ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully read and consider all of the risks described below, together with all of the other information contained or referred to in this report, before making an investment decision with respect to our securities. If any of the following events occur, our financial condition, business and results of operations (including cash flows) may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
We are an early-stage company with a limited operating history.
We are an early, startup stage company with a limited history upon which you can evaluate our business and prospects. Our prospects must be considered in light of the risks encountered by companies in the early stages of development in highly competitive markets. You should consider the frequency with which early-stage businesses encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other adverse factors. These risks are described in more detail below.
We have incurred losses since our inception, and we may not be able to manage our business on a profitable basis.
We have generated losses since inception and have relied on cash on-hand, sales of securities, proceeds from our initial public offering, external bank lines of credit, and issuance of third-party and related party debt to support our operations. For the year ended June 30, 2025, we generated an operating loss of $6,386,341 and a net loss of $6,742,275. The revenue and income potential of our business and market are unproven. This makes an evaluation of our company and its prospects difficult and highly speculative. There can be no assurances that we will be able to develop products or services on a timely and cost effective basis, that will be able to generate any increase in revenues, that we will have adequate financing or resources to continue operating our business and to provide products to customers, that we will earn a profit, that we can raise sufficient capital to support operations by attaining profitability, or that we can satisfy future liabilities.
Our auditors have issued a going concern opinion on our audited consolidated financial statements.
The report of our independent registered public accounting firm that accompanies our consolidated financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2025 contains a going concern qualification in which such firm expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, based on the financial statements at that time. We have generated losses since inception and have relied on cash on-hand, sales of securities, proceeds from our initial public offering, external bank lines of credit, and issuance of third-party and related party debt to support cashflow from operations. As of June 30, 2025, we had cash of $1,460,997, a net loss of $6,742,275, working capital of $970,461, and cash used in operating activities of $2,337,659. Management believes that currently available resources may not be sufficient to fund our planned expenditures over the next 12 months. These factors, individually and collectively, indicate that a material uncertainty exists that raises substantial doubt about our company’s ability to continue as a going concern for 12 months from the balance sheet date as of June 30, 2025.
We will be dependent upon the raising of additional capital through equity and/or debt financing in order to implement our business plan and generate sufficient revenue in excess of costs. If we raise additional capital through the issuance of equity securities or securities convertible into equity, stockholders will experience dilution, and such securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of the holders of common stock. If we raise additional funds by issuing debt, we may be subject to limitations on its operations, through debt covenants or other restrictions. There is no assurance that we will be successful with future financing ventures, and the inability to secure such financing may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under which our company is expected to be able to realize its assets and satisfy its liabilities in the normal course of business and do not include any adjustments to the amounts and classifications of assets and liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going . If we are to continue as a going , our stockholders could potentially most or all of their investment in our company.
We will require additional financing to accomplish our business strategy.
We require substantial working capital to fund our business development plans, and we expect to experience significant negative cash flow from operations. Depending upon the sales volume generated by our business during that time, we also anticipate the possibility of having to raise additional funds in order to achieve our plans and accomplish our immediate and longer-term business strategy. These additional funds likely will be raised through the issuance of our securities in debt and/or equity financings. If we are unable to raise these additional funds on terms acceptable to us, we will be required to limit our expenditures for continuing our product development activities and expanding our sales and marketing operations, reduce our work force, or find alternatives to fund our business on terms that are not as favorable to us. Any such actions would impair our product development and expansion plans, reduce potential revenues, increase operating losses, and adversely affect the value of our company.
We cannot accurately predict future revenues or profitability in the emerging market for aqueous ozone technology.
The market for alternative green cleaning supplies is rapidly evolving. As is typical of a rapidly evolving industry, demand, and market acceptance for recently introduced products are subject to a high level of uncertainty. Moreover, since the market for our products is evolving, it is difficult to predict the future growth rate, if any, and size of this market. Because of our limited operating history and the emerging nature of the markets in which we compete, we are unable to accurately forecast our revenues or our profitability. The market for our products and the long-term acceptance of our products are uncertain, and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel with industry expertise, particularly sales and marketing personnel, is uncertain. To the extent we are unsuccessful in increasing revenues, we may be required to appropriately adjust spending to compensate for any unexpected revenue shortfall, or to reduce our operating expenses, causing us to forego potential revenue generating activities, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We may face significant challenges in obtaining market acceptance of our products, which could adversely affect our potential sales and revenues.
We do not yet have an established market or customer base for our products. Acceptance of our products in the marketplace by both potential users and potential purchasers, including hospitals, schools, universities, commercial facilities, transportation systems and other healthcare and non-healthcare providers, is uncertain, and failure to achieve sufficient market acceptance will significantly limit our ability to generate revenue and be profitable. Market acceptance will require substantial marketing efforts and the expenditure of significant funds by us to inform hospitals, schools, universities, commercial facilities, transportation systems, residential spaces and other health care and non-healthcare providers of the benefits of using our products. We may encounter significant clinical and market resistance to our products, and our products may never achieve market acceptance. We may not be able to build key relationships with physicians, education administrators, and government agencies. Product orders may be cancelled or customers that are beginning to use our products may cease their use of our products and customers expected to begin using our products may not do so.
Factors that may affect our ability to achieve acceptance of our products in the marketplace include, but are not limited, to whether:
such products will work effectively;
the products are cost-effective for our customers;
we are able to demonstrate product safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of the products; and
we are able to maintain customer relationships and acceptance.
Acceptance of our products in the marketplace is also uncertain, and our failure to achieve sufficient market acceptance and any inability to sell such products at competitive prices will limit our ability to generate revenue and be profitable. Our products and technologies may not achieve expected reliability, performance, and endurance standards. Our products and technologies may also not achieve market acceptance, including among hospitals, or may not be deemed suitable for other commercial applications.
If we do not build brand awareness and brand loyalty, our business may suffer.
Due in part to the substantial resources available to many of our competitors providing aqueous ozone technology, our opportunity to achieve and maintain a significant market share may be limited. The importance of brand recognition will increase as competition in our market increases. Successfully promoting and positioning of our brand will depend largely on the effectiveness of our marketing efforts, our ability to offer reliable and desirable products at competitive rates, and customer perceptions of the value of our products. If our planned marketing efforts are ineffective or if customer perceptions change regarding the effectiveness of our cleaning machines and products, we may need to increase our financial commitment to creating and maintaining brand awareness and loyalty among customers, which could divert financial and management resources from other aspects of our business or cause our operating expenses to increase disproportionately to our revenues. This would cause our business and operating results to suffer.
If we fail to properly manage our anticipated growth, our business could suffer.
The planned growth of our commercial operations may place a significant strain on our management and on our operational and financial resources and systems. To manage growth effectively, we will need to maintain a system of management controls, and attract and retain qualified personnel, as well as develop, train and manage management-level and other employees. Failure to manage our growth effectively could cause us to over-invest or under-invest in infrastructure, and result in losses or weaknesses in our infrastructure, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flow. Any failure by us to manage our growth effectively could have a negative effect on our ability to achieve our development and commercialization goals and strategies.
If we are unable to maintain, train and build an effective international sales and marketing infrastructure, we will not be able to commercialize and grow our brand successfully.
As we grow, we may not be able to secure sales personnel or organizations that are adequate in number or expertise to successfully market and sell our brand and products on a global scale. We presently rely on individual independent sales representatives and an in-house sales team to market and sell our products. If we are unable to expand our sales and marketing capability, train our sales force effectively or provide any other capabilities necessary to commercialize our brand internationally, we will need to contract with third parties to market and sell our brand, which will be an additional expense. If we are unable to establish and maintain compliant and adequate sales and marketing capabilities, we may not be able to increase our revenue, may generate increased expenses, and may not continue to be profitable.
We operate in new and rapidly changing markets, which makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects and may increase the risk that we will not be successful.
The market for cleaning products is a rapidly changing market, characterized by changing technologies, intense price competition, the introduction of new competitors and brand name cleaning products, evolving industry standards, changing and diverse regulatory environments, frequent new service announcements, and changing user demands and behaviors. Our inability to anticipate these changes and adapt our business, platform, and offerings could undermine our business strategy. Our business strategy and projections, including those related to our revenue growth and profitability, rely on a number of assumptions about the market for cleaning products, including the size and projected growth of the cleaning product markets over the next several years. Some or all of these assumptions may be incorrect. Our growth strategy is dependent, in part, on our ability to timely and effectively launch new products and services, the development of which is uncertain, complex, and costly. In addition, we may be unable successfully and efficiently to address advancements in distribution technology, marketing and pricing strategies and content breadth and availability in certain or all of these markets, which could materially and affect our growth prospects and results of operations.
The limited history of some of the markets in which we operate makes it difficult to effectively assess our future prospects, and our business and prospects should be considered in light of the risks and difficulties we may encounter in these evolving markets. We cannot accurately predict whether our products and services will achieve significant acceptance by potential users in significantly larger numbers or at the same or higher price points than at present. Our historic growth rates should therefore not be relied upon as an indication of future growth, financial condition, or results of operations.
Our major customers account for a significant portion of our revenue and the loss of any major customer could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
For the year ended June 30, 2025, two customers, KBS and Prolink, Inc., accounted for 42% and 17% of revenue, respectively, and one customer, KBS, accounted for 47% of all accounts receivable as of June 30, 2025. For the year ended June 30, 2024, one customer, Pro-Link, Inc., accounted for 14% of revenue, and two customers, Consensus Group and Tharaldson Hospitality, each accounted for 28% of all accounts receivable as of June 30, 2024. We do not have a long-term contract with any of these customers mentioned (the memorandum of understanding with KBS is not binding and does not require the purchase of specific quantities of products) and primarily sell products to customers under individual purchase orders placed by them under their standard terms and conditions of sale. Our results of operations and ability to service our debt obligations would also be impacted negatively to the extent that any major customer is unable to make payments to us or does not make timely payments on outstanding accounts receivable.
We have historically depended on a limited number of third parties to supply key raw materials to us and the failure to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials in a timely fashion and at reasonable costs could significantly delay our delivery of products.
Since our company’s inception, we have historically purchased certain key raw materials and components, such as chassis, generators, vacuum switches, and head sockets and other components from a limited number of suppliers, and we have a single vendor for a major component of two of our main products. For the years ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, this vendor accounted for approximately 11% and 30%, respectively, of our total purchases. We purchased raw materials on the basis of purchase orders. In the absence of firm and long-term contracts, we may not be able to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials from our existing suppliers or alternates in a timely fashion or at a reasonable cost. Although we have not experienced any supply chain disruptions in the past, we cannot guarantee that we will not experience any disruptions in the future. If we fail to secure a sufficient supply of key raw materials in a timely fashion, it will result in a significant delay in our delivery of products. Furthermore, failure to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials at a reasonable cost could also harm our revenue and gross profit margins.
Increased prices for raw materials could increase our cost of sales and decrease demand for our products, which could adversely affect our revenue or profitability.
Our profitability is affected by the prices of the raw materials used in the manufacturing and sale of our products. These prices may fluctuate based on a number of factors beyond our control, including, among others, changes in supply and demand, general economic conditions, labor costs, competition, import duties, currency exchange rates and, in some cases, government regulation. Increased prices could adversely affect our profitability or revenues. We do not have long-term supply contracts for raw materials. Significant increases in the prices of raw materials could adversely affect our profit margins, especially if we are not able to recover these costs by increasing the prices we charge our customers for our products.
Changes to U.S. trade policy, tariff and import/export regulations may adversely affect our operating results.
The United States has recently enacted and/or proposed to enact significant new tariffs on goods imported from numerous countries. Additionally, President Trump has directed various federal agencies to further evaluate key aspects of U.S. trade policy and there has been ongoing discussion and commentary regarding potential significant changes to U.S. trade policies, treaties and tariffs. There continues to exist significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.S. and other countries with respect to such trade policies, treaties and tariffs.
The majority of the components used to assemble our units are sourced from domestic suppliers, who may, in turn, obtain raw materials from overseas vendors. We also purchase a small number of components from China. In the event we determine to pass on increased costs to our customers, our customers may reduce their orders from us, which could negatively affect our business, profitability and operating results. We are closely monitoring these developments and evaluating strategies to mitigate potential impacts.
Furthermore, as a result of policy changes and government proposals, there may be greater restrictions and economic disincentives on international trade in general. The new tariffs and other changes in U.S. trade policy have triggered retaliatory actions by affected countries, and foreign governments have instituted or are considering imposing trade sanctions on U.S. goods. Such changes have the potential to adversely impact the U.S. economy or sectors thereof, our industry and the demand for our products, and as a result, could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Interruptions in deliveries of raw materials could adversely affect our revenue or profitability.
Our dependency upon regular deliveries from particular suppliers means that interruptions or stoppages in such deliveries could adversely affect our operations until arrangements with alternate suppliers could be made. If any of our suppliers were unable to deliver raw materials to us for an extended period of time, as the result of financial difficulties, catastrophic events affecting their facilities or other factors beyond our control, or if we were unable to negotiate acceptable terms for the supply of raw materials with these or alternative suppliers, our business could suffer. We may not be able to find acceptable alternatives, and any such alternatives could result in increased costs for us. Even if acceptable alternatives are found, the process of locating and securing such alternatives might be disruptive to our business. Extended unavailability of necessary raw materials could cause us to cease producing or selling one or more of our products for a period of time.
We depend on third-party delivery services, for both inbound and outbound shipping, to deliver our products to our distribution centers and subsequently to our customers on a timely and consistent basis, and any deterioration in our relationship with any one of these third parties or increases in the fees that they charge could harm our reputation and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We rely on third parties for the shipment of our products, both inbound and outbound shipping logistics, and we cannot be sure that these relationships will continue on terms favorable to us, or at all. Shipping costs have increased from time to time, and may continue to increase, and we may not be able to pass these costs directly to our customers.
Any increased shipping costs could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations by increasing our costs of doing business and reducing gross margins which could negatively affect our operating results. In addition, we utilize a variety of shipping methods for both inbound and outbound logistics. For inbound logistics, we rely on trucking and ocean carriers and any increases in fees that they charge could adversely affect our business and financial condition. For outbound logistics, we rely on “Less-than-Truckload” and parcel freight based upon the product and quantities being shipped and customer delivery requirements. These outbound freight costs have increased on a year-over-year basis and may continue to increase in the future. We also ship a number of oversized products which may trigger additional shipping costs by third-party delivery services. Any increases in fees or any increased use of “Less-than-Truckload” shipping would increase our shipping costs which could negatively affect our operating results.
In addition, if our relationships with these third parties are terminated or impaired, or if these third parties are unable to deliver products for us, whether due to labor shortage, slow down or stoppage, deteriorating financial or business condition, responses to terrorist attacks or for any other reason, we would be required to use alternative carriers for the shipment of products to our customers. Changing carriers could have a negative effect on our business and operating results due to reduced visibility of order status and package tracking and delays in order processing and product delivery, and we may be unable to engage alternative carriers on a timely basis, upon terms favorable to us, or at all.
If our fulfillment operations are interrupted for any significant period of time or are not sufficient to accommodate increased demand, our sales could decline, and our reputation could be harmed.
Our success depends on our ability to successfully receive and fulfill orders and to promptly deliver our products to our customers. Most of the orders for our products are filled from our inventory in our distribution centers, where all our inventory management, packaging, labeling and product return processes are performed. Increased demand and other considerations may require us to expand our distribution centers or transfer our fulfillment operations to larger or other facilities in the future. If we do not successfully expand our fulfillment capabilities in response to increases in demand, our sales could decline.
In addition, our distribution centers are susceptible to damage or interruption from human error, pandemics, fire, flood, power loss, telecommunications failures, terrorist attacks, acts of war, break-ins, earthquakes and similar events. We do not currently maintain back-up power systems at our fulfillment centers. We do not presently have a formal disaster recovery plan and our business interruption insurance may be insufficient to compensate us for losses that may occur in the event operations at our fulfillment center are interrupted. In addition, alternative arrangements may not be available, or if they are available, may increase the cost of fulfillment. Any interruptions in our fulfillment operations for any significant period of time, including interruptions resulting from the expansion of our existing facilities or the transfer of operations to a new facility, could our reputation and brand and substantially our business and results of operations.
If commodity prices such as fuel, plastic and steel increase, our margins may be negatively impacted.
Our third-party delivery services have increased fuel surcharges from time to time, and such increases negatively impact our margins, as we are generally unable to pass all of these costs directly to consumers. Increasing prices of the raw materials for the products we sell may impact the availability, the quality and the price of our products, as suppliers search for alternatives to existing materials and increase the prices they charge. We cannot ensure that we can recover all the increased costs through price increases, and our suppliers may not continue to provide the consistent quality of raw materials as they may substitute lower cost materials to maintain pricing levels, all of which may have a negative impact on our business and results of operations.
Business interruptions in our facilities may affect the distribution of our products and/or the stability of our computer systems, which may affect our business.
Weather, terrorist activities, war or other disasters, or the threat of them, may result in the closure of one or more of our facilities, or may adversely affect our ability to timely provide products to our customers, resulting in lost sales or a potential loss of customer loyalty. Most of our raw materials are imported from other countries and these goods could become difficult or impossible to bring into the United States, and we may not be able to obtain such raw materials from other sources at similar prices. Such a disruption in revenue could potentially have a negative impact on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
We rely extensively on our computer systems to manage inventory, process transactions and timely provide products to our customers. Our systems are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, security breaches or other catastrophic events. If our systems are damaged or fail to function properly, we may experience loss of critical data and interruptions or delays in our ability to manage inventories or process customer transactions. Such a disruption of our systems could negatively impact revenue and potentially have a negative impact on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Security threats, such as ransomware attacks, to our IT infrastructure could expose us to liability, and damage our reputation and business.
It is essential to our business strategy that our technology and network infrastructure remain secure and is perceived by our customers to be secure. Despite security measures, however, any network infrastructure may be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Information security risks have significantly increased in recent years in part due to the proliferation of new technologies and the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists and other external parties, including foreign private parties and state actors. We may face cyber-attacks that attempt to penetrate our network security, including our data centers, to sabotage or otherwise disable our website, misappropriate our or our customers’ proprietary information, which may include personally identifiable information, or cause interruptions of our internal systems and services. If successful, any of these attacks could negatively affect our reputation, damage our network infrastructure and our ability to sell our products, harm our relationship with customers that are affected and us to financial liability.
We maintain a comprehensive system of preventive and detective controls through our security programs; however, given the rapidly evolving nature and proliferation of cyber threats, our controls may not prevent or identify all such attacks in a timely manner or otherwise prevent unauthorized access to, damage to, or interruption of our systems and operations, and we cannot eliminate the risk of human error or employee or vendor malfeasance.
In addition, any failure by us to comply with applicable privacy and information security laws and regulations could cause us to incur significant costs to protect any customers whose personal data was compromised and to restore customer confidence in us and to make changes to our information systems and administrative processes to address security issues and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, our customers could lose confidence in our ability to protect their personal information, which could cause them to stop shopping on our sites altogether. Such events could lead to lost sales and adversely affect our results of operations. We also could be exposed to government enforcement actions and private litigation.
We face significant competition.
We believe that our success will depend heavily upon achieving market acceptance of our products before our competitors introduce more advanced competing products. Current and new competitors, however, may be able to develop and introduce better or more desirable products in advance of us or at a lower cost. In addition, some of our current and potential competitors have longer and/or more established operating histories, greater industry experience, greater name recognition, established customer bases, and significantly greater financial, technical, marketing, and other resources than we do. To be competitive, we must respond promptly and effectively to the challenges of technological change, evolving standards and regulations, and our competitors’ innovations by continually working to improve the design of our products, enhancing our products, as well as and increasing our marketing and distribution channels. Increased competition could result in a decrease in the desirability of our products, a decrease in the use of our products by customers, of market share and brand recognition, and a reduction in the projected revenues from our products. We cannot you that we will be to compete current and future competitors. Competitive pressures faced by us could have a material effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
Quality problems with, and product liability claims in connection with, our aqueous ozone machines could lead to recalls or safety alerts, harm to our reputation, or adverse verdicts or costly settlements, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Quality is extremely important to us and our customers due to the serious and costly consequences of product failure, and our business exposes us to potential product liability risks that are inherent in the design, manufacture and marketing of cleaning devices and services. In addition, our products may be used in intensive care settings with immunocompromised and seriously ill patients. Component failures, manufacturing defects or design flaws could result in an unsafe condition or injury to, or death of, a patient or other user of our products. These problems could lead to the recall of, or issuance of a safety alert relating to, our products and could result in unfavorable judicial decisions or settlements arising out of product liability and lawsuits, including class actions, which could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In particular, a material event involving one of our products could result in reduced market acceptance and demand for all products offered under our brand and could our reputation and ability to market products in the future.
High quality products are critical to the success of our business. If we fail to meet the high standards that we set for ourselves and that our customers expect, and if our products are the subject of recalls, safety alerts or other material adverse events, our reputation could be damaged, we could lose customers and our revenue could decline.
Any product liability claim brought against us, with or without merit, could be costly to defend and resolve. Any of the foregoing problems, including product liability claims or product recalls in the future, regardless of their ultimate outcome, could harm our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We may receive a significant number of warranty claims or our aqueous ozone products may require significant amounts of service after sale.
Sales of our aqueous ozone products include a product limited two-year warranty that covers any issues related to manufacturing defects, specifically relating to the CCS Caddy, POWER CADDY, MINI CADDY, CCS 3.0 Fill Station, CCS 1.0 Fill Station, CCS 1000, CCS 2000L, CCS 5000 and the NuClean Pro Residential Fill Station. If a product is provided that has a manufacturing defect, we or an authorized distributor will replace or repair the defective product as long as a claim is submitted to us within the warranty period in writing within 30 days of the failure. This warranty does not cover abuse, misuse of the products, service or unit modifications not authorized by us, or environmental hazards. As the possible number and complexity of the features and functionalities of our products increase, we may experience a higher level of warranty claims. If product returns or warranty claims are significant or exceed our expectations, we could incur unanticipated expenditures on parts and services, which could have a material effect on our operating results.
We could be subject to litigation.
Product liability claims are common. Even though we have not been subject to such claims in the past, we could be a named defendant in a lawsuit alleging product liability claims including, but not limited to, defects in the design, manufacture or labeling of our aqueous ozone products and machines. Any litigation, regardless of its merit or eventual outcome, could result in significant legal costs and high damage awards or settlements. Although we currently maintain product liability insurance, the coverage is subject to deductibles and limitations, and may not be adequate to cover future claims. Additionally, we may be unable to maintain our existing product liability insurance in the future at satisfactory rates or at adequate amounts.
If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, our reputation and brand could be impaired, and we could lose customers.
We regard our patents, trademarks, trade secrets and similar intellectual property as important to our success. We rely on patent, trademark and copyright law, and trade secret protection, and confidentiality and/or license agreements with employees, customers, partners and others to protect our proprietary rights. We maintain 15 patents in the United States, Canada and Mexico. We cannot be certain that we have taken adequate steps to protect our proprietary rights, especially in countries where the laws may not protect our rights as fully as in the United States. In addition, our proprietary rights may be infringed or misappropriated, and we could be required to incur significant expenses to preserve them. We may commence litigation to protect our intellectual property rights. The outcome of such litigation can be uncertain, and the cost of prosecuting such litigation may have an adverse impact on our earnings. We have patent and trademark registrations for several patents and marks. However, any registrations may not adequately cover our intellectual property or protect us by others. patent, trademark, service mark, copyright and trade secret protection may not be available in every country in which our products and services may be made available online. We also currently own or control a number of Internet domain names and have invested time and money in the purchase of domain names and other intellectual property, which may be if we cannot protect such intellectual property. We may be to protect these domain names or acquire or maintain relevant domain names in the United States and in other countries. If we are not to protect our patents, trademarks, domain names or other intellectual property, we may experience in and maintaining brand recognition and customer loyalty.
Assertions by third parties of infringement, misappropriation or other violation by us of their intellectual property rights could result in significant costs and substantially harm our business and operating results.
In recent years, there has been significant litigation involving intellectual property rights. Any infringement, misappropriation or related claims, whether or not meritorious, is time-consuming, diverts technical and management personnel and is costly to resolve. As a result of any such dispute, we may have to develop non-infringing technology, pay damages, enter into royalty or licensing agreements, cease providing our product or take other actions to resolve the claims. These actions, if required, may be costly or unavailable on terms acceptable to us. Any of these events could result in increases in operating expenses, limit our product offerings or result in a of business.
The loss of key personnel, an inability to attract and retain additional personnel or difficulties in the integration of new members of our management team into our company could affect our ability to successfully grow our business.
Our future success depends in large part upon the continued service of the members of our executive management team and key employees, including our Chief Executive Officer, Clayton Adams, and our Chief Financial Officer, David Enholm. All members of our executive management team are subject to employment agreements. In addition, our success also depends on our ability to attract and retain qualified technical, sales and marketing, product support, financial and accounting, legal and other managerial personnel. The competition for skilled personnel in the industries in which we operate is intense. Our personnel generally may terminate their employment at any time for any reason. We may incur significant costs to attract and retain highly skilled personnel, and we may lose new employees to our competitors before we realize the benefit of our investment in recruiting them. As we move into new geographies, we will need to attract and recruit skilled personnel across functional areas. If we fail to attract new personnel or if we suffer increases in costs or business operations interruptions as a result of a labor , or to retain and motivate our current personnel, we might not be to operate our business effectively or , serve our users properly or maintain the quality of our content and services.
Failure to comply with privacy laws and regulations and failure to adequately protect customer data could harm our business, damage our reputation and result in the loss of customers.
Federal and state regulations may govern the collection, use, sharing and security of data that we receive from our customers. In addition, we have and post on our website our own privacy policies and practices concerning the collection, use and disclosure of customer data. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with our posted privacy policies or with any data-related consent orders, U.S. Federal Trade Commission requirements or other federal, state or international privacy-related laws and regulations could result in proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others, which could potentially harm our business. Further, failure or perceived failure to comply with our policies or applicable requirements related to the collection, use or security of personal information or other privacy-related matters could damage our reputation and result in a loss of customers. The regulatory framework for privacy issues is currently evolving and is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future.
We will face growing regulatory and compliance requirements in a variety of areas, which can be costly and time consuming.
Our business is, and may in the future be, subject to a variety of laws and regulations, including working conditions, labor, immigration and employment laws, and health, safety and sanitation requirements. We are unable to predict the outcome or effects of any potential legislative or regulatory proposals on our business. Any changes to the legal and regulatory framework applicable to our business could have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations. Our failure to comply with applicable governmental laws and regulations, or to maintain necessary permits or licenses, could result in liability that could have a material negative effect on our business and results of operations.
Legislation or government regulations may be adopted which may affect our products and liability.
Nanobubble technology and aqueous ozone are subject to considerable regulatory uncertainty as the law evolves to catch up with the rapidly evolving nature of the technology itself, all of which are beyond our control. Our products also may not achieve the requisite level of compatibility required for certification and rollout to consumers or satisfy changing regulatory requirements which could require us to redesign, modify or update our products.
The industry may become subject to increased legislation and regulation. Further, the legislation or regulations in different countries may impose different standards, which may be conflicting. Any legislation or regulations which impose standards, or which impose liability, is likely to increase our manufacturing cost as well as the cost of compliance.
We are subject to, and must remain in compliance with, numerous laws and governmental regulations concerning the manufacturing, use, distribution and sale of our products. Some of our customers also require that it complies with their own unique requirements relating to these matters.
We produce and sell products that contain ozone, and which may be subject to government regulation in the locations where we develop, manufacture, and assemble our products, as well as the locations where we sell our products. Among other things, certain applicable laws and regulations require or may in the future require the submission of annual reports to certain governmental agencies certifying that such products comply with applicable performance standards, the maintenance of manufacturing, testing, and distribution records, and the reporting of certain product defects to such regulatory agency or consumers. If our products fail to comply with applicable regulations, we and/or our products could be subjected to a variety of enforcement actions or sanctions, such as product recalls, repairs or replacements, warning letters, untitled letters, safety alerts, injunctions, import alerts, administrative product detentions or seizures, or civil penalties. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Economic, political and other risks associated with our international operations could adversely affect our revenues and international growth prospects.
We intend to expand our international presence as part of our business strategy. As noted above, we formed CleanCore Global in Ireland and acquired the assets of Sanzonate in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. International operations are subject to a number of risks inherent to operating in foreign countries, and any expansion of our international operations will amplify the effects of these risks, which include, among others:
differences in culture, economic and labor conditions and practices;
the policies of the U.S. and foreign governments;
disruptions in trade relations and economic instability;
differences in enforcement of contract and intellectual property rights;
social and political unrest;
natural disasters, terrorist attacks, pandemics or other catastrophic events;
complex, varying and changing government regulations and legal standards and requirements, particularly with respect to tax regulations, price protection, competition practices, export control regulations and restrictions, customs and tax requirements, immigration, anti-boycott regulations, data privacy, intellectual property, anti-corruption and environmental compliance, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act;
greater difficulty enforcing intellectual property rights and weaker laws protecting such rights; and
greater difficulty in accounts receivable collections and longer collection periods.
We are also affected by domestic and international laws and regulations applicable to companies doing business abroad or importing and exporting goods and materials. These include tax laws, laws regulating competition, anti-bribery/anti-corruption and other business practices, and trade regulations, including duties and tariffs. Compliance with these laws is costly, and future changes to these laws may require significant management attention and disrupt our operations. Additionally, while it is difficult to assess what changes may occur and the relative effect on our international tax structure, significant changes in how U.S. and foreign jurisdictions tax cross-border transactions could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial position.
Our results of operations and financial position are also impacted by changes in currency exchange rates. Unfavorable currency exchange rates between the US Dollar and foreign currencies could adversely affect us in the future. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may present challenges in comparing operating performance from period to period.
There are other risks that are inherent in our international operations, including the potential for changes in socio-economic conditions, laws and regulations, including, among others, competition, import, export, labor and environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, and monetary and fiscal policies, protectionist measures that may prohibit acquisitions or joint ventures, or impact trade volumes, unsettled political conditions; government-imposed plant or other operational shutdowns, backlash from foreign labor organizations related to our restructuring actions, corruption; natural and man-made disasters, hazards and losses, violence, civil and labor unrest, and possible terrorist attacks.
To expand our operations into new international markets, we may enter into business combination transactions, make acquisitions or enter into strategic partnerships, joint ventures or alliances, any of which may be material. We may enter into these transactions to acquire other businesses or products to expand our products or take advantage of new developments and potential changes in the industry. Our lack of experience operating in new international markets and our lack of familiarity with local economic, political and regulatory systems could prevent us from achieving the results that we expect on our anticipated time frame or at all. If we are unsuccessful in expanding into new international markets, it could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
Our international operations require us to comply with anti-corruption laws and regulations of the U.S. government and various international jurisdictions in which we do business.
Doing business on a worldwide basis requires us to comply with the laws and regulations of the U.S. government and various international jurisdictions, and our failure to successfully comply with these rules and regulations may expose us to liabilities. These laws and regulations apply to companies, individual directors, officers, employees, and agents, and may restrict our operations, trade practices, investment decisions and partnering activities. In particular, our international operations are subject to U.S. and foreign anti-corruption laws and regulations, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the FCPA. The FCPA prohibits us from providing anything of value to foreign officials for the purposes of influencing official decisions or obtaining or retaining business or otherwise obtaining favorable treatment, and requires us to maintain adequate record- keeping and internal accounting practices to accurately reflect our transactions. As part of our business, we may deal with state-owned business enterprises, the employees and representatives of which may be considered foreign officials for purposes of the FCPA. In addition, some of the international locations in which we operate lack a developed legal system and have elevated levels of . As a result of the above activities, we are to the risk of anti- laws. of these legal requirements are punishable by and , civil , of profits, , from government contracts as well as other remedial measures. We have established policies and procedures designed to assist us and our personnel in complying with applicable U.S. and international laws and regulations. However, there can be no assurance that our policies and procedures will effectively prevent us from these regulations in every transaction in which we may engage, and such a could affect our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
The impact of geopolitical conflicts may adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our operations are affected by economic, political and other conditions in the foreign countries in which we do business as well as U.S. laws regulating international trade. Specifically, instability in the geopolitical environment in many parts of the world (including as a result of the on-going Russia and Ukraine war, the conflicts in the Middle East and increasingly tense China-Taiwan relations) and other disruptions may continue to put pressure on global economic conditions. Our inability to respond to and manage the potential impact of such events effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, countries across the globe are instituting sanctions and other penalties against Russia and are becoming more wary of China. While we do not have operations in, and do not obtain products from, Russia or Ukraine, the retaliatory measures that have been taken, and could be taken in the future, by the U.S., NATO, and other countries have created global security concerns that could result in broader European military and political conflicts and otherwise have a substantial impact on regional and global economies, any or all of which could adversely affect our business.
While the broader consequences are uncertain at this time, the continuation and/or escalation of the Russian and Ukraine conflict, the conflicts in the Middle East, along with any expansion of the conflict to surrounding areas, create a number of risks that could adversely impact our business, including:
increased inflation and significant volatility in commodity prices;
disruptions to our technology infrastructure, including through cyberattacks, ransom attacks or cyber-intrusion;
adverse changes in international trade policies and relations;
our ability to maintain or increase our prices, including freight in response to rising fuel costs;
disruptions in global supply chains;
increased exposure to foreign currency fluctuations; and
constraints, volatility or disruption in the credit and capital markets.
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to develop or maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results and prevent fraud. As a result, current and potential stockholders could lose confidence in our consolidated financial statements, which would harm the trading price of our class B common stock.
Companies that file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including us, are subject to the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or SOX 404. SOX 404 requires management to establish and maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting and requires annual reports on Form 10-K filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, to contain a report from management assessing the effectiveness of a company’s internal control over financial reporting. Separately, under SOX 404, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, public companies that are large accelerated filers or accelerated filers must include in their annual reports on Form 10-K an attestation report of their regular auditors attesting to and reporting on management’s assessment of internal control over financial reporting. Non-accelerated filers and smaller reporting companies, like us, are not required to include an attestation report of their auditors in annual reports.
A report of our management is included under Item 9A. “ Controls and Procedures. ” We are a smaller reporting company and, consequently, are not required to include an attestation report of our auditor in our annual report. However, if and when we become subject to the auditor attestation requirements under SOX 404, we can provide no assurance that we will receive a positive attestation from our independent auditors.
During its evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2025, management identified material weaknesses as described under Item 9A. “ Controls and Procedures. ” We are undertaking remedial measures, which measures will take time to implement and test, to address these material weaknesses. There can be no assurance that such measures will be sufficient to remedy the material weaknesses identified or that additional material weaknesses or other control or significant deficiencies will not be identified in the future. If we continue to experience material weaknesses in our internal controls or fail to maintain or implement required new or improved controls, such circumstances could cause us to fail to meet our periodic reporting obligations or result in material misstatements in our consolidated financial statements, or adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and, if required, annual auditor attestation reports. Each of the foregoing results could cause investors to confidence in our reported financial information and lead to a in our stock price.
Industry and other market data that may be used in our periodic reports that we may file with the SEC and our other materials, including those undertaken by us or our engaged consultants, may not prove to be representative of current and future market conditions or future results.
The periodic reports that we may file with the SEC may include or refer to statistical and other industry and market data that we obtained from industry publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties and surveys and studies that we may have undertaken ourselves regarding the market potential for our product candidates. Although we believe that such information has been, and will be, obtained from reliable sources, the sources of such data do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. While we believe these industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies are reliable, we do not independently verify such data. The results of this data represent various methodologies, assumptions, research, analysis, projections, estimates, composition of respondent pool, presentation of data and adjustments, each of which may ultimately prove to be incorrect or inaccurate and may cause actual results and market viability information to differ materially from that presented in any such reports or other materials that we may prepare.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
We may not be able to maintain a listing of our class B common stock on NYSE American.
We must meet certain financial and liquidity criteria to maintain the listing of our class B common stock on NYSE American. If we fail to meet any of NYSE American’s continued listing standards or we violate NYSE American listing requirements, our class B common stock may be delisted. In addition, our board of directors may determine that the cost of maintaining our listing on a national securities exchange outweighs the benefits of such a listing. A delisting of our class B common stock from NYSE American may materially impair our stockholders’ ability to buy and sell our class B common stock and could have an adverse effect on the market price of, and the efficiency of the trading market for, our class B common stock. The delisting of our class B common stock could significantly impair our ability to raise capital and the value of your investment.
The market price of our stock may be highly volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
The market for our class B common stock may be characterized by significant price volatility when compared to the shares of larger, more established companies that have large public floats, and we expect that our stock price will be more volatile than the shares of such larger, more established companies for the indefinite future. The stock market in general has recently been highly volatile. We may also experience such volatility, which may be unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance and financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our class B common stock.
The market price of our class B common stock is likely to be volatile due to a number of factors. First, as noted above, our class B common stock is likely to be more sporadically and thinly traded compared to the shares of such larger, more established companies. The price for our class B common stock could, for example, decline precipitously in the event that a large number of shares are sold on the market without commensurate demand. Furthermore, we are a speculative or “risky” investment due to our lack of profits to date. As a consequence of this enhanced risk, more risk-adverse investors may, under the fear of losing all or most of their investment in the event of negative news or lack of progress, be more inclined to sell their shares on the market more quickly and at discounts than would be the case with the stock of a larger, more established company that has a large public float. Many of the foregoing factors are beyond our control and may decrease the market price of our class B common stock regardless of our operating performance. The market price of our class B common stock could also be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a broad and diverse range of factors, including the following:
actual or anticipated variations in our periodic operating results;
increases in market interest rates that lead investors of our class B common stock to demand a higher investment return;
changes in earnings estimates;
changes in market valuations of similar companies;
actions or announcements by our competitors;
adverse market reaction to any increased indebtedness we may incur in the future;
additions or departures of key personnel;
actions by stockholders;
speculation in the media, online forums, or investment community; and
our ability to maintain the listing of our class B common stock on NYSE American.
Volatility in the market price of our class B common stock may prevent investors from being able to sell their class B common stock at or above the price at which they purchased it. As a result, you may suffer a loss on your investment.
We do not expect to declare or pay dividends in the foreseeable future.
We do not expect to declare or pay dividends in the foreseeable future, as we anticipate that we will invest future earnings in the development and growth of our business. Therefore, holders of our class B common stock will not receive any return on their investment unless they sell their shares, and holders may be unable to sell their shares on favorable terms or at all.
The structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with a single stockholder, which will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters. It may also limit the price and liquidity of our class B common stock due to its ineligibility for inclusion in certain stock market indices.
We are authorized to issue two classes of common stock – class A common stock and class B common stock. The class A common stock is entitled to ten votes per share and the class B common stock is entitled to one vote. Clayton Adams, our Chief Executive Officer, holds all of our outstanding shares of class A common stock and is able to exercise approximately 66% of our total voting power. This concentrated control will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters, including significant business decisions, for the foreseeable future and could harm the market value of your class B common stock.
In addition, certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multiple-class share structures in certain of their indexes. For example, in July 2017, FTSE Russell and Standard & Poor’s announced that they would cease to allow most newly public companies utilizing dual or multi-class capital structures to be included in their indices. Under the announced policies, our dual class capital structure would make us ineligible for inclusion in any of these indices. Given the sustained flow of investment funds into passive strategies that seek to track certain indexes, exclusion from stock indexes would likely preclude investment by many of these funds and could make our class B common stock less attractive to other investors. As a result, fewer investors may be willing to purchase our class B common stock. In consequence, the market price and liquidity of our class B common stock could be adversely affected.
Future issuances of our class B common stock or securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, our class B common stock could cause the market price of our class B common stock to decline and would result in the dilution of your holdings.
Future issuances of our class B common stock or securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, our class B common stock could cause the market price of our class B common stock to decline. We cannot predict the effect, if any, of future issuances of our securities on the price of our class B common stock. In all events, future issuances of our class B common stock would result in the dilution of your holdings. In addition, the perception that new issuances of our securities could occur could adversely affect the market price of our class B common stock.
Future issuances of debt securities, which would rank senior to our common stock upon our bankruptcy or liquidation, and future issuances of preferred stock, which could rank senior to our common stock for the purposes of dividends and liquidating distributions, may adversely affect the level of return you may be able to achieve from an investment in our class B common stock.
In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by offering debt securities. Upon bankruptcy or liquidation, holders of our debt securities, and lenders with respect to other borrowings we may make, would receive distributions of our available assets prior to any distributions being made to holders of our common stock. Moreover, if we issue preferred stock, the holders of such preferred stock could be entitled to preferences over holders of common stock in respect of the payment of dividends and the payment of liquidating distributions. Because our decision to issue debt or preferred stock in any future offering, or borrow money from lenders, will depend in part on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of any such future offerings or borrowings. Holders of our class B common stock must bear the risk that any future offerings we conduct or borrowings we make may adversely affect the level of return, if any, they may be able to achieve from an investment in our class B common stock.
If securities industry analysts do not publish research reports on us, or publish unfavorable reports on us, then the market price and market trading volume of our class B common stock could be negatively affected.
The trading market for our class B common stock may be influenced in part by any research reports that securities industry analysts publish about us. We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by securities industry analysts. If no securities industry analysts commence coverage of us, the market price and market trading volume of our class B common stock could be negatively affected. In the event we are covered by analysts, and one or more of such analysts downgrade our securities, or otherwise reports on us unfavorably, or discontinues coverage of us, the market price and market trading volume of our class B common stock could be negatively affected.
If our shares of class B common stock become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.
The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not retain a listing on NYSE American or another national securities exchange and if the price of our class B common stock is less than $5.00, our class B common stock could be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our class B common stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.
We are subject to ongoing public reporting requirements that are less rigorous than rules for companies that are not emerging growth companies, and our stockholders could receive less information than they might expect to receive from more mature public companies.
We report on an ongoing basis as an “emerging growth company” (as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act) under the reporting rules set forth under the Exchange Act. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other Exchange Act reporting companies that are not emerging growth companies, including but not limited to:
not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
being permitted to comply with reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements; and
being exempt from the requirement to hold a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period. Our financial statements may therefore not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering, (ii) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our total annual gross revenues are $1.235 billion or more, (iii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our class B common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three year period.
Because we are subject to ongoing public reporting requirements that are less rigorous than Exchange Act rules for companies that are not emerging growth companies, our stockholders could receive less information than they might expect to receive from more mature public companies. We cannot predict if investors will find our class B common stock less attractive if we elect to rely on these exemptions, or if taking advantage of these exemptions would result in less active trading or more volatility in the price of our class B common stock.
We are also a smaller reporting company, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from SEC disclosure requirements available to smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act defines a “smaller reporting company” as an issuer that is not an investment company, an asset-backed issuer, or a majority-owned subsidiary of a parent that is not a smaller reporting company and that:
had a public float of less than $250 million as of the last business day of its most recently completed second fiscal quarter, computed by multiplying the aggregate worldwide number of shares of its voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates by the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average of the bid and asked prices of common equity, in the principal market for the common equity; or
in the case of an initial registration statement under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act for shares of its common equity, had a public float of less than $250 million as of a date within 30 days of the date of the filing of the registration statement, computed by multiplying the aggregate worldwide number of such shares held by non-affiliates before the registration plus, in the case of a Securities Act registration statement, the number of such shares included in the registration statement by the estimated public offering price of the shares; or
in the case of an issuer whose public float as calculated under paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition was zero or whose public float was less than $700 million, had annual revenues of less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year for which audited financial statements are available.
As a smaller reporting company, we are not required and may not include a compensation discussion and analysis section in our proxy statements, and we provide only two years of financial statements. We also have other “scaled” disclosure requirements that are less comprehensive than issuers that are not smaller reporting companies which could make our class B common stock less attractive to potential investors, which could make it more difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares.
We are a controlled company and a smaller reporting company under the rules of NYSE American and as a result, we may choose to exempt our company from certain corporate governance requirements that could have an adverse effect on our public stockholders.
Under NYSE American rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including, without limitation, (i) the requirement to have a board of directors comprised of a majority of independent directors, (ii) the requirement that director nominees be selected either by the independent directors or a nomination committee comprised solely of independent directors and (iii) the requirement that the compensation of officers be determined, or recommended to the board for determination, either by the independent directors or a compensation committee comprised solely of independent directors. As noted above, Clayton Adams is able to exercise more than 50% of our total voting power. As a result, we are a controlled company within the meaning of NYSE American rules. Although we currently do not intend to rely on the controlled company exemption, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future. If we elected to rely on the controlled company exemption, a majority of the members of our board of directors might not be independent and our nominating and compensation committees might not consist entirely of independent directors.
In addition, certain exemptions to NYSE American’s corporate governance rules are available to smaller reporting companies. These exemptions permit smaller reporting companies to have a board of directors comprised of 50% of independent directors, as opposed to a majority, and to have an audit committee comprised of two members instead of three members. We are currently relying on these smaller reporting company exceptions as our board of directors is currently comprised of four directors, two of whom are independent, and our audit committee is currently comprised of two independent directors.
Our status as a controlled company and a smaller reporting company could cause our class B common stock to look less attractive to certain investors or otherwise harm our trading price.
Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Nevada law could make an acquisition of our company more difficult, and limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Provisions in our articles of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of our company or changes in our management. As described above, we have a dual class structure which concentrates control with a single stockholder. Furthermore, neither the holders of our common stock nor the holders of our preferred stock have cumulative voting rights in the election of our directors. The combination of the present ownership by this single stockholder of a significant portion of our issued and outstanding common stock and lack of cumulative voting makes it more difficult for other stockholders to replace our board of directors or for a third party to obtain control of our company by replacing its board of directors.
In addition, our authorized but unissued shares of common stock are available for our board of directors to issue without stockholder approval, subject to NYSE American’s rules. We may use these additional shares for a variety of corporate purposes, including raising additional capital, corporate acquisitions and employee stock plans. The existence of our authorized but unissued shares of common stock could render it more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of our company by means of a proxy context, tender offer, merger or other transaction since our board of directors can issue large amounts of capital stock as part of a defense to a take-over challenge. In addition, we have authorized in our articles of incorporation 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our board acting alone and without approval of our stockholders, subject to NYSE American’s rules, can designate and issue one or more series of preferred stock containing super-voting provisions, enhanced economic rights, rights to elect directors, or other dilutive features, that could be utilized as part of a defense to a take-over challenge.
In addition, various provisions of our bylaws may also have an anti-takeover effect. These provisions may delay, defer or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt of our company that a stockholder might consider in his or her best interest, including attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by our stockholders. Our bylaws may be adopted, amended or repealed only by our board of directors. Our bylaws also contain limitations as to who may call special meetings as well as require advance notice of stockholder matters to be brought at a meeting. Additionally, our bylaws also provide that no director may be removed by less than a two-thirds vote of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote on the removal. Our bylaws also permit the board of directors to establish the number of directors and fill any vacancies and newly created directorships. These provisions will prevent a stockholder from increasing the size of our board of directors and gaining control of our board of directors by filling the resulting vacancies with its own nominees.
Our bylaws also establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of our stockholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to the board of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting will only be able to consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the board of directors or by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has given us timely written notice, in proper form, of the stockholder’s intention to bring that business before the meeting. Although our bylaws do not give the board of directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a special or annual meeting, our bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management.
