Item 1A. Risk Factors
Our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be affected by a number of factors including, but not limited to those set forth below. This discussion should be considered in conjunction with the discussion under the caption “Forward-Looking Statements” preceding Part I, the information set forth under Item 1, “Business” and with the discussion of the business included in Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” These risks comprise the material risks of which we are aware. If any of the events or developments described below or elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or in any documents that we subsequently file publicly were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. These disclosures reflect the Company’s beliefs and opinions as to factors that could materially and adversely affect the Company and its securities in the future. References to past events are provided by way of example only and are not intended to be a complete listing or a representation as to whether or not such factors have occurred in the past or their likelihood of occurring in the future.
FINANCIAL AND GENERAL BUSINESS RISKS
There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern and a failure to obtain financing could prevent us from executing our business plan or operate as a going concern.
As December 31, 2025, we had cash of $37,136, a working capital deficit of $5,461,724 and an accumulated deficit of $50,539,218. Based on our current business plan, management believes that our available cash and cash equivalents will not be sufficient to fund our operations for the next twelve months from the issuance of the financial statements that are included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K without generating sufficient cash flows from operations and by raising additional capital from outside sources. These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. In addition, our current operating plan is based on current assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect.
The Company believes it will require additional financing during the first half of 2026. There can be no assurance that any financing by us can be realized, or if realized, what the terms of any such financing may be, or that any amount that we are able to raise will be adequate. A failure to obtain additional financing could prevent us from making necessary expenditures for advancement and growth to partner with businesses and hire additional personnel. If we raise additional financing by selling equity, or convertible debt securities, the relative equity ownership of our existing investors could be diluted, or the new investors could obtain terms more favorable than previous investors. If we raise additional funds through debt financing, we could incur significant borrowing costs and be subject to adverse consequences in the event of a default.
These conditions raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year after the date that the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025 are issued. Our ability to fund working capital, make capital expenditures, and service our debt depends on our ability to generate cash from operating activities, which is subject to its future operating success, and obtain financing on reasonable terms, which is subject to factors beyond our control, including general economic, political, and financial market conditions. The capital markets have in the past experienced, are currently experiencing, and may in the future experience, periods of upheaval that could impact the availability and cost of financing and there can be no assurances that such financing will be available to the Company on satisfactory terms, or at all. The Company’s plans to alleviate the conditions that raise substantial doubt include raising additional capital, delaying certain capital expenditures and eliminating certain future operating expenses in order to fund operations at reduced levels for us to continue as a going concern for a period of 12 months from the date these financial statements are issued.
Our substantial indebtedness, including convertible related-party debt, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We have a significant amount of outstanding debt. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow or obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, we may not be able to meet our obligations under our outstanding debt instruments. Failure to comply with the covenants in our debt agreements could result in events of default, which, if not cured or waived, could lead to acceleration of the indebtedness and potentially foreclosure on the assets securing such debt. In such circumstances, we may be forced to seek additional financing, restructure our existing debt, or take other actions that may not be successful and could materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
A substantial amount of our debt is convertible debt to a related party, Dr, Michael Dent, which creates risks beyond those typically associated with third-party financing. The terms of this debt, including its conversion features, may result in significant dilution to our existing stockholders if the related party elects to convert all or a portion of the outstanding principal or accrued interest into shares of our common stock. In addition, the presence of related-party debt introduces potential conflicts of interest. The related party may have interests that differ from—or conflict with—those of our other stockholders, including with respect to decisions involving refinancing, amendments to debt terms, exercise of conversion rights, or enforcement of remedies in the event of default. Negotiations with the related party may not reflect arm’s-length terms, and other investors or financing sources may perceive the related-party arrangement as less favorable, which could impair our ability to raise capital on competitive terms.
Our future success depends on our ability to execute our business plan by fully developing the HealthLynked Network and recruiting physicians and patients to adopt and use the system. However, there is no guarantee that we will be able to successfully implement our business plan.
Our operations to date have been limited to providing patient services at our NCFM, BTG, AEU, CCN and NWC facilities and generating product revenue from our Medical Distribution segment. During 2024, we replaced our NWC Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) practice with CCN and relocated our AEU practice to the CCN office location. During May 2025, we consolidated the NCFM, AEU and CCN practices into the former NWC office. In October 2025, we sold the BTG practice. We continually develop additional functionality of the HealthLynked Network. However, we cannot predict the scale of how many physicians and patients will adopt our technology, or if and when they do, the timing of such large-scale adoption. We have not yet demonstrated our ability to successfully market and generate material revenue from the HealthLynked Network or from the sale of medical products from our Medical Distribution business. We have not entered into any agreements with third party doctors or patients to use our system for their medical records and there is no assurance that we will be able to enter into such agreements in the future. Further, it is possible that other competitors with greater resources could enter the market and make it more difficult for us to attract or keep customers. As our technology platform has matured, we have reduced the scope of our direct clinical operations and exited non-core practices and we expect to divest our remaining clinical operations over the next 12 months, subject to market conditions and customary regulatory and transactional considerations. If we divest of our clinical operations, we would have limited revenue in the absence of our ability to generate significant revenue from the HealthLynked Network or our Medical Distribution business.
Failure to remediate a material weakness in internal accounting controls could result in material misstatements in our financial statements.
Our management has identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and has concluded that, due to such material weakness, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2025. If not remediated, our failure to establish and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could result in material misstatements in our financial statements and a failure to meet our reporting and financial obligations, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and the trading price of our common stock.
We may not be able to effectively control and manage our growth.
Our strategy envisions a period of potentially rapid growth in our physician network over the next five years based on aggressively increasing our marketing efforts. We currently maintain a small in-house programming, IT, administrative, marketing and sales function. The capacity to service the online medical records platform and our potential growth, including growth via acquisition, may impose a significant burden on our future planned administrative and operational resources. The growth of our business, if it occurs, may require significant investments of capital and increased demands on our management, workforce and facilities. We will be required to substantially expand our administrative and operational resources and attract, train, manage and retain qualified employees, management and other personnel. Failure to do so, or to satisfy such increased demands would interrupt or have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
The departure or loss of Dr. Michael Dent could disrupt our business.
We depend heavily on the continued efforts of Dr. Michael Dent, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Dr. Dent is essential to our strategic vision and day-to-day operations and would be difficult to replace. While we have entered into a written employment contract with Dr. Dent, we cannot be certain that Dr. Dent will continue with us for any particular period of time. The departure or loss of Dr. Dent, or the inability to hire and retain a qualified replacement, could negatively impact our ability to manage our business.
Our sales strategy may not be successful.
In the past, we have used a sales model that focuses on telesales and internet-based SEM/SEO sales and marketing efforts in lieu of a direct sales force, in large part to reduce our costs. Due to the limited success of this sales model, management recently pivoted to a B2B/strategic partnership SAAS focused sales model. Management believes this alternative sales model best positions the Company to commercialize and monetize the HealthLynked Network and MOD businesses. There is no assurance that our sales model will be effective, and failure of this new sale model could have a negative effect on our ability to commercialize and monetize the HealthLynked Network and MOD businesses or limit their growth.
Key components of our product sales made through MOD are provided by a sole supplier, and supply shortages or loss of this supplier could result in interruptions in supply or increased costs.
We rely on a sole supplier for the fulfillment of nearly all product sales made through MOD. If this sole supplier is unable to supply to us in the quantities we require, or at all, or otherwise defaults on its supply obligations to us, we may not be able to obtain alternative supplies from other suppliers on acceptable terms, in a timely manner, or at all.
The healthcare industry is highly regulated, and government authorities may determine that we have failed to comply with applicable laws, rules, or regulations.
The healthcare industry, healthcare information technology, the online medical records platform services that we provide, and the physicians’ medical practices we engage in through our Health Services segment are subject to extensive and complex federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations, compliance with which imposes substantial costs on us. Of particular importance are the provisions summarized as follows:
federal laws (including the Federal False Claims Act) that prohibit entities and individuals from knowingly or recklessly making claims to Medicaid, Medicare and other government-funded programs that contain false or fraudulent information or from improperly retaining known overpayments;
a provision of the Social Security Act, commonly referred to as the “anti-kickback” statute, that prohibits the knowing and willful offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of any bribe, kickback, rebate or other remuneration, in cash or in kind, in return for the referral or recommendation of patients for items and services covered, in whole or in part, by federal healthcare programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare;
a provision of the Social Security Act, commonly referred to as the Stark Law, that, subject to limited exceptions, applies when physicians refer Medicare patients to an entity for the provision of certain “designated health services” if the physician or a member of such physician’s immediate family has a direct or indirect financial relationship (including a compensation arrangement) with the entity;
similar state law provisions pertaining to anti-kickback, fee splitting, self-referral and false claims issues, which typically are not limited to relationships involving government-funded programs;
provisions of the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended (“HIPAA”) that prohibit knowingly and willfully executing a scheme or artifice to defraud a healthcare benefit program or falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any material false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services;
state laws that prohibit general business corporations from practicing medicine, controlling physicians’ medical decisions or engaging in certain practices, such as splitting fees with physicians;
federal and state healthcare programs may deny our application to become a participating provider that could in turn cause us to be unable to treat those patients or prohibit us from billing for the treatment services provided to such patients;
federal and state laws that prohibit providers from billing and receiving payment from Medicaid or Medicare for services unless the services are medically necessary, adequately and accurately documented and billed using codes that accurately reflect the type and level of services rendered;
federal and state laws pertaining to the provision of services by non-physician practitioners, such as advanced nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other clinical professionals, physician supervision of such services and reimbursement requirements that may be dependent on the manner in which the services are provided and documented; and
federal laws that impose civil administrative sanctions for, among other violations, inappropriate billing of services to federally funded healthcare programs, inappropriately reducing hospital care lengths of stay for such patients, or employing individuals who are excluded from participation in federally funded healthcare programs.
In addition, we believe that our business, including the business conducted through our Health Services segment, will continue to be subject to increasing regulation, the scope and effect of which we cannot predict.
We may in the future become the subject of regulatory or other investigations or proceedings, and our interpretations of applicable laws, rules and regulations may be challenged. For example, regulatory authorities or other parties may assert that arrangements with physicians using the HealthLynked Network, none of which are currently in place, constitute fee splitting and seek to invalidate these arrangements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and the trading price of our common stock. Regulatory authorities or other parties also could assert that our relationships violate the anti-kickback, fee splitting or self-referral laws and regulations. Such investigations, proceedings and challenges could result in substantial defense costs to us and a diversion of management’s time and attention. In addition, violations of these laws are punishable by monetary fines, civil and criminal penalties, exclusion from participation in government-sponsored healthcare programs, and forfeiture of amounts collected in violation of such laws and regulations, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our overall business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and the trading price of our common stock.
Furthermore, changes in these laws and regulations, or administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, may require us to change our business practices which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Because of the complex and far-reaching nature of these laws, there can be no assurance that we would not be required to alter one or more of our practices to be in compliance with these laws.
We rely on Amazon Web Services, or AWS, for the vast majority of our computing, storage, bandwidth, and other services. Any disruption of or interference with our use of the platform would negatively affect our operations and seriously harm our business.
Amazon provides distributed computing infrastructure platforms for business operations, or what is commonly referred to as a “cloud” computing service. We currently run the vast majority of our computing on AWS, have built our software and computer systems to use computing, storage capabilities, bandwidth, and other services on AWS, and our systems are not fully redundant on the platform. Any transition of the cloud services currently provided by AWS to another cloud provider would be difficult to implement and would cause us to incur significant time and expense. Given this, any significant disruption of or interference with our use of AWS would negatively impact our operations and our business would be seriously harmed. If our users or partners are not able to access the HealthLynked Network or specific HealthLynked features, or encounter difficulties in doing so, due to issues or disruptions with AWS, we may lose users, partners, or revenue. The level of service provided by AWS or similar providers may also impact our users’ and partners’ usage of and satisfaction with our web-based product offerings and could seriously harm our business and reputation. If AWS or similar providers experience interruptions in service regularly or for a prolonged basis, or other similar issues, our business would be seriously harmed. Hosting costs also have and will continue to increase as our user base and user engagement grows and may seriously harm our business if we are unable to grow our revenues faster than the cost of utilizing the services of AWS or similar providers.
Federal and state laws that protect the privacy and security of protected health information may increase our costs and limit our ability to collect and use that information and subject us to penalties if we are unable to fully comply with such laws.
Numerous federal and state laws and regulations govern the collection, dissemination, use, security and confidentiality of individually identifiable health information. These laws include:
Provisions of HIPAA that limit how healthcare providers may use and disclose individually identifiable health information, provide certain rights to individuals with respect to that information and impose certain security requirements;
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”), which strengthens and expands the HIPAA Privacy Standards and Security Standards and imposes data breach notification obligations;
Other federal and state laws restricting the use and protecting the privacy and security of protected health information, many of which are not preempted by HIPAA;
Federal and state consumer protection laws; and
Federal and state laws regulating the conduct of research with human subjects.
Through the HealthLynked Network, we collect and maintain protected health information in paper and electronic format. New protected health information standards, whether implemented pursuant to HIPAA, HITECH, congressional action or otherwise, could have a significant effect on the manner in which we handle healthcare-related data and communicate with third parties, and compliance with these standards could impose significant costs on us, or limit our ability to offer certain services, thereby negatively impacting the business opportunities available to us.
In addition, if we do not comply with existing or new laws and regulations related to protected health information, we could be subject to remedies that include monetary fines, civil or administrative penalties, civil damage awards or criminal sanctions.
RISKS RELATED TO THE HEALTHLYNKED NETWORK
The market for Internet-based personal medical information and record archiving systems may not develop substantially further or develop more slowly than we expect, harming the growth of our business.
It is uncertain whether personal medical information and record archiving systems will achieve and sustain the high levels of demand and market acceptance we anticipate. Further, even though we expect patients and physicians within our own Health Services segment to use the HealthLynked Network, our success will depend, to a substantial extent, on the willingness of unaffiliated patients, physicians and hospitals to use our services. Some patients, physicians and hospitals may be reluctant or unwilling to use our services, because they may have concerns regarding the risks associated with the security and reliability, among other things, of the technology model associated with these services. If our target users do not believe our systems are secure and reliable, then the market for these services may not expand as much or develop as quickly as we expect, either of which would significantly adversely affect our business, financial condition, or operating results.
If we do not continue to innovate and provide services that are useful to our target users, we may not remain competitive, and our revenues and operating results could suffer.
Our success depends on our ability to keep pace with technological developments, satisfy increasingly sophisticated client requirements, and obtain market acceptance. Our competitors are constantly developing products and services that may become more efficient or appealing to our clients and users. As a result, we will be required to invest significant resources in research and development in order to enhance our existing services and introduce new high-quality services that clients and users will want, while offering these services at competitive prices.
If we are unable to predict user preferences or industry changes, or if we are unable to modify our services on a timely or cost-effective basis, we may lose clients and target users. Our operating results would also suffer if our innovations are not responsive to the needs of our clients and users, are not appropriately timed with market opportunity, or are not effectively brought to market. As technology continues to develop, our competitors may be able to offer results that are, or that are perceived to be, substantially similar to or better than those generated by our services. This may force us to compete on additional service attributes and to expend significant resources in order to remain competitive.
We may be unable to adequately protect, and we may incur significant costs in enforcing, our intellectual property and other proprietary rights.
Our success depends in part on our ability to enforce our intellectual property and other proprietary rights. We expect to rely upon a combination of copyright, trademark, trade secret, and unfair competition laws, as well as license and access agreements and other contractual provisions, to protect these rights.
Our attempts to protect our intellectual property through copyright, patent, and trademark registration may be challenged by others or invalidated through administrative process or litigation. While we have been granted a patent for our Patient Access Hub, or PAH, have submitted a patent related to our ARi AI tool, and intend to submit other patent applications covering our integrated technology, the scope of issued patents, if any, may be insufficient to prevent competitors from providing products and services similar to ours, our patents may be successfully challenged, and we may not be able to obtain additional meaningful patent protection in the future. There can be no assurance that our patent registration efforts will be successful.
We will seek to enter into agreements with clients, users, vendors and strategic partners that will limit their use of, and allow us to retain our rights in, our intellectual property and proprietary information. Further, if we succeed in entering into such agreements, we anticipate that the agreements will grant us ownership of intellectual property created in the performance of those agreements to the extent that it relates to the provision of our services. In addition, we require certain of our employees and consultants to enter into confidentiality, non-competition, and assignment of inventions agreements. We also require certain of our vendors and strategic partners to agree to contract provisions regarding confidentiality and non-competition. However, no assurance can be given that these agreements will not be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. Further, no assurance can be given that these agreements will be effective in preventing the unauthorized access to, or use of, our proprietary information or the reverse engineering of our technology. Agreement terms that address non-competition are difficult to enforce in many jurisdictions and may not be enforceable in any particular case. In any event, these agreements do not prevent our competitors from independently developing technology or authoring clinical information that is substantially equivalent or superior to our technology or the information we distribute.
To the extent that our intellectual property and other proprietary rights are not adequately protected, third parties might gain access to our proprietary information, develop and market products or services similar to ours, or use trademarks similar to ours, each of which could materially harm our business. Existing U.S. federal and state intellectual property laws offer only limited protection. In addition, if we resort to legal proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights or to determine the validity and scope of the intellectual property or other proprietary rights of others, the proceedings could be burdensome and expensive, even if we were to prevail. Any litigation that may be necessary in the future could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, or financial condition.
In addition, our platforms incorporate “open source” software components that are licensed to us under various public domain licenses. While we believe that we have complied with our obligations under the various applicable licenses for open source software that we use, open source license terms are often ambiguous, and there is little or no legal precedent governing the interpretation of many of the terms of certain of these licenses. Therefore, the potential impact of such terms on our business is unknown. For example, some open source licenses require that those using the associated code disclose modifications made to that code and such modifications be licensed to third parties at no cost. We monitor our use of open source software in an effort to avoid uses in a manner that would require us to disclose or grant licenses under our proprietary source code. However, there can be no assurance that such efforts will be successful, and such use could inadvertently occur.
We may be sued by third parties for alleged infringement of their proprietary rights.
The software and internet industries are characterized by the existence of a large number of patents, trademarks, and copyrights and by frequent litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. We may receive in the future communications from third parties claiming that we, our technology, or components thereof, infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. We may not be able to withstand such third-party claims against our technology, and we could lose the right to use third-party technologies that are the subject of such claims. Any intellectual property claims, whether with or without merit, could be time-consuming and expensive to resolve, divert management attention from executing our business plan, and require us to pay monetary damages or enter into royalty or licensing agreements. Although we intend that many of our third-party service providers will be obligated to indemnify us if their products infringe the rights of others, such indemnification may not be effective or adequate to protect us or the indemnifying party may be unable to uphold its contractual obligations.
Moreover, any settlement or adverse judgment resulting from such a claim could require us to pay substantial amounts of money or obtain a license to continue to use the technology or information that is the subject of the claim, or otherwise restrict or prohibit our use of the technology or information. There can be no assurance that we would be able to obtain a license on commercially reasonable terms, if at all, from third parties asserting an infringement claim; that we would be able to develop alternative technology on a timely basis, if at all; that we would be able to obtain a license to use a suitable alternative technology or information to permit us to continue offering, and our clients to continue using, our affected services; or that we would not need to change our product and design plans, which could require us to redesign affected products or services or delay new offerings. Accordingly, an adverse determination could prevent us from implementing our strategy or offering our services and products, as currently contemplated.
We may not be able to properly safeguard the information on the HealthLynked Network.
Information security risks have generally increased in recent years because of new technologies and the increased activities of perpetrators of cyber-attacks resulting in the theft of protected health, business or financial information. A failure in, or a breach of our information systems as a result of cyber-attacks could disrupt our business, result in the release or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, damage our reputation, and increase our administrative expenses. Further, any such breaches could result in exposure to liability under U.S. federal and state laws and could adversely impact our business. Although we have robust information security procedures and other safeguards in place, as cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to continue to enhance our information security measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities. Any of these disruptions or breaches of security could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our employees may not take all appropriate measures to secure and protect confidential information in their possession.
Each of our employees is advised that they are responsible for the security of the information in our systems and to ensure that private information is kept confidential. Should an employee not follow appropriate security measures, including those that have been put in place to prevent cyber threats or attacks, the improper release of protected health information could result. The release of such information could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
RISKS RELATED TO THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL SERVICES
We may not be able to successfully recruit and retain qualified physicians, who are key to our Health Services segment’s revenues and billing.
We have experienced substantial turnover of physicians at our Health Service Division facilities. Our ability to operate profitably will depend, in part, upon our ability to recruit and retain qualified physicians, who are key to our Health Services segment’s revenues and billing. We compete with many types of healthcare providers, including teaching, research and government institutions, hospitals and health systems and other practice groups, for the services of qualified doctors, nurses, physical therapists and other skilled healthcare providers essential to our Health Services segment. We may not be able to continue to recruit new, qualified providers or renew contracts with existing providers on acceptable terms. If we do not do so, our ability to execute our business plan may be adversely affected.
We may be subject to medical malpractice and other lawsuits not covered by insurance.
Our business entails an inherent risk of claims of medical malpractice against our affiliated physicians and us. We may also be subject to other lawsuits which may involve large claims and significant defense costs. Although we currently maintain liability insurance coverage intended to cover professional liability and other claims, there can be no assurance that our insurance coverage will be adequate to cover liabilities arising out of claims asserted against us. Liabilities in excess of our insurance coverage, including coverage for professional liability and other claims, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and the trading price of our common stock. See “Professional and General Liability Coverage.”
Certain federal and state laws may limit our effectiveness at collecting monies owed to us from patients.
We utilize third parties to collect from patients any co-payments and other payments for services that are provided by our physicians. The Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act restricts the methods that third-party collection companies may use to contact and seek payment from consumer debtors regarding past due accounts. State laws vary with respect to debt collection practices, although most state requirements are similar to those under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act is broader than the federal legislation, applying the regulations to “creditors” as well as “collectors,” whereas the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is applicable only to collectors. This prohibits creditors who are attempting to collect their own debts from engaging in behavior prohibited by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act. The Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act has very specific guidelines regarding which actions debt collectors and creditors may engage in to collect unpaid debt. If our collection practices or those of our collection agencies are inconsistent with these standards, we may be subject to actual damages and penalties. These factors and events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may not be able to maintain effective and efficient information systems.
The profitability of our business is dependent on uninterrupted performance of our information systems. Failure to maintain reliable information systems, disruptions in our existing information systems or the implementation of new systems could cause disruptions in our business operations, including errors and delays in billings and collections, disputes with patients and payors, violations of patient privacy and confidentiality requirements and other regulatory requirements, increased administrative expenses and other adverse consequences.
RISKS RELATING TO OUR ORGANIZATION
Our articles of incorporation authorize our Board to create new series of preferred stock without further approval by our stockholders, which could adversely affect the rights of the holders of our common stock.
Our Board has the authority to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences of preferred stock. Our Board also has the authority to issue preferred stock without further stockholder approval. As a result, our Board could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that would grant to holders the preferred right to our assets upon liquidation, the right to receive dividend payments before dividends are distributed to the holders of common stock and the right to the redemption of the shares, together with a premium, prior to the redemption of our common stock. In addition, our Board could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that has greater voting power than our common stock or that is convertible into our common stock, which could decrease the relative voting power of our common stock or result in dilution to our existing stockholders.
Stockholders’ ability to influence corporate decisions may be limited because Michael Dent, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, currently owns a controlling percentage of the voting power of our common stock.
Currently, our officers and directors as a group beneficially control approximately 99.3% of our voting power, of which approximately 99.3% is controlled by our Chairman and CEO, Dr. Michael Dent. As a result of this voting control, Dr. Dent can control all matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors and approval of any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. This concentration of voting power could delay or prevent an acquisition of our Company on terms that other stockholders may desire. In addition, as the interests of Dr. Dent and our minority stockholders may not always be the same, this large concentration of voting power may lead to stockholder votes that are inconsistent with the best interests of our minority stockholders or the best interest of the Company as a whole.
If we fail to establish and maintain an effective system of internal control, we may not be able to report our financial results accurately or to prevent fraud. Any inability to report and file our financial results accurately and timely could harm our reputation and adversely impact the trading price of our common stock.
Effective internal control is necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, we may not be able to manage our business as effectively as we would if an effective control environment existed, and our business and reputation with investors may be harmed. As a result, our small size and current internal control deficiencies may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operation and access to capital. We have not performed an in-depth analysis to determine if historical undiscovered failures of internal controls exist and may in the future discover areas of our internal control that need improvement.
We are required to comply with the SEC’s rules implementing Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which requires our management to certify financial and other information in our quarterly and annual reports and provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. However, our independent registered public accounting firm is not yet required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and will not be required to do so for as long as we are a “non accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Our stockholders are subject to significant dilution upon the occurrence of certain events which could result in a decrease in our stock price.
As of December 31, 2025, we had approximately 2,706,880 shares of our common stock reserved or designated for future issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, warrants, unvested employee grants, common stock issuable, convertible debt and Series B Convertible Preferred Stock. Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock to the public and the issuance of the shares reserved for future issuance, in payment of our debt, and/or upon exercise of outstanding options and warrants, will be dilutive to our existing stockholders and could result in a decrease in our stock price.
The public market for our common stock is limited, which could negatively affect its value and make it difficult or impossible for you to sell your shares.
Our common stock has traded on the OTCQB under the symbol “HLYK” since May 10, 2017. There is a limited public market for our common stock, which could make it difficult to sell shares. Further, we have applied to have our common stock listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”). To meet the Nasdaq minimum listing requirements, we may be required to have our related party debtholder, Dr. Michael Dent, convert a portion or all of the convertible debt outstanding to him. No assurance can be given that we will meet the minimum listing requirements or that our application will be approved. If our application is not approved, we may continue to have a limited public market for our common stock, which may make it difficult to sell shares. In the event our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, there is no assurance a more active trading market for our common stock will develop or be sustained or that we will remain eligible for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
We may not be able to maintain a listing of our common stock on Nasdaq.
We have applied to list our common stock for trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “HLYK”. If our common stock is listed on Nasdaq, we must meet certain financial and liquidity criteria to maintain such listing. If we violate such listing requirements, our common stock may be delisted. In addition, our Board of Directors may determine that the cost of maintaining our listing on a national securities exchange outweighs the benefits of such listing. A delisting of our common stock from Nasdaq may materially impair our stockholders’ ability to buy and sell our common stock and could have an adverse effect on the market price of, and the efficiency of the trading market for, our common stock. The delisting of our common stock could significantly impair our ability to raise capital and the value of your investment.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
Our issuance of additional common stock or preferred stock may cause our common stock price to decline, which may negatively impact your investment.
Issuances of a substantial number of additional shares of our common or preferred stock, or the perception that such issuances could occur, may cause prevailing market prices for our common stock to decline.
Anti-takeover provisions in our charter and bylaws may prevent or frustrate attempts by stockholders to change the Board of Directors or current management and could make a third-party acquisition of us difficult.
Our charter and bylaws contain provisions that may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. Furthermore, the Board of Directors has the ability to increase the size of the board and fill newly created vacancies without stockholder approval. These provisions could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.
Our common stock is subject to the “penny stock” rules of the SEC and the trading market in the securities is limited, which makes transactions in our common stock cumbersome and may reduce the value of an investment in our common stock.
Rule 15g-9 under the Exchange Act establishes the definition of a “penny stock,” for the purposes relevant to us, as any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or with an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions.For any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the rules require: (a) that a broker or dealer approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks; and (b) the broker or dealer receive from the investor a written agreement to the transaction, setting forth the identity and quantity of the penny stock to be purchased.
In order to approve a person’s account for transactions in penny stocks, the broker or dealer must: (a) obtain financial information, investment experience, and investment objectives of the person and (b) make a reasonable determination that the transactions in penny stocks are suitable for that person and that the person has sufficient knowledge and experience in financial matters to be capable of evaluating the risks of transactions in penny stocks.
The broker or dealer must also deliver, prior to any transaction in a penny stock, a disclosure schedule prescribed by the SEC relating to the penny stock market, which, in highlight form: (a) sets forth the basis on which the broker or dealer made the suitability determination; and (b) confirms that the broker or dealer received a signed, written agreement from the investor prior to the transaction.Generally, brokers may be less willing to execute transactions in securities subject to the “penny stock” rules.This may make it more difficult for investors to dispose of our common stock and cause a decline in the market value of our common stock.
Disclosure also has to be made about the risks of investing in penny stocks in both public offerings and in secondary trading and about the commissions payable to both the broker or dealer and the registered representative, current quotations for the securities and the rights and remedies available to an investor in cases of fraud in penny stock transactions.Finally, monthly statements have to be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market in penny stocks.
We are a “smaller reporting company”, and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. As a smaller reporting company, we are able to take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements, including reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and providing only two years of audited financial 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 stock price may be more volatile.
