CABR Caring Brands, Inc. - 10-K
0001493152-26-013844Year-over-year tone shift - average net-tone change across Risk Factors and MD&A vs the prior 10-K.
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.
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.
Risk Factors (Item 1A)
12,335 words
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, together with the other information contained in this annual report, before purchasing our securities. We have listed below (not necessarily in order of importance or probability of occurrence) what we believe to be the most significant risk factors applicable to us, but they do not constitute all of the risks that may be applicable to us. Any of the following factors could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects, and could result in a partial or complete loss of your investment. Some statements in this annual report, including statements in the following risk factors, constitute forward-looking statements. Please refer to the section titled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements”.
We may not be successful in preventing the material adverse effects that any of the following risks and uncertainties may cause. These potential risks and uncertainties may not be a complete list of the risks and uncertainties facing us. There may be additional risks and uncertainties that we are presently unaware of, or presently consider immaterial, that may become material in the future and have a material adverse effect on us. You could lose all or a significant portion of your investment due to any of these risks and uncertainties.
Risks Related to Our Business
Caring Brands has a limited operating history, which makes it difficult to accurately evaluate our business prospects.
We have a limited operating history upon which an evaluation of its business plan or performance and prospects can be made. The business and prospects of the Company must be considered in the light of the potential problems, delays, uncertainties and complications encountered in connection with a newly established business and new industry. The risks include, but are not limited to, the possibility that we will not be able to develop functional and scalable products and services, or that although functional and scalable, our products and services will not be economical to market; that our competitors hold proprietary rights that preclude us from marketing such products; that our competitors market a superior or equivalent product; that we are not able to upgrade and enhance our technologies and products to accommodate new features and expanded service offerings; or the failure to receive necessary regulatory clearances for our products. To successfully introduce and market our products at a profit, we must establish brand name recognition and competitive advantages for our products. There are no assurances that we can successfully address these challenges. If it is unsuccessful, we and our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially and adversely affected.
The current and future expense levels are based largely on estimates of planned operations and future revenues rather than experience. It is difficult to accurately forecast future revenues because our business is new and our market has not been developed. If our forecasts prove incorrect, the business, operating results and financial condition of the Company may be materially and adversely affected. Moreover, we may be unable to adjust our spending in a timely manner to compensate for any unanticipated reduction in revenues. As a result, any significant reduction in revenues may immediately and adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
Our financial situation creates doubt whether we will continue as a going concern .
Since inception, the Company has had limited operations, and has a working capital deficiency. This deficiency and lack of operations raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. There can be no assurances that we will be able to achieve a level of revenue adequate to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or additional financing through private placements, public offerings and/or bank financing necessary to support our working capital requirements. To the extent that funds generated from any private placements, public offerings and/or bank financing are insufficient, we will have to raise additional working capital. No assurance can be given that additional financing will be available, or if available, will be on acceptable terms. These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If adequate working capital is not available, we may be forced to discontinue operations, which would cause investors to lose their entire investment.
If we are unable to keep up with rapid technological changes, our products may become obsolete.
The market for our products is characterized by significant and rapid change. Although we will continue to expand our product line capabilities in order to remain competitive, research and discoveries by others may make our processes, products or brands less attractive or even obsolete.
We may not have adequate capital to fund our business.
If our entire original capital is fully expended and additional costs cannot be funded from borrowings or capital from other sources, then our financial condition, results of operations, and business performance would be materially adversely affected. We may not be able to raise needed additional capital or financing due to market conditions or for regulatory or other reasons. We cannot assure that we will have adequate capital to conduct our business.
Competition could adversely affect our business.
Our industry in general is competitive. It is possible that future competitors could enter our market, thereby causing us to lose market share and revenues. In addition, some of our current or future competitors may have significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do or may have more experience or advantages in the markets in which we will compete that will allow them to offer lower prices or higher quality products. If we do not successfully compete with these competitors, we could fail to develop market share and our future business prospects could be adversely affected.
We may not be able to successfully compete against companies with substantially greater resources.
The skin care and hair growth product markets are intensely competitive, and we expect competition to intensify further in the future. We are subject to intense competition from cosmetic company competitors who have been on the market longer than us and which are manufactured and marketed by competitors with more resources and brand recognition than us. We cannot assure you that our products will compete effectively and experience continuing and growing sales. As a supplier, we compete with several larger and better-known companies that specialize in supplying and distributing a vast array of consumer goods to retailers. Barriers to entry are relatively low, and current and new competitors can launch new products that compete in the marketplace. We currently or potentially compete with a number of other companies, including a number of large health and medical therapy, cosmetics, and consumer product brand name manufacturers that have greater financial and managerial resources, more experience in developing products, and greater name recognition than we have.
If we are unable to develop and maintain our brand and reputation for our product offerings, our business and prospects could be materially harmed.
Our business and prospects depend, in part, on developing and then maintaining and strengthening our brand and reputation in the markets we serve. If problems with our products cause our customers to have a negative experience or failure or delay in the delivery of our products to our customers, our brand and reputation could be diminished. If we fail to develop, promote and maintain our brand and reputation successfully, our business and prospects could be materially harmed.
We depend heavily on key personnel, and turnover of key senior management could harm our business.
Our future business and results of operations depend in significant part upon the continued contributions of our senior management personnel. If we lose their services or if they fail to perform in their current positions, or if we are not able to attract and retain skilled personnel as needed, our business could suffer. Significant turnover in our senior management could significantly deplete our institutional knowledge held by our existing senior management team. We depend on the skills and abilities of these key personnel in managing the product acquisition, marketing and sales aspects of our business, any part of which could be harmed by turnover in the future. We may not have written employment agreements with all of our senior management. We do not have any key person insurance.
We are subject to government regulation, and unfavorable changes could substantially harm our business and results of operations .
We are subject to general business regulations and laws as well as regulations and laws specifically governing our industries in the U.S. and other countries in which we operate. Uncertainty surrounding existing and future laws and regulations may impede our services and increase the cost of providing such services. These regulations and laws may cover taxation, tariffs, user pricing, distribution, consumer protection and the characteristics and quality of services.
Our products may not meet health and safety standards or could become contaminated.
We do not have control over all of the third parties involved in the manufacturing of our products and their compliance with government health and safety standards. Even if our products meet these standards, they could otherwise become contaminated. A failure to meet these standards or contamination could occur in our operations or those of our manufacturers, distributors or suppliers. This could result in expensive production interruptions, recalls and liability claims. Moreover, negative publicity could be generated from false, unfounded or nominal liability claims or limited recalls. Any of these failures or occurrences could negatively affect our business and financial performance.
The sale of our products involves product liability and related risks that could expose us to significant insurance and loss expenses.
We face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims if the use of our products results in, or is believed to have resulted in, illness or injury. Our products contain combinations of ingredients, and there is little long-term experience with the effect of these combinations. In addition, interactions of these products with other products, prescription medicines and over-the-counter treatments have not been fully explored or understood and may have unintended consequences.
Any product liability claim may increase our costs and adversely affect our revenue and operating income. Moreover, liability claims arising from a serious adverse event may increase our costs through higher insurance premiums and deductibles and may make it more difficult to secure adequate insurance coverage in the future. In addition, our product liability insurance may fail to cover future product liability claims, which, if adversely determined, could subject us to substantial monetary damages.
The success of our business will depend upon our ability to create and expand our brand awareness.
The skin care and hair growth markets we intend to compete in are highly competitive, with many well-known brands leading the industry. Our ability to compete effectively and generate revenue will be based upon our ability to create and expand awareness of our products distinct from those of our competitors. It is imperative that we are able to convey to consumers the benefits of our products. However, advertising and packaging and labeling of such products will be limited by various regulations. Our success will be dependent upon our ability to convey to consumers that our products are superior to those of our competitors.
We must develop and introduce new products to succeed.
Our industry is subject to rapid change. New products are constantly introduced to the market. Our ability to remain competitive depends in part on our ability to enhance existing products, to develop and manufacture new products in a timely and cost-effective manner, to accurately predict market transitions, and to effectively market our products. Our future financial results will depend to a great extent on the successful introduction of several new products. We cannot be certain that we will be successful in selecting, developing, manufacturing and marketing new products or in enhancing existing products.
The success of new product introductions depends on various factors, including, without limitation, the following:
Successful sales and marketing efforts;
Timely delivery of new products;
Availability of raw materials;
Pricing of raw materials;
Regulatory allowance of the products; and
Customer acceptance of new products
We cannot assure you that we will develop additional products in the future.
We have developed skin care and hair growth products lines. The lack of product diversity could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results and expose investors to a complete loss of their investment in us if our existing products fail to achieve sufficient sales to maintain us or enable us to earn a profit.
Adverse publicity associated with our products or ingredients, or those of similar companies, could adversely affect our sales and revenue.
Adverse publicity concerning any actual or purported failure by us to comply with applicable laws and regulations regarding any aspect of our business could have an adverse effect on the public perception of us. This, in turn, could negatively affect our ability to obtain financing, endorsers and attract distributors or retailers for our products, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to generate sales and revenue.
Our distributors’ and customers’ perception of the safety and quality of our products or even similar products distributed by others can be significantly influenced by national media attention, publicized scientific research or findings, product liability claims and other publicity concerning our products or similar products distributed by others. Adverse publicity, whether or not accurate, that associates consumption of our products or any similar products with illness or other adverse effects, will likely diminish the public’s perception of our products. Claims that any products are ineffective, inappropriately labeled or have inaccurate instructions as to their use, could have a material adverse effect on the market demand for our products, including reducing our sales and revenue.
We do not have and may never have any products on the market that have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of disease. The labelling of Photocil was registered with the FDA and is an OTC product. The labelling of Photocil and Minoxidil Booster were approved by the Indian regulatory authorities. Our business is highly dependent upon complying with regulations for cosmetic and OTC product from various U.S. and international governmental agencies.
If we decided to commercialize a product labelled for the treatment of any disease, we must obtain regulatory approvals of such treatment for that indication. Satisfying regulatory requirements is an expensive process that typically takes many years and involves compliance with requirements covering research and development, testing, manufacturing, quality control, labeling, and promotion of drugs for human use. To obtain necessary regulatory approvals, we must, among other requirements, complete clinical trials demonstrating that our products are safe and effective for a particular indication. There can be no assurance that our products will prove to be safe and effective, that our clinical trials will demonstrate the necessary safety and effectiveness of our product candidates, or that we will succeed in obtaining regulatory approval for any treatment we develop even if such safety and effectiveness are demonstrated. Our current products comply with the FDA requirements for cosmetic/OTC products and do not require additional clinical trials or FDA approval for their sale.
Any delays or difficulties we encounter in future clinical trials may delay or preclude regulatory approval from the FDA or from international regulatory organizations. Any delay or preclusion of regulatory approval would be expected to delay or preclude the commercialization of future products. Examples of delays or difficulties that we may encounter in our clinical trials include without limitation the following:
Clinical trials may not yield sufficiently conclusive results for regulatory agencies to approve the use of our products;
Our products may fail to be more effective than current therapies, or to be effective at all;
We may discover that our products have adverse side effects, which could cause our products to be delayed or precluded from receiving regulatory approval or otherwise expose us to significant commercial and legal risks;
It may take longer than expected to determine whether or not a treatment is effective;
Patients involved in our clinical trials may suffer severe adverse side effects even up to death, whether as a result of treatment with our products, the withholding of such treatment, or other reasons (whether within or outside of our control);
We may fail to be able to enroll a sufficient number of patients in our clinical trials;
Patients enrolled in our clinical trials may not have the characteristics necessary to obtain regulatory approval for a particular indication or patient population;
We may be unable to produce sufficient quantities of product to complete the clinical trials;
Even if we are successful in our clinical trials, any required governmental approvals may still not be obtained or, if obtained, may not be maintained;
If approval for commercialization is granted, it is possible the authorized use will be more limited than is necessary for commercial success, or that approval may be conditioned on completion of further clinical trials or other activities, which will cause a substantial increase in costs and which we might not succeed in performing or completing; and
If granted, approval may be withdrawn or limited if problems with our products emerge or are suggested by the data arising from their use or if there is a change in law or regulation.
Any success we may achieve at a given stage of our clinical trials does not guarantee that we will achieve success at any subsequent stage, including without limitation final FDA approval.
We may encounter delays or rejections in the regulatory approval process because of additional government regulation resulting from future legislation or administrative action, or from changes in the policies of the FDA or other regulatory bodies during the period of product development, clinical trials, or regulatory review. Failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements may result in criminal prosecution, civil penalties, recall or seizure of products, total or partial suspension of production, or an injunction preventing certain activity, as well as other regulatory action against our product candidates or us. We have no experience in successfully obtaining regulatory approval for a product and thus may be poorly equipped to gauge, and may prove unable to manage, risks relating to obtaining such approval.
Our Hair Enzyme Booster (JW-700), previously known as Minoxidil Booster, was initially developed by Applied Biology Inc. and was acquired by Safety Shot (then Jupiter Wellness) in June 2022 through an asset purchase agreement. The product received labelling approval as a cosmetic from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), in compliance with India’s cosmetic product guidelines, and is currently being manufactured and sold in India through our agreement with Cosmofix and San Pellegrino Cosmetics. Hair Enzyme Booster (JW-700) was launched on Amazon on October 28, 2024, and became available on NOVODX’s e-commerce platform on December 11, 2024. We are currently in the early stages of commercialization and are refining our marketing strategies for both platforms. Sales have been minimal during this initial soft launch period as we optimize our marketing approach and distribution channels. As of the date of this annual report, the Hair Enzyme Booster (JW-700) is currently only for sale on Amazon.
Outside the U.S., including India, our ability to market a product is contingent upon receiving clearances from appropriate non-U.S. regulatory authorities. Non-U.S. regulatory approval typically includes all of the risks associated with FDA clearance discussed above as well as geopolitical uncertainties and the additional uncertainties and potential prejudices faced by U.S. pharmaceutical companies conducting business abroad. In certain cases, pricing restrictions and practices can make achieving even limited profitability very difficult.
We have limited experience in completing regulatory filings and any delays in regulatory filings could materially affect our financial condition.
Although we have significant expertise in developing products and working with external manufacturers we have limited experience in obtaining marketing approvals, manufacturing or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for the successful commercialization of a product. Consequently, we have no historical basis as a company by which one can evaluate or predict reliably our future success or viability.
Additionally, while our team has experience at prior companies with regulatory filings, we have limited experience with regulatory filings with agencies such as the FDA or the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, and will rely on third-party expertise to help us. Any delay in our regulatory filings for our product candidates, and any adverse development or perceived adverse development with respect to the applicable regulatory authority’s review of such filings, including, without limitation, the FDA’s issuance of a “refuse to file” letter or a request for additional information, could materially affect our financial condition.
If serious adverse or undesirable side effects are identified during the development of our product candidates, we may abandon or limit our development or commercialization of such product candidates.
If our product candidates are associated with undesirable side effects or have unexpected characteristics, we may need to abandon their development or limit development to certain uses or subpopulations in which the undesirable side effects or other characteristics are less prevalent, less severe or more acceptable from a risk-benefit perspective.
If we experience delays or difficulties in the enrollment of subjects to our clinical trials, our receipt of necessary regulatory approvals could be delayed or prevented, which could materially affect our financial condition.
The timing of any future clinical trials depends on our ability to recruit patients to participate as well as to subsequently dose these patients and complete required follow-up periods.
In addition, we may experience enrollment delays related to increased or unforeseen regulatory, legal and logistical requirements at certain clinical trial sites. These delays could be caused by reviews by regulatory authorities and contractual discussions with individual clinical trial sites. Any delays in enrolling and/or dosing patients in our planned clinical trials could result in increased costs, delays in advancing our product candidates, delays in testing the effectiveness of our product candidates or in termination of the clinical trials altogether.
Patient enrollment may be affected if our competitors have ongoing clinical trials with products for the same indications as our product candidates, and patients who would otherwise be eligible for our clinical trials instead enroll in our competitors’ clinical trials. Patient enrollment may also be affected by other factors, including:
coordination with clinical research organizations to enroll and administer the clinical trials;
coordination and recruitment of collaborators and investigators at individual sites;
size of the patient population and process for identifying patients;
design of the clinical trial protocol;
eligibility and exclusion criteria;
perceived risks and benefits of the product candidates under study;
availability of competing commercially available therapies and other competing products’ clinical trials;
time of year in which the trials are initiated or conducted;
severity of the diseases under investigation;
ability to obtain and maintain subject consents;
ability to enroll and treat patients in a timely manner;
risk that enrolled subjects will drop out before completion of the trials;
proximity and availability of clinical trial sites for prospective patients;
ability to monitor subjects adequately during and after treatment; and
patient referral practices of physicians.
Our inability to enroll a sufficient number of patients for clinical trials would result in significant delays and could require us to abandon one or more clinical trials altogether. Enrollment delays in these clinical trials may result in increased development costs for our product candidates, which could materially affect our financial condition.
If we or our licensees, development collaborators, or suppliers are unable to manufacture our products in sufficient quantities or at defined quality specifications, or are unable to obtain regulatory approvals for the manufacturing facility, we may be unable to develop or meet demand for our products and lose time to market and potential revenues.
Completion of our clinical trials and commercialization of our product candidates require access to, or development of, facilities to manufacture a sufficient supply of our product candidates. We intend to utilize third parties to manufacture NoStingz, Photocil, CB-101 and the Hair Enzyme Booster (JW-700).
In the future we may become unable, for various reasons, to rely on our sources for the manufacture of our product candidates, either for clinical trials or, at some future date, for commercial distribution. We may not be successful in identifying additional or replacement third-party manufacturers, or in negotiating acceptable terms with any we do identify. We may face competition for access to these manufacturers’ facilities and may be subject to manufacturing delays if the manufacturers give other clients higher priority than they give to us. Even if we are able to identify an additional or replacement third-party manufacturer, the delays and costs associated with establishing and maintaining a relationship with such manufacturer may have a material adverse effect on us.
Before we can begin to commercially manufacture CB-101 or any other product candidate, we must obtain regulatory approval of the manufacturing facility and process. Manufacturing of drugs for clinical and commercial purposes must comply with current Good Manufacturing Practices requirements, commonly known as “cGMP.” The cGMP requirements govern quality control and documentation policies and procedures. Complying with cGMP and non-U.S. regulatory requirements will require that we expend time, money, and effort in production, recordkeeping, and quality control to ensure that the product meets applicable specifications and other requirements. We, or our contracted manufacturing facility, must also pass a pre-approval inspection prior to FDA approval. Failure to pass a pre-approval inspection may significantly delay or prevent FDA approval of our products. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we would be subject to possible regulatory action and may be limited in the jurisdictions in which we are permitted to sell our products and will lose time to market and potential revenues.
It is uncertain whether product liability insurance will be adequate to address product liability claims, or that insurance against such claims will be affordable or available on acceptable terms in the future.
Clinical research involves the testing of new drugs on human volunteers pursuant to a clinical trial protocol. Such testing involves a risk of liability for personal injury to or death of patients due to, among other causes, adverse side effects, improper administration of the new drug, or improper volunteer behavior. Claims may arise from patients, clinical trial volunteers, consumers, physicians, hospitals, companies, institutions, researchers, or others using, selling, or buying our products, as well as from governmental bodies. In addition, product liability and related risks are likely to increase over time, in particular upon the commercialization or marketing of any products by us or parties with which we enter into development, marketing, or distribution collaborations. Although we are contracting for general liability insurance in connection with our ongoing business, there can be no assurance that the amount and scope of such insurance coverage will be appropriate and sufficient in the event any claims arise, that we will be able to secure additional coverage should we attempt to do so, or that our insurers would not contest or refuse any attempt by us to collect on such insurance policies. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that suitable product liability insurance (at the clinical stage and/or commercial stage) will continue to be available on terms acceptable to us or at all, or that, if obtained, the insurance coverage will be appropriate and sufficient to cover any potential claims or liabilities.
If the market opportunities for our current and potential future drug candidate s are smaller than we believe they are, our ability to generate product revenues may be adversely affected and our business may suffer.
Our understanding of the number of people who suffer from dermatitis or eczema, whom CB-101 may have the potential to treat, is based upon current market estimates.
If we are unable to establish relationships with licensees or collaborators to carry out sales, marketing, and distribution functions or to create effective marketing, sales, and distribution capabilities, we will be unable to market our products successfully.
Our business strategy may include out-licensing product candidates to or collaborating with larger firms with experience in marketing and selling pharmaceutical products. There can be no assurance that we will successfully be able to establish marketing, sales, or distribution relationships with any third-party, that such relationships, if established, will be successful, or that we will be successful in gaining market acceptance for any products we might develop. To the extent that we enter into any marketing, sales, or distribution arrangements with third parties, our product revenues per unit sold are expected to be lower than if we marketed, sold, and distributed our products directly, and any revenues we receive will depend upon the efforts of such third parties.
If we are unable to establish such third-party marketing and sales relationships, or choose not to do so, we would have to establish in-house marketing and sales capabilities. To market any products directly, we would have to establish a marketing, sales, and distribution force that has technical expertise and could support a distribution capability. Competition in the biopharmaceutical industry for technically proficient marketing, sales, and distribution personnel is intense and attracting and retaining such personnel may significantly increase our costs. There can be no assurance that we will be able to establish internal marketing, sales, or distribution capabilities or that these capabilities will be sufficient to meet our needs.
Our ability to market our products in the United States depends on their regulatory classification and compliance with applicable regulations.
While we believe our products either qualify as cosmetics or comply with applicable USP monographs, the FDA may disagree with our determinations. If the FDA determines that any of our products require pre-market approval or do not comply with applicable monographs, we may need to:
Reformulate products
Undergo FDA approval process
Submit additional data
Cease marketing until compliance is achieved
Face enforcement action
Such events could significantly impact our operations and ability to generate revenue.
Commercial success of our OTC/Cosmetic product candidates will depend on the acceptance of these products by physicians, payers, and patients.
Any of our OTC/Cosmetic product candidate that we may develop, may not gain market acceptance among physicians and patients. Market acceptance of and demand for any of our OTC/Cosmetic product candidates that we may develop will depend on many factors, including without limitation:
Comparative superiority of the effectiveness and safety in the treatment of the disease indication compared to alternative treatments;
Less prevalence and severity of adverse side effects;
Potential advantages over alternative treatments;
Cost effectiveness;
Convenience and ease of administration;
Sufficient third-party coverage and/or reimbursement;
Strength of sales, marketing and distribution support; and
Our ability to provide acceptable evidence of safety and efficacy.
If any non-OTC product candidate developed by us receives regulatory approval but does not achieve an adequate level of market acceptance by physicians, payers, and patients, we may generate insufficient, little, or no product revenue and may not become profitable.
In addition, pandemics, such as COVID-19, could decrease consumer spending and adversely affect demand for our products.
If we obtain FDA approval for any of our product candidates, we will be subject to various federal and state fraud and abuse laws; these laws may impact, among other things, our proposed sales, marketing and education programs. Fraud and abuse laws are expected to increase in breadth and in detail, which will likely increase our operating costs and the complexity of our programs to insure compliance with such enhanced laws.
If we obtain FDA approval for any of our product candidates and begin commercializing those products in the U.S., our operations may be directly, or indirectly through our customers, distributors, or other business partners, subject to various federal and state fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, anti-kickback statutes and false claims statutes which may increase our operating costs. These laws may impact, among other things, our proposed sales, marketing and education programs.
If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the federal and state fraud and abuse laws or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to criminal actions and significant civil monetary penalties, which would adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations.
If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the federal and state fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, anti-kickback statutes and false claims statutes or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including criminal and significant civil monetary penalties, damages, fines, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations. To the extent that any of our product candidates are ultimately sold in a foreign country, we may be subject to similar foreign laws and regulations, which may include, for instance, applicable post-marketing requirements, including safety surveillance, anti-fraud and abuse laws, and implementation of corporate compliance programs and reporting of payments or transfers of value to healthcare professionals.
Natural disasters and other events beyond our control could materially adversely affect us.
Natural disasters or other catastrophic events may cause damage or disruption to our operations, international commerce and the global economy, and thus could have a strong negative effect on us. Our business operations are subject to interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, pandemics and other events beyond our control. Such events could make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver our services to our customers and could decrease demand for our services. The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The extent of the impact of any similar outbreak, the impact on our customers and employees, may be uncertain and we may not be able to predict the impact on our business and operations.
We may not meet our product development and commercialization milestones.
We have established milestones, based upon our expectations regarding our technologies at that time, which we use to assess our progress toward developing our products. These milestones relate to technology and design improvements as well as dates for achieving development goals. If our products exhibit technical defects or are unable to meet cost or performance goals, our commercialization schedule could be delayed and potential purchasers of our initial commercial products may decline to purchase such products or may opt to pursue alternative products.
We may also experience shortages equipment due to manufacturing difficulties. Multiple suppliers provide the components used in manufacturing our products. Our manufacturing operations could be disrupted by fire, earthquake or other natural disaster, a labor-related disruption, failure in supply or other logistical channels, electrical outages or other reasons. If there were a disruption to manufacturing facilities, we would be unable to manufacture until we have restored and re-qualified our manufacturing capability or developed alternative manufacturing facilities.
Our operations in international markets involve inherent risks that we may not be able to control.
Our business plan includes the marketing and sale of our proposed products in international markets. Accordingly, our results could be materially and adversely affected by a variety of uncontrollable and changing factors relating to international business operations, including:
Macroeconomic conditions adversely affecting geographies where we intend to do business;
Foreign currency exchange rates;
Political or social unrest or economic instability in a specific country or region;
Higher costs of doing business in foreign countries;
Infringement claims on foreign patents, copyrights or trademark rights;
Difficulties in staffing and managing operations across disparate geographic areas;
Difficulties associated with enforcing agreements and intellectual property rights through foreign legal systems;
Trade protection measures and other regulatory requirements, which affect our ability to import or export our products from or to various countries;
Adverse tax consequences;
Unexpected changes in legal and regulatory requirements;
Military conflict, terrorist activities, natural disasters and medical epidemics; and
Our ability to recruit and retain channel partners in foreign jurisdictions.
Risks Relating to the Separation
We may be unable to achieve some or all of the benefits that we expect to achieve from the Separation.
We believe that, as a publicly traded company, we will be able to, among other things, better focus our financial and operational resources on our specific shipping business, implement and maintain a capital structure designed to meet our specific needs, design and implement corporate strategies and policies that are targeted to our business, more effectively respond to industry dynamics and create effective incentives for our management and employees that are more closely tied to our business performance. However, by separating from Safety Shot, we may be more susceptible to market fluctuations and have less leverage with customers, and we may experience other adverse events. In addition, we may be unable to achieve some or all of the benefits that we expect to achieve as a separate company in the time we expect, if at all. The completion of the Separation will also require significant amounts of our management’s time and effort, which may divert management’s attention from operating and growing our business.
We have a limited operating history as a publicly traded company, and our historical financial information is not necessarily representative of the results we would have achieved as a publicly traded company and may not be a reliable indicator of our future results.
We derived the historical financial information included in this annual report in part from Safety Shot’s consolidated financial statements, and this information does not necessarily reflect the results of operations and financial position we would have achieved as a separate publicly traded company during the periods presented or those that we will achieve in the future. This is primarily because of the following factors:
Prior to the Separation, we operated as part of Safety Shot’s broader corporate organization, and Safety Shot performed various administrative functions for us and our historical financial information does not reflect allocations any of these costs from Safety Shot as they are not material.
Our historical financial information does not reflect changes that we expect to experience in the future as a result of our separation from Safety Shot, including changes in our cost structure, personnel needs, tax structure, financing and business operations. As part of Safety Shot, we enjoyed certain benefits from Safety Shot’s operating diversity, size, borrowing leverage and available capital for investments, and we may lose these benefits after the Separation. As a separate entity, we may be unable to purchase services and technologies or access capital markets on terms as favorable to us as those we obtained as part of Safety Shot prior to the Separation.
Following the Separation, we are be responsible for the additional costs associated with being a publicly traded company, including costs related to corporate governance, investor and public relations and public reporting.
In addition, certain costs incurred by Safety Shot, including accounting, legal, occupancy, information technology and other shared services, have historically been provided to us by Safety Shot. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company began to provide most of these services ourselves. Therefore, our historical financial statements may not be indicative of our future performance as a separate publicly traded company. We cannot assure you that our operating results will continue at a similar level when we are a separate publicly traded company. For additional information about our past financial performance and the basis of presentation of our financial statements, see “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and our historical financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this annual report.
We may not be able to access the credit and capital markets at the times and in the amounts needed on acceptable terms.
From time to time we may need to access the capital markets to obtain long-term and short-term financing. We have not previously accessed the capital markets as a separate public company, and our access to, and the availability of, financing on acceptable terms and conditions in the future will be impacted by many factors, including our financial performance, our credit ratings or absence thereof, the liquidity of the overall capital markets and the state of the economy. We cannot assure you that we will have access to the capital markets at the times and in the amounts needed or on terms acceptable to us.
The insurance that we maintain may not fully cover all potential exposures.
We maintain liability insurance but such insurance may not cover all risks associated with the hazards of our business and is subject to limitations, including deductibles and maximum liabilities covered. We are potentially at risk if one or more of our insurance carriers fail. Additionally, severe disruptions in the domestic and global financial markets could adversely impact the ratings and survival of some insurers. In the future, we may not be able to obtain coverage at current levels, and our premiums may increase significantly on coverage that we maintain.
Some of our directors and executive officers own Safety Shot common stock or options to acquire Safety Shot common stock and hold positions with Safety Shot, which could cause conflicts of interest, or the appearance of conflicts of interest, that result in our not acting on opportunities we otherwise may have.
Some of our directors and executive officers own Safety Shot common stock, restricted shares of Safety Shot stock or options to purchase Safety Shot common stock. Ownership of Safety Shot common stock, restricted shares of Safety Shot common stock and options to purchase Safety Shot Common Stock by our directors and executive officers and the presence of executive officers or directors of Safety Shot on our board of directors could create, or appear to create, conflicts of interest with respect to matters involving both us and Safety Shot that could have different implications for Safety Shot than they do for us. For example, potential conflicts of interest could arise in connection with the resolution of any dispute between Safety Shot and us regarding terms of the Amended and Restated Exchange Agreement governing the separation and the relationship between Safety Shot and us thereafter. Potential conflicts of interest could also arise if we enter into commercial arrangements with Safety Shot in the future. As a result of these actual or apparent conflicts of interest, we may be precluded from pursuing certain growth initiatives.
Risks Related to our Financial Position and Capital Needs
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or other assets.
We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings, strategic partnerships and alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, existing ownership interests will be diluted and the terms of such financings may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of existing stockholders. Debt financings may be coupled with an equity component, such as warrants to purchase shares, which could also result in dilution of our existing stockholders’ ownership. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also result in certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business and may result in liens being placed on our assets and intellectual property. If we were to default on such indebtedness, we could lose such assets and intellectual property.
Our potential for rapid growth and our entry into new markets make it difficult for us to evaluate our current and future business prospects, and we may be unable to effectively manage any growth associated with these new markets, which may increase the risk of your investment and could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.
Our proliferation into new markets may place a significant strain on our resources and increase demands on our executive management, personnel and systems, and our operational, administrative and financial resources may be inadequate. We may also not be able to effectively manage any expanded operations, or achieve planned growth on a timely or profitable basis, particularly if the number of customers using our technology significantly increases or their demands and needs change as our business expands. If we are unable to manage expanded operations effectively, we may experience operating inefficiencies, the quality of our products and services could deteriorate, and our business and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Changes in tax laws and unanticipated tax liabilities could adversely affect our effective income tax rate and ability to achieve profitability.
Our effective income tax rate in the future could be adversely affected by a number of factors including changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities and changes in tax laws. We regularly assess all of these matters to determine the adequacy of our tax provision which is subject to discretion. If our assessments are incorrect, it could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition. There can be no assurance that income tax laws and administrative policies with respect to the income tax consequences generally applicable to us or to our subsidiaries will not be changed in a manner which adversely affects our shareholders.
Risks Related to our Intellectual Property
We may incur substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patent and other intellectual property rights.
A third party may sue us or one of our strategic collaborators for infringing its intellectual property rights. Likewise, we may need to resort to litigation to enforce licensed rights or to determine the scope and validity of third-party intellectual property rights.
The cost to us of any litigation or other proceeding relating to intellectual property rights, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial, and the litigation would divert our efforts. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. If we do not prevail in this type of litigation, we or our strategic collaborators may be required to pay monetary damages; stop commercial activities relating to the affected products or services; obtain a license in order to continue manufacturing or marketing the affected products or services; or attempt to compete in the market with a substantially similar product.
Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could limit our ability to continue some of our operations. In addition, a court may require that we pay expenses or damages, and litigation could disrupt our commercial activities.
Any inability to protect our intellectual property rights could reduce the value of our products and brands, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and business.
Our business is partly dependent upon our trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights and other intellectual property rights. Effective intellectual property rights protection, however, may not be available under the laws of every country in which we and our sub-licensees may operate. There is a risk of certain valuable trade secrets, beyond what is described publicly in patents, being exposed to potential infringers. Regardless of our technology being protected by patents or otherwise, there is a risk that other companies may employ the technology without authorization and without recompensing us.
The efforts we have taken to protect our proprietary rights may not be sufficient or effective. Any significant impairment of our intellectual property rights could harm our business or our ability to compete. In addition, protecting our intellectual property rights is costly and time consuming. There is a risk that we may have insufficient resources to counter adequately such infringements through negotiation or the use of legal remedies. It may not be practicable or cost effective for us to fully protect our intellectual property rights in some countries or jurisdictions. If we are unable to successfully identify and stop unauthorized use of our intellectual property, we could lose potential revenue and experience increased operational and enforcement costs, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and business.
The intellectual property behind our products may include unpublished know-how as well as existing and pending intellectual property protection. All intellectual property protection eventually expires, and unpublished know-how is dependent on key individuals.
The commercialization of our licensed products is partially dependent upon know-how and trade secrets held by certain individuals working with and for us. Because the expertise runs deep in these few individuals, if something were to happen to any or all of them, the ability to properly manufacture our products without compromising quality and performance could be diminished greatly.
Knowledge published in the form of any future intellectual property has finite protection, as all patents and trademarks have a limited life and an expiration date. While continuous efforts will be made to apply for patents and trademarks if appropriate, there is no guarantee that additional patents or trademarks will be granted. The expiration of patents and trademarks relating to our products may hinder our ability to sub-license or sell our products for a long period of time without the development of a more complex licensing strategy.
If we are not able to adequately protect our intellectual property, then we may not be able to compete effectively, and we may not be profitable.
Our existing proprietary rights may not afford remedies and protections necessary to prevent infringement, reformulation, theft, misappropriation and other improper use of our products by competitors. We own the formulations contained in our products and we consider these product formulations to be our critical proprietary property, which must be protected from competitors. Although trade secret, trademark, copyright and patent laws generally provide a certain level of protection, and we attempt to protect ourselves through contracts with manufacturers of our products, we may not be successful in enforcing our rights. In addition, enforcement of our proprietary rights may require lengthy and expensive litigation. We have attempted to protect some of the trade names and trademarks used for our products by registering them with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but we must rely on common law trademark rights to protect our unregistered trademarks. Common law trademark rights do not provide the same remedies as are granted to federally registered trademarks, and the rights of a common law trademark are limited to the geographic area in which the trademark is actually used. Our inability to protect our intellectual property could have a material adverse impact on our ability to compete and could make it difficult for us to achieve a profit.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Securities
We are an “emerging growth company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we 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 our stock price may be more volatile.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and distract our management, which could make it difficult to manage our business, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.”
We are required to comply with various regulatory and reporting requirements, including those required by the SEC. Complying with these reporting and other regulatory requirements is time-consuming and results in increased costs to us and could have a negative effect on our results of operations, financial condition or business.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. These requirements may place a strain on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting. To maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, we will need to commit significant resources, hire additional staff and provide additional management oversight. We will be implementing additional procedures and processes for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to public companies. Sustaining our growth also will require us to commit additional management, operational and financial resources to identify new professionals to join our firm and to maintain appropriate operational and financial systems to adequately support expansion. These activities may divert management’s attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or business.
As an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain temporary exemptions from various reporting requirements including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. We may also delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies, as permitted by the JOBS Act.
Our management has limited experience in managing the day-to-day operations of a public company and, as a result, we may incur additional expenses associated with the management of our Company.
The management team is responsible for the operations and reporting of the Company. The requirements of operating as a public company are many and sometimes difficult to navigate. This may require us to obtain outside assistance from legal, accounting, investor relations, or other professionals that could be more costly than planned. If we lack cash resources to cover these costs of being a public company in the future, our failure to comply with reporting requirements and other provisions of securities laws could negatively affect our stock price and adversely affect our potential results of operations, cash flow and financial condition after we commence operations.
Compliance with changing corporate governance regulations and public disclosures may result in additional risks and exposures.
Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and new regulations from the SEC, have created uncertainty for public companies such as ours. These laws, regulations, and standards are subject to varying interpretations in many cases, and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. As a result, our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations, and standards have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, increased expense and significant management time and attention.
Certain of our stockholders hold a significant percentage of our outstanding voting securities, which could reduce the ability of minority stockholders to effect certain corporate actions.
Our officers and directors, and significant stockholders are the beneficial owners of approximately 68.2% of our outstanding voting securities. As a result, they possess significant influence over our elections and votes. As a result, their ownership and control may have the effect of facilitating and expediting a future change in control, merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination, or encouraging a potential acquirer to make a tender offer. Their ownership and control may also have the effect of delaying, impeding, or preventing a future change in control, merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination, or discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer.
If securities or industry analysts publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. Once our common stock is quoted, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our common stock price would likely decline.
Our issuance of additional common stock or preferred stock may cause our common stock price to decline, which may negatively impact your investment.
Issuances of a substantial number of additional shares of our common or preferred stock, or the perception that such issuances could occur, may cause prevailing market prices for our common stock to decline. In addition, our board of directors is authorized to issue additional series of shares of preferred stock without any action on the part of our stockholders. Our board of directors also has the power, without stockholder approval, to set the terms of any such series of shares of preferred stock that may be issued, including voting rights, conversion rights, dividend rights, preferences over our common stock with respect to dividends or if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our business and other terms. If we issue cumulative preferred stock in the future that has preference over our common stock with respect to the payment of dividends or upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or if we issue preferred stock with voting rights that dilute the voting power of our common stock, the market price of our common stock could decrease.
Our common stock may become subject to the SEC’s penny stock rules and accordingly, broker-dealers may experience difficulty in completing customer transactions and trading activity in our securities may be adversely affected.
The SEC has adopted regulations, which generally define “penny stock” to be an equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to specific exemptions. The market price of our common stock is less than $5.00 per share and therefore would be a “penny stock” according to SEC rules, unless we are listed on a national securities exchange. Under these rules, broker-dealers who recommend such securities to persons other than institutional accredited investors must:
Make a special written suitability determination for the purchaser;
Receive the purchaser’s prior written agreement to the transaction;
Provide the purchaser with risk disclosure documents which identify certain risks associated with investing in “penny stocks” and which describe the market for these “penny stocks” as well as a purchaser’s legal remedies; and
Obtain a signed and dated acknowledgment from the purchaser demonstrating that the purchaser has actually received the required risk disclosure document before a transaction in a “penny stock” can be completed.
Although our common stock is not currently subject to these rules, it were to become subject to such rules, broker-dealers may find it difficult to effectuate customer transactions and trading activity in our securities may be adversely affected. As a result, the market price of our securities may be depressed, and you may find it more difficult to sell your securities.
If we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and have an adverse effect on the value of our securities.
As a public company, we would be required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal control. Further, we will be required to report any changes in internal controls on a quarterly basis. In addition, we would be required to furnish a report by management on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will design, implement, and test the internal controls over financial reporting required to comply with these obligations. If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting when required, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the value of our securities could be negatively affected. We also could become subject to investigations by the Commission or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.
As an emerging growth company, our auditor will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls.
Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting while we are an emerging growth company. This means that the effectiveness of our financial operations may differ from our peer companies in that they may be required to obtain independent registered public accounting firm attestations as to the effectiveness of their internal controls over financial reporting and we are not. While our management will be required to attest to internal control over financial reporting and we will be required to detail changes to our internal controls on a quarterly basis, we cannot provide assurance that the independent registered public accounting firm’s review process in assessing the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, if obtained, would not find one or more material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. Further, once we cease to be an emerging growth company and cease to be a smaller reporting company (as described below), we will be subject to independent registered public accounting firm attestation regarding the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. Even if management finds such controls to be effective, our independent registered public accounting firm may decline to attest to the effectiveness of such internal controls and issue a qualified report.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
Our management has limited experience in managing the day-to-day operations of a public company and, as a result, we may incur additional expenses associated with the management of our Company.
The management team is responsible for the operations and reporting of the Company. The requirements of operating as a public company are many and sometimes difficult to navigate. This may require us to obtain outside assistance from legal, accounting, investor relations, or other professionals that could be more costly than planned. If we lack cash resources to cover these costs of being a public company in the future, our failure to comply with reporting requirements and other provisions of securities laws could negatively affect our stock price and adversely affect our potential results of operations, cash flow and financial condition after we commence operations.
Compliance with changing corporate governance regulations and public disclosures may result in additional risks and exposures.
Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and new regulations from the SEC, have created uncertainty for public companies such as ours. These laws, regulations, and standards are subject to varying interpretations in many cases, and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. As a result, our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations, and standards have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, increased expense and significant management time and attention.
If securities or industry analysts publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. Once our common stock is quoted, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our common stock price would likely decline.
The market price of our securities may be volatile, which could cause the value of your investment to decline.
The price of our securities may fluctuate significantly due general market and economic conditions. An active trading market for our securities may not develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. In addition, fluctuations in the price of our securities could contribute to the loss of all or part of your investment. Even if an active market for our securities develops and continues, the trading price of our securities could be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. Any of the factors listed below could have a material adverse effect on your investment in our securities and our securities may trade at prices significantly below the price you paid for them. In such circumstances, the trading price of our securities may not recover and may experience a further decline. Factors affecting the trading price of our securities may include, but are not solely limited to, the risk factors identified herein.
In addition, the stock market in general, and Nasdaq and emerging growth companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of its actual operating performance. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities. This type of litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources, which would harm our business, operating results or financial condition.
We may not be able to satisfy listing requirements of the NASDAQ or obtain or maintain a listing of our common stock on the NASDAQ.
We must meet certain financial and liquidity criteria to maintain our listing on NASDAQ. If we violate the NASDAQ listing requirements, our common stock may be delisted. If we fail to meet any of the NASDAQ’s listing standards, our common stock may be delisted. In addition, our board of directors may determine that the cost of maintaining our listing on a national securities exchange outweighs the benefits of such listing. A delisting of our common stock from the NASDAQ may materially impair our stockholders’ ability to buy and sell our common stock and could have an adverse effect on the market price of, and the efficiency of the trading market for, our common stock. The delisting of our common stock could significantly impair our ability to raise capital and the value of your investment.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
Our issuance of additional common stock or preferred stock may cause our common stock price to decline, which may negatively impact your investment.
Issuances of a substantial number of additional shares of our common or preferred stock, or the perception that such issuances could occur, may cause prevailing market prices for our common stock to decline. In addition, our board of directors is authorized to issue additional series of shares of preferred stock without any action on the part of our stockholders. Our board of directors also has the power, without stockholder approval, to set the terms of any such series of shares of preferred stock that may be issued, including voting rights, conversion rights, dividend rights, preferences over our common stock with respect to dividends or if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our business and other terms. If we issue cumulative preferred stock in the future that has preference over our common stock with respect to the payment of dividends or upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or if we issue preferred stock with voting rights that dilute the voting power of our common stock, the market price of our common stock could decrease.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock in the public market could cause our stock price to fall.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock in the public market or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our Common Stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We are unable to predict the effect that sales may have on the prevailing market price of our Common Stock. Sales of significant number of shares of our Common Stock may make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that it deems reasonable or appropriate, and make it more difficult for you to sell shares of our common stock. Certain holders of our securities are entitled to rights with respect to the registration of the shares of our Common Stock under the Securities Act. Any sales of securities by these stockholders could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our Common Stock.
Anti-takeover provisions in the Company’s charter and bylaws may prevent or frustrate attempts by stockholders to change the board of directors or current management and could make a third-party acquisition of the Company difficult.
The Company’s bylaws contain provisions that may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. Furthermore, the Board of Directors has the ability to increase the size of the Board and fill newly created vacancies without stockholder approval. These provisions could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of the Company’s common stock.
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. If we are unable to remediate these material weaknesses, if management identifies additional material weaknesses in the future or if we otherwise fail to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial position or results of operations, which may adversely affect our business and stock price or cause our access to the capital markets to be impaired.
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency , or combination of deficiencies, in internal controls over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Specifically, a material weakness exists in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting related to ineffective controls over period end financial disclosure and reporting processes, including not timely performing certain reconciliations and the completeness and accuracy of those reconciliations, and lack of effectiveness of controls over accurate accounting and financial reporting and reviewing the underlying financial statement elements, and recording incorrect journal entries that also did not have the sufficient review and approval.
These control deficiencies could result in a misstatement in our accounts or disclosures that would result in a material misstatement to our financial statements that would not be prevented or detected. Accordingly, we determined that these control deficiencies constitute material weaknesses . We are in the early stages of designing and implementing a plan to remediate the material weaknesses identified.
Implementing any appropriate changes to our internal controls may distract our officers and employees, entail substantial costs to modify our existing processes and take significant time to complete. These changes may not, however, be effective in maintaining the adequacy of our internal controls, and any failure to maintain that adequacy, or consequent inability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis, could increase our operating costs and harm our business. In addition, investors’ perceptions that our internal controls are inadequate or that we are unable to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis may harm our stock price and make it more difficult for us to effectively market and sell our products and services to new and existing customers.
However, if we identify future deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting or if we are unable to comply with the demands that are placed upon us as a public company, including the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, in a timely or effective manner, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results, or report them within the timeframes required by the SEC. We also could become subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities. In addition, if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting when required, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, we may face restricted access to the capital markets and our stock price may be adversely affected.
MD&A (Item 7)
3,053 words
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion and analysis contain forward-looking statements based upon current beliefs, plans, expectations, intentions and projections that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, such as statements regarding our plans, objectives, expectations, intentions and projections. Our actual results and the timing of selected events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of several factors, including those set forth under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Overview and Business Trends
Caring Brands, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“Caring Brands” and together with its subsidiaries, the “Company,” or “we”), is a wellness consumer products company. We offer several over-the-counter, or (OTC) and cosmetic, consumer products. Our product pipeline includes a diverse range of products, such as hair loss treatments, Eczema and Psoriasis Treatments, vitiligo solutions, and a Jellyfish sting protective suncare line, that cater to different health and wellness needs. Our method of operation is to ensure that (1) the mechanism of action of all products is established, (2) efficacy is determined through controlled clinical trials, (3) products are protected by issued and filed patents, and (4) products have acceptable commercial stability.
Results of operations
The following table sets forth our consolidated statements of operations data in dollars for the periods presented:
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2025
Predecessor
From January 1 to
September 24, 2024
Successor
From September 25 to
December 31, 2024
Revenue
Cost of revenue
Gross profit
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Payroll expense
Professional service fees
Impairment loss on Intellectual property
Depreciation and amortization
Total operating expenses
Operating loss
Other income(loss)
Impairment loss on investment
Gain on debt settlement
Interest income (expense), net
Total other income (expense)
Net loss
Net loss per share:
Basic
Diluted
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic
Diluted
Comparison of the year ended December 31, 2025 to the year ended December 31, 2024.
Revenue and Cost of revenue
The Company generated revenue of $4,215 and $465, and the cost of revenue was $1,873 and $2,072 for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Revenue and Cost of revenue in the year ended December 31, 2024 were inconsequential and in the period of January 1, 2024 to September 24, 2024 (“Predecessor Year to Date (YTD) Period”) and the period of September 25, 2024 to December 31, 2024 (“Successor 2024 Period”) the Company had revenue of $465. The Company is still in process of developing and commercializing its products.
Operating expenses
Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $5,937,367, compared to total operating expenses of $1,525,787 for the year ended December 31, 2024. The 2024 total consists of $654,573 incurred during the Predecessor YTD Period and $871,214 incurred during the period from Successor 2024 Period. The increase of $4,411,580 in 2025 was primarily attributable to increased payroll, professional service fees, and a full year of amortization of the Company’s intellectual property license.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $147,694 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $76,872 during the Predecessor YTD Period and $26,462 during the Successor 2024 Period. The increase in 2025 reflects higher corporate administrative costs, including public company compliance, insurance, and general overhead expenses following the Company’s separation and NASDAQ listing. Payroll expenses were $2,008,394 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $334,644 in the Predecessor YTD Period and $578,100 in the Successor 2024 Period. The significant increase in 2025 reflects the expansion of management and operational personnel necessary to support commercialization efforts, corporate restructuring activities, and public company reporting requirements. Professional service fees totaled $931,279 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $243,057 in the Predecessor YTD Period and $116,652 in the Successor 2024 Period. The increase in 2025 was primarily attributable to higher legal, accounting, consulting, advisory, investor relations, and audit fees incurred in connection with corporate restructuring activities, capital markets initiatives, and ongoing public company compliance. Depreciation and amortization expense totaled $300,000 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $0 during the Predecessor YTD Period and $150,000 during the Successor 2024 Period. The increase in 2025 is primarily attributable to a full year of amortization of the Company’s intellectual property license, whereas prior periods reflected only partial-period amortization.
During 2025, the Company recognized an impairment loss on its intellectual property license of $2,550,000, compared to no such impairment in prior periods. The impairment reflects management’s assessment that the carrying value of the intellectual property was no longer recoverable based on current business conditions and expected future economic benefits.
As a result of the foregoing, the Company reported an operating loss of $5,935,025 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to an operating loss of $654,573 during the Predecessor YTD Period and $872,821 during the Successor 2024 Period.
Other income (expense)
Other income (expense) was $1,000 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $0 during both the Predecessor YTD Period and the Successor 2024 Period.
The Company also recorded an impairment loss on its investment of $500,000 for the year ended December 31, 2025, with no comparable activity in prior periods. This impairment was driven by a decline in the estimated fair value of the underlying investment.
In addition, the Company recognized a gain on debt settlement of $175,000 during 2025, compared to $0 in prior periods. The gain resulted from negotiated settlements with certain creditors, whereby outstanding obligations were extinguished at amounts below their carrying value.
Interest expense was $19,166 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to interest expense of $67 during the Predecessor YTD Period and net interest income of $10,030 during the Successor 2024 Period. The increase in interest expense in 2025 was primarily attributable to borrowings under the term loan with Greentree Financial Group, Inc. and related party loans, as further discussed in Note 7 – Debt.
Financial condition, liquidity and capital resources
Overview
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $2,189,232, compared to $468,998 as of December 31, 2024. The increase in cash was primarily attributable to the completion of the Company’s initial public offering during 2025.
In connection with the Initial Public Offering (“IPO”), the Company issued 1,000,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $4.00 per share, generating gross proceeds of $4,000,000. After underwriting discounts, commissions, and offering-related expenses totaling approximately $764,308, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $3,235,692.
Total assets decreased to $2,326,818 as of December 31, 2025, compared to $3,877,481 at December 31, 2024. The decrease was primarily driven by the full impairment of the Company’s intellectual property and investment balances during 2025, which reduced non-current assets to nil. This decline was partially offset by an increase in cash and cash equivalents, primarily resulting from proceeds received from the Company’s IPO.
Total liabilities were $235,494 at December 31, 2025, compared to $186,105 at December 31, 2024, reflecting higher accounts payable and borrowings under the term loan as the Company expanded its operations.
The Company’s primary cash requirements consist of funding operating expenses, including payroll and professional service fees, and supporting corporate development and compliance activities as a public company.
Based on current operating plans and available cash on hand, management believes that existing cash resources are sufficient to fund operations for at least the next twelve months. The Company may seek additional capital in the future to support long-term growth initiatives, strategic investments, or acquisitions. Such financing, if pursued, may include equity offerings, debt financing, or other strategic transactions; however, there can be no assurance that additional capital will be available on acceptable terms, or at all.
Our ability to meet our operating, investing and financing needs depends to a significant extent on our future financial performance, which will be subject in part to general economic, competitive, financial, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control, including those described elsewhere in Part II, Item 1A “Risk factors.”
Cash flows
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2025
Predecessor
From January 1 to
September 24, 2024
Successor
From September 25 to
December 31, 2024
Net cash (used in) provided by:
Net cash used in operating activities
Net cash provided by investing activities
Net cash provided by financing activities
Cash used in operating activities
For the year ended December 31, 2025, net cash used in operating activities was $1,692,258, compared to net cash used of $551,743 during the Predecessor YTD Period and $272,248 during the Successor 2024 Period. For 2025, cash used in operating activities included a net loss of $6,278,191, partially offset by non-cash expenses (gain) consisting primarily of:
$2,550,000 of impairment loss on Intellectual property,
$500,000 of impairment loss on investment
$1,238,650 related to the fair value of shares issued for services,
$300,000 of amortization of the license agreement,
$6,667 of amortization of debt discounts, and
$175,000 of gain on debt settlement.
Changes in working capital also impacted operating cash flows. Accounts payable decreased by $95,101, and accrued expenses decreased by $10,180, and increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $79,985. Inventory levels remained relatively stable during the period. During the Predecessor YTD Period, operating cash used of $551,743 was primarily attributable to a net loss of $654,640, partially offset by increases in accounts payable of $139,502 and accrued expenses of $6,816, as well as a decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $43,775. During the Successor 2024 Period, net cash used in operating activities of $272,248 was primarily driven by a net loss of $862,791, partially offset by non-cash amortization of $150,000 and fair value adjustments related to shares issued for services of $400,000. Changes in working capital during the Successor period were not material.
Cash used in investing activities
For the year ended December 31, 2025, net cash provided by investing activities was $0.
During the Successor 2024 Period, net cash provided by investing activities was $608,596, representing cash acquired in connection with the reverse merger transaction. There were no investing activities during the Predecessor YTD Period.
Cash provided by financing activities
For the year ended December 31, 2025, net cash provided by financing activities was $3,412,492, compared to $666,232 provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Financing activities during 2025 primarily consisted of:
$3,235,692 in net proceeds from the Company’s initial public offering,
$170,000 in proceeds from long-term debt,
$120,000 in proceeds from related party loans,
$(120,000) in payment on related party loan payable, and
$6,800 from the issuance of common stock.
During the Predecessor YTD Period, net cash provided by financing activities was $666,232, consisting primarily of intercompany loans to Caring Brands Florida prior to acquisition.
There were no financing activities during the Successor 2024 Period.
Contractual obligations and commitments
There are no fixed forward agreements for lease expense, license fees, or capital expenditures.
Off-balance sheet arrangements
We are not party to any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Critical accounting policies and estimates
The Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) is based upon our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements required the use of estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of our assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Management bases estimates on historical experience and other assumptions it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances and evaluates these estimates on an on-going basis. Actual results may differ from these estimates. There have been no significant changes to the critical accounting policies and estimates included in the Annual Report.
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property, including license agreements, is recorded at cost and amortized over the estimated useful life of the license using the straight-line method. The Company evaluates its intellectual property for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a long-lived asset may not be recoverable, in accordance with ASC 360. During the year ended December 31, 2025, management identified indicators of impairment related to its intellectual property and performed an impairment assessment. Based on this evaluation, the Company determined that the carrying value of the intellectual property was not recoverable and recorded an impairment charge of $2,550,000. No impairment charges were recorded during the year ended December 31, 2024, including both the Predecessor and Successor periods.
Stock Based Compensation
The Company recognizes compensation costs to employees under FASB Accounting Standards Codification 718 “Compensation - Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”). Under ASC 718, companies are required to measure the compensation costs of share-based compensation arrangements based on the grant-date fair value and recognize the costs in the financial statements over the period during which employees are required to provide services. Share-based compensation arrangements include stock options and warrants. As such, compensation cost is measured on the date of grant at their fair value. Such compensation amounts, if any, are amortized over the respective vesting periods of the option grant.
The Company has adopted ASU No. 2018-07 “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” These amendments expand the scope of Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation (which currently only includes share-based payments to employees) to include share-based payments issued to non-employees for goods or services. Consequently, the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees and employees will be substantially aligned.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Recent accounting pronouncements
New accounting pronouncements issued but not yet adopted
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (Topic 740). The standard requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as information on income taxes paid. The standard is intended to benefit investors by providing more detailed income tax disclosures that would be useful in making capital allocation decisions. The new requirements apply to all entities subject to income taxes and will be effective for the Company’s annual periods beginning January 1, 2026. The guidance will be applied on a prospective basis with the option to apply the standard retrospectively and early adoption is permitted. The Company expects ASU 2023-09 to only impact its disclosures with no impacts to the Company’s results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition. The Company has elected to delay the adoption of accounting standards until the private company adoption date.
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income – Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40). The standard requires additional disclosures, in the notes to financial statements, of specified information about certain costs and expenses included in the captions presented on the face of the income statement. The new guidance is effective for the Company’s annual reporting period beginning January 1, 2027, and interim reporting periods beginning January 1, 2028. The guidance will be applied on a prospective basis with the option to apply the standard retrospectively and early adoption is permitted. The Company expects ASU 2024-03 to only impact its disclosures with no impacts to the Company’s results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition.
In May 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-04, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) and Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which is intended to reduce diversity in practice and improve existing guidance, primarily by revising the definition of a “performance condition” and eliminating forfeiture policy election for service conditions associated with share-based consideration payable to a customer. In addition, ASU No. 2025-04 clarifies that the guidance in ASC 606 on the variable consideration constraints does not apply to share-based consideration payable to a customer regardless of whether an award’s grant date has occurred (as determined under ASC 718). ASU No. 2025-04 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, with early adoption permitted. We plan to adopt ASU No. 2025-04 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2028. We are currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on our financial statements and disclosures.
Recently adopted accounting pronouncements
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (Topic 280). This ASU updates reportable segment disclosure requirements by requiring disclosures of significant reportable segment expenses that are regularly provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) and included within each reported measure of a segment’s profit or loss. This ASU also requires disclosure of the title and position of the individual identified as the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measures of a segment’s profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. We adopted this ASU retrospectively on December 31, 2024. Refer to Note 12, Segment Reporting and Information about Geographic Areas for the inclusion of the new required disclosures.
From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies that are adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company believes that the effect of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material effect on its consolidated financial position or results of operations upon adoption.
- Exhibit 4.5ex4-5.htm · 39.1 KB
- Exhibit 21ex21.htm · 3.5 KB
- Exhibit 31.1: Rule 13a-14(a) Certification (CEO)ex31-1.htm · 17.7 KB
- Exhibit 31.2: Rule 13a-14(a) Certification (CFO)ex31-2.htm · 17.8 KB
- Exhibit 32.1: Section 1350 Certification (CEO)ex32-1.htm · 6.4 KB
- Exhibit 32.2: Section 1350 Certification (CFO)ex32-2.htm · 6.6 KB
- Exhibit 97.1: Compensation Recovery Policyex97-1.htm · 35.0 KB
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- Ticker
- CABR
- CIK
0002020737- Form Type
- 10-K
- Accession Number
0001493152-26-013844- Filed
- Mar 31, 2026
- Period
- Dec 31, 2025 (Q4 25)
- Industry
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations
External resources
Permalink
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