Item 1A. Risk Factors.
An investment in our Common Stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks and all of the other information contained in this Annual Report before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. If any of the following risks are realized, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment in our common stock. Additional risks of which we are not presently aware or that we currently believe are immaterial may also harm our business and results of operations. Some statements in this Annual Report, including such statements in the following risk factors, constitute forward-looking statements. See the section entitled “ Forward-Looking Statements .”
Risks Relating to Our Business
We have incurred losses since inception and cannot assure that we will ever achieve or sustain profitability.
The Company has incurred losses since inception and has been dependent on related parties to fund operations. The Company incurred a net loss of $36.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2025, resulting in an accumulated deficit of $113.2 million. In September and October 2025, the Company completed an equity offering which generated net proceeds of $8.1 million.
The Company’s existing cash resources are expected to be sufficient to fund its planned operations through fiscal year 2026. To support operations beyond such time frame, the Company may be required to raise additional funds by completing additional equity or debt offerings or increasing revenue. There can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in acquiring additional funding, that the Company’s projections of its future working capital needs will prove accurate, or that any additional funding would be sufficient to continue operations in future years.
There can be no assurance that funds will be available from external sources, such as debt or equity financings or other potential sources. The lack of additional capital resulting from the inability to generate cash flow from operations, or to raise capital from external sources, would force the Company to substantially curtail or cease operations and would, therefore, have a material adverse effect on its business. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that any such required funds, if available, will be available on attractive terms or that they will not have a significant dilutive effect on the Company’s existing stockholders.
Failure to secure additional financing in a timely manner and on favorable terms would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial performance, results of operations and stock price and require it to curtail or cease operations, sell off its assets, seek protection from its creditors through bankruptcy proceedings, or otherwise. Furthermore, additional equity financing may be dilutive to the holders of the Company’s Common Stock, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants, and strategic relationships, if necessary to raise additional funds, and may require that the Company relinquish valuable rights.
We are controlled by one principal stockholder who serves as our Chairman of the Board.
As of the date of this Annual Report, Mr. Theodore Ralston holds 1,364,141 shares of the Series A Preferred Stock. Each share of the Series A Preferred Stock is entitled to vote 1,000 votes per share, and as such Mr. Ralston controls approximately 81% of the vote, and the ability to control all other matters requiring the approval of our stockholders, including the election of all of our directors.
If we are unable to expand our base of customers, our future growth and operating results could be adversely affected.
We have committed and continue to commit resources to the expansion and increased marketing of our CitroTech™ product. If we are unable to market and sell our product to new customers, our ability to grow revenue and achieve profitability could be negatively impacted.
If we are unable to expand our base of materials suppliers, our future growth and operating results could be adversely affected.
We currently compound our product in-house with materials supplied from manufacturers. There are no contracts in place with the suppliers. We have committed resources to expanding our supplier base. If we are unable to obtain additional sources for our materials, it could limit our ability to grow revenue and achieve profitability.
Various factors outside our direct control may adversely affect suppliers and distribution of our product.
Changes that our suppliers may make outside the purview of our direct control can have an impact on our processes, quality of our product, and the successful delivery of our product to our customers. Mistakes and mishandling are not uncommon and can affect supply and delivery. Some of these risks include:
compliance with the required regulatory standards;
transportation risk;
the cost and availability of components and supplies;
delays in analytical results or failure of analytical techniques that we will depend on for quality control and release of product; and
natural disasters, labor disputes, financial distress, raw material availability, issues with facilities and equipment, or other forms of disruption to business operations affecting our suppliers.
If any of these risks were to materialize, our ability to provide our product to customers on a timely basis would be adversely impacted.
We are subject to the seasonality of wildfires that may occur and acts of God that are inconsistent and unpredictable.
Our business is highly dependent on the needs of commercial property owners, residential homeowners and government agencies to prevent fires and protect assets. As such, our financial condition and results of operations are significantly impacted by weather as well as environmental and other factors affecting climate change, which impact the number and severity of fires in any given year. Historically, sales of our product have been higher in the summer season of each calendar year due to weather patterns which we believe are generally correlated to a higher prevalence of wildfires; however, one example of an exception to this seasonality is the wildfires in Los Angeles, California during January 2025.
We rely on a small management team, and the loss of key personnel or their limited availability could materially and adversely affect our business
We rely heavily on the skills, experience, and continued services of a five-person management team to conduct and manage our business operations. Our management team consists of Wesley Bolsen, a member of our board of directors and our Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Hotsko, our Chief Operating Officer, Nanuk Warman, our Chief Financial Officer, Stephen Conboy, our Chief Technology Officer, and Anthony Newton, our General Counsel. Of these individuals, only Mr. Bolsen and Mr. Hotsko devote substantially all of their working time to the Company.
Our Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and General Counsel are not full-time employees and devote only a portion of their professional time to managing the Company’s affairs. As a result, we are particularly dependent on the continued availability and performance of a limited number of individuals, and we may experience difficulties in executing our business strategy, maintaining operational continuity, or responding effectively to unexpected challenges.
The loss of any member of our management team, the inability to attract and retain qualified replacement personnel on acceptable terms, or a reduction in the time commitment of any of our key personnel could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, our limited management resources may constrain our ability to scale our operations, implement internal controls and compliance functions, or pursue strategic opportunities. We do not maintain “key person” insurance for any member of our management team, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to mitigate the impact of any such loss or unavailability in a timely manner.
Since we have a limited operating history, it is difficult for potential investors to evaluate our business.
Our limited operating history makes it difficult for potential investors to evaluate our business or prospective operations. Since our formation in March of 1990, we have not generated enough revenues to exceed our expenses. MFB Ohio acquired MFB California’s portfolio of intellectual property in April 2022 and entered the fire retardant and fire suppression industry as of that date. As a result, we are subject to all the risks inherent in the initial organization, financing, expenditures, complications, and delays inherent in new business lines. Investors should evaluate an investment in us in light of the uncertainties encountered by developing companies in a competitive environment. Our business is dependent upon the implementation of our business plan. We may not be successful in implementing such a plan and cannot guarantee that, if implemented, we will ultimately be able to attain profitability.
Increased operating costs and obstacles to cost recovery due to the pricing and cancellation terms of our raw materials and support services contracts may constrain our ability to make a profit.
Our profitability can be adversely affected to the extent we are faced with cost increases for raw materials, wages, or other labor-related expenses, especially when we cannot recover such increased costs through increases in the prices for our product and services. In some cases, we will have to absorb any cost increases, which may adversely impact our operating results.
If we do not have sufficient product liability insurance, we may be subject to claims that are in excess of our net worth.
The Company currently has product liability insurance. However, in the event of major claims from the use of our product, it is possible that our product liability insurance will not be sufficient to cover claims against us. We cannot assure you that we will not face liability arising out of the use of our product which is significantly in excess of the limits of our product liability insurance. In such event, if we do not have the funds or access to the funds necessary to satisfy such liability, we may be unable to continue in business.
Our failure to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting could have an adverse impact on us .
We are required to establish and maintain appropriate internal controls over financial reporting. Failure to establish those controls, or any failure of those controls once established, could adversely impact our public disclosures regarding our business, financial condition, or results of operations. In addition, management’s assessment of internal controls over financial reporting may identify weaknesses and conditions that need to be addressed in our internal controls over financial reporting or other matters that may raise concerns for investors. Any actual or perceived weaknesses and conditions that need to be addressed in our internal control over financial reporting, disclosure of management’s assessment of our internal controls over financial reporting or disclosure of our public accounting firm’s attestation to or report on management’s assessment of our internal controls over financial reporting may have an adverse impact on the price of our Common Stock.
A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. In addition, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefit of controls must be relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no system of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within our Company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Further, controls can be circumvented by individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more persons, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is also based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, a control may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and may not be detected.
Presently, we have identified financial reporting internal control weaknesses relating to segregation of duties and various accounting processes. While we have improved our organizational capabilities, we still may not have a sufficient number of employees to segregate responsibilities and may be unable to afford further enhancements to our staff or engaging outside consultants or professionals further to fully mitigate these internal control deficiencies. During the course of our testing, we may identify other deficiencies that we may not be able to timely remediate. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our business and operating results could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, and the trading price of our common stock, if a market ever develops, could drop significantly.
Changes in consumer preferences or discretionary consumer spending could harm our performance.
The success of our business depends, in part, upon the continued popularity of our product, and shifts in these consumer preferences could negatively affect our future profitability.
Negative publicity over certain environmental products may adversely affect demand for our product and could result in a decrease in our revenues, which could materially harm our business. Additionally, our success depends, in part, on a builder preference for our product and, to an extent, on numerous factors affecting operational budgeting, including economic conditions and customer confidence.
A decline in operational budgeting or economic conditions could reduce guest traffic or impose practical limits on pricing, either of which could harm our business, financial condition, operating results, or cash flow.
We may become subject to potential claims for product liability.
Our business could expose us to claims for personal injury from contamination of our product. We believe that our product’s quality is carefully monitored through regular product testing, but we may be subject to liability as a result of customer or distributor misuse or storage. The Company maintains product liability insurance against certain types of claims in amounts which it believes to be adequate. The Company also maintains an umbrella insurance policy that it considers to be sufficient to cover claims made above its product liability insurance limits. Although no claims have been made against the Company or its distributors to date and the Company believes its current level of insurance to be adequate for its current business operations, it is possible that such claims will arise in the future, and the Company’s policies may not be sufficient to pay for such claims.
Increases in prices of commodities needed to manufacture our product could adversely affect profitability.
The ingredients and materials needed to manufacture and package our product are subject to the commodities markets’ normal price fluctuations. Any increase in the price of those ingredients and materials that cannot be passed along to the consumer will adversely affect our profitability. Any prolonged or permanent increase in the cost of the raw ingredients to manufacture our product may in the long term make it more difficult for us to earn a profit.
Risks Related to Regulatory and Legal Matters
Our product is provided to emergency services personnel and is intended to protect lives and property, so we are subject to heightened liability and reputational risks if our product fails to provide such protection as intended.
Our fire retardant product is provided to, among other customers, emergency services personnel and is intended to protect lives and property, so we are subject to heightened liability risks if our product fails to provide such protection. While our product is effective in retarding fires, there is no guarantee such product will be able to stop all fires due to their unpredictability and variation in size and/or speed in which a fire is burning. In addition, fires need to be fought with the cooperation and assistance of local fire authorities as well as the additional tools and resources that they bring. Therefore, while we recognize the importance of the role our product plays in these critical efforts, our product is not the only factor in fighting fires and therefore we cannot guarantee that our product will always be able to protect life and property. Any failure to do so could have an adverse effect on our business.
We manufacture a product used to help prevent fires from starting and protect assets. The product we manufacture may be used in applications and situations that involve high levels of risk of personal injury. Failure to use our product for its intended purpose, failure to use our product properly or the malfunction of our product could result in serious bodily injury or death of the user. In such cases, we may be subject to product liability claims arising from the design, manufacture or sale of our product. If these claims are decided against us, and we are found to be liable, we may be required to pay substantial damages, and our insurance costs may increase significantly as a result. We cannot assure you that our indemnity and insurance coverage would be sufficient to cover the payment of any potential claim. In addition, we cannot assure you that this or any other indemnity or insurance coverage will continue to be available or, if available, that we will be able to obtain insurance at a reasonable cost. Any material uninsured loss could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our product is subject to extensive government scrutiny and regulations, including the EPA and USDA Forest Service. There can be no assurance that such regulations will not change and that our product will continue to be approved for usage.
We are subject to regulations by federal government authorities. We need to pass the EPA audit process every three years, which is a rigorous process. In addition, we have to get listed on the USFS QPL list, which requires the product passing several tests and standards, including toxicity, corrosion and stability. We are also subject to ongoing reviews of our product, manufacturing processes and facilities by government authorities, and such agencies may at times be involved in challenges by outside groups, and as a result, the Company may be required to produce product data and comply with detailed regulatory requirements.
The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act modified the Toxic Control Substances Act (“TSCA”), by requiring the EPA, to prioritize and evaluate the environmental and health risks of existing chemicals and provided the EPA with greater authority to regulate chemicals posing unreasonable risks. According to this statute, the EPA is required to make an affirmative finding that a new chemical will not pose an unreasonable risk before such chemical can go into production. These laws and regulations increase the complexity and costs of transporting our product to our customers. Further changes to these and similar regulations could restrict our ability to expand, build or acquire new facilities, require us to acquire costly control equipment, cause us to incur expenses associated with remediation of contamination, cause us to modify our manufacturing or shipping processes or otherwise increase our cost of doing business and have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the adoption of new laws, rules or regulations related to climate change poses risks that could harm our results of operations or affect the way we conduct our businesses. For example, new or modified regulations could require us to make substantial expenditures to enhance our environmental compliance efforts. New or stricter laws and regulations may be introduced that could result in additional compliance costs and prevent or inhibit the development, manufacture, distribution and sale of our product. Such outcomes could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our product or facility could have environmental impacts and side effects.
If the product we sell does not have the intended effects, our business may suffer and it may be subject to product liability or other legal actions. Our product contains innovative combinations of materials. We have received third-party testing demonstrating the reduced toxicity and flammability of our product, however, this is limited in scope and therefore, does not present all the potential side effects and/or the product’s interaction with animal biochemistry. In a UL GreenGuard Certification Program Profile Study Test Report dated June 21, 2022, UL determined that our product contained less than 0.001 parts per million of formaldehyde and total aldehydes. As a result, while our product could have minimal impact on the environment, the scope of that impact is currently unknown.
Legal and regulatory claims, investigations and proceedings may be initiated against us in the ordinary course of business. The outcomes and the amounts of any damages awarded, or fines or penalties assessed, cannot be predicted, and could have a material adverse effect on our reputation as well as our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be the subject of litigation by customers, suppliers and other third parties. A significant judgment against us, the loss of a significant permit, license or other approval, or a significant fine, penalty or contractual dispute could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Litigation is expensive, time consuming and may divert management’s attention away from the operation of the business. The outcome of litigation can never be predicted with certainty and an adverse outcome in any of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our reputation as well as our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Relating to Our Indebtedness
We are highly leveraged.
As of December 31, 2025, our outstanding indebtedness was $3,022,673. This indebtedness includes: (i) principal amount of $375,000 ($219,321, net of discount of $155,679) incurred in connection with convertible notes issued during July 2024 to February 2025; (ii) a $2,000,000 ($1,285,400, net of discount of $714,600) convertible note issued to a related party; (iii) $163,281 incurred in connection with financing loans for the purchase of work vehicles; (iv) $167,971 for accrued interest related party; and (v) $316,321 recorded as accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
The material terms of the convertible notes issued during July 2024 to February 2025: (i) a 12-month maturity; (ii) 10% interest per annum, capitalized on the maturity date; (iii) conversion rights in the amount of the principal, divided by a fixed conversion rate of 2.40; and (iv) warrant coverage at the rate of 0.20834 shares of Common Stock for each dollar of principal, at an exercise price of $3.00 per share.
The convertible note to a related party was issued in February 2025 to BoltRock Holdings, LLC. The convertible note was amended in February 2026 and extended to April 28, 2026, including an amendment fee of 1% added to principal and accrued interest, and the termination of the pledge agreement on certain intellectual property held by the Company. The material terms of this convertible note are: (i) April 28, 2026 maturity; (ii) 10% interest per annum, capitalized on the maturity date; (iii) conversion rights in the amount of the principal, divided by a fixed conversion rate of 2.40; and (iv) warrant coverage at the rate of 0.20834 shares of Common Stock for each dollar of principal, at an exercise price of $3.00 per share.
Our leverage could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industries, expose us to interest rate risk to the extent of our variable rate debt and prevent us from meeting our obligations. This degree of leverage could have significant consequences, including:
requiring a substantial portion of cash flow from operations to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest our indebtedness, thereby reducing our ability to use our cash flow to fund our operations, capital expenditures, and future business opportunities;
limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, acquisitions, and general corporate or other purposes; and
limiting our ability to adjust to changing market conditions and placing us at a disadvantage compared to our nearest market competitor.
We could incur additional indebtedness in the future. If new indebtedness is added to our current debt levels, the related risks we now face could increase.
If due to such a deterioration in our financial performance, our cash flows and capital resources were to be insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures, or to sell assets, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. These alternative measures may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. In addition, if we were required to raise additional capital in the current financial markets, the terms of such financing, if available, could result in higher costs and greater restrictions on our business. If we were to need to refinance our existing indebtedness, the conditions in the financial markets at that time could make it difficult to refinance our existing indebtedness on acceptable terms or at all. If such alternative measures proved unsuccessful, we could face substantial liquidity problems.
Risks Relating to our Common Stock and Securities
Our stock price has fluctuated in the past, has recently been volatile and may be volatile in the future, and as a result, investors in our Common Stock could incur substantial losses.
Our stock price has fluctuated in the past, has recently been volatile and may be volatile in the future. We may incur rapid and substantial decreases in our stock price in the foreseeable future that are unrelated to our operating performance or prospects. The market price for our Common Stock may be influenced by many factors, including the following:
investor reaction to our business strategy;
the success of competitive products or technologies;
regulatory or legal developments in the United States, especially changes in laws or regulations applicable to our product;
variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us;
our ability or inability to raise additional capital and the terms on which we raise it;
declines in the market prices of stocks generally;
our public disclosure of the terms of any financing which we consummate in the future;
our failure to become profitable;
our failure to raise working capital;
cancellation of key contracts;
our failure to meet financial forecasts we publicly disclose;
trading volume of our Common Stock;
sales of our Common Stock by us or our stockholders; and
general economic, industry and market conditions.
These broad market and industry factors may seriously harm the market price of our Common Stock, regardless of our operating performance. Since the stock price of our Common Stock has fluctuated in the past, has been recently volatile and may be volatile in the future, investors in our Common Stock could incur substantial losses. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against companies. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. There can be no guarantee that our stock price will remain at current prices or that future sales of our Common Stock will not be at prices lower than those sold to investors.
Additionally, recently, securities of certain companies have experienced significant and extreme volatility in stock price due to short sellers of shares of Common Stock, known as a “short squeeze.” These short squeezes have caused extreme volatility in those companies and in the market and have led to the price per share of those companies to trade at a significantly inflated rate that is disconnected from the underlying value of the company. Many investors who have purchased shares in those companies at an inflated rate face the risk of losing a significant portion of their original investment as the price per share has declined steadily as interest in those stocks have abated. While we have no reason to believe our shares would be the target of a short squeeze, there can be no assurance that we won’t be in the future, and you may lose a significant portion or all of your investment if you purchase our shares at a rate that is significantly disconnected from our underlying value.
Market prices for our Common Stock will be influenced by a number of factors, including:
the issuance of new equity securities of the Company pursuant to a future offering, including issuances of preferred stock;
the introduction of new products or services by us or our nearest market competitor;
changes in interest rates;
competitive developments, including announcements by our nearest market competitor of new products or services or significant contracts, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;
variations in our quarterly operating results;
change in financial estimates by securities analysts;
a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our Company;
the depth and liquidity of the market for our shares of Common Stock;
sales of large blocks of our Common Stock, including sales by our major stockholders, any executive officers or directors appointed in the future, or by other significant stockholders;
investor perceptions of our Company; and
market price fluctuations may negatively affect the ability of investors to sell our shares at consistent prices.
General Business Risks
We will be increasingly dependent on information technology, and our systems and infrastructure face certain risks, including cybersecurity and data leakage risks.
Significant disruptions to our information technology systems or breaches of information security could adversely affect our business. In the ordinary course of business, we will collect, store and transmit confidential information, and it is critical that we do so in a secure manner to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of such information. The size and complexity of our information technology systems, and those of third-party vendors, make such systems potentially vulnerable to service interruptions and security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees, partners or vendors. These systems are also vulnerable to attacks by malicious third parties and may be susceptible to intentional or accidental physical damage to the infrastructure maintained by us or by third parties. Maintaining the secrecy of confidential, proprietary and/or trade secret information is important to our competitive business position. While we have taken steps to protect such information and have invested in systems and infrastructures to do so, there can be no guarantee that our efforts will prevent service interruptions or security breaches in our systems or the unauthorized or inadvertent wrongful use or disclosure of confidential information that could adversely affect our business operations or result in the loss, dissemination or misuse of critical or sensitive information. The increasing sophistication and frequency of cybersecurity threats, including targeted data breaches, ransomware attacks designed to encrypt our data for ransom and other malicious cyber activities, pose a significant risk to the integrity and confidentiality of our data systems. A breach of our security measures or the accidental loss, inadvertent disclosure, unapproved dissemination, misappropriation or misuse of trade secrets, proprietary information or other confidential information, whether as a result of theft, hacking, fraud, trickery or other forms of deception, or for any other cause, could enable others to produce competing products, use our proprietary technology or information, and/or adversely affect our business position. Further, any such interruption, security breach, loss or disclosure of confidential information could result in financial, legal, business and reputational harm to us and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and/or cash flow.
We could become subject to litigation that could be costly, result in the diversion of management’s time and efforts, require us to pay damages, and/or prevent us from developing or marketing our existing product or future products.
Our commercial success will depend in part on not having any adverse environmental claims, whether relating to product failure, violating the rights of third parties or violating applicable law. Any litigation or claim against us, even those without merit, may cause us to incur substantial costs, and could place a significant strain on our financial resources, divert the attention of management from our core business, and harm our reputation. Further, as the number of participants in the environmental industry grows, the possibility of claims against us increases. If we are found to violate applicable law or the rights of third parties, we could be required to pay substantial damages, including treble, or triple, damages if an infringement is found to be willful, and/or royalties and could be prevented from selling our product.
We could become subject to patent litigation that could be costly, result in the diversion of management’s time and efforts, require us to pay damages, and/or prevent us from developing or marketing our existing product or future products.
Our commercial success will depend in part on not infringing the patents or violating the other proprietary rights of third parties. Any litigation or claim against us, even those without merit, may cause us to incur substantial costs, and could place a significant strain on our financial resources, divert the attention of management from our core business, and harm our reputation. Further, as the number of participants in the environmental industry grows, the possibility of intellectual property infringement claims against us increases. If we are found to infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties, we could be required to pay substantial damages, including treble, or triple, damages if an infringement is found to be willful, and/or royalties and could be prevented from selling our product unless we obtain a license or are able to redesign our product to avoid infringement. Any such license may not be available on reasonable terms, if at all, and there can be no assurance that we would be able to redesign our product in a way that would not infringe the intellectual property rights of others. If we fail to obtain any required licenses or make any necessary changes to our product or technologies, we may have to withdraw our existing product from the market or may be unable to commercialize one or more of our future products, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. If passed into law, patent reform legislation currently pending in the U.S. Congress could significantly change the risks associated with bringing or defending a patent infringement lawsuit. For example, fee shifting legislation could require a non-prevailing party to pay the attorney fees of the prevailing party in some circumstances.
Our operating results and stock price may be volatile, and the market price of our Common Stock may decline.
Our quarterly operating results are likely to fluctuate in the future. In addition, securities markets worldwide have experienced, and are likely to continue to experience, significant price and volume fluctuations. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market or political conditions, could subject the market price of our shares to wide price fluctuations regardless of our operating performance. Our operating results and the trading price of our shares may fluctuate in response to various factors, including:
market conditions in our industry or the broader stock market;
actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly financial and operating results;
issuance of new or changed securities analysts’ reports or recommendations;
sales, or anticipated sales, of large blocks of our stock;
additions or departures of key personnel;
regulatory or political developments;
litigation, litigation-related indemnification and governmental investigations;
investors’ perception of us;
events beyond our control, such as weather and war; and
any default on our indebtedness.
These and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, may cause our operating results and the market price and demand for our shares to fluctuate substantially. Fluctuations in our quarterly operating results could limit or prevent investors from readily selling their shares and may otherwise negatively affect the market price and liquidity of our shares. In addition, in the past, when the market price of a stock has been volatile, holders of that stock have sometimes instituted securities class action litigation against the company that issued the stock. If any of our stockholders brought a lawsuit against us, we could incur substantial costs defending the lawsuit. Such a lawsuit could also divert the time and attention of our management away from our business, which could significantly harm our profitability and reputation.
The availability of shares for sale in the future could reduce the market price of our Common Stock.
In the future, we may issue securities to raise cash for acquisitions or otherwise. We may also acquire interests in other companies by using a combination of cash and Common Stock or just Common Stock. We may also issue securities convertible into our Common Stock. Any of these events may dilute your ownership interest in our Company and adversely impact our Common Stock’s price.
Also, sales of a substantial amount of our Common Stock in the public market or the perception that these sales may occur could reduce our Common Stock’s market price and impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of our securities.
The indemnification provisions in our Articles of Incorporation and bylaws under Wyoming law may result in substantial expenditures by our Company and may discourage lawsuits against our directors, officers, and employees.
As permitted by Wyoming law, our Articles of Incorporation provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers against expenses and liabilities they incur to defend, settle or satisfy any civil or criminal action brought against them on account of their being or having been directors or officers of us, unless, in any such action, they are adjudged to have acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct. We may also have contractual indemnification obligations under our agreements with our directors, officers, and employees. These indemnification obligations could result in our Company incurring substantial expenditures to cover the cost of settlement or damage awards against directors, officers, and employees that we may not recoup.
Pursuant to the laws of the State of Wyoming, our Articles of Incorporation exclude personal liability for its directors for monetary damages based upon any violation of their fiduciary duties as directors, except as to liability for any breach of the duty of loyalty, acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, acts in violation of the Wyoming Business Corporation Act, or any transaction from which a director receives an improper personal benefit.
This exclusion of liability does not limit any right, which a director may have to be indemnified, and does not affect any director’s liability under federal or applicable state securities laws.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the Company pursuant to provisions of the State of Wyoming, the Company has been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
We are classified as a “smaller reporting company,” and we cannot be sure if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies will make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.
We are currently a “smaller reporting company.” Specifically, smaller reporting companies may provide simplified executive compensation disclosures in their filings; are exempt from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, and have certain other decreased disclosure obligations in their SEC filings. Reduced disclosures in our SEC filings due to our status as a “smaller reporting company” may make it harder for investors to analyze our results of operations and financial prospects.
Because directors and officers currently and for the foreseeable future will continue to control the Company, you will not likely be able to elect directors or have any say in the Company’s policies.
Our stockholders are not entitled to cumulative voting rights. Consequently, a majority vote will decide the election of directors and all other matters requiring stockholder approval. As long as the Series A Preferred Stock is outstanding, the preferred stock will have voting rights representing 1,000 votes for each share of Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding. Theodore Ralston, who is our Chairman of the Board of Directors, holds 1,364,141 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock and has voting control of the Company. Mr. Theodore Ralston holds 1,364,141 shares of the Series A Preferred Stock, and as such Mr. Ralston controls approximately 81.4% of the vote and the ability to control all other matters requiring the approval of our stockholders, including the election of all of our directors.
We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NYSE American listing standards and, as a result, we qualify for, and rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. As a result, you do not and may not in the future have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to such requirements.
We have share structure which allows our Chairman of the Board, Theodore Ralston, to control a majority of the voting power of our common equity. As a result, we qualify as a “controlled company” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the NYSE American. Under these rules, a listed company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company.” As a controlled company, we elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, specifically (i) that a majority of our Board consist of independent directors and (ii) that director nominees be selected or recommended to the Board by independent directors. Although we do not expect to rely on the “controlled company” exemptions, we may at any time after the date of this report elect to avail ourselves of one or more additional controlled company exemptions provided that we continue to qualify as a controlled company. To the extent we rely on any of these exemptions, holders of our Common Stock will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the NYSE American and we cannot predict the impact this may have on the price of our Common Stock.
We do not expect to pay dividends in the future; any return on investment may be limited to our Common Stock’s value.
We do not currently anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends on our Common Stock will depend on earnings, financial condition, and other business and economic factors affecting it at such time as the Board of Directors may consider relevant. Our current intention is to apply net earnings, if any, in the foreseeable future to increase our capital base and development and marketing efforts.
There can be no assurance that we will ever have sufficient earnings to declare and pay dividends to the holders of our Common Stock, and in any event, a decision to declare and pay dividends is at the sole discretion of our Board of Directors. If we do not pay dividends, our Common Stock may be less valuable because a return on your investment will only occur if our stock price appreciates.
Because our Company has anti-takeover mechanisms through the issuance of our Series A Preferred Stock, which votes with the Common Stock together as a single class, this preference could have a negative impact on other stockholders in voting on matters of the Company.
Our stockholders are not entitled to cumulative voting rights. Consequently, a majority vote will decide the election of directors and all other matters requiring stockholder approval. As long as the Series A Preferred Stock is outstanding, the preferred stock will have voting rights representing 1,000 votes for each share of Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding. Theodore Ralston, who is our Chairman of the Board of Directors, controls a super-majority of the outstanding shares of our Series A Preferred Stock and will continue to have, voting control of the Company. Mr. Ralston has the ability to influence significantly all matters requiring approval by our stockholders. Mr. Ralston may have interests that differ from other stockholders, and they may vote in a way with which other stockholders disagree and either or both may be adverse in the future to the interests of other stockholders. The concentration of ownership of our voting securities may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change of control of our Company, could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their securities as part of a sale of our Company.
Our Series A Preferred Stock may lead to conflicts of interest and could negatively impact the price of our securities.
Except as otherwise required by law or by the Articles of Incorporation and except as set forth below, the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to vote together with the shares of Common Stock and other voting securities of the Company as a single class. Mr. Ralston, our Chairman of the Board of Directors, owns 1,364,141 shares of our Series A Preferred Stock and will continue to have voting control of the Company and the ability to influence significantly all matters requiring approval by our stockholders. Mr. Ralston may have interests that differ from other stockholders, and may vote in a way with which other stockholders disagree and either or both may be adverse in the future to the interests of other stockholders. The concentration of ownership of our voting securities may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change of control of our Company, could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their securities as part of a sale of our Company, and consequently may affect the market price of our Common Stock. This concentration of ownership of our voting securities may also have the effect of influencing the completion of a change in control that may not necessarily be in the best interests of all of our stockholders. Also, the voting power of our Series A Preferred Stock means that Mr. Ralston will continue to control who is elected to serve on the Board of Directors, and other stockholders will have no say in the Company’s policies.
