Item 1A. Risk Factors
A description of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business is set forth below. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, as well as the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, reputation, and prospects. In such an event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. These are not the only risks we face. There may be other risks we are not currently aware of or that we currently deem not to be material but that may become material in the future.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
We have incurred and may continue to incur losses, and we may be unable to achieve or maintain profitability.
We incurred net losses of $15,842 million and $13,152 million for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. While we aim to reduce costs, our operating expenses may increase over time as we continue to invest in growing our business, increasing our customer base, contract manufacturers and distributors, and expanding our selling and marketing channels. Our expansion efforts may prove more expensive than we anticipate, and there is no guarantee that these efforts will translate into sufficient sales to cover our expenses and result in profits. In addition, if our efforts to increase the average selling price of our products over time result in outsized volume decreases, our net sales may be adversely impacted and it will be challenging to achieve profitability or maintain pace with cost increases over time. We incur significant expenses in developing our innovative products and delivering, handling and marketing our products. Accordingly, we may not be able to achieve or maintain profitability, and we may continue to incur significant in the future.
Our quarterly and annual operating results may fluctuate significantly or may fall below the expectations of investors or securities analysts or any guidance we may publicly provide, each of which may cause our stock price to fluctuate or decline.
We expect our operating results to be subject to quarterly and annual fluctuations which may, in turn, cause the price of our common stock to fluctuate substantially. Our net loss and other operating results will be affected by numerous factors, including:
the level of consumer demand and spending, which may vary significantly from period to period;
expenditures that we may incur to acquire, develop or commercialize additional products;
pricing pressures;
our ability to expand or maintain the geographic reach of our commercial efforts;
the degree of competition in our industry and any change in the competitive landscape of our industry;
announcements relating to strategic transactions, including acquisitions, collaborations, or similar arrangements;
positive or negative coverage in the media of our products or products of our competitors or our industry;
any intellectual property infringement lawsuit or opposition, interference, or cancellation proceeding in which we may become involved;
recruitment and departures of key personnel; and
adverse macroeconomic conditions or geopolitical events, including international trade relations and tariffs, high levels of inflation, heightened interest rates, and geopolitical tensions such as the conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and in the Middle East.
If our quarterly or annual operating results fall below the expectations of investors or securities analysts or any forecasts or guidance we may provide to the market, the price of our common stock could decline substantially. Such a stock price decline could occur even when we have met any previously publicly stated guidance we may provide. We believe that quarterly or annual comparisons of our financial results are not necessarily meaningful and should not be relied upon as an indication of our future performance.
Failure to realize benefits from our productivity initiatives can adversely affect our financial performance.
Our future growth depends, in part, on our ability to continue to reduce costs and improve efficiencies. We continue to identify and implement initiatives that we believe will position our business for long-term sustainable growth by allowing us to achieve a lower cost structure, improve decision-making and operate more efficiently. If we are unable to successfully implement our productivity initiatives as planned or do not achieve expected savings as a result of these initiatives, we may not realize all or any of the anticipated benefits, resulting in adverse effects on our financial performance.
Our current indebtedness contains, and any future indebtedness may contain, restrictions on our business. If we are unable to secure additional financing on favorable terms, or at all, when we require it, our ability to continue to grow our business or react to market conditions could be impaired and in turn adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.
We intend to continue to expand, grow and develop our business, which may require additional capital to develop new products, enhance our platform, expand distribution, improve our operating infrastructure, react to market conditions and finance working capital requirements. Accordingly, we may need to engage in additional equity or debt financings to secure additional capital. If we raise additional funds through future issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our common stock.
On September 26, 2025, we entered into the first amendment (the “Amendment”) to our Senior Secured Loan and Security Agreement (as amended, the “Loan Agreement”) with certain funds affiliated with Whitebox Advisors, LLC (the “Lenders”) and Cantor Fitzgerald Securities, as administrative agent and collateral agent, with respect to our revolving credit facility (the “Senior Secured Facility”). The Amendment provides a revolving credit commitment in an aggregate amount of $9.25 million and, as of December 31, 2025, the principal amount outstanding was $9.25 million. The Senior Secured Facility is secured by substantially all of our assets, including all intellectual property. Our current and future indebtedness, including the revolving credit commitment under the Senior Secured Facility, may have significant negative effects on our operations, including:
impairing our ability to obtain additional financing in the future (or to obtain such financing on acceptable terms) for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or other important needs, and subjecting us to other restrictive covenants that may reduce our ability to take certain corporate actions;
requiring us to dedicate a portion of our cash resources to the payment of interest and principal, reducing money available to fund working capital, capital expenditures, potential acquisitions, international expansion, new product development, new enterprise relationships and other general corporate purposes;
requiring us to repay the principal and accrued interest on the revolving credit commitment under the Senior Secured Facility in an event of default under the covenants thereof, which could impair our liquidity and reduce the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other important needs;
limiting our ability to adjust to rapidly changing conditions in the industry, reducing our ability to withstand competitive pressures and making us more vulnerable to a downturn in general economic conditions or business than our competitors with relatively lower levels of debt; and
requiring us, in certain circumstances, to obtain approval from Whitebox Advisors, LLC and/or the lenders party to the Senior Secured Facility before embarking on certain mergers, acquisitions, capital expenditures, or other operational actions.
We intend to satisfy our current and future debt service obligations with our then existing cash and cash equivalents. However, we may not have sufficient funds, and may be unable to arrange for additional financing, to pay the amounts due under the Senior Secured Facility or any other debt instruments. In addition, the Senior Secured Facility contains, and the agreements governing our future indebtedness may contain, restrictive covenants that may limit our ability to engage in activities that may be in our long-term best interest. These restrictive covenants include, among others, limitations on indebtedness, liens, mergers, consolidations, liquidations and dissolutions, sales of assets, investments (including acquisitions), dividends and other restricted payments and transactions with affiliates. Our failure to make payments under or comply with other covenants contained in the documents governing our indebtedness could result in an event of default which, if not cured or waived, could result in the acceleration of substantially all of our debt and potentially the foreclosure on our assets in the event we are to repay all amounts owed.
If we are unable to secure additional funding on favorable terms, or at all, when we require it, our ability to continue to grow our business to react to market conditions could be impaired, which would adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.
Demand for our products can fluctuate significantly and our management’s estimates of future product demand may be inaccurate, particularly with new products. Further, we may be subject to a variety of other factors that impact timely production and shipment of our products. Our business and results of operations are impacted by product shortages as well as product surplus.
Management’s estimates of future product demand may be inaccurate, which could result in an understated or overstated provision required for excess and obsolete inventory. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company incurred $2,013 of inventory write-offs related to changes in product portfolio optimization made by new management. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company incurred $277 of inventory write-offs related to inventory obsolescence.
When we underestimate demand for our products, we are unable to secure sufficient ingredients or raw materials or procure adequate packing arrangements to obtain adequate or timely shipment of our products, as a result of which we are not able to satisfy demand on a short-term basis.
It is difficult to predict the timing and amount of our sales because our distributors are not required to place minimum orders with us. Our independent distributors and national accounts are not required to place minimum monthly or annual orders for our products. In order to reduce their inventory costs, independent distributors typically order products from us on a “just in time” basis in quantities and at such times based on the demand for the products in a particular distribution area. Accordingly, we cannot predict the timing or quantity of purchases by any of our independent distributors or whether any of our distributors will continue to purchase products from us in the same frequencies and volumes as they may have done in the past. Additionally, our larger distributors and partners may make orders that are larger than we have historically been required to fill.
Further, all of our products are produced by our co-pack partners. For most of our products, there are limited co-packing facilities in our markets with adequate capacity and/or suitable equipment to package our products. If a co-packer terminates its relationship with us, we have in the past, and will likely in the future, experience a delay finding a suitable replacement, which will negatively impact our business and financial results.
We depend on a limited number of customers for most of our revenue. The loss of, or a significant reduction in orders from our key customers that are not replaced by other orders from new or existing customers, would significantly reduce our revenue and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our largest customers historically have accounted for a large portion of our sales. During the year ended December 31, 2025, our three largest customers comprised 21%, 15% and 14% of net sales, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2024, our two largest customers comprised 18% and 17% of net sales, respectively. We believe that our operating results for the foreseeable future will continue to depend to a significant extent on sales attributable to certain customers. While we anticipate revenue attributable to our top customers will fluctuate from period to period, we expect to remain dependent on a small number of customers for a meaningful portion of our revenue for the foreseeable future. If our customers were to choose to reduce their orders or cease to order products from us or if our relationships with our customers or our distributors are disrupted for any reason and we are unable to replace those orders with orders from new or existing customers, there could be a significant negative impact on our business. Any reduction in sales attributable to our largest customers would have a significant and disproportionate impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Reduction in future demand for our products would adversely affect our business.
Demand for our products depends in part on our ability to innovate and anticipate and effectively respond to shifts in consumer trends and preferences, including the types of products our consumers want and how they browse for, purchase and consume them. Consumer preferences continuously evolve due to a variety of factors, including: changes in consumer demographics, consumption patterns, diet (whether due to changes in consumer behavior and eating habits, the use of weight-loss drugs or other factors) and channel preferences (including continued increases in the e-commerce and online-to-offline channels); pricing; product quality; concerns or perceptions regarding packaging and its environmental impact (such as single-use and other plastic packaging); and concerns or perceptions regarding the nutrition profile and health effects of, or location of origin of, ingredients or substances in our products or packaging, including due to the results of third-party studies (whether or not scientifically valid). Concerns with any of the foregoing could lead consumers to reduce or publicly boycott the purchase or consumption of our products. Pandemics, epidemics or other disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19, and geopolitical events, international trade relations and tariffs, wars and other military have also impacted and could continue to impact consumer preferences and demand for our products. Consumer preferences are also influenced by perception of our brand image or the brand images of our products, the of our advertising and marketing campaigns, our ability to engage with our consumers in the manner they prefer, including through the use of digital media or assets, and the perception of our use of social media and our response to political and social issues, geopolitical events, wars and other military or events. These and other factors have reduced and could continue to reduce consumers’ willingness to purchase certain of our products, including as a result of public . Any on our part to anticipate or react to changes in consumer preferences and trends, or make the right strategic investments to do so, including investments in data analytics to understand consumer trends, can lead to reduced demand for our products, lead to inventory write-offs or our competitive and financial position, thereby affecting our business and us from market share and long-term . In addition, our business operations, including our supply chain, are subject to by geopolitical events, international trade relations and tariffs, wars and other military , natural , pandemics, epidemics or other events beyond our control that could impact product availability and decrease demand for our products.
We may experience a reduced demand for some of our products due to health concerns (including obesity) and legislative initiatives against sweetened beverages.
Consumers are concerned about health and wellness; public health officials and government officials are increasingly vocal about obesity and its consequences. There has been a trend among some public health advocates and dietary guidelines to recommend a reduction in sweetened beverages, as well as increased public scrutiny, new taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (see also the risk factor captioned “Our effective tax rate or taxes aimed at our products can adversely affect our business or financial performance” for more information), and additional governmental regulations concerning the marketing and labelling/packing of the beverage industry. Additional or revised regulatory requirements, whether labelling, tax or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Further, increasing public concern with respect to sweetened beverages could reduce demand for our beverages and increase desire for more low-calorie soft drinks, water, enhanced water, coffee-flavored beverages, tea, and beverages with natural sweeteners. We are continuously working to reduce calories and sugar in our products while launching additional products, to pair with existing brand extensions that round out our portfolio. However, there is no guarantee that our product lines will meet consumer expectations, shifting consumer preferences, or regulatory developments.
Our reliance on distributors, retailers and brokers could affect our ability to efficiently and profitably distribute and market our products, maintain our existing markets and expand our business into other geographic markets.
Our ability to maintain and expand our existing markets for our products, and to establish markets in new geographic distribution areas, is dependent on our ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with reliable distributors, retailers and brokers strategically positioned to serve those areas. Most of our distributors, retailers and brokers sell and distribute competing products and our products may represent a small portion of their businesses. The success of this network will depend on the performance of the distributors, retailers and brokers of this network. Our ability to incentivize and motivate distributors to manage and sell our products is affected by competition from other beverage companies who have greater resources than we do. To the extent that our distributors, retailers and brokers are distracted from selling our products or do not employ sufficient efforts in managing and selling our products, including re-stocking the retail shelves with our products, our sales and results of operations could be adversely affected. Furthermore, such third parties’ financial position or market share may deteriorate, which could adversely affect our distribution, marketing and sales activities. Our ability to maintain and expand our distribution network and attract additional distributors, retailers and brokers will depend on a number of factors, some of which are outside our control. Some of these factors include: (i) the level of demand for our brands and products in a particular distribution area; (ii) our ability to price our products at levels competitive with those of competing products; and (iii) our ability to deliver products in the quantity and at the time ordered by distributors, retailers and brokers. We may not be to manage all or any of these factors in any of our current or prospective geographic areas of distribution. Our to with regards to any of these factors in a geographic distribution area will have a material effect on our relationships in that particular geographic area, thus limiting our ability to maintain or expand our market, which will likely affect our revenues and financial results.
Supply chain challenges have impacted our ability to respond effectively or in a timely manner to increases in demand for our products and have adversely impacted our business. Supply chain constraints could cause a disruption in our ability to obtain raw materials required to manufacture our products and adversely affect our operations and financial performance.
We have experienced supply chain challenges. The disruption and increased lead times caused by labor shortages, significant raw material cost inflation, logistics issues, increased freight costs and ongoing port congestion have resulted in suppressed margins. The average cost of shipping and handling of our products during each of the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $2.75 per case. Although we have experienced decreases in freight costs and have implemented mitigation plans to manage this risk, in our opinion there remains a volatile environment, and we will continue to monitor pricing and availability in transportation. Any increase in transportation costs (including increases in fuel costs), shipping costs or warehouse costs, port or supplier-side delays, reductions in the transportation capacity of carriers, labor strikes or shortages in the transportation industry, disruptions to the national and international transportation infrastructure, decreased warehouse availability and unexpected delivery interruptions or delays may increase the cost of, and impact, our logistics and our ability to provide quality and timely service to our distributors and customers.
Furthermore, periodic and often unpredictable industry-wide shortages of raw materials, including aluminum cans, glass bottles, and the principal ingredients used in our products, such as organic ginger and cane sugar, could disrupt or delay the production of certain products and adversely affect our operations and financial performance. The prices of the principal raw materials used in our products are subject to fluctuation. We are uncertain whether the prices of any of the foregoing or any other raw materials or ingredients we utilize will rise in the future and whether we will be able to pass any of such increases on to our customers. We do not use hedging agreements or alternative instruments to manage the risks associated with securing sufficient ingredients or other raw materials. Although we regularly monitor companies in our supply chain and use alternative suppliers when necessary and available, supply chain constraints could cause a disruption in our ability to obtain raw materials required to manufacture our products and adversely affect our operations, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Damage to our reputation or brand image can adversely affect our business.
Maintaining a positive reputation is critical to selling our products. Our reputation or brand image could be adversely impacted by a variety of factors, including: particular ingredients in our products, including concerns regarding whether certain of our products contribute to obesity and other health conditions; any product quality or safety issues, including the recall of any of our products; any failure by us or by independent contract manufacturers and suppliers with whom we do business to comply with applicable laws and regulations or ethical business practices; marketing programs, use of social media; or any failure to effectively respond to negative or inaccurate comments about us on social media or otherwise regarding any of the foregoing. Damage to our reputation or brand image could decrease demand for our products, thereby adversely affecting our business.
We have in the past, and may in the future, use social media influencers and celebrities for product promotion and marketing, which may expose us to risk that such content could contain problematic, inaccurate, or misleading product or marketing claims. These influencers and celebrities could also engage in behavior that reflects poorly on our brand. Any claims or behavior by such influencers or celebrities may be attributed to us and expose us to fines, monetary liabilities, or could harm our brand reputation all of which could have an adverse impact on our business and operations. Although we take measures to confirm that public information about our company and brand is accurate, compliant with regulations and substantiated by factual analysis and research, we may be subject to claims that such information is false or . Even if such are disproven, any publicity surrounding an assertion that our marketing materials are could cause consumers to confidence in the safety and quality of our products. In addition, a judgment us could lead to further and have a material effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
Product recalls or other issues or concerns with respect to product quality and safety can adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We have recalled, and could in the future recall, products due to product quality or safety issues, such as mislabeling, spoilage or malfunction. Product quality or safety issues could reduce consumer confidence and demand for our products, cause production, inventory and delivery disruptions, and result in increased costs (including payment of fines, judgments and legal fees, and costs associated with alternative sources of production) and damage our reputation, all of which can adversely affect our business and financial condition. Any perception or allegation (whether or not valid) of failure to maintain adequate oversight over product quality or safety can result in product recalls, litigation, government investigations or inquiries or civil, all of which may result in fines, and . In addition, while we currently maintain insurance coverage that, subject to its terms and conditions, is intended to address costs associated with certain aspects of product , this insurance coverage may not, depending on the specific facts and circumstances surrounding an , cover all or all types of that arise from an , or the to our reputation or brands that may result from an .
Any inability to compete effectively can adversely affect our business.
Our products compete against products of international beverage companies, as well as regional, local and private label and economy brand manufacturers and other competitors, including smaller companies developing and selling micro brands directly to consumers through e-commerce platforms or through retailers focused on locally sourced products. Our products compete primarily on the basis of brand recognition and loyalty, taste, quality, innovation, distribution, shelf space, advertising, and promotional activity, packaging, convenience, and the ability to anticipate and effectively respond to consumer preferences and trends. Some of our competitors have significantly more financial resources than we do. These competitors can use their resources and scale to rapidly respond to competitive pressures and changes in consumer preferences by introducing new products, changing their route to market, reducing prices or increasing promotional activities. Our business can be adversely affected if we are unable to effectively promote or develop our existing products or introduce and effectively market new products, if we are unable to improve operating efficiencies, if we are unable to effectively respond to supply , pricing pressure (including as a result of commodity inflation) or otherwise compete effectively, and we may be to grow or maintain sales or category share or we may need to increase capital, marketing or other expenditures. It is possible that our competitors may either respond to industry conditions or consumer trends more rapidly or effectively or resort to price competition to sustain market share, which could affect our sales and . See also the risk factor captioned “Changes in the retail landscape or in sales to any key customer can affect our business. Increased competitor consolidations, market-place competition, particularly among branded beverage products, and competitive product and pricing pressures could impact our earnings, market share and volume growth.”
Changes in the retail landscape or in sales to any key customer can adversely affect our business. Increased competitor consolidations, market-place competition, particularly among branded beverage products, and competitive product and pricing pressures could impact our earnings, market share and volume growth.
The retail industry is impacted by the actions and increasing power of retailers, including as a result of increased consolidation of ownership resulting in large retailers or buying groups with increased purchasing power, particularly in North America, Europe and Latin America. In this changing retail landscape, retailers and buying groups have impacted and may continue to impact our ability to compete in these jurisdictions by demanding lower prices or increased promotional programs. We may be required to grant retailers price concessions that negatively impact our margins and our profitability in order to compete with larger companies with significantly greater financial resources. If we are not able to lower our cost structure adequately in response to such competitive customer pricing, and if we are not able to attract and retain a profitable customer mix and a profitable product mix, our profitability could continue to be adversely affected. Furthermore, our inability to a significant with customers, a change in the business conditions (financial or otherwise) of either of these customers, even if unrelated to us, a significant reduction in sales to either of them, or the of either of them could affect our business.
The beverage industry is highly competitive. We compete with other beverage companies not only for consumer acceptance but also for shelf space in retail outlets and for marketing focus by our distributors, all of whom also distribute other beverage brands. Our products compete with all non-alcoholic beverages, most of which are marketed by companies with substantially greater financial resources than ours. Some of these competitors are placing severe pressure on independent distributors not to carry competitive sparkling brands such as ours. We also compete with regional beverage producers and “private label” soft drink suppliers.
Our direct competitors in the sparkling beverage category include traditional large beverage companies and distributors, and regional premium soft drink companies. These national and international competitors have advantages such as lower production costs, larger marketing budgets, greater financial and other resources and more developed and extensive distribution networks than ours. We may not be able to grow our volumes or maintain our selling prices, whether in existing markets or as we enter new markets.
Increased competitor consolidations, market-place competition, particularly among branded beverage products, and competitive product and pricing pressures could impact our earnings, market share and volume growth. If, due to such pressure or other competitive threats, we are unable to sufficiently maintain or develop our distribution channels, we may be unable to achieve our current revenue and financial targets. As a means of maintaining and expanding our distribution network, we intend to introduce product extensions and additional brands. We may not be successful in doing this, or it may take us longer than anticipated to achieve market acceptance of these new products and brands, if at all. Other companies may be more successful in this regard over the long term. Competition, particularly from companies with greater financial and marketing resources than ours, could have a material adverse effect on our existing markets, as well as on our ability to expand the market for our products.
We may face difficulties as we expand our operations into new markets in which we have no prior operating experience.
As we work to grow our brand, we intend to enter into new markets, including eventually expanding into countries other than those in which we currently operate, including our recent expansion into new geographic markets in the Asia-Pacific region. It may be difficult for us to understand and accurately predict taste preferences and purchasing habits of consumers in these new geographic markets. We will also face increased competition with larger competitors who have stronger established brands in such markets. The political, legal and social systems of certain territories pose difficult challenges related to establishing and maintaining control and ownership of our brand and intellectual property, as well as mitigating the risk of diverted sales to other territories and/or sales diverted into the U.S. It is also costly to establish, develop and maintain international operations and develop and promote our brands in international markets and we may face adverse tax consequences, tariffs, and barriers to trade. As we expand our business into new countries, we may encounter regulatory, legal, personnel, technological and other that increase our expenses and/or our ability to become and compete effectively in such countries, which may have a material effect on our business and brand.
Our performance significantly depends on the contributions of key personnel. If we lose key personnel, our operations and ability to manage our business may be affected.
Our performance significantly depends on the contributions of our executive officers and key employees, both individually and as a group and our ability to retain and motivate them. Certain of our officers and key personnel have many years of experience with us and in our industry and it may be difficult to replace them. If we lose key personnel, our operations and ability to manage our business may be affected.
Failure to attract, develop and maintain a highly skilled and diverse workforce or effectively manage changes in our workforce can have an adverse effect on our business.
Our business requires that we attract, develop and maintain a highly skilled and diverse workforce. Our employees are highly sought after by our competitors and other companies and our continued ability to compete effectively depends on our ability to attract, retain, develop and motivate highly skilled personnel for all areas of our organization. Our ability to do so has been and may continue to be impacted by challenges in the labor market, which has experienced and may continue to experience wage inflation, labor shortages, increased employee turnover, changes in availability of our workforce and changing worker expectations regarding flexible work models. Any unplanned turnover or failure to attract, develop and maintain a highly skilled and diverse workforce, can erode our competitive advantage or result in increased costs due to increased competition for employees or increased employee benefit costs.
We rely on our information technology, and a potential cyber-attack, data breach or other failure or disruption of our information technology could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our results of operations.
Our business increasingly relies on the successful and uninterrupted functioning of our information technology systems to process, transmit, and store electronic information. A significant portion of the communication between our personnel, customers, and suppliers depends on information technology. As with all large systems, our information technology systems may be susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to failures during the process of upgrading or replacing software, databases or components thereof, power outages, hardware failures, telecommunication failures, user errors or catastrophic events. In addition, cybersecurity related risks including security breaches and cyber-attacks such as computer viruses, denial-of-service attacks, malicious code (including ransomware), social-engineering attacks (including phishing attacks) or other information security could result in disclosure or of our confidential information. These also may be further in frequency or effectiveness through actors’ use of artificial intelligence.
While we have security measures in place designed to protect the integrity of customer information and prevent data loss, misappropriation, and other security breaches, our information technology systems could nevertheless be penetrated by outside parties intent on extracting information, corrupting information or disrupting business processes (including for purposes of ransom demands or other forms of blackmail), particularly if our information security training and compliance programs prove to be inadequate. In addition, if our information technology systems suffer severe damage, disruption or shutdown and our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, we may lose customers and suppliers and revenue and profits as a result of its to timely manufacture, distribute, invoice and collect payments from our customers, and could experience in reporting our financial results, including with respect to our operations in emerging markets. Furthermore, if we are to prevent security , we may financial and reputational because of or confidential information belonging to us or to our customers or suppliers, and we may indirect economic if our existing insurance policies and coverage related to information security risks prove to be . or of our information technology systems, or the back-up systems, for any reason could our operations and impact our cash flows or financial condition.
Similar risks exist with respect to our business partners and third-party providers, including suppliers, software and cloud-based service providers, that we rely upon for aspects of various business processes and activities, including procurement, supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, information technology support services and administrative functions (including payroll processing, health and benefit plan administration and certain finance and accounting functions) and the systems managed, hosted, provided and/or used by such third parties and their vendors. For example, malicious actors have employed and could continue to employ the information technology supply chain to introduce malware through software updates or compromised supplier accounts or hardware and exploit known or unknown hardware or software vulnerabilities in our systems or the systems of our vendors and third-party service providers. The need to coordinate with various third-party service providers, including with respect to timely notification and access to personnel and information concerning an incident, may complicate our efforts to address issues that arise. As a result, we are subject to the risk that the activities associated with our third-party service providers can adversely affect our business even if the attack or does not directly impact our systems or information.
Cyberattacks and other cyber incidents are occurring more frequently, the techniques used to gain access to information technology systems and data, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated in nature and are being carried out by groups and individuals with a wide range of expertise and motives. In addition, the rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence technologies may increase our cybersecurity risks, including generative artificial intelligence augmenting threat actors’ technological sophistication to enhance existing or create new malware. We have not experienced a cyber security breach; however, a breach could have a material adverse effect on us in the future.
Failure to comply with personal data protection and privacy laws can adversely affect our business.
We are subject to a variety of continuously evolving and developing laws and regulations in numerous jurisdictions regarding personal data protection and privacy laws. These laws and regulations may be interpreted and applied differently from country to country or, within the United States, from state to state, and can create inconsistent or conflicting requirements. For example. the California Consumer Privacy Act, which was significantly modified by the California Privacy Rights Act, as well as comprehensive privacy legislation in Virginia, Colorado, Utah and Connecticut that became effective in 2023, as well as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the U.K. General Data Protection Regulation (which implements the GDPR into U.K. law) and China’s Personal Information Protection Act, impose significant costs and challenges that are likely to continue to increase over time, particularly as additional jurisdictions continue to adopt similar regulations. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations or to otherwise protect personal data from unauthorized access, use or other processing, have in the past and could in the future result in litigation, claims, legal or regulatory proceedings, inquiries or , to our reputation, or , all of which can affect our business.
Risks Related to Legal, Tax and Regulatory Matters
Our effective tax rate or taxes aimed at our products can adversely affect our business or financial performance.
Tax rates at the federal, state and local levels may be subject to significant change. If our effective tax rate increases, our operating results and cash flow could be adversely affected. Our effective income tax rate can vary significantly between periods due to a number of complex factors including, but not limited to, projected levels of taxable income in each jurisdiction, tax audits conducted and settled by various tax authorities, and adjustments to income taxes upon finalization of income tax returns.
In addition, certain jurisdictions in which our products are sold have either imposed, or are considering imposing, new or increased taxes on the manufacture, distribution or sale of certain of our products, as a result of ingredients contained in our products. These taxes vary in scope and form: some apply to all beverages, including non-caloric beverages, while others apply only to beverages with a caloric sweetener (e.g., sugar). Similarly, some measures apply a single tax rate per ounce/liter on beverages containing over a certain amount of added sugar (or other sweetener), some apply a graduated tax rate depending upon the amount of added sugar (or other sweetener) in the beverage and others apply a flat tax rate on beverages containing any amount of added sugar (or other sweetener). These tax measures, whatever their scope or form, have in the past and could continue to increase the cost of certain of our products, reduce overall consumption of our products or lead to negative publicity, resulting in an adverse effect on our business and financial performance.
Limitations on the marketing or sale of our products can adversely affect our business and financial performance.
Certain jurisdictions in which our products are sold or may be sold have either imposed, or are considering imposing, limitations on the marketing or sale of our products as a result of ingredients or substances in our products or product packaging. These limitations require that we highlight perceived concerns about a product or product packaging, warn consumers to avoid consumption of certain ingredients or substances present in our products, restrict the age of consumers to whom products are marketed or sold, limit the location in which our products may be available or discontinue the use of certain ingredients or packaging. Certain jurisdictions have imposed or are considering imposing color-coded labelling requirements where colors such as red, yellow and green are used to indicate various levels of a particular ingredient, such as sugar, sodium or saturated fat, in products. The imposition or proposed imposition of additional limitations on the marketing or sale of our products has in the past reduced and could continue to reduce overall consumption of our products, lead to negative publicity or leave consumers with the perception that our products do not meet their health and wellness needs, resulting in an effect on our business and financial performance.
Furthermore, the marketing and labeling of any food product in recent years has brought increased risk that consumers will bring class action lawsuits and that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and/or state attorneys general will bring legal action concerning the truth and accuracy of the marketing and labeling of the product, seek removal of a product from the marketplace, and/or impose fines and penalties. Products that we sell carry claims as to their ingredients or health and wellness related attributes, including the term “natural” or other express or implied statements relating to the ingredients or health and wellness related attributes of our products. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) each has issued statements regarding the appropriate use of the word “natural,” there is no single, official U.S. government regulation defining the term “natural” for use in the food industry, which is true for many other label statements in the better-for-you and functionally-focused food industry. The lack of regulatory definition for “natural” and other label statements has contributed to legal challenges against many consumer products companies, and have commenced legal actions several food companies that market “natural” products and/or product ingredients, asserting , and advertising and labeling , including related to genetically modified ingredients. In limited circumstances, the FDA has taken regulatory action products labeled “natural” that contain synthetic ingredients, chemicals, processing and/or components. As a result of such legal or regulatory , consumers may avoid purchasing products from us or seek alternatives, even if the basis for the claim is .
Laws and regulations related to the use or disposal of plastics or other packaging materials can adversely affect our business and financial performance.
We rely on diverse packaging solutions to safely deliver products to our customers and consumers. Certain of our products are sold in packaging designed to be recyclable, commercially compostable, biodegradable or reusable. However, not all packaging is recovered, whether due to lack of infrastructure, improper disposal or otherwise, and certain of our packaging is not currently recyclable, commercially compostable, biodegradable or reusable. Packaging waste not properly disposed of that displays one or more of our brands has in the past resulted in and could continue to result in negative publicity, litigation, government investigations or other action or reduced consumer demand for our products, adversely affecting our financial performance. Many jurisdictions in which our products are sold have imposed or are considering imposing laws, regulations or policies intended to encourage the use of sustainable packaging, waste reduction, increased recycling rates or decreased use of single-use plastics or to restrict the sale of products utilizing certain packaging. These laws, regulations and policies vary in form and scope and include extended producer responsibility policies, plastic or packaging taxes, minimum recycled content requirements, restrictions on certain products and materials, restrictions or on the use of certain types of packaging, including single-use plastics and packaging containing PFAS, restrictions on labelling related to recyclability, requirements to charge deposit fees and requirements to scale reusable or refillable packaging. For example, the European Union and certain states in the United States, among other jurisdictions, have imposed a minimum recycled content requirement for beverage bottle packaging and similar legislation is under consideration in other jurisdictions. These laws and regulations have in the past increased and could continue to increase the cost of our products, impact demand for our products, result in publicity and require us and our business partners, including our independent co-packers, to increase capital expenditures to invest in reducing the amount of virgin plastic or other materials used in our packaging, to develop alternative packaging or to revise product labelling, all of which can affect our business and financial performance.
Our manufacturing process is not patented.
None of the manufacturing processes used in producing our products are subject to a patent or similar intellectual property protection. Our only protection against a third-party using our recipes and processes is confidentiality agreements with the companies that produce our beverages and with our employees who have knowledge of such processes. If our competitors develop substantially equivalent proprietary information or otherwise obtain access to our knowledge, we will have greater difficulty in competing with them for business, and our market share could decline.
If we are unable to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, or if we are found to infringe on the intellectual property rights of others, our business can be adversely affected.
We possess intellectual property rights that are important to our business, including ingredient formulas, trademarks, copyrights, business processes and other trade secrets. The laws of various jurisdictions in which we operate have differing levels of protection of intellectual property. Our competitive position and the value of our products and brands can be reduced and our business adversely affected if we fail to obtain or adequately protect our intellectual property, including our ingredient formulas, or if there is a change in law that limits or removes the current legal protections afforded our intellectual property.
We cannot assure you that the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property rights are adequate, that our intellectual property rights can be successfully defended and asserted in the future or that third parties will not infringe upon or misappropriate any such rights. Failure to protect our rights could also prevent us from entering into new markets or territories in the future. Moreover, intellectual property disputes, proceedings, misappropriation or infringement claims may result in a significant distraction for management, diversion of resources, and significant expense, which may not be recoverable regardless of whether we are successful. Such proceedings may be protracted with no certainty of , and an outcome could subject us to liabilities, us to use of certain trademarks or other intellectual property or us to enter into licenses with others. Any one of these occurrences may have an effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Also, in the course of developing new products or improving the quality of existing products, we could in the future infringe or be alleged to infringe, on the intellectual property rights of others. Such infringement or allegations of infringement could result in expensive litigation and damages, damage to our reputation, disruption to our operations, injunctions against development, manufacturing, use and/or sale of certain products, inventory write-offs or other limitations on our ability to introduce new products or improve the quality of existing products, resulting in an adverse effect on our business.
Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations can adversely affect our business.
The conduct of our business is subject to numerous laws and regulations relating to the production, storage, distribution, sale, display, advertising, marketing, labelling, content (including whether a product contains genetically engineered ingredients), quality, safety, transportation, supply chain, traceability, sourcing (including pesticide use), packaging, disposal, recycling and use of our products or raw materials, employment and occupational health and safety, environmental, social and governance matters and reporting (including climate change), machine learning and artificial intelligence and data privacy and protection. The imposition of new laws, changes in laws or regulatory requirements or changing interpretations thereof, changes in the enforcement priorities of regulators, and differing or competing regulations and standards across the markets where our products or raw materials are made, manufactured, distributed or sold, have in the past and could continue to result in higher compliance costs, capital expenditures and higher production costs, resulting in adverse effects on our business. For example, increasing governmental and societal attention to environmental, social and governance matters has resulted and could continue to result in new laws or regulatory requirements, including expanded disclosure requirements that are expected to continue to expand the nature, scope and complexity of matters on which we are required to report. In addition, the entry into new markets or categories has resulted in and could continue to result in our business being subject to additional regulations resulting in higher compliance costs. If one jurisdiction imposes or proposes to impose new laws or regulations that impact the manufacture, distribution or sale of our products, other jurisdictions may follow. to comply with such laws or regulations (or thereof) can subject us to or civil or enforcement actions, including voluntary and document requests, , , product , , of profits or activity restrictions, all of which can affect our business.
Potential liabilities and costs from litigation, claims, legal or regulatory proceedings, inquiries or investigations inherent in our business can have an adverse impact on our business.
We have been party to a variety of litigation, claims, legal or regulatory proceedings, inquiries and investigations, including but not limited to disputes with our contractors, matters related to our ingredients, personal injury and employment, matters. These matters are uncertain and there is no guarantee that we will be successful in defending ourselves or that our assessment of the materiality of these matters and the likely outcome or potential losses and established reserves will be consistent with the ultimate outcome of such matters. Responding to these matters, even those that are ultimately non-meritorious, requires us to incur significant expense and devote significant resources, and may generate adverse publicity that damages our reputation or brand image. Any of the foregoing can adversely affect our business.
Regulations concerning our alcohol beverages may adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Governmental agencies heavily regulate the alcohol beverage industry. In particular, they monitor and regulate licensing, warehousing, trade and pricing practices, permitted and required labelling, including warning labels, signage, advertising, relations with wholesalers and retailers, and, in control states, product listings. There may also be a focus on companies with established non-alcohol beverages lines of business that have expanded into the alcohol beverage industry, since marketing practices that are acceptable in the non-alcohol space may have regulatory challenges in the alcohol space. In addition, other countries in which we may sell alcohol beverages could impose duties, excise taxes and/or other related taxes. If, in the future, we are unable to comply with certain regulations, sales of our products could decrease significantly. Additionally, if such agencies or jurisdictions, foreign or domestic, choose to implement new or revised laws, regulations, fees, taxes, or other such requirements, our business could be adversely affected. If such governmental bodies require increased additional product labelling, warning requirements, or limitations on the marketing or sale of our alcohol products due to their contents or allegations concerning their potential to cause health effects, our sales of alcohol beverages may be affected.
We are subject to international regulations that could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We are subject to regulations internationally where we distribute and/or will sell our products. Our products are subject to numerous laws and regulations relating to the sourcing, manufacturing, storing, labeling, marketing, advertising and distribution of these products. If regulators determine that the labeling and/or composition of any of our products is not in compliance with laws or regulations in any jurisdictions in which we operate or may enter in the future, or if we or our contract manufacturers otherwise fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations in any jurisdictions in which we operate or may enter in the future, we could be subject to civil remedies or penalties, such as fines, injunctions, recalls or seizures, warning letters, restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the products, or refusals to permit the import or export of products, as well as potential criminal sanctions. In addition, enforcement of existing laws and regulations, changes in legal requirements and/or evolving interpretations of existing regulatory requirements may result in increased compliance costs and create other obligations, financial or otherwise, that could affect our business, financial condition or operating results. In addition, if we expand our international operations, we could be affected by of the U.S. Foreign Practices Act and similar worldwide anti- laws, which generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making payments to non-U.S. officials or other third parties for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. While our policies mandate compliance with these anti- laws, our internal control policies and procedures may not protect us from or acts committed by our employees or agents. of these laws, or of such , could our business, impact our reputation, and result in a material effect on our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Risks Related to Environmental Matters
Significant changes to or failure to comply with various environmental laws may expose our co-packers to liability or cause them to close, relocate or operate at reduced production levels, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our co-packers are subject to a wide and increasingly broad array of federal, state, regional, local, and international environmental laws, including statutes and regulations, which aim to regulate emissions and impacts to air, land, and water. Their operations may result in odors, noise, or other pollutants being emitted. Failure to comply with any environmental laws or any future changes to them could result in alleged harm to employees or others near facilities. Significant costs to satisfy environmental compliance, remediation or compensatory requirements, or the imposition of penalties or restrictions on operations by governmental agencies or courts may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Increasing concern over sustainability matters, including climate change, will likely result in new or revised laws and regulations aimed at reducing or mitigating the potential effects of greenhouse gases, restricting or increasing the costs of commercial water use due to local water scarcity concerns, or increasing mandatory reporting of certain sustainability metrics, such as recycling.
Water scarcity and poor quality could negatively impact our costs and capacity.
Water is a main ingredient in substantially all of our products, it is vital to the production of the agricultural ingredients on which our business relies and is needed in our manufacturing process. Lack of available water of acceptable quality, actions by governmental and non-governmental organizations, investors, customers and consumers on water scarcity and increasing pressure to conserve and replenish water in areas of scarcity and stress, including due to the effects of climate change, can lead to: supply chain disruption; adverse effects on our operations or the operations of our business partners; higher compliance costs; increased capital expenditures; higher production costs, including less favorable pricing for water; perception of our failure to act responsibly with respect to water use or to effectively respond to legal or regulatory requirements concerning water scarcity; or damage to our reputation, any of which can adversely affect our business.
Climate change and legal or regulatory responses thereto may have a long-term adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
There is increasing concern that a gradual increase in global average temperatures due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will cause significant changes in weather patterns around the globe and an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters. Decreased agricultural productivity in certain regions of the world as a result of changing weather patterns may limit the availability or increase the cost of key agricultural commodities, which are important sources of ingredients for our products, and could impact the food security of communities around the world. Agricultural products that make up a significant portion of our raw materials, including organic ginger and cane sugar, are particularly vulnerable to changing weather patterns. Unpredictability and reduced agricultural yields could significantly increase our costs and impair our production capabilities. Climate change may also exacerbate water scarcity and cause a further deterioration of water quality in affected regions, which could limit water availability for our independent co-packers. Increased frequency or duration of extreme weather conditions could also production capabilities, our supply chain or impact demand for our products. Increasing over climate change also may result in additional legal or regulatory requirements designed to reduce or mitigate the effects of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions on the environment. Increased energy or compliance costs and expenses due to increased legal or regulatory requirements may cause in, or an increase in the costs associated with, the manufacturing and distribution of our beverage products. There is an increased focus in many jurisdictions in which our products are manufactured, distributed or sold regarding environmental policies relating to climate change, biodiversity , regulating greenhouse gas emissions and energy policies and sustainability. This increased focus may result in new or increased legal and regulatory requirements, such as potential carbon pricing programs or revised product labelling requirements or other regulatory measures, which could result in significant increased costs. The effects of climate change and legal or regulatory initiatives to address climate change could have a long-term impact on our business and results of operations.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock and General Matters
The market price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance.
The market price of our common stock is likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely in response to many factors, including but not limited to:
volatility and instability in the financial and capital markets;
adverse macroeconomic conditions or geopolitical events, including international trade relations and tariffs, high levels of inflation, heightened interest rates, and geopolitical tensions such as the conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and in the Middle East;
announcements relating to our existing and new products;
announcements by competitors that impact our competitive outlook;
developments with respect to intellectual property rights;
announcements relating to strategic transactions, including acquisitions, collaborations, or similar arrangements;
actual or anticipated variations in our operating results due to the level of development expenses and other factors;
changes in financial estimates by equities research analysts and whether our earnings (or losses) meet or exceed such estimates;
announcement or expectation of additional financing efforts and receipt, or lack of receipt, of funding in support of conducting our business;
sales of our common stock by us, our insiders, or other stockholders, or issuances by us of shares of our common stock in connection with strategic transactions;
conditions and trends in our industry;
recruitment and departures of key personnel;
litigation or arbitration;
general economic, political, and market conditions and other factors; and
the occurrence of any of the risks described in this section titled “Risk Factors.”
In addition, if the stock market for beverage companies, or the stock market generally, experiences a loss of investor confidence, the trading price of our common stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, operating results or financial condition. Stock prices of many beverage companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. The trading price of our common stock might also decline in reaction to events that affect other companies in our industry even if these events do not directly affect us. As a result of these and other factors, you may be unable to sell your shares of our common stock at or above the price you paid. In the past, stockholders have filed securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, and adversely affect our business.
Our principal stockholders own a significant percentage of our stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.
Our holders of 5% or more of our capital stock and their respective affiliates beneficially hold a significant percentage of our outstanding common stock, including D&D, our controlling stockholder. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, D&D and its affiliates beneficially own approximately 57% of our common stock. These stockholders, acting together, would be able to control the outcome of all matters requiring stockholder approval. For example, these stockholders would be able to control the outcome of elections of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, or approval of any merger, sale of assets, or other major corporate transaction. This level of control may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our stockholders. The significant concentration of stock ownership may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock due to investors’ perception that conflicts of interest may exist or arise. In addition, if these principal stockholders sell a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, the market price of our common stock could be impacted. The perception among the public that these sales will occur could also contribute to a in the market price of our common stock.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could cause our stock price to fall.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could occur at any time. These sales, or the perception in the market that holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our common stock. Pursuant to certain registration rights agreements, we have registered shares of our common stock sold in private transactions for resale, including shares of common stock held by D&D, our controlling stockholder. In addition, we have filed, and may file in the future, registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), registering the issuance of shares of common stock subject to options or other equity awards issued or reserved for future issuance under our equity plans. Shares registered under the registration statement on Form S-8 will be available for sale in the public market subject to vesting arrangements and exercise of options, and the restrictions of Rule 144 in the case of our affiliates. If these additional shares of common stock are sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold, in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline.
We cannot predict what effect, if any, sales of our shares in the public market or the availability of shares for sale will have on the market price of our common stock. However, future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, including shares issued upon exercise of outstanding options or warrants, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Our largest stockholder’s preemptive right could dissuade a strategic investor from making an investment in the Company.
Our largest stockholder, D&D, holds a preemptive right to purchase its pro-rata share, based on the ratio of shares of our common stock it owns to all the outstanding shares of our common stock, of any investment in our equity securities or equity-linked securities. As such, D&D’s exercise of its preemptive right could serve to dissuade a new strategic investor from proposing an investment in us or significantly decrease the size of a new investor’s investment.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future and, as a result, stockholders’ ability to achieve a return on their investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our common stock.
We do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that we will retain all of our future earnings for use in the development of our business and for general corporate purposes. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our board of directors. In addition, the terms of the Senior Secured Facility restrict our ability to pay dividends. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investments.
Our second amended and restated bylaws (the “Bylaws”) designate the Delaware Court of Chancery or Delaware state or United States federal district courts as the sole and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit such stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, other employees or other stockholders.
Our Bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for the following types of claims or causes of action under Delaware statutory or common law: any derivative claims or causes of action brought on our behalf; any claims or causes of action asserting a breach of a fiduciary duty; any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), our certificate of incorporation, or our Bylaws; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. In addition, our Bylaws provide that the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. These choice of forum provisions will not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Such provisions are intended to and may be enforced by us and our officers and directors, employees and agents.
These provisions may benefit us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law and federal securities laws by chancellors and judges, as applicable, particularly experienced in resolving corporate disputes, efficient administration of cases on a more expedited schedule relative to other forums and protection against the burdens of multi-forum litigation. These choice of forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims or make such lawsuits more costly for stockholders, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the forum provisions, and there can be no assurance that such provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions. If a court were to find either choice of forum provisions contained in our Bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.
Global economic uncertainty and unfavorable global economic conditions caused by political instability, changes in trade agreements and conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and conflict in the Middle East, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
Our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects could be adversely affected by unstable economic and political conditions within the United States and foreign jurisdictions, including as a result of an economic downturn and geopolitical events, such as changes in U.S. federal policy that affect the geopolitical landscape. Changes to policy implemented by the U.S. Congress, the Trump administration or any new administration have impacted and may in the future impact, among other things, the U.S. and global economy, international trade relations, unemployment, immigration, healthcare, taxation, the U.S. regulatory environment, inflation and other areas. The recent announcements of substantial new tariffs and other restrictive trade policies have created a dynamic and unpredictable trade landscape, which may adversely impact our business. Current or future tariffs or other restrictive trade measures may raise the costs of raw materials, components or finished goods, which may adversely impact both our product offerings and our operational expenses. Such cost increases may reduce our margins and require us to increase prices, which could harm our competitive position, reduce customer demand and customer relationships. Our manufacturers, suppliers and distribution channels are also affected by the current trade environment, and we may experience supply chain as a result of increased costs and uncertainty, as well as risks to the long-term viability of key vendors, which may impact our ability to meet customer demand or manage inventory . Tariff and other trade-related cost pressures and supply chain may lead to reputational if we are to deliver products or services on expected timelines or if any price increases are received by customers or business partners.
Political tensions as a result of trade policies could reduce trade volume, investment, technological exchange and other economic activities between major international economies, resulting in a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets. Any changes in political, trade, regulatory, and economic conditions, including U.S. trade policies, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. We have experienced, and may continue to experience, moderate inflationary impact because of recent trade and political tensions, include tariff discussions, between the United States and other countries. Ongoing tariff, trade restrictions and macroeconomic uncertainty has and may continue to contribute to volatility in the price of our common stock. Ongoing uncertainty regarding trade policies may also complicate our short- and long-term strategic planning, and that of our partners and customers, including decisions regarding hiring, product strategy, capital investment, supply chain design and geographic expansion.
While we continue to monitor trade developments, the ultimate impact of these risks remains uncertain and any prolonged economic downturn, escalation in trade tensions, or deterioration in international perception of U.S.-based companies could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
In addition, the current military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the armed conflicts in Israel, the Gaza Strip, and Iran could disrupt or otherwise adversely impact our operations and those of third parties upon which we rely. Related sanctions, export controls or other actions that may be initiated by nations including the United States, the EU or Russia (e.g., potential cyberattacks, disruption of energy flows, etc.) or an increase in the price of fuel as a result of such conflicts could adversely affect our business and/or our supply chain and other third parties with which we conduct business. A severe or prolonged economic downturn or political unrest could result in a variety of risks to our business, including but not limited to weakened demand for our products and our ability to raise additional capital when needed on acceptable terms, if at all. A or economy could also our suppliers, possibly resulting in supply , or cause our customers to making payments for our services. Any of the foregoing could our business and we cannot anticipate all of the ways in which the current political and economic climate and financial market conditions could impact our business.
Changes in economic conditions can adversely impact our business.
Many of the jurisdictions in which our products are sold have experienced and could continue to experience uncertain or unfavorable economic conditions, such as high inflation and adverse changes in interest rates, tax laws or tax rates, including as a result of geopolitical events. These uncertain or unfavorable economic conditions have resulted in and could continue to result in recessions or economic slowdowns; volatile commodity markets; labor shortages; highly inflationary economies; and stimulus measures. In 2025, we experienced moderate inflation. In addition, we cannot predict how current or future economic conditions will affect our business partners, including financial institutions with whom we do business, and any negative impact on any of the foregoing may also have an adverse impact on our business. Furthermore, if our business continues to grow, we may continue to expand our international operations, and our exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk could increase. Fluctuations in exchange rates, including as a result of inflation, central bank monetary policies, currency controls or other currency exchange restrictions or geopolitical could have an impact on our financial performance.
Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
We are subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. We have designed our disclosure controls and procedures to reasonably assure that information we must disclose in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, and recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC.
However, any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well-conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system will be met. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
There is currently a limited public market for our common stock, a trading market for our common stock may never develop, and our common stock prices may be volatile and could decline substantially.
Although our common stock was listed on the NYSE American for trading beginning on December 5, 2025, an active trading market for our common stock may not be sustained in the future. As a result of these and other factors, investors may be unable to resell shares of our common stock at or above the price for which they purchased them, at or near quoted bid prices, or at all. Further, an inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling additional equity in the future, and may impair our ability to enter into strategic partnerships or acquire companies or products by using shares of our common stock as consideration.
Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of NYSE American could result in a de-listing of our common stock.
We may fail to satisfy the continued listing requirements of NYSE American, such as the corporate governance requirements or the minimum stock price requirement, and the NYSE American may take steps to de-list our common stock. For example, numerous factors, such as negative financial or operational results, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and jeopardize our ability to meet or maintain NYSE American’s minimum bid price requirement, resulting in de-listing. Such a de-listing or the announcement of such de-listing will have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our common stock when you wish to do so. In the event of a de-listing, we may attempt to take actions to restore our compliance with the NYSE American listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our common stock to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our common stock, prevent our common stock from dropping below the NYSE American minimum listing requirements or prevent future non-compliance with the NYSE American listing requirements.
We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NYSE American rules and, as a result, qualify for, and may rely on, exemptions and relief from certain corporate governance requirements. If we rely on these exemptions, our stockholders will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to such requirements.
We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NYSE American corporate governance standards. Under these corporate governance standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power in the election of directors is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements. For example, controlled companies are not required to have:
a board that is composed of a majority of “independent directors,” as defined under the NYSE American rules;
a compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors; and
director nominations be made, or recommended to the full board of directors, by its independent directors, or by a nominations/governance committee that is composed entirely of independent directors.
As a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NYSE American rules, we are permitted to rely on, and may elect to utilize, one or more of the exemptions from certain corporate governance standards of the NYSE American for as long as we continue to qualify as a “controlled company.” If we do rely on such exemptions in the future, our stockholders may not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the NYSE American. Investors may find our common stock less attractive as a result of our reliance 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.
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,” 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.
Our designation as a “smaller reporting company,” allows us to take advantage of many of the same exemptions from disclosure requirements, including presenting only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K 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.
The preceding risks, some of which have occurred and any of which may occur in the future, can have a material adverse effect on our business or financial performance, which in turn can affect the price of our publicly traded securities. These are not the only risks we face. There may be other risks we are not currently aware of or that we currently deem not to be material but that may become material in the future.
