ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below together with all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”), including our financial statements and the related notes and the information described in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and in our other filings with the SEC. If any of the events described below actually occurs, our business, results of operations, financial conditions, cash flows or prospects could be harmed. If that were to happen, you could lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business.
Summary of Risk Factors
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in this section below, that represent challenges that we face in connection with the successful implementation of our strategy. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in more detail in the risk factors below, alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may have an adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition, and results of operations. Such risks include, but are not limited to:
We have a holding company ownership structure and will depend on distributions from our operating subsidiaries to meet our obligations.
Our business is capital intensive, requiring ongoing cash outlays that may strain or consume our available capital and force us to sell assets, incur debt, or sell equity on unfavorable terms.
Decreased availability or increased costs of key logistics and supply chain inputs, including third-party supplies of equipment and materials could impact our cost of operations and our profitability across business lines.
We face risks and challenges associated with our cold chain logistics services, including environmental, health, safety and quality control issues and increasing costs in developing the business.
We may not be able to successfully identify, source and develop in a timely fashion additional warehouse properties.
We expect to base our equipment and inventory purchasing decisions on our forecasts of customers’ demand, and if our forecasts are inaccurate, our operating results could be materially harmed.
We may need to raise substantial additional capital in the future in order to execute our business plan and help us and our collaboration partners fund the development and commercialization of our products.
Our management team has limited experience managing a public company.
We may acquire other businesses, products or technologies in order to remain competitive in our market and our business could be adversely affected as a result of any of these future acquisitions.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures, and internal control over financial reporting.
Changes in government regulation could adversely affect our business.
We rely upon certain critical information systems, including our Sentry platform, for the operation of our business; the failure of any critical information system could adversely impact our reputation and future revenues, and we may be required to increase our spending on data and system security.
Our agreements with global providers of shipping services may not result in a significant increase in our revenues or cash flow, soon or in the future.
We are subject to income taxes as well as non-income-based taxes, such as payroll, sales, use, value-added, net worth, property and goods and services taxes.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company, and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR COMPANY AND OUR BUSINESS
Historically, we have incurred significant losses and we may continue to incur losses in the future.
We generated a net loss of $(7,966,366) for the year ended December 31, 2025 and have historically incurred significant losses, including losses of $(2,293,648) for the year ended December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2025, we had an accumulated deficit of $(10,260,014). In order to achieve and sustain revenue growth in the future, we must expand our market presence and revenues from existing and new customers. We may continue to incur losses in the future and may never generate revenues sufficient to become profitable or to sustain profitability. Continuing losses may impair our ability to raise the additional capital required to continue and expand our operations.
We have a holding company ownership structure and will depend on distributions from our operating subsidiaries to meet our obligations. Contractual or legal restrictions applicable to our subsidiaries could limit payments or distributions from them.
We are a holding company and derive all of our operating income from, and hold substantially all of our assets through, our subsidiaries. The effect of this structure is that we will depend on the earnings of our subsidiaries, and the payment or other distributions to us of these earnings, to meet our obligations and make capital expenditures. Provisions of U.S. corporate and tax law, like those requiring that dividends are paid only out of surplus, and provisions of any future indebtedness may limit the ability of our subsidiaries to make payments or other distributions to us. Additionally, in the event of the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of any of our subsidiaries, creditors of that subsidiary (including trade creditors) will generally be entitled to payment from the assets of that subsidiary before those assets can be distributed to us.
We may not be able to effectively manage our growth and operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business.
We may experience rapid growth and development in a relatively short time span through our marketing efforts. The management of this growth will require, among other things, continued development of our financial and management controls and management information systems, stringent control of costs, increased marketing activities, the ability to attract and retain qualified management personnel, and the training of new personnel. We intend to hire additional personnel to manage our expected growth and expansion. Failure to successfully manage our possible growth and development could have a material adverse effect on our business and the value of our common stock.
Our business is capital intensive, requiring ongoing cash outlays that may strain or consume our available capital and force us to sell assets, incur debt, or sell equity on unfavorable terms.
Our ability to remain competitive, grow and maintain our operations largely depends on our cash flow from operations and access to capital. Maintaining our existing operations and expanding them through internal growth or acquisitions requires large capital expenditures. As we undertake more acquisitions and further expand our operations, the amount we expend on capital will increase. These increases in expenditures may result in lower levels of working capital or require us to finance working capital deficits. We intend to continue to fund our cash needs through cash flow from operations, equity and debt financings and borrowings under our credit facility, if necessary. However, we may require additional equity or debt financing to fund our growth.
We do not have complete control over our future performance because it is subject to general economic, political, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors. It is possible that our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations, and we may not otherwise have the capital resources to allow us to make necessary capital expenditures. If this occurs, we may have to sell assets, restructure our debt or obtain additional equity capital, which could be dilutive to our stockholders. We may not be able to take any of the foregoing actions, and we may not be able to do so on terms favorable to us or our stockholders.
Decreased availability or increased costs of key logistics and supply chain inputs, including third-party supplies of equipment and materials could impact our cost of operations and our profitability across business lines.
We depend on reliable access to third-party supplies of equipment and materials, including refrigeration, storage and electrical equipment. The supplier base providing cold chain and food processing and warehouse equipment and materials is relatively consolidated, which has resulted in a limited number of suppliers for certain types of equipment and supplies. Conversely, the market for third-party transportation services is fragmented with a large number of service providers, and it can be difficult to find reliable partners whose performance and reliability meet our standards at the scale our operations require. Any significant reduction in availability or increase in cost of any logistics and supply chain inputs could adversely affect our operations and increase our costs, which could adversely affect our operating results and cash flows.
Our business and rent-to-rent model require significant capital expenditure and inability to collect service fee from our customers in a timely manner or at all would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.
We utilize a rent-to-rent model, under which we obtain the right to use of warehouses that are usually in bare-bones condition by way of operating lease, or service agreement, and then offer the right to use to our customers after renovation. Therefore, we are subject to the risks inherent in a rent-to-rent model, including:
upfront capital outlay for warehouse sourcing and renovation;
ongoing capital needs to maintain warehouses;
inability to collect service fee from our customers in a timely manner or at all; and
mismatch between our service agreement term with landlords or land occupiers, and our service agreement term with our customers.
Any one or more of these factors could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We generally incur a substantial upfront capital outlay before we start to generate revenue on the relevant warehouses which we offer the right to use to our customers. These include capital outlay for market research and evaluation of the target geographic area for expansion, warehouse searching, prepayment of a few months’ service fee to the landlords or land occupiers, and renovation of the warehouse that are usually in bare-bone condition, including to add cold chain and food processing functions, and make them suitable for our customers’ needs. We follow a disciplined and systematic process to expand our warehouse network, involving comprehensive market research, site visits and other preparation work, during which period we may incur substantial operating costs and expenses. In addition, the period between when we sign the service agreement with the landlord or land occupier and when we receive service fee payments from our customers may be significantly longer than expected due to some factors that are beyond our control, including but not limited to, substantial delay during the renovation period due to third-party contractors’ default, and inability to attract and retain customers in a timely manner due to rental market condition. Inability to timely access financing on favorable terms or at all or to collect service fee from our customers in a timely manner or at all would materially and affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.
We face risks and challenges associated with our cold chain logistics services, including environmental, health, safety and quality control issues and increasing costs in developing the business.
Our cold chain logistics services focus on a myriad of products, relying on our comprehensive cold chain logistics service capabilities in terms of storage network, transportation network and distribution network. Our extensive cold chain logistics network enables us to provide integrated cold chain logistics services to our customers.
We store frozen and perishable medical and other products. Product contamination, spoilage, other adulteration, product tampering or other quality control issues could occur at any of our temperature-controlled warehouses or during the transportation of these products, which could cause our customers to lose all or a portion of their inventory.
We could be liable for the costs incurred by our customers as a result of the lost inventory, and we also may be subject to liability, which could be material, if any of the pharmaceutical products, frozen and other perishable products we stored or transported caused illness or death. The occurrence of any of the foregoing may negatively impact our brand and reputation and otherwise have a material adverse effect on us.
If we fail to comply with applicable environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in relation to our cold chain logistics services, we may face administrative, civil or criminal fines or penalties, including bans on making future shipments in particular geographic areas, and the suspension or revocation of necessary permits, licenses and authorizations, all of which may materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Further, current and future environmental, health and safety laws, regulations and permit requirements could require us to make changes to our operations or incur significant costs relating to compliance.
We depend on the availability of certain component products used in our solutions; delays or increased costs in the procurement of components manufactured by third parties could adversely affect our business operations, financial performance and results of operations, and we may experience customer dissatisfaction and harm to our reputation.
If we fail to procure sufficient components used in our products from our third-party manufacturers, we may be unable to deliver our solutions to our customers on a timely basis, which could lead to customer dissatisfaction and could harm our reputation and ability to compete. We currently acquire various component parts for our solutions from various independent manufacturers, some of which are sole sourced. We would likely experience significant delays or cessation in producing some of these components if a labor strike, natural disaster, public health crisis, act of war or other supply disruption were to occur. If we are unable to procure a component from one of our manufacturers, we may be required to enter into arrangements with one or more alternative manufacturing companies, which may cause delays in producing components or result in significant increases in costs. To date, we have not experienced any material delay that has impacted our operations, but this does not mean that we will continue to have timely access to adequate supplies of essential materials and components in the future or that supplies of these materials and components will be available on terms when needed. If our vendors for these materials and components are to meet our requirements, to make shipments in a timely manner, or ship materials or components, we could experience a or in supply or to meet our contractual requirements, which would affect our results of operations and impact our cash flow and . Continued in our ability to produce and deliver our products and services could also cause our customers to purchase alternative products and services from our competitors and/or our reputation.
We will have difficulty increasing our revenues if we experience delays, difficulties or unanticipated costs in establishing the sales, marketing and distribution capabilities necessary to successfully commercialize our solutions.
We plan to further enhance our sales, marketing and distribution capabilities in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. It will be expensive and time-consuming for us to develop and integrate our global marketing and sales network and thus we intend to further broaden our strategic alliances with domestic and international providers of shipping services and other solutions providers to the life sciences industry to incorporate use of our platform of solutions in their service offerings. We may not be able to provide adequate incentive to our sales force or to establish and maintain favorable distribution and marketing collaborations with others to promote our solutions. In addition, any third party with whom we have established a marketing and distribution relationship may not devote sufficient time to the marketing and sales of our solutions, thereby exposing us to potential expenses in exiting such distribution agreements. We, and any of our alliance partners, must also market our services in compliance with federal, state, local and international laws relating to the provision of incentives and inducements. Violation of these laws can result in substantial . Therefore, if we are to motivate and expand our marketing and sales and further develop our sales and marketing capabilities, or if our partners to promote our solutions, we will have increasing our revenues and the revenue may not offset the additional expense of expansion.
We may not be able to successfully identify, source and develop in a timely fashion additional warehouse properties.
Under our rent-to-rent model, we may not be successful in identifying and obtaining the right to use of additional warehouse properties at desirable locations and on commercially reasonable terms or at all. We may also incur costs in connection with evaluating warehouse properties and negotiating with property owners, including properties which we are subsequently unable to obtain the right to use. In addition, we may not be able to develop additional warehouse properties on a timely basis due to construction delays or equipment and material shortages. If we fail to successfully identify, secure or develop in a timely fashion additional warehouse properties, our ability to execute our growth strategy could be impaired and our business and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.
Our products and services may expose us to liability in excess of our current insurance coverage.
Our platform of products and services involve significant risks of liability, which may substantially exceed the revenues we derive from them. We cannot predict the magnitude of these potential liabilities. We currently maintain general liability insurance and product liability insurance. Claims may be made against us that exceed the limits of these policies.
Our liability policy is an “occurrence” based policy. Thus, our policy is complete when we purchased it and following cancellation of the policy it continues to provide coverage for future claims based on conduct that took place during the policy term. Our insurance coverage, however, may not protect us against all liability because our policies typically have various exceptions to the claims covered and also require us to assume some costs of the claim even though a portion of the claim may be covered. In addition, if we expand into new markets, we may not be aware of the need for, or be able to obtain insurance coverage for such activities or, if insurance is obtained, the dollar amount of any liabilities incurred could exceed our insurance coverage. A partially or completely uninsured claim, if successful and of significant magnitude, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we use biological and hazardous materials in a manner that causes injury, we could be liable for damages.
Our customers may ship potentially harmful biological materials in our dewars. We cannot eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury to employees or third parties from the use, storage, handling or disposal of these materials. In the event of contamination or injury, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources or any applicable insurance coverage we may have. Additionally, we are subject to, on an ongoing basis, federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the use, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and specified waste products. In the event of an accident, we could be held liable for damages.
We are subject to concentration risk.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, three customers, Customer 1 (58%), Customer 2 (10%), and Customer 3 (11%), accounted for approximately 79% of total revenues generated. For the year ended December 31, 2024, three customers, Customer 1 (51%), Customer 4 (18%) and Customer 2 (13%), accounted for approximately 82% of total revenues generated. We have long-term agreements with Customer 1, which expire under their existing terms in 2026 and 2029 years, respectively. In 2025, the Company experienced a reduction in revenue. Approximately $835,878 of the decrease was attributable to a significant customer temporarily suspending orders during the year. In addition, another customer significantly reduced its operations during 2025, and the Company no longer conducts business with that customer, which further contributed to the decline in revenue.
Because we depend on these customers for a significant percentage of our revenue, a loss of one or more of these customers could materially adversely affect our business and financial condition. If these principal customers cease using our services, our business could be materially adversely affected.
We expect to base our equipment and inventory purchasing decisions on our forecasts of customers’ demand, and if our forecasts are inaccurate, our operating results could be materially harmed.
As our customer base increases, we expect to need to purchase additional equipment and inventory. Our forecasts will be based on multiple assumptions, each of which may cause our estimates to be inaccurate, affecting our ability to provide products to our customers. When demand for our products increases significantly, we may not be able to meet demand on a timely basis, and we may need to expend a significant amount of time working with our customers to allocate limited supply and maintain positive customer relations, or we may incur additional costs in order to rush the manufacture and delivery of additional products. If we underestimate customers’ demand, we may forgo revenue opportunities, lose market share and damage our customer relationships. Conversely, if we overestimate customer demand, we may purchase more equipment and inventory than we are able to use or sell at any given time or at all. As a result of our failure properly to estimate demand for our products, we could have excess or equipment and/or inventory, resulting in a in the value of our equipment and/or inventory, which would increase our costs of revenues and reduce our liquidity. Our to accurately manage our equipment purchases and inventory relative to demand would affect our operating results.
If we experience delays or interruptions in shipping due to factors outside of our control, such disruptions could lead to customer dissatisfaction and harm our reputation.
We rely on third party shipment and carrier services to transport our shippers containing biological material. These third party operations could be subject to natural disasters, adverse weather conditions, other business disruptions, and carrier error, which could cause delays in the delivery of our shippers, which in turn could cause serious harm to the biological material being shipped. As a result, any prolonged delay in shipment, whether due to technical difficulties, power failures, break-ins, destruction or damage to carrier facilities as a result of a natural disaster, fire, or any other reason, could result in damage to the contents of the shipper. If we are to cause the delivery of our shippers in a timely matter and without , this could also our operating results and our reputation, even if we are not at .
We may need to raise substantial additional capital in the future in order to execute our business plan and help us and our collaboration partners fund the development and commercialization of our products. If we are unable to raise capital when needed, we may be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate products, programs, commercial efforts, or sales efforts.
We may need to finance future cash needs through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, or strategic collaboration and licensing or royalty arrangements. Our stockholders may consequently experience additional dilution, and debt financing, if available, and such financing may involve restrictive covenants and/or high interest rates. Regarding accessing additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to our products, processes, and technologies or to grant licenses on terms not necessarily favorable to us. If adequate funds are not available from the foregoing sources, we may consider additional strategic financing options, including sales of assets, or we may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate one or more of our research or development programs, or curtail some of our commercialization efforts. We may seek to access the public or private equity markets whenever conditions are favorable, even if we do not have an immediate need for additional capital.
We depend on our executive team and other employees to manage the business and the loss of one or more of these employees or an inability to attract and retain highly skilled employees could materially harm our business.
Our success depends largely upon the continued high performance of our executive team and other employees. We rely on our executive team for leadership in critical areas of our business, including product development, engineering, marketing, security, business development, and general and administrative functions. The loss of one or more of our executives or key employees would have an adverse effect on our business. From time to time, there may be changes in executives due to hiring or departures, which could disrupt our business. We do not have employment agreements with executives or other key personnel that require them to continue to work for us for any specified period and, therefore, they could terminate their employment at any time.
For example, we depend on our senior management, including Wayne Williams, our Founder and Chief Executive Officer. If we lose the services of one or more of our senior management and other key personnel, we may not be able to successfully manage our business, meet competitive challenges or achieve our growth objectives. Further, to the extent that our business grows, we will need to attract and retain additional qualified management personnel in a timely manner, and we may not be able to do so. Our future success depends on our continuing ability to identify, hire, develop, motivate, retain, and integrate highly skilled personnel in all areas of our organization.
Our management team has limited experience managing a public company.
Our management team has limited experience managing a publicly traded company, interacting with public company investors, and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies. These new obligations and constituents require significant attention from our management team and may divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business, which could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The loss of one or more of our key personnel, or our failure to attract and retain other highly qualified personnel in the future, could harm our business.
We depend on the leadership and experience of our relatively small number of key executive management personnel, particularly our Chief Executive Officer and President, Wayne Williams. The loss of the services of any of these key executives or any of our executive management members could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects, as we may not be able to find suitable individuals to replace such personnel on a timely basis or without incurring increased costs, or at all. Furthermore, if we lose or terminate the services of one or more of our key employees or if one or more of our current or former executives or key employees joins a competitor or otherwise competes with us, it could impair our business and our ability to successfully implement our business plan. Additionally, if we are unable to hire qualified replacements for our executive and other key positions in a timely fashion, our ability to execute our business plan would be harmed. Even if we can quickly hire qualified replacements, we would expect to experience operational and during any transition.
We may acquire other businesses, products or technologies in order to remain competitive in our market and our business could be adversely affected as a result of any of these future acquisitions.
We may make acquisitions of complementary businesses, products or technologies. If we identify any appropriate acquisition candidates, we may not be successful in negotiating acceptable terms of the acquisition, financing the acquisition, or integrating the acquired business, products or technologies into our existing business and operations. Further, completing an acquisition and integrating an acquired business will significantly divert management time and resources. The diversion of management attention and any difficulties encountered in the transition and integration process could harm our business. If we consummate any significant acquisitions using stock or other securities as consideration, our shareholders’ equity could be significantly diluted. If we make any significant acquisitions using cash consideration, we may be required to use a substantial portion of our available cash. Acquisition financing may not be available on favorable terms, if at all. In addition, we may be required to amortize significant amounts of other intangible assets in connection with future acquisitions, which would harm our operating results and financial condition.
We may not be able to compete with our competitors in the industry because many of them have greater resources than we do.
We expect to continue to experience significant and increasing levels of competition in the future. In addition, there may be other companies which are currently developing competitive products and services, or which may in the future develop technologies and products that are comparable, superior or less costly than our own. For example, some cryogenic equipment manufacturers and shippers with greater resources currently have solutions for storing and transporting cryogenic liquid and gases and may develop storage solutions that compete with our services/products. Additionally, some specialty couriers with greater resources currently provide dry ice transportation and may develop other products in the future, both of which compete with our products. A competitor that has greater resources than us may be able to bring its product to market faster than we can and offer its product at a lower price than us to establish market share. We may not be able to successfully compete with a competitor that has greater resources, and such competition may affect our business.
We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq rules and, as a result, qualify for an exemption from certain corporate governance requirements.
Mr. Williams and Dr. Croyle currently control collectively 62% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock. Mr. Williams controls approximately 42% of the voting power of our outstanding common stock and Dr. Croyle controls approximately 14% of such voting power, and as a result, we currently are, and will continue to be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards. Under Nasdaq rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by another person or group of persons acting together is a controlled company and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:
a majority of the board of directors consists of independent directors;
the nominating and corporate governance committee be composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities;
the compensation committee be composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and
there be an annual performance evaluation of the nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees.
Although we do not currently intend to avail ourselves of this exemption, these requirements will not apply to us as long as we remain a controlled company. Accordingly, you may not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq.
Any insurance coverage we have might not be sufficient and uninsured losses may occur.
We maintain minimum insurance coverage to protect us against a broad range of risks, at levels we believe are appropriate and consistent with current industry practice. Our objective is to exclude or minimize the risk of financial loss at a reasonable cost.
Nevertheless, we could still be subject to risks in the following areas, among others:
losses that might be beyond the limits, or outside the scope, of coverage of our insurance and that may limit or prevent indemnification under our insurance policies,
inability to maintain adequate insurance coverage on commercially reasonable terms in the future,
certain categories of risks are currently not insurable at a reasonable cost, and
no assurance of the financial ability of the insurance companies to meet their claim payment obligations.
Any one or more of these events could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position, profit, and cash flow.
Additionally, we cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be adequate for data security liabilities incurred, will cover any indemnification claims against us relating to any incident, will be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceed available insurance coverage, or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our customers could also become the target of litigation relating to the patent and other intellectual property rights of others.
Any litigation relating to the intellectual property rights of others could trigger technical support and indemnification obligations in licenses or customer agreements that we may enter into. These obligations could result in substantial expenses, including the payment by us of costs and damages relating to claims of intellectual property infringement. In addition to the time and expense required for us to provide support or indemnification to our customers, any such litigation could disrupt the businesses of our customers, which in turn could hurt our relationships with such customers and cause the sale of our products to decrease. No assurance can be given that claims for indemnification will not be made, or that if made, such claims would not have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial conditions.
Changes in government regulation could adversely affect our business.
The Company is subject to legislation and regulation at the federal and local levels and, in some instances, at the state level. We expect that court actions and regulatory proceedings will continue to refine our rights and obligations under applicable federal, state, and local laws, which cannot be predicted. Modifications to existing requirements or imposition of new requirements or limitations could adversely impact our business.
We are subject to regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and various state regulatory agencies, and failure to comply with such regulations could harm our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
Certain of our operations are subject to regulation and licensing by the FDA and similar state regulatory agencies. In addition, we may in the future develop products, services, and procedures that may be subject to regulation by the FDA and similar state regulatory agencies. For example, we are VAWD Accredited by the National Association Boards of Pharmacy to provide specialized services including receipt, holding, consolidation, distribution, and recovery of your critical products internationally and domestically. We are compliant with regulation USP 1079/1083, FDA 21 CFR Part 11/210/211 & 820, ICHQ8/Q10.
The regulations enforced by the FDA and similar state regulatory agencies govern a wide variety of product-related activities, including the research, development, testing, manufacture, quality control, approval, clearance, labeling, packaging, storage, record-keeping, promotion, advertising, distribution, marketing, post-approval monitoring and reporting, pricing, and export and import of pharmaceutical products. If we or any of our customers, suppliers or distributors fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements or are perceived to potentially have failed to comply, we may face, among other things, warning letters; adverse publicity affecting both us and our customers; investigations or notices of non-compliance, fines, injunctions, and civil penalties; import or export restrictions; partial suspensions or total shutdown of facilities; loss of licenses or the imposition of operating restrictions; increased difficulty in obtaining required FDA clearances or approvals or foreign equivalents; seizures or of our products or those of our customers; or the to sell our services. Any such regulatory agency actions could our business and operations, lead to significant remedial costs and have a material impact on our financial position and results of operations.
Complying with certain regulations that apply to shipments using our solutions can limit our activities and increase our cost of operations.
Shipments using our solutions and services are subject to various regulations in the countries to which our customers require our products and service to be delivered. For example, shipments using our solutions may be required to comply with the shipping requirements promulgated by the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”), the Occupational Safety and Health Organization (“OSHA”), the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) as well as rules established by the International Air Transport Association (“IATA”) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (“ICAO”). Additionally, our data logger may be subject to regulation and certification by the FDA, Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), and the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”). We will need to ensure that our solutions and services comply with relevant rules and regulations to make our solutions and services marketable, and in some cases compliance is difficult to determine. Significant changes in such regulations could require costly changes to our solutions and services or prevent use of our shippers for an extended period of time while we seek to comply with changed regulations. If we are unable to comply with any of these rules or regulations or fail to obtain any required approvals, our ability to market our solutions and services may be adversely affected. In addition, even if we are to comply with these rules and regulations, compliance can result in increased costs. In either event, our financial results and condition may be affected. We depend on our business partners and unrelated and frequently unknown third party agents in foreign countries to act on our behalf to complete the importation process and to make delivery of our shippers to the final user. The of these third parties to perform their duties could result in to the contents of the shipper resulting in customer or liability to us, even if we are not at .
We, along with our customers, are subject to various governmental regulations and international standards. Compliance with or changes in such regulations may cause us to incur significant expenses, and if we fail to maintain satisfactory compliance with certain regulations, we may be forced to recall products and cease their manufacture and distribution, and we could be subject to civil or criminal penalties.
We, along with our customers, are subject to various significant federal, state and local regulations, including but not limited to regulations in the areas of health and safety, packaging, product content, employment, labor and immigration, foreign and domestic import/export controls, trade restrictions and anti-competition. In addition, as a global operator, we are subject to the International Organization for Standardization. We do not have contracts with any foreign customers. We do, however, contract with domestic entities that, from time to time, use our products and services when shipping to foreign locations.
We must also comply with complex foreign and U.S. laws and regulations, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and other local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to governmental officials, anti-competition regulations and sanctions imposed by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control and other similar laws and regulations. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines and penalties, criminal sanctions, restrictions on our business conduct and on our ability to offer our products in one or more countries, and could also materially affect our brand, our ability to attract and retain employees, our international operations, our business and our operating results. Although we will implement policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that our employees, contractors, or agents will not violate our policies.
These regulations are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more stringent over time. We may be required to incur significant expenses to comply with these regulations or to remedy any violations of these regulations. Any failure by us to comply with applicable government regulations could also result in the cessation of our operations or portions of our operations, product recalls or impositions of fines and restrictions on our ability to carry on or expand our operations. In addition, because many of our products are regulated or sold into regulated industries, we must comply with additional regulations in marketing our services. Any significant change in these regulations could reduce demand for our services or products, force us to modify our services to comply with new regulations or increase our costs of producing these products. If demand for our products is adversely affected or our costs increase, our operating results and business would suffer.
We rely upon certain critical information systems, including our Sentry platform, for the operation of our business; the failure of any critical information system could adversely impact our reputation and future revenues, and we may be required to increase our spending on data and system security.
We rely upon certain critical information systems, including our Sentry platform which is used by us for our customers and business partners to automate the entry of orders, prepare customs documentation and facilitate status and location monitoring of shipped orders while in transit. In addition, the provision of services to our customers and the operation of our networks and systems involve the storage and transmission of significant amounts of proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data, including personal information of customers, employees and others. Our technology infrastructure and critical information systems are subject to damage or interruption from a number of potential sources, including unauthorized intrusions, cyberattacks, software viruses or other malware, natural disasters, power failures, employee error or malfeasances and other events. Despite our best efforts, no cybersecurity or emergency recovery process is failsafe, and if our safeguards or our technology infrastructure or information systems are compromised, the safety and of our operations could be materially , our reputation could , and we could face additional costs, liabilities, legal .
Cyberattacks, data incidents and breaches in the security of our information systems and networks and of the electronic and confidential information in our possession could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations, in addition to our reputation and relationships with our employees, customers, suppliers and business partners.
As part of our normal business activities, we collect and store or have access to certain proprietary confidential, and personal information, including information about our employees, customers, suppliers and business partners, which may be entitled to protection under a number of regulatory regimes. The protection and security of our network systems and our own information, as well as information relating to our employees, customers, suppliers, business partners and others, is vitally important to us. Any failure of us to maintain the security of our network systems and the proprietary, confidential, and personal data in our possession, including via the penetration of our network security and the misappropriation of proprietary, confidential and personal information, could result in costly investigations and remediation, business disruption, damage to our reputation, financial obligations to third parties, fines, penalties, regulatory proceedings and private litigation with potentially large costs, and also result in deterioration in our employees’, customers’, suppliers’ and business partners’ confidence in us and other competitive , and thus could have a material effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The frequency, intensity, and sophistication of cyberattacks and data security incidents has significantly increased in recent years and is constant. As with many other businesses, we are continually subject to cyberattacks and the risk of data security incidents. Due to the increased risk of these types of attacks and incidents, we have implemented information technology and data security tools, measures, and processes designed to protect our networks systems, services, and the personal, confidential or proprietary information in our possession, and to ensure an effective response to any cyberattack or data security incident. We also have privacy and data security policies in place that are designed to detect, prevent, and/or mitigate cyberattacks and data security incidents. Whether or not these policies, tools, and measures are ultimately successful, the expenditures could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations and management’s attention from pursuing our strategic objectives. As newer technologies evolve, we could be to increased risks from , data security events, and data , including those from human , or or from or acts.
Although we take the security of our network systems and information seriously, there can be no assurance that the security measures we employ will effectively prevent unauthorized persons from obtaining unauthorized access to our systems and information due to the evolving nature and intensity of cyberattacks and threats to data security, in light of new and sophisticated tools and methods used by criminals and cyberterrorists to penetrate and compromise systems, including computer viruses, malware, ransomware, phishing, misrepresentation, social engineering and forgery, which make it increasingly challenging to anticipate, harder to detect, and more difficult to adequately mitigate these risks. While we have cyber security insurance, we may incur significant costs in the event of a successful cyber incident us or in responding to and recovering from a cyber that are not covered by, or exceed the limits of, such insurance. Additionally, the cost and operational consequences of implementing, maintaining and further data or system protection measures could increase significantly to increasingly intense, complex and sophisticated global cyber .
Expenses or liabilities resulting from litigation could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We may become party to various legal proceedings and other claims that arise in the ordinary course of business, or otherwise in the future. Such matters are subject to many uncertainties and outcomes are not predictable with assurance. In addition, any such claims or litigation may be time-consuming and costly, divert management resources, require us to change our platform, or have other adverse effects on our business. While we cannot assure the outcome of any legal proceeding or contingency in which we are or may become involved, we do not believe that any pending legal claim or proceeding arising in the ordinary course will be resolved in a manner that would have a material adverse effect on our business. However, if one or more of these legal matters resulted in an adverse monetary judgment against us, such a judgment could harm our results of operations and financial condition.
We operate in a competitive industry and if we cannot compete effectively, we will lose business.
We expect to continue to experience significant and increasing levels of competition in the future. While there are technological and marketing barriers to entry, we cannot guarantee that these barriers will be sufficient to defend our market share against current and future competitors. Our principal competitive considerations in our market include:
financial resources to allocate to proper marketing and an appropriate sales effort;
acceptance of our solutions model;
acceptance of our solutions including per use fee structures and other charges for services;
keeping up technologically with ongoing development of enhanced features and benefits;
the ability to develop and maintain and expand strategic alliances;
establishing our brand name;
our ability to deliver our solutions to our customers when requested; and
our timing of introductions of new solutions and services.
Our future revenue stream depends to a large degree on our ability to bring new solutions and services to market on a timely basis. We generally sell our products in industries that are characterized by increased competition through frequent innovation, rapid technological changes and changing industry standards. Without the timely introduction of new products, services and enhancements, our products and services may become obsolete over time, in which case our revenue and operating results could suffer.
There may also be other companies which are currently developing competitive products and services or which may in the future develop technologies and products that are comparable, superior or less costly than our own. For example, some specialty couriers and packaging manufacturers with greater resources currently provide temperature-controlled packaging solutions and may develop other products or solutions in the future, both of which compete with our products. A competitor that has greater resources than us may be able to develop and expand their networks and product offerings more quickly, devote greater resources to the marketing and sale of their solutions and adopt more aggressive pricing policies. We may not be able to successfully compete with a competitor that has greater resources, which may adversely affect our business.
We will have difficulty increasing our revenues if we experience delays, difficulties or unanticipated costs in establishing the sales, marketing and distribution capabilities necessary to successfully commercialize our solutions.
We plan to further enhance our sales, marketing and distribution capabilities in the Americas. It will be expensive and time-consuming for us to develop and integrate our global marketing and sales network and thus we intend to further broaden our strategic alliances with domestic and international providers of shipping services and other solutions providers to the life sciences industry to incorporate use of our platform of solutions in their service offerings. We may not be able to provide adequate incentive to our sales force or to establish and maintain favorable distribution and marketing collaborations with others to promote our solutions. In addition, any third party with whom we have established a marketing and distribution relationship may not devote sufficient time to the marketing and sales of our solutions, thereby exposing us to potential expenses in exiting such distribution agreements. We, and any of our alliance partners, must also market our services in compliance with federal, state, local and international laws relating to the provision of incentives and inducements. Violation of these laws can result in substantial . Therefore, if we are to motivate and expand our marketing and sales and further develop our sales and marketing capabilities, or if our partners to promote our solutions, we will have increasing our revenues and the revenue may not offset the additional expense of expansion.
Our agreements with global providers of shipping services may not result in a significant increase in our revenues or cash flow, soon or in the future.
We believe that establishing strategic alliances with global providers (integrators) of logistics and of shipping services, such as our agreements with FedEx, DHL, and UPS can drive growth in our revenues, but there is no certainty to this view. We are seeking to establish similar arrangements with other providers of international shipping services. We anticipate all such alliances will enable us to provide seamless, end-to-end shipping solutions to customers of our respective alliance partners and allow us to leverage the established relationships with those customers, but there is no guarantee this will happen.
Because our agreements with FedEx, DHL, and UPS do not contain any requirement that they use a minimum level of our services, there can be no assurance of any significant increase in our revenues or cash flows as a result of these strategic alliances.
If we use biological and hazardous materials in a manner that causes injury, we could be liable for damages.
Our customers may ship potentially harmful biological materials in our packages. We cannot eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury to employees or third parties from the use, storage, handling or disposal of these materials. In the event of contamination or injury, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources or any applicable insurance coverage we may have. Additionally, we are subject to, on an ongoing basis, federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the use, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and specified waste products. In the event of an accident, we could be held liable for damages.
Our products and services may contain errors or defects, which could result in damage to our reputation, lost revenues, diverted development resources and increased service costs, litigation and product recalls. These risks may be heightened when our products or services are used in connection with human reproductive medicine.
Our products and services must meet stringent requirements and we must develop our products and services solutions quickly to keep pace with the rapidly changing market. Products and services as sophisticated as ours could contain undetected errors or defects, especially when first introduced or when new equipment or versions of our software are released. If our products and services are not free from errors or defects, we may incur an injury to our reputation, lost revenues, diverted development resources, increased customer service and support costs, product recalls and litigation. The costs incurred in correcting any product errors or defects may be substantial and could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Due to the low temperatures at which some of our products are used and the fact that some of our products are relied upon by our customers or end users in their facilities or operations or are manufactured for relatively broad medical, transportation, or consumer use, we face an inherent risk of exposure to claims in the event that the failure, use, or misuse of our products results, or is alleged to result, in death, bodily injury, property or sample damage, or economic loss. The amount of damages for which we are potentially held liable for may be higher when our products or services are used in connection with human reproductive medicine than when they are used for other purposes. For example, in some states, damage to an embryo may be deemed wrongful death for which punitive or other damages may be awarded, which would not otherwise be available. In addition, we specialize in the secure storage of biological specimens, materials and samples covering the full range of temperatures from cryogenic through controlled room temperature. Any to these specimens, materials and samples may be attributed to a of our storage systems or services, which could lead to for made by customers and could also our relationship with customers and our reputation in the life sciences industry, resulting in material to our business.
Although we currently maintain product liability coverage, which we believe is adequate for product liability claims and for the continued operation of our business, it includes customary exclusions and conditions, may not cover certain specialized applications and generally does not cover warranty claims. Additionally, such insurance may become difficult to obtain or be unobtainable in the future on terms acceptable to us. A successful product liability claim or series of claims against us, including one or more consumer claims purporting to constitute class actions or claims resulting from extraordinary loss events, in excess of or outside our insurance coverage, or a significant warranty claim or series of claims against us, could materially decrease our liquidity, impair our financial condition, and affect our results of operations.
In addition, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, product liability claims may result in, among other things, costs of litigation, distraction of management’s attention from our primary business, the inability to commercialize our existing or new products, decreased demand for our products or, if cleared or approved, products in development, damage to our business reputation, product recalls or withdrawals from the market, withdrawal of clinical trial participants, substantial monetary awards to patients or other claimants, or loss of revenue.
While we may attempt to manage our product liability exposure by proactively recalling or withdrawing from the market any defective products, any recall or market withdrawal of our products may delay the supply of those products to our customers and may impact our reputation. We can provide no assurance that we will be successful in initiating appropriate market recall or market withdrawal efforts that may be required in the future or that these efforts will have the intended effect of preventing product malfunctions and the accompanying product liability that may result.
Damage to our reputation could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our reputation and the quality of our brand are critical to our business and success in existing markets and will be critical to our success as we enter new markets. Any incident that erodes consumer loyalty for our brand could significantly reduce its value and damage our business. We may be adversely affected by any negative publicity, regardless of its accuracy. Also, there has been a marked increase in the use of social media platforms and similar devices, including blogs, social media websites and other forms of internet-based communications that provide individuals with access to a broad audience of consumers and other interested persons. The availability of information on social media platforms is virtually immediate as is its impact. The information posted may be adverse to our interests or may be inaccurate, each of which may harm our performance, prospects or business. The may be immediate and may disseminate rapidly and broadly, without affording us an for or .
Changes in trade policy, tariff and import/export regulations may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our international operations and transactions depend upon favorable trade relations between the United States and the foreign countries in which our customers and suppliers have operations. It may be time consuming and expensive for us to adapt to any changes in U.S. or international social, political, regulatory and economic conditions or in laws and policies governing foreign trade, manufacturing, development and investment in the territories or countries where we currently sell our products or conduct our business. If such changes occur, this could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
For example, beginning in 2025, the current Trump administration instituted changes in trade policies that included the imposition of higher tariffs on imports into the U.S. and other government regulations affecting trade between the U.S. and other countries where we conduct our business, such as China and the European Union (EU), among others. In response, several countries have imposed, or threatened to impose, reciprocal tariffs on imports from the U.S. and other retaliatory measures. Various modifications to the U.S. tariffs have been announced and further changes could be made in the future, which may include additional sector-based tariffs or other measures. The ultimate impact remains uncertain and will depend on several factors, including whether additional or incremental U.S. tariffs or other measures are announced or imposed, to what extent other countries implement tariffs or other retaliatory measures in response, and the overall magnitude and duration of these measures. If disputes and conflicts further escalate, actions by governments in response could be significantly more severe and restrictive.
RISKS RELATED TO REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT AND TAXATION
We are subject to income taxes as well as non-income-based taxes, such as payroll, sales, use, value-added, net worth, property and goods and services taxes.
Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Although we believe that our tax estimates are reasonable: a) there is no assurance that the final determination of tax audits or tax disputes will not be different from what is reflected in our income tax provisions, expense amounts for non-income-based taxes and accruals, and b) any material differences could have an adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations in the period or periods for which determination is made.
We have made significant estimates and judgments in calculating our income tax provision and other tax assets and liabilities. If these estimates or judgments are incorrect, our operating results and financial condition may be materially affected.
We are subject to regular review and audit by tax authorities. Any adverse outcome of such a review or audit could negatively affect our operating results and financial condition. In addition, the determination of our provision for income taxes and other tax assets and liabilities requires significant judgment, and there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain at the present time. Although we believe our estimates and judgments are reasonable, the ultimate tax outcome may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may have a material effect on our operating results and financial condition.
Changes in tax laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in tax laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in 2017 contained significant changes to U.S. tax law, including a reduction in the corporate tax rate and a moved towards a new territorial system of taxation. The primary impact of the Tax Act on our provision for income taxes was a reduction of the future tax benefits of our deferred tax assets as a result of the reduction in the corporate tax rate. The impact of the Tax Act may be subject to ongoing technical guidance and accounting interpretation, which we will continue to monitor and assess. As we expand the scale of our business activities, any changes in the U.S. taxation of such activities may increase our effective tax rate and harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to taxes in the United States under federal, state and local jurisdictions in which we operate. The governing tax laws and applicable tax rates vary by jurisdiction and are subject to interpretation and macroeconomic, political or other factors. We may be subject to examination in the future by federal, state and local authorities on income, employment, sales and other tax matters. While we regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes from such examinations and the adequacy of our provision for taxes, there can be no assurance that such provision is sufficient and that a determination by a tax authority would not have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Various tax authorities may disagree with tax positions we take and if any such tax authorities were to successfully challenge one or more of our tax positions, the results could adversely affect our financial condition. Further, the ultimate amount of tax payable in a given financial statement period may be impacted by sudden or unforeseen changes in tax laws, changes in the mix and level of earnings by taxing jurisdictions, or changes to existing accounting rules or regulations. The determination of our overall provision for income and other taxes is inherently uncertain as it requires significant judgment around complex transactions and calculations. As a result, fluctuations in our ultimate tax obligations may differ materially from amounts recorded in our financial statements and could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations in the periods for which such determination is made.
Taxing authorities may successfully assert that we should have collected or in the future should collect sales and use, gross receipts, value-added or similar taxes and may successfully impose additional obligations on us, and any such assessments or obligations could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The application of indirect taxes, such as sales and use tax, value-added tax, goods and services tax, business tax and gross receipts tax, to platform businesses is a complex and evolving issue. Many of the fundamental statutes and regulations that impose these taxes were established before the adoption and growth of the internet and e-commerce. Significant judgment is required on an ongoing basis to evaluate applicable tax obligations and as a result, amounts recorded are estimates and are subject to adjustments. In many cases, the ultimate tax determination is uncertain because it is not clear how new and existing statutes might apply to our business. In addition, governments are increasingly looking for ways to increase revenue, which has resulted in discussions about tax reform and other legislative actions to increase tax revenue, including through indirect taxes. Such taxes could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
We may face various indirect tax audits in various U.S. jurisdictions. In certain jurisdictions, we collect and remit indirect taxes. However, tax authorities may raise questions about or challenge or disagree with our calculation, reporting or collection of taxes and may require us to collect taxes in jurisdictions in which we do not currently do so or to remit additional taxes and interest, and could impose associated penalties and fees. A successful assertion by one or more tax authorities requiring us to collect taxes in jurisdictions in which we do not currently do so or to collect additional taxes in a jurisdiction in which we currently collect taxes, could result in substantial tax liabilities, including taxes on past sales, as well as penalties and interest, could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we have reserved for potential payments of possible past tax liabilities in our financial statements, if these liabilities exceed such reserves, our financial condition will be harmed.
As a result of these and other factors, the ultimate amount of tax obligations owed may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and any such difference may adversely impact our results of operations in future periods in which we change our estimates of our tax obligations or in which the ultimate tax outcome is determined.
General Risk Factors
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company, and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (“the Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our registration statements, if applicable, and our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of our common stock pursuant to an effective registration statement, (ii) the last day of the first fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of at least $1.235 billion, (iii) the last day of the first fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million, and (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more .
Even after we no longer qualify as an “emerging growth company,” we may still qualify as a “smaller reporting company,” which would allow us to take advantage of many of the same exemptions from disclosure requirements, including not being required to comply with the independent auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our share price may be more volatile.
Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of this extended transition period to enable us to comply with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date we (i) are no longer an emerging growth company or (ii) affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
We are also a “smaller reporting company,” meaning that the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million and our annual revenue is less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year. We may continue to be a “smaller reporting company” until (i) the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million or (ii) our annual revenue is less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million as of the prior June 30. If we are a “smaller reporting company” at the time we cease to be an “emerging growth company,” we may continue to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are available to “smaller reporting companies.” Specifically, as a “smaller reporting company” we may choose to present only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and, similar to emerging growth companies, “smaller reporting companies” have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
Since our conversion from a limited liability company to a corporation, we have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock. We intend to continue with the same policy, and 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 in the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of our existing corporate debt agreements do, and any future debt agreements may preclude us from paying dividends. As a result, capital appreciation of our common stock, if any, will be the only way for stockholders to realize any future gains on their investment in the foreseeable future.
Future sales of a substantial number of our common stock or warrants by our existing stockholders could cause our stock price to decline.
We cannot predict what effect, if any, future sales of our securities, or the availability of securities for future sale, will have on the market price of our securities. Sales of substantial amounts of our securities in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could materially adversely affect the market price of our securities and may make it more difficult for you to sell your securities at a time and price which you deem appropriate.
Our common stock may be subject to the “penny stock” rules in the future. It may be more difficult to resell securities classified as “penny stock.”
Our common stock may be deemed a “penny stock” (as that term is defined under Rule 3a51-1 of the Exchange Act) in any market that may develop in the future. Generally, a “penny stock” is a common stock that is not listed on a securities exchange and trades for less than $5.00 a share. Prices often are not available to buyers and sellers and the market may be very limited. Penny stock in start-up companies is among the riskiest equity investments. Broker-dealers who sell penny stock must provide purchasers with a standardized risk-disclosure document prepared by the SEC. The document provides information about penny stock and the nature and level of risks involved in investing in the penny stock market. A broker must also provide purchasers with bid and offer quotations and information regarding broker and salesperson compensation and make a written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and obtain the purchaser’s written agreement to the purchase. Many brokers choose not to participate in penny stock transactions. If our common stock is deemed “penny stock”, because of penny stock rules, there may be less trading activity in any market that develops for our common stock in the future and stockholders are likely to have difficulty selling their shares.
Changes in accounting principles and guidance, or their interpretation, could result in unfavorable accounting changes or effects, including changes to our previously filed financial statements, which could cause our stock price to decline.
We prepare our financial statements in accordance with GAAP. These principles are subject to interpretation by the SEC and various bodies formed to interpret and create appropriate accounting principles and guidance. A change in these principles or guidance, or in their interpretations, may have a significant effect on our reported results and retroactively affect previously reported results.
