversely affect the health of our users, subjecting us to user complaints and product liability litigation, even though such products were not used in the manner recommended by us. Applicable law may render us liable for damages without regard to negligence or fault. The FDA strongly advises against vaping during pregnancy on the ground that any products containing nicotine are not safe to use during pregnancy since nicotine is a health risk for pregnant women and developing babies and can damage a baby’s brain and lungs. We cannot assure you that we would not be subject to liability resulting from a birth defect in a baby born to a woman who used vaping products during pregnancy, notwithstanding our warnings not to use during pregnancy. Any such liability may not be covered by insurance and may materially impair our ability to operate profitably.
Regardless of whether these complaints or product liability litigation have merit, they may be costly and time-consuming to defend and resolve, bring negative publicity that could damage our reputation and result in higher scrutiny by the government or stricter regulations, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Failure to manage inventory at optimal levels could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We are required to manage a large volume of inventory effectively for our business. We depend on our forecasts for the anticipated demand for our products to make procurement plans and manage our inventory. Our forecast for demand, however, may not accurately reflect the actual market demands, which depends on a number of factors including, without limitation, launches of new products, changes in product life cycles and pricing, product defects, changes in user spending patterns, supplier back orders and other supplier-related issues, distributors’ and retailers’ procurement plans, as well as the volatile economic environment in the markets where we sell our products. We do not have long-term contracts with some of our distributors, which makes the demands for our products from distributors unstable and unpredictable. In addition, when we launch a new product with new components or raw material, it may be difficult to establish relationships, determine appropriate raw material and product selection, and accurately forecast market demand for such product. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain proper inventory levels for our business at all times, and any such failure may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Inventory levels in excess of distributor demand with respect to tobacco products and customer demand with respect to cannabis products may result in inventory write-downs, expiration of products or an increase in inventory holding costs and a potential negative effect on our liquidity. As we plan to continue expanding our product offerings, we expect to include more products in our inventory, which will make it more challenging for us to manage our inventory effectively and will put more pressure on our warehousing system. If we fail to manage our inventory effectively, we may be subject to a heightened risk of inventory obsolescence, a decline in inventory values, and significant inventory write-downs or write-offs. In addition, we may be required to lower sale prices in order to reduce inventory level, which may lead to lower gross margins. High inventory levels may also require us to commit substantial capital resources, preventing us from using that capital for other important purposes. Any of the above may materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Conversely, if we underestimate distributor demand, or if our supplier fails to provide products to us in a timely manner, we may experience inventory shortages, which may, in turn, require us to purchase our products at higher costs, result in unfulfilled user orders, leading to a negative impact on our financial condition and our relationships with distributors.
Additionally, the distributors largely determine the inventory levels of the retail outlets they operate or to whom they sell, based on their estimation, and such inventory levels might not correspond to actual market demands and could lead to under-stocking or over-stocking in the retail outlets. We cannot assure you that there will not be under-stocking or over-stocking in these stores which would materially impact the results of our operations and our working capital.
Under-stocking can lead to missed sales opportunities, while over-stocking could result in inventory depreciation and decreased shelf space for stocks that are in higher demands. These results could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
One customer accounts for a significant portion of our sales.
Although we have more than 150 distributors, our largest distributor, who is a non-exclusive distributor for the United Kingdom and France, accounted for approximately 26% and 30% of our revenue for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. On January 1, 2021, we signed a distributorship agreement with this distributor in our standard form, which does not provide any special terms or prices. No other customer accounted for 10% or more of our revenue during either year. The loss of this distributor or a significant reduction in our sales to this distributor could have a material adverse effect upon our business. See “Business – Sales and Distribution.”
Economic factors beyond our control, and changes in the global economic environment, including fluctuations in inflation, tariff rates, and currency exchange rates, could result in lower revenues, higher costs and decreased margins and earnings
A majority of our products are manufactured and sold outside of the United States which creates exposure to the volatility of global economic conditions, including fluctuations in inflation, tariff rates, and foreign currency exchange rates. Central banks deploy various strategies to combat inflation, including increasing interest rates, which impact our borrowing costs. Government shutdowns or the risk of government shutdowns, as well as the impact or expected impact of elections, both in the United States and in other countries around the world, may also increase volatility, including through changes in trade policy and tariffs. Additionally, there has been, and may continue to be, volatility in currency exchange rates that impact the U.S. Dollar value relative to other international currencies. Our international revenues and expenses generally are derived from sales and operations in foreign countries, and these revenues and expenses are affected by currency fluctuations. Currency exchange rate fluctuations could also disrupt the business of the independent manufacturers that produce our products by making their purchases of raw materials more expensive and more difficult to finance. Foreign currency fluctuations have adversely affected and could continue to have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
We face competition from companies in the vaping industry as well as other sources of nicotine and cannabis, and we may fail to compete effectively.
Vaping products for both nicotine and cannabis compete with tobacco and marijuana cigarettes and a wide range of other tobacco and legal and illegal cannabis products. The vaping industry worldwide is intensely competitive. Some of our current and potential competitors have greater financial, marketing, ordering quantities, portfolios of products and intellectual properties and other resources and some, such as JUUL Labs, Inc., which is the major seller of vaping nicotine products, and British American Tobacco Plc, another major producer of vaping nicotine products, are better known and have greater resources than we do. Certain competitors may be able to secure raw materials and products from suppliers and manufacturers on more favorable terms, devote greater resources to marketing and promotional campaigns, adopt more aggressive pricing or inventory policies, and devote substantially more resources to product development and technology. Increased competition may adversely affect our results of operations, market share and brand recognition, or force us to incur losses. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully compete against current and future competitors, and competitive pressures may have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
The cannabis vaping market is in the early stages and at present is mainly limited to the United States, although there is a developing market in Canada and a potential market in Europe. Our ability to be successful in this market is dependent upon our ability to develop vaping systems that attracts and retains consumer interest and the regulatory environment in the United States. Our cannabis vaping products compete with other forms of legal and illegal cannabis, marijuana cigarettes, CBD oil and other CBD products, food products and other vaping products. Since most of our revenue from cannabis is derived from sales to other brands rather than sales to distributors and consumers, we compete based on our technology and ability to work with the customers to develop a product that they can successfully market.
Misconduct, including illegal, fraudulent or collusive activities, by our employees, distributors, retailers, suppliers and manufacturers, may harm our brand and reputation and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Misconduct, including illegal, fraudulent or collusive activities, unauthorized business conduct and behavior, or misuse of corporate authorization by our employees, contractors, distributors, retailers, suppliers and manufacturers and other business relationships could subject us to liability and negative publicity. Our employees, distributors, retailers, suppliers and manufacturers may conduct fraudulent activities or violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, such as accepting payments from or making payments to other distribution channel participants or other third parties in order to bypass our internal system and to complete shadow transactions and/or transactions outside our official or authorized distribution channels, disclosing users’ information to competitors or other third parties for personal gains, or applying for fake reimbursement. They may conduct activities in violation of unfair competition law, which may expose us to unfair competition allegations and risks. We cannot assure you that such incidents will not occur in the future. It is not always possible to identify and deter such misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent these activities may not be effective. Such misconduct could damage our brand and reputation, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We may become subject to governmental regulations and other legal obligations related to privacy, information security, and data protection, and any security breaches, and our actual or perceived failure to comply with our legal obligations could harm our brand and business.
Most of our revenue is derived from sales to distributors for our e-cigarette products and other cannabis brands for our cannabis products, and we do not sell online. As a result, in the normal course of business we do not collect, store and process personal, transactional, statistical and behavioral data, including certain personal and other sensitive data from our users. To the extent that we market to the public and collect personal data, such as credit card information, we would face risks inherent in handling large volumes of data and in securing and protecting such data. In particular, we would face a number of data-related challenges related to our business operations, including: (i) protecting the data in and hosted on our system and cloud servers, including against attacks on our system and cloud servers by external parties or fraudulent behavior by our employees; (ii) addressing concerns related to privacy and sharing, safety, security and other factors; and (iii) complying with applicable laws, rules and regulations relating to the collection, use, disclosure or security of personal information, including any requests from regulatory and government authorities relating to such data.
We may be subject to liability if private information that we receive is not secure or if we violate privacy laws and regulations.
We are or may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States and abroad regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity and data protection. These laws and regulations are continuously evolving and developing. The scope and interpretation of the laws that are or may be applicable to us are often uncertain and may be conflicting, particularly with respect to foreign laws. In particular, there are numerous United States federal, state, and local laws and regulations and foreign laws and regulations regarding privacy and the collection, sharing, use, processing, disclosure, and protection of personal information and other user data. Such laws and regulations often vary in scope, may be subject to differing interpretations, and may be inconsistent among different jurisdictions. To the extent that we deal with the public and obtain private information on our computer system including information on our system as a result of internet sales of our products, we would be subject to these laws.
In June 2018, California adopted the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which became effective in 2020. Under the law, any California consumer has a right to demand to see all the information a company has saved on the consumer, as well as a full list of all the third parties that data is shared with. The consumer also has the right to request that we delete the information it has on the consumer. The CCPA broadly defines “protected data.” The CCPA also has specific requirements for companies subject to the law. The CCPA provides for a private right of action for unauthorized access, theft or disclosure of personal information in certain situations, with possible damage awards of $100 to $750 per consumer per incident, or actual damages, whichever is greater. The CCPA also permits class action lawsuits. To the extent that we sell products to consumers through our website or otherwise through the Internet, we may become subject to the CCPA and any other similar consumer protection laws.
The European Union Parliament approved a new data protection regulation, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which came into effect in May 2018. The GDPR includes operational requirements for companies that receive or process personal data of residents of the European Economic Area. The GDPR imposes significant penalties for non-compliance. Although we do not conduct any business in the European Economic Area, in the event that residents of the European Economic Area access our website and input protected information, including information provided in ordering products through our website, we may become subject to provisions of the GDPR.
We are also subject to laws restricting disclosure of information relating to our employees. We strive to comply with all applicable laws, policies, legal obligations, and industry codes of conduct relating to privacy, data security, cybersecurity and data protection. However, given that the scope, interpretation, and application of these laws and regulations are often uncertain and may be conflicting, it is possible that these obligations may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices. Any failure or perceived failure by us or our third-party service-providers to comply with our privacy or security policies or privacy-related legal obligations, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release or transfer of personally identifiable information or other user data, may result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation, or negative publicity, and could have an adverse effect on our business and operating results. Although we maintain cybersecurity insurance, we cannot assure you that this insurance will cover or satisfy any claim made against us or adequately cover any defense costs we may incur.
Any significant cybersecurity incident or disruption of our information technology systems or those of third-party partners could materially damage user relationships and subject us to significant reputational, financial, legal and operation consequences.
We depend on our information technology systems, as well as those of third parties, to develop new products and services, host and manage our services, store data and process transactions. Any material disruption or slowdown of our systems or those of third parties upon whom we depend could cause outages or delays in our services, particularly in the form of interruption of services delivered by our website, which could harm our brand and adversely affect our operating results. Our failure to implement adequate cybersecurity protections could subject us to claims for any breach of security, particularly if it results in disclosure of information relating to our customers. If changes in technology cause our information technology systems, or those of third parties whom we depend upon, to become obsolete, or if our or their information systems are inadequate to handle our growth, we could lose users, and our business and operating results could be adversely affected.
Infringement of our intellectual property by any third party or loss of our intellectual property rights may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We, through our operating subsidiaries, either own or will own or license as an exclusive licensee patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret and other intellectual property, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions, to protect our intellectual property rights. We also enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees and any third parties who may access our proprietary information, and we control access to our proprietary technology and information.
Intellectual property protection may not be sufficient. Confidentiality agreements may be breached by counterparties, we may not be able to enforce these agreements and there may not be adequate remedies available to us for any such breach. Accordingly, we may not be able to effectively protect our intellectual property rights or to enforce our contractual rights, and, with respect to rights licensed to us, the licensor, which is a related party, may not be willing or able to enforce its intellectual property rights against alleged infringers. Policing any unauthorized use of our intellectual property, whether owned or licensed, is difficult, time-consuming and costly, and the steps we have taken may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of our intellectual property. In the event that we resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, such litigation could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our managerial and financial resources. We can provide no assurance that we will prevail in such litigation, and we cannot assure you that our licensor will take steps to sufficiently protect the licensed intellectual property. Furthermore, we or our licensor may be subject to the risks of losing our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights licensed from other third-parties due to several reasons. Certain intellectual property rights, such as patents, are subject to a limited period of time. Upon the expiry of such period of time, others may freely use such intellectual properties without any license or charges, which may impose competitive harm to us and in turn adversely affect our business and prospects. The intellectual property rights that we currently have may also be revoked, invalidated or deprived by regulatory authorities as a result of intellectual property claims or challenges successfully raised by third parties. We may also rely on certain intellectual property rights licensed from other third parties. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to maintain such licenses at all times or renew such licenses upon expiry. Moreover, our trade secrets may be leaked or otherwise become available to, or be independently discovered by, our competitors. Any failure in maintaining, protecting or enforcing our intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims from third parties, which may be expensive to defend with no assurance of success and may disrupt our business and operations.
We cannot be certain that our operations or any aspects of our business do not or will not infringe upon or otherwise violate patents, copyrights or other intellectual property rights held by third parties. Through our operating subsidiaries, we are acquiring patent, trademark and other intellectual rights from Tuanfang Liu, Aspire Global and Shenzhen Yi Jia all of their intellectual property relating to the cannabis vaping products, and we are licensing patent, trademarks and other intellectual property rights relating to the tobacco vaping products from Mr. Liu, Aspire Global and Shenzhen Yi Jia. We may, and from time to time in the future be, subject to legal proceedings and claims relating to the intellectual property rights of others. There could also be existing patents or other intellectual property of which we are not aware that we may infringe. While we do not know of any intellectual property rights on which our products or our business infringe, we cannot assure you that holders of patents or other intellectual property rights purportedly relating to some aspect of our technology or business, would not seek to enforce such patents against us or the licensor of intellectual property licensed by us, including intellectual property licensed by Shenzhen Yi Jia, or that they will not be successful in any such enforcement action. If we fail to maintain our patents or if our licensor is not able to maintain its rights, we may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims from third parties. We and Shenzhen Yi Jia have patents and patent applications in a number of jurisdictions, including the United States and the European Union. If we are found to have violated the intellectual property rights of others, we may be subject to liability for our infringement activities or may be prohibited from using such intellectual property, and we may incur licensing fees or damages or be forced to develop alternatives of our own. In addition, we may incur significant expenses, and may be forced to divert management’s time and other resources from our business and operations to defend against these third-party infringement claims, regardless of their merits. Although the intellectual property transfer agreement (the “Intellectual Property Transfer Agreement”) dated September 30, 2022, among Mr. Liu, Aspire Global, Shenzhen Yi Jia, us and Aspire North America, and the exclusive license agreement (the “Intellectual Property License Agreement”) dated September 30, 2022, among Mr. Liu, Aspire Global, Shenzhen Yi Jia, us and Aspire Science, provide that Mr. Liu, Aspire Global and Shenzhen Yi Jia will indemnify us against any liability in the event that the transferred or licensed intellectual property infringes the intellectual property rights of a third party, we cannot assure you that we will be able to enforce such indemnification. Further, since Shenzhen Yi Jia and Mr. Liu are located in the PRC, we cannot assure you that we will be able to enforce any action or any judgment we may receive from a U.S. court in a Chinese court.
As the patents we own or are licensed to us may expire and may not be extended, our patent applications may not be granted and our patent rights may be contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope, our patent rights and license may not protect us.
As of the date of this Annual Report, our operating subsidiaries own or license more than 200 patents relating to various aspects of our operations. The rights granted under any issued patents, however, may not provide us with proprietary protection or competitive advantages. The claims under any patents that issue may not be broad enough to prevent others from developing technologies that are similar or that achieve results similar to ours. It is also possible that the intellectual property rights of others will bar us from licensing. Numerous patents owned by others exist in the fields in which we have developed and are developing our technology. These patents and patent applications might have priority over our patent applications filed by our transferor or licensor and we or our licensor may not be able to enforce these rights. Finally, in addition to those who may claim priority, any of our existing patents may also be challenged by others on the basis that they are otherwise invalid or unenforceable. Any failure in extending our existing patents, or if our patent rights were to be contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to manage our growth or execute our strategies effectively, our business and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.
To accommodate our growth, we anticipate that we will need to implement a variety of new and upgraded operational and financial systems, procedures and controls, including the improvement of our accounting and other internal management systems. We will also need to continue to expand, train, manage and motivate our workforce and manage our relationships with customers and third-party suppliers. All of these endeavors involve risks and will require substantial management effort and significant additional expenditures. We may not be able to manage our growth or execute our strategies effectively, and any failure to do so may have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects.
Our success depends on our ability to retain our core management team and other key personnel.
Our performance depends on the continued service and performance of our directors and senior management as they play an important role in guiding the implementation of our business strategies and future plans. Our co-chief executive officer, Tuanfang Liu, is responsible primarily for our product development, since all of the patents we own or license are based on his inventions, and we anticipate that he will continue to be responsible for product development. Because of his knowledge of the market and the underlying technology for our products, the loss of Mr. Liu could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and prospects. If any of our other members of senior management were to terminate his or her employment, there can be no assurance that we would be able to find suitable replacements in a timely manner, at acceptable cost or at all. The loss of services of key personnel or the inability to identify, hire, train and retain other qualified managerial personnel in the future may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Additionally, in addition to our co-chief executive officer, we rely on our research and development personnel for product development and technology innovation. If any of our key research and development personnel were to leave us, we cannot assure you that we can secure equally competent research and development personnel in a timely manner, or at all.
Competition for highly skilled employees is intense, and we may not be able to attract and retain the highly skilled employees needed to support our business.
As we continue to operate, we believe our development depends on the efforts and talents of our employees, including management team and financial personnel. Our future development depends on our continued ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled employees. Competition for highly skilled personnel is extremely intense. We may not be able to hire and retain these personnel at compensation levels consistent with our existing compensation and salary structure. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced employees have greater resources than we do and may be able to offer more attractive terms of employment.
In addition, we invest significant time and expense in training our employees, which increases their value to competitors who may seek to recruit them. If we fail to retain our employees, we could incur significant expenses in hiring and training their replacements, and the quality of our services and our ability to serve customers could diminish, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business.
Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by an economic downturn.
In recent years, the United States and other markets have experienced cyclical or episodic downturns, and worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain, including, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, instability in the U.S. and global banking systems, rising fuel prices, increasing interest rates or foreign exchange rates and increased inflation and the possibility of a recession. A significant downturn in economic conditions may affect the market for our products and our supplier’s ability to provide products to us on acceptable terms.
We cannot predict the timing, strength, or duration of any future economic slowdown or any subsequent recovery generally, or in any industry. If the conditions in the general economy and the markets in which we operate worsen from present levels, our business, financial condition, operating results could be adversely affected. For example, in January 2023, the outstanding national debt of the U.S. government reached its statutory limit. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced that, since then, it has been using extraordinary measures to prevent the U.S. government’s default on its payment obligations, and to extend the time that the U.S. government has to raise its statutory debt limit or otherwise resolve its funding situation. The failure by Congress to raise the federal debt ceiling could have severe repercussions within the U.S. and to global credit and financial markets. If Congress does not raise the debt ceiling and if the U.S. government defaults on its payment obligations or experiences delays in making payments when due, such payment default or delay by the U.S. government, as well as continued uncertainty surrounding the U.S. debt ceiling or the U.S. Government’s ability to pay debts, could result in a variety of adverse effects for financial markets, market participants and U.S. and global economic conditions. In addition, U.S. debt ceiling and budget deficit concerns have increased the possibility a downgrade in the credit rating of the U.S. government and could result in economic slowdowns or a recession in the United States. Although U.S. lawmakers have passed legislation to raise the federal debt ceiling on multiple occasions, ratings agencies have lowered or threatened to lower the long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States as a result of disputes over the debt ceiling. The impact of a potential downgrade to the U.S. government’s sovereign credit rating or its perceived creditworthiness could adversely affect economic conditions, as well as our business, financial condition and operating results.
Although we believe that our business is not subject to PRC Laws, our business could be materially impaired if it is determined that our business is subject to PRC Laws.
Based upon the nature of our existing business operations we do not believe, based on advice from PRC counsel, that we are subject to PRC Laws. There is no assurance that certain PRC Laws, including existing laws and regulations and those enacted or promulgated in the future, will not be applicable to our Hong Kong subsidiary due to change in the current political arrangements between mainland China and Hong Kong or other unforeseeable reasons. The application of such PRC Laws may have a material adverse impact on us, as relevant PRC authorities may impose fines and penalties upon our Hong Kong subsidiary, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from this offering into Hong Kong, and any failure of us to fully comply with such new regulatory requirements may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our Common Stock, cause significant disruption to our business operations, and severely damage our reputation, which would materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and cause our Common Stock to significantly decline in value or in extreme cases, become worthless.
We have limited insurance coverage, which could expose us to significant costs and business disruption.
We are exposed to various risks associated with our business and operations. We have limited liability insurance coverage and product liability insurance coverage and Aspire Science does not have product liability insurance. A successful liability claim against us due to injuries or damages suffered by users of our product could materially and adversely affect our reputation, results of operations and financial conditions. Even if unsuccessful, such a claim could cause us adverse publicity, require substantial costs to defend, and divert the time and attention of our management. In addition, we do not have any business disruption insurance. Any business disruption event could result in substantial costs to us and a diversion of our resources.
The occurrence of natural disasters may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The occurrence of natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires and other disasters disease may adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. The potential impact of a natural disaster on our results of operations and financial position is speculative and would depend on numerous factors. The extent and severity of these natural disasters determines their effect on a given economy. We cannot assure you that natural disasters will not occur in the future or that our business, financial condition and results of operations will not be adversely affected. In particular, our factory in Malaysia may be at risk to certain natural disasters that could interrupt production or even cause a catastrophic loss of equipment and inventory. Further, our logistics and supply chain could be interrupted by hurricane or typhoon activity in Southeast Asia.
Because we are a “controlled company” as defined in the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, you may not have protection of certain corporate governance requirements which otherwise are required by Nasdaq’s rules.
Under Nasdaq’s rules, a controlled company is a company of which more than 50% of the voting power for the election of directors is held by an individual, group or another company. We are a controlled company because Mr. Tuanfang Liu, our co-chief executive officer, holds more than 50% of our voting power. For so long as we remain a controlled company, we are not required to comply with the following permitted to elect to rely, and may rely, on certain exemptions from the obligation to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including:
our board of directors is not required to be comprised of a majority of independent directors.
our board of directors is not subject to the compensation committee requirement; and
we are not subject to the requirements that director nominees be selected either by the independent directors or a nomination committee comprised solely of independent directors.
We have not taken advantage of these exemptions except that our co-chief executive officer and principal stockholder, Tuanfang Liu, is chairman of the nominating and corporate governance committee. As a result, to the extent that we take advantage of these exemptions, you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements. Although we do not currently intend to take advantage of the controlled company exemptions, except as set forth above, we cannot assure you that, in the future, we will not seek to take advantage of these exemptions. If we cease to be a “controlled company” in the future, we will be required to comply with the Nasdaq listing standards, which may require replacing a number of our directors and will require development of certain other governance-related policies and practices. These and any other actions necessary to achieve compliance with such rules may increase our legal and administrative costs, will make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly and may also place additional strain on our personnel, systems and resources.
You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against two of our directors, Tuanfang Liu, our co-chief executive officer and chairman, and his wife Jiangyan Zhu, who are both based in China.
Although we are a Delaware corporation, two of our directors, -- who are Tuanfang Liu, our co-chief executive officer, chairman and controlling stockholder, and his wife, Jiangyan Zhu, who is also a director – live in mainland China. The PRC does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts with the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for investors to serve process upon our co-chief executive officer, or to enforce any judgments obtained from non-PRC jurisdictions against any of them in China. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process upon those persons inside mainland China. It may also be difficult for you to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors who do not reside in the United States or have substantial assets located in the United States. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state.
The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of written arrangement with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against our directors and officers who are residents of China if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States.
Our failure to collect accounts receivable from our customers may adversely affect the results of our operations.
Our business relies on the collection of accounts receivable from our customers in a timely manner to maintain liquidity and support our ongoing operations. We recorded an allowance for credit losses of approximately $18.0 million as of June 30, 2025, and approximately $5.9 million as of June 30, 2024. Our failure or inability to collect accounts receivable when due results from a number of factors, including (i) our customer’s failure to pay as a result of adverse economic conditions affecting the customers; (ii) our failure to accurately assess the creditworthiness of our customers; (iii) our failure to implement effective collection efforts; and (iv) disputes over contract terms, product quality or delays in delivery. Although we may implement strategies to mitigate these risks, but there can be no assurance that such measures will be entirely effective, and we may continue to incur write-offs of accounts receivable, which may impair our ability to operate profitably.
Macroeconomic and regulatory conditions in the U.S. Cannabis industry may impact our ability to collect accounts receivable from our customers.
U.S. cannabis operators have run into significant economic and regulatory headwinds since 2021 which may impair their ability to function as going concerns. Most U.S. cannabis operators have significant debt which, coupled with a relatively high interest rate environment, may lead to insolvency or a takeover by creditors, as was the case recently with a major U.S. multistate cannabis operator. Further, if no major regulatory changes occur to attract new investment capital to the industry, our cannabis operator customers may slow down or cease operations, and our ability to collect on accounts receivable may be negatively impacted, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq could result in a delisting of our Common Stock.
If we fail to satisfy the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq, such as the corporate governance requirements or the minimum closing bid price requirement, Nasdaq may take steps to delist our Common Stock. Such a delisting would likely have a negative effect on the price of our Common Stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our Common Stock when you wish to do so. In the event of a delisting, we would take actions to restore our compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our Common Stock to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our Common Stock, prevent our Common Stock from dropping below the Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements.
If our shares are delisted from Nasdaq and become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.
The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not obtain or retain a listing on Nasdaq and if the price of our Common Stock is less than $5.00, our Common Stock will be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our Common Stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.
The trading price of our Common Stock may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.
The trading price of our Common Stock may be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors. The securities of some newly public companies have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings, including, in some cases, substantial increase followed by a substantial decline in their trading prices. The trading performances of other vaping companies’ securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors toward vaping companies listed in the United States, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our Common Stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate structure or other matters of other vaping companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards us. In addition to the above factors, the price and trading volume of our Common Stock may be highly volatile due to multiple factors, including the following:
regulatory developments affecting us, our customers, or our industry;
announcements of studies and reports relating to our service offerings or those of our competitors;
actual or anticipated fluctuations in our results of operations and changes or revisions of our expected results;
changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts;
announcements by us or our competitors of new product and service offerings, acquisitions, strategic relationships, joint ventures or capital commitments;
additions to or departures of our senior management;
detrimental negative publicity about us, our management or our industry;
release or expiry of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding Common Stock; and
sales or perceived potential sales of additional Common Stock.
As an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act, we are permitted to, and intend to, rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements.
As an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act, we are permitted to rely and rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements. We are an emerging growth company until the earliest of:
the last day of the fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.235 billion or more;
the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering, which was on April 3, 2023;
the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; or
the date on which we are deemed a “large accelerated filer” as defined under the federal securities laws.
For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to 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 for up to five fiscal years after the date of our initial public offering. We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Stock and the trading price of our Common Stock may be more volatile. In addition, our costs of operating as a public company may increase when we cease to be an emerging growth company.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for our Common Stock and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our Common Stock depends in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If research analysts do not establish and maintain adequate research coverage or if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our Common Stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for our Common Stock would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which, in turn, could cause the market price or trading volume for our Common Stock to decline.
Our by-laws include forum selection provisions which may limit your ability to commence an action against us.
Our by-laws provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees, or agents to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation, or our by-laws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine; in each case, subject to said court having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein.
Our by-laws also provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint for the resolution of any complaint for which such courts have exclusive jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Exchange Act. Our by-laws also provide that the exclusive forum provisions do not apply to actions arising under the Securities Act.
There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce these provisions, and investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
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MD&A (Item 7)
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ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes contained elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The following discussion may contain predictions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These risks could cause our actual results to differ materially from any future performance suggested below.
Overview
As stated in our corporate mission, we are committed to delivering superior products that challenge industry norms, with the goal of delivering an unmatched customer and adult consumer experience. In achieving this, risk reduction is central to our mission, and we aim to improve the lives of our consumers through cutting-edge research and development. Our technology platforms look to reduce youth access to vaping products, which in turn, will facilitate our ability to provide adult consumers with the products they desire.
We are engaged in the research and development, design, commercialization, sales, marketing and distribution of branded and non-branded vaping hardware products in both the nicotine and cannabis spaces. Vaping refers to the practice of inhaling and exhaling the vapor produced by an electronic vaping device. These products are sold into the global nicotine and cannabis markets in the form of e-cigarettes or cartridges filled with oils by our customers, respectively.
We sell our e-cigarette (or nicotine) products globally, in markets where we are legally permitted to do so. To date, our nicotine products are marketed under the “Aspire” brand name and are sold primarily through our expansive distribution network. However, we are expanding our international presence via the launch of nicotine products under the Ispire platform. These products have started to be launched under licensing arrangements with the owners of selected partner brands.
We currently sell our cannabis vaping hardware in the United States, Canada, and South Africa. However, we are continuing to develop our sales network across Europe, South America, and other regions in preparation for legalization in these markets. Our cannabis products are sold under the Ispire brand name, primarily on an ODM basis to other cannabis vapor companies including multi and single-state operators, brand owners and co-packers. ODM generally involves the design and customization of the core products to meet each brand’s unique image and needs. Our hardware products are sold by our customers under their own brand names. We do not “touch the cannabis plant” in the production and sale of our hardware products and thus are not subject to the specific cannabis-related regulatory and taxation provisions of the industry (e.g., IRS Code Section 280E).
Since our initial public offering in April 2023, we have completed three fundraising rounds. The first was executed as part of our initial public offering, from which we raised approximately $18.3 million after underwriting and other offering expenses.
In June 2023, we raised net proceeds of approximately $7.4 million, after placement agent and offering expenses, from the private placement of our Common Stock to three investors.
In March 2024, we raised net proceeds of approximately $10.6 million, after placement agent fees and offering expenses, through a public offering of our Common Stock priced at $6.00 per share. We used the net proceeds from this offering in connection with the establishment and operation of our manufacturing facility in Malaysia, the funding of our joint venture with Touch Point Worldwide Inc. d/b/a/ Berify and Chemular Inc. and for working capital and general corporate purposes, including research and development.
Regulatory Risks
The sale of nicotine and cannabis products is subject to regulations worldwide. Many countries prohibit the sale of any cannabis products, and many countries have regulations relating to nicotine products, with a particular emphasis on underage sales. We work closely with our various global distribution partners to help ensure our nicotine products comply with local regulations (e.g., packaging, ingredient disclosure, health warnings, etc.). Changes in the regulatory environment can be enacted swiftly and may lead to our products becoming non-compliant in one or more international markets. This regulatory scenario may severely disrupt our business in these markets while we resolve the deficiencies (if possible) with the current product offering.
E-cigarette regulation
Regulation regarding e-cigarettes varies across countries, from limited regulation to a total ban. The legal status of e-cigarettes is currently pending in many countries. As e-cigarettes have become more and more popular recently, many countries are considering imposing more stringent law and regulations to regulate this market. Changes in existing law and regulations and the imposition of new laws or regulations in countries and regions that our major customers are in may adversely affect our business. Please see the sections titled “Item 1. Business – Regulation” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors” above for our robust discussion of this topic.
Accounts Receivable
Our business relies on the collection of accounts receivable from our customers in a timely manner to maintain liquidity and support our ongoing operations. The balance of the allowance for credit losses was $18.0 million and $5.9 million at June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Our failure or inability to collect accounts receivable when due results from a number of factors, including (i) our customer’s failure to pay as a result of adverse economic conditions affecting the customer’s cash flow; (ii) our failure to implement effective collection efforts; and (iii) disputes over contract terms, product quality or delays in delivery. Due to federal status of cannabis and the uncertainty of adverse economic conditions in cannabis industry, the company has focused more on nicotine business in the past year. Although we may implement strategies to mitigate these risks, there can be no assurance that such measures will be entirely effective, and we may continue to incur write-offs of accounts receivable, which may impair our ability to operate profitably.
Key Factors that Affect Our Results of Operations
We believe the following key factors may affect our financial condition and results of operations:
The effect of legislation and regulations affecting non-combustable nicotine products and cannabis vaping products.
If we elect to market nicotine vaping products in the United States, our ability to obtain regulatory approval to market additional nicotine vaping products in the United States and the significant cost of seeking such approval.
Our ability to develop and market nicotine and cannabis vaping products to meet the changing tastes of adult consumers.
The effects of competition.
The development of an international market for cannabis vaping products, which is presently primarily limited to certain states in the United States.
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth a summary of our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 (dollars in thousands except per share amounts).
Years Ended June 30,
Revenue
Revenue
Revenue
Cost of revenue
Gross profit
Operating expenses
Loss from operations
Other (loss) income, net
Loss before income taxes
Income taxes
Net loss
Other comprehensive (loss) income
Comprehensive loss
Net loss per ordinary share (basic and diluted)
Weighted ordinary shares outstanding
Revenue
The following table sets out the breakdown of our revenue percentage by region based on information provided to us by our distributors.
For the year ended
June 30,
Europe
North America (the U.S. and Canada)
Asia Pacific (excluding PRC)
Others
Total
Our revenue decreased by $24,414,387, or 16.1%, from $151,908,691 for the year ended June 30, 2024, to $127,494,304 for the year ended June 30, 2025. The decrease in revenue is the combined effect of (i) decreases in product sales in the United States of $30.5 million from $63.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2024, to $32.6 million for the year ended June 30, 2025, (ii) decreases in product sales in the Asia Pacific (excluding PRC) of $5.3 million from $17.6 million for the year ended June 30, 2024, to $12.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2025, (iii) increases in sales of vaping products in Europe of $8.8 million from $65.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2024 to approximately $74.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2025, and (iv) increases in sales of vaping products in Africa and South America of $2.5 million from $6.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2024 to approximately $8.5 million for the year ended June 30, 2025.
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue mainly consists of cost of purchases of vaping products, that are mostly purchased from Shenzhen Yi Jia. Cost of revenue decreased by $17,281,612, or 14.2%, from $122,126,245 for the year ended June 30, 2024, to $104,844,633 for the year ended June 30, 2025. The decrease in cost of revenue is in line with decrease in sales.
Gross Profit
The following tables show the revenue, cost of revenue and gross profit of our products (dollars in thousands).
Year Ended June 30, 2025
Revenue
Cost of
revenue
Gross
profit
Gross
profit %
Year Ended June 30, 2024
Revenue
Cost of
revenue
Gross
profit
Gross
profit %
Gross profit decreased by $7,132,775, or 23.9%, from $29,782,446 for the year ended June 30, 2024, to $22,649,671 for the year ended June 30, 2025, while our gross margin decreased from 19.6% to 17.8%.
The decrease in gross margin was primarily due to changes in product mix with less higher margin products being sold during the year ended June 30, 2025.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses increased by $16,822,945 or 38.5%, from $43,676,585 for the year ended June 30, 2024, to $60,499,530 for the year ended June 30, 2025.
Our sales and marketing expenses mainly consist of employee salaries and benefits, marketing expenses, travel expenses, and other miscellaneous expenses.
Sales and marketing expenses increased by $1,830,660, or 27.7%, from $6,608,724 for the year ended June 30, 2024, to $8,439,384 for the year ended June 30, 2025. The increase in sales and marketing expenses was primarily due to an increase in payroll from marketing personnel of $0.9 million, increase in brand advertising activities of $0.4 million and increase in marketing related professional service fee of $0.3 million.
Credit loss expenses increased by $16,019,060, or 266.3%, from $6,015,752 for the year ended June 30, 2024, to $22,034,812 for the year ended June 30, 2025. The increase is due to longer time in collection of customer payments than expected and more allowance for credit losses were provided.
Our general and administrative expenses (excluding the credit loss expenses) mainly consist of employee’s salaries and benefits, rental expense, professional fees, stock-based compensation expenses and other administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses decreased by $1,026,775, or 3.3%, from $31,052,109 for the year ended June 30, 2024, to $30,025,334 for the year ended June 30, 2025. The decrease was primarily due to (i) a decrease of $0.5 million of stock-based compensation expense due to cutting headcount in streamline operations by North America, and (ii) decrease in research and development expenses of $0.4 million by North America.
Other (expense) income, net
Other (expense) income, net includes interest income, interest expense, exchange loss, net and other income (expense).
Interest income decreased by $278,255, from $365,251 for the year ended June 30, 2024, to $86,996 for the year ended June 30, 2025. The decrease in interest income is mainly due to decrease in interest rate and less interest income from bank deposits.
Other (expense) income mainly consists of interest expense, loss on equity method investment, credits from company credit card, rental income and other miscellaneous expenses. Other (expense) income decreased by $300,494, or 265.0%, from net income of $113,405 for the year ended June 30, 2024 to net expense of $187,089 for the year ended June 30, 2025. The decrease was mainly due to increase in interest expense of $0.2 million.
Exchange loss, net increased by $16,277, or 23.2%, from net exchange loss of $70,293 for the year ended June 30, 2024 to net exchange loss of $86,570 for the year ended June 30, 2025.
As a result of these factors, total other (expense) income, net decreased by $595,026, from other income, net of $408,363 for the year ended June 30, 2024 to other expense, net of $186,663 for the year ended June 30, 2025.
Income Taxes
We account for income taxes under ASC 740. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the consolidated financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period including the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
The provisions of ASC 740-10 prescribe a more-likely-than-not threshold for consolidated financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken (or expected to be taken) in a tax return. This interpretation also provides guidance on the recognition of income tax assets and liabilities, classification of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities, accounting for interest and penalties associated with tax positions, and related disclosures. For the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, we did not incur any interest or penalties related to an uncertain tax position. We do not believe that there were any uncertain tax positions as of June 30, 2025 and 2024.
Income taxes decreased by $78,342 or 6.1%, from $1,282,046 for the year ended June 30, 2024 to $1,203,704 for the year ended June 30, 2025. We had a consolidated net loss for both year ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, which was the combined effect of a profit by Aspire Science, a loss by Aspire North America and Ispire Malaysia. The profit from Aspire Science resulted in a current tax expense. The increase in valuation allowance reflects our view that the taxable income in the future will not be sufficient to utilize the carryforward loss.
Net Loss
As a result of the foregoing, net loss increased by $24,472,404, from net loss of $14,767,822, or loss of $0.27 per share (basic and diluted), for the year ended June 30, 2024 to a net loss of $39,240,226, or loss of $0.69 per share (basic and diluted), for the year ended June 30, 2025.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The following table summarizes our changes in working capital from June 30, 2024 to June 30, 2025 (dollars in thousands).
June 30,
June 30,
Change
Change
Current Assets
Current Liabilities
Working Capital
The following table sets forth information as to consolidated cash flow information for the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024 (dollars in thousands).
Year Ended
June 30,
Increase
Consolidated cash flow data:
(Decrease)
Net cash used in operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities
Net cash provided by financing activities
Net decrease in cash
Net cash flow used in operating activities for the year ended June 30, 2025, of $7.4 million, reflected our net loss of $39.2 million, adjusted primarily as follows: add back of impairment of account receivable of $22.0 million, add back of share-based compensation expense of $5.6 million, add back of right-of-use assets amortization of $1.5 million, an increase in accounts payable of $10.8 million, an increase in contract liabilities of $2.6 million, offset by increase in accounts receivable of $9.3 million, and increase in payment made for operating lease liabilities of $1.4 million.
Net cash flow used in operating activities for the year ended June 30, 2024 of $18.3 million, reflected our net loss of $14.8 million, adjusted primarily as follows: add back of impairment of account receivable of $6.0 million, add back of shared based payment expenses of $6.4 million, add back of depreciation and amortization of $0.5 million, an increase in accounts payable of $17.9 million, an increase in accrued liabilities and other payables of $2.5 million, a decrease in inventory of $0.9 million, a decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $2.4 million, an increase in contract liabilities of $1.2 million offset by an increase in accounts receivable of $41.3 million.
Net cash flow used in investing activities for the year ended June 30, 2025, of $5.2 million reflected primarily the repayment of acquisition payable of $3.2 million, purchase of property, plant and equipment of $1.1 million and acquisition of intangible assets of $0.9 million.
Net cash flow generated from investing activities for the year ended June 30, 2024, of $3.0 million reflected primarily maturity of short term investment of $9.1 million offset by purchase of cost other investment of $2.0 million, purchase of property, plant and equipment of $2.0 million, acquisition of intangible assets of $1.2 million and purchase of equity method investment of $1.0 million.
Net cash flow generated from financing activities for the year ended June 30, 2025, of $1.9 million reflected primarily proceeds from borrowing of $2.1 million, offset by repayment of borrowing of $0.2 million.
Net cash flow generated by financing activities for the year ended June 30, 2024, of $10.1 million reflected primarily proceeds from our equity offering of $12.3 million, offset by payment of equity offering costs of $1.5 million.
To date, we have financed our operations primarily through cash flow from operations and working capital loans from our major stockholders, who are our co-chief executive officer and his wife, when necessary. We plan to support our future operations primarily from cash generated from our operations and cash on hand. As of the date of this Annual Report, we believe that our current cash and cash flows provided by operating activities, and the net proceeds from our equity offerings and borrowing will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs in the next 12 months. If we experience an adverse operating environment or incur unanticipated capital expenditure requirements, or if we decide to accelerate our growth, then additional financing may be required. We cannot give any assurance that additional financing will not be required or, if required, would be available on favorable terms if at all. Such financing may include the use of additional debt or the sale of additional equity securities. Any financing which involves the sale of equity securities or instruments that are convertible into equity securities could result in dilution to our stockholders which may be substantial.
The cash held at a bank by our Hong Kong operating subsidiary can be freely transferred within our corporate structure without restriction. If our Hong Kong operating subsidiary were to incur additional debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict the ability of our operating subsidiaries to transfer cash to our U.S. investors.
Contractual Obligations
As of June 30, 2025 and 2024, we had contract liabilities of $4,861,250 and $2,218,166, respectively. These liabilities are advance deposits received from customers after an order has been placed. We expect all of the contract liabilities to be settled in less than one year.
We have operating lease arrangements for office and factory premises for Hong Kong, California and Malaysia, which are treated as right-of-use assets. These leases typically have terms of two to five years. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not presented as right-of-use assets and are expensed over the lease term. All other lease assets and lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term at commencement date.
The balances for the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities where we are the lessee are presented as follow:
June 30,
June 30,
Operating lease right-of-use assets
Impairment
Total
Operating lease liabilities – current
Operating lease liabilities – non-current
Total
As of June 30, 2025, the maturities of our lease liabilities (excluding short-term leases) are as follows:
June 30,
July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026
July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028
July 1, 2028 to June 30, 2029
July 1, 2029 to June 30, 2030
Total future lease payments
Less: imputed interest
Total lease liabilities
As of June 30, 2025, we have a borrowing balance of $1,952,127 outstanding. The maturities of our borrowing are as follows:
June 30,
July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026
July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
Total borrowing
As of June 30, 2025, we recorded an unpaid $5.8 million consideration in accrued liabilities and other payables on the consolidated balance sheet for a committed investment of $9 million into a joint venture investment named IKE Tech LLC.
Trend Information
Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this Form 10-K, we are not aware of any trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments, or events that are reasonably likely to have a material effect on our net revenues, income from operations, profitability, liquidity or capital resources, or that would cause reported financial information not necessarily to be indicative of future operating results or financial condition.
Seasonality
Seasonality does not materially affect our business or the results of our operations.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have off-balance sheet arrangements.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Revenue recognition
We sell our vaping products to customers and recognize revenue in accordance with the guidance of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. In certain sales contracts, a right of return is offered. With a right of return, a customer is given the right to return the products if they are not satisfied with the product, and a credit would be given. The return rate historically is low, and we recognize a sales return reserve based on historical return rate and apply the rate on sales for the latest three months, as it is unlikely to have sales return after the three-month period. Should there be a change in our estimate of the return rate, or a change in the periods in which we expect return, the return reserves would be affected, and our revenue would be affected as well.
Allowance for credit losses
We adopted Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” on July 1, 2023, under the modified retrospective method of adoption. In establishing the required allowance for credit losses, we consider historical collection experience, aging of the receivables, economic environment, and the credit history and financial conditions of the customers. We review its receivables on a regular basis to determine if the allowance is adequate and adjusts the allowance when necessary. Delinquent account balances are written off against allowance for credit losses after management has determined that the likelihood of collection is not probable.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The discussion of the recent accounting pronouncements contained in our consolidated financial statements, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” is incorporated herein by reference.
Emerging Growth Company
As a company with less than $1.235 billion in revenue for our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the JOBS Act. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 in the assessment of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting. The JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company does not need to comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards until such date that a private company is otherwise required to comply with such new or revised accounting standards. We have elected to take advantage of such exemptions. We could lose Emerging Growth Company status if we become a “Large Accelerated Filer.” This would occur if we had a public float of $700 million or more, as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter.
- Exhibit 21.1: Subsidiaries of the Registrantea025509401ex21-1_ispire.htm · 4.3 KB
- Exhibit 23.1: Consent of Independent Auditorsea025509401ex23-1_ispire.htm · 2.9 KB
- Exhibit 23.2ea025509401ex23-2_ispire.htm · 2.4 KB
- Exhibit 31.1: Rule 13a-14(a) Certification (CEO)ea025509401ex31-1_ispire.htm · 9.0 KB
- Exhibit 31.2: Rule 13a-14(a) Certification (CFO)ea025509401ex31-2_ispire.htm · 9.3 KB
- Exhibit 32.1: Section 1350 Certification (CEO)ea025509401ex32-1_ispire.htm · 5.0 KB
- 0001213900-25-087632-index-headers.html0001213900-25-087632-index-headers.html
- Ticker
- ISPR
- CIK
0001948455- Form Type
- 10-K
- Accession Number
0001213900-25-087632- Filed
- Sep 15, 2025
- Period
- Jun 30, 2025 (Q2 25)
- Industry
- Cigarettes
External resources
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