Year-over-year tone shift - average net-tone change across Risk Factors and MD&A vs the prior 10-K. This filing is 0.08pp more bullish than last year's.
Why YoY instead of absolute: the LM lexicon has ~6.6× more negative words than positive (legal/risk-disclosure language is heavy on hedging), so every 10-K reads bearish on raw tone. Year-over-year change strips that bias and surfaces the actual shift in management's framing.
Tone shift by section
The two components the gauge averages: how Risk Factors and MD&A each shifted in net tone versus last year's 10-K. The headline above is their average, so a green needle over a soft section just means the other section carried it.
Risk Factors
-0.13pp
Flat
Net-tone change vs last year's 10-K.
MD&A
+0.30pp
Flat
Net-tone change vs last year's 10-K.
Per-snippet highlights
Sentence-level sentiment highlighting with category and subcategory filters is coming once the snippet-scoring pipeline lands. For now, dig into the actual section text on the Sections tab.
Language change vs prior 10-K
Risk Factors (Item 1A) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase
Negative rising
adversely+15
adverse+13
harm+11
failure+9
fines+9
Positive rising
able+6
successful+3
achieve+3
greater+3
assure+2
Risk Factors (Item 1A)
32,422 words
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Investing in our securities is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following factors and other information in this Annual Report and our other SEC filings before making a decision to invest in our securities. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of may become important factors that affect us. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial conditions and operating results may be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our common stock and warrants may decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Summary of Risks Affecting our Company
Our business is subject to numerous risks described in the section titled “Risk Factors” below. A summary of the material risk factors affecting our business is set forth below.
The Company may be unable to successfully execute its growth strategy including the integration of the merger with Tingo Mobile.
The Company’s ability to be successful will be dependent upon the efforts of the Company Board and key personnel and the of such persons could impact the operations and of TINGO GROUP’s post-combination business.
Language change vs prior 10-K
MD&A (Item 7) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase
Negative rising
unpaid+2
loss+1
restructure+1
suffered+1
volatility+1
Positive rising
leading+3
innovative+1
empowers+1
enables+1
strong+1
MD&A (Item 7)
6,366 words
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Results of Operations
Overview
We are a holding company conducting financial technology business and agri-fintech business through our subsidiaries and entities, both wholly-owned and controlled through various VIE arrangements (“VIE entities”), which are located mainly in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
We currently operate in three segments and following the recent launches of Tingo DMCC and TingoPay, and the acquisition of Tingo Foods, we will be operating in six segments i) Fintech Verticals and Technology, comprising of our operations in China where we have 3 VIEs through which we operate our business of insurance brokerage.; ii) Online Stock Trading, comprising mainly the operation of Magpie through which we operate the business of online stock trading, located mainly in Hong Kong and Singapore; iii) Comprehensive Platform Service which includes the operations of Tingo Mobile described above and includes the operations of Tingo Mobile for the month of December; (iv) Commodity Trading Platform and Export, through Tingo DMCC, which handles the trading of agricultural commodities and the export of crops and processed foods (Tingo DMCC launched in December 2022 and commenced trading in January 2023); (v) Fintech, Payment Services and Value Added Services Super App and Merchant Services through TingoPay (which launched on February 13, 2023); and (iv) Food Processing, where crops and raw foods are processed into finished products, through Tingo Foods, (Purchase by the Company in February 2023) which commenced food processing operations in September 2022 .
We may need a significant amount of additional capital, which could substantially dilute shares owned by current shareholders of the Company.
If TINGO GROUP fails to meet all applicable Nasdaq requirements, Nasdaq may delist its Common Stock, which could have an adverse impact on its liquidity and market price.
The COVID-19 pandemic, or any other pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, may materially and adversely affect TINGO GROUP’s business and operations.
Because almost all of TINGO GROUP’s officers and directors are located in non-U.S. jurisdictions, you may have no effective recourse against management for misconduct.
TINGO GROUP anticipates that its operating costs and expenses will increase as the Company continue to grow our business.
The Company’s platform and internal systems rely on software and technological infrastructure that is highly technical, and if they contain undetectederrors, its business could be adversely affected.
Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
The complexities, uncertainties and rapid changes in PRC regulation of the Internet-related businesses and companies require significant resources for compliance and the uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit the legal protections available to us.
The 2006 M&A Rules established complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it difficult to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
Fluctuations in exchange rates of the RMB could materially affect financial results. Furthermore, TINGO GROUP’s financial results may be negatively affected by foreign exchange rate fluctuations.
Under the enterprise income tax (“EIT”) Law, we may be classified as a “resident enterprise” of China. Such classification would likely result in unfavorable tax consequences.
We have issued and may issue additional preferred stock in the future, and the terms of the preferred stock may reduce the value of our Common Stock.
The Company’s trading platform has no operating history, which makes it difficult to evaluate the Company’s future prospects.
The Company operates in a highly competitive and fragmented market and may not be able to maintain a competitive position in the future.
If the Company is unable to obtain stockholder approval for the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock by June 30, 2023 (the “Trigger Date”), then all issued and outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock will be redeemed by the Company in consideration of the right to receive cash and the Company shall cause Tingo LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Delaware Sub”), to issue to Tingo, the amount of membership interests of Delaware Sub as needed to cause Tingo, to own 27% of the total issued and outstanding membership interests of Delaware Sub.
In the event that (i) the Company does not receive by the Trigger Date the stockholder approval with respect to the conversion of Series B Preferred Stock and the amendment of the Company certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock, (ii) the Nasdaq change of control application is rejected, or (iii) Nasdaq requires Material Restrictions (as defined in the Series B Certificate of Designation) in order to approve the Nasdaq change of control application (each a “Trigger Event”), each holder of Series B Preferred Stock, at its sole option, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to reduce the Stated Value per share of Series B Preferred Stock in exchange for membership interests of Delaware Sub, up to a maximum of 33% of the outstanding membership interests of Delaware Sub.
Risk Factors Related to the Integration of Intermediate and Ownership of TINGO GROUP’s Securities
TINGO GROUP may be unable to successfully execute its post merger growth strategy.
One of the Company’s strategies is to pursue organic growth by increasing product offerings and expanding into new verticals and new markets such as China and Africa. TINGO GROUP may not be able to successfully execute all or any of these initiatives, and the results may vary from the expectations of the combined entity or others. Further, even if these initiatives are successful, TINGO GROUP may not be able to expand and upgrade its technology systems and infrastructure to accommodate increases in the business activity in a timely manner, which could lead to operational breakdowns and delays, loss of customers, a reduction in the growth of its customer base, increased operating expenses, financial losses, increased litigation or customer claims, regulatory sanctions or increased regulatory scrutiny. In addition, Intermediate will need to continue to attract, hire and retain highly skilled and motivated executives and employees to both execute the growth strategy and to manage the resulting growth effectively.
Cross-border merger and acquisition transactions may be subject to additional rules and regulations and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities more time-consuming and complex. Our ability to expand our business through future mergers and acquisitions would as such be materially and adversely affected.
TINGO GROUP may be required to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on its financial condition and its share price, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.
TINGO GROUP cannot assure you that the due diligence it conducted on Intermediate has revealed all material issues that may be present with regard to such companies, or that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence or that risks outside of TINGO GROUP’s control will not later arise. Each of TINGO GROUP and Intermediate therefore has made its decision to complete the Merger on the basis of limited information, and the business combination may not be as profitable as expected, if at all. As a result of these factors, TINGO GROUP may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in reporting losses. Even if TINGO GROUP’s due diligence successfully identified certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with TINGO GROUP’s preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and would not have an immediate impact on TINGO GROUP’s liquidity, the fact that TINGO GROUP reports charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about TINGO GROUP or TINGO GROUP’s securities. Accordingly, TINGO GROUP cannot predict the impact that the consummation of the Merger will have on TINGO GROUP’s securities.
TINGO GROUP’s ability to be successful will be dependent upon the efforts of the TINGO GROUP Board and key personnel and the loss of such persons could negatively impact the operations and profitability of TINGO GROUP’s post-combination business.
TINGO GROUP’s ability to be successful will be dependent upon the efforts of the TINGO GROUP Board and key personnel. Furthermore, the business of TINGO GROUP following the Merger is made up in part of Intermediate’s business, and is entirely different from TINGO GROUP’s historical business. Individuals associated with Intermediate may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a U.S. public company, which could cause TINGO GROUP’s management to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements.
TINGO GROUP is dependent on the services of its executive officers, whose potential conflicts of interest may not permit TINGO GROUP to effectively execute its business strategy . Tingo Mobile depends on its executive officers and other key employees, and the loss of one or more of these employees or an inability to attract and retain other highly skilled employees could harm its business.
TINGO GROUP is currently dependent on the continued services and performance of its executive officers, particularly Darren Mercer, TINGO GROUP’s Chief Executive Officer and a director of the TINGO GROUP Board. Darren Mercer, is also the Chief Executive Officer of GFH which may result in a potential conflict of interest in Mr. Mercer carrying out his duties as a member of the TINGO GROUP Board.
TGH’s success, and the success of Tingo Mobile and other operating subsidiaries of TGH, depends largely upon the continued services of its executive officers and other key employees, and in particular on Dozy Mmobuosi, the founder and CEO of Tingo Mobile, and senior management staff in Nigeria and elsewhere. TGH relies on its leadership team in the areas of research and development, operations, security, marketing, sales, customer experience, general, and administrative functions, and on individual contributors in its research and development and operations. From time to time, there may be changes in TGH’s executive management team resulting from the hiring or departure of executives, which could disrupt its business. While TGH has employment agreements with its executive officers or other key personnel that require them to continue to work for TGH, some of these agreements are not for any specified period and, therefore, they could terminate their employment with TGH at any time. The loss of one or more of TGH’s executive officers, especially its Chief Executive Officer, or key employees could harm its business. Changes in TGH’s executive management team may also cause disruptions in, and harm to, its business.
Provisions in TINGO GROUP’s certificate of incorporation and under Delaware law could make a future acquisition of TINGO GROUP, which may be beneficial to stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by TINGO GROUP stockholders to replace or remove the current management.
Provisions in TINGO GROUP’s certificate of incorporation, as amended, and TINGO GROUP’s amended and restated bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for TINGO GROUP’s common stock. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for TINGO GROUP securities, thereby depressing the market price of TINGO GROUP’s securities. In addition, these provisions may frustrate, deter or prevent any attempts by TINGO GROUP stockholders to replace or remove current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of the TINGO GROUP Board. Because the TINGO GROUP Board is responsible for appointing the members of the TINGO GROUP management team, these provisions could in turn affect any attempt by stockholders to replace current members of the TINGO GROUP management team.
Moreover, because TINGO GROUP is incorporated in Delaware, it is governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or the DGCL, which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with TINGO GROUP for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner. TINGO GROUP has not opted out of the restrictions under Section 203.
We may need a significant amount of additional capital, which could substantially dilute your investment
We may need significant additional capital in the future to continue our planned operations. No assurance can be given that we will be able to obtain such funds upon favorable terms and conditions, if at all. Failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business. To the extent we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience substantial dilution. We may sell Common Stock, convertible securities, or other equity securities in one or more transactions that may include voting rights (including the right to vote as a series on particular matters), preferences as to dividends and liquidation, and conversion and redemption rights, subject to applicable law, and at prices and in a manner we determine from time to time.
Such issuances and the exercise of any convertible securities will dilute the percentage ownership of our stockholders and may affect the value of our capital stock and could adversely affect the rights of the holders of such stock, thereby reducing the value of such stock. Moreover, any exercise of convertible securities may adversely affect the terms upon which we will be able to obtain additional equity capital, since the holders of such convertible securities can be expected to exercise them at a time when we would, in all likelihood, be able to obtain any needed capital on terms more favorable to us than those provided in such convertible securities.
If we sell shares or other equity securities in one or more other transactions, or issue stock or stock options pursuant to any future employee equity incentive plan, investors may be materially diluted by such subsequent issuances.
Historically, TINGO GROUP has funded its operations and capital expenditures primarily through equity issuances and cash generated from its operations along with negotiating credit terms with suppliers that allows to effectively match revenues from customers with supplier payment terms. Although TINGO GROUP currently anticipates that its existing cash and cash equivalents and cash flow from operations will be sufficient to meet its cash needs for the foreseeable future, it may require additional financing, and it may not be able to obtain debt or equity financing on favorable terms, if at all and to manage any currency risk due to a mismatch in the currency of revenues, primarily Naira and those of expenses. If TINGO GROUP raises debt financing, it may be required to accept terms that restrict its ability to incur additional indebtedness, force TINGO GROUP to maintain specified liquidity or other ratios or restrict its ability to pay dividends or make acquisitions.
If the price of our Common Stock is volatile, our securities could incur substantial losses.
The price of TINGO GROUP’s Common Stock has been and may continue to be volatile. The market price of TINGO GROUP’s Common Stock may be influenced by many factors, including but not limited to the following:
developments regarding the Merger and the transactions;
announcements of developments related to TINGO GROUP’s business (including those aspects of TINGO GROUP’s business received in connection with the Merger);
quarterly fluctuations in actual or anticipated operating results;
announcements of technological innovations;
new products or product enhancements introduced by Micronet or its competitors;
developments in patents and other intellectual property rights and litigation;
developments in relationships with third party manufacturers and/or strategic partners;
developments in relationships with customers and/or suppliers;
regulatory or legal developments in the United States, Israel, China and other countries;
general conditions in the global economy; and
the other factors described in this “ Risk Factors ” section.
A sale by TINGO GROUP of a substantial number of shares of the Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock may cause the price of the Common Stock to decline and may impair the ability to raise capital in the future.
Our Common Stock is traded on Nasdaq and despite certain increases of trading volume from time to time, there have been periods when it could be considered “thinly-traded,” meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing Common Stock at or near bid prices at any given time may have been relatively small or non-existent. Financing transactions resulting in a large amount of newly-issued securities, or other events that cause current stockholders to sell shares, could place downward pressure on the trading price of Common Stock. In addition, the lack of a robust resale market may require a stockholder who desires to sell a large number of shares of Common Stock to sell those shares in increments over time to mitigate any adverse impact of the sales on the market price of TINGO GROUP stock. If TINGO GROUP stockholders sell, or the market perceives that its stockholders intend to sell for various reasons, including the ending of restriction on resale, substantial amounts of Common Stock in the public market, including shares issued upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants, the market price of Common Stock could fall. Sales of a substantial number of shares of Common Stock may make it more difficult for TINGO GROUP to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that TINGO GROUP deems reasonable or appropriate. Moreover, TINGO GROUP may become involved in securities class action litigation arising out of volatility resulting from such sales that could divert management’s attention and harm TINGO GROUP’s business.
We may acquire other companies or technologies which could divert our management’s attention, result in additional dilution to our stockholders and otherwise disrupt our operations and adversely affect our operating results.
We may in the future seek to acquire or invest in other businesses, features or technologies that we believe could complement or expand our market, enhance our technical capabilities or otherwise offer growth opportunities. The pursuit of potential acquisitions, may divert the attention of management and cause us to incur various expenses in identifying, investigating and pursuing suitable acquisitions, whether or not they are consummated. In addition, to the extent that we enter into any term sheets or otherwise announce any intention to acquire any additional businesses, features or technologies, any such acquisition would generally be subject to completion of due diligence and required approvals, and would require additional financing, and there can be no assurance that any such acquisition will occur or be completed in a timely manner, or at all.
If we acquire additional businesses, we may not be able to integrate the acquired personnel, operations, existing contracts and technologies successfully or effectively manage the combined business following the acquisition. We also may not achieve the anticipated benefits from any acquired business, due to a number of factors, including:
failure to identify all of the problems, liabilities or other shortcomings or challenges of an acquired company or technology, including issues related to intellectual property, regulatory compliance practices, product quality and safety, revenue recognition or other accounting practices, or employee or client issues;
difficulty incorporating acquired technology and rights into our proprietary software and of maintaining quality and security standards consistent with our brands;
inability to generate sufficient revenue to offset acquisition or investment costs;
incurrence of acquisition-related costs or equity dilution associated with funding the acquisition;
difficulties and additional expenses associated with supporting legacy products and hosting infrastructure of the acquired business;
risks of entering new markets or new product categories in which we have limited or no experience;
difficulty converting the customers of the acquired business into our customers;
diversion of our management’s attention from other business concerns;
adverse effects to our existing business relationships as a result of the acquisition;
potential loss of key employees, clients, vendors and suppliers from either our current business or an acquired company’s business;
use of resources that are needed in other parts of our business;
possible write offs or impairment charges relating to acquired businesses;
compliance with regulatory matters covering the products of the acquired business; and
use of substantial portions of our available cash to consummate the acquisition.
In addition, a significant portion of the purchase price of companies we acquire may be allocated to acquired goodwill and intangible assets, which must be assessed for impairment at least annually. In the future, if our acquisitions do not yield expected returns, we may be required to take charges to our operating results based on this impairment assessment process, which could adversely affect our results of operations. Acquisitions could also result in dilutive issuances of equity securities or the incurrence of debt, which could adversely affect our operating results. If an acquired business fails to meet our expectations, our business, operating results and financial condition may suffer.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports or publish unfavorable research about TINGO GROUP’s business, the price of its Common Stock could decline.
TINGO GROUP does not currently have any significant research coverage by securities and industry analysts and may never obtain such research coverage. If securities or industry analysts do not commence or maintain coverage of TINGO GROUP, the trading price for its Common Stock might be negatively affected. In the event such securities or industry analyst coverage is obtained, if one or more of the analysts who covers TINGO GROUP or will cover TINGO GROUP downgrades its securities, the price of Common Stock would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases to cover TINGO GROUP or fails to publish regular reports on it, interest in the purchase of Common Stock could decrease, which could cause the price of Common Stock and trading volume to decline.
If we fail to continue to meet all applicable Nasdaq requirements, Nasdaq may delist our common stock, which could have an adverse impact on the liquidity and market price of our common stock.
TINGO GROUP’s common stock is currently listed on Nasdaq, which has qualitative and quantitative listing criteria. If TINGO GROUP continues to be unable to comply with Nasdaq listing requirements, including, for example, if the closing bid price for TINGO GROUP common stock continues to fall below $1.00 per share, in breach of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), Nasdaq could determine to delist the TINGO GROUP common stock which could adversely affect its market liquidity market price. In that regard, on January 27, 2022, TINGO GROUP received written notice from Nasdaq indicating that it was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), as the closing bid price of its common stock had been below $1.00 per share. Nasdaq’s letter advised the Company that, based upon the closing bid price during the period from December 21, 2021 to January 26, 2022, the Company no longer meets this test. TINGO GROUP was able to regain compliance by maintaining a minimum closing bid price of at least $1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive trading days; however there can be no assurance that TINGO GROUP will be able to maintain compliance with the Nasdaq listing requirements, or that the common stock will not be delisted from Nasdaq in the future. Such delisting could adversely affect the ability to obtain financing for the continuation of TINGO GROUP’s operations or prevent us from completing the Acquisition or any other alternative transaction, and could result in the loss of confidence by investors, customers and employees and cause our shareholders to incur substantial losses.
If Nasdaq delists TINGO GROUP’s securities from trading on its exchange and TINGO GROUP is not able to list its securities on another national securities exchange, TINGO GROUP expects its securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, TINGO GROUP could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
a limited availability of market quotations for its securities;
reduced liquidity for its securities;
a determination that the TINGO GROUP’s common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in the TINGO GROUP’s common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for TINGO GROUP’s securities;
a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and
a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.
TINGO GROUP’s stockholders may not realize a benefit from the Company’s merger with Tingo Mobile commensurate with the ownership dilution they will experience in connection with the mergers.
If TINGO GROUP is unable to realize the full strategic and financial benefits anticipated as a result of the merger with Tingo Mobile, TINGO GROUP’s stockholders will have experienced substantial dilution of their ownership interests in TINGO GROUP without receiving any commensurate benefit, or only receiving part of the commensurate benefit to the extent TINGO GROUP is able to realize only part of the strategic and financial benefits anticipated from the mergers.
Intermediate may be subject to new or different statutory and regulatory requirements in the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”).
As the global regulatory and tax environment evolves, Intermediate may be subject to new or different statutory and regulatory requirements (for example, on January 1, 2019 the Economic Substance (Companies and Limited Partnerships) Act, 2018 of the British Virgin Islands came into force). It is difficult to predict what impact the adoption of these laws or regulations, or changes in the interpretation of existing laws or regulations could have on Intermediate, however, compliance with various additional obligations may create significant additional costs that may be borne by Intermediate or otherwise affect the management and operation of Intermediate.
The COVID-19 pandemic, or any other pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, may materially and adversely affect TINGO GROUP’s business and operations.
Since being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, COVID-19 has negatively impacted global economies, disrupted consumer spending and global supply chains, and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets.
TINGO GROUP’s operations and business have experienced disruptions due to the unprecedented conditions surrounding the spread of COVID-19 throughout China, North America, Israel and the world. The COVID-19 pandemic and both public and private measures taken to contain it have negatively affected TINGO GROUP’s business, results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity, all of which may continue or worsen.
Even after COVID-19 has subsided, TINGO GROUP may continue to experience materially adverse impacts to its business as a result of its global economic impact, including any recession that has occurred or may occur in the future. There are no comparable recent events which may provide guidance as to the effect of the spread of COVID-19, and, as a result, the ultimate impact of COVID-19, or a similar health epidemic or pandemic, is highly uncertain and subject to change. While TINGO GROUP continues to monitor the business metrics that it has historically used to predict its financial performance, it is uncertain as to whether these metrics will continue to function as they have in the past. In addition, COVID-19 cause lock downs of cities which may happen again and affect our ablity to file our financial statements on time.
We have issued and may issue additional preferred stock in the future, and the terms of the preferred stock may reduce the value of our Common Stock.
We are authorized to issue up to 15,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series. Our board of directors may determine the terms of future preferred stock offerings without further action by our stockholders. If we issue shares of preferred stock, it could affect stockholder rights or reduce the market value of our outstanding Common Stock. In particular, specific rights granted to future holders of preferred stock may include voting rights, preferences as to dividends and liquidation, conversion and redemption rights, sinking fund provisions, and restrictions on our ability to merge with or sell our assets to a third party.
TINGO GROUP may be subject to litigation and regulatory investigations and proceedings, and may not always be successful in defending itself against such claims or proceedings. Negative outcomes of legal proceedings may adversely affect Tingo Group’s business and financial condition.
TINGO GROUP’s business operations entail substantial litigation and regulatory risks, including the risk of lawsuits and other legal actions relating to, among other matters, breach of contract, information disclosure, client onboarding procedures, sales practices, product design, fraud and misconduct, and control procedures deficiencies, as well as the protection of personal and confidential information of TINGO GROUP’s or Intermediate’s or Micronet’s clients. TINGO GROUP or its subsidiaries may be subject to arbitration claims and lawsuits in the ordinary course of its business. TINGO GROUP or its subsidiaries may also be subject to inquiries, inspections, investigations and proceedings by regulatory and other governmental agencies. TINGO GROUP and its subsidiaries will be subject to extensive and evolving regulatory requirements, non-compliance with which, may result in penalties, limitations and prohibitions on its future business activities or suspension or revocation of its licenses and trading rights, and consequently may materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition, operations and prospects.
Tingo Mobile is regularly involved in a number of legal proceedings before various courts. These proceedings may be complicated, costly, and disruptive to its business operations. Tingo Mobile may incur significant expenses in defending these matters and may be required to pay significant fines, awards, or settlements. In addition, litigation or other proceedings could result in restrictions on our current or future manner of doing business. Any of these potential outcomes, such as judgments, awards, settlements, or orders could have a material adverse effect on Tingo Mobile’s business, financial condition, operating results, or ability to do business.
Additionally, the Merger and the transactions contemplated thereby, as well as certain private placements completed by the Company, may give rise to litigation and/or other legal disputes. As previously disclosed, in March 2017, TINGO GROUP entered into an Investment Banking Agreement (the “Sunrise Agreement”) with Sunrise Securities LLC and Trump Securities LLC (collectively, “Sunrise”) through Sunrise’s principal, Amnon Mandelbaum, pursuant to which Sunrise agreed to assist TINGO GROUP in identifying, analyzing, structuring, and negotiating suitable business opportunities, such as a sale of stock or assets, merger, tender offer, joint venture, financing arrangement, private placement, or any similar transaction or combination thereof. The parties had disagreements about, among other things, the applicability of the Sunrise Agreement, and the Company received demand letters and other correspondences from Sunrise threateninglitigation in connection therewith. As of the date hereof, the parties have executed a settlement and release agreement for the release and waiver of the above claims however, TINGO GROUP was not able to timely file a registration statement to register the shares, and shares underlying the warrants per the settlement agreement. The Sunrise parties notified TINGO GROUP that it has breached the settlement agreement. TINGO GROUP has made a significant offer to the Sunrise parties to settle such matter and is negotiating with the Sunrise parties to resolve this issue immediately. For further details see “Legal Proceedings” below.
Actions brought against TINGO GROUP or its subsidiaries may result in settlements, injunctions, fines, penalties, suspension or revocation of licenses, reprimands or other results adverse to it that could harm its reputation. Even if TINGO GROUP is successful in defending itself against these actions, the costs of such defense may be significant. In market downturns, the number of legal claims and the amount of damages sought in legal proceedings may increase.
In addition, TINGO GROUP may face arbitration claims and lawsuits brought by its or tis subsidiaries’ users and clients who use its services and find them unsatisfactory. TINGO GROUP may also encounter complaintsallegingmisrepresentation with regard to its platforms and/or services. Actions brought against TINGO GROUP may result in settlements, awards, injunctions, fines, penalties or other results adverse to it including harm to its reputation. Even if TINGO GROUP is successful in defendingagainst these actions, the defense of such matters may result in its incurring significant expenses. Predicting the outcome of such matters is inherently difficult, particularly where claimants seek substantial or unspecified damages, or when arbitration or legal proceedings are at an early stage. A significant judgement or regulatory action against TINGO GROUP or a material disruption in Intermediate’s stock trading platform business arising from adverse adjudications in proceedings against the directors, officers or employees would have a material adverse effect on TINGO GROUP’s liquidity, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Because almost all of TINGO GROUP’s officers and directors are located in non-U.S. jurisdictions, you may have no effective recourse against management for misconduct.
Currently, a majority of TINGO GROUP’s directors and officers are or will be nationals and/or residents of countries other than the United States, and all or a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to enforce within the United States any judgments obtained against such officers or directors, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any U.S. state. Additionally, it may be difficult to enforce civil liabilities under U.S. securities law in original actions instituted in Israel, Nigeria , the UK or PRC. UK, PRC, Nigeria or Israeli courts may refuse to hear a claim based on a violation of U.S. securities laws because such jurisdictions are not the most appropriate forum to bring such a claim. In addition, even if such courts agree to hear a claim, they may determine that Israeli, Nigeria , UK or PRC law, as applicable, and not U.S. law is applicable to hear the claim. If U.S. law is found to be applicable, the content of applicable U.S. law must be proved as a fact, which can be a time-consuming and costly process. Certain matters of procedure may also be governed by UK, PRC or Israeli law.
TINGO GROUP’s financial results may be negatively affected by foreign exchange rate fluctuations.
TINGO GROUP’s revenues are mainly denominated in U.S. dollars. Where possible, TINGO GROUP matches sales and purchases in these and other currencies to achieve a natural hedge. To the extent TINGO GROUP is unable to fully match sales and purchases in different currencies, its business will be exposed to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Following the Merger, The Company’s revenue and expenses have been and are expected to continue to be primarily denominated in RMB, HK Dollar, Nis and Naira and we are exposed to the risks associated with the fluctuation in the currency exchange rate of RMB, HK Dollar, Nis and Naira. Should RMB, HK Dollar, Nis and Naira appreciate against other currencies, the value of the proceeds from this offering and any future financings, which are to be converted from U.S. dollar or other currencies into RMB, HK Dollar, Nis and Naira, would be reduced and might accordingly hinder our business development due to the lessened amount of funds raised. Substantial fluctuation in the currency exchange rate of RMB, HK Dollar, Nis and Naira may have a material adverse effect on Intermediate’s business, operations and financial position and the value of your investment in the Units.
We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022.
We conducted an evaluation under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer (our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, respectively), regarding the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of December 31, 2022 and management concluded that they were not effective. The five material weaknesses related to information technology and one material weakness related to engaging enough qualified employees knowledgeable in U.S. GAAP were directly related to our rapid growth, inability to timely integrate various information technology systems from all of its acquired businesses, the ongoing effects of COVID-19 and PRC regulations related thereto. See Item 9A Controls and Procedures for a further description of the identified material weaknesses. If we are unable to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and materially and adversely affect our business and operating results;
Risk Factors Relating to Intermediate’s and Tingo’s respective Businesses . TINGO GROUP anticipates that its operating costs and expenses will increase. Intermediate may not be able to manage its expansion effectively.
TINGO GROUP anticipates that its operating costs and expenses will increase in the foreseeable future as it endeavors to launch and grow Intermediate’s business, attract users and clients, enhance and develop its service offerings, enhance its technology capabilities, and increase its brand recognition. These efforts may prove more costly than TINGO GROUP anticipates, and it may not succeed in generating revenues sufficiently to offset these higher expenses. There are other external and internal factors that could negatively affect TINGO GROUP’s financial condition. For example, the transaction volume achieved on Intermediate’s platforms may be lower than expected, which may lead to lower than expected revenues. Furthermore, TINGO GROUP has adopted a share incentive plan in the past and may adopt new share incentive plans in the future, which have caused, and will result in, significant share-based compensation expenses to us. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, TINGO GROUP may incur net losses in the future.
Additionally, Intermediate’s current and planned personnel, systems, resources and controls may not be adequate to support and effectively manage its future operations. Intermediate’s plans for continuous expansion may increase the complexity of its business and may place a strain on its management, operations, technical systems, financial resources and internal control functions. Intermediate intends to upgrade its systems from time to time to cater to the need of launching new services, and the process of upgrading its systems may disrupt its ability to timely and accurately process information, which could adversely affect its results of operations and cause harm to its business.
If the Company is unable to attract and retain clients, or if it fails to offer services to address the needs of its clients as it evolves, Intermediate’s business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
If there is insufficient demand for Intermediate’s services, it might not be able to achieve and increase its transaction volume and revenues as it expects, and its and the Company’s business and results of operations may be adversely affected.
The Company’s success will depend largely on its ability to attract and retain clients, in particular those that have highly frequent transactions. Failure to deliver services in a timely manner at competitive prices with satisfactory experience will cause clients to lose confidence in Intermediate and use its platforms less frequently or even stop using its platforms altogether, which in turn will materially and adversely affect Intermediate’s business. Even if Intermediate is able to provide high-quality and satisfactory services on its platforms in a timely manner and at favorable price terms, the Company cannot assure you that Intermediate will be able to attract and retain clients, encourage repeat and increase trading transactions due to reasons out of its control, such as Intermediate’s clients’ personal financial reasons or the deterioration of the market conditions.
If Intermediate is unable to generate clients and increase its client retention rates in a cost-effective manner, Intermediate’s business, financial condition and results of operations are likely to be adversely affected. Although the Company expects to spend significant financial resources on marketing expenses, these efforts may not be cost-effective to attract clients to Intermediate. The Company cannot assure its investors that Intermediate will be able to gain, maintain, or grow a client base in a cost-effective way, if at all.
TINGO GROUP will depend on its maintenance of its intellectual property and its proprietary technology, and its future results may be impacted if it cannot maintain technological superiority in its industry. Tingo Mobile may not be able to respond quickly enough to changes in technology and technological risks, and to develop and maintain its intellectual property.
TINGO GROUP’s potential success depends on Tingo Mobile’s ability to achieve technological advances and Intermediate’s sophisticated proprietary technology to empower the efficient operations of its platforms. If Intermediate’s technology becomes more widely available to its current or future competitors for any reason, its operating results may be adversely affected.
Changes in legislative, regulatory or industry requirements or in competitive technologies may render certain of Tingo Mobile’s planned products obsolete or less attractive. Tingo Mobile’s communications equipment may become obsolete, and our ability to anticipate changes in technology and regulatory standards and to successfully develop and introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis will be a significant factor in Tingo Mobile’s ability to remain competitive. We cannot provide assurance that Tingo Mobile will be able to achieve the technological advances that may be necessary for it to remain competitive or that certain of Tingo Mobile’s products will not become obsolete.
Additionally, to keep pace with changing technologies and client demands, Intermediate must correctly interpret and address market trends and enhance the features and functionality of its technology in response to these trends, which may lead to significant research and development costs. Intermediate may be unable to accurately determine the needs of its users and clients or the trends of the various industries it anticipates to enter or to design and implement the appropriate features and functionality of its technology in a timely and cost-effective manner, which could result in decreased demand for its services and a corresponding decrease in its revenue. Also, any adoption or development of similar or more advanced technologies by its competitors may require that TINGO GROUP devotes substantial resources to the development of more advanced technology at Intermediate to remain competitive. The markets in which Intermediate competes are characterized by rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards and changing trading systems, practices and techniques. Intermediate may not be able to keep up with these rapid changes in the future, develop new technology, realize a return on amounts invested in developing new technologies or remain competitive in the future.
In addition, Intermediate must protect its systems against physical damage from fire, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, hacker attacks, physical break-ins and similar events. Any software or hardware damage or failure that causes interruption or an increase in response time of its proprietary technology could reduce client satisfaction and decrease usage of its services.
Unexpected network interruptions, security breaches or computer virus attacks and failures in TINGO GROUP’s information technology systems could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, interruptions or delays in the services provided by cellular networks or Internet service providers could impair Tingo Mobile’s operations and its business could suffer. Tingo Mobile’s use of open-source software may pose particular risks to its proprietary software and systems.
TINGO GROUP’s information technology systems will support all phases of its operations and will be an essential part of its technology infrastructure. If Intermediate’s systems fail to perform, it could experience disruptions in operations, slower response time or decreased customer satisfaction. Intermediate must be able to process, record and monitor a large number of transactions and its operations are highly dependent on the integrity of its technology systems and its ability to make timely enhancements and additions to its systems. System interruptions, errors or downtime can result from a variety of causes, including unexpectedinterruptions to the Internet infrastructure, technological failures, changes to Intermediate’s systems, changes in customer usage patterns, linkages with third-party systems and power failures. Intermediate’s systems will also be vulnerable to disruptions from human error, execution errors, errors in models such as those used for risk management and compliance, employee misconduct, unauthorized trading, external fraud, distributed denial of service attacks, computer viruses or cyberattacks, terrorist attacks, natural disaster, power outage, capacity constraints, software flaws, events impacting Intermediate’s key business partners and vendors, and other similar events.
Intermediate’s Internet-based businesses depend on the performance and reliability of the Internet infrastructure. Intermediate cannot assure its investors that the Internet infrastructure it depends on will remain sufficiently reliable for its needs. Any failure to maintain the performance, reliability, security or availability of Intermediate’s network infrastructure may cause significant damage to its ability to attract and retain users and clients. Major risks involving Intermediate’s network infrastructure include:
breakdowns or system failures resulting in a prolongedshutdown of its servers;
disruption or failure in the national backbone networks in the PRC, which would make it impossible for users and clients to access its platforms;
damage from natural disasters or other catastrophic events such as typhoon, volcanic eruption, earthquake, flood, telecommunications failure, or other similar events; and
any infection by or spread of computer viruses or other system failures.
Any network interruption or inadequacy that causes interruptions in the availability of Intermediate’s platforms or deterioration in the quality of access to its platforms could reduce user and client satisfaction and result in a reduction in the activity level of its users and clients as well as the number of clients making trading transactions on its platforms. Furthermore, increases in the volume of traffic on Intermediate’s platforms could strain the capacity of its computer systems and bandwidth, which could lead to slower response times or system failures. This could cause a disruption or suspension in Intermediate’s service delivery, which could hurt its brand and reputation. Intermediate may need to incur additional costs to upgrade its technology infrastructure and computer systems in order to accommodate increased demand if it anticipates that its systems cannot handle higher volumes of traffic and transaction in the future. In addition, it could take an extended period of time to restore full functionality to its technology or other operating systems in the event of an unforeseen occurrence, which could affect its ability to process and settle client transactions. Despite Intermediate’s efforts to identify areas of risk, oversee operational areas involving risks, and implement policies and procedures designed to manage these risks, there can be no assurance that it will not sufferunexpectedlosses, reputational damage or regulatory actions due to technology or other operational failures or errors, including those of its vendors or other third parties.
In addition, any damage to or failure of Tingo Mobile’s systems generally would prevent it from operating its business. Tingo Mobile relies on the cellular networks and internet and, accordingly, depend upon the continuous, reliable, and secure operation of these networks and internet servers, related hardware and software, and network infrastructure that Tingo Mobile uses are vulnerable to damage or interruption from human error, intentionalbad acts, earthquakes, floods, fires, severe storms, war, terrorist attacks, power losses, hardware failures, systems failures, telecommunications failures, and similar events, many of which are beyond Tingo Mobile’s control, any of which could disrupt its service, destroy user content, or prevent Tingo Mobile from being able to continuously back up or record changes in its users’ content. In the event of significant physical damage to one of these data centers, it may take a significant period of time to achieve full resumption of our services, and Tingo Mobile’s disaster recovery planning may not account for all eventualities. Moreover, negative publicity arising from these types of disruptions could damage Tingo Mobile’s reputation and may adversely impact use of its products. Tingo Mobile may not carry sufficient business interruption insurance to compensate it for losses that may occur as a result of any events that cause interruptions in its service.
Additionally, Tingo Mobile uses open-source software in its proprietary software and systems and intends to continue using open-source software in the future. The licenses applicable to Tingo Mobile’s use of open-source software may require that source code that is developed using open-source software be made available to the public and that any modifications or derivative works to certain open-source software continue to be licensed under open-source licenses. From time to time, Tingo Mobile may face claims from third parties claiminginfringement of their intellectual property rights, or demanding the release or license of the open source software or derivative works that Tingo Mobile developed using such software (which could include Tingo Mobile’s proprietary source code) or otherwise seeking to enforce the terms of the applicable open source license. These claims could result in litigation and could require Tingo Mobile to purchase a costly license, publicly release the affected portions of its source code, be limited in or cease using the implicated software unless and until it can re-engineer such software to avoid infringement or change the use of, or remove, the implicated open-source software.
In addition to risks related to license requirements, use of certain open-source software can lead to greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open-source licensors generally do not provide warranties, indemnities or other contractual protections with respect to the software (for example, non- infringement or functionality). Tingo Mobile’s use of open-source software may also present additional security risks because the source code for open source software is publicly available, which may make it easier for hackers and other third parties to determine how to breach its website and systems that rely on open source software. Any of these risks could be difficult to eliminate or manage, and, if not addressed, could have a material adverse effect on Tingo Mobile’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If TINGO GROUP or Tingo Mobile fails to protect its platform or the confidential information of its users and clients, whether due to cyber-attacks, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins or other reasons, it may be subject to liabilities imposed by relevant laws and regulations, and its reputation and business may be materially and adversely affected.
TINGO GROUP’s and Intermediate’s computer system, the networks it uses, the networks and online trading platforms of the exchanges and other third parties with whom it interacts, are potentially vulnerable to physical or electronic computer break-ins, viruses and similar disruptiveproblems or security breaches. A party that is able to circumvent TINGO GROUP’s or Intermediate’s security measures could misappropriate proprietary information or customer information, jeopardize the confidential nature of the information TINGO GROUP or Intermediate transmits over the Internet and mobile network or cause interruptions in its operations. TINGO GROUP, Intermediate or its respective service providers may be required to invest significant resources to protect against the threat of security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by any breaches.
In addition, TINGO GROUP and Intermediate will collect, store and process certain personal and other sensitive data from its users and clients, which makes TINGO GROUP and Intermediate potentially vulnerable targets to cyber-attacks, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins or similar disruptions. While TINGO GROUP and Intermediate will take steps to protect the confidential information that it expects to have access to, its security measures could be breached. Because the techniques used to sabotage or obtain unauthorized access to systems change frequently and generally are not recognized until they are launched against a target, TINGO GROUP and Intermediate may not be able to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. Any accidental or willful security breaches or other unauthorized access to TINGO GROUP’s or Intermediate’s system could cause confidential user and client information to be stolen and used for criminal purposes. Security breaches or unauthorized access to confidential information could also expose TINGO GROUP and Intermediate to liability related to the loss of the information, time-consuming and expensive litigation and negative publicity. If security measures are breached because of third-party action, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise, or if design flaws in TINGO GROUP’s or Intermediate’s technology infrastructure are exposed and exploited, its relationships with users and clients could be severelydamaged, it could incur significant liability and its stock trading platform business and operations could be adversely affected. Furthermore, Intermediate’s corporate clients may utilize its technology to serve their own employees and customers. Any failure or perceived failure by TINGO GROUP or Intermediate to prevent information security breaches or to comply with privacy policies or privacy-related legal obligations, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release or transfer of personally identifiable information or other customer data, could cause Intermediate’s clients to lose trust in it and could expose Intermediate to legal claims.
In addition, Tingo Mobile collects personally identifiable information and other data from its consumers and prospective consumers. Tingo Mobile uses this information to provide services and relevant products to its consumers, to support, expand and improve its business, and to tailor our marketing and advertising efforts. Tingo Mobile may also share consumers’ personal data with certain third parties as authorized by the consumer or as described in Tingo Mobile’s privacy policy. As a result, Tingo Mobile is subject to governmental regulation and other legal obligations related to the protection of personal data, privacy and information security in certain countries where it does business, and there has been, and we expect there will be a continuing increase globally in laws that restrict or control the use of personal data. Consumer privacy and consumer protection laws may be interpreted or applied by regulatory authorities in a manner that could require Tingo Mobile to make changes to its contracts, or its operations, or incur fines, penalties, or settlement expenses, which may result in harm to its business, results of operations, financial condition, and brand.
There are uncertainties as to the interpretation and application of laws in one jurisdiction which may be interpreted and applied in a manner inconsistent to another jurisdiction and may conflict with TINGO GROUP’s or Intermediate’s policies and practices or require changes to the features of its system. TINGO GROUP and Intermediate cannot assure that its user information protection system and technical measures will be considered sufficient under applicable laws and regulations. If TINGO GROUP or Intermediate is unable to address any information protection concerns, any compromise of security that results unauthorized disclosure or transfer of personal data, or to comply with the then applicable laws and regulations, it may incur additional costs and liability and result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation, fines and penalties or adverse publicity and could cause its users and clients to lose trust in us, which could have a material adverse effect on its stock trading platform business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. TINGO GROUP and Intermediate may also be subject to new laws, regulations or standards or new interpretations of existing laws, regulations or standards, including those in the areas of data security and data privacy, which could require TINGO GROUP or Intermediate to incur additional costs and restrict its stock trading platform business operations.
Additionally, the regulatory landscape surrounding data protection, data privacy and information security is rapidly changing across Africa. Among the African countries, only Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia have established comprehensive data protection and data privacy laws. These data protection laws and regulations were only recently enacted. For example, the National Information Technology Development Agency in Nigeria passed new data protection guidelines in 2017, and we have implemented new policies to comply with these regulations.
Compliance with the various data protection laws in Africa is challenging due to the complex and sometimes contradictory nature of the different regulatory regimes. Because data protection regulations are not uniform among the various African nations in which TINGO GROUP, including its subsidiary Tingo Mobile operates, its ability to transmit consumer information across borders is limited by its ability to comply with conditions and restrictions that vary from country to country. In countries with particularly strict data protection laws, Tingo Mobile might not be able to transmit data out of the country at all and may be required to host individual servers in each such country where it collects data. For example, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, and Tunisia all restrict data transfer across borders. Ghana also requires that a company notify consumers in the event of a personal data breach. Egypt currently has no data protection and privacy laws. However, the Egyptian government announced in 2017 that it is committed to doubling the size of its e-commerce sector by 2020 and intends to update all legislation and regulation relevant to e-commerce. Moreover, many data protection regimes apply based on where a consumer is located, and as TGH expands and new laws are enacted or existing laws change, it may be subject to new laws, regulations or standards or new interpretations of existing laws, regulations or standards, including those in the areas of data security, data privacy and regulation of email providers and those that require localization of certain data, which could require TGH to incur additional costs and restrict its business operations.
TGH and its subsidiaries in Nigeria and other African jurisdictions are also subject to other Nigeria and international laws. Although TGH takes precautions to prevent violations of these laws, its exposure for violating these laws increases as TGH continues to expand its international presence and any failure to comply with such laws could harm its reputation and our business.
Any failure or perceived failure by TGH or any of its subsidiares to comply with rapidly evolving privacy or security laws, policies, legal obligations or industry standards or any security incident that results in the unauthorized release or transfer of personally identifiable information or other consumer data may result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation (including consumer class actions), criminalprosecution, fines and penalties or adverse publicity and could cause our consumers to lose trust in the Tingo brand, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
TINGO GROUP may not succeed in promoting and sustaining its brand, which could have an adverse effect on its future growth and business. If TINGO GROUP fails to compete effectively, it may lose existing users and fail to attract new users, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
A critical component of TINGO GROUP’s launch and growth will be its ability to promote and sustain its brand. Promoting and positioning TINGO GROUP’s brand and platforms will depend largely on the success of its marketing efforts, its ability to attract users and clients cost-efficiently and its ability to consistently provide high-quality services and a superior experience. TINGO GROUP expects to incur significant expenses related to advertising and other marketing efforts, which may not be effective and may adversely affect its net margins.
If TINGO GROUP fails to maintain its brand cost-effectively, its ability to expand the number of users of the Tingo Mobile network will be impaired, its reputation may be harmed, and its business, results of operations, and financial condition may suffer.
We believe that developing and maintaining awareness of the Tingo brand is critical to achieving widespread acceptance of the Tingo Mobile network and is an important element in attracting new users. Furthermore, we believe that the importance of Tingo brand recognition will increase as competition in its market increases. Successful promotion of the Tingo brand will depend largely on the effectiveness of its marketing efforts and on its ability to ensure that the Tingo Mobile network remains reliable, and useful at competitive prices. Brand promotion activities may not yield increased revenue, and even if they do, any increased revenue may not offset the expenses Tingo Mobile incurs in building its brand. If Tingo Mobile fails to successfully promote and maintain its brand or incur substantial expenses in an unsuccessful attempt to promote and maintain its brand, it may fail to attract new organizations to Tingo Mobile or to grow or maintain its telecommunications network.
In addition, to provide a high-quality user and client experience, TINGO GROUP expects to invest substantial amounts of resources in the development and functionality of Intermediate’s platforms, websites, technology infrastructure and client service operations. Intermediate’s ability to provide a high-quality user and client experience will also be highly dependent on external factors over which it may have little or no control, including, without limitation, the reliability and performance of software vendors and business partners. Failure to provide Intermediate’s users and clients with high quality services and experience for any reason could substantially harm its reputation and adversely impact its efforts to develop a trusted brand, which could have a material adverse effect on its stock trading platform business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Any failure to protect either Intermediate’s or Tingo Mobile’s intellectual property could harm their respective businesses and competitive position. Additionally, the products and services utilized by Tingo Mobile and its suppliers and service providers may infringe on intellectual property rights owned by others.
Intermediate expects to rely primarily on trade secret, contract, copyright, trademark and patent law to protect its proprietary technology. It is possible that third parties may copy or otherwise obtain and use Intermediate’s proprietary technology without authorization or otherwise infringe on its rights. Intermediate may not be able to successfully pursue claims for infringement that interfere with its ability to use its technology, website or other relevant intellectual property or have adverse impact on its brand. Intermediate cannot assure TINGO GROUP’s investors that any of its intellectual property rights would not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or such intellectual property will be sufficient to provide Intermediate with competitive advantages. In addition, other parties may misappropriate its intellectual property rights, which would cause it to suffer economic or reputational damages. Because of the rapid pace of technological change, TINGO GROUP cannot assure you that all of Intermediate’s proprietary technologies and similar intellectual property will be patented in a timely or cost-effective manner, or at all. Furthermore, parts of Intermediate’s business rely on technologies developed or licensed by other parties, or co-developed with other parties, and Intermediate may not be able to obtain or continue to obtain licenses and technologies from these other parties on reasonable terms, or at all.
Any claims or litigation could cause Intermediate and us to incur significant expenses and, if successfully asserted against Intermediate or us, could require that we pay substantial damages or ongoing royalty payments, restrict Intermediate or us from conducting our business or require that we or Intermediate comply with other unfavorable terms. We and Intermediate may also be obligated to indemnify parties or pay substantial settlement costs, including royalty payments, in connection with any such claim or litigation and to obtain licenses, modify applications or refund fees, which could be costly. Even if we and Intermediate were to prevail in such a dispute, any litigation regarding Intermediate’s intellectual property could be costly and time-consuming and divert the attention of our management from Intermediate and our business operations.
TGH and its subsidiaries, including Tingo Mobile, relies on various patent, service mark, trademark, and trade secret laws and contractual restrictions to establish and protect its proprietary rights. Despite these actions, they only offer limited protection and may not prevent the misappropriation of TGH’s rights. Also, TGH may not be able to discover or determine the extent of or protect against any unauthorized use of its proprietary rights, which may increase the cost of protecting these rights or reduce TGH’s revenues. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on TGH’s business, financial condition, and operating results. TGH also purchases products from suppliers, including device suppliers, and outsource services to service providers, including billing and customer care functions, that incorporate or utilize intellectual property. TGH and some of its suppliers and service providers have received, and may receive in the future, assertions and claims from third parties that the products or software utilized by TGH or its suppliers and service providers infringe on the patents or other intellectual property rights of these third parties. These claims could require TGH or an infringing supplier or service provider to cease certain activities or to cease selling the relevant products and services. These claims can be time-consuming and costly to defend and divert management resources. If these claims are successful, TGH could be forced to pay significant damages or stop selling certain products or services or stop using certain trademarks, which could adversely affect its results of operations.
Intermediate faces risks related to natural disasters, health epidemics and other outbreaks, which could significantly disrupt its operations. Additionally, equipment failure, natural disasters or terrorist acts may affect Tingo Mobile’s infrastructure and result in significant disruption to its business.
Intermediate’s stock trading platform business could be materially and adversely affected by natural disasters, health epidemics or other public safety concerns. Natural disasters may give rise to server interruptions, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures or Internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect its ability to operate its platform and provide services and solutions. Intermediate’s stock trading platform business could also be adversely affected if its employees are affected by health epidemics. In addition, Intermediates’ results of operations could be adversely affected to the extent that any health epidemic harms the economy in general. If any natural disasters, health epidemics or other public safety concerns were to affect the locations where Intermediate operates, its operation may experience material disruptions, which may materially and adversely affect its stock trading platform business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, equipment failures, natural disasters, including severe weather, terrorist acts or other disruptions that affect TGH’s wireline and wireless networks, including transport facilities, communications switches, routers, microwave links, cell sites, or other equipment or third-party owned local and long-distance networks on which TGH relies, could disrupt its operations, require significant resources to remedy, result in a loss of subscribers or impair its ability to attract new subscribers, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on TGH’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
We could incur significant liability or our reputation could be damaged if our information systems are breached or we otherwise fail to protect customer or Company data or information systems.
In operating our business and providing services and solutions to customers, we collect, use, store, transmit and otherwise process certain electronic information, including personal, confidential, proprietary and sensitive data such as information related to financial records, health care and personal data of our customers, colleagues and vendors. We rely on the efficient, uninterrupted and secure operation of complex information technology systems and networks to operate our business and securely process, transmit and store electronic information. In the normal course of business, we also share electronic information with our vendors and other third parties. This electronic information comprises sensitive and confidential data, including information related to financial records, health care and customers’ personal data. Our information technology systems and safety control systems, and those of our numerous third-party providers, as well as the control systems of critical infrastructure they rely on are potentially vulnerable to unauthorized access, damage or interruption from a variety of external threats, including cyberattacks, computer viruses and other malware, ransomware and other types of data and systems-related modes of attack. Our systems are also subject to compromise from internal threats such as improper action by employees, vendors and other third parties with otherwise legitimate access to our systems. We could experience significant financial and reputational harm if our information systems are breached, sensitive customer or our data are compromised, surreptitiously modified, rendered inaccessible for any period of time or maliciously made public, or if we fail to make adequate or timely disclosures to the public or law enforcement agencies following any such event, whether due to delayed discovery or a failure to follow existing protocols.
Any disruption of our business operations due to a cyber attack, even for a limited amount of time, may adversely affect its business and financial condition. Our information technology and other systems — including those of its third-party service providers — that maintain and transmit our proprietary information, the confidential information of our business partners and its employees, and its subscribers’ information, including credit card information, location data, or other personal information, may be compromised by a malicious third-party penetration of our network security, including by state-sponsored parties, or company employees or external actors, and impacted by advertent or inadvertent actions or inactions by our employees and agents. As a result, our proprietary or confidential information or the proprietary or confidential information of our business partners, employees and subscribers may be lost, disclosed, accessed, used, corrupted, destroyed, or taken without consent. Cyber attacks, such as the use of malware, computer viruses, dedicated denial of service attacks, or other means for disruption or unauthorized access, and data breaches have increased in frequency, scope, and potential harm in recent years. Cyber attacks may occur in conjunction with physical attacks on our network infrastructure. We also purchase equipment and software from third parties that could contain software defects, Trojan horses, malware, or other means by which third parties could access its network or the information stored or transmitted on such network or equipment.
While, to date, we are not aware of any cyber attacks or other cyber incidents that, individually or in the aggregate, have been material to TINGO GROUP’s consolidated operations or financial condition, the preventive actions the Company takes to reduce the risk of cyber incidents and protect its information technology and networks may be insufficient to repel a cyber attack in the future. In addition, the costs of such preventative actions, including insurance coverage that the Company maintains relating to cybersecurity incidents, may be significant, which may adversely affect its results of operations. Any disruption of the information technology systems that are necessary to conducting normal business operations due to a cyber attack, even for a limited amount of time, may prevent TGH from conducting normal business operations and adversely affect its financial condition. Any major compromise of the Company’s data or network security or that of its third-party service suppliers, failure to prevent or mitigate a loss of our services or network, its proprietary information, or its subscribers’ information, and delays in detecting any such compromise or loss, even for a limited amount of time, could disrupt the Company’s operations, impact its reputation and subscribers’ willingness to purchase its service, and subject the Company to significant additional expenses. Such expenses could include incentives offered to existing subscribers and other business relationships in order to retain their business, increased expenditures on cyber security measures and the use of alternate resources, lost revenues from business interruption, significant penalties under privacy laws, and litigation, which could be material. Furthermore, the potential costs associated with any such cyber attacks could be greater than the insurance coverage the Company maintains.
If TINGO GROUP is unable to obtain stockholder approval for the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock by June 30, 2023 (the “Trigger Date”), then all issued and outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock will be redeemed by TINGO GROUP in consideration of the right to receive cash and TINGO GROUP shall cause Tingo LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TINGO GROUP (“Delaware Sub”), to issue to Tingo, the amount of membership interests of Delaware Sub as needed to cause Tingo, to own 27% of the total issued and outstanding membership interests of Delaware Sub.
If stockholders have not approved the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock by June 30, 2023 (the “Trigger Date”), then, (i) all issued and outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock will be immediately and automatically redeemed by the Company, and all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon to the date of redemption extinguished, in consideration of the right to receive an aggregate amount, in respect of all shares of Series A Preferred Stock, of $1.00 in cash, and (ii) the Company shall, within ten (10) Business Days following the Trigger Event, cause TGH to issue to TMNA, the amount of membership interests of TGH as needed to cause TMNA, to own 27% of the total issued and outstanding membership interests of TGH, subject to the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock Certificate of Designations. We cannot assure you we will receive stockholder approval for the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock by the Trigger Date.
In the event that (i) TINGO GROUP does not receive by the Trigger Date the stockholder approval with respect to the conversion of Series B Preferred Stock and the amendment of TINGO GROUP’s certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock, (ii) the Nasdaq change of control application is rejected, or (iii) Nasdaq requires Material Restrictions (as defined in the Series B Certificate of Designation) in order to approve the Nasdaq change of control application (each a “Trigger Event”), each holder of Series B Preferred Stock, at its sole option, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to reduce the Stated Value per share of Series B Preferred Stock in exchange for membership interests of Delaware Sub, up to a maximum of 33% of the outstanding membership interests of Delaware Sub.
In the event that (i) we do not receive by June 30, 2023 the stockholder approval with respect to the conversion of Series B Preferred Stock and the amendment of TINGO GROUP’s certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock, (ii) the Nasdaq change of control application is rejected, or (iii) Nasdaq requires Material Restrictions (as defined in the Series B Certificate of Designation) in order to approve the Nasdaq change of control application (each a “Trigger Event”), each holder of Series B Preferred Stock, at its sole option, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to reduce the Stated Value per share of Series B Preferred Stock in exchange for membership interests of TGH, up to a maximum of 33% of the outstanding membership interests of TGH. If the holder of Series B Preferred Stock exercises its option to acquire the maximum number of membership interests of TGH, the Stated Value per share shall be reduced to $14,292.71. For each 1% the holder of Series B Preferred Stock chooses to receive in membership interests of TGH up to the maximum of 33%, the Stated Value per share of Series B Preferred Stock shall decrease by $216.56. Any amounts that equal less than 1% shall be proportionality reduced. On the date that is ninety (90) days following the date on which the earliest Trigger Event occurs, TINGO GROUP shall redeem all outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock for the Stated Value, as, and if, so reduced. We cannot assure you we will receive stockholder approval for the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock by the Trigger Date or that Nasdaq will approve the change of control application in the present form.
Failure or poor performance of third-party software, infrastructure or systems on which we rely could adversely affect our business.
We will rely on third parties to provide and maintain certain infrastructure that will be critical to its business. For example, a strategic partner provides services to us in connection with various aspects of our operations and systems. If such services become limited, restricted, curtailed or less effective or more expensive in any way or become unavailable to us for any reason, its business may be materially and adversely affected. The infrastructure of our third-party service providers may malfunction or fail due to events out of its control, which could disrupt its operations and have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Any failure to maintain and renew our relationships with these third parties on commercially favorable terms, or to enter into similar relationships in the future, could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We also rely on certain third-party software, computer systems and service providers. Any interruption in these third-party services or software, deterioration in their performance, or other improper operation could interfere with its trading activities, cause losses due to erroneous or delayed responses, or otherwise be disruptive to its business. If our arrangements with any third party are terminated, it may not be able to find an alternative source of software or systems support on a timely basis or on commercially reasonable terms. This could also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Employee misconduct could expose us to significant legal liability and reputational harm.
Our platforms will operate in industries in which integrity and the confidence of its users and clients are of critical importance. During our daily operations, it will be subject to the risks of errors and misconduct by its employees, which include:
engaging in misrepresentation or fraudulent activities when marketing or performing services to users and clients;
improperly using or disclosing confidential information of its users and clients or other parties;
concealingunauthorized or unsuccessful activities; or
otherwise not complying with applicable laws and regulations or its internal policies or procedures.
If any of our employees engages in illegal or suspicious activities or other misconduct, it could sufferseriousharm to its reputation, financial condition, client relationships and ability to attract new clients and even be subject to regulatory sanctions and significant legal liability. We may also be subject to negative publicity from the sanction that would adversely affect its brand, public image and reputation, as well as potential challenges, suspicions, investigations or allegedclaimsagainst us. It is not always possible to determisconduct by its employees or senior management during the operations of its business or uncover any misconduct occurred in their past employment, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent any misconduct may not always be effective. Misconduct by our employees, or even unsubstantiatedallegations of misconduct, could result in a material adverse effect on its reputation and its business.
TGH may be adversely affected by changes in the regulations applicable to the telecommunications sector. Internet-related issues may reduce or slow the growth in the use of our services in the future. In particular, our future growth depends on the further acceptance of the Internet in China and particularly the mobile Internet as an effective platform for assessing trading and other financial services and content.
As the internet continues to revolutionize commercial relationships on a global scale and online penetration increases, new laws and regulations relating to the use of the internet in general and the e-commerce sector in particular may be adopted. These laws and regulations may govern the collection, use and protection of data, consumer protection, online payments, pricing, anti-bribery, tax, country specific prices and website contents and other aspects relevant to our business. The adoption or modification of laws or regulations relating to our operations could adversely affect our business by increasing compliance costs, including as a result of confidentiality or security breaches in case of non-compliance, and administrative burdens. In particular, privacy related regulation could interfere with TGH’s strategy to collect and use personal information as part of its data-driven approach along the value chain. We currently believe that TGH complies with these new guidelines, and its data protection and privacy policies address methods for continued compliance with such guidelines. TGH must comply with applicable regulations in all of the countries in which it operates, and any non-compliance could lead to fines and other sanctions.
Critical issues concerning the commercial use of the Internet, such as ease of access, security, privacy, reliability, cost, and quality of service, remain unresolved and may adversely impact the growth of Internet use. If Internet usage continues to increase rapidly, the Internet infrastructure may not be able to support the demands placed on it by this growth, and its performance and reliability may decline. Continuous rapid growth in Internet traffic may cause decreased performance, outages and delays. Our ability to increase the speed with which we provide services to users and clients and to increase the scope and quality of such services is limited by and dependent upon the speed and reliability of Intermediate’s users’ and clients’ access to the Internet, which is beyond our control. If periods of decreased performance, outages or delays on the Internet occur frequently or other critical issues concerning the Internet are not resolved, overall Internet usage or usage of our web-based services could increase more slowly or decline, which would cause Intermediate’s stock trading platform business, results of operations and financial condition to be materially and adversely affected.
Fluctuations in exchange rates of the RMB could materially affect financial results. Tingo Mobile is also experiencing difficulties in obtaining foreign exchange for use in its operations outside of Nigeria and is dependent for those operations on financing providers not situated in Nigeria.
The exchange rates between the RMB and the U.S. dollars and other foreign currencies are affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. The People’s Bank of China regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to limit fluctuations in RMB exchange rates and achieve policy goals.
Tingo Mobile, Tingo Foods, and other businesses based in Nigeria generally are having difficulty sourcing foreign exchange through the Central Bank of Nigeria, which has restricted access to foreign exchange in an effort to support the local Naira currency. This has adversely affected Tingo Mobile’s customers and the business community generally in Nigeria. As a result, it has been necessary for TGH, the parent company of Tingo Mobile and Tingo Foods, to arrange financing outside of Nigeria for compliance, operations, and other costs associated with its business in the United States and other locations outside of Nigeria. Nevertheless, if TGH is unsuccessful in raising capital or generated cash flow outside of Nigeria, its operations may be adversely affected.
The costs to comply with, or our failure to comply with laws related to privacy, data security and data protection could adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and our reputation. TGH and its subsidiaries are subject to governmental regulation and other legal obligations related to privacy, data protection and information security. If TGH is unable to comply with these, it may be subject to governmental enforcement actions, litigation, fines and penalties or adverse publicity.
Improper collection, use disclosure, cross border transfer, and retention of confidential, personal, or proprietary data could result in regulatory scrutiny, legal and financial liability, or harm to our reputation. In operating our business and providing services and solutions to clients, we store and transfer sensitive employee and client data, including personal data, in and across multiple jurisdictions. We collect data from client and individuals located all over the world and leverage systems and teams to process it. As a result, we are subject to a variety of laws and regulations regarding privacy, data protection, data security and cyber-security. These laws and regulations are continuously evolving and developing. Some of these laws and regulations are increasing the level of data handling restrictions, including rules on data localization, all of which could affect our operations and result in regulatory liability and high fines. In particular, high-profile security breaches at major companies continue to be disclosed regularly, which is leading to even greater regulatory scrutiny and fines at the highest levels they have ever been.
The scope and interpretation of the laws that are or may be applicable to us are often uncertain and may be conflicting. Given the breadth and depth of changes in data protection obligations, including classifying data and committing to a range of administrative, technical and physical controls to protect data, our compliance with laws will continue to require time, resources and review of the technology and systems we use.
Through its operating subsidiaries, TGH collects personally identifiable information and other data from its consumers and prospective consumers. TGH uses this information to provide services and relevant products to its consumers, to support, expand and improve its business, and to tailor our marketing and advertising efforts. TGH may also share consumers’ personal data with certain third parties as authorized by the consumer or as described in TGH’s privacy policy. As a result, TGH is subject to governmental regulation and other legal obligations related to the protection of personal data, privacy and information security in certain countries where it does business, and there has been, and we expect there will be a continuing increase globally in laws that restrict or control the use of personal data.
Additionally, the regulatory landscape surrounding data protection, data privacy and information security is rapidly changing across Africa. Among the African countries, only Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia have established comprehensive data protection and data privacy laws. These data protection laws and regulations were only recently enacted. For example, the National Information Technology Development Agency in Nigeria passed new data protection guidelines in 2017, and we have implemented new policies to comply with these regulations.
Compliance with the various data protection laws in Africa is challenging due to the complex and sometimes contradictory nature of the different regulatory regimes. Because data protection regulations are not uniform among the various African nations in which TGH operates, its ability to transmit consumer information across borders is limited by its ability to comply with conditions and restrictions that vary from country to country. In countries with particularly strict data protection laws, TGHor its relevant subsidiary might not be able to transmit data out of the country at all and may be required to host individual servers in each such country where it collects data. For example, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, and Tunisia all restrict data transfer across borders. Ghana also requires that a company notify consumers in the event of a personal data breach. Egypt currently has no data protection and privacy laws. However, the Egyptian government announced in 2017 that it is committed to doubling the size of its e-commerce sector by 2020 and intends to update all legislation and regulation relevant to e-commerce. Moreover, many data protection regimes apply based on where a consumer is located, and as TGH expands and new laws are enacted or existing laws change, it may be subject to new laws, regulations or standards or new interpretations of existing laws, regulations or standards, including those in the areas of data security, data privacy and regulation of email providers and those that require localization of certain data, which could require TGH to incur additional costs and restrict its business operations.
Any failure or perceived failure by TGH or its subsidiaries to comply with rapidly evolving privacy or security laws, policies, legal obligations or industry standards or any security incident that results in the unauthorized release or transfer of personally identifiable information or other consumer data may result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation (including consumer class actions), criminalprosecution, fines and penalties or adverse publicity and could cause our consumers to lose trust in TGH, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risk Factors Relating to Intermediate’s Business
Intermediate’s trading platforms have no operating history, which makes it difficult to evaluate Intermediate’s future prospects.
Intermediate is focused on developing its various trading platforms and technology infrastructure, which have not launched. As Intermediate’s platforms will be built on technology and a significant portion of Intermediate’s staff come from Internet and technology companies, Intermediate has limited experience in most aspects of its trading platform business operation. Any aspect of Intermediate’s business model that does not achieve expected results may have a material and adverse impact on Intermediate’s financial condition and results of operations. It is therefore difficult to effectively assess TINGO GROUP’s future prospects.
Intermediate’s targeted markets may not develop as expected. Intermediate’s users and clients of Intermediate’s services may not be familiar with the development of these markets and may have difficulty distinguishing Intermediate’s services from those of Intermediate’s competitors. Convincing users and clients of the value of using Intermediate’s services will be critical to increasing the number of transactions on Intermediate’s platforms and to the success of Intermediate businesses.
You should consider Intermediate’s businesses in light of the risks and challenges it encounters or may encounter given the rapidly evolving markets in which it operates and its lack of operating history. These risks and challenges include our ability to, among other things:
manage the launch of its trading platforms and its future growth;
navigate a complex and evolving regulatory environment;
offer personalized and competitive services;
increase the utilization of its services by users and clients;
maintain and enhance its relationships with its business partners;
enhance its technology infrastructure to support the growth of its business and maintain the security of its systems and the confidentiality of the information provided and utilized across its systems;
improve its operational efficiency;
attract, retain and motivate talented employees to support its business growth;
navigate economic condition and fluctuation;
defend itself against legal and regulatory actions, such as actions involving intellectual property or privacy claims; and
obtain any and all licenses necessary for the operation of its business.
Our business and reputation may be harmed by changes in business, economic or political conditions that impact global financial markets, or by a systemic market event.
As the Company offers financial services, our business, results of operations and reputation are directly affected by elements beyond our control, such as economic and political conditions, changes in the volatility in financial markets (including volatility as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic), significant increases in the volatility or trading volume of particular securities, broad trends in business and finance, changes in volume of securities trading generally, changes in the markets in which such transactions occur and changes in how such transactions are processed. These elements can arise suddenly and the full impact of such conditions can remain uncertain. A prolongedweakness in equity markets, such as a slowdown causing reduction in trading volume in securities, derivatives or cryptocurrency markets, may result in reduced revenues and would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Significant downturns in the securities markets or in general economic and political conditions may also cause individuals to be reluctant to make their own investment decisions and thus decrease the demand for our products and services and could also result in our customers reducing their engagement with our platform. Conversely, significant upturns in the securities markets or in general economic and political conditions may cause individuals to be less proactive in seeking ways to improve the returns on their trading or investment decisions and, thus, decrease the demand for our products and services. Any of these changes could cause our future performance to be uncertain or unpredictable, and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, some market participants could be overleveraged. In case of sudden, large price movements, such market participants may not be able to meet their obligations to their respective brokers who, in turn, may not be able to meet their obligations to their counterparties. As a result, the financial system or a portion thereof could suffer, and the impact of such an event could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, a prolongedweakness in the U.S. equity markets or a general economic downturn could cause our customers to incur losses, which in turn could cause our brand and reputation to suffer. If our reputation is harmed, the willingness of our existing customers, and potential new customers, to do business with us could be negatively impacted, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We operate in highly competitive markets, and many of our competitors have greater resources than we do and may have products and services that may be more appealing than ours to our current or potential customers.
The markets in which we compete are evolving and highly competitive, with multiple participants competing for the same customers. Our current and potential future competition principally comes from incumbent discount brokerages, established financial technology companies, venture-backed financial technology firms, banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, asset management firms and technology platforms. The majority of our competitors have longer operating histories and greater capital resources than we have and offer a wider range of products and services. The impact of competitors with superior name recognition, greater market acceptance, larger customer bases or stronger capital positions could adversely affect our results of operations and customer acquisition and retention. Our competitors may also be able to respond more quickly to new or changing opportunities and demands and withstand changing market conditions better than we can, especially larger competitors that may benefit from more diversified product and customer bases. For example, some of our competitors have quickly adopted, or are seeking to adopt, some of our key offerings and services, including commission-free trading, fractional share trading and no account minimums, since their introduction on our platform to compete with us. In addition, competitors may conduct extensive promotional activities, offer better terms or offer differentiating products and services that could attract our current and prospective customers and potentially result in intensified competition within our markets. We continue to experience aggressive price competition in our markets and we may not be able to match the marketing efforts or prices of our competitors. We may also be subject to increased competition as our competitors enter into business combinations or partnerships, or established companies in other market segments expand to become competitive with our business.
In addition, we compete in a technology-intensive market characterized by rapid innovation. Some of our competitors in this market, including new and emerging competitors, are not subject to the same regulatory requirements or scrutiny to which we are subject, which could place us at a competitive disadvantage, in particular in the development of new technology platforms or the ability to rapidly innovate. We may be unable to effectively use new technologies, adapt our products and services to emerging market standards or develop or introduce and market enhanced or new products and services. If we are not able to update or adapt our products and services to take advantage of the latest technologies and standards, or are otherwise unable to tailor the delivery of our services to the latest personal and mobile computing devices preferred by our customers or to provide products or services that are of a quality preferred by our customers, it could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.
Our ability to compete successfully in the financial services market depends on a number of factors, including, among other things:
providing easy-to-use, innovative and attractive products and services, as well as effective customer support;
maintaining and expanding our market position;
attracting and retaining customers;
our reputation and the market perception of our brand and overall value;
maintaining our relationships with our counterparties;
maintaining competitive pricing;
competing in a competitive landscape, including in the provision of products and services that have until recently been available only from our bank competitors;
the effectiveness, reliability and stability of our technology (including the success of our outageprevention efforts and our cybersecurity measures and defenses), products and services;
innovating effectively in launching new or enhanced products and services;
adjusting to a dynamic regulatory environment;
the differences in regulatory oversight regimes to which we and our competitors are subject; and
general economic and market trends, including customer demand for financial products and services.
Our competitive position within our markets could be adversely affected if we are unable to adequately address these factors, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we fail to retain existing customers or attract new customers, or if our customers decrease their use of our products and services, our growth could be slower than we expect and our business may be harmed.
Our continued business and revenue growth is dependent on our ability to attract new customers, retain existing customers, increase the amount that our customers use our products and services and sell our premium services, and we cannot be sure that we will be successful in these efforts. There are a number of factors that could lead to a decline in our number of customers or their usage of our products and services, or that could prevent us from increasing our number of customers, including:
our failure to introduce new products or services, or our introduction of new products or services, or changes in our existing products or services, that are not favorably received;
pricing for our products and services;
harm to our brand and reputation, or decreases in the perceived quality, reliability or usefulness of our products and services;
our customers engaging with competitive products and services;
our customers having difficulty installing, updating or otherwise accessing the our app on mobile devices as a result of actions by us or third parties that we rely on to distribute our app;
our customers experiencing security breaches, account intrusions or other unauthorized access as a result of actions by us or our business partners, including third parties that we rely on to distribute the application;
our failure to provide adequate customer service to our customers;
a cybersecurity attack, data breach or other security incident resulting in loss in customer confidence;
our inability to manage network or service outages, interruptions and internet disruptions, including during times of high trading activity, or other performance or technical problems that prevent our customers from accessing and managing their accounts or assets in a rapid and reliable manner;
changes in our customers’ investment strategies or level of interest in investing;
the enactment of proposed legislation that would impose taxes on certain financial transactions;
changes mandated by legislation, regulatory authorities or litigation that adversely affect our products and services, or our ability to provide them to our customers;
any restrictions on trading that we impose on our platform as a result of the capital requirements and cash deposit and collateral requirements to; and
deteriorating general economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or a general downturn in the equity markets.
As we expand our business operations and enter new markets, new challenges in attracting and retaining customers will arise that we may not successfully address. Our success, and our ability to increase revenues and operate profitably, depends in part on our ability to cost-effectively acquire new customers, to retain existing customers and to keep existing customers engaged so that they continue to use our products and services. Our customers may choose to cease using our platform, products and services at any time, and may choose to transfer their accounts to another broker-dealer.
Our introduction of new products and services, or changes to existing products and services, could fail to attract or retain customers or generate growth and revenue.
Our ability to attract, engage and retain our customers and to increase our revenue depends heavily on our ability to continue to maintain and evolve our existing products and services and to create successful new products and services. We may introduce significant changes to our existing products and services or acquire or introduce new and unproven products and services, including using technologies with which we have little or no prior development or operating experience. We continue to incur substantial costs, and we may not be successful in continuing to generate profits, in connection with these efforts. In addition, the introduction of new products and services, or changes to existing products and services, may result in new or enhanced governmental or regulatory scrutiny or other complications that could adversely affect our business and results of operations. If our new or enhanced products and services fail to attract customers, or if our business plans are unsuccessful, we may fail to attract or retain customers or to generate sufficient revenue, operating margin or other value to justify our investments, and our business may be adversely affected.
If we do not keep pace with industry and technological changes and continue to provide new and innovative products and services, our business may become less competitive and our business may be adversely impacted.
Rapid and significant technological changes continue to confront the financial services industry, including developments in the methods in which securities are traded. If we fail to innovate and deliver products and services with market fit and differentiation, or fail to do so quickly enough as compared to our competitors, we may not be able to keep pace with industry and technological changes in our industry and we may face difficulty in competing within our market, which could harm our business.
We expect new technologies, products, services and industry norms to continue to emerge and evolve, and we cannot predict the effects of technological changes or industry practices on our business. Further, new technologies introduced in our markets may be superior to, or render obsolete, the technologies we currently use in our products and services. Incorporating new technologies into our products and services may require substantial expenditures and take considerable time, and we may not be successful in realizing a return on these development efforts in a timely manner or at all. Our ability to successfully adopt new products and services and to develop and incorporate new technologies may be inhibited by industry-wide standards, changes to laws and regulations, changing customer expectations, demands and preferences or third-party intellectual property rights. If we are unable to enhance our products and services or to innovate or to develop new products and services that achieve market acceptance or that keep pace with rapid technological developments and evolving industry standards or practices, our business could be adversely affected.
We will need to continuously modify, enhance and improve our products and services to keep pace with changes in internet-related hardware, mobile operating systems such as iOS and other software, communication, browser and database technologies. We may not be successful in either developing these modifications, enhancements and improvements or in bringing them to market quickly or cost-effectively in response to market demands. Furthermore, uncertainties about the timing and nature of new network platforms or technologies, or modifications to existing platforms or technologies, could increase our research and development expenses. Any failure of our products and services to keep pace with technological changes or to innovate or to operate effectively with future network platforms and technologies, or to do so in a timely and cost-effective manner, could reduce the demand for our products and services, result in customer dissatisfaction and negative publicity, reduce our competitive advantage and harm our business and reputation.
Our products and internal systems rely on software that is highly technical, and if these systems contain errors, bugs or vulnerabilities, or if we are unsuccessful in addressing or mitigating technical limitations or vulnerabilities in our systems, our business could be adversely affected.
Our trading platform relies on software, including software developed or maintained internally and by third parties, that is highly technical and complex. In addition, our platform and our internal systems depend on the ability of such software, which includes machine learning models, to collect, store, retrieve, transmit, manage and otherwise process immense amounts of data. The software on which we rely may contain errors, bugs or vulnerabilities, and our systems are subject to certain technical limitations that may compromise our ability to meet our objectives. Some errors, bugs or vulnerabilities inherently may be difficult to detect and may only be discovered after code has been released for external or internal use. Errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, design defects or technical limitations within the software on which we rely may lead to negative customer experiences (including the communication of inaccurate information to customers), compromised ability of our products to perform in a manner consistent with customer expectations, delayed product introductions, compromised ability to protect the data (including personal data) of our customers and our intellectual property or an inability to provide some or all of our services. Such errors, bugs, vulnerabilities or defects could also be exploited by malicious actors and result in exposure of data of customers on our platform, or otherwise result in a security breach or other security incident. We may need to expend significant financial and development resources to analyze, correct, eliminate, or work around errors or defects or to address and eliminate vulnerabilities. Any failure to timely and effectively resolve any such errors, bugs, vulnerabilities or defects in the software on which we rely, and any associated degradations or interruptions of service, could result in damage to our reputation, loss of customers, loss of revenue, regulatory or governmental inquiries, civil litigation, or liability for damages, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our success depends in part upon effective operation with mobile operating systems, networks, technologies, products, hardware and standards that we do not control.
A substantial majority of our customers’ activity on our platform occurs on mobile devices. There is no guarantee that popular mobile devices will continue to feature our app, or that mobile device customers will continue to use our products and services rather than those of our competitors. We are dependent on the interoperability of our app with popular mobile operating systems, networks, technologies, products, hardware and standards that we do not control, such as mobile device operating systems. Any changes, bugs or technical issues in such systems or changes in our relationships with mobile operating system partners, device manufacturers or mobile carriers, or in their terms of service or policies that degrade the functionality of our app, reduce or eliminate our ability to distribute applications, give preferential treatment to competitive products, limit our ability to target or measure the effectiveness of applications, or impose fees or other charges related to our delivery of our application could adversely affect customer usage of our app. Further, we are subject to the standard policies and terms of service of these operating systems, as well as policies and terms of service of the various application stores that make our application and experiences available to our developers, creators and customers. These policies and terms of service govern the availability, promotion, distribution, content and operation generally of applications and experiences on such operating systems and stores. Each provider of these operating systems and stores has broad discretion to change and interpret its terms of service and policies with respect to our platform and those changes may be unfavorable to us and our developers’, creators’ and customers’ use of our platform. If we were to violate, or an operating system provider or application store believes that we have violated, its terms of service or policies, that operating system provider or application store could limit or discontinue our access to its operating system or store. In some cases, these requirements may not be clear or our interpretation of the requirements may not align with the interpretation of the operating system provider or application store, which could lead to inconsistent enforcement of these terms of service or policies against us, and could also result in the operating system provider or application store limiting or discontinuing access to its operating system or store. Any limitation or discontinuation of our access to any third-party platform or application store could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Additionally, in order to deliver a high-quality mobile experience for our customers, it is important that our products and services work well with a range of mobile technologies, products, systems, networks, hardware and standards that we do not control, and that we have good relationships with mobile operating system partners, device manufacturers and mobile carriers. We may not be successful in maintaining or developing relationships with key participants in the mobile ecosystem or in developing products that operate effectively with these technologies, products, systems, networks or standards. In the event that it is more difficult for our customers to access and use our app, or if our customers choose not to access or use our app on their mobile devices or use mobile products that do not offer access to our app, our customer growth and engagement could be harmed. In the event that our customers are adversely affected by these actions or if our relationships with such third parties deteriorate, our customer growth and engagement could be adversely affected and our business could be harmed.
If there is any negative publicity with respect to TINGO GROUP, its industry peers or its industries in general, TINGO GROUP’s business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
TINGO GROUP’s reputation and brand recognition plays an important role in earning and maintaining the trust and confidence of its current and potential users and clients. TINGO GROUP’s reputation and brand are vulnerable to many threats that can be difficult or impossible to control, and costly or impossible to remediate. Regulatory inquiries or investigations, lawsuits initiated by clients or other third parties, employee misconduct, perceptions of conflicts of interest and rumors, among other things, could substantially damage TINGO GROUP’s reputation, even if they are baseless or satisfactorily addressed. In addition, any perception that the quality of its services may not be the same as or better than that of other companies can also damage its reputation. Moreover, any negative media publicity about the industries in general or product or service quality problems of other firms in these industries, including TINGO GROUP’s competitors, may also negatively impact TINGO GROUP’s reputation and brand. If TINGO GROUP is unable to maintain a good reputation or further enhance its brand recognition, its ability to attract and retain users, clients, third-party partners and key employees could be harmed and, as a result, its business and revenues would be materially and adversely affected.
Intermediate’s platform and internal systems rely on software and technological infrastructure that is highly technical, and if they contain undetectederrors, its business could be adversely affected.
Intermediate’s platforms and internal systems rely on software that is highly technical and complex. In addition, Intermediate’s platforms and internal systems depend on the ability of the software to store, retrieve, process and manage immense amounts of data. The software may now or in the future contain, undetectederrors or bugs. Some errors may only be discovered after the code has been released for external or internal use. Errors or other design defects within the software on which Intermediate relies may result in a negative experience for users and clients, delay introductions of new features or enhancements, result in errors or compromise Intermediate’s ability to protect data or its intellectual property. Any errors, bugs or defects discovered in the software on which it relies could result in harm to Intermediate’s reputation, loss of users or financial service providers or liability for damages, any of which could adversely affect its business, results of operations and financial conditions.
From time-to-time TINGO GROUP may evaluate and potentially consummate investments and acquisitions or enter into alliances, which may require significant management attention, disrupt Intermediate’s stock trading platform business and adversely affect its financial results.
TINGO GROUP may evaluate and consider strategic investments, combinations, acquisitions or alliances to further increase the value of Intermediate’s platforms and better serve Intermediate’s users and clients. These transactions could be material to its financial condition and results of operations if consummated. TINGO GROUP may not have the financial resources necessary to consummate any acquisitions in the future or the ability to obtain the necessary funds on satisfactory terms. Any future acquisitions may result in significant transaction expenses and risks associated with entering new markets in addition to integration and consolidation risks. TINGO GROUP may not have sufficient management, financial and other resources to integrate any such future acquisitions or to successfully operate new businesses, and it may be unable to profitably operate its expanded company.
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
Intermediate division’s principal executive office and operations, through its operating subsidiaries, are located in China. We also plan to launch various platforms which are being built initially in China. Accordingly, TINGO GROUP’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic, social conditions and government policies in China generally. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the PRC government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In addition, the PRC government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The PRC government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.
While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, such growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy, and the rate of growth has been slowing since 2012. Any adverse changes in economic conditions in China, in the policies of the PRC government or in the laws and regulations in China, could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China. Such developments could adversely affect TINGO GROUP’s business and operating results, lead to reduction in demand for TINGO GROUP’s services and adversely affect TINGO GROUP’s competitive position. COVID-19 had a severe and negative impact on Chinese and global economy in the past few years. Whether this will lead to a prolongeddownturn in the economy is still unknown. The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our Intermediate division’s financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in the past the PRC government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate adjustment, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, which may adversely affect our Intermediate division’s business and operating results.
The PRC legal system embodies uncertainties which could limit the legal protections available to us.
PRC laws and the PRC legal system in general may have a significant impact on our business operations in China. Although China’s legal system has developed over the last several decades, PRC laws, regulations and legal requirements remain underdeveloped relative to the United States of America. Moreover, PRC laws and regulations change frequently and their interpretation and enforcement involve uncertainties. For example, the interpretation or enforcement of PRC laws and regulations may be subject to government rules or policies, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all. In addition, the relative inexperience of China’s judiciary system in some cases may create uncertainty as to the outcome of litigation. These uncertainties could limit our ability to enforce certain legal or contractual rights or otherwise adversely affect our business and operations.
Furthermore, due to the existence of unpublished rules and policies, and since newly issued PRC laws and regulations may have expected and unexpected retrospective effects, we may not be aware of a violation of certain PRC laws, regulations, policies or rules until after the event.
T he complexities, uncertainties and rapid changes in PRC regulation of the Internet-related businesses and companies require significant resources for compliance.
The PRC government extensively regulates the Internet industries, including foreign ownership of, and the licensing and permit requirements pertaining to, companies doing business in the Internet industry. These laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainty. As a result, in certain circumstances it may be difficult to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations. Issues, risks and uncertainties relating to PRC regulation of these businesses include, but are not limited to, the following:
There are uncertainties relating to the regulation of the Internet-related businesses in China, including evolving licensing practices. This means that certain of our permits, licenses or operations may be subject to challenge, or we may fail to obtain permits or licenses that may be deemed necessary for operations.
New laws and regulations that regulate Internet activities, including operating online platforms for insurance intermediary may be promulgated. If these new laws and regulations are promulgated, additional licenses may be required for operations. If our operations do not comply with these new regulations after they become effective, or if we fail to obtain any licenses required under these new laws and regulations, TINGO GROUP or its subsidiaries could be subject to penalties.
The principal regulation governing the operation of Internet insurance business is the Measures for the Regulation of Internet Insurance Business, or Regulation of Internet Insurance Business, promulgated by the CBIRC on December 7, 2020 and effective on February 1, 2021. There is no assurance that Intermediate would be able to meet all the requirements set forth under the Regulation of Internet Insurance Business and effectively operate an online insurance brokerage business. Please refer to “Regulation of Internet Insurance Businesses”.
The interpretation and application of existing PRC laws, regulations and policies and any new laws, regulations or policies relating to the Internet-related industries have created substantial uncertainties regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments in, and the businesses and activities of companies in these industries. We cannot assure you that Intermediate had obtained all the permits or licenses required for conducting its business in China or will be able to maintain existing licenses or obtain any new licenses required under any new laws or regulations. There are also risks associated with being found in violation of existing or future laws and regulations given the uncertainty and complexity of China’s regulation of these businesses.
In addition, new laws and regulations applicable to the Internet-related industries could be issued at the national or provincial level, or existing regulations could be interpreted more strictly. No assurance can be given that business on these industries in general or our services in particular will not be adversely impacted by further regulations. In particular, technical limitations on Internet use can also be developed or implemented. For example, restrictions can be implemented on personal Internet use in the workplace in general or access to Intermediate’s sites in particular. All such regulations, restrictions and limitations could lead to a reduction of user activities or a loss of users, and restrict the types of products and services we may be able to offer in China, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations in China.
The 2006 M&A Rules established complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it difficult to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory authorities promulgated the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestics Enterprises by Foreign Investors (the “2006 M&A Rules”), which were later amended on June 22, 2009. The 2006 M&A Rules and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the Ministry of Commerce, People’s Republic of China (“MOFCOM”) be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law of China requires that the anti-monopoly law enforcement authority shall be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. In addition, the security review rules issued by the State Council that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the MOFCOM, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the MOFCOM or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.
Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of business in China.
The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of foreign currency out of China. Certain revenues may be received in RMB. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict our or our partners’ ability in China to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments, or otherwise satisfy their foreign currency-denominated obligations. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments, expenditures from trade related transactions and services-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from SAFE or its local branch is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future.
Regulation and censorship of information disseminated over the Internet in China may adversely affect our business, and may cause liability for content that is displayed on any of its websites.
China has enacted laws and regulations governing Internet access and the distribution of products, services, news, information, audio-video programs and other content through the Internet. In the past, the PRC government has prohibited the distribution of information through the Internet that it deems to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations. If any of Intermediate’s Internet information on its online platforms is deemed by the PRC government to violate any content restrictions, we or our partners may not be able to continue to display such content and could become subject to penalties, including confiscation of income, fines, suspension of business and revocation of required licenses, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We or our partners may also be subjected to liability for any unlawful actions of their customers or users of their websites or for content distributed by such subsidiaries or partners that is deemed inappropriate. It may be difficult to determine the type of content that may result in liability.
It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigation or collect evidence within China.
Shareholder claims or regulatory investigation that are common in the United States generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for regulatory investigations or litigation initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States may not be efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or Article 177, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within China may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests.
Under the enterprise income tax (“EIT”) Law, we may be classified as a “resident enterprise” of China. Such classification would likely result in unfavorable tax consequences.
Under the EIT Law, which has been revised effective as of December 29, 2018, and its implementation rules, (the “Implementation Rules”), which has been revised and effective as April 23, 2019, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with “de facto management bodies” within the PRC is considered a resident enterprise and is subject to enterprise income tax, or EIT, at the rate of 25% on its global income. The Implementation Rules define the term “de facto management bodies” as “establishments that carry out substantial and overall management and control over the manufacturing and business operations, personnel, accounting, properties, etc. of an enterprise.” The State Administration of Taxation issued the Notice Regarding the Determination of Chinese-Controlled Offshore Incorporated Enterprises as PRC Tax Resident Enterprises on the Basis of De Facto Management Bodies, or Circular 82, on April 22, 2009. Circular 82 provides that a foreign enterprise controlled by a PRC company or a PRC company group will be classified as a “resident enterprise” with its “de facto management bodies” located within China if the following criteria are satisfied: (i) the place where the senior management and core management departments that are in charge of its daily operations perform their duties is mainly located in the PRC; (ii) its financial and human resources decisions are made by or are subject to approval by persons or bodies in the PRC; (iii) its major assets, accounting books, company seals, and minutes and files of its board and shareholders’ meetings are located or kept in the PRC; and (iv) more than half of the enterprise’s directors or senior management with voting rights frequently reside in the PRC.
Currently, we do not believe we meet all of the criteria above. If the PRC authorities consider that we meet all of the criteria above and treat us as a resident enterprise, a 25% EIT on global income could significantly increase our tax burden and materially and adversely affect its financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, even if we are not deemed as a resident enterprise by the PRC authorities, pursuant to the EIT Law, dividends generated after January 1, 2008 and payable by a foreign-invested enterprise in China to its foreign investors will be subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless any such foreign investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for a different withholding arrangement and provided that relevant tax authorities approved the foreign investors as the beneficial owners of such dividends under applicable tax regulations.
We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by non-PRC holding companies.
On February 3, 2015, the China State Administration of Taxation (“SAT”) issued the Circular on issues of enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfer of Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprise, or the SAT Circular 7, pursuant to which if a non-resident enterprise transfers the equity interests of a PRC resident enterprise indirectly by transfer of the equity interests of an offshore holding company (other than the purchase and sale of shares in public securities market) without a reasonable commercial purpose, the PRC tax authorities have the power to reassess the nature of the transaction and the indirect equity transfer might be treated as a direct transfer. As a result, the gain derived from such transfer, which means the equity transfer price minus the cost of equity, will be subject to the PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10%. SAT Circular 7 also brings challenges to both foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of taxable assets. Under the SAT Circular 7, the transfer which meets all of the following circumstances shall be deemed as having no reasonable commercial purpose: (i) over 75% of the value of the equity interests of the offshore holding company are directly or indirectly derived from PRC taxable properties; (ii) at any time during the year before the indirect transfer, over 90% of the total properties of the offshore holding company are investments within PRC territory, or in the year before the indirect transfer, over 90% of the offshore holding company’s total income is directly or indirectly derived from within PRC territory; (iii) the function performed and risks assumed by the offshore holding company are insufficient to substantiate its corporate existence; or (iv) the foreign income tax imposed on the indirect transfer is lower than the PRC tax imposed on the direct transfer of the PRC taxable properties. In October 2017, SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or SAT Circular 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017 and was amended on June 15, 2018. The SAT Circular 37 further clarifies the practice and procedure of the withholding of nonresident enterprise income tax. Where a non-resident enterprise transfers taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, which is an indirect transfer, the non-resident enterprise as either transferor or transferee, or the PRC entity that directly owns the taxable assets, may report such indirect transfer to the relevant tax authority. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC tax.
We face uncertainties as to the reporting and other implications of certain past and future transactions that involve PRC taxable assets, such as offshore restructuring, sale of the shares in our offshore subsidiaries and investments. We may be subject to filing obligations or taxed if we are transferors in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding obligations if we are transferees in such transactions, under SAT Circular 7 or SAT Circular 37, or both.
The enforcement of the PRC Labor Contract Law and other labor-related regulations in the PRC may adversely affect TINGO GROUP’s business and results of operations.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress enacted the Labor Contract Law in 2008 and amended it on December 28, 2012. The Labor Contract Law introduced specific provisions related to fixed-term employment contracts, part-time employment, probationary periods, consultation with labor unions and employee assemblies, employment without a written contract, dismissal of employees, severance, and collective bargaining to enhance previous PRC labor laws. Under the Labor Contract Law, an employer is obligated to sign an unlimited-term labor contract with any employee who has worked for the employer for ten consecutive years. Further, if an employee requests or agrees to renew a fixed-term labor contract that has already been entered into twice consecutively, the resulting contract, with certain exceptions, must have an unlimited term, subject to certain exceptions. With certain exceptions, an employer must pay severance to an employee where a labor contract is terminated or expires. In the case of retrenching 20 or more employees or where the number of employees to be retrenched is less than 20 but comprises 10% or more of the total number of employees of such employer under certain circumstances, the employer shall explain the situation to the labor union or all staff 30 days in advance and seek the opinion of the labor union or the employees, the employer may carry out the retrenchment exercise upon reporting the retrenchment scheme to the labor administrative authorities. In addition, the PRC governmental authorities have continued to introduce various new labor-related regulations since the effectiveness of the Labor Contract Law.
Under the PRC Social Insurance Law and the Administrative Measures on Housing Fund, employees are required to participate in pension insurance, work-related injury insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, and housing funds and employers are required, together with their employees or separately, to pay the social insurance premiums and housing funds for their employees. If we fail to make adequate social insurance and housing fund contributions, or fail to withhold individual income tax adequately, we may be subject to fines and legal sanctions, and our business, financial conditions and results of operations may be adversely affected.
These laws designed to enhance labor protection tend to increase our labor costs. In addition, as the interpretation and implementation of these regulations are still evolving, our employment practices may not be at all times be deemed in compliance with the regulations. As a result, we could be subject to penalties or incur significant liabilities in connection with labor disputes or investigations.
PRC regulations relating to investments in offshore companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC-resident beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries or limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits.
SAFE promulgated the SAFE Circular 37 on July 4, 2014, which replaced the former circular commonly known as “SAFE Circular 75” promulgated by SAFE on October 21, 2005. SAFE Circular 37 and its implementing rules require PRC residents to register with banks designated by local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, for the purpose of overseas investment and financing, with the PRC residents’ legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests, referred to in SAFE Circular 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.”
We notified substantial beneficial owners of ordinary shares who we know are PRC residents of their filing obligation, and pursuant to the former SAFE Circular 75, we filed the above-mentioned foreign exchange registration on behalf of certain employee shareholders who we know are PRC residents. However, we may not be aware of the identities of all of our beneficial owners who are PRC residents. We do not have control over our beneficial owners, and there can be no assurance that all of our PRC-resident beneficial owners will comply with relevant SAFE regulations. The failure of our beneficial owners who are PRC residents to register or amend their SAFE registrations in a timely manner or the failure of future beneficial owners of our company who are PRC residents to comply with the registration procedures set forth in SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules, may subject the beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to fines and legal sanctions.
Furthermore, since it is unclear how those SAFE regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be further interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant PRC government authorities, we cannot predict how these regulations will affect our business operations or future strategy. Failure to register or comply with relevant requirements may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries and limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to our company. These risks may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding our employee equity incentive plans may subject the PRC participants in the plans, us or our overseas and PRC subsidiaries to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.
Pursuant to SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who participate in share incentive plans in overseas non-publicly-listed companies may, prior to the exercise of an option, submit applications to SAFE or its local branches for the foreign exchange registration with respect to offshore special purpose companies. In the meantime, our directors, executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who are non-PRC citizens residing in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year, subject to limited exceptions, and whom we or our overseas listed subsidiaries have granted restricted share units, or RSUs, options or restricted shares, may follow the Notice on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly Listed Company, issued by SAFE in February 2012, to apply for the foreign exchange registration. According to those regulations, employees, directors and other management members participating in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company who are PRC citizens or who are non-PRC citizens residing in China for a continuous period of not less than one year, subject to limited exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which may be a PRC subsidiary of the overseas listed company, and complete certain other procedures. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject them to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit their ability to make payment under the relevant equity incentive plans or receive dividends or sales proceeds related thereto in foreign currencies, or our ability to contribute additional capital into our domestic subsidiaries in China and limit our domestic subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to us. We also face regulatory uncertainties under PRC law that could restrict our ability or the ability of our overseas listed subsidiaries to adopt additional equity incentive plans for our directors and employees who are PRC citizens or who are non-PRC citizens residing in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year, subject to limited exceptions.
In addition, the STA has issued circulars concerning employee RSUs, share options or restricted shares. Under these circulars, employees working in the PRC whose RSUs or restricted shares vest, or who exercise share options, will be subject to PRC individual income tax. The PRC subsidiaries of an overseas listed company have obligations to file documents related to employee RSUs, share options or restricted shares with relevant tax authorities and to withhold individual income taxes of those employees related to their RSUs, share options or restricted shares. Although we and our overseas listed subsidiaries currently withhold individual income tax from our PRC employees in connection with the vesting of their RSUs and restricted shares and their exercise of options, if the employees fail to pay, or the PRC subsidiaries fail to withhold, their individual income taxes according to relevant laws, rules and regulations, the PRC subsidiaries may face sanctions imposed by the tax authorities.
If our auditor is sanctioned or otherwise penalized by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) or the SEC as a result of failure to comply with inspection or investigation requirements, our financial statements could be determined to be not in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act or other laws or rules in the United States, which could ultimately result in our Common Stock being delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market.
In recent years, U.S. regulators have continued to express their concerns about challenges in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. More recently, as part of increased regulatory focus in the U.S. on access to audit information, on May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCA Act, which includes requirements for the SEC to identify issuers whose audit reports are prepared by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a restriction imposed by a non-U.S. authority in the auditor’s local jurisdiction. While we understand that there has been dialogue among the CSRC, the SEC and the PCAOB regarding the inspection of PCAOB-registered accounting firms in China, there can be no assurance that our auditor or us will be able to comply with requirements imposed by U.S. regulators.
Furthermore, on June 4, 2020, the U.S. President issued a memorandum ordering the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets to submit a report to the President within 60 days of the memorandum that includes recommendations for actions that can be taken by the executive branch, the SEC, the PCAOB or other federal agencies and departments with respect to Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges and their audit firms, in an effort to protect investors in the United States. The recommendations are to include actions that could be taken under current laws and rules as well as possible new rulemaking recommendations.
On May 20, 2020, the HFCAA passed the United States Senate by unanimous consent. On December 2, 2020, the US House of Representatives passed by voice vote the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA), which would require auditors of foreign public companies to allow the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) to inspect their audit work papers for audits of non-US operations as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Sarbanes-Oxley). If a company’s auditors fail to comply for three consecutive years, then the Company’s shares would be prohibited from trading in the United States. The legislation passed the Senate in May. The HFCAA was signed into law on December 18, 2020. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021. the U.S. Senate passed. and the US house of representative on February 4, 2022 passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “AHFCAA”), which, if signed into law, would amend the HFCAA and require the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three consecutive years.
The HFCAA aims to address restrictions China has placed on the PCAOB’s ability to inspect or investigate PCAOB-registered public accounting firms in connection with their audits of Chinese companies. Sarbanes-Oxley created the PCAOB “to oversee the audit of public companies that are subject to the securities laws, and related matters, in order to protect the interests of investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate, and independent audit reports for companies the securities of which are sold to, and held by and for, public investors.” Specifically, the PCAOB is responsible for registering public accounting firms, establishing standards applicable to the preparation of audit reports for companies, conducting inspections and investigations of public accounting firms to ensure they are complying with those standards, and bringing enforcement actions when they are not.
The HFCAA could adversely affect the listing and compliance status of China-based issuers listed in the United States, such as our company, and may have a material and adverse impact on the trading prices of the securities of such issuers, including our Common Stock, and substantially reduce or effectively terminate the trading of our Common Stock in the United States.
Risk Factors Related to our insurance business
Results in our insurance brokerage segment may be adversely affected by a general decline in economic activity.
Demand for many types of insurance and reinsurance generally rises or falls as economic growth expands or slows. This is especially the case with our automobile insurance which is dependent upon the ability of persons to own and operate an automobile. This dynamic affects the level of commissions and fees generated by our VIEs. To the extent our customers become adversely affected by declining business conditions, they may choose to limit their purchases of insurance and reinsurance coverage, as applicable, which would inhibit our ability to generate commission revenue and other revenue based on premiums placed by us. Also, the insurance they seek to obtain through us may be impacted by changes in their assets, property values, sales or number of employees, which may reduce our commission revenue, and they may decide not to purchase our risk advisory or other services, which would inhibit our ability to generate fee revenue. Moreover, insolvencies and combinations associated with an economic downturn, especially insolvencies and combinations in the insurance industry, could adversely affect our brokerage business through the loss of customers or by limiting our ability to place insurance and reinsurance business, as well as our revenues from insurers. We are especially susceptible to this risk given the limited number of insurance company clients and reinsurers in the marketplace.
Volatility or declines in premiums and other market trends may significantly impede our ability to grow revenues and profitability.
A significant portion of our insurance brokerage revenue consists of commissions paid to us out of the premiums that insurers and reinsurers charge our clients for coverage. We do not determine the insurance premiums on which our commissions are generally based. Our revenues and profitability are subject to change to the extent that premium rates fluctuate or trend in a particular direction. The potential for changes in premium rates is significant, due to the normal cycles of pricing in the commercial insurance and reinsurance markets.
As traditional insurance companies continue to rely on non-affiliated brokers or agents to generate premium, those insurance companies may seek to reduce their expenses by lowering their commission rates. The reduction of these commission rates, along with general volatility or declines in premiums, may significantly affect our revenue and profitability. Because we do not determine the timing or extent of premium pricing changes, it is difficult to accurately forecast our commission revenues, including whether they will significantly decline. As a result, we may have to adjust our plans for future acquisitions, capital expenditures, dividend payments, loan repayments and other expenditures to account for unexpected changes in revenues, and any decreases in premium rates may adversely affect the results of our operations.
In addition to movements in premium rates, our ability to generate premium-based commission revenue may be challenged by disintermediation and the growing availability of alternative methods for clients to meet their risk-protection needs. This trend includes a greater willingness on the part of corporations to self-insure, the use of captive insurers, and the presence of capital markets-based solutions for traditional insurance and reinsurance needs. Further, the profitability of our insurance brokerage segment depends in part on our ability to be compensated for the analytical services and other advice that we provide, including the consulting and analytics services that we provide to insurers. If we are unable to achieve and maintain adequate billing rates for all of our services, our margins and profitability could decline. Furthermore, the insurance business in China where we operate is maturing and developing and if we do not compete efficiently and keep current with the trends in the market, our business may decline.
Our business may be harmed by any negative developments that may occur in the insurance industry or if we fail to maintain good relationships with insurance carriers.
Our businesses are heavily dependent on the insurance industry. Any negative developments that occur in the insurance industry may have a material adverse effect on our business and our results of operations. In addition, if we fail to maintain good relationships with insurance carriers, it may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. The termination, amendment or consolidation of our relationships with our insurance carriers could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Cyberattacks are increasing in frequency and evolving in nature. We are at risk of attack by a variety of adversaries, including state-sponsored organizations, organized crime, hackers, through use of increasingly sophisticated methods of attack. In particular, we are at increased risk of a cyberattack when geopolitical tensions are high, as diplomatic events and economic policies may trigger espionage or retaliatory cyber incidents. In addition, remote work arrangements in response to COVID-19 have increased the risk of phishing and other cybersecurity attacks or unauthorized dissemination of personal, confidential, proprietary or sensitive data.
Our information systems must be continually updated, patched, and upgraded to protect against known vulnerabilities. The volume of new software vulnerabilities has increased markedly, as has the criticality of patches and other remedial measures. In addition to remediating newly identified vulnerabilities, previously identified vulnerabilities must also be continuously addressed. Accordingly, we are at risk that cyberattacksexploit these known vulnerabilities before they have been communicated by vendors or addressed. Any failure related to these activities could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We have numerous vendors and other third parties who receive personal information from us in connection with the services we offer our customers. We also use tens of IT vendors and software providers to maintain and secure our global information systems infrastructure. In addition, we have migrated certain data, and may increasingly migrate data, to the cloud hosted by third-party providers. Some of these vendors and third parties also have direct access to our systems. We are at risk of a cyberattack involving a vendor or other third party, which could result in a breakdown of such third party’s data protection processes or the cyberattacksgaining access to our infrastructure through a supply chain attack.
We have a history of making acquisitions and investments within the insurance market. The process of integrating the information systems of any businesses we acquire is complex and exposes us to additional risk. For instance, we may not adequately identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities in an acquired entity’s information systems, either before or after the acquisition, which could affect the value we are able to derive from the acquisition, expose us to unexpected liabilities or make our own systems more vulnerable to a cyberattack. In addition, if we discover a historical compromise, security breach or other cyber incident related to the target’s information systems following the close of the acquisition, we may be liable and exposed to significant costs and other unforeseen liabilities. We may also be unable to integrate the systems of the businesses we acquire into our environment in a timely manner, which could further increase these risks until such integration takes place.
We expect competition in the Chinese insurance industry to increase, which may materially and adversely affect the growth of our business.
We face competitive pressures from both domestic and foreign-invested insurance brokerage companies operating in China, which may compete with our insurance businesses, and other financial institutions that sell other financial investment products in competition with ours. If we are not able to adapt to these increasingly competitive pressures in the future, our growth rate may decline, which could materially and adversely affect our earnings.
Further development of regulations in China may impose additional costs or restrictions on our activities.
We operate in a highly regulated industry. The CBIRC supervises and administers the insurance industry in China. In exercising its authority, it is given certain discretion to administer the law. China’s insurance regulatory regime is undergoing significant changes toward a more transparent regulatory process and a convergent movement toward international standards. Some of these changes may result in additional costs or restrictions on our activities. For example, in November 2020, the Insurance Association of China issued a notice on revising the definition of critical illnesses, including revisions to the applicable scope and principles of critical illnesses as well as relevant provisions on insurance clauses for critical illnesses. From February 1, 2021, insurers may not continue to sell critical illness insurance products which were developed based on previous rules. The CBIRC in the same month also issued a notice stipulating that Critical Illness Morbidity Table in the Chinese Personal Insurance Industry (2020) promulgated by the China Association of Actuaries will serve as the evaluation table and pricing reference table for statutory liability reserve of life insurance products that include critical illness insurance liability. The notice also imposed restrictions on the applicable scope, evaluation of statutory reserves and pricing of the products. These new requirements apply to a number of key products sold by us. Although these new requirements are consistent with our long-term development strategy, making adjustments to relevant products during a short period of time may increase our operating costs and may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, because the terms of our products are subject to regulations, changes in regulations may affect our profitability on the policies and contracts we issue.
Any actions by the Chinese government, including any decision to influence our operations or to exert more oversight and control over any offering of securities conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, may cause us to make material changes to our operations and could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise significant oversight and regulation over almost every sector of the Chinese economy, including the insurance industry, and has discretion over many aspects in which it exercises such authority. Our operations are subject to various regulatory requirements. The Chinese government may also impose new and stricter regulations or impose new interpretations of existing regulations and take other actions that may influence our operations. These government actions, including changes in laws and regulations, particularly those relating to insurance, overseas listing, taxation, land use rights, foreign investment limitations, may result in a material change in our operations and the value of our securities.
On December 24, 2021, CSRC published proposed tightening rules governing Chinese companies listing abroad, which require an offshore IPO application to be filed with the CSRC. The proposed rules reflect the continued efforts and plan of the Chinese government to scrutinize and exert more oversight and control over capital market activities including offshore listings. We believe that we are currently not required to file with or obtain permissions from the CSRC to maintain our listing in U.S., but the CSRC or any other PRC regulatory authorities may issue any laws or rules that would require us to file with or obtain approvals from the CSRC or other governmental agencies, and may also take actions imposing restrictions on our continued listing in the U.S. Any such actions could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Our insurance business is exposed to various catastrophic events in which multiple losses can occur and affect multiple lines of business in any calendar year.
Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and other catastrophes, have the potential to adversely affect our operating results. Other risks, such as man-made catastrophes or pandemic disease, could also adversely affect our business and operating results to the extent they are covered by our insurance products. Concentration of exposure in certain industries or geographies may cause us to sufferdisproportionatelosses.
Catastrophic events, and any relevant regulations, could result in losses in any business in which we operate, and could expose us to:
widespread claim costs associated with property, workers’ compensation, accident and health, travel, business interruption and mortality and morbidity claims;
loss resulting from a decline in the value of our invested assets;
limitations on our ability to recover deferred tax assets;
loss resulting from actual policy experience that is adverse compared to the assumptions made in product pricing;
revenue loss due to decline in customer base;
declines in value and/or losses with respect to companies and other entities whose securities we hold and counterparties we transact business with and have credit exposure to, including insurers and reinsurers; and
significant disruptions to our physical infrastructure, systems and operations.
Catastrophes will require us to pay out on many insurance claims including weather related natural disasters. The possibilities that the insurance companies that we write policies for cannot pay for the insurance claim could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity and we may be held liable for the unpaid insurance claims.
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure
If the PRC government deems that the VIE Agreements do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries or other laws or regulations of the PRC, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severepenalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations, which may therefore materially reduce the value of our ordinary shares.
We are a holding company. As a holding company, we conduct a portion of our operations through our VIEs in the PRC. We receive the economic benefits of our VIE’s business operations through certain contractual arrangements; however, our rights under the VIEs Agreements do not provide us with an equity interest in our VIEs and is not the same as actual ownership.
Our PRC subsidiaries has entered into the VIE Agreements with our consolidated VIEs and their shareholders, which enable us to (i) exercise effective control over the consolidated VIE, (ii) receive substantially all of the economic benefits of the consolidated VIEs, and (iii) have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests and assets in the consolidated VIEs when and to the extent permitted by PRC law. As a result of these contractual arrangements, we have control over and are the primary beneficiary of the consolidated VIE and hence consolidate its financial results as our consolidated VIE under U.S. GAAP.
We believe that our corporate structure and contractual arrangements comply with the current applicable PRC laws and regulations. Our PRC legal counsel, Global Law Office, based on its understanding of the relevant laws and regulations, is of the opinion that each of the contracts among our wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, our consolidated VIE and its shareholders is valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with its terms. However, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws and regulations. Thus, the PRC governmental authorities may take a view contrary to the opinion of our PRC legal counsel. It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to variable interest entity structure will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. PRC laws and regulations governing the validity of these contractual arrangements are uncertain and the relevant government authorities have broad discretion in interpreting these laws and regulations.
If our corporate structure and contractual arrangements are deemed by the relevant regulators that have competent authority, to be illegal, either in whole or in part, we may lose control of our consolidated VIEs, which holds significant assets and accounts for significant revenue, and has to modify such structure to comply with regulatory requirements. However, there can be no assurance that we can achieve this without material disruption to our business. Further, if our corporate structure and contractual arrangements are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, the relevant regulatory authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violations, including:
revoking our business and operating licenses;
levying fines on us;
confiscating any of our income that they deem to be obtained through illegal operations;
shutting down our services;
discontinuing or restricting our operations in China;
imposing conditions or requirements with which we may not be able to comply;
requiring us to change our corporate structure and contractual arrangements;
restricting or prohibiting our use of the proceeds from overseas offering to finance our consolidated VIE’s business and operations; and
taking other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business.
Furthermore, new PRC laws, rules and regulations may be introduced to impose additional requirements that may be applicable to our corporate structure and contractual arrangements. Occurrence of any of these events could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and the market price of our ordinary shares. In addition, if the imposition of any of these penalties or requirement to restructure our corporate structure causes us to lose the rights to direct the activities of our consolidated VIE or our right to receive their economic benefits, we would no longer be able to consolidate the financial results of such VIE in our consolidated financial statements, which may cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or even become worthless. However, we do not believe that such actions would result in the liquidation or dissolution of our company, our wholly-owned subsidiaries in China or our consolidated VIEs.
Our current corporate structure and business operations and the market price of our ordinary shares may be affected by the newly enacted Foreign Investment Law which does not explicitly classify whether VIE that are controlled through contractual arrangements would be deemed as foreign-invested enterprises if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors.
The VIE structure has been adopted by many Chinese-based companies, including us, to obtain necessary licenses and permits in the industries that are currently subject to foreign investment restrictions in China. On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress, China’s national legislative body (the “NPC”) approved the Foreign Investment Law, which took effect on January 1, 2020. On December 26, 2019, the PRC State Council approved the Implementation Rules of the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. Since they are relatively new, uncertainties exist in relation to their interpretation. The Foreign Investment Law does not explicitly classify whether variable interest entities that are controlled through contractual arrangements would be deemed as foreign-invested enterprises if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors. However, it has a catch-all provision under definition of “foreign investment” that includes investments made by foreign investors in China through other means as provided by laws, administrative regulations or the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions of the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements being viewed as a form of foreign investment. Therefore, there can be no assurance that our control over our consolidated VIE through contractual arrangements will not be deemed as foreign investment in the future.
Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations or provisions mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangements, we may face substantial uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all. Failure to take timely and appropriate measures to cope with any of these or similar regulatory compliance challenges could materially and adversely affect our current corporate structure and business operations and the market price of our ordinary shares.
We conduct a portion of our operations through our VIEs, which is established in the PRC, and we rely on contractual arrangements with our consolidated VIEs and its shareholders to operate our business, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control and otherwise have a material adverse effect as to our business.
We rely on contractual arrangements with our consolidated VIEs and its shareholders. A substantial majority of our revenue from Intermediate is generated by and a significant percentage of Intermediate consolidated assets are owned by the VIEs, whose financial statements are consolidated with ours. These contractual arrangements do not give us an equity interest in the VIEs and may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over our consolidated VIEs. If our consolidated VIEs or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, our recourse to the assets held by our consolidated VIEs is indirect and we may have to incur substantial costs and expend significant resources to enforce such arrangements in reliance on legal remedies under PRC law. These remedies may not always be effective, particularly in light of uncertainties in the PRC legal system. Furthermore, in connection with litigation, arbitration or other judicial or dispute resolution proceedings, assets under the name of any of record holder of equity interest in our consolidated VIEs, including such equity interest, may be put under court custody. As a consequence, we cannot be certain that the equity interest will be disposed pursuant to the contractual arrangement or ownership by the record holder of the equity interest.
All of these contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal environment in the PRC is not as developed as in other jurisdictions, such as the U.S. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. In the event that we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant time delays or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, it would be very difficult to exert effective control over our consolidated VIEs, and our ability to conduct our business and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Any failure by our consolidated VIEs or its shareholders to perform their contractual obligations would have a material adverse effect on our business and the market price of our ordinary shares.
Our wholly foreign-owned enterprise in the PRC, has entered into the VIEs Agreements with our consolidated VIEs and its shareholders. If our consolidated VIEs or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may incur substantial costs and expend additional resources seeking to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claimingdamages, which we cannot assure you will be effective under PRC laws. For example, if the shareholders of our consolidated VIEs were to refuse to transfer their equity interests in the consolidated VIEs to our WFOE or its designee when our WFOE exercises the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, or if the shareholders of the VIEs were otherwise to act in bad faith toward TINGO GROUP or our WFOE, then our WFOE may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations.
All of the VIEs Agreements are governed by PRC laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures, but an arbitration proceeding is not as formal as a court proceeding and the arbitrator may apply PRC law in a manner different from a court. The legal system in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the U.S., and the arbitrator may render a decision which is in conflict with our understanding of the laws of the PRC and we may have little if any recourse. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system and the arbitration procedure could limit the ability of our WFOE to enforce these contractual arrangements. Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and formal guidelines as to how contractual arrangements in the context of a VIEs should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should it become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final and parties cannot appeal arbitration results in court unless such rulings are revoked or determined unenforceable by a competent court. If the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event that our WFOE is unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if our WFOE suffers significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, TINGO GROUP may not be able to exert effective control over our consolidated VIEs, in which event we may lose the value of the VIEs Agreements and the relevant rights and licenses held by the VIEs which TINGO GROUP requires in order to operate its business, and its ability to conduct its business may be negatively affected. Any delay in effecting enforcement of our WFOE’s rights under the VIEs Agreements could materially and adversely affect our consolidated financial condition, the results of our operations, our prospects, our ability to continue in business and the market for and market price of our ordinary shares. If our WFOE is not able to enforce its rights, we may not be able to include the VIE’sfinancial statements with TINGO GROUP, which could cause our ordinary shares to lose most, if not all, of their value.
The arbitration provisions under the VIEs Agreements have no effect on the rights of our shareholders to pursue claimsagainst us under the United States federal securities laws, although any such actions would have no effect on our WFOE’s ability to enforce its rights under the VIEs Agreements.
The shareholders of our consolidated VIEs may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition and the value of our ordinary shares.
The interests of the shareholders of our consolidated VIEs in their capacities as such shareholders may differ from the interests of our company as a whole, as what is in the best interests of our consolidated VIEs, including matters such as whether to distribute dividends or to make other distributions to fund our offshore requirement to the extent that such funding is permitted under PRC laws, may not be in our best interests. There can be no assurance that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these shareholders will act in our best interests of or that any conflicts of interest will be resolved in our favor. In addition, these shareholders may breach or cause our consolidated VIEs and its subsidiaries to breach or refuse to renew the existing contractual arrangements with us.
Our WFOE, however, could, at all times, exercise its option under the exclusive option agreement to cause the VIEs shareholders to transfer all of their equity ownership in our consolidated VIEs to a PRC entity or individual designated by our WFOE as permitted by the then applicable PRC laws. In addition, if such conflicts of interest arise, our WFOE could also, in the capacity of attorney-in-fact of the shareholders of our consolidated VIEs as provided under the power of attorney, directly appoint new directors of our consolidated VIEs. We rely on the shareholders of our consolidated VIEs to comply with PRC laws and regulations, which protect contracts and provide that directors and executive officers owe a duty of loyalty to our company and require them to avoid conflicts of interest and not to take advantage of their positions for personal gains, and the laws of the Cayman Islands, which provide that directors have a duty of care and a duty to act honestly in good faith with a view to our best interests. However, the legal frameworks of both China and the Cayman Islands do not provide guidelines on resolving conflicts with other corporate governance regimes. If our WFOE cannot resolve any conflicts of interest or disputes between our WFOE and the shareholders of our consolidated VIEs, TINGO GROUP would have to rely on the arbitration provisions of the VIEs Agreements, which, as discussed in the previous risk factor, could result in the disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such. As a result, in the event that the shareholders of the VIEs do not comply with their obligations under the VIEs Agreements, our WFOE may not be able to enforce its rights, in which event we may not be able to include the VIEs financial statements with TINGO GROUP’s which could cause our ordinary shares to lose most, if not all, of their value.
Contractual arrangements in relation to our consolidated VIEs may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities who may determine that our consolidated VIEs owes additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.
Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities. The PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, requires every enterprise in China to submit its annual enterprise income tax return together with a report on transactions with its related parties to the relevant tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with the arm’s length principles. We may face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements among our wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, our consolidated VIEs and its shareholders were not entered into on an arm’s length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, regulations and rules, and adjust their income in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by our wholly-owned PRC subsidiary or consolidated VIEs for PRC tax purposes, which could in turn increase their tax liabilities without reducing their tax expenses. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on our PRC subsidiary and consolidated VIEs for adjusted but unpaid taxes according to applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if the tax liabilities of our PRC subsidiary and consolidated VIEs increase, or if they are required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.
We may lose the ability to use and enjoy assets held by our consolidated VIEs that are material to the operation of our business if the entity goes bankrupt or becomes subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding.
Our consolidated VIEs hold substantially all of our assets. Under the contractual arrangements, our consolidated VIEs may not and its shareholders may not cause it to, in any manner, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of its assets or its legal or beneficial interests in the business without our WFOE’s prior consent. However, in the event that the shareholders of our consolidated VIEs breach these contractual arrangements and voluntarily liquidate our consolidated VIEs, or our consolidated VIEs declares bankruptcy and all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, or are otherwise disposed of without our WFOE’s consent, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If our consolidated VIEs undergoes a voluntary or involuntaryliquidation proceeding, independent third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risk Factors Relating to Micronet’s Business and Industry
Potential political, economic and military instability in Israel could adversely affect operations.
Certain of TINGO GROUP and Micronet’s principal offices and operating facilities are located in Israel. Accordingly, with respect to such Israeli facilities, political, economic and military conditions in Israel directly affect the operations of TINGO GROUP and Micronet. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, a number of armed conflicts have taken place between Israel and its Arab neighbors. A state of hostility varying in degree and intensity has led to security and economic problems for Israel. Since October 2000, there has been an increase in hostilities between Israel and Palestinians, which has adversely affected the peace process and has negatively influenced Israel’s relationship with its Arab citizens and several Arab countries, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria. Such ongoing hostilities may hinder Israel’s international trade relations and may limit the geographic markets where Micronet can sell its products and solutions. Hostilities involving or threatening Israel, or the interruption or curtailment of trade between Israel and its present trading partners, could materially and adversely affect operations.
In addition, Israel-based companies and companies doing business with Israel have been subject to an economic boycott by members of the Arab League and certain other predominantly Muslim countries since Israel’s establishment, along with other private organizations around the world. Although Israel has entered into various agreements with certain Arab countries and the Palestinian Authority, and various declarations have been signed in connection with efforts to resolve some of the economic and political problems in the Middle East, whether or in what manner these problems will be resolved is unpredictable. Wars and acts of terrorism have resulted in significant damage to the Israeli economy, including reducing the level of foreign and local investment.
Substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to intellectual property rights may be incurred, which would have an adverse effect on the value of TINGO GROUP’s equity interest in Micronet.
Third parties may challenge the validity of Micronet’s intellectual property rights or bring claims regarding Micronet’s infringement of a third party’s intellectual property rights. This may result in costlylitigation or other time-consuming and expensive judicial or administrative proceedings, which could deprive Micronet of valuable rights, cause them to incur substantial expenses and cause a diversion for technical and management personnel. An adverse determination may subject Micronet to significant liabilities or require it to seek licenses that may not be available from third parties on commercially favorable terms, if at all. Further, if such claims are proven valid, through litigation or otherwise, Micronet may be required to pay substantial financial damages or be required to discontinue or significantly delay the development, marketing, sale or licensing of the affected products and intellectual property rights. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have an adverse effect on the value of TINGO GROUP’s equity interest in Micronet.
Risks Relating to TGH
Risks Related to Doing Business in Africa
Many African countries are, or have been, characterized by political instability or changes in regulatory or other government policies.
Frequent and intense periods of political instability make it difficult to predict future trends in governmental policies. For example, the Arab Spring of 2010 and 2011 caused substantial political turmoil across the Middle East and North Africa, particularly in Egypt. During this period of instability in Egypt, the government temporarily dissolved the parliament, suspended the constitution and shut down the internet. In addition, if government or regulatory policies in a market in which Tingo Mobile operates were to change or become less business-friendly, the business of Tingo Mobile and its operating subsidiaries based in Africa could be adversely affected.
Governments in Africa frequently intervene in the economies of their respective countries and occasionally make significant changes in policy and regulations.
Governmental actions have often involved, among other measures, nationalizations and expropriations, price controls, currency devaluations, mandatory increases on wages and employee benefits, capital controls and limits on imports. TGH’s business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by changes in government policies or regulations, including such factors as exchange rates and exchange control policies, inflation control policies, price control policies, consumer protection policies, import duties and restrictions, liquidity of domestic capital and lending markets, electricity rationing, tax policies, including tax increases and retroactive tax claims, and other political, diplomatic, social and economic developments in or affecting the countries where TGH or its subsidiaries operate. For example, the Central Bank of Nigeria requires domestic companies to obtain a certificate to obtain foreign exchange for operation in other countries. There can be no assurance that TGH will be successful in obtaining these certificates. Any failure to obtain the required certificates could impact TGH’s ability to utilize corporate funds in Nigeria for business purposes outside of Nigeria, or adversely affect the exchange rate at which such foreign exchange could be obtained. In the future, the level of intervention by the Nigerian Central Bank may continue to increase. These or other measures could have a material adverse effect on TGH’ business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
TGH’s business may be materially and adversely affected by an economic slowdown in any region of Africa.
While we believe that economic conditions in Africa will improve, poverty in Africa will decline and the purchasing power of African consumers will increase in the long term, there can be no assurance that these expected developments will actually materialize. The development of African economies, markets and levels of consumer spending are influenced by many factors beyond TGH’s control, including consumer perception of current and future economic conditions, political uncertainty, employment levels, inflation or deflation, real disposable income, poverty rates, wealth distribution, interest rates, taxation, currency exchange rates and weather conditions. For example, a collapse in oil prices in early 2016 placed pressure on Nigeria’s currency, causing a currency shortage and threatening substantial inflation. Consumer spending declined in the face of significant price increases. As Tingo Mobile’s operations in Nigeria generate the substantial majority of TGH’s revenues than its operations in any other country in which TGH currently operates, adverse economic developments in Nigeria could have a much more significant impact on TGH’s results than a similar downturn in other countries. The occurrence of any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on TGH’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Uncertainties with respect to the legal system in certain African markets could adversely affect TGH.
Legal systems in Africa vary significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Many countries in Africa have not yet developed a fully integrated legal system, and recently-enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in such markets. In particular, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. Since local administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be difficult to predict the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and our level of legal protection in many of the markets in which TGH or its subsidiaries operate. Moreover, local courts may have broad discretion to reject enforcement of foreign awards. These uncertainties may affect TGH’s ability to enforce its contractual rights or other claims. Uncertainty regarding inconsistent regulatory and legal systems may also embolden plaintiffs to exploit such uncertainties through unmerited or frivolous legal actions or threats in attempts to extract payments or benefits from TGH.
Many African legal systems are based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis, or at all, and may have retroactive effect.
There are other circumstances where key regulatory definitions are unclear, imprecise or missing, or where interpretations that are adopted by regulators are inconsistent with interpretations adopted by a court in analogous cases. In Nigeria, for example, there are Sharia law courts that operate in the predominantly Muslim north, to which only Muslims are subject. Decisions of these courts are subject to appeal and reversal by the secular courts. As a result, TGH or one or more of its subsidiaries may not be aware of its violation of certain policies and rules until after the violation. In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in Africa may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and the diversion of resources and management attention.
TGH’s business may be materially and adversely affected by violentcrime or terrorism in any region of Africa.
Many of the markets in which TGH or its subsidiaries operate suffer from a high incidence in violentcrime and terrorism, which may harm our business. Violentcrime has the potential to interfere with our delivery and fulfilment operations. Further, the terrorist attacks of Boko Haram have created considerable economic instability in north-eastern Nigeria for nearly a decade. Although it is difficult to quantify the economic effect of Boko Haram’s terrorist activities, countless markets, shops, and schools have been temporarily or permanently closed over the years out of fear of coordinated attacks. In some of the areas most devastated by terrorism, commercial banks have chosen to remain open for only three hours per day. Many Nigerians have also chosen to migrate from the north to the south, or out of the country altogether. If Boko Haram’s terrorist activities were to spread throughout Nigeria, the increasing violence could have material adverse effects on the Nigerian economy. Recently there have been nationwide protests resulting in deaths of demonstrators in clashes with the armed forces in Nigeria calling for the ban of a police unit, the Special Anti- Robbery Squad, which demonstrations have continued after the squad was disbanded as broader protestsagainst police brutality and corrupt government. A terrorist attack in Nairobi in January 2019 by Somalia-based militant group al-Shabab drew increased attention to the risks of destabilization in Kenya. An increase in violentcrime or terrorism in any region of Africa may interfere with transportation activities and discourage economic activity, weaken consumer confidence, diminish consumer purchasing power or cause harm to TGH’s sellers and consumers in other ways, any of which could have a material adverse effect on TGH’s business, financial position, results of operations and prospects.
The operations of TGH’s agricultural customer base may be affected by climate change.
The global climate is changing, and will continue to change, in ways that affect the planning and day to day operations of businesses, government agencies and other organizations. The manifestations of climate change include higher temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and more frequent or intense extreme events such as heatwaves, drought, and storms. Nigeria is still practicing rain fed agriculture which renders agricultural operations there vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Extreme events such as flooding, extreme heat and drought has led to soil degradation which has resulted in decreased agricultural production. These effects can impact agricultural operations in Nigeria and other African countries directly, as well as the personnel, physical assets, supply chain and marketing and distribution involved in those operations, and in turn adversely affect TGH’s customer base.
Tingo Mobile’s cash reserves are not diversified across a variety of financial institutions.
Tingo Mobile generates considerable cash flow from operations which it manages in conjunction with its primary deposit institution. Tingo Mobile has not, thus far, diversified its deposits among other financial institutions in Nigeria, and the amount that Tingo Mobile has on hand vastly exceeds the maximum deposit insurance provided by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation. If Tingo Mobile’s primary deposit institution were to experience a liquidity shortage or an interruption in banking activity, Tingo Mobile could be constrained from having access to its funds, and its operations, and that of TGH, could be materially adversely affected as a result.
Risks Related to TGH’s Business and Industry Sectors in Which It Operates
Inflation may have an adverse effect on TGH’s subscriber base.
Throughout 2020, 2021, and continuing into 2022, growing demand and supply chain disruption had resulted in increased prices of agricultural inputs, such as seeds and fertilizer, which in turn constrained growers’ ability to preserve margins on agricultural production, particularly for smaller farmers. Phosphate prices, for example, had increased approximately 139% from February 2020 to the end of 2021, while nitrogen had increased more than 80% during that period. The invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces in February 2022 has exacerbated inflationary pressure for these inputs, particularly inasmuch as Russia accounts for 13% of global production of potash, phosphate, and nitrogen and has been subjected to sweeping sanctions from western governments and the global financial system. Because of these input price pressures, TGH’s subscribers may find it more cost effective to produce at lower rates than historical levels, or abandon the current growing season entirely. Any diminution of growing activity by TGH’s subscriber base could also lead to lower activity on its Nwassa platform and lower revenue overall. We cannot guarantee you that TGH’s subscriber base will not be adversely affected by inflationary pressures regarding agricultural inputs, or that TGH’s financial condition or results of operations will not be adversely affected as a result.
TGH and its subsidiaries face competition, which may intensify.
In Nigeria, Tingo Mobile competes with a large number of mobile phone carriers. Current competitors, such as MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9 Mobile, being the four largest mobile networks, may seek to intensify their investments in those markets and also expand their businesses in new markets. Competitive pressure from current or future competitors or our failure to quickly and effectively adapt to a changing competitive landscape could adversely affect Tingo Mobile’s growth. Current or future competitors may offer lower prices and enhanced features, and Tingo Mobile may be forced to lower its prices and upgrade its phones and network in order to maintain its market share. With respect to Tingo Mobile’s payment services, it faces competition from financial institutions with payment processing offerings, debit and credit card service providers, other offline payment options and other electronic payment system operators, in each of the markets in which TGH or its subsidiaries operate. We expect competition to intensify in the future as existing and new competitors of TGH may introduce new services or enhance existing services. New entrants tied to established brands may engender greater user confidence in the safety and efficacy of their services. The expansion of mobile network operators and independent payment service providers may increase competition in the medium term.
TGH, through its subsidiaries, has entered into, or may enter into, agreements with various parties for certain business operations. Any difficulties experienced by TGH in maintaining these arrangements could result in additional expense, loss of subscribers and revenue, interruption of TGH’s services, or a failure or delay in the roll-out of new technology.
TGH, through its subsidiaries such as Tingo Mobile, has entered into, and may in the future enter into, agreements with various third parties for the day-to-day execution of services, provisioning, maintenance, and upgrading of TGH’s wireless and wireline networks, including the permitting, building, and installation of network upgrades; leases and subleases for space on communications towers; the development and maintenance of certain systems necessary for the operation of its business; customer service, related support to its wireless subscribers, outsourcing aspects of its wireline network and back office functions; and to provide network equipment, handsets, devices, and other equipment. For example, Tingo Mobile depends heavily on local access facilities obtained from ILECs to serve its data and voice subscribers, and payments to ILECs for these facilities are a significant cost of service for Tingo Mobile’s wireless customers. We also expect TGH’s dependence on key suppliers to continue as more advanced technologies are developed, which may lead to additional significant costs. If TGH’s key vendors fail to meet their contractual obligations or experience financial difficulty, or if TGH fails to adequately diversify its reliance among vendors, it may experience disruptions to its business operations or incur significant costs implementing alternative arrangements.
TGH and its subsidiaries are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, and similar laws, and non-compliance with such laws can subject any one of them to criminalpenalties or significant fines and harm the group’s business and reputation.
TGH and its subsidiaries are subject to anti-corruption and anti-bribery and similar laws, such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, Nigeria anti-corruption statutes and other anti-corruption, anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in countries in which TGH or its subsidiaries conduct activities. Anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws have been enforced aggressively in recent years and are interpreted broadly and prohibit companies and their employees and agents from promising, authorizing, making, or offering improper payments or other benefits to government officials and others in the private sector. As TGH expands its networks in Africa and internationally, its risks under these laws may increase. Noncompliance with these laws could subject us to investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, other enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminalpenalties or injunctions, adverse media coverage, and other consequences. Any investigations, actions or sanctions could harm its business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Required licenses, permits or approvals may be difficult to obtain in the countries in which TGH or its subsidiaries currently operate, and once obtained may be amended or revoked arbitrarily or may not be renewed.
Given TGH’s diversified offering of services, it requires approvals and licenses from national, regional, and local governmental or regulatory authorities in the countries in which we currently operate. For example, we may be required to obtain licenses to be able to continue offering or expand certain of our payment solutions, and there can be no assurance that we will obtain any such licenses in a timely manner or at all. Even if obtained, licenses are subject to review, interpretation, modification or termination by the relevant authorities. Any unfavorable interpretation or modification or any termination of a required license may significantly harm our operations in the relevant country or may require us to close down parts or all of our operations in the relevant country.
We can offer no assurance that the relevant authorities will not take any action that could materially and adversely affect these licenses, permits or approvals or of TGH’s ability to provide its services. TGH may experience difficulties in obtaining or maintaining some of these licenses, approvals and permits, which may require it to undertake significant efforts and incur additional expenses. If TGH or a subsidiary operates without a license, it could be subject to fines, criminalprosecution or other legal action. Any difficulties in obtaining or maintaining licenses, approvals or permits or the amendment or revocation thereof could have a material adverse effect on TGH’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Acquisition of Tingo Mobile
Our business has changed significantly in recent years and more specifically since December 1, 2022, following the completion of the Acquisition of Tingo Mobile. We have made another significant acquisition subsequent to December 31, 2022, of Tingo Foods.
Tingo Mobile is the leading Agri-Fintech company in Africa, with a comprehensive portfolio of innovative products, including a ‘device as a service’ smartphone and pre-loaded platform product.
Tingo Mobile’s Nwassa platform is believed to be Africa’s leading digital agriculture ecosystem that empowers rural farmers and agri-businesses by using proprietary technology that enables users to access markets in which they operate. Using Tingo Mobile’s ecosystem, farmers can ship produce from farms throughout Nigeria. The ecosystem provides real-time pricing, straight from the farms, which eliminates middlemen.
Although Tingo Mobile has a large retail subscriber base, its business model is essentially a business-to-business-to-consumer (“B2B2C”) model. Each of our current subscribers is a member of one of a small number of cooperatives with whom we have a contractual relationship, which facilitates the distribution of Tingo-branded smartphones into the various rural communities of user farmers/agri-workers.
Our revenues from Tingo mobile are derived from agri-tech business, inter-alia, smart phone leasing, an agri-marketplace, airtime top ups, utility payment services, bill-pay and e-wallet, insurance products and access to finance and lending services.
On November 10, 2022, Tingo Mobile opened a new regional head office in Ghana and launched operations there enrolling additional 2 million new customers in Ghana and on December 14, 2022, Tingo Mobile launched in Malawi as a strategic base from which to expand into East Africa and target neighboring countries such as Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique.
In addition to its agri-fintech business, on December 12, 2022, we launched our global commodities trading platform and export business (“Tingo DMCC”) from the Dubai Multi Commodity Centre (the “DMCC”), which is regarded as the world’s No.1 Free Trade Zone and a major global commodity trading centre, to facilitate purchases and export of agricultural commodities from both its existing customer base and new customers. Through the strong relationships between Tingo Mobile and the cooperatives and other parties it deals with in Nigeria and Ghana, we have secured access to significant quantities of agricultural produce for export, including wheat, millet, cassava, ginger, cashew nuts, cocoa and cotton.
As a complementary step, on February 9, 2023, we acquired the entire share capital of Tingo Foods, which commenced food processing operations in September 2022, generating more than $400 million of revenue in its first four months of trading. Through Tingo Foods, we expect to enhance our ability to integrate agricultural producers into the ’seed to sale’ value chain and digital ecosystem. We also plan the development of our own food processing facility, which is expected to be completed by the end of the first half of 2024.
As part of our strategy to leverage our fintech platforms, infrastructure and the Tingo brand, we recently launched the TingoPay Super App in partnership with Visa. TingoPay broadens our reach outside of the agricultural sector, targeting retail customers of any age (18+) and demographic. TingoPay customers via the TingoPay Super App, can make online transactions in their domestic or foreign currencies, as well as to manage their cards, set up repeat payments and access transaction statements.
We are aiming to be the leading fintech and agri-fintech business in Africa, before expanding into Southeast Asia and certain other parts of the world, delivering financial inclusion and financial upliftment to our customers, including to rural farming communities through the Company’s agri-fintech platform and products.
Reportable Segments
We report our financial performance based on the following segments: Verticals and Technology, Online Stock Trading, Comprehensive Platform Service. The segment amounts included in MD&A are presented on a basis consistent with our internal management reporting. Additional information on our reportable segments is contained in Note 14 – Segment Information and Geographic Data of the Notes to Financial Statements. Following the acquisition of Tingo Mobile the Company restructure its segments and retroactively applied it to all years presented.
Fintech Verticals and Technology – this segment comprising of our operations in China where we have 3 VIEs through which we operate, mainly, our business of insurance brokerage.
Online Stock Trading – this segment comprise mainly the operation of Magpie through which we operate the business of online stock trading, located mainly in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Comprehensive Platform Service – This segment includes the operations of Tingo Mobile described above and includes the operations of Tingo Mobile for the month of December.
Results of Operations
Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021
We measure our performance on a consolidated basis as well as the performance of each segment.
Revenues
Net revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $146,035,000, compared to $55,676,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $90,359,000. The increase is mainly attributed to the acquisition of Tingo Mobile on December 1 2022, which in turn created the Company’s new Comprehensive Platform Service segment.
SEGMENT RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
(In Thousands, except percentages)
Percentage Change
Revenue
Fintech Verticals and Technology
Online Stock Trading
Comprehensive Platform Service
Mobile Resource Management
Total
Loss from operating
Verticals and technology
Corporate and others
Online Stock Trading
Comprehensive Platform Service
Total
Reportable Segments
Fiscal Year 2022 Compared with Fiscal Year 2021
Fintech Verticals and Technology
Net revenues related to the fintech business and insurance agency business for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $57,364,000, as compared to $54,932,000 revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021, and reflects an increase of $2,432,000, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the same period last year. The increase is attributed to acquisition of All Weather which we started to consolidate their financial results and business lines from the consummation of the transaction on July 1, 2021 (as further detailed above),and was offset by decrease in revenues from Guangxi Zhongtong and Tianjing Bokefa as a result of the lockdown in certain cities and regions during 2022 due to COVID-19.
Cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $47,837,000, as compared to $45,740,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021, reflecting an increase of $2,097,000. The increase is attributable to costs associated to the operations of All Weather which we started to consolidate on July 1, 2021 and was offset by decrease in Cost of revenues from Guangxi Zhongtong as a result of the lockdown in certain cities and regions during 2022 due to COVID-19.
Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $9,527,000, as compared to $9,192,000 Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2021, reflecting an increase of $335,000. The increase is attributable to the introduced insurance products with higher gross margins in 2022 as compared to last year, including engineering insurance and liability insurance. Therefore, the change in product mix resulted in higher gross margins.
Loss from operations related to the Fintech business and insurance agency business for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $12,538,000, as compared to $9,648,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021, and reflects an increase of $2,890,000 or 30%, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the same period last year. The increase is attributed to increase in selling and marketing expenses and increase in research and development expenses as further detailed below.
Online Stock Trading
Net revenues related to the online stock trading platform segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $55,000, as compared to $18,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $37,000 as compared to last period. The increase is attributed to the launch of Magpie Invest, a global stock trading app, on September 15, 2021.
Cost of revenues related to the online stock trading platform segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $65,000 as compared to nil in 2021. The increase is attributed to the broker applied minimum monthly brokerage charge in year 2022.
Gross loss for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $10,000, as compared to gross profit of $18,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021, and reflects a decrease of $28,000. The decrease is attributed to the fact that the revenues can’t cover the broker monthly minimum charges.
Loss from operations related to the online stock trading platform segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $9,829,000, as compared to $7,504,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021, and reflects an increase of $2,325,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the same period last year. The increase is attributed to increase in service charges amounts to $2,240,000.
Comprehensive AgriFtinech Platform Service
Net revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $88,616,000, as compared to nil for the year ended December 31, 2021.
The increase is attributable to the acquisition of Tingo Mobile which was completed on December 1, 2022. We consolidate the operation of Tingo Mobile for one month and we expect revenues to increase significantly from 2023 when such operations are consolidated for a full year. The revenues of Tingo Mobile are also expected to increase due to its geographical expansion and the significant trade partnerships entered into during Q4 2022.
Cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $33,341,000, an increase of $33,341,000. The increase relates to the cost of revenues of Tingo Mobile since its acquisition and consolidation on December 1, 2022.
Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $55,275,000 representing 62% margin. We believe that such margins will increase as a higher proportion of the revenues in Tingo Mobile are expected to be generated from its Nwassa digital marketplace and services.
Gain from operations related to the Comprehensive AgriFtinech Platform Service segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $36,778,000. The increase is attributable to the acquisition of Tingo Mobile which was completed on December 1, 2022. We consolidate the operation of Tingo Mobile for one month.
Net revenues related to the Mobile Resource Management (MRM (Micronet)) for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $0, as compared to $726,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and reflects a decrease of $726,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022. MRM revenues were solely contributed by Micronet. The changes is attributed to the consolidation of the MRM Segment (Micronet) results as of the second quarter of 2020 and the dilution in our ownership and voting interests in Micronet, causing us to cease consolidating Micronet’s operations in our financial statements commencing from May 9, 2021.
Cost of revenues
Total Cost of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $81,243,000, compared to $46,456,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021. This represents an increase of $34,787,000, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the same period last year.
There was no Cost of revenues related to the MRM segment for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to $716,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease is attributed to the dilution in our ownership and voting interests in Micronet, causing us to cease consolidating Micronet’s operations in our financial statements from May 9, 2021 through December 31, 2022.
Gross profit
Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $64,792,000, representing 44% of the revenues. This is in comparison to gross profit of $9,220,000, representing 16% of the revenues for the year ended December 31, 2021 and reflects an increase of $55,572,000, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the same period last year. The increase is mainly attributable to the acquisition of Tingo Mobile, as well as to the development of our fintech business and insurance agency business.
There was no Gross profit related to the MRM (Micronet) segment for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to gross loss of $10,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and reflects a decrease of $10,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022. MRM Gross profit were. The change is attributed to the dilution in our ownership and voting interests in Micronet, causing us to cease consolidating Micronet’s operations in our financial statements from May 9, 2021
Selling and Marketing Expenses
Selling and Marketing expenses are part of operating expenses. Selling and marketing cost for the year ended December 31, 2022, was $11,140,000, as compared to $6,814,000 for year ended December 30, 2021. This represents an increase of $4,326,000, for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the same period last year. The increase is mainly the result of : (i) an increase of $1,469,000 related to the operations of Tingo Mobile and; (ii) an increase of marketing charges related to the insurance brokerage within the Fintech Verticals and Technology segment, in an amount of $3,483,000 and; (iii) a decrease of $601,000 related to Online Stock trading segment. As global stock markets suffered sell-offs and high levels of volatility, resulting in reduced levels of retail investment, Magpie significantly reduces its marketing activity and instead focused on pivoting its business to a B2B model and to compliment the established business model of Tingo Mobile.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses are part of operating expenses. General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $58,165,000, compared to $36,488,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021. This represents an increase of $21,677,000, which is due in the main to (i) nonrecurring merger costs of $9,573,000, as noted above, (ii) an increase in salaries associated with the operations of the Fintech Verticals and Technology segment, whereby in 2021 we completed acquisitions of several insurance businesses that were only consolidated for part of the year, from the date of acquisition, whereas a full year of costs is included in 2022. The wages and salaries for the year ended December 31, 2022 also includes $3,603,000 of costs relating to Tingo Mobile; (iii) an increase in depreciation of $1,693,000, which relates in the main to Tingo Mobile; (iv) a decrease in share based expenses to directors and employees in the of amount of $4,633,000; and (v) an increase in service charges, mainly relating to the Online Stock Trading segment as the year ended December 31, 2021 only included such costs from the date of launch in September 2021, whereas the year ended December 31, 2022 includes a full year of costs. The increase in service charges amounts to $2,240,000.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development costs, includes mainly salaries, materials and sub-contractors. R&D expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $1,689,000, compared to $889,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021 an increase of $800,000. On one hand, we have an increase of $1,145,000 in expenses related to the acquisition of Zongtong and All weather in 2021. On the other hand, we have a decrease of $231,000 from deconsolidation of the MRM segment (Micronet) results with the company from the second quarter of 2021, and because the global stock markets trading keep going downwards, we can see a decrease of $114,000 from research and development expenses.
Loss from Operations
Our loss from operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $11,792,000, compared to loss from operations of $37,896,000, for the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in loss from operations is mainly attributable to the profitable operations of Tingo mobile that we consolidated in December 1, 2022 for the first time.
Finance Income (Expense), Net
Finance income (expenses), net for the year ended December 31, 2022, was $(750,000) compared to $ 395,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021a decrease of $1,145,000. The decrease in financial expenses, net for the year ended December 31, 2022, is primarily due to a net favorable change in exchange rates.
Net Loss Attributed to TINGO GROUP, Inc.
Our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2022, was $47,069,000, compared to $36,428,000, for the year ended December 31, 2021 an increase of $10,641,000. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2022 is mainly a result of an increase in tax expenses relating to the acquisition and consolidation of Tingo.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We have funded our operations with proceeds from the sales of shares of our common stock, which we undertook in November 2020 and February and March 2021. As of December 31, 2022, our total cash and cash equivalents balance was $500,316,000, as compared to $96,619,000 as of December 31, 2021. This reflects an increase of $403,697,000 in cash and cash equivalents which relates in the main to the acquisition and consolidation of Tingo Mobile on December 1, 2022, which had accumulated such cash through its trading activities. Notwithstanding the sizeable cash balance held by Tingo Mobile, it should be noted that the majority of the cash is held at its bank in Nigeria, and there are certain foreign exchange restrictions in place that limit the conversion of such cash into US Dollars, and into other currencies from Naira. As stated in numerous recent Company announcements, we are progressing a strategy to dollarize the business of Tingo Mobile, including through the Tingo DMCC commodity trading platform and export business; expansion into other countries that have freely tradeable currency, such as Ghana, Malawi and Dubai; and through the launch of TingoPay in partnership with Visa.
The Company’s operations are cash generative following the acquisition of Tingo Mobile Limited. There is however the possibility that the Company may seek to raise external financing in the future, if required to fund its growth plans and expansion strategy
As stated above, the majority of the cash held by Tingo in Nigeria is not freely transferable inside the group. Even taking into account the foreign exchange restrictions on the cash in Tingo Mobile, based on our current operating plan we believe that our cash, cash equivalents, as of December 31, 2022, will be sufficient to fund our currently projected operating expenses for at least the next 12 months.
Sales of our Securities
On February 11, 2021, the Company announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “February Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional investors for the sale of (i) 22,471,904 shares of common stock, (ii) 22,471,904 Series A warrants to purchase 22,471,904 shares of common stock and (iii) 11,235,952 Series B warrants to purchase 11,235,952 shares of common stock at a combined purchase price of $2.67 (the “February Offering”). The gross proceeds to the Company from the February Offering were expected to be approximately $60.0 million. The Series A warrants are exercisable nine months after the date of issuance, have an exercise price of $2.80 per share and will expire five and one-half years from the date of issuance. The Series B warrants are exercisable nine months after the date of issuance, have an exercise price of $2.80 per share and will expire three and one-half years from the date of issuance. The Company received net proceeds of $54.0 million on February 16, 2021 after deducting the placement agent’s fees and other expenses.
On March 2, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “March Purchase Agreement”) with certain investors for the purpose of raising approximately $54.0 million in gross proceeds for the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the March Purchase Agreement, the Company agreed to sell, in a registered direct offering, an aggregate of 19,285,715 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, at a purchase price of $2.675 per Share and in a concurrent private placement, warrants to purchase an aggregate of 19,285,715 shares of common stock, at a purchase price of $0.125 per warrant, for a combined purchase price per share and warrant of $2.80 which was priced at the market under Nasdaq rules. The warrants are immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $2.80 per share, subject to adjustment, and expire five years after the issuance date. The closing date for the March Purchase Agreement was on March 4, 2021. The Company received net proceeds of $48.69 million on March 4, 2021, after deducting the placement agent’s fees and other expenses.
Contractual Obligations
We have certain fixed contractual obligations and commitments that include future estimated payments. Changes in our business needs, cancellation provisions, and other factors may result in actual payments differing from the estimates. The following tables summarize our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2022, and the effect these obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flows in future periods.
Contractual Obligation:
Total
Less than
1 year
1-3 year
3-5 year
5+ year
Office leases commitment
Short-term debt obligations Commitment
Services Contract Commitment
Total
Loans Provided by TINGO GROUP
On May 13, 2022, the Company and TMNA executed a loan agreement pursuant to which the Company agreed to loan TMNA (“Maker”) a sum of $3,000,000 (the “Note” and “Loan” respectively) . The Loan bears an annual interest of 5%. The principal balance of the Loan and any accrued and unpaid interest due under the Note shall be due and payable on May 10, 2024 (“Initial Maturity Date”). The principal balance may be prepaid at any time by Maker without penalty.
On July 28, 2022, the Company agreed to replace the Note with a new note (“New Note”), pursuant to which the amount of the Loan granted under the New Note is $3,500,000, with all other terms remaining in effect without a change.
On September 28, 2022, the Company agreed to replace the New Note with a second new note (“Second New Note”), pursuant to which the amount of the Loan granted under the New Note is $3,700,000, with all other terms remaining in effect without a change.
On October 6, 2022, the Company agreed to replace the Second New Note with a third new Note (“Third New Note”) in the aggregate principal amount of $23,700,000 with all other terms remaining in effect without a change.
On December 21, 2022, the Company and its subsidiary, MICT Fintech executed a loan agreement pursuant to which the Company agreed to loan MICT Fintech a sum of $10,000,000, with interest charged at a rate of 10% per annum. The principal balance of the loan and any accrued and unpaid interest shall be due and payable on December 31, 2023. On the same date, MICT Fintech loaned $10,000,000 to its subsidiary, Tingo Mobile, with interest charged at a rate of 25% per annum. The principal balance of this loan and any accrued and unpaid interest shall also be due and payable on December 31, 2023. The purpose of the loan is to fund costs relating to the purchase of smartphone handsets to be provided under operating lease agreements to two key customers of Tingo Mobile and Tingo Ghana Limited, which in turn is expected to facilitate a number of business revenue streams for Tingo Mobile and Tingo Ghana Limited, including but not limited to operating lease revenues, platform transaction revenues, product sale commissions and commodity export revenues.
Debt Repayment
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had short-term loans from others of $460,000 comprised as follows: $286,000 loans of All Weather Insurance Agency bear interest of 0%, will be repaid before December 31, 2023. The $174,000 loans of Zhongtong Insurance that bear interest of 10% will be repaid before December 31, 2023.
As of December 31, 2021, the Company had short-term loans from others of $1,657,000 comprised as follows: $1,155,000 loans of All Weather Insurance Agency bear interest of 0%, of which $1,088,000 will be repaid on December 31, 2022 and $67,000 will be repaid on August 3, 2022. The $314,000 loans of Zhongtong Insurance that bear interest of 10% has been repaid subsequently on January 11, 2022, and the remaining loans of Zhongtong Insurance in amount of $188,000 loans that bear interest of 10% will be repaid before December 31, 2022.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had long-term loans from others of $377,000 comprised as follows: $377,000 loans of All Weather Insurance Agency bear interest of 0%, will be repaid before December 31, 2025.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, our working capital was $265,781,000, compared to $102,107,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase is mainly due to the increase in our cash and trade account receivable, in relation to our acquisition and consolidation of Tingo Mobile on December 1, 2022, as described above. Based on our current business plan, and in view of our cash balance following the completion of the acquisition of Tingo Mobile, we anticipate that our cash balances will be sufficient to permit us to conduct our operations and carry out our contemplated business plans for at least the next 12 months from the date of this Report.
For the year Ended
December 31,
USD in
thousands
USD in
thousands
Net Cash provided by (used in) Operating Activities
Net Cash provided by (used in) Investing Activities
Net Cash provided by (used in) Financing Activities
Translation adjustment on cash and restricted cash
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at Beginning of Period
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period
Cash Flow from Operating Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2022, our cash flows from operating activities related to net loss adjusted for non-cash expenses, primarily depreciation and amortization and share based compensation in the amount of $(47,755,000), as well as (1) changes in deferred tax, net of $(28,759,000) which relates in the main to the deferred tax arising on the Purchase Price Allocation for the acquisition of Tingo Mobile; and (2) effects of changes in working capital in the amount of $30,503,000, which in the main relate to the acquisition and consolidation of Tingo Mobile, which completed on December 1, 2022.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, our cash flows from operating activities related to net loss adjusted for non-cash expenses, primarily depreciation and amortization and share based compensation in the amount of $(18,979,000), as well as (1) changes in deferred tax, net of $2,539,000, and (2) effects of changes in working capital in the amount of $47,776,000.
Cash Flow from Investing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had net cash inflows arising from investing activities of $366,961,000, which consisted of (1) net cash used in investing of purchase of property and equipment of $39,645,000 and (2) cash held by at Tingo Mobile of $(430,563,000) which was consolidated into the Company from the completion of its acquisition on December 1, 2022 and (3) repayment of loan back from Micronet of $(534,000) (4) the issuance of a loan to Tingo Inc of $23,700,000 (5) loan to related party of $791,000.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, we had net cash used in investing activities of $8,853,000, which consisted of (1) deconsolidation of Micronet operations of $2,466,000, (2) loan to related party of $4,265,000, (3) purchase of property and equipment of $689,000 and (4) investment in new companies and expansion of business activities of $913,000 and (5) additional intangible assets of $520,000.
Cash Flow from Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had net cash provided by financing activities of $10,715,000, which consisted of: (1) repayment of loan to related party and others of $10,859,000 and (2) short term loan from bank of $(144,000).
For the year ended December 31, 2021, we had net cash provided by financing activities of $109,602,000, which primarily consisted of: (1) Proceeds from issuance of shares and warrants of $(105,366,000) from our public offering in February and March 2021; (2) proceeds from the exercise of warrants and options of $(2,554,000); (3) Repayment of current maturity of long-term bank loans of $195,000 and (4) receipt of loan from others of $(1,657,000) and (5) loan repayment from Micronet of $(220,000).
Financing Needs
The Company’s operations are cash generative following the acquisition of Tingo Mobile Limited. There is however the possibility that the Company may seek to raise external financing in the future, if required to fund its growth plans and expansion strategy, for example in relation to financing Tingo Foods’ share of the build and fit out of its new food processing facility.
In the event that any external financing is required to cover Tingo Foods’ share of the build and fit out of the new food processing facility, which is estimated at $500 million, the Company will seek to do so by raising debt funding.
Based on our current business plan, and in view of our cash balance following the Merger transaction described in this Item 2, we anticipate that our cash balances will be sufficient to permit us to conduct our operations and carry out our contemplated business plans for at least the next 12 months from the date of this Report.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
In the preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we are required to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and the related disclosures. Our management reviews these estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. While we believe the estimates and judgments we use in preparing our consolidated financial statements are reasonable and appropriate, they are subject to future events and uncertainties regarding their outcome; therefore, actual results may materially differ from these estimates. If actual amounts are ultimately different from our estimates, the revisions are included in our results of operations for the period in which the actual amounts first become known. We consider the following items in the consolidated financial statements to require significant estimation or judgment. See Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements for a summary of our significant accounting policies.
Acquisition Accounting
We have made significant acquisitions in the past and we intend to make additional acquisitions in the future that meet our selection criteria with an objective of increasing our revenues, improving our profitability, diversifying our end market and geographic exposure and strengthening our competitive position. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded based on their respective fair values at the date of acquisition. Such fair market value assessments require judgments and estimates that can be affected by various factors over time, which may cause final amounts to differ materially from original estimates. The significant judgments include the estimation of future cash flows, which are dependent on forecasts; the estimation of a long-term rate of growth; the estimation of the useful life over which cash flows will occur; and the determination of a risk-adjusted weighted average cost of capital. When appropriate, our estimates of the fair values of assets and liabilities acquired include assistance from independent third-party appraisal firms. The judgments made in determining the estimated fair value assigned to the assets acquired, as well as the estimated life of the assets, can materially impact net income in periods subsequent to the acquisition through depreciation and amortization, and in certain instances through impairment charges, if the asset becomes impaired in the future. As discussed below, we regularly review for impairments.
New and used equipment inventories, long-lived assets (primarily rental equipment), goodwill, and other intangible assets generally represent the largest component of our acquisitions. Inventories acquired in the transaction are valued at fair value, which approximates a market participant’s estimated selling price adjusted for (1) costs to sell and (2) a reasonable profit allowance. In addition to long-lived assets, we also acquire other assets and assume liabilities. These other assets and liabilities typically include, but are not limited to, accounts receivable, accounts payable, floor plans payable and other working capital items.
Because of their short-term nature, the fair values of these assets and liabilities generally approximate the carrying values reflected on the acquired entities balance sheets. However, when appropriate, we adjust these carrying values for factors such as collectability, existence, and consistency with Company accounting policies.
We record as goodwill the excess of the consideration transferred over the fair values of the identifiable net assets acquired. The intangible assets that we have acquired consist of tradenames, technology related intangibles and customer relationships. A tradename has a fair value equal to the present value of the royalty income attributable to it. The royalty income attributable to a tradename represents the hypothetical cost savings that are derived from owning the tradename instead of paying royalties to license the tradename from another owner.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to providing financial measurements based on generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S., or GAAP, we provide additional financial metrics that are not prepared in accordance with GAAP, or non-GAAP financial measures. Management uses non-GAAP financial measures, in addition to GAAP financial measures, to understand and compare operating results across accounting periods, for financial and operational decision making, for planning and forecasting purposes and to evaluate our financial performance.
Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures reflect our ongoing business in a manner that allows for meaningful comparisons and analysis of trends in our business, as they exclude expenses and gains that are not reflective of our ongoing operating results. Management also believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors in understanding and evaluating our operating results and future prospects in the same manner as management and in comparing financial results across accounting periods and to those of peer companies.
The non-GAAP financial measures do not replace the presentation of our GAAP financial results and should only be used as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, our financial results presented in accordance with GAAP.
The non-GAAP adjustments, and the basis for excluding them from non-GAAP financial measures, are outlined below:
Amortization of acquired intangible assets - We are required to amortize the intangible assets, included in our GAAP financial statements, related to the Transaction and the Acquisition. The amount of an acquisition’s purchase price allocated to intangible assets and term of its related amortization are unique to these transactions. The amortization of acquired intangible assets are non-cash charges. We believe that such charges do not reflect our operational performance. Therefore, we exclude amortization of acquired intangible assets to provide investors with a consistent basis for comparing pre- and post-transaction operating results.
Stock-based compensation is share based awards granted to certain individuals. They are non-cash and affected by our historical stock prices which are irrelevant to forward-looking analyses and are not necessarily linked to our operational performance.
Expenses related to the purchase of a business - These expenses relate directly to the purchase of the Tingo Mobile transaction and consist mainly of legal and accounting fees, insurance fees and other consultants. We believe that these expenses do not reflect our operational performance. Therefore, we exclude them to provide investors with a consistent basis for comparing pre- and post-Mobile Business purchase operating results.
Expenses related to settlement agreement - These expenses relate directly to the settlement agreement with Maxim and Sunrise. More information can be found in the legal proceeding part.
The following table reconciles, for the periods presented, GAAP net loss attributable to TINGO GROUP to non-GAAP net income attributable to TINGO GROUP. and GAAP loss per diluted share attributable to TINGO GROUP to non-GAAP net loss per diluted share attributable to TINGO GROUP.:
Year ended
December 31,
(Dollars in Thousands,
other than share and
per share amounts)
GAAP net loss attributable to TINGO GROUP, Inc.
Amortization of acquired intangible assets
Stock-based compensation
Expenses related to purchase of a business
One time expenses relates to settlement agreement
Income tax effect of above non-GAAP adjustments
Total Non-GAAP net loss attributable to TINGO GROUP, Inc.
Non-GAAP net loss per diluted share attributable to TINGO GROUP, Inc.
Weighted average common shares outstanding used in per share calculations
GAAP net loss per diluted share attributable to TINGO GROUP, Inc.
Weighted average common shares outstanding used in per share calculations
