Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item
1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our common
stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks and uncertainties, together with all of the
other information contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including our condensed consolidated financial statements and
related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the section titled “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” before making an investment decision. The risks described below
are not the only ones facing us. The occurrence of any of the following risks, or of additional risks and uncertainties not
presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial, could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects,
financial condition or results of operations. In such case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose
part or all of your investment.
Risk
Factors Summary
Our
business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in the section titled “Risk Factors”
immediately following this summary. The following is a summary of the principal risks we face:
● We
have a limited operating history in new and evolving markets, which may make it difficult
to evaluate our current business and future prospects and increase the risk of your investment.
● We
are an early-stage company with a history of losses, and we expect to incur significant expenses
and continuing losses for the foreseeable future.
● Our
failure to comply with covenants under debt instruments could adversely affect our business
and financial condition.
● We
have made and may in the future make acquisitions and investments, which involve numerous
risks.
● We
may not be able to successfully integrate the businesses and personnel of acquired companies
and businesses, including those acquired in the Put-Together Transaction, and may not realize
the anticipated synergies and benefits of such acquisitions.
● We
face significant competition from other companies, many of which have substantially greater
resources than we do.
● We
may not be able to keep pace with technological advances and we depend on advances in technology
by other companies.
● We
may not be able to produce aircraft in the volumes or on the timelines that we anticipate.
● In
order to reach production for our aircraft, we need to develop complex software and technology
systems in coordination with our partners and suppliers, and there can be no assurance such
systems will be successfully developed.
● We
may be unable to acquire additional aircraft to support our Training segment on acceptable
terms or at all.
● Due
to the nature of our products and services, a product safety failure, quality issue or other
failure affecting our or our customers’ or suppliers’ products or systems could
seriously harm our business.
● Our
future success depends on the continuing efforts of our key personnel and on our ability
to attract and retain highly skilled personnel and senior management.
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● We
rely on a limited number of suppliers in Canada and Europe for critical components and raw
materials used to manufacture and develop our products.
● We
rely on independent dealers and distributors to sell our Avionics products, and disruption
to these channels would harm our business.
● We
currently, and may in the future, use and develop generative AI technologies throughout our
business, which may expose us to certain regulatory and other risks that could adversely
affect our results of operations and financial condition.
● If
our information technology systems or data, or the third parties with whom we work, are or
were compromised, we could experience adverse consequences resulting from such compromise,
including but not limited to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation; fines and
penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; loss of revenue or
profits; loss of customers or sales; and other adverse consequences, risks which are amplified
by our work for world governments.
● Our
commercial aviation products, systems and services businesses are affected by global demand
and economic factors that could negatively impact our financial results.
● The
market for eVTOL aircraft and electric air mobility has not been clearly defined, is still
emerging and may not achieve the growth potential we expect or may grow more slowly than
expected, which may harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
● We
are still developing our eVTOL aircraft, have not yet obtained FAA certification of our eVTOL
aircraft under development and we have yet to manufacture or deliver any aircraft to customers,
which makes evaluating our business and future prospects difficult and increases the risk
of investment.
● There
may be reluctance by consumers to adopt a new form of mobility, or an unwillingness to pay
aircraft operators’ projected prices.
● We
are subject to extensive government regulation, and our failure to comply with applicable
regulations may subject us to significant financial liability, penalties, and other government
actions that restrict our ability to conduct our business.
● U.S.
government contracts are subject to a competitive bidding process, are generally not fully
funded at inception, and contain certain terms that may be unfavorable to us, which could
result in contracts and opportunities consuming significant resources without generating
revenue or profit.
● We
rely to a significant degree on sales to the U.S. government, particularly to agencies of
the Department of Defense, and a decline in government budgets, funding, changes in spending
or budgetary priorities, or delays in contract awards may materially adversely affect our
future revenue, business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and equity.
● The
U.S. government may modify, curtail or terminate one or more of our contracts.
● Our
business may benefit in part from government funding, and our inability to receive such financial
support could harm our business.
● Many
of our products and services are subject to local, state, federal and international regulatory
frameworks that are costly to comply with, are subject to interpretation, may be dependent
on political pressures and factors and/or are subject to change.
● Our
business is highly regulated and our ability to generate revenues and profit may be limited
by regulatory restrictions and/or changes and the speed with which such restrictions and/or
changes occur.
● We
are subject to the risks associated with conducting international business operations.
● If
we fail to protect, or incur significant costs in defending or enforcing, our intellectual
property and other proprietary rights, our business, financial condition, and results of
operations could be materially harmed.
● We
have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If
we are unable to effectively remediate these material weaknesses, identify additional material
weaknesses in the future, or otherwise fail to maintain effective internal control over financial
reporting, then we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition
or results of operations, which may adversely affect our business.
Risks Related to Our Limited Operating History, Financial Position and
Need for Additional Capital
We have a limited operating history in new and evolving markets,
which may make it difficult to evaluate our current business and future prospects and increase the risk of your investment.
We were organized in August 2021 for the purpose of acquiring and integrating
various companies in the aerospace and defense industry and the history of operating each of our businesses together is relatively short.
Our limited operating history and rapidly evolving business make it difficult to evaluate our current business, future prospects and plan
for growth. In addition, our drones, eVTOL aircraft and other products are sold or will be sold in new and rapidly evolving markets. Accordingly,
our business and future prospects may be difficult to evaluate, the extent to which demand for our products and services will increase,
if at all, could be impacted by our ability to do the following:
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●
attract new customers to our products or services;
●
develop, renew and expand contracts;
●
acquire and maintain market share;
●
attract, integrate, train and retain leadership and other highly qualified personnel;
●
achieve or manage growth in our operations;
●
acquire new technologies;
●
adapt to required redirection or changes in services or direction caused by geopolitical crises;
●
successfully develop and commercially market new products and services;
●
keep pace with technological developments;
●
timely address the increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers, including as a result of changes in government regulation related to our products and services;
●
secure sufficient quantities or cost-effective production of our products due to supply chain challenges;
●
adapt to new or changing policies and spending priorities of governments and government agencies;
●
generate sufficient revenue to achieve or maintain profitability; and
●
access initial and additional capital when required and on reasonable terms.
If we fail to address these and other challenges, risks and uncertainties
successfully, our business, results of operations, prospects and financial condition would be materially harmed.
We are an early-stage company with a history of losses, and we expect
to incur significant expenses for the foreseeable future.
We have incurred significant net losses since inception,
with the exception of the six months of June 30, 2025, during which we reported net income of $3.9 million. In contrast, we incurred net
losses of $7.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, and $38.7 million and $32.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2024
and 2023, respectively. As of June 30, 2025, we had an accumulated deficit of $202.6 million.
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Although we raised approximately $69 million in gross
proceeds from our initial public offering, including the full exercise of the over-allotment option, we expect to continue incurring net
losses as we invest in scaling and expanding our operations. Developing and commercializing products and services in the defense and broader
aerospace industry is capital intensive and subject to long development timelines. We have allocated significant resources to our R&D
programs, and we may not ultimately generate products that achieve market acceptance or meaningful revenue.
Looking ahead, we expect our operating expenses to
increase substantially in connection with:
●
Expansion
of our headcount;
●
Acceleration
of product development, including aircraft and related technologies;
●
Regulatory
and compliance activities; and
●
Scaling
our manufacturing and commercialization infrastructure.
In addition, as a newly public company, we expect
to incur increased legal, accounting and compliance costs.
To achieve and sustain profitability, we must generate substantial additional revenue. Our ability to do so depends
on a number of factors, including the successful development, approval, and market adoption of our products. If our revenue does not grow
sufficiently to offset our operating expenses, we may not achieve or maintain profitability. Furthermore, while we believe our current
capital position provides us with a strong foundation, we may need to raise additional capital to support our R&D and commercialization
efforts. If we are unable to obtain financing on acceptable terms when needed, we may be forced to delay or reduce our operations, which
could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our failure to comply with covenants under our debt instruments could
adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We have incurred significant
indebtedness, including in connection with the Put-Together Transaction, and may incur additional debt for acquisitions, operations,
R&D and capital expenditures, or for other reasons related to our overall capital deployment strategy. As of June 30, 2025 and
December 31, 2024, we had outstanding indebtedness of $29.0 million and $105.7 million, respectively. The agreements governing our
indebtedness contain restrictive covenants, including but not limited to, our ability to incur additional indebtedness, grant liens
and pay any dividends or make distributions, as well as financial maintenance covenants, including debt service coverage ratios,
that will limit our and our subsidiaries’ ability to engage in activities that may be in our and their long-term best
interests. Any additional debt, to the extent we are able to incur it, may further restrict the manner in which we conduct business.
Such restrictions, prohibitions and limitations could impact our ability to implement elements of our strategy, including in the
following ways:
●
our flexibility to plan for, or react to, competitive challenges in our business and the pharmaceutical and in the aerospace and defense industry may be compromised;
●
we may be put at a competitive disadvantage relative to competitors that do not have as much debt as we have, and competitors that may be in a more favorable position to access additional capital resources;
●
our ability to make acquisitions and execute business development activities through acquisitions will be limited and may, in future years, continue to be limited; and
●
our ability to resolve regulatory and litigation matters may be limited.
Furthermore, the creditors
who hold our debt have in the past, and may in the future, accelerate amounts due in the event that we default on these covenants,
which has in the past, and may in the future, trigger a default or acceleration of the maturity of our other debt. For example,
civil actions were filed against CDI and individual guarantors in the Tioga County Court, State of Pennsylvania, in July 2023. The
claimant, FCCB, alleged that payment under certain promissory notes was due, and FCCB sought recovery of the outstanding amounts.
FCCB obtained judgments against all named defendants. On March 27, 2025, we and
FCCB agreed to payment terms and a release whereby $0.2 million in amounts due would be paid by April 30, 2025. As of June 30, 2025,
all amounts due to FCCB were paid. The acceleration of significant indebtedness may cause us to renegotiate, repay, or refinance the
affected obligations, and there is no assurance
that such efforts would be successful or on terms we deem attractive. In addition, any acceleration could result in a downgrade of
any credit ratings then applicable to us, which could result in additional events of default or limit our ability to obtain
additional financing.
In addition, we entered into
the Put-Together Transaction Notes with the equity holders of certain of the businesses we acquired as part of the Put-Together
Transaction. The Put-Together Transaction Notes with AIRO Drone, Agile Defense and CDI were amended to be convertible, in part, into
shares of our common stock upon the closing of the BCA Transactions, with the remaining principal owed to such holders to be paid
upon the closing of the BCA Transactions. We also agreed to assume other Fixed Conversion Obligations, which were also amended to be
convertible, in part, into shares of our common stock upon the closing of the BCA Transactions, with the remaining principal owed to
such holders to be paid upon the closing of the BCA Transactions.
Given that the BCA
Transactions were not consummated, in conjunction with the IPO, we issued approximately 2.0 million shares and used IPO proceeds of
$3.3 million to partially satisfy the Fixed Conversion Obligations during the six months ended June 30, 2025. We will continue to
fund the remaining $8.5 million to satisfy the Fixed Conversion Obligations during 2025. As of June 30, 2025, we have third
party obligations of $3.0 million of Investor Notes as described within Note 2—Revolving Lines of Credit and Long-Term Debt,
$3.8 million of Investor Notes as described in Note 12—Related Party Transactions, and $3.8 million of Investor Notes at fair
value as described in Note 2—Revolving Lines of Credit and Long-Term Debt, collectively which total $10.6 million. The
Investor Notes are in the form of unsecured promissory notes with no collateral and no guarantees. See the section titled “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Business Combinations” and
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Investor Notes” for
additional information regarding the promissory notes. If we are unable to satisfy our existing obligations, our business and
financial condition could be adversely affected.
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Risks Related to Our Business
We have made and may in the future make acquisitions and investments,
which involve numerous risks.
We have made certain
acquisitions, including our acquisitions of the Acquired Companies in connection with the Put-Together Transaction, and continue to
routinely evaluate potential acquisitions, investments and strategic alliances involving complementary technologies, teams, products
and companies. We expect to continue to pursue such transactions if appropriate opportunities arise. For example, in November 2023,
we signed non-binding letters of intent to acquire two businesses for the Training segment, including a flight training school. The
parties have undertaken due diligence to determine whether a binding purchase agreement will be negotiated. The total anticipated
purchase price for the acquisitions is expected to range from $5.1 million to $7.7 million, which would be paid in a combination of
cash and shares of our common stock, and if consummated on the terms anticipated, would result in dilution to current investors. As of June 30, 2025, we did not have any binding agreements or commitments to enter into any material
acquisitions.
Moreover, we may not be able to identify other potentially suitable transactions
in the future or if we do identify such transactions, we may not be able to complete them on commercially acceptable terms or at all and
may face intense competition for such opportunities. In pursuing transactions, we have and will continue to face numerous risks, including
diverting management’s attention from normal daily operations of our business; difficulties in integrating the financial reporting
capabilities and operating systems of any acquired operations to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure
controls and procedures; potential loss of key personnel of the acquired company as well as their know-how, relationships and expertise;
challenges successfully integrating acquired personnel, operations and businesses; failing to realize the anticipated synergies and benefits
of an acquisition; maintaining favorable business relationships of acquired operations; generating insufficient revenue from completed
transactions to offset expenses associated with our efforts; acquiring material or unknown liabilities associated with any acquired operations;
litigation associated with merger and acquisition transactions; and increasing expense associated with amortization or depreciation of
intangible and tangible assets we acquire.
Our acquisitions, including the Put-Together Transaction, have required
and continue to require significant management time and attention relating to the transactions. Past transactions, whether completed or
abandoned by us, have resulted, and in the future may result, in significant time and attention, costs, expenses, liabilities and charges
to earnings. The accounting treatment for any future transaction may result in significant amortizable intangible assets which, when amortized,
will negatively affect our consolidated results of operations. The accounting treatment may also result in significant goodwill, which,
if impaired, will negatively affect our consolidated results of operations. Furthermore, we may incur additional debt or issue equity
securities to pay for transactions. The incurrence of additional debt could limit our operating flexibility and be detrimental to our
profitability, and the issuance of equity securities would be dilutive to our existing stockholders. Any or all of the above factors may
differ from the investment community’s expectations in a given quarter, which could negatively affect our stock price. In the event
we make future investments, the investments may decline in value, we may lose all or part of our investment.
We may not be able to successfully integrate the businesses and personnel
of acquired companies and businesses, including those acquired in the Put-Together Transaction, and may not realize the anticipated synergies
and benefits of such acquisitions.
We may not be able to realize the expected benefits from acquisitions,
including the Put-Together Transaction, because of integration difficulties or other challenges. The success of our acquisitions will
depend, in part, on our ability to realize all or some of the anticipated synergies and other benefits from integrating the acquired businesses
with our existing businesses. Integration activities can be costly, complex and time consuming. The potential difficulties we may face
in integrating the operations of our acquisitions include, among others: the failure to implement our business plans for the combined
businesses and consolidation or expansion of production capacity as planned and where applicable; unexpected losses of key employees,
customers or suppliers of our acquired companies and businesses; unanticipated issues in conforming our acquired companies’ and
businesses’ standards, processes, procedures and controls with our operations; coordinating new product and process development;
increasing the scope, geographic diversity and complexity of our operations; diversion of management’s attention from other business
concerns; adverse effects on our or our acquired companies’ and businesses’ existing business relationships; unanticipated
changes in applicable laws and regulations; operating risks inherent in our acquired companies’ and businesses’ business and
operations; unanticipated expenses and liabilities; potential unfamiliarity with our acquired companies and businesses technology, products
and markets, which may place us at a competitive disadvantage; and other difficulties in the assimilation of our acquired companies and
businesses operations, technologies, products and systems.
Any acquired companies and businesses may have unanticipated or larger
than anticipated liabilities for patent and trademark infringement claims, violations of applicable laws, rules and regulations, commercial
disputes, taxes and other known and unknown types of liabilities. There may be liabilities that we underestimated or did not discover
in the course of performing our due diligence investigation of our acquired companies and businesses. We may have no recourse or limited
recourse under the applicable acquisition-related agreement to recover damages relating to the liabilities of our acquired companies and
businesses.
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We may not be able to maintain or increase the levels of revenue, earnings
or operating efficiency that we, and each of our acquired companies and businesses, had historically achieved or might achieve separately.
In addition, we may not accomplish the integration smoothly, successfully or within the anticipated costs or timeframe. If we experience
difficulties with the integration process or if the business of our acquired companies or businesses deteriorates, the anticipated cost
savings, growth opportunities and other synergies of our acquired companies and businesses may not be realized fully or at all, or may
take longer to realize than expected. If any of the above risks occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash
flows may be materially and adversely impacted, we may fail to meet the expectations of investors or analysts, and our stock price may
decline as a result.
We face significant competition from other companies, many of which
have substantially greater resources than we do.
The defense and broader aerospace industry is highly competitive and generally
characterized by intense competition to win contracts. While we expect to be one of the pioneering companies to market eVTOL aircraft,
we expect this industry to be increasingly competitive, and it is possible that our competitors could get to market before us, either
generally or in specific markets. Our current principal competitors include the following: (i) for our Drones segment: Da Jiang Innovations,
Elbit Systems Ltd., Lockheed Martin Corporation, L3Harris Technologies, Inc.’s FVR-90, L3 Technologies, Inc., Martin UAV, LLC, Northrop
Grumman Corporation’s V-Bat, Teledyne Technologies, Inc., and Textron Inc.’s Aerosonde; (ii) for our Training segment: Airborne
Tactical Advantage Company, LLC, Draken International, Inc., Tactical Air Defense Services Inc. and Top Aces Inc.; (iii) for our Avionics
segment: Avidyne Corporation, Collins Aerospace, Dynon Avionics, Inc., Garmin Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., L3Harris Technologies,
Inc., and uAvionix Corporation; and (iv) for our Electric Air Mobility segment: Archer Aviation Inc., BETA Technologies, Inc., Eve Holding
Inc., Joby Aviation, Inc., Lilium N.V., Vertical Aerospace Ltd., Volocopter GmbH, and Wisk Aero LLC, in addition to ground transportation
services, such as Lyft, Inc. and Uber Technologies, Inc., and incumbent aircraft carrier services, such as Blade Air Mobility, Inc. and
NetJets Inc.
Many of these companies have substantially greater financial, management,
research and marketing resources than we do. Our competitors may be able to provide customers with different or greater capabilities or
benefits than we can provide in areas such as technical qualifications, past contract performance, geographic presence, price and the
availability of key professional personnel, including those with security clearances. Furthermore, many of our competitors may be able
to utilize their substantially greater resources and economies of scale to develop competing products and technologies, manufacture in
high volumes more efficiently, divert sales away from us by winning broader contracts or hire away our employees by offering more lucrative
compensation packages. In particular, our competitors may be able to obtain the relevant certification and approvals for their aircraft
before us. Small business competitors may be able to offer more cost competitive products and services, due to their lower overhead costs,
and take advantage of small business incentives and set-aside programs for which we are ineligible. In order to secure contracts successfully
when competing with larger, well-financed companies, we may be forced to agree to contractual terms that provide for lower aggregate payments
to us over the life of the contract, which could adversely affect our margins.
We may not be able to keep pace with technological advances and we
depend on advances in technology by other companies.
The defense and broader aerospace industry continues to undergo significant
changes, primarily due to technological developments. Because of the rapid growth and advancement of technology, shifting consumer tastes
and the popularity and availability of other forms of activities, it is impossible to predict the overall effect these factors could have
on potential revenue from, and profitability of, the defense and broader aerospace industry. The development of specialized software and
hardware is a costly, complex and time-consuming process, and investments in product development often involve a long wait until a return,
if any, can be achieved on such investment. We might face difficulties or delays in the development process that will result in our inability
to timely offer products that satisfy the market, which might allow competing products to emerge during the development and certification
process. We anticipate making significant investments in R&D relating to our products and technology, but such investments are inherently
speculative and require substantial capital expenditures. Any unforeseen technical obstacles and challenges that we encounter in the R&D
process could result in delays in or the abandonment of product commercialization, may substantially increase development costs, and may
negatively affect our results of operations. In the time it takes to develop or improve upon a product, that product may become obsolete.
It is impossible to predict the overall effect these factors could have
on our ability to compete effectively in a changing market, and if we are not able to keep pace with these technological advances, then
our revenues, profitability and results of operations may be materially adversely affected. However, if we struggle to adapt to an industry-shifting
technological advancement or competitor offerings that render our products relatively less attractive or obsolete, including due to competitive
pressures we face relative to other drone companies, it could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Further, we rely on and will continue to rely on components of our products
that are developed and produced by other companies over which we have limited control. The commercial success of certain of our planned
future products will depend in part on advances in these and other technologies by other companies, and our ability to procure them from
such third parties in a timely manner and on economically feasible terms. We may, from time-to-time, contract with and support companies
developing key technologies in order to accelerate the development of such products for our specific uses. Such activities might not result
in useful technologies or components for us.
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We may be unable to acquire additional aircraft to support our Training
segment on acceptable terms or at all .
The success of our Training segment, including our ability to bid and complete
future task orders under certain multiple awards and IDIQ contracts issued by the U.S. military, is dependent on our financing or leasing
additional aircraft that meet our customers’ needs. To date, a lack of funding has inhibited our ability to independently finance
or lease potential aircraft. Even if we receive sufficient funding, there are a limited number of aircraft available that meet our customers’
needs and potential seller countries have been retaining aircraft in light of the Ukrainian conflict and instability in other areas of
the world as well as delayed deliveries from manufacturers of new aircraft, creating more limited supply. In addition, as a result of
policy changes regarding aircraft transfers to the United States, purchased aircraft often need to be disassembled, imported into the
United States, and appropriately modified to meet customer needs. This requires significant capital and lead time to put an aircraft into
operation. Delays or failure in obtaining suitable aircraft could adversely impact financial results and growth plans due to missed task
order bidding opportunities.
Due to the nature of our products and services, a product safety
failure, quality issue or other failure affecting our or our customers’ or suppliers’ products or systems could seriously
harm our business.
Our products and services are highly sophisticated and specialized, involve
complex advanced technologies, are often integrated with third-party products and services, and are utilized for specific purposes that
require precision, reliability, and durability. Many of our products and services include both hardware and software that involve industrial
machinery and intricate aviation and defense systems, including commercial and military jet engines, power and control systems, and other
aircraft parts, and military sensors and command and control systems. Technical, mechanical, quality, electronic, and other failures may
occur from time to time, whether as a result of manufacturing or design defect, operational process, or production issue attributable
to us, our customers, suppliers, partners, third party integrators, or others. Product design changes and updates could also have associated
cost and schedule impacts. In addition, our products could fail as a result of cyber-attacks, such as those that seize control and result
in misuse or unintended use of our products, or other intentional acts. The impact of a catastrophic product or system failure or similar
event affecting our or our customers’ or suppliers’ products or services could be significant, and could result in injuries
or death, property damage, loss of strategic capabilities, loss of intellectual property, loss of reputation, and other significant negative
effects. A product or system failure, or perceived failure, could lead to negative publicity, a diversion of management attention, and
damage to our reputation that could reduce demand for our products and services. It could also result in product recalls and product liability
and warranty claims (including claims related to the safety or reliability of our products) and related expenses, other service, repair
and maintenance costs, labor and material costs, customer support costs, significant damages, and other costs, including fines and other
remedies, and regulatory and environmental liabilities. We may also incur increased costs, delayed payments, reputational harm, or lost
equipment or services revenue in connection with a significant issue with a third party’s product with which our products are integrated.
Further, our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all related costs and we may not otherwise be fully indemnified for them.
Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, financial condition, or
liquidity.
Our customers may experience service failures or interruptions due
to defects in the software, infrastructure, components or engineering system that compromise our products and services, or due to errors
in product installation, any of which could harm our business.
Our products and services may contain undetected defects in the software,
infrastructure, components or engineering system. Sophisticated software and applications, such as those adopted and offered by us in
connection with or as a part of our eVTOL, drone, and avionics offerings, may contain “bugs” that can unexpectedly interfere
with the software and applications’ intended operations. Our communication services may from time to time experience outages, service
slowdowns or errors. Defects may also occur in components or processes used in our products or for our services.
There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix all defects
in the hardware, software and services we offer. Failure to do so could result in decreases in sales of our products and services, lost
revenues, significant warranty and other expenses, decreases in customer confidence and loyalty, losing market share to our competitors,
and harm to our reputation.
Our future success depends on the continuing efforts of our key personnel
and on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel and senior management.
Due to the specialized nature of our business, our future performance is
highly dependent upon the continued services of our key technical personnel and executive officers, including the contributions of Captain
Joseph D. Burns, our Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, our Executive Chairman, and John Uczekaj, our President and Chief
Operating Officer, as well as other members of our management team, and the hiring, development, and retention of qualified technical,
engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and management personnel for our operations. The loss of services of any of these individuals
could make it more difficult to achieve our business plans. Although we have executed employment agreements or offer letters with each
member of our senior management team, these agreements are terminable at will with or without notice and, therefore, we may not be able
to retain their services. We do not currently maintain “key person” life insurance on the lives of our executives. This lack
of insurance means that we may not have adequate compensation for the loss of the services of these individuals.
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We aim to significantly increase our headcount in the near-term, but have
experienced, and continue to experience, challenges hiring highly qualified personnel including engineers, pilots, skilled laborers, and
security clearance holders. Currently, there is a shortage of pilots that could exacerbate over time as more pilots in the industry approach
mandatory retirement age which will affect our Training segment. We expect these difficulties to continue in the future. In addition,
the cost of labor remains high. Some candidates and new personnel may have job-related expectations that differ from our current workforce
and are inconsistent with our corporate culture. With respect to existing personnel, some may become required to receive various security
clearances and substantial training in order to work on certain programs or perform certain tasks. Necessary security clearances may be
delayed, which may impact our ability to perform on our U.S. government contracts. We also may not be successful in training or developing
qualified personnel with the requisite relevant skills or security clearances. Moreover, some of our employees are covered by collective
bargaining agreements. If we have additional challenges renegotiating agreements or if our employees pursue new collective representation,
then we could experience additional costs and/or be subject to work stoppages. Any of the above factors could seriously harm our business.
We rely on a limited number of suppliers in Canada and Europe for
critical components and raw materials used to manufacture and develop our products. If we are forced to use suppliers outside these jurisdictions
and, as a result, such materials become scarce or unavailable, or such suppliers fail, then we may incur delays in development, manufacture
and delivery of our products, which could damage our business.
We obtain hardware components, raw materials, and various systems and subsystems
from a limited group of suppliers located in Canada and Europe, some of which are sole source suppliers. We do not have long-term agreements
with any of these suppliers that obligate them to continue to sell such components, materials, systems or subsystems to us. Our reliance
on these suppliers involves significant risk and uncertainty, including whether such suppliers will provide an adequate supply of products
of sufficient quality, will increase prices for the products and will perform their obligations on a timely basis. Changes in business
conditions, wars, governmental changes, political intervention, and other factors beyond our control or which we do not presently anticipate,
could also affect our suppliers’ ability to deliver components to us on a timely basis. For instance, global supply chain disruptions
in 2021 and 2022 impacted our ability to procure raw materials, microelectronics, and certain commodities. These disruptions were driven
by supply chain market constraints and macroeconomic conditions, including inflation and geopolitical conditions. In addition, current
high inflation levels have increased material and component prices, labor rates, and supplier costs, and put pressure on our margins.
Credit market conditions, including higher interest rates and the availability of credit, have impacted some of our suppliers and subcontractors
as well. As a result of these procurement issues, the production flow in our factories has been negatively impacted, which has, in turn,
hindered our ability to perform on our commitments to customers and negatively affected our results of operations.
The timing of the impacts of these supply chain risks and issues and our
ability to mitigate them are uncertain and difficult to predict. However, we expect the current supply chain, inflation, price issues
and potential tariffs and their negative impacts on our business to continue into 2025. We expect to experience intermittent delays throughout 2025. Furthermore, the existing supply chain issues could be compounded by
other events, such as an economic downturn; supplier capacity constraints for other reasons; supplier quality issues (for example, defects
or fraudulent parts); supplier closing, bankruptcy, or financial difficulties; price increases for various reasons; and worsening shortages
of raw materials or commodities, including as a result of war or other geopolitical actions, natural disaster (including the effects of
climate change), health pandemic or other business continuity events, or transport and distribution issues, any of which could further
negatively impact our ability to meet our commitments to customers or increase our operating costs and therefore incrementally affect
our results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity.
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Furthermore, if we experience significant increased demand, or need to
replace our existing suppliers, there can be no assurance that additional supplies of component parts will be available when required
on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all, or that any supplier would allocate sufficient supplies to us in order to meet our requirements
or fill our orders in a timely manner. In addition, certain components and raw materials used in the development and manufacture of our
products are periodically at risk of supply shortages, and our business is subject to the risk of price increases and periodic delays
in delivery. If shortages occur and we are unable to obtain components from third party suppliers in the quantities and of the quality
we require, on a timely basis and at acceptable prices, then we may not be able to timely complete development of or deliver our products
on a timely or cost effective basis to our customers, which could cause customers to terminate their contracts with us, increase our costs
and seriously harm our business, results of operations, prospects and financial condition. Moreover, if any of our suppliers become financially
unstable, or otherwise unable or unwilling to provide us with raw materials or components, then we may have to find new suppliers. It
may take several months to locate alternative suppliers, if required, or to redesign our products to accommodate components from different
suppliers. Even if we are successful at locating alternative suppliers the costs of the components may be higher than the original supplier’s
components or we may be required to purchase in larger quantities than we normally would, which may result in higher inventory levels
than desired. We may experience significant delays in manufacturing and shipping our products to customers and incur additional development,
manufacturing and other costs to establish alternative sources of supply if we lose any of these sources or are required to redesign our
products. We cannot predict if we will be able to obtain replacement components within the time frames that we require at an affordable
cost, if at all.
We do not control our suppliers’ labor or other compliance practices,
including environmental, health and safety practices. If our current suppliers, or any other suppliers we may use in the future, violate
U.S. or foreign laws or regulations, we may be subjected to extra duties, significant monetary penalties, adverse publicity, the seizure
and forfeiture of products that we are attempting to import or the loss of our import privileges. The effects of these factors could render
the conduct of our business in a particular country undesirable or impractical and have a negative impact on our operating results.
We rely on independent dealers and distributors to sell our Avionics
products, and disruption to these channels would harm our business.
A significant portion of aftermarket sales in our Avionics segment are
made through a worldwide network of independent dealers and distributors, which subjects us to many risks, including risks related to
their inventory levels and support for our products. If dealers and distributors attempt to reduce their levels of inventory or if they
do not maintain sufficient levels to meet customer demand, our sales could be negatively impacted.
Many of our dealers and distributors also sell products offered by our
competitors. If our competitors offer our dealers and distributors more favorable terms, those dealers and distributors may de-emphasize
or decline to carry our products. In the future, we may not be able to retain or attract a sufficient number of qualified dealers and
distributors. If we are unable to maintain successful relationships with dealers and distributors or to expand our distribution channels,
our business will suffer.
We currently, and may in the future, use and develop generative AI
technologies throughout our business, which may expose us to certain regulatory and other risks that could adversely affect our results
of operations and financial condition.
We use AI, machine learning and automated decision-making technologies,
including proprietary AI and machine learning algorithms and models (“AI Technologies”) in our business. For example, AIRO
Drone expects to operate drones in an AI-based commercial inspection service known as DaaS and build and operate a worldwide drone datacom
network known as “AIRO-NET.” As with many technological innovations, there are significant risks involved in developing, maintaining
and deploying these technologies and there can be no assurance that the usage of, or our investments in, such technologies will always
enhance our products or services or be beneficial to our business, including our efficiency or profitability. In particular, if the models
underlying our AI Technologies are incorrectly designed or implemented; trained or reliant on incomplete, inadequate, inaccurate, biased
or otherwise poor quality data or on data to which we do not have sufficient rights or in relation to which we and/or the providers of
such data have not implemented sufficient legal compliance measures; used without sufficient oversight and governance to ensure their
responsible use; and/or adversely impacted by unforeseen defects, technical challenges, cybersecurity threats or material performance
issues, the performance of our products, services and business, as well as our reputation, and the reputations of our customers, could
suffer or we could incur liability resulting from the violation of laws or contracts to which we are party or civil claims. Finally, the
overall regulatory framework for AI Technologies is rapidly evolving as many federal, state and foreign government bodies and agencies
have introduced, or are currently considering, additional laws and regulations. Additionally, existing laws and regulations may be interpreted
in ways that would affect the operation of our AI Technologies. As a result, implementation standards and enforcement practices are likely
to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future.
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If our information technology systems or data, or the third parties
with whom we work, are or were compromised, we could experience adverse consequences resulting from such compromise, including but not
limited to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational
harm; loss of revenue or profits; loss of customers or sales; and other adverse consequences, risks which are amplified by our work for
world governments.
In the ordinary course of our business, we and the third parties with whom
we work may process proprietary, confidential, and sensitive data, including personal data, and third-party intellectual property.
In conjunction with defense procurements, some international customers
require contractors to comply with industrial cooperation regulations, including entering into industrial participation, industrial development
or localization agreements, sometimes referred to as offset agreements or offset contracts, as a condition to obtaining orders for our
products and services. These offset agreements generally extend over several years and obligate the contractor to perform certain commitments,
which may include in-country purchases, technology transfers, local manufacturing support, consulting support to in-country projects,
investments in joint ventures and financial support projects, and preference for local suppliers or subcontractors. The customer’s
expectations in respect of the scope of offset commitments can be substantial, including high-value content, and may exceed existing local
technical capability. Failure to meet these commitments, which can be subjective and outside of our control, may result in significant
penalties, and could lead to a reduction in sales to a country. Furthermore, some of our existing offset agreements are dependent upon
the successful operation of joint ventures that we do not control and involve products and services that are outside of our core business,
which may increase the risk of breaching our obligations, exposing us to compliance risks of the joint venture, and impairing our ability
to recover our investment. For more information on our industrial development obligations, including the notional value of our remaining
industrial development obligations and potential penalties for non-compliance, see the section titled “Management’s Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Contractual Commitments”.
Cyberattacks, malicious internet-based activity, and online and offline
fraud are prevalent and continue to increase. These threats are becoming increasingly difficult to detect and as a government contractor,
these security threats are amplified. These threats come from a variety of sources, including traditional computer “hackers,”
threat actors, personnel (such as through theft or misuse), “hacktivists,” organized criminal threat actors, sophisticated
nation-states, and nation-state-supported actors. Some actors now engage and are expected to continue to engage in cyberattacks, including
without limitation nation-state actors for geopolitical reasons and in conjunction with military conflicts and defense activities. During
times of war and other major conflicts, we and the third parties with whom we work may be vulnerable to a heightened risk of these attacks,
including retaliatory cyberattacks that could materially disrupt our systems and operations, supply chain, and ability to produce, sell
and distribute our products. We and the third parties with whom we work may be subject to a variety of other evolving threats, including,
but not limited to, social-engineering attacks (including through deep fakes, which may be increasingly more difficult to identify as
fake, and phishing attacks), malicious code (such as viruses and worms), malware (including as a result of advanced persistent threat
intrusions), denial-of-service attacks, credential stuffing, credential harvesting, personnel misconduct or error, ransomware attacks,
supply chain attacks, software bugs, server malfunctions, software or hardware failures, loss of data or other information technology
assets, adware, telecommunications failures, attacks enhanced or facilitated by artificial intelligence, and other similar threats. In
particular, ransomware attacks, including those from organized criminal threat actors, nation-states and nation-state supported actors,
are becoming increasingly prevalent and severe and can lead to significant interruptions, delays, or outages in our operations, ability
to provide our products and services, loss of data, loss of income, significant extra expenses to restore data or systems, reputational
loss and the diversion of funds. To alleviate the financial, operational and reputational impact of a ransomware attack, it may be preferable
to make extortion payments, but we may be unwilling or unable to do so (including, for example, if applicable laws prohibit such payments).
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Additionally, hybrid and remote work has become more common and has increased
risks to our information technology systems and data, as more of our employees utilize network connections, computers, and devices outside
our premises or network, including working at home, while in transit, and in public locations. Future or past business transactions (such
as acquisitions or integrations) could also expose us to additional cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, as our systems could be negatively
affected by vulnerabilities present in acquired or integrated entities’ systems and technologies. Furthermore, we may discover security
issues that were not found during due diligence of such acquired or integrated entities, and it may be difficult to integrate companies
into our information technology environment and security program.
We rely upon third parties and technologies to operate critical business
systems to process sensitive information in a variety of contexts, including, without limitation, cloud-based infrastructure, encryption
and authentication technology, employee email, and other functions. Our ability to monitor these third parties’ information security
practices is limited, and these third parties may not have adequate information security measures in place. While we may be entitled to
damages if the third parties with whom we work fail to satisfy their privacy or security-related obligations to us, any award may be insufficient
to cover our damages, or we may be unable to recover such award. In addition, supply chain attacks have increased in frequency and severity,
and we cannot guarantee that third parties’ infrastructure in our supply chain or that of the third parties with whom we work have
not been compromised. We may share or receive sensitive information with or from third parties.
While we have implemented security measures designed to protect against
security incidents, there can be no assurance that these measures will be effective. We take steps designed to detect, mitigate and remediate
vulnerabilities in our information security systems (such as our hardware and/or software, including that of third parties with whom we
work), but we may not be able to detect, mitigate, and remediate all such vulnerabilities including on a timely basis. It may also be
difficult and/or costly to detect, investigate, mitigate, contain, and remediate a security incident. Further, we may experience delays
in developing and deploying remedial measures and patches designed to address identified vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities could be exploited
and result in a security incident. Actions taken by us or the third parties with whom we work to detect, investigate, mitigate, contain,
and remediate a security incident could result in outages, data losses, and disruptions of our business. Threat actors may also gain access
to other networks and systems after a compromise of our networks and systems.
Any of the previously identified or similar threats could cause a security
incident or other interruption that could result in unauthorized, unlawful, or accidental acquisition, modification, destruction, loss,
alteration, encryption, disclosure of, or access to our sensitive information or our information technology systems, or those of the third
parties with whom we work. A security incident or other interruption could disrupt our ability (and that of third parties with whom we
work) to provide our products and services. We may expend significant resources or modify our business activities to try to protect against
security incidents. Certain data privacy and security obligations require us to implement and maintain specific industry-standard or otherwise
reasonable security measures to protect our information technology systems and sensitive information.
Applicable data security and public company disclosure obligations may
require us, or we may voluntarily choose, to notify relevant stakeholders of certain security incidents, including affected individuals,
customers, regulators and investors, or to take other actions, such as providing credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.
Such disclosures and related actions can be costly, and the disclosures or the failure to comply with such applicable requirements, could
lead to adverse consequences. If we (or a third party with whom we work) experience a security incident or are perceived to have experienced
a security incident, we may experience adverse consequences. These consequences may include: government enforcement actions (for example,
investigations, fines, penalties, audits, and inspections); additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; restrictions on processing
sensitive information (including personal data); litigation (including class claims); indemnification obligations; negative publicity;
reputational harm; monetary fund diversions; diversion of management attention; interruptions in our operations (including availability
of data); financial loss and other similar harms.
Our contracts may not contain limitations of liability, and even where
they do, there can be no assurance that limitations of liability in our contracts are sufficient to protect us from liabilities, damages,
or claims related to our data privacy and security obligations. In addition, our insurance coverage may not be adequate or sufficient
to protect us from or to mitigate liabilities arising out of our privacy and security practices or that such coverage will continue to
be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that such coverage will pay future claims.
In addition to experiencing a security incident, third parties may gather,
collect, or infer sensitive information about us from public sources, data brokers, or other means that reveals competitively sensitive
details about our organization and could be used to undermine our competitive advantage or market position. Sensitive information of us
or our customers could also be leaked, disclosed, or revealed as a result of or in connection with our employee’s, personnel’s,
or vendor’s with whom we work use of generative AI Technologies.
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Our commercial aviation products, systems and services businesses
are affected by global demand and economic factors that could negatively impact our financial results.
The operating results of our commercial aviation products, systems and
services businesses – particularly our Electric Air Mobility and Avionics segments – have been and may in the future be adversely
affected by downturns in the global demand for air travel, which impacts new aircraft production and orders, and global flying hours,
which impacts air transport, regional and business aircraft utilization rates and pilot training needs. The aviation industry is highly
cyclical, and the level of demand for air travel is correlated to the strength of the U.S. and international economies and is impacted
by long-term trends in airline passenger and cargo traffic. The results of our commercial aviation businesses also depend on other factors,
including general economic growth, political stability in both developed and emerging markets, pricing pressures, trends in capital goods
markets and changes in OEM production rates.
Extreme weather, natural disasters and other adverse events could
have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Adverse weather conditions and natural disasters, such as hurricanes, winter
snowstorms or earthquakes, can cause flight cancellations or significant delays. Cancellations or delays due to adverse weather conditions
or natural disasters, air traffic control problems or inefficiencies, breaches in security or other factors may affect us to a greater
degree than our competitors who may be able to recover more quickly from these events, and therefore could have a material adverse effect
on our business, results of operations and financial condition to a greater degree than other air carriers.
The sizes of the markets for our current and future solutions may
be smaller than we estimate.
Our estimates of the total addressable market for our current products
and services are based on a number of internal and third-party estimates. While we believe our assumptions and the data underlying our
estimates are reasonable, these assumptions and estimates may not be correct and the conditions supporting our assumptions or estimates
may change at any time, thereby reducing the predictive accuracy of these underlying factors. As a result, our estimates of the total
addressable market for our current or future products and services may prove to be incorrect. If the actual number of customers who will
use our products and services, the price at which we can sell our products and services or the total addressable market for our products
and services is smaller than we have estimated, it may impair our sales growth and have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
The market for eVTOL aircraft and electric air mobility has not been
clearly defined, is still emerging and may not achieve the growth potential we expect or may grow more slowly than expected, which may
harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The electric air mobility market is still emerging and has not been clearly
defined. We are uncertain as to what extent market acceptance will grow, if at all. Our customers will likely initially launch operations
in a limited number of metropolitan areas. The success of these markets, if any, and the opportunity for future growth in these and other
markets may not be representative of the potential market for electric air mobility in other metropolitan areas. Our success will depend
to a substantial extent on regulatory approval and availability of eVTOL technology, as well as the willingness of commuters and travelers
to widely adopt air mobility as an alternative for ground transportation. If the public does not perceive electric air mobility as beneficial,
or chooses not to adopt electric air mobility as a result of concerns regarding safety, affordability, value proposition or for other
reasons, then the market for our aircraft may not develop, may develop more slowly than we expect or may not achieve the growth potential
we expect. Any of the foregoing could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects, and results of operations.
We are still developing our eVTOL aircraft, have not yet obtained
FAA certification of our eVTOL aircraft under development and we have yet to manufacture or deliver any aircraft to customers, which makes
evaluating our business and future prospects difficult and increases the risk of investment.
We have a limited operating history in designing, developing, and working
to certify an eVTOL aircraft. Our eVTOL aircraft is in the development stage, and we do not expect our first passenger production aircraft
to be certified by the TCCA under existing CAR 529 Transport Category Rotorcraft airworthiness rules until 2031 or later and certification
of our 33% scaled cargo version to be certified under drone rules until 2027 or later. As a result, we have no experience as an organization
in volume manufacturing of aircraft. Many of our current and potential competitors are larger and have substantially greater resources
than we currently have or expect to have in the future. As a result, those competitors may be able to allocate greater resources to the
development of their current and future technologies, the promotion and sale of their offerings, and/or offer their technologies at lower
prices. Notably, our competitors may be able to receive Type, Airworthiness or Production certification from the FAA covering their eVTOL
aircraft prior to us receiving such certifications. Our current and potential competitors may also establish cooperative or strategic
relationships amongst themselves or with third parties that may further enhance their resources and offerings. Further, it is possible
that domestic or foreign companies or governments, some with greater experience in the aerospace industry or greater financial resources
than we possess, will seek to provide products or services that compete directly or indirectly with ours in the future. Any such foreign
competitor, for example, could benefit from subsidies from, or other protective measures by, its home country.
We cannot assure you that we
or our partners will successfully develop manufacturing and supply chain capabilities that will enable us to meet the quality, price,
engineering, design and production standards, as well as the production volumes, required to successfully commercialize our aircraft.
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There may be reluctance by consumers to adopt a new form of mobility,
or an unwillingness to pay aircraft operators’ projected prices.
Our growth is highly dependent upon the adoption by consumers of an entirely
new form of mobility offered by eVTOL aircraft and the electric air mobility market. If consumers do not adopt this new form of mobility
or are not willing to pay the projected prices for the aerial ridesharing services provided by our customers, our prospects, financial
condition and operating results will be harmed. This market is new, rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies,
price competition, additional competitors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, new aircraft announcements and changing
consumer demands and behaviors. There may be heightened public skepticism of this nascent technology and its adopters. In particular,
there could be negative public perception surrounding eVTOL aircraft, including the overall safety and the potential for injuries or death
occurring as a result of accidents involving eVTOL aircraft, regardless of whether any such safety incidents involve our aircraft. Any
of the foregoing risks and challenges could adversely affect our prospects, business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our success in a given market will depend on our customers’ ability
to develop a network of passengers and accurately assess and predict passenger demand and price sensitivity. Demand and price sensitivity
may fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including macroeconomic factors, quality of service, negative publicity, safety incidents,
corporate reporting related to safety, quality of customer support, perceived political or geopolitical affiliations, or dissatisfaction
with our products and offerings in general. If the operators of our aircraft fail to attract passengers or fail to accurately predict
demand and price sensitivity, it could reduce demand for our aircraft and harm our financial performance.
In addition, while our aircraft will be operating within the existing aviation
airspace and infrastructure, long-term continued adoption of electric air mobility will depend on operators’ ability to develop
and operate vertiports in desirable locations in metropolitan locations. Developing and operating vertiport locations will require permits
and approvals from federal, state, and local regulatory authorities and government bodies, and operation of our aircraft will depend on
such permits and approvals. If our operators are prohibited, restricted, or delayed from developing and operating desirable vertiport
locations, then demand for our aircraft could decline and our business could be adversely affected.
We expect that a large driver of passenger demand for electric air mobility
will be time savings when compared with alternative modes of transportation. Should operators of our aircraft be unable to deliver a sufficient
level of time savings for passengers, or if expected time savings are impacted by delays or cancellations, it could reduce consumer demand
and, in turn, demand for our aircraft. If demand does not materialize or falls, our business, financial conditions, prospects, and results
of operations could be adversely affected.
Operators of our aircraft may be unable to reduce end-user pricing
over time at rates sufficient to stimulate demand for our aircraft, drive expected growth and accomplish planned production.
Operators of our aircraft may not be able to successfully reduce end-user
pricing over time to increase demand, address new market segments and develop a significantly broader customer base. We expect that initial
end-user pricing may be most applicable to relatively affluent consumers, and operators will need to address additional markets and expand
their customer demographic in order to further grow their electric air mobility business. If operators are unable to meet their end-user
pricing projections, then demand for our aircraft will decline and we will be unable to meet our production plans, resulting in an increase
in our per-unit costs, adversely affecting our results of operations.
Our aircraft may not perform at the level we expect, and may have
design or manufacturing deficiencies, such as higher than expected noise profiles, lower payloads than initially estimated, shorter ranges
and/or shorter useful lives than we anticipate.
Our aircraft may contain defects in design or manufacture that may cause
them not to perform as expected or that may require repair. For example, our aircraft may have a higher noise profile than we expect or
carry a lower payload or have a shorter maximum battery range than we estimate. Our aircraft also use a substantial amount of software
code to operate. Software products are inherently complex and often contain defects and errors when first introduced. There can be no
assurance that we will be able to detect and fix any such defects in these products prior to their use. While we have performed extensive
testing, in some instances we are still relying on projections and models to validate the projected performance of our aircraft. To date,
we have been unable to validate the performance of our aircraft over the expected lifetime of the aircraft.
Accidents or safety incidents involving eVTOL aircraft, us or our
competitors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Test flying prototype aircraft is inherently risky, and accidents or incidents
involving our aircraft are possible. Urban environments may present particular challenges to the operators of UAS, such as an increased
risk of collisions resulting in property damage, injury or death. As the usage of UAS has increased, the danger of such collisions has
increased. Any such occurrence would negatively impact our development, testing and certification efforts, and could result in re-design,
certification delay and/or postponements or delays to the sales of our aircraft. In addition, such occurrences could significantly damage
the reputation of and support for UAS in general.
The operation of aircraft is subject to various risks, and we expect demand
for our aircraft to be impacted by accidents or other safety issues regardless of whether such accidents or issues involve our aircraft.
Such accidents or incidents could also have a material impact on our ability to obtain certification from the Civil Aviation Authorities
for our aircraft, or to obtain such certification in a timely manner. Such events could impact confidence in a particular aircraft type
or the air transportation services industry as a whole, particularly if such accidents or disasters were due to a safety fault. We believe
that regulators and the general public are still forming their opinions about the safety and utility of aircraft that are highly reliant
on lithium-ion batteries and/or advanced flight control software capabilities. An accident or other safety incident involving either our
aircraft or a competitor’s aircraft during these early stages of opinion formation could have a disproportionate impact on the longer-term
view of the emerging electric air mobility market.
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Further, if our personnel, our aircraft or other types of aircraft are
involved in a public incident, accident, catastrophe or regulatory enforcement action, we could be exposed to significant reputational
harm and potential legal liability. The insurance we carry may be inapplicable or inadequate to cover any such incident, accident, catastrophe
or action. In the event that our insurance is inapplicable or inadequate, we may be forced to bear substantial losses from an incident
or accident, which would adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If we experience harm to our reputation and brand by customers, employees
or operators, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Continuing to increase the strength of our reputation and brand for high-performing,
sustainable, safe and cost-effective electric air mobility is critical to our ability to attract and retain customers and partners. In
addition, our growth strategy includes international expansion through joint ventures or other partnerships with local companies that
would benefit from our reputation and brand recognition. The successful development of our reputation and brand will depend on several
factors, many of which are outside of our control. Negative perception of our aircraft or company may harm our reputation and brand, including
as a result of:
●
complaints or negative publicity or reviews about us, independent third-party aircraft operators, passengers, or other brands or events that we associate with, even if factually incorrect or based on isolated incidents;
●
our involvement during times of war and other major conflicts, including the current conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East;
●
changes to our operations, safety and security or other policies that customers, end-users or others perceive as overly restrictive, unclear or inconsistent with our values;
●
illegal, negligent, reckless or otherwise inappropriate behavior by operators or independent third parties involved in the operation of our business or by our management team or other employees;
●
actual or perceived disruptions or defects in our aircraft;
●
litigation over, or investigations by regulators into, our operations or those of our independent third-party aircraft operators;
●
a failure to operate our business in a way that is consistent with our values;
●
negative responses by independent third-party aircraft operators to new mobility offerings; or
●
any of the foregoing with respect to our competitors, to the extent such resulting negative perception affects the public’s perception of us or our industry as a whole.
Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, financial condition,
and results of operations.
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In order to reach production for our aircraft, we need to develop
complex software and technology systems in coordination with our partners and suppliers, and there can be no assurance such systems will
be successfully developed.
We anticipate that our aircraft will use a substantial amount of sophisticated
software and hardware to operate. The development of such advanced technologies is inherently complex, and we will need to coordinate
with our partners and suppliers in order to reach production for our aircraft. Defects and errors may be revealed over time and our control
over the performance of third-party services and systems may be limited. If any of our partners and suppliers fail to adequately fulfill
their obligations towards us or experience interruptions or disruptions in production or provision of services due to, for example, bankruptcy,
natural disasters, labor strikes or disruption of its supply chain, we may experience a significant delay in the delivery of or fail to
receive previously ordered systems and parts, which would adversely affect our revenue and profitability and could jeopardize our ability
to meet the demands of our program participants or develop the necessary software and technology systems may harm our competitive position.
We are relying on third-party partners to develop a number of emerging
technologies for use in our products. These technologies are not currently, and may not ever be, commercially viable. There can be no
assurances that our partners will be able to meet the technological requirements, production timing, and volume requirements to support
our business plan. In addition, the technology may not comply with the cost, performance, useful life, and warranty characteristics that
we anticipate in our business plan or may have performance problems related to mechanical or software defects. As a result, our business
plan could be significantly adversely impacted, and we may incur significant liabilities under warranty claims, which could adversely
affect our business, prospects, and results of operations.
We may not be able to produce aircraft in the volumes or on the timelines
that we anticipate.
There are significant challenges associated with mass producing aircraft
in the volumes that we are anticipating. The aerospace industry has traditionally been characterized by significant barriers to entry,
including large capital requirements, investment costs of designing and manufacturing aircraft, long lead times to bring aircraft to market
from the concept and design stage, the need for specialized design and development expertise, extensive regulatory requirements, difficulty
establishing a brand name and image, and the need to establish maintenance and service locations. As a manufacturer of electric aircraft,
we face a variety of added challenges to entry that a traditional aircraft manufacturer would not encounter, including additional costs
of developing and producing an electric powertrain, regulations associated with the transport of lithium-ion batteries and unproven high-volume
consumer demand for a fully electric aerial mobility service. Additionally, we are developing production lines for components and at volumes
for which there is little precedent within the traditional aerospace industry. If we are not able to overcome these barriers, our business,
prospects, operating results and financial condition will be negatively impacted, and our ability to grow our business will be harmed.
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There can also be no assurance that our operator customers will not experience
operational or process failures and other problems, including pilot error, cyberattacks or other intentional acts, that could result in
potential safety risks. Any actual or perceived safety issues may result in significant reputational harm to the electric air mobility
industry and, accordingly, our business, in addition to tort liability, increased safety infrastructure and other costs that may arise.
Such issues could result in increased regulation or other systemic consequences. Adverse publicity affecting the industry and our reputation
as a result of accidents, operational failures, or other safety incidents could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition, prospects, and results of operation. In addition, our aircraft may be grounded by regulatory authorities due to safety concerns
that could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
We will also need to do extensive testing to ensure that the aircraft is
in compliance with applicable TCCA safety regulations and other relevant regulations prior to beginning mass production. In addition to
certification of the aircraft, we will be required to obtain TCCA approval to manufacture completed aircraft pursuant to a TCCA-approved
type design (e.g., type certificate). Production approval involves initial TCCA manufacturing approval and extensive ongoing oversight
of mass-produced aircraft. If we are unable to obtain production approval for the aircraft, or if TCCA imposes unanticipated restrictions
as a condition of approval, our projected costs of production could increase substantially.
The timing of our production
ramp is dependent upon finalizing certain aspects of the design, engineering, component procurement, testing, build out, and
manufacturing plans in a timely manner and upon our ability to execute these plans within the current timeline. It is also dependent
on being able to timely obtain TCCA certification. If we experience any delays in the execution of these plans or in obtaining TCCA
certification, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition will be negatively impacted.
Risks Related to Our U.S. Government Contracts
We are subject to extensive government regulation, and our failure
to comply with applicable regulations may subject us to significant financial liability, penalties, and other government actions that
restrict our ability to conduct our business.
As a contractor to the U.S. government and provider of various technologies,
we are subject to and must comply with various government regulations that impact our revenue, operating costs, profit margins and the
internal organization and operation of our business. We also need special security clearances and regulatory approvals to continue working
on certain projects with the U.S. government. Our failure to comply with applicable regulations, rules and approvals, changes in the government’s
interpretation of such regulations, rules and approvals as have been and are applied to our contracts, proposals or business or misconduct
by any of our employees could result in financial liability, the imposition of fines and penalties, the loss of security clearances, a
decrease in profitability, the loss of our government contracts or our suspension or debarment from contracting with the U.S. government
generally, any of which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We are also subject to certain regulations
of comparable government agencies in other countries, and our failure to comply with these non-U.S. regulations could also harm our business,
financial condition or results of operations.
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U.S.
government agencies, including the FAA, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, the Defense Contract Management Agency and various agency
Inspectors General, routinely audit and investigate government contractors. These agencies review a contractor’s compliance with
applicable laws, regulations and contract terms, regarding, among other things, contract pricing, contract performance, cost structure
and business systems. U.S. government audits and investigations often take years to complete, and many result in no adverse action against
us. Like many U.S. government contractors, we have received audit and investigative reports recommending the reduction of certain contract
prices or that certain payments be repaid, delayed, or withheld, and may involve substantial amounts. Similarly, like other U.S. government
contractors, audits and investigations also occur related to cost reimbursements that are based upon our final allowable incurred costs
for each year. We have unaudited or unsettled incurred cost claims related to past years, which limits our ability to issue final billings
on contracts for which authorized and appropriated funds may be expiring or can result in delays in final billings and our ability to
close out a contract.
If
an audit or investigation uncovers improper or illegal activities, we may be subject to civil or criminal penalties and administrative
sanctions, including reductions of the value of contracts, contract modifications or terminations, forfeiture of profits, suspension
of payments, penalties, fines or suspension or debarment from doing business with the U.S. government. Suspension or debarment could
have a material adverse effect on us because of our dependence on contracts with the U.S. government. In addition, we could suffer serious
reputational harm if allegations of impropriety were made against us. Similar government oversight and risks to our business and reputation
exist in most other countries where we conduct business.
U.S.
government contracts are frequently awarded only after formal, protracted competitive proposal processes and, in many cases, unsuccessful
offerors for U.S. government contracts are provided the opportunity to protest contract awards through various agency, administrative
and judicial channels. Competing for U.S. government contracts presents a number of risks, including the following:
●
the
need to bid on programs in advance of the completion of their design, which may result in unforeseen technological difficulties and
cost overruns;
●
the
substantial cost and managerial time and effort that must be spent to prepare bids and proposals for contracts that may not be awarded
to us;
●
the
need to estimate accurately the resources and cost structure that will be required to service any contract we are awarded; and
●
the
expense and delay that may arise if our competitors protest or challenge contract awards made to us pursuant to competitive bidding.
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The
U.S. military chooses winning proposals based on such factors as cost, certainty of fulfilling the needs of a specific task order, safety
records, and other criteria stated in solicitations. For example, while our Training segment is an approved provider under U.S. military
contracts with a limited number of competitors, the U.S. military periodically releases task order solicitations requesting specific
services pursuant to a competitive process.
U.S.
government contracts are subject to a competitive bidding process, are generally not fully funded at inception, and contain certain terms
that may be unfavorable to us, which could result in contracts and opportunities consuming significant resources without generating revenue
or profit.
U.S.
government contracts typically involve long lead times for design and development, and are subject to significant changes in scheduling.
Congress generally appropriates funds on a fiscal year basis even though a program may continue for several years. Consequently, programs
are often only partially funded initially, and additional funds are committed only as Congress makes further appropriations. The termination
or reduction of funding for a government program would result in a loss of anticipated future revenue attributable to that program. In
addition, U.S. government contracts generally contain provisions permitting termination, in whole or in part, at the government’s
convenience. Because a substantial majority of our revenue is dependent on the procurement, performance and payment under our U.S. government
contracts, the termination of one or more critical government contracts could have a negative impact on our results of operations and
financial condition.
We
rely to a significant degree on sales to the U.S. government, particularly to agencies of the DoD and a decline in government budgets,
funding, changes in spending or budgetary priorities, or delays in contract awards may materially adversely affect our future revenue,
business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and equity.
We
derive a significant portion of our total sales from the U.S. government and its agencies, either as a prime contractor or subcontractor,
particularly in connection with our Drones and Training segments. The DoD is our principal U.S. government customer. We believe that
the success and growth of our business for the foreseeable future will continue to depend to a significant degree on our ability to win
government contracts, in particular from the DoD. Additionally, the military and defense market is significantly dependent upon government
budget trends, particularly the DoD budget. In addition to normal business risks, our supply of products to the U.S. government is subject
to unique risks largely beyond our control. DoD budgets could be negatively impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to,
a change in defense spending policy as a result of the presidential election or otherwise, the U.S. government’s budget deficits,
spending priorities (for example, shifting funds to efforts to combat the impact of the pandemic or efforts to assist Ukraine in the
Russia and Ukraine conflict), the cost of sustaining the U.S. military presence internationally, possible political pressure to reduce
U.S. government military spending and the ability of the U.S. government to enact appropriations bills and other relevant legislation,
each of which could cause the DoD budget to remain unchanged or to decline. In recent years, the U.S. government has been unable to complete
its budget process before the end of its fiscal year, resulting in both governmental shutdowns and continuing resolutions providing only
enough funds for U.S. government agencies to continue operating at prior- year levels. Further, if the U.S. government debt ceiling is
not raised and the national debt reaches the statutory debt ceiling, the U.S. government could default on its debts. A significant decline
in U.S. military expenditures could result in a reduction in the amount of our products sold to the various agencies and buying organizations
of the U.S. government.
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The
U.S. government may modify, curtail or terminate one or more of our contracts.
The
U.S. government contracting party may modify, curtail or terminate its contracts with us, without prior notice and either at its convenience
or for default based on performance. In addition, funding pursuant to our U.S. government contracts may be reduced or withheld as part
of the U.S. Congressional appropriations process due to fiscal constraints, changes in U.S. national security strategy and/or priorities
or other reasons. Historically, our Training segment has received some U.S. government contract funding under programs designed to benefit
“small businesses” as defined under certain provisions of the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) regulations.
The SBA regulations address multiple different programs that have varying eligibility requirements. Moreover, the SBA regulations are
subject to different interpretations, and the U.S. government may determine, under a changed interpretation, that we should no longer
be classified as small. If the U.S. government made such a determination, it could terminate, cancel, or decide not to award options
on existing agreements.
Any
loss or anticipated loss or reduction of expected funding and/or modification, curtailment, or termination of one or more of our U.S.
government contracts could have a material adverse effect on our earnings, cash flow and/or financial position, as well as our access
to government testing facilities and/or our ability to secure pre-certification operating experience and/or revenues.
Our
business may benefit in part from government funding, and our inability to receive such financial support could harm our business.
We
may receive subsidies and grants from governments in some countries. These programs are subject to periodic review by the relevant governments,
and if any of these programs are curtailed or discontinued, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations. As the availability of government funding is outside our control, we cannot guarantee that we will continue
to benefit from government support or that sufficient alternative funding will be available if we lose such support. For example, we
previously entered into discussions with the federal and the provincial government of Quebec to provide funding for our aircraft development
program and Quebec’s Minister of Economy and Innovation has conditionally agreed to financially support the program. The funding
mechanisms have not yet been determined but it is anticipated that they would include grants and/or tax rebates. If we do not receive
this funding, our aircraft development program could be adversely affected.
Additionally,
a U.S. government contracting party may modify, curtail or terminate its contracts and subcontracts with us, without prior notice and
either at its convenience or for default based on performance. In addition, funding pursuant to our U.S. government contracts may be
reduced or withheld as part of the U.S. Congressional appropriations process due to changes in U.S. national security strategy and/or
priorities, fiscal constraints, including enforceable spending caps, a sequester or a lack of funding available to pay incurred obligations,
or for other reasons. Further uncertainty with respect to ongoing programs could result in the U.S. government financing its operations
through temporary funding measures such as continuing resolutions rather than full-year appropriations. Any loss or anticipated loss
or reduction of expected funding and/or modification, curtailment or termination of one or more large programs could have a material
adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.
Shutdowns
of the U.S. federal government could materially impair our business and financial condition.
The
U.S. Congress may fund U.S. government departments and agencies with one or more continuing resolutions, which could delay new programs
or competitions and/or negatively impact the execution of certain program activities. A lapse in appropriations for government departments
or agencies would result in a full or partial government shutdown, which could impact our operations. In the event of a prolonged shutdown,
requirements to furlough employees in the U.S. DoD, the Department of Transportation, including the FAA, or other government agencies
could result in an impact to our operations, negatively impact future contracts, and/or cause other disruptions or delays. There is uncertainty
regarding which government functions would shut down or continue operations during a lapse in appropriations, and corresponding uncertainty
regarding the extent or magnitude of potential impacts to our operations. In March 2025, President Trump signed a continuing resolution
that funds federal agencies through September 30, 2025. A continuing resolution authorizes federal agencies to operate generally at the
same funding levels from the prior year, but typically does not authorize new spending initiatives during this period. If Congress is
unable to enact formal fiscal year 2026 appropriation bills by September 30, 2025, it may pass another continuing resolution. However,
if Congress fails to pass the formal appropriations bills or a continuing resolution, then the U.S. government would shut down during
which federal agencies would cease all non-essential functions.
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Risks
Related to Legal and Regulatory Requirements
Many
of our products and services are subject to local, state, federal and international regulatory frameworks that are costly to comply with,
are subject to interpretation, may be dependent on political pressures and factors and/or are subject to change.
Many
of the products we develop and manufacture are highly dependent on our ability to meet local, state, federal and international regulations.
In particular, our ability to meet the certification requirements for our products in the United States and abroad could determine the
ability to sell, deliver, and manufacture our products, and therefore, could impact our operating results. These regulations include
design and manufacture of products and components. While a common framework exists among many regulatory authorities allowing for recognition
of different regulatory approvals by other regulatory entities, often times there are differences that require additional validation
to meet the requirements of a specific entity. The risk not only lies in the viability of a particular product but also the time to market.
Delays in the process are not unusual and can lead to delays in bringing product to market. These delays could result in financial and
competitive impacts on our operations.
Our
business is highly regulated and our ability to generate revenues and profit may be limited by regulatory restrictions and/or changes
and the speed with which such restrictions and/or changes occur.
Aerospace
manufacturers and aircraft operators are subject to extensive regulatory and legal requirements that involve significant compliance costs.
The Civil Aviation Authorities may issue regulations relating to the operation of aircraft that could require significant expenditures.
Implementation of the requirements created by such regulations may result in increased costs for our electric air mobility passengers
and us. Additional laws, regulations, taxes and airport rates and charges have been proposed from time to time that could significantly
increase the cost of our operations or reduce the demand for air travel. If adopted, these measures could have the effect of raising
fares, reducing revenue and increasing costs. Moreover, the nature of and the speed with which these regulations are completed and implemented
pose a risk for our financial performance and condition, timing of growth and overall potential. As a result, we cannot ensure that these
and other laws or regulations enacted in the future will not have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, and results
of operations.
Governments
and regulatory agencies in the markets where we manufacture and sell drone products may enact additional regulations relating to product
safety and consumer protection in the future, and may also increase the penalties for failure to comply with product safety and consumer
protection regulations. In addition, one or more of our customers might require changes in our products, such as the non-use of certain
materials, in the future. Complying with any such additional regulations or requirements could impose increased costs on our business.
Similarly, increased penalties for non-compliance could subject us to greater expenses in the event any of our products were found to
not comply with such regulations. Such increased costs or penalties could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition,
and results of operations.
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We
are subject to the risks associated with conducting international business operations.
In
addition to our U.S. operations, we also have international operations in Canada and Denmark, sell our products and services to international
dealers and customers, including foreign governments and engage in sales and marketing efforts in many foreign jurisdictions. In international
sales, we face substantial competition from both U.S. manufacturers and international manufacturers whose governments sometimes provide
R&D assistance, marketing subsidies and other assistance for their products and services. International sales present risks that
are different and potentially greater than those encountered in our U.S. business. In 2024, a majority of our total net sales were from
international customers. International sales are subject to numerous political and economic factors, including changes in foreign national
priorities, foreign government budgets, global economic conditions, and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, the possibility
of trade sanctions and other government actions, regulatory requirements, significant competition, taxation, and other risks associated
with doing business outside the United States. Sales of military products and services and any associated industrial development (offset)
agreements are subject to U.S. export regulations and foreign policy, and there could be significant delays or other issues in reaching
definitive agreements for announced programs. See “—We cannot predict the consequences of future macroeconomic conditions
or geopolitical events, but they may adversely affect market and economic conditions, the markets in which we operate, our ability to
insure against risks, our operations or our profitability.”
Our
international business is conducted through foreign military sales (“FMS”) contracted through the U.S. government and by
direct commercial sales (“DCS”) to international customers. FMS contracts with the U.S. government are subject to the FAR
and the DFARS. Because the U.S. government functions as an intermediary in FMS sales, we are reliant on the capacity and speed of the
DoD’s administration of requests from non-U.S. countries to convert requests to sales. In contrast, DCS transactions represent
sales directly to international customers and are subject to U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including product testing, import-export
control, economic sanctions, technology transfer restrictions, investments, taxation, repatriation of earnings, exchange controls, the
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption laws and regulations, and the anti-boycott provisions of the U.S. Export Control
Reform Act of 2018. While we have extensive policies in place to comply with such laws and regulations, failure by us, our employees
or others working on our behalf to comply with these laws and regulations could result in administrative, civil, or criminal liabilities,
including suspension, debarment from bidding for or performing government contracts, or suspension of our export privileges, which could
have a material adverse effect on us. We frequently team with international subcontractors and suppliers who also are exposed to similar
risks.
We
believe DCS transactions present a higher level of potential risks because they involve direct commercial relationships with parties
with which we typically have less familiarity. Additionally, international procurement and local country rules and regulations, contract
laws and judicial systems differ from those in the United States and, in some cases, may be less predictable than those in the United
States, which could impair our ability to enforce contracts and increase the risk of adverse or unpredictable outcomes, including the
possibility that certain matters that would be considered civil matters in the United States are treated as criminal matters in other
countries.
Additionally,
changes in regulatory, geopolitical, social, economic, or monetary policies and other factors, may have a material adverse effect on our business in the future, or may
require us to exit a particular market or significantly modify our current business practices. Abrupt political change, terrorist activity
and armed conflict pose a risk of general economic disruption in affected countries, including economic sanctions and export license
requirements, which could also result in an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
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We
and the third parties with whom we work are subject to stringent and evolving U.S. and foreign laws, regulations, and rules, contractual
obligations, industry standards, policies and other obligations related to data privacy and security. Our (or the third parties with
whom we work) actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could lead to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation
(including class claims) and mass arbitration demands; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm;
loss of revenue or profits; loss of customers or sales; and other adverse business consequences.
In
the ordinary course of business, we collect, receive, store, process, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect, secure,
dispose of, transmit, and share (collectively, process) personal data and other sensitive information, including proprietary and confidential
business data, intellectual property, and sensitive third-party data. Our data processing activities subject us to numerous data privacy
and security obligations, such as various laws, regulations, guidance, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security
policies, contractual requirements, and other obligations relating to data privacy and security.
In
conjunction with defense procurements, some international customers require contractors to comply with industrial cooperation regulations,
including entering into industrial participation, industrial development or localization agreements, sometimes referred to as offset
agreements or offset contracts, as a condition to obtaining orders for our products and services. These offset agreements generally extend
over several years and obligate the contractor to perform certain commitments, which may include in-country purchases, technology transfers,
local manufacturing support, consulting support to in-country projects, investments in joint ventures and financial support projects,
and preference for local suppliers or subcontractors. The customer’s expectations in respect of the scope of offset commitments
can be substantial, including high-value content, and may exceed existing local technical capability. Failure to meet these commitments,
which can be subjective and outside of our control, may result in significant penalties, and could lead to a reduction in sales to a
country. Furthermore, some of our existing offset agreements are dependent upon the successful operation of joint ventures that we do
not control and involve products and services that are outside of our core business, which may increase the risk of breaching our obligations,
exposing us to compliance risks of the joint venture, and impairing our ability to recover our investment. For more information on our
industrial development obligations, including the notional value of our remaining industrial development obligations and potential penalties
for non-compliance, see the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Contractual
Obligations.”
In
the United States, federal, state, and local governments have enacted numerous data privacy and security laws, including data breach
notification laws, personal data privacy laws, consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), and other
similar laws (e.g., wiretapping laws). In the past few years, numerous U.S. states—including California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut,
and Utah—have enacted comprehensive privacy laws that impose certain obligations on covered businesses, including providing specific
disclosures in privacy notices and affording residents with certain rights concerning their personal data. As applicable, such rights
may include the right to access, correct, or delete certain personal data, and to opt-out of certain data processing activities, such
as targeted advertising, profiling, and automated decision-making. The exercise of these rights may impact our business and ability to
provide our products and services. Certain states also impose stricter requirements for processing certain personal data, including sensitive
information, such as conducting data privacy impact assessments. These state laws allow for statutory fines for noncompliance. For example,
the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”) applies to personal data of consumers, business representatives, and
employees who are California residents, and requires businesses to provide specific disclosures in privacy notices and honor requests
of such individuals to exercise certain privacy rights. The CCPA provides for fines of up to $7,500 per intentional violation and allows
private litigants affected by certain data breaches to recover significant statutory damages. Similar laws are being considered in several
other states, as well as at the federal and local levels, and we expect more states to pass similar laws in the future.
Outside
the United States, an increasing number of laws, regulations, and industry standards govern data privacy and security. For example, the
European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, the United Kingdom’s General Data Protection Regulation (collectively,
the “GDPR”), and Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais) (Law
No. 13,709/2018) impose strict requirements for processing personal data. In Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic
Documents Act and various related provincial laws, as well as Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation, may apply to our operations.
Our
employees and personnel use generative AI technologies to perform their work, and the disclosure and use of personal data in generative
AI technologies is subject to various privacy laws and other privacy obligations. Governments have passed and are likely to pass additional
laws regulating generative AI. Our use of this technology could result in additional compliance costs, regulatory investigations and
actions, and lawsuits. If we are unable to use generative AI, it could make our business less efficient and result in competitive disadvantages.
We use AI/machine learning to assist us in making certain decisions, which is regulated by certain privacy laws. Due to inaccuracies
or flaws in the inputs, outputs, or logic of the AI/machine learning, the model could be biased and could lead us to make decisions that
could bias certain individuals (or classes of individuals), and adversely impact their rights, employment, and ability to obtain certain
pricing, products, services, or benefits.
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In
the ordinary course of business, we may transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the United States or other countries.
Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal data to other countries.
In particular, the European Economic Area (the “EEA”) and the United Kingdom (the “UK”) have significantly restricted
the transfer of personal data to the United States and other countries whose privacy laws it generally believes are inadequate. Other
jurisdictions may adopt similarly stringent interpretations of their data localization and cross-border data transfer laws. Although
there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to transfer personal data from the EEA and the United Kingdom to the United States
in compliance with law, such as the EEA standard contractual clauses, the UK’s International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum,
and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK extension thereto (which allows for transfers to relevant U.S.-based organizations
who self-certify compliance and participate in the Framework), these mechanisms are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance
that we can satisfy or rely on these measures to lawfully transfer personal data to the United States. If there is no lawful manner for
us to transfer personal data from the EEA, the United Kingdom or other jurisdictions to the United States, or if the requirements for
a legally-compliant transfer are too onerous, we could face significant adverse consequences, including the interruption or degradation
of our operations, the need to relocate part of or all of our business or data processing activities to other jurisdictions (such as
Europe) at significant expense, increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and penalties, the inability to transfer
data and work with partners, vendors and other third parties, and injunctions against our processing or transferring of personal data
necessary to operate our business. Additionally, companies that transfer personal data out of the EEA and the United Kingdom to other
jurisdictions, particularly to the United States, are subject to increased scrutiny from regulators, individual litigants, and activist
groups. Some European regulators have ordered certain companies to suspend or permanently cease certain transfers out of Europe for allegedly
violating the GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations.
In
addition to data privacy and security laws, we are contractually subject to industry standards adopted by industry groups and, we are,
or may become subject to such obligations in the future. We are also bound by contractual obligations related to data privacy and security,
and our efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful. We publish privacy policies, marketing materials and other statements
regarding data privacy and security. If these policies, materials or statements are found to be deficient, lacking in transparency, deceptive,
unfair, or misrepresentative of our practices, we may be subject to investigation, enforcement actions by regulators or other adverse
consequences.
Obligations
related to data privacy and security (and consumers’ data privacy expectations) are quickly changing, becoming increasingly stringent,
and creating uncertainty. Additionally, these obligations may be subject to differing applications and interpretations, which may be
inconsistent or conflict among jurisdictions. Preparing for and complying with these obligations requires us to devote significant resources,
which may necessitate changes to our services, information technologies, systems, and practices and to those of any third parties that
process personal data on our behalf. We may at times fail (or be perceived to have failed) in our efforts to comply with our data privacy
and security obligations. Moreover, despite our efforts, our personnel or third parties with whom we work may fail to comply with such
obligations, which could negatively impact our business operations.
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If
we or the third parties with whom we work fail, or are perceived to have failed, to address or comply with applicable data privacy and
security obligations, we could face significant consequences, including but not limited to: government enforcement actions (e.g., investigations,
fines, penalties, audits, inspections, and similar); litigation (including class-action claims) and mass arbitration demands; additional
reporting requirements and/or oversight; bans or restrictions on processing personal data; and orders to destroy or not use personal
data. In particular, plaintiffs have become increasingly active in bringing privacy-related claims against companies, including class
claims and mass arbitration demands. Some of these claims allow for the recovery of statutory damages on a per violation basis, and,
if viable, carry the potential for monumental statutory damages, depending on the volume of data and the number of violations. Any of
these events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, or financial condition, including but not limited to,
loss of customers; inability to process personal data or to operate in certain jurisdictions; limited ability to develop or commercialize
our products; expenditure of time and resources to defend any claim or inquiry; adverse publicity; or substantial changes to our business
model or operations.
Our
international operations require us to comply with U.S. and certain foreign anti-corruption laws and regulations, export and import controls,
economic sanctions and embargoes. We could face liability and other serious consequences for violations, which could materially adversely
affect our business and reputation.
We
are subject to anti-corruption laws and regulations, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), the U.S. domestic
bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act and other state and national anti-bribery laws in the countries
in which we currently conduct activities, as well as those of any countries in which we may conduct activities in the future. Anti-corruption
laws are interpreted broadly and generally prohibit companies and their employees, agents, contractors and other third-party collaborators
from offering, promising, giving, soliciting, receiving, or authorizing others to give, solicit, or receive anything of value, either
directly or indirectly through third parties, to any person in the public or private sector to obtain or retain business. The FCPA also
requires public companies to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the corporation and
to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls. We may engage third parties to sell our products or to obtain
necessary permits, licenses, patent registrations, and other regulatory approvals outside the United States. We can be held liable for
the corrupt or other illegal activities of our employees, agents, contractors, and other partners, even if we do not explicitly authorize
or have actual knowledge of such activities. Any violation of the laws and regulations described above may result in substantial civil
and criminal fines and penalties, imprisonment, the loss of export or import privileges, debarment, tax reassessments, breach of contract
and fraud litigation, reputational harm, and other consequences.
We
are also subject to export control and import laws and regulations and economic and financial sanctions and trade embargoes, including
the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the International
Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Customs regulations,
and various economic and financial trade sanctions regulations administered and enforced by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office
of Foreign Assets Controls, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the EU and other relevant export controls
and sanctions authorities.
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Pursuant
to these laws and regulations, we are required, among other things, to (i) maintain a registration under the ITAR (which controls the
export of defense-related items and services), (ii) determine the proper licensing jurisdiction and export classification of products,
software, and technology under U.S., EU and other applicable laws, and (iii) obtain licenses or other forms of government authorization
to engage in the conduct of our business. Furthermore, U.S. export control laws and economic sanctions prohibit the provision of certain
products and services to countries, governments and persons targeted by U.S. sanctions. EU sanctions and export controls operate in a
similar manner. Changes in U.S., EU or foreign trade control laws and regulations, or reclassifications of our products or technologies,
may restrict our operations. Compliance with applicable regulatory requirements regarding the export of our products may create delays
in the introduction of our products in international markets or, in some cases, prevent the export of our products to some countries
altogether. The inability to secure and maintain necessary licenses and other authorizations could negatively impact our ability to compete
successfully or to operate our business as planned. Any changes in export control laws and regulations or U.S., EU and other government
licensing policy may restrict our operations. For example, given the great discretion the government has in issuing or denying such authorizations
to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, there can be no assurance we will be successful in our future efforts
to secure and maintain necessary licenses, registrations, or other U.S. government regulatory approvals.
Although
we maintain written policies, and have implemented procedures and safeguards, that are reasonably designed to maintain compliance with
export controls, import laws, and economic and financial sanctions, there is no certainty that all of our employees or agents for which
we may be held responsible, suppliers, manufacturers, contractors or collaborators, or those of our affiliates, will comply with all
applicable anti-corruption, export and import control, and sanctions laws and regulations. Our global operations expose us to the risk
of violating, or being accused of violating, economic and trade sanctions laws and regulations. Violations of these laws and regulations
could result in significant penalties, including: civil fines; criminal sanctions against us, our officers, or our employees; imprisonment;
the closing down of facilities, including those of our suppliers and manufacturers; disgorgement of profits; injunctions and debarment
from government contracts; requirements to obtain export licenses; cessation of business activities in sanctioned countries; implementation
of compliance programs; and prohibitions on the conduct of our business. Any such violations could include prohibitions on our ability
to offer our products in one or more countries, as well as difficulties in manufacturing or continuing to develop our products, and could
materially adversely affect our reputation, our brand, our international expansion efforts, our ability to attract and retain employees,
and our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.
We
may be unable to source and sell our products profitably or at all if new trade protections are imposed or existing protections become
more burdensome.
The
United States and the countries in which our products are produced or sold have imposed and may impose additional quotas, duties, tariffs,
or other measures, or may adversely adjust prevailing quota, duty, or tariff levels. Such actions could have an adverse effect on our
financial statements for the period or periods for which the applicable final determinations are made. Countries impose, modify, and
remove tariffs and other trade measures in response to a diverse array of factors, including global and national economic and political
conditions, which make it impossible for us to predict future developments regarding tariffs, customs, and other trade measures. Trade
protections, including tariffs, quotas, safeguards, duties, and customs restrictions, could increase the cost or reduce the supply of
products available to us, could increase shipping times, or may require us to modify our supply chain organization or other current business
practices, any of which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Risks
Related to Our Intellectual Property
If
we fail to protect, or incur significant costs in defending or enforcing, our intellectual property and other proprietary rights, our
business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially harmed.
Our
success depends, in large part, on our ability to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights. We rely primarily on
patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and unfair competition laws, as well as license agreements and other contractual provisions,
to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights. In addition, a portion of our technology is not patented, and we may
be unable or may not seek to obtain patent protection for this technology. In addition, the U.S. government has licenses for certain
of our patents and certain other intellectual property that are developed or used in performance of government contracts, and it may
use or authorize others to use such patents and intellectual property for government and other purposes. We co-own, with Centro Italiano
Ricerche Aerospaziali Spca, US patents 9,983,023; 10,782,146; and 11,639,858, which describe technology related to determining angle
of attack of an aircraft without a dedicated angle of attack sensor. As co-owner, Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali Spca may make,
use, sell, offer for sale, or import the technology protected by these patents or authorize others to do so. If Centro Italiano Ricerche
Aerospaziali Spca chooses to compete with us or sells any or all of these patents and/or grants licenses to any or all of such patents
to our competitors, we would not be able to enforce our rights to the technology protected by these patents against such lawful owners
or licensees. A subset of our patents are co-owned, and our co-owner may use or authorize others to use technology protected by such
patents. Moreover, existing U.S. legal standards relating to the validity, enforceability and scope of protection of intellectual property
rights offer only limited protection, may not provide us with any competitive advantages, and our rights may be challenged by third parties.
The laws of countries other than the United States may be even less protective of our intellectual property rights. Accordingly, despite
our efforts, we may be unable to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating our intellectual property or otherwise
gaining access to our technology. Unauthorized third parties may try to copy or reverse engineer our products or portions of our products
or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property. Moreover, many of our employees have access to our trade secrets and other intellectual
property. If one or more of these employees leave our employment to work for one of our competitors, then they may disseminate this proprietary
information despite our established procedures and policies to prevent such dissemination, which may as a result damage our competitive
position. If we fail to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights, then our business, results of operations or financial
condition could be materially harmed.
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In
addition, affirmatively defending our intellectual property rights and investigating whether any of our products or services violate
the rights of others may entail significant expense. Our intellectual property rights may be challenged by others or invalidated through
administrative processes or litigation. If we resort to legal proceedings to enforce our intellectual property rights or to determine
the validity and scope of the intellectual property or other proprietary rights of others, then the proceedings could result in significant
expense to us and divert the attention and efforts of our management and technical employees, even if we prevail.
We
may be sued by third parties for alleged infringement of their proprietary rights, which could be costly, time-consuming and limit our
ability to use certain technologies in the future.
We
may become subject to claims that our technologies infringe upon the intellectual property or other proprietary rights of third parties.
Defending against, or otherwise addressing, any such claims, whether they are with or without merit, could be time-consuming and expensive,
and could divert our management’s attention away from the execution of our business plan. Moreover, any settlement or adverse judgment
resulting from these claims could require us to pay substantial amounts or obtain a license to continue to use the disputed technology,
or otherwise restrict or prohibit our use of the technology. We cannot ensure that we would be able to: obtain from the third party asserting
the claim a license on commercially reasonable terms, if at all; develop alternative technology on a timely basis, if at all; or obtain
a license to use a suitable alternative technology to permit us to continue offering, and our customers to continue using, our affected
product. An adverse determination also could prevent us from offering our products to others. Infringement claims asserted against us
may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Risks
Related to Tax and Accounting Matters
Our
ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain tax credit carryforwards may be subject to limitation.
As
of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had aggregate U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards of $79.0 million and $67.3 million,
respectively, which may be available to offset future taxable income for U.S. income tax purposes. If not utilized, a portion of the
net operating loss carryforwards may expire. Under Section 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”)
an “ownership change” may limit the amount of our pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and certain other pre-change
tax attributes that could be utilized annually to offset our future taxable income, if any. This limitation would generally apply in
the event of a cumulative change in the equity ownership of certain stockholders of our company of more than 50 percentage points within
a rolling three-year period. We have experienced, and may in the future experience, ownership changes as a result of shifts in our stock
ownership. As a result, if we earn net taxable income, our ability to use our pre-change U.S. net operating loss carryforwards and other
tax attributes to offset U.S. taxable income may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future tax liability
to us. Sales of our common stock by our existing stockholders or additional sales of our common stock by us could further limit our ability
to use our U.S. net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations
in future years. Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit our use of accumulated state tax net operating losses. Net
operating losses arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 are not subject to expiration, but may not be carried back
to prior taxable years, except that net operating losses generated in 2018, 2019 and 2020 may be carried back five taxable years. Additionally,
the deductibility of such U.S. federal net operating losses is limited to no more than 80% of our taxable income (with certain adjustments)
in any taxable year beginning after December 31, 2020.
We
have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to effectively remediate these
material weaknesses, identify additional material weaknesses in the future, or otherwise fail to maintain effective internal control
over financial reporting, then we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which
may adversely affect our business.
Internal
control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Any failure to maintain effective internal
control over financial reporting could cause us to fail to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations
to meet our reporting obligations. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial
reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements
will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
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As
of June 30, 2025, December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had limited accounting personnel and other resources to address our internal
control over financial reporting. In connection with the preparation of our consolidated financial statements for the years ended
December 31, 2024 and 2023, material weaknesses were identified in the design and operating effectiveness of our internal control
over financial reporting. In 2024, we identified material weaknesses due to ineffective information and communication controls,
resulting in lack of timely identification and accounting for certain key debt and other agreements. During the course of the audit
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, a significant audit adjustment was identified due to improper application of the
guidance under ASC 606, Revenue From Contracts With Customers. Further, we did not timely review our debt agreements and amendments
for potential accounting implications, including debt extinguishments and modifications, as well as the potential accounting for
other terms such as the stock interest charge. In 2023, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial
reporting. As further discussed in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations,” we acquired six subsidiaries during the first two fiscal quarters of 2022. Several of these
subsidiaries did not have adequate personnel to manage their accounting functions and did not maintain a segregation of duties
between different roles at their organizations. In addition, in the course of preparing our consolidated financial statements for
the periods in which the acquisitions occurred, we did not have an effective risk assessment process that successfully identified
and assessed risks of material misstatement to ensure controls were designed and implemented to respond to those risks, and we did
not have an effective monitoring process to assess the consistent operation of internal control over financial reporting and
remediate known control deficiencies. As a result of these deficiencies, we did not effectively implement and operate process-level
control activities related to the accounting and reporting for the six acquisitions, including the fair value of our common stock
issued in certain of the transactions, resulting in the restatement of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year
ended December 31, 2022, as well as our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the six-month period ended June
30, 2022, the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022, the three-month period ended March 31, 2023, the six-month period ended
June 30, 2023 and the nine-month period ended September 30, 2023. Due to the delays we have experienced in securing funding, we have
not been able to hire and train sufficient staff at certain subsidiaries to remediate the previously identified material weaknesses
in our internal control over financial reporting.
While
we have made changes to our accounting processes and other internal controls and engaged additional accounting personnel in an
effort to remediate the foregoing material weaknesses and in preparation for operating as a public company, we cannot assure that
the measures we have taken to date, actions we continue to take, and actions we may take in the future, will be sufficient to
remediate the control deficiencies that led to these material weaknesses and restatement of our condensed consolidated financial
statements or to avoid potential future material weaknesses. If the steps we take do not correct the material weaknesses in a timely
manner, we will be unable to conclude that we maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, there could
continue to be a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our condensed consolidated financial statements would not be
prevented or detected on a timely basis.
If
we fail to remediate our existing material weaknesses or identify new material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting,
if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, if we are unable to conclude
that our internal controls over financial reporting are effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable
to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting when we are no longer an emerging growth
company, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock
could be negatively affected. As a result of such failures, we could also become subject to investigations by Nasdaq, the Securities
and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or other regulatory authorities, and become subject to litigation from investors and stockholders,
which could harm our reputation and financial condition or divert financial and management resources from our regular business activities.
81
A
failure to establish and maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, could adversely
affect our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations.
As
a public company, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the rules and regulations
of the applicable listing standards of Nasdaq. We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will continue to increase
our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time consuming, and costly, and place significant
strain on our personnel, systems, and resources.
The
Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over
financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and refine our disclosure controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure
that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we will file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized, and
reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and that information required to be disclosed in reports under the
Exchange Act, is accumulated and communicated to our principal executive and financial officers. We are also continuing to improve our
internal controls over financial reporting. For example, as we have prepared to become a public company, we have worked to improve controls
around our key accounting processes and quarterly close process. To maintain and enhance the effectiveness of our disclosure controls
and internal control over financial reporting, we anticipate allocating significant resources, including accounting-related costs and
investments, to strengthen our accounting systems.
Our
current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate because of changes in conditions in our business. In addition,
changes in accounting principles or interpretations could also challenge our internal controls and require that we establish new business
processes, systems, and controls to accommodate such changes. We have limited experience with implementing the systems and controls that
will be necessary to operate as a public company, as well as adopting changes in accounting principles or interpretations mandated by
the relevant regulatory bodies. Additionally, if these new systems, controls or standards and the associated process changes do not give
rise to the benefits that we expect or do not operate as intended, it could adversely affect our financial reporting systems and processes,
our ability to produce timely and accurate financial reports or the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Moreover,
our business may be harmed if we experience problems with any new systems and controls that result in delays in their implementation
or increased costs to correct any post-implementation issues that may arise.
Further,
weaknesses in our disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting have occurred in the past and may be discovered
in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or
improvement could harm our results of operations or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a
restatement of our condensed consolidated financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective
internal control over financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual
independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting that we will eventually be required to include in our periodic reports that will be filed with the SEC. Ineffective
disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in
our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock. In
addition, if we are unable to continue to meet these requirements, we may not be able to remain listed on Nasdaq. We are not
currently required to comply with the SEC rules that implement Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and are therefore not required
to make a formal assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for that purpose. As a public
company, we will be required to provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting commencing with our second annual report on Form 10-K.
Our
independent registered public accounting firm is not required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting until after we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. At such time, our independent
registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our internal
control over financial reporting is documented, designed or operating. Any failure to maintain effective disclosure controls and internal
control over financial reporting could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition and could cause a decline in
the trading price of our common stock.
Our
corporate structure and intercompany arrangements are subject to the tax laws of various jurisdictions, which are subject to change,
and we could be obligated to pay additional taxes, which would harm our results of operations.
We
are or may be subject to income and non-income taxation in the United States under federal, state, and local jurisdictions and in certain
foreign jurisdictions in which we operate. The amount of taxes we pay in these jurisdictions could increase substantially as a result
of changes in the applicable tax principles, including increased tax rates, new or revised tax laws or revised interpretations of existing
tax laws (which may have retroactive effect), policies and precedents by taxing authorities and courts in various jurisdictions. The
authorities in these jurisdictions could review our tax returns or require us to file tax returns in jurisdictions in which we are not
currently filing and could impose additional tax, interest and penalties. In addition, the authorities could claim that various withholding
requirements apply to us or our subsidiaries, assert that benefits of tax treaties are not available to us or our subsidiaries, or challenge
our methodologies for valuing developed technology or intercompany arrangements, including our transfer pricing. The relevant taxing
authorities may determine that the manner in which we operate our business does not achieve the intended tax consequences. If such a
determination were to be made, we could be required to pay additional taxes and interest and penalties. Any increase in the amount of
taxes we pay or that are imposed on us could increase our worldwide effective tax rate and harm our business and results of operations.
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Future
changes in financial accounting standards or practices may cause adverse and unexpected revenue fluctuations and adversely affect our
reported results of operations.
Future
changes in financial accounting standards may cause adverse, unexpected revenue fluctuations and affect our reported financial position
or results of operations. Financial accounting standards in the United States are constantly under review and new pronouncements and
varying interpretations of pronouncements have occurred with frequency in the past and are expected to occur again in the future. As
a result, we may be required to make changes in our accounting policies. Those changes could affect our financial condition and results
of operations or the way in which such financial condition and results of operations are reported. Compliance with new accounting standards
may also result in additional expenses. As a result, we intend to invest all reasonably necessary resources to comply with evolving standards,
and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from
business activities to compliance activities. See the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations—Recent Accounting Pronouncements.” As an emerging growth company, the JOBS Act allows us to delay
adoption of new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private
companies. We have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards and as a result
of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates. However,
we may elect to early adopt any new or revised accounting standards whenever such early adoption is permitted for non-public companies.
We may take advantage of these exemptions up until the time that we are no longer an emerging growth company.
Risks
Related Ownership of Our Common Stock
An
active trading market for our common stock may not continue to develop or be sustained.
Prior
to the IPO, there was no public market for our common stock. An active trading market for our shares may not continue to develop or be
sustained. The lack of an active market may impair the value of your shares, your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to
sell them and the prices that you may obtain for your shares. Further, an inactive trading market for our shares may also impair our
ability to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock or enter into strategic partnerships and transactions by issuing our shares
of common stock as consideration.
The
trading price of our common stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
The
trading price of our common stock may be highly volatile and may be subject to wide fluctuations
in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including:
●
announcements
of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by us or our competitors;
●
our
ability to effectively manage our growth;
●
actual
or anticipated variations in quarterly operating results;
●
our
cash position;
●
our
failure to meet the estimates and projections of the investment community or that we may otherwise provide to the public;
83
●
changes
in the market valuations of similar companies;
●
overall
performance of the equity markets;
●
sales
of our common stock by us or our stockholders in the future;
●
low
trading volume of our common stock, which may impair our ability to raise capital or enter into strategic collaborations and acquisitions
by using our common stock as consideration;
●
changes
in accounting practices;
●
ineffectiveness
of our internal controls;
●
disputes
or other developments relating to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters and our ability to obtain patent protection
for our technologies;
●
significant
lawsuits, including patent or stockholder litigation;
●
general
political and economic conditions; and
●
other
events or factors, many of which are beyond our control.
In
addition, the stock market in general, and the market for aerospace and defense companies in particular, have experienced extreme price
and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. Broad market
and industry factors, as well as local or global socio-economic and political factors, including the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine
and in the Middle East, may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.
If the market price of our common stock does not exceed the price you paid for them, you may not realize
any return on your investment in us and may lose some or all of your investment. In the past, securities class action litigation has
often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities. This type
of litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources.
We
do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock so any returns will be limited to the value of our stock.
We
currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not
anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, future debt or other financing
arrangements may contain terms prohibiting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our common stock. Any
return to stockholders will therefore be limited to the appreciation of their stock.
84
Our
principal stockholders and management own a significant percentage of our stock and are able
to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.
Our executive officers, directors, director nominees
and their affiliates, as well as our principal stockholders will beneficially hold a significant percentage of our outstanding voting stock. These stockholders, acting together, would be able to significantly influence
all matters requiring stockholder approval. For example, these stockholders would be able to significantly influence elections of directors,
amendments of our governing documents, or approval of any merger, sale of assets, or other major corporate transaction. This may prevent
or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of
our stockholders.
Our
management team has limited experience managing a public company.
Most
of the members of our management team have limited to no experience managing a publicly traded company, interacting with public company
investors and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies. Our management team has not worked together
at prior companies that were publicly traded. Our management team may not successfully or efficiently manage their new roles and responsibilities.
Our transition to being a public company subjects it to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under the federal
securities laws and the continuous scrutiny of securities analysts and investors. These new obligations and constituents will require
significant attention from our senior management and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business,
which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Future
issuances of debt or equity securities may adversely affect us, including the market price of our common stock, and may be dilutive to
existing stockholders.
In
the future, we may incur debt or issue equity-ranking senior to our common stock. Those securities will generally have priority upon
liquidation. Such securities also may be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating
flexibility. Additionally, any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges
more favorable than those of our common stock. Because our decision to issue debt or equity in the future will depend on market conditions
and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, nature or success of our future capital raising
efforts. As a result, future capital raising efforts may reduce the market price of our common stock and be dilutive to existing stockholders.
Any
issuance of additional capital stock in connection with financings, acquisitions, investments, our stock incentive plan or otherwise
will dilute all other stockholders.
We
expect to issue additional capital stock in the future that will result in dilution to all other stockholders. We expect to grant equity
awards to employees, directors, and consultants under our stock incentive plan. We may also raise capital through equity financings in
the future. As part of our business strategy, we may acquire or make investments in complementary companies, products, or technologies
and issue equity securities to pay for any such acquisition or investment. Any such issuances of additional capital stock, including
as a result of the exercise of any warrants to purchase shares of common stock, may cause stockholders to experience significant dilution
of their ownership interests and the per share value of our common stock to decline.
A
significant portion of our total outstanding shares are eligible to be sold into the market in the near future, which could cause the
market price of our common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.
Sales
of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception in the market that the holders of a
large number of stockholders intend to sell shares of our common stock, could reduce the market price of our common stock.
We
have registered all shares of common stock subject to equity awards issued or reserved for future issuance under our equity
compensation plans on a registration statement on Form S-8. These shares can be freely sold in the public
market upon issuance, subject to volume limitations applicable to affiliates under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, market
standoff provisions and lock-up agreements. Any sales of securities by these stockholders could have a negative
impact on the trading price of our common stock.
85
Future
sales, or the perception of future sales, by us or our stockholders in the public market could cause the market price
for our common stock to decline.
The
sale of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could harm the prevailing market
price of our common stock. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell
equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate.
Pursuant
to our 2025 Plan, our management is authorized to grant stock options and other
equity-based awards to our employees, directors and consultants. Additionally, the number of shares of our common stock reserved for
issuance under our 2025 Plan will automatically increase on January 1 of each calendar year, beginning on January 1, 2026 and continuing
through and including January 1, 2035, by 3% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding
calendar year, or a lesser number of shares determined by our board of directors. Unless our board of directors elects not to increase
the number of shares available for future grant each year, our stockholders may experience additional dilution, which could cause our
stock price to fall.
In
the future, we may also issue our securities in connection with investments or acquisitions. The amount of our securities issued in connection
with an investment or acquisition could constitute a material portion of the then-outstanding shares of our common stock. Any issuance
of additional securities in connection with investments or acquisitions may result in additional dilution to our stockholders.
We
are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth
companies and smaller reporting companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We
are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and may remain an emerging growth company until the last day
of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the closing of the IPO. However, if certain events occur prior to the end
of such five-year period, including if we become a “large accelerated filer,” our annual gross revenues exceed $1.235 billion
or we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we will cease to be an emerging growth company prior
to the end of such five-year period. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions
from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions
include, but are not limited to:
●
not
being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
●
not
being required to comply with the requirement of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the communication of critical
audit matters in the auditor’s report on the financial statements;
●
the
ability to elect to defer compliance with new or revised accounting standards until such standards would apply to private companies;
●
reduced
disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, proxy statements and registration statements; and
●
exemptions
from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments not previously
approved.
We
have taken advantage of the reduced reporting burdens in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the information we provide to stockholders will be different
than the information that is available with respect to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. It is possible that this may cause investors to find our
common stock less attractive. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading
market for our common stock and our share price may be reduced or more volatile.
86
Even
following the termination of our status as an emerging growth company, we may be able to take advantage of the reduced disclosure requirements
applicable to “smaller reporting companies,” as that term is defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and, in particular,
reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. To the extent that we are
no longer eligible to use exemptions from various reporting requirements, we may be unable to realize our anticipated cost savings from
these exemptions, which could have a material adverse impact on our operating results.
Delaware
law and provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make a merger, tender offer or proxy contest difficult, thereby depressing the trading price of
our common stock.
Provisions
of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, respectively, may delay or discourage transactions involving an actual or potential change in our
control or change in our management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares
or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. Therefore, these provisions could adversely
affect the price of our common stock. Among other things, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated
bylaws:
●
permit
our board of directors to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, with any rights, preferences and privileges as they may
designate (including the right to approve an acquisition or other change in our control);
●
provide
that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors;
●
provide
that the board of directors or any individual director may only be removed with cause and the affirmative vote of the holders of
at least 66-2/3% of the voting power of all of our then outstanding common stock;
●
provide
that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law, be filled by the affirmative
vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;
●
divide
our board of directors into three classes;
●
require
that any action to be taken by our stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and not
be taken by written consent;
●
provide
that stockholders seeking to present proposals before a meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors
at a meeting of stockholders must provide notice in writing in a timely manner and also specify requirements as to the form and content
of a stockholder’s notice;
●
do
not provide for cumulative voting rights, therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to
vote in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose; and
●
provide
that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the Chairman of the board, our Chief Executive Officer or by the
board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors.
The
amendment of any of these provisions, with the exception of the ability of our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock
and designate any rights, preferences and privileges thereto, requires approval by the holders of at least 66-2/3% of our then-outstanding
common stock.
In
addition, as a Delaware corporation, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. These provisions may prohibit
large stockholders, in particular those owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, from merging or combining with us for a certain
period of time. A Delaware corporation may opt out of this provision by express provision in its original certificate of incorporation
or by amendment to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws approved by its stockholders. However, we have not opted out of this provision.
These
and other provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law could make
it more difficult or costly for stockholders or potential acquirors to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that
are opposed by our then-current board of directors, including delay or impede a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving our company.
The existence of these provisions could negatively affect the price of our common stock and limit opportunities for you to realize value
in a corporate transaction.
87
Our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and any appellate
court therefrom are the exclusive forums for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’
ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative
forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings
under Delaware statutory or common law: (i) any derivative claim or cause of action brought on our behalf; (ii) any claim or cause of
action that is based upon a violation of a duty owed by any current or former director, officer, other employee or stockholder, to us
or our stockholders; (iii) any claim or cause of action against us or any current or former director, officer or other employee, arising
out of or pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our Certificate of Incorporation or our Bylaws; (iv) any
claim or cause of action seeking to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our Certificate of Incorporation or our Bylaws
(including any right, obligation, or remedy thereunder); (v) any claim or cause of action as to which the Delaware General Corporation
Law confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; and (vi) any claim or cause of action against us or any current
or former director, officer or other employee, governed by the internal-affairs doctrine or otherwise related to our internal affairs,
in all cases to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and subject to the court having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable
parties named as defendant; provided, however, that if the designation of such court as the sole and exclusive forum for a claim or action
referred to in foregoing clauses (i) through (vi) would violate applicable law, then the United States District Court for the District
of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for such claim or cause of action. These provisions do not apply to suits brought
to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all such Securities Act
actions. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. Additionally, investors cannot waive
compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple
jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our amended and restated
certificate of incorporation further provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution
of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, including all causes of action asserted against any defendant
named in such complaint. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder
may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions. In such instance, we
would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate
of incorporation. This may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and there
is uncertainty as to whether the provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.
These
choice of forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes
with us or our directors, officers or other employees and may discourage these types of lawsuits and result in increased costs for investors
to bring a claim. If a court were to find the choice of forum provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation
to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.
If
securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or if they downgrade our common stock or our sector, our common
stock price and trading volume could decline.
The
trading market for our common stock relies in part on the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us
or our business. We do not control these analysts. In addition, some financial analysts may have limited expertise with our model
and operations. Furthermore, if one or more of the analysts who do cover us downgrade our common stock or industry, or the stock of
any of our competitors, or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of our common stock could
decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases to cover us or fails to initiate coverage or publish reports on us regularly, we
could lose visibility in the market, which in turn could cause our common stock price or trading volume to decline.
General
Risk Factors
We
will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time
to new compliance initiatives and corporate governance practices.
As
a public company, and particularly after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, we will incur significant legal,
accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, Nasdaq listing
requirements and other applicable securities rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies, including
establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our management and
other personnel needs to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations
will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, we
expect that these rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer
liability insurance, which in turn could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of
directors.
We
are evaluating these rules and regulations, and cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing
of such costs. These rules and regulations are often subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity,
and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies.
This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure
and governance practices.
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Pursuant
to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act we will be required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial
reporting beginning with our second filing of an Annual Report on Form 10-K with the SEC after we become a public company. However, while
we remain an emerging growth company or smaller reporting company, we will not be required to include an attestation report on internal
control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. To achieve compliance with Section 404
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act within the prescribed period, we will be engaged in a process to document and evaluate our internal control
over financial reporting, which is both costly and challenging. In this regard, we will need to continue to dedicate internal resources,
potentially engage outside consultants, adopt a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial
reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing whether such controls are functioning
as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting. In addition,
if we identify one or more material weaknesses as a result of this implementation and evaluation process, it could result in an adverse
reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.
Our
business and financial performance could be adversely affected by inflation.
Until
recently, the inflation rate has generally been low in the geographies where we operate. However, recently, the inflation rate in the
United States reached a 40-year high, primarily as a result of higher energy costs and global supply chain disruptions. In the event
of a significant increase in consumer prices, particularly over an extended period of time, customer demand for our products and services
could be adversely affected and we could experience lower than expected sales. In addition, if any of our suppliers implemented price
increases in response to higher raw material, labor, and energy costs or otherwise, we may not be able to pass along such price increased
to our customers and our profitability may be reduced. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We
cannot predict the consequences of future macroeconomic conditions or geopolitical events, but they may adversely affect market and economic
conditions, the markets in which we operate, our ability to insure against risks, our operations or our profitability.
The
global credit and financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and disruptions in the past several years, including severely
diminished liquidity and credit availability, rising inflation and monetary supply shifts, rising interest rates, supply chain constraints,
labor shortages, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in unemployment rates, recession risks and uncertainty
about economic stability. For instance, ongoing instability and current conflicts in global markets, including in Eastern Europe, the
Middle East and Asia, and the potential for other conflicts and future terrorist activities, as well as other recent geopolitical events
throughout the world, including new or increased tariffs and potential trade wars, have created and may continue to create economic and
political uncertainties and impacts that could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, and profitability. We have
not experienced, and do not anticipate, any disruption in our supply chain or other business operations due to the ongoing conflict in
Ukraine. As the conflict expands or contracts, diminished sales would have little or no impact on our financial position, while increased
sales would be reflected in increased revenue. Sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries in response to military conflicts,
including the one in Ukraine, may also adversely impact the financial markets and the global economy, and any economic countermeasures
by the affected countries or others could exacerbate market and economic instability. If credit in financial markets outside of the United
States tightened, it could adversely affect the ability of our international customers and suppliers to obtain financing and could result
in a decrease in or cancellation of orders for our products, systems and services or impact the ability of our customers to make payments.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in widespread unemployment, economic slowdown and extreme volatility in the capital markets.
However, notwithstanding our current and anticipated position, these types of matters can cause uncertainty in financial markets and
may significantly increase the political, economic and social instability in geographic areas in which we operate now or may operate
in the future. The extent of the impact of these conditions on our operational and financial performance, including our ability to execute
our business strategies and initiatives in the expected timeframe, as well as that of third parties upon whom we rely, will depend on
future developments which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. There can be no assurance that further deterioration in credit and financial
markets and confidence in economic conditions will not occur. Events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other
adverse developments that affect financial institutions, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks,
have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. Our general business strategy may be adversely affected
by any such economic downturn, volatile business environment or continued unpredictable and unstable market conditions. If the current
equity and credit markets deteriorate, it may make any necessary debt or equity financing more difficult, more costly and more dilutive.
Failure to secure any necessary financing in a timely manner and on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our growth
strategy, financial performance and stock price and could require us to delay or abandon clinical development plans. In addition, there
is a risk that one or more of our current suppliers or other partners may not survive an economic downturn, which could directly affect
our ability to attain our operating goals on schedule and on budget.
89
Our
quarterly results of operations, revenues and cash flows may fluctuate from period to period due to a number of factors, which makes
predicting financial results difficult.
We
expect our quarterly results of operations to continue to fluctuate due to a number of factors, including as a result of supply chain
issues, product introduction schedules, competitive products entering the market and the seasonality and uneven sales patterns of our
OEM customers.
For
example, a portion of sales in our Avionics segment is expected to be made to OEMs beginning in 2025, and we expect that a large portion
of the Avionics segment’s OEM sales in the future will consist of sales of products to a customer operating in the eVTOL market.
We are subject to changes in buying patterns among our OEM customers, including unpredictable circumstances such as failed certifications
and delayed production schedules. Significant delays to the certification and production of the OEM aircraft could delay revenues to
future years and may result in cancelled orders by the OEM’s customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business,
results of operations and financial condition. As a result of these and other factors, quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our results
of operations may not be reliable indicators of our future performance.
Conflicts
of interest may arise because some members of our board of directors are representatives of our principal stockholders.
Certain
of our principal stockholders or their affiliates are venture capital funds or other investment vehicles that could invest in entities
that directly or indirectly compete with us. As a result of these relationships, when conflicts arise between the interests of the principal
stockholders or their affiliates and the interests of other stockholders, members of our board of directors that are representatives
of the principal stockholders may not be disinterested.
ITEM
2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
None.
ITEM
3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
None.
ITEM
4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not
applicable.