Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We
maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Disclosure controls and procedures
refer to controls and other procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file or submit
under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the
SEC and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
As
required by Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act, our management has carried out an evaluation, with the participation and under the supervision
of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls
and procedures, as of December 31, 2022. Based upon, and as of the date of this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer determined that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us
in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified
in applicable rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s
Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
This
Annual Report does not include a report of management’s assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation
report of the Company’s registered public accounting firm due to a transition period established by rules of the SEC for newly
public companies.
Changes
in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting
We
regularly review our system of internal control over financial reporting and make changes to our processes and systems to improve controls
and increase efficiency, while ensuring that we maintain an effective internal control environment. Changes may include such activities
as implementing new, more efficient systems, consolidating activities, and migrating processes.
There
have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022 that have materially
affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION.
We
have no information to disclose that was required to be disclosed in a report on Form 8-K during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022
but was not reported.
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS.
Not
applicable.
49
PART
III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
Directors
and Executive Officers
The
following sets forth information about our directors and executive officers:
Name
Age
Position
Derek
Dunlop
52
Chief
Experience Officer
Michael
Gaubert
56
Executive
Chairman and Director
Arshia
Sarkhani
26
Chief
Executive Officer, President and Director
Matthew
Krueger
37
Chief
Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary
Jackson
Fairbanks
21
Chief
Marketing Officer
Arman
Sarkhani
22
Chief
Operating Officer
Kyle
Fairbanks
25
Executive
Vice-Chairman and Director
Richard
A. Burton
57
Director
John
A. Jack II
55
Director
Scott
K. McDonald
69
Director
Brian
Regli
53
Director
Derek Dunlop has served as our Chief Experience Officer since September 2021. From April 2020 to January 2022, Mr. Dunlop also
provided consulting services through his business Digital Punk LLC. From June 2017 to April 2020, Mr. Dunlop was an executive officer
and co-founder of games developer AuGames. From November 2013 to May 2017, Mr. Dunlop worked on software development at Projekt202 as
a project developer. Mr. Dunlop has worked in the innovation, design, and consulting industry for over 20 years, designing, developing
and presenting ideas and solutions for global companies. These solutions include the creation of new dynamic business models and new
strategic directions to a variety of companies and industries. As a Practice Leader and Media, Retail and Digital Strategist at Dell
EMC (formerly EMC Corporation) from September 2009 to November 2013, Mr. Dunlop managed teams that worked on the cutting edge of “cloud-enabled”
application development, big data analytics and next-generation employee portal platforms, with a focus on solution envisioning and customer
pre-sales together with DevOps, platform-as-a-service, real-time analytics, application modernization and portal platforms. In addition,
from September 2009 to November 2013, Mr. Dunlop worked on strategic development for James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and
for digital visual effects company WETA Digital, founded by Peter Jackson. As a Strategic Digital Media Consultant for EMC Consulting
Group Inc., from October 2006 to September 2009, Mr. Dunlop worked with technical blueprints and corporate DNA infrastructure; developed
business plans and sales strategies for UK and global companies; managed solutions, concepts, training, and go to market propositions
for sales teams; managed and delivered white papers, press articles, and press releases; and acted as a company spokesperson As Head
of Media and Technology Worldwide at Virgin Entertainment from June 1992 to October 2006, Mr. Dunlop managed multimillion Euro stores
and projects across 132 retail stores in the UK and Ireland as well as more than 200 stores around the world. Based on this experience,
Mr. Dunlop has an expert understanding of consumer-facing technology and media delivery platforms across multiple network applications
and what it takes to deliver a new commercial, technical and strategic direction for a company. Mr. Dunlop received his Bachelor’s
degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Robert Gordon University.
Michael
Gaubert has served as our Executive Chairman since January 2022 and as our General Counsel since September 2021. Mr. Gaubert
has been a licensed attorney for 28 years. Since July 2016, Mr. Gaubert has been the President of Gaubert Law Group, PC, where he provides
legal services to his clients. Prior to establishing Gaubert Law Group, PC, from March 2015 to July 2016, Mr. Gaubert was a partner at
the national law firm of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, LLP, ranked in the top 20 largest law firms in the country. Since August
2017, Mr. Gaubert has been a manager of the rideshare company Get It Holdings, LLC. From February 2015 to December 2017, Mr. Gaubert
was the chairman and chief executive officer of Get Me, LLC, a rideshare/delivery software app operator, and he resumed the position
of chairman in April 2018. Mr. Gaubert has litigation and trial experience working on complex cases in a variety of areas relating to
management contracts, termination agreements, loan agreements, real estate sale and purchase contracts, and various other agreements.
Mr. Gaubert has represented large real estate companies, hotel owners and operators, including, publicly- and privately-held businesses,
in litigation in multiple U.S. states. Mr. Gaubert represents clients in complex commercial and business litigation, business and real
estate, and other transactions. Mr. Gaubert’s areas of practice include general contract, business torts, real estate litigation
and transactions, hotel and hospitality law, construction contracts and litigation, personal services contracts, consulting agreements,
bankruptcy litigation, intellectual property, e-commerce and Internet-related issues, and certain aspects of entertainment law and related
disputes. Mr. Gaubert is admitted to practice law in all of the Courts of the State of Texas, the United States District Court for the
Northern District of Texas, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for
the Third Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Mr. Gaubert received his JD from Georgetown University
Law Center and his Bachelor’s degree in History with a minor in Business Administration and African American Studies from Southern
Methodist University.
50
Arshia
Sarkhani is a co-founder of Asset Entities, and has served as our Chief Executive Officer and a director since September 2021
and President since March 2022. Mr. Sarkhani was our Head of Monetization from August 2020, when we began our operations as a general
partnership, until September 2021. Since April 2020 and July 2020, Mr. Sarkhani has also been sole owner and chief executive officer
of Sarkhani Inc. and Shiazon Inc., respectively. Before co-founding Asset Entities, Mr. Sarkhani actively invested and developed a social
media following which he and his co-founders utilized when starting Asset Entities. From May 2019 to September 2020, Mr. Sarkhani was
a legal intern at The RDM Legal Group. From September 2015 to May 2018, Mr. Sarkhani attended the University of California, Merced, and
subsequently, from September 2018 to May 2019, Grossmont Community College. From September 2019 to May 2021, Mr. Sarkhani attended San
Diego State University where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Humanities. We believe that Mr. Sarkhani is qualified to serve
on our board of directors as a co-founder with deep knowledge of Asset Entities.
Matthew
Krueger has served as our Chief Financial Officer since September 2021 and became Secretary and Treasurer in March 2022. Since
December 2018, Mr. Krueger has been the manager and chief executive officer of his consulting company Xcelerated Consulting, LLC where
he provides business and management services to clients in the technology, oil and gas, and real estate industry. From March 2015 to
December 2018, Mr. Krueger was the director of finance at Get Me, LLC. From 2010 to 2015, he had roles as the director of finance, controller,
and assistant controller at Technology Resource Center of America, LLC. Mr. Krueger received his Bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration, with a minor in Accounting, summa cum laude, from Finlandia University. Mr. Krueger holds a Texas CPA license.
Jackson
Fairbanks is a co-founder of Asset Entities, and has served as our Chief Marketing Officer since we began our operations as a
general partnership in August 2020. Before co-founding Asset Entities, Mr. Fairbanks actively invested and developed a social media following
which he and his co-founders utilized when starting Asset Entities. From August 2019 to May 2020, Mr. Fairbanks attended San Diego State
University. From September 2018 to August 2019, Mr. Fairbanks worked as an instructional aide for the Humboldt County Office of Education.
In May 2019, Mr. Fairbanks graduated from Fortuna Union High School.
Arman
Sarkhani is a co-founder of Asset Entities, and has served as our Chief Operating Officer since January 2022. Before co-founding
Asset Entities, Mr. Sarkhani actively invested and developed a social media following which he and his co-founders utilized when starting
Asset Entities. From October 2019 to November 2020, Mr. Sarkhani was a tutor with AVID, a nonprofit educational service, at Mount Carmel
High School. From August 2018 to May 2021, Mr. Sarkhani attended Miramar Community College. Mr. Sarkhani has been attending University
of California – San Diego since September 2021, and expects to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Marketing Management
in May 2024.
Kyle
Fairbanks is a co-founder of Asset Entities, and has served as our Executive Vice-Chairman since January 2022. Mr. Fairbanks
was our Executive Chairman from August 2020, when we began our operations as a general partnership, until January 2022. Before co-founding
Asset Entities, Mr. Fairbanks actively invested and developed a social media following which he and his co-founders utilized when starting
Asset Entities. From December 2019 to December 2020, Mr. Fairbanks worked as a certified personal trainer with Associated Students, a
student-led nonprofit auxiliary of California State University, Chico. From September 2017 to May 2018, Mr. Fairbanks worked as a part-time
instructional aide at the Humboldt County Office of Education Juvenile Hall Court. From September to October 2019, Mr. Fairbanks worked
as a dining hall student-employee at California State University, Chico. Mr. Fairbanks received his Bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration and Management from California State University, Chico in May 2020. We believe that Mr. Fairbanks is qualified to serve
on our board of directors as a co-founder with deep knowledge of Asset Entities.
51
Richard
A. Burton became a member of our board of directors in February 2023. Mr. Burton is also the chairman of our compensation committee
and a member of our audit committee and nominating and corporate governance committee. Mr. Burton is licensed to practice law in Texas.
Since 2009, Mr. Burton has served as general counsel and executive vice president for Landmark Management Group, LLC. As part of his
duties, he manages the corporate and regulatory affairs of companies in the financial services industry, in addition to managing the
human resources department and acting as the company’s spokesperson. From 1996 to 2008, Mr. Burton was general counsel and executive
vice president for Marketing Investors Corporation, Inc. where he managed the corporate and litigation affairs of businesses operating
in the real estate, apparel, direct to consumer sales and restaurant industries. Mr. Burton has been a director on several boards over
the years, including CreditAssociates, LLC, CID Resources, Inc. and BayLab USA, LLC. Mr. Burton received his JD from the Albany Law School
of Union University and his Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics from State University of New York at Albany. We believe
that Mr. Burton is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive legal career and board of director experience.
John
A. Jack II became a member of our board of directors in February 2023. Mr. Jack is an attorney licensed to practice law in Florida.
Mr. Jack is also a member of our compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee. Since 1998, Mr. Jack has been
an Allstate Insurance Agent with offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida. Throughout this time, these offices have won numerous
awards from Allstate, including the Honor Ring for six years, Circle of Champions Award for three years, Inner Circle Elite Award for
two years and the National Conference Award for one year. Mr. Jack served on the Advent Lutheran School Board from 2012 to 2016, and
is currently serving on the Advent Luther Church Executive Committee. Mr. Jack received his JD from Georgetown University Law Center
and his Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Economics from the University of Miami. Mr. Jack played Division 1 College football
for the famed Miami Hurricanes from 1985 to 1989 winning a national championship under the nationally known former coach, Jimmy Johnson,
before attending law school at Georgetown. We believe that Mr. Jack is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his record
of business team management and successes.
Scott
K. McDonald became a member of our board of directors in February 2023. Mr. McDonald is also the chairman of our nominating and
corporate governance committee and a member of our audit committee. Mr. McDonald is licensed to practice law in Texas. Over the course
of the four decades Mr. McDonald has been practicing law, he has represented buyers and sellers of real property and lenders in a variety
of transactions, including clients who buy, sell and develop unimproved real property and who buy and sell improved property such as
multifamily projects, retail projects and office buildings. Mr. McDonald has also been lender’s counsel for banks, savings and
loans and private lenders. From 2001 to 2007, and again from 2019 to present, Mr. McDonald has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission
for the City of DeSoto. Mr. McDonald received his JD from the University of Texas and his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science
and Mathematics from Southern Methodist University. We believe that Mr. McDonald is qualified to serve on our board of directors due
to his extensive legal career and commission experience.
Brian
Regli became a member of our board of directors in February 2023. Mr. Regli is also the chairman of our audit committee and a
member of our compensation committee. Since 2012, Mr. Regli has been the chief executive officer of Revere Suburban Realty. Mr. Regli
has also been the chief financial officer of DVNC LLC since 2020. From 2006 to 2012, Mr. Regli was the chief executive officer of Drakontas
LLC, from which he transitioned to being the Director of Commerce for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania from 2012 to 2014 during which
time he was also the Executive Director for Montgomery County Industrial Development Authority. Mr. Regli has been on many boards and
committees over the years, including being a member of the Board of Trustees for Gwynedd Mercy University since 2020 and a director on
the Cheltenham Township Community Development Corporation since 2017. Mr. Regli received his Ph.D. and Master’s degree in Comparative
Politics and International Economic Development from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and his Bachelor’s
degree in Philosophy and Government from Georgetown University. We believe that Mr. Regli is qualified to serve on our board of directors
due to his long record of executive and board experience.
Our
directors currently have terms which will end at our next annual meeting of the stockholders or until their successors are elected and
qualify, subject to their prior death, resignation or removal. Officers serve at the discretion of the board of directors. There is no
arrangement or understanding between any director or executive officer and any other person pursuant to which he was or is to be selected
as a director, nominee or officer.
Family
Relationships
Arman
Sarkhani, who is our Chief Operating Officer, and Arshia Sarkhani, who is our Chief Executive Officer and President and a director, are
brothers. Jackson Fairbanks, who is our Chief Marketing Officer, and Kyle Fairbanks, who is our Executive Vice-Chairman, are brothers.
Michael Gaubert, who is our Executive Chairman, and Brian Regli, who is a nominee for our board of directors, are cousins. There are
no other family relationships among any of our executive officers or directors.
52
Involvement
in Certain Legal Proceedings
To
the best of our knowledge, except as described below, none of our directors or executive officers has, during the past ten years:
● been
convicted in a criminal proceeding or been subject to a pending criminal proceeding (excluding
traffic violations and other minor offences);
● had
any bankruptcy petition filed by or against the business or property of the person, or of
any partnership, corporation or business association of which he was a general partner or
executive officer, either at the time of the bankruptcy filing or within two years prior
to that time;
● been
subject to any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated,
of any court of competent jurisdiction or federal or state authority, permanently or temporarily
enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting, his involvement in any type of business,
securities, futures, commodities, investment, banking, savings and loan, or insurance activities,
or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity;
● been
found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the SEC or the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission to have violated a federal or state securities or commodities
law, and the judgment has not been reversed, suspended, or vacated;
● been
the subject of, or a party to, any federal or state judicial or administrative order, judgment,
decree, or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated (not including any settlement
of a civil proceeding among private litigants), relating to an alleged violation of any federal
or state securities or commodities law or regulation, any law or regulation respecting financial
institutions or insurance companies including, but not limited to, a temporary or permanent
injunction, order of disgorgement or restitution, civil money penalty or temporary or permanent
cease-and-desist order, or removal or prohibition order, or any law or regulation prohibiting
mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity; or
● been
the subject of, or a party to, any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended
or vacated, of any self-regulatory organization (as defined in Section 3(a)(26) of the Exchange
Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(26))), any registered entity (as defined in Section 1(a)(29) of the
Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1(a)(29))), or any equivalent exchange, association, entity
or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with
a member.
Committees
of the Board of Directors
Our
board established the Company’s Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, each
with its own charter approved by the board. Each committee’s charter is also available on our website at https://www.assetentities.com/.
In
addition, our board of directors may, from time to time, designate one or more additional committees, which shall have the duties and
powers granted to it by our board of directors.
For
further related discussion, see “Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence –
Director Independence – Committees of the Board of Directors ”.
Audit
Committee Members
Brian
Regli, Richard Burton, and Scott McDonald, each of whom satisfies the “independence” requirements of Rule 10A-3 under
the Exchange Act and Nasdaq’s rules, serve on our audit committee, with Mr. Regli serving as the chairman. Our Board has determined
that Mr. Regli qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert.”
Material
Changes to Director Nomination Procedures
There
have been no material changes to the procedures by which stockholders may recommend nominees to our board of directors since such procedures
were last disclosed.
53
Code
of Ethics and Business Conduct
We
have adopted a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal
executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. Such Code of Ethics and Business Conduct addresses,
among other things, honesty and ethical conduct, conflicts of interest, compliance with laws, regulations and policies, including disclosure
requirements under the federal securities laws, and reporting of violations of the code.
The
full text of the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct is attached as Exhibit 14.1 to this Annual Report and posted on our website at https://www.assetentities.com/.
Any waiver of the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct for directors or executive officers must be approved by our Audit Committee. We
will disclose future amendments to our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, or waivers from our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct for
our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar
functions, on our website within four business days following the date of the amendment or waiver. In addition, we will disclose
any waiver from our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct for our other executive officers and our directors on our website. A copy of
our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct will also be provided free of charge upon request to: Secretary, Asset Entities Inc., 100
Crescent Ct, 7th Floor, Dallas, TX 75201.
Delinquent
Section 16(a) Reports
Section
16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and executive officers and beneficial holders of more than 10% of our shares of common
stock to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our equity securities. We were not subject
to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act during the year ended December 31, 2022.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
Summary
Compensation Table - Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
The
following table sets forth information concerning all cash and non-cash compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to the named persons
for services rendered in all capacities during the noted periods. No other executive officers received total compensation in excess
of $100,000.
Name and Principal Position
Year
Salary
($)
Bonus
($)
Stock Awards
($)
Option Awards
($)
All Other Compensation
($) (1)
Total
($)
Arshia Sarkhani,
2022
-
-
-
-
47,500
47,500
Chief Executive Officer and President
2021
-
-
-
-
48,975
48,975
Derek Dunlop,
2022
-
-
-
-
104,316
104,316
Chief Experience Officer
2021
-
-
-
-
10,000
10,000
(1) All
other compensation consisted of consulting fees.
Executive
Employment and Consulting Agreements
Under
the employment letter agreement between the Company and the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and President, Arshia Sarkhani, dated
as of April 21, 2022, the term of the agreement commenced as of the closing of the IPO on February 7, 2023, and will continue for two
years unless terminated earlier in accordance with its terms. During the term of the agreement, the Company will pay Mr. Sarkhani an
annual salary of $240,000 and an initial cash bonus of $10,000. Mr. Sarkhani will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus as determined
by the Company’s board of directors. Pursuant to the employment letter agreement, following the closing of the IPO, on February
7, 2023, the Company entered into its standard form of restricted stock award agreement with Mr. Sarkhani granting restricted stock under
the Plan in the amount of 200,000 shares of Class B Common Stock to vest equally over three years on each anniversary of the agreement.
Upon a change of control of the Company, all of the shares will vest immediately. Under the employment letter agreement, Mr. Sarkhani
will be eligible to participate in standard benefits plans offered to similarly-situated employees by the Company from time to time,
subject to plan terms and generally applicable Company policies. The employment letter agreement also has certain confidentiality and
non-competition provisions. The Company previously entered into its standard form of directors and officers indemnification agreement
with Mr. Sarkhani, and provided standard directors and officers liability insurance, in accordance with the employment letter agreement.
Under
the employment letter agreement between the Company and the Company’s Chief Experience Officer, Derek Dunlop, dated as of April
21, 2022, the term of the agreement commenced as of the closing of the IPO on February 7, 2023, and will continue for two years unless
terminated earlier in accordance with its terms. During the term of the agreement, the Company will pay Mr. Dunlop an annual salary of
$220,000 and an initial cash bonus of $10,000. Mr. Dunlop will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus as determined by the Company’s
board of directors. Pursuant to the employment letter agreement, following the closing of the IPO, on February 7, 2023, the Company entered
into its standard form of restricted stock award agreement with Mr. Dunlop granting restricted stock under the Plan in the amount of
225,500 shares of Class B Common Stock to vest equally over three years on each anniversary of the agreement. Upon a change of control
of the Company, all of the shares will vest immediately. Under the employment letter agreement, Mr. Dunlop will be eligible to participate
in standard benefits plans offered to similarly-situated employees by the Company from time to time, subject to plan terms and generally
applicable Company policies. The employment letter agreement also has certain confidentiality and non-competition provisions. The Company
previously entered into its standard form of directors and officers indemnification agreement with Mr. Dunlop, and provided standard
directors and officers liability insurance, in accordance with the employment letter agreement.
54
Under
the employment letter agreement between the Company and the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary, Matthew
Krueger, dated as of April 21, 2022, the term of the agreement commenced as of the closing of the IPO on February 7, 2023, and will continue
for two years unless terminated earlier in accordance with its terms. During the term of the agreement, the Company will pay Mr. Krueger
an annual salary of $180,000 and an initial cash bonus of $25,000. Mr. Krueger will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus as determined
by the Company’s board of directors. Pursuant to the employment letter agreement, following the closing of the IPO, on February
7, 2023, the Company entered into its standard form of restricted stock award agreement with Mr. Krueger granting restricted stock under
the Plan in the amount of 198,000 shares of Class B Common Stock to vest equally over three years on each anniversary of the agreement.
Upon a change of control of the Company, all of the shares will vest immediately. Under the employment letter agreement, Mr. Krueger
will be eligible to participate in standard benefits plans offered to similarly-situated employees by the Company from time to time,
subject to plan terms and generally applicable Company policies. The employment letter agreement also has certain confidentiality and
non-competition provisions. The Company previously entered into its standard form of directors and officers indemnification agreement
with Mr. Krueger, and provided standard directors and officers liability insurance, in accordance with the employment letter agreement.
Under
the employment letter agreement between the Company and the Company’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Kyle Fairbanks, dated as of April
21, 2022, the term of the agreement commenced as of the closing of the IPO on February 7, 2023, and will continue for two years unless
terminated earlier in accordance with its terms. During the term of the agreement, the Company will pay Mr. Fairbanks an annual salary
of $240,000 and an initial cash bonus of $10,000. Mr. Fairbanks will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus as determined by the
Company’s board of directors. Pursuant to the employment letter agreement, following the closing of the IPO, on February 7, 2023,
the Company entered into its standard form of restricted stock award agreement with Mr. Fairbanks granting restricted stock under the
Plan in the amount of 200,000 shares of Class B Common Stock to vest equally over three years on each anniversary of the agreement. Upon
a change of control of the Company, all of the shares will vest immediately. Under the employment letter agreement, Mr. Fairbanks will
be eligible to participate in standard benefits plans offered to similarly-situated employees by the Company from time to time, subject
to plan terms and generally applicable Company policies. The employment letter agreement also has certain confidentiality and non-competition
provisions. The Company previously entered into its standard form of directors and officers indemnification agreement with Mr. Fairbanks,
and provided standard directors and officers liability insurance, in accordance with the employment letter agreement.
Under
the employment letter agreement between the Company and the Company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jackson Fairbanks, dated as of April
21, 2022, the term of the agreement commenced as of the closing of the IPO on February 7, 2023, and will continue for two years unless
terminated earlier in accordance with its terms. During the term of the agreement, the Company will pay Mr. Fairbanks an annual salary
of $125,000 and an initial cash bonus of $10,000. Mr. Fairbanks will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus as determined by the
Company’s board of directors. Pursuant to the employment letter agreement, following the closing of the IPO, on February 7, 2023,
the Company entered into its standard form of restricted stock award agreement with Mr. Fairbanks granting restricted stock under the
Plan in the amount of 163,000 shares of Class B Common Stock to vest equally over three years on each anniversary of the agreement. Upon
a change of control of the Company, all of the shares will vest immediately. Under the employment letter agreement, Mr. Fairbanks will
be eligible to participate in standard benefits plans offered to similarly-situated employees by the Company from time to time, subject
to plan terms and generally applicable Company policies. The employment letter agreement also has certain confidentiality and non-competition
provisions. The Company previously entered into its standard form of directors and officers indemnification agreement with Mr. Fairbanks,
and provided standard directors and officers liability insurance, in accordance with the employment letter agreement.
Under
the employment letter agreement between the Company and the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, Arman Sarkhani, dated as of April
21, 2022, the term of the agreement commenced as of the closing of the IPO on February 7, 2023, and will continue for two years unless
terminated earlier in accordance with its terms. During the term of the agreement, the Company will pay Mr. Sarkhani an annual salary
of $125,000 and an initial cash bonus of $10,000. Mr. Sarkhani will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus as determined by the
Company’s board of directors. Pursuant to the employment letter agreement, following the closing of the IPO, on February 7, 2023,
the Company entered into its standard form of restricted stock award agreement with Mr. Sarkhani granting restricted stock under the
Plan in the amount of 163,000 shares of Class B Common Stock to vest equally over three years on each anniversary of the agreement. Upon
a change of control of the Company, all of the shares will vest immediately. Under the employment letter agreement, Mr. Sarkhani will
be eligible to participate in standard benefits plans offered to similarly-situated employees by the Company from time to time, subject
to plan terms and generally applicable Company policies. The employment letter agreement also has certain confidentiality and non-competition
provisions. The Company previously entered into its standard form of directors and officers indemnification agreement with Mr. Sarkhani,
and provided standard directors and officers liability insurance, in accordance with the employment letter agreement.
55
Each
of the above employment letter agreements may be terminated by the Company only for “cause”. “Cause” is defined
as (a) conviction of or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof; (b) commission
of fraud or embezzlement on the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (c) willful act or omission which results in an assessment of a civil
or criminal penalty against the Company or any of its subsidiaries that causes material financial or reputational harm to the Company
or any of its subsidiaries; (d) any intentional act of dishonesty resulting or intending to result in personal gain or enrichment at
the expense of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (e) a violation by of law (whether statutory, regulatory or common law), causing
a material financial harm or material reputational harm to the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (f) a material violation of the Company’s
(or any of its subsidiaries’) bona fide, written equal employment opportunity, antidiscrimination, anti-harassment, or anti-retaliation
policies; (g) material breach of this agreement; (h) the consistent abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs or controlled substances, which
interferes with the performance of the officer’s duties to the Company; (i) failure to execute the duties and responsibilities
of the officer position which the officer holds; (j) a breach or default of the officer’s obligations to the Company or under the
agreement; or (k) excessive absenteeism other than for reasons of illness. Each officer may terminate such officer’s employment
letter agreement at will.
Under
the consulting letter agreement between the Company and the Company’s Executive Chairman, Michael Gaubert, dated as of April 21,
2022, the term of the agreement commenced as of the closing of the IPO on February 7, 2023, and will continue for two years unless terminated
earlier in accordance with its terms. During the term of the agreement, the Company will pay Mr. Gaubert an annual salary of $240,000
and an initial cash bonus of $50,000. Mr. Gaubert will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus as determined by the Company’s
board of directors. Pursuant to the consulting letter agreement, following the closing of the IPO, on February 7, 2023, the Company entered
into its standard form of restricted stock award agreement with Mr. Gaubert granting restricted stock under the Plan in the amount of
225,500 shares of Class B Common Stock to vest equally over three years on each anniversary of the agreement. Upon a change of control
of the Company, all of the shares will vest immediately. Under the consulting letter agreement, Mr. Gaubert will be eligible to participate
in standard benefits plans offered to similarly-situated employees by the Company from time to time, subject to plan terms and generally
applicable Company policies. The consulting letter agreement also has certain confidentiality and non-competition provisions. The Company
previously entered into its standard form of directors and officers indemnification agreement with Mr. Gaubert, and provided standard
directors and officers liability insurance, in accordance with the employment letter agreement. The consulting letter agreement can be
terminated by either party upon 30 days’ advance written notice.
A
copy of each employment letter agreement with each of Mr. Arshia Sarkhani, Mr. Dunlop, Mr. Krueger, Mr. Kyle Fairbanks, Mr. Jackson Fairbanks,
and Mr. Arman Sarkhani is filed as Exhibit 10.1, Exhibit 10.2, Exhibit 10.3, Exhibit 10.4, Exhibit 10.5, and Exhibit 10.6 to this Annual
Report, respectively; a copy of the consulting agreement with Mr. Gaubert is filed as Exhibit 10.7, to this Annual Report; a copy of
the Plan is filed as Exhibit 10.16 to this Annual Report; the form of restricted stock award agreement for the Plan is filed as Exhibit
10.18 to this Annual Report; and the form of indemnification agreement with each officer or director is filed as Exhibit 10.15 to this
Annual Report. The description above is qualified in its entirety by reference to each respective exhibit.
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
No
executive officer named above had any unexercised options, stock that has not vested or equity incentive plan awards outstanding as of
December 31, 2022.
Additional Narrative Disclosure
Retirement
Benefits
We
have not maintained, and do not currently maintain, a defined benefit pension plan, nonqualified deferred compensation plan or other
retirement benefits.
Potential
Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
See
“ —Executive Employment and Consulting Agreements ” above.
Director
Compensation
None
of the directors of the Company received compensation for their service as a director during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
56
Under
the Independent Director Agreement between us and each of our independent directors, each independent director will receive an annual
cash fee and an initial award of restricted common stock. We will pay the annual cash compensation fee to each independent director in
four equal installments no later than the fifth business day of each calendar quarter commencing in the quarter following the date of
the director’s appointment. Each of the independent directors was automatically appointed pursuant to the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement on February 2, 2023. As such, cash fee payments under each Independent Director Agreement will begin in the second
quarter of 2023. The cash fee to be paid to each independent director will be $49,000 as to Mr. Richard Burton, $40,000 as to Mr. John
Jack, $49,000 as to Mr. Scott McDonald, and $49,000 as to Mr. Brian Regli. In addition, under their agreements, 9,000 restricted shares
of common stock were awarded to each independent director following each director’s appointment. The restricted stock vests in
four (4) equal quarterly installments commencing in the quarter following the date of the director’s appointment. We will also
reimburse each independent director for pre-approved reasonable business-related expenses incurred in good faith in connection with the
performance of the director’s duties for us. As also required under each Independent Director Agreement, we have separately entered
into a standard indemnification agreement with each of our directors, the term of which began on the date of the director’s appointment.
A
copy of each Independent Director Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.11, Exhibit 10.12, Exhibit 10.13, and Exhibit 10.14 to this
Annual Report, respectively, and the above description of their terms is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibits.
2022
Equity Incentive Plan
On
May 2, 2022, our board of directors approved, and our majority stockholders ratified, the Asset Entities Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan.
Purpose
of the Plan : The purpose of the Plan is to advance our interests and the interests of our stockholders by providing an incentive
to attract, retain and reward persons performing services for us and by motivating such persons to contribute to our growth and profitability.
The maximum number of shares of Class B Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to awards granted under the Plan is 2,750,000 shares.
Cancelled and forfeited stock options and stock awards may again become available for grant under the Plan. As of March 31, 2023, we
have not granted any stock options under the Plan and 1,339,000 shares remain available for issuance under the Plan. We granted awards
for a total of 1,411,000 restricted shares of common stock under the Plan upon the consummation of the IPO. We intend that awards granted
under the Plan be exempt from or comply with Section 409A of the Code (including any amendments or replacements of such section), and
the Plan shall be so construed.
The
following summary briefly describes the principal features of the Plan and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text
of the Plan, a copy of which is attached to this Annual Report as Exhibit 10.16.
Awards
that may be granted include: (a) Incentive Stock Options, (b) Non-qualified Stock Options, (c) Stock Appreciation
Rights, (d) Restricted Awards, (e) Performance Share Awards, and (f) Performance Compensation Awards. These awards offer
our officers, employees, consultants and directors the possibility of future value, depending on the long-term price appreciation
of the Class B Common Stock and the award holder’s continuing service with the Company.
Stock
options give the option holder the right to acquire from us a designated number of shares of Class B Common Stock at a purchase price
that is fixed upon the grant of the option. The exercise price generally will not be less than the market price of the Class B Common
Stock on the date of grant. Stock options granted may be either tax-qualified stock options (so-called “incentive stock
options”) or non-qualified stock options.
Stock
appreciation rights, or SARs, may be granted alone or in tandem with options, and have an economic value similar to that of options.
When a SAR for a particular number of shares is exercised, the holder receives a payment equal to the difference between the fair market
value of the shares on the date of exercise and the exercise price of the shares under the SAR. The exercise price for SARs is normally
the market price of the shares on the date the SAR is granted. Under the Plan, holders of SARs may receive this payment —
the appreciation value — either in cash or shares of Class B Common Stock valued at the fair market value on the date of exercise.
The form of payment will be determined by the Compensation Committee of the board of directors.
Restricted
awards are awards of shares of Class B Common Stock or rights to shares of Class B Common Stock to participants at no cost. Restricted
stock awards represent issued and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock which may be subject to vesting criteria under the terms
of the award within the discretion of the Compensation Committee. Restricted stock units represent the right to receive shares of Class
B Common Stock which may be subject to satisfaction of vesting criteria under the terms of the award within the discretion of the Compensation
Committee. Restricted stock and the rights under restricted stock units are forfeitable and non-transferable until they vest. The
vesting date or dates and other conditions for vesting are established when the shares are awarded.
The
Plan also provides for performance compensation awards, representing the right to receive a payment, which may be in the form of cash,
shares of Class B Common Stock, or a combination, based on the attainment of pre-established goals.
All
of the permissible types of awards under the Plan are described in more detail as follows:
Purposes
of Plan: The purposes of the Plan are (a) to enable the Company and any affiliate company to attract and
retain the types of employees, consultants and directors who will contribute to the Company’s long-term success; (b) provide incentives
that align the interests of employees, consultants and directors with those of the stockholders of the Company; and (c) promote the success
of the Company’s business.
57
Administration of the Plan: The Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee. Among other things,
the Compensation Committee has the authority to select persons who will receive awards, determine the types of awards and the number
of shares to be covered by awards, and to establish the terms, conditions, performance criteria, restrictions and other provisions of
awards. The Compensation Committee has authority to establish, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan.
Eligible
Recipients: Persons eligible to receive awards under the Plan are employees (including officers or directors
who are also treated as employees); consultants, i.e., persons engaged to provide consulting or advisory services to the Company; and
directors.
Shares
Available Under the Plan: The maximum number of shares of our Class B Common Stock that may be delivered
to participants under the Plan is 2,750,000, subject to adjustment for certain corporate changes affecting the shares, such as stock
splits. Shares subject to an award under the Plan which is canceled, forfeited or expires again become available for grants under the
Plan.
Stock
Options:
General. Subject
to the provisions of the Plan, the Compensation Committee has the authority to determine all grants of stock options. That determination
will include: (i) the number of shares subject to any option; (ii) the exercise price per share; (iii) the expiration
date of the option; (iv) the manner, time and date of permitted exercise; (v) other restrictions, if any, on the option or
the shares underlying the option; and (vi) any other terms and conditions as the Compensation Committee may determine.
Option
Price . The exercise price for stock options will be determined at the time of grant. Normally, the exercise price will not be less
than the fair market value on the date of grant. As a matter of tax law, the exercise price for any incentive stock option awarded may
not be less than the fair market value of the shares on the date of grant. However, incentive stock option grants to any person owning
more than 10% of our voting stock must have an exercise price of not less than 110% of the fair market value on the grant date.
Exercise
of Options. An option may be exercised only in accordance with the terms and conditions of the option agreement as established by
the Compensation Committee at the time of the grant. The option must be exercised by notice to us, accompanied by payment of the exercise
price. Payments may be made in cash or, at the option of the Compensation Committee, by actual or constructive delivery of shares of
Class B Common Stock based upon the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise.
Expiration
or Termination. Options, if not previously exercised, will expire on the expiration date established by the Compensation Committee
at the time of grant. In the case of incentive stock options, such term cannot exceed ten years provided that in the case of holders
of more than 10% of our voting stock, such term cannot exceed five years. Options will terminate before their expiration date if the
holder’s service with the Company or an affiliate company terminates before the expiration date. The option may remain exercisable
for specified periods after certain terminations of employment, including terminations as a result of death, disability or retirement,
with the precise period during which the option may be exercised to be established by the Compensation Committee and reflected in the
grant evidencing the award.
Incentive
and Non-Qualified Options. As described elsewhere in this summary, an incentive stock option is an option that is intended
to qualify under certain provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, for more favorable tax treatment
than applies to non-qualified stock options. Only employees may be granted incentive stock options. Any option that does not qualify
as an incentive stock option will be a non-qualified stock option. Under the Code, certain restrictions apply to incentive stock
options. For example, the exercise price for incentive stock options may not be less than the fair market value of the shares on the
grant date and the term of the option may not exceed ten years. In addition, an incentive stock option may not be transferred, other
than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during the holder’s lifetime only by the holder. In addition,
no incentive stock options may be granted to a holder that is first exercisable in a single year if that option, together with all incentive
stock options previously granted to the holder that also first become exercisable in that year, relate to shares having an aggregate
market value in excess of $100,000, measured at the grant date.
Stock Appreciation Rights: Awards
of SARs may be granted alone or in tandem with stock options. SARs provide the holder with the right, upon exercise, to receive a payment,
in cash or shares of stock, having a value equal to the excess of the fair market value on the exercise date of the shares covered by
the award over the exercise price of those shares. Essentially, a holder of a SAR benefits when the market price of the Class B Common
Stock increases, to the same extent that the holder of an option does, but, unlike an option holder, the SAR holder need not pay an exercise
price upon exercise of the award.
58
Restricted
Stock Awards . A restricted stock award is a grant of shares of Class B Common Stock. These awards may be subject to such vesting
conditions, restrictions and contingencies as the Compensation Committee shall determine at the date of grant. Those may include requirements
for continuous service and/or the achievement of specified performance goals. Restricted stock is forfeitable and generally non-transferable until
it vests. The vesting date or dates and other conditions for vesting are established when the shares are awarded. The Compensation Committee
may remove any vesting or other restrictions from restricted stock whenever it may determine that, by reason of changes in applicable
laws or other changes in circumstances arising after the date of grant, such action is appropriate. Holders of restricted stock otherwise
generally have the rights of stockholders of the Company, including voting and dividend rights, to the same extent as other stockholders
of the Company.
Restricted
Stock Units . A restricted stock unit is a right to receive stock on a future date, at which time the restricted stock unit
will be settled and the stock to which it granted rights will be issued to the restricted stock unit holder. These awards may be
subject to such vesting conditions, restrictions and contingencies as the Compensation Committee shall determine at the date of grant.
Restricted stock units are forfeitable and generally non-transferable until they vest. The Compensation Committee may remove any
vesting or other restrictions from a restricted stock unit whenever it may determine that, by reason of changes in applicable laws or
other changes in circumstances arising after the date of grant, such action is appropriate. A restricted stock unit holder has no rights
as a stockholder. The Compensation Committee may exercise discretion to credit a restricted stock unit with cash and stock dividends,
with or without interest, and distribute such credited amounts upon settlement of a restricted stock unit, and if the restricted stock
unit is forfeited, such dividend equivalents will also be forfeited.
Performance
Share Awards and Performance Compensation Awards: The Compensation Committee may grant performance share
awards and performance compensation awards. A performance share means the grant of a right to receive a number of actual shares of Class
B Common Stock or share units based upon the performance of the Company during a performance period, as determined by the Compensation
Committee. The Compensation Committee may determine the number of shares subject to the performance share award, the performance period,
the conditions to be satisfied to earn an award, and the other terms, conditions and restrictions of the award. No payout of a performance
share award will be made except upon written certification by the Compensation Committee that the minimum threshold performance goal(s)
have been achieved.
The
Compensation Committee may also designate any of the other awards described above as a performance compensation award (other than stock
options and SARs granted with an exercise price equal to or greater than the fair market value per share of Class B Common Stock on the
grant date). In addition, the Compensation Committee shall have the authority to make an award of a cash bonus to any participant and
designate such award as a performance compensation award. The participant must be employed by the Company on the last day of the performance
period to be eligible for payment in respect of a performance compensation award unless otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement.
A performance compensation award will be paid only to the extent that the Compensation Committee certifies in writing whether and the
extent to which the applicable performance goals for the performance period have been achieved and the applicable performance formula
determines that the performance compensation award has been earned. A performance formula means, for a performance period, the one or
more objective formulas applied against the relevant performance goal to determine, with regard to the performance compensation award
of a particular participant, whether all, some portion but less than all, or none of the performance compensation award has been earned
for the performance period. The Compensation Committee will not have the discretion to grant or provide payment in respect of a performance
compensation award for a performance period if the performance goals for such performance period have not been attained.
The
Compensation Committee will establish performance goals for each performance compensation award based upon the performance criteria that
it has selected. The performance criteria shall be based on the attainment of specific levels of performance of the Company and may include
the following: (a) net earnings or net income (before or after taxes); (b) basic or diluted earnings per share (before or after taxes);
(c) net revenue or net revenue growth; (d) gross revenue; (e) gross profit or gross profit growth; (f) net operating profit (before or
after taxes); (g) return on assets, capital, invested capital, equity, or sales; (h) cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating
cash flow, free cash flow, and cash flow return on capital); (i) earnings before or after taxes, interest, depreciation and/or amortization;
(j) gross or operating margins; (k) improvements in capital structure; (l) budget and expense management; (m) productivity ratios; (n)
economic value added or other value added measurements; (o) share price (including, but not limited to, growth measures and total stockholder
return); (p) expense targets; (q) margins; (r) operating efficiency; (s) working capital targets; (t) enterprise value; (u) safety record;
(v) completion of acquisitions or business expansion; (w) achieving research and development goals and milestones; (x) achieving product
commercialization goals; and (y) other criteria as may be set by the Compensation Committee from time to time.
59
The
Compensation Committee will also determine the performance period for the achievement of the performance goals under a performance compensation
award. At any time during the first 90 days of a performance period (or such longer or shorter time period as the Compensation Committee
shall determine) or at any time thereafter, in its sole and absolute discretion, to adjust or modify the calculation of a performance
goal for such performance period in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the rights of participants based on the following
events: (a) asset write-downs; (b) litigation or claim judgments or settlements; (c) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles,
or other laws or regulatory rules affecting reported results; (d) any reorganization and restructuring programs; (e) extraordinary nonrecurring
items as described in Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 30 (or any successor or pronouncement thereto) and/or in management’s
discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s annual report to stockholders
for the applicable year; (f) acquisitions or divestitures; (g) any other specific unusual or nonrecurring events, or objectively determinable
category thereof; (h) foreign exchange gains and losses; and (i) a change in the Company’s fiscal year.
Any
one or more of the performance criteria may be used on an absolute or relative basis to measure the performance of our company, as the
Compensation Committee may deem appropriate, or as compared to the performance of a group of comparable companies, or published or special
index that the Compensation Committee deems appropriate.
In
determining the actual size of an individual performance compensation award, the Compensation Committee may reduce or eliminate the amount
of the award through the use of negative discretion if, in its sole judgment, such reduction or elimination is appropriate. The Compensation
Committee shall not have the discretion to (i) grant or provide payment in respect of performance compensation awards if the performance
goals have not been attained or (ii) increase a performance compensation award above the maximum amount payable under the Plan.
Other
Material Provisions: Awards will be evidenced by a written agreement, in such form as may be approved by the Compensation Committee.
In the event of various changes to the capitalization of our company, such as stock splits, stock dividends and similar re-capitalizations,
an appropriate adjustment will be made by the Compensation Committee to the number of shares covered by outstanding awards or to the
exercise price of such awards. The Compensation Committee generally has the power to accelerate the exercise or vesting period of an
award. The Compensation Committee is also permitted to include in the written agreement provisions that provide for certain changes in
the award in the event of a change of control of our company, including acceleration of vesting or payment of the value of the award
in cash or stock. Except as otherwise determined by the Compensation Committee at the date of grant, awards will generally not be transferable,
other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Prior to any award distribution, to the extent provided by the terms of an
award agreement and subject to the discretion of the Compensation Committee, a participant may satisfy any employee withholding tax requirements
relating to the exercise or acquisition of Class B Common Stock under an award by tendering a cash payment authorizing the Company to
withhold shares of Class B Common Stock otherwise issuable to the participant as a result of the exercise or acquisition of Class B Common
Stock under the award (in addition to the Company’s right to withhold from any compensation paid to the participant by the Company).
Our board has the authority, at any time, to discontinue the granting of awards. The board also has the authority to alter or amend the
Plan or any outstanding award or may terminate the Plan as to further grants, provided that no amendment to the Plan will be made, without
the approval of our stockholders, to the extent that such approval is required by law or the rules of an applicable securities exchange,
or such alteration or amendment would change the number of shares available under the Plan or change the persons eligible for awards
under the Plan. No amendment to an outstanding award made under the Plan that would adversely affect the award may be made without the
consent of the holder of such award.
60
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.
The
following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of March 31, 2023, for
(i) each of our named executive officers and directors; (ii) all of our executive officers and directors as a group; and (iii) each other
stockholder known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our outstanding voting securities. The following table
assumes that the underwriters have not exercised the over-allotment option.
Beneficial
ownership is determined in accordance with SEC rules and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. For
purposes of this table, a person or group of persons is deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of any shares of common stock
that such person or any member of such group has the right to acquire within sixty (60) days of March 31, 2023. For purposes of computing
the percentage of outstanding shares of our common stock held by each person or group of persons named above, any shares that such person
or persons has the right to acquire within sixty (60) days of March 31, 2023 are deemed to be outstanding for such person, but not deemed
to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person. The inclusion herein of any shares listed
as beneficially owned does not constitute an admission of beneficial ownership by any person.
Unless
otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o our company, Asset Entities Inc., 100 Crescent
Court, 7 th Floor, Dallas, TX 75201.
Amount of
Class A
Common
Stock
Percent of
Class A
Common
Stock
(%)
Amount of
Class B
Common
Stock
Percent of
Class B
Common
Stock (%)
Total
Voting
Power (1)(2)
(%)
Arshia Sarkhani, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director (3)
8,385,276
100.0
200,000
5.2
94.3
Derek Dunlop, Chief Experience Officer (4)
8,385,276
100.0
225,500
5.8
94.3
Kyle Fairbanks, Executive Vice-Chairman and Director (5)
8,385,276
100.0
200,000
5.2
94.3
Michael Gaubert, Executive Chairman and Director (6)
8,385,276
100.0
225,500
5.8
94.3
Richard A. Burton, Director
-
-
9,000
*
*
John A. Jack II, Director
-
-
9,000
*
*
Scott K. McDonald, Director
-
-
9,000
*
*
Brian Regli, Director
-
-
9,000
*
*
All directors and executive officers
as a group (11 persons)
8,385,276 (7)
100.0
1,411,000
26.7
95.7
Asset Entities Holdings, LLC (8)
8,385,276
100.0
-
-
94.1
GTMC, LLC (9)
-
-
292,680
5.5
0.3
KD Holdings Group, LLC (10)
-
-
292,680
5.5
0.3
James Sheldon Fairbanks
-
-
300,000 (11)
5.7
0.3
Jennifer Joan Fairbanks
-
-
300,000 (12)
5.7
0.3
Elham Nejad
-
-
300,000 (13)
5.7
0.3
Kavous Sarkhani
-
-
300,000 (14)
5.7
0.3
* This
director held less than 1% of the outstanding shares of common stock as of March 31, 2023.
(1) Based
on 8,385,276 shares of Class A Common Stock and 5,275,724 shares of Class B Common Stock issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2023,
respectively.
61
(2) The
holders of Class A Common Stock are entitled to ten (10) votes for each share of Class A Common Stock held of record, and the holders
of Class B Common Stock are entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Class B Common Stock held of record, on all matters submitted
to a vote of the stockholders. A total of 13,661,000 shares of common stock representing total voting power of 89,128,484 votes are outstanding
as of March 31, 2023.
(3) Arshia
Sarkhani is a manager, officer and owner of Asset Entities Holdings, LLC, which holds 8,385,276 shares of Class A Common Stock.
(4) Derek
Dunlop is a manager, officer and indirect owner of Asset Entities Holdings, LLC, which holds 8,385,276 shares of Class A Common Stock.
(5) Kyle
Fairbanks is a manager, officer and owner of Asset Entities Holdings, LLC, which holds 8,385,276 shares of Class A Common Stock.
(6) Michael
Gaubert is an officer and indirect owner of Asset Entities Holdings, LLC, which holds 8,385,276 shares of Class A Common Stock.
(7) Includes
the shares of Class A Common Stock beneficially owned by the managers, officers and owners of Asset Entities Holdings, LLC, which holds
8,385,276 shares of Class A Common Stock. Asset Entities Holdings, LLC’s managers, officers and owners include Arman Sarkhani,
Arshia Sarkhani, Derek Dunlop, Jackson Fairbanks, Kyle Fairbanks, Matthew Krueger, and Michael Gaubert.
(8) Asset
Entities Holdings, LLC is a Texas limited liability company. Arman Sarkhani, Arshia Sarkhani, Derek Dunlop, Jackson Fairbanks, Kyle Fairbanks,
Matthew Krueger, and Michael Gaubert are managers, officers, or beneficial owners of Asset Entities Holdings, LLC. Each of them is deemed
to beneficially own the shares of Class A Common Stock owned by Asset Entities Holdings, LLC and has shared voting and dispositive powers
over its shares. Asset Entities Holdings, LLC’s business address is 100 Crescent Court, 7 th Floor, Dallas, TX 75201.
(9) GTMC,
LLC (“GTMC”) is a Texas limited liability company. The manager and officer of GTMC is Carla Woodcock. Carla Woodcock is deemed
to beneficially own the shares of Class B Common Stock owned by GTMC and has sole voting and dispositive powers over its shares. GTMC’s
business address is 3900 Golf Drive NE, Conover, NC 28613.
(10) KD
Holdings Group, LLC (“KD Holdings”) is a Wyoming limited liability company. The manager of KD Holdings is Robyn Baker. Robyn
Baker is deemed to beneficially own the shares of Class B Common Stock owned by KD Holdings and has sole voting and dispositive powers
over its shares. KD Holdings’s business address is 1712 Pioneer Ave, Ste 500, Cheyenne, WY 82001.
(11) Consists
of (i) 150,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by James Sheldon Fairbanks; and (ii) 150,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by
Jennifer Joan Fairbanks, Mr. Fairbanks’s spouse. Mr. Fairbanks disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by Ms. Fairbanks.
Mr. Fairbanks is the father of Kyle Fairbanks, Executive Vice-Chairman and a director of the Company, and Jackson Fairbanks, Chief Marketing
Officer of the Company. Mr. Fairbanks’ address is 3612 Sunset View Drive, Fortuna, CA 95540.
(12) Consists
of (i) 150,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by Jennifer Joan Fairbanks; and (ii) 150,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by
James Sheldon Fairbanks, Ms. Fairbanks’s spouse. Ms. Fairbanks disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by Mr. Fairbanks.
Ms. Fairbanks is the mother of Kyle Fairbanks, Executive Vice-Chairman and a director of the Company, and Jackson Fairbanks, Chief Marketing
Officer of the Company. Ms. Fairbanks’ address is 3612 Sunset View Drive, Fortuna, CA 95540.
(13) Consists
of (i) 150,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by Elham Nejad; and (ii) 150,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by Kavous Sarkhani,
Ms. Nejad’s spouse. Ms. Nejad disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by Mr. Sarkhani. Ms. Nejad is the mother of
Arshia Sarkhani, Chief Executive Officer, President and a director of the Company, and Arman Sarkhani, Chief Operating Officer of the
Company. Ms. Nejad’s address is 13470 Black Hills Road, San Diego, CA 92129.
(14) Consists
of (i) 150,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by Kavous Sarkhani; and (ii) 150,000 shares of Class B Common Stock held by Elham
Nejad, Mr. Sarkhani’s spouse. Mr. Sarkhani disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by Ms. Nejad. Mr. Sarkhani is
the father of Arshia Sarkhani, Chief Executive Officer, President and a director of the Company, and Arman Sarkhani, Chief Operating
Officer of the Company. Mr. Sarkhani’s address is 13470 Black Hills Road, San Diego, CA 92129.
62
Changes
in Control
We
do not currently have any arrangements which if consummated may result in a change of control of our company.
Securities
Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
The
following table sets forth certain information about the securities authorized for issuance under our incentive plans as of December
31, 2022.
Plan Category
Number
of
securities
to be
issued upon
exercise of
outstanding
options,
warrants
and rights
(a)
Weighted-
average
exercise
price of
outstanding
options,
warrants
and rights
(b)
Number
of
securities
remaining
available for
future
issuance
under equity
compensation
plans
(excluding
securities
reflected in
column (a))
(c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders (1)
-
-
2,750,000
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
-
-
-
Total
-
-
2,750,000
(1) On
May 2, 2022, our board of directors approved, and our majority stockholders ratified, the Asset Entities Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan.
The purpose of the Plan is to grant restricted stock, stock options and other forms of incentive compensation to our officers, employees,
directors and consultants. The maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to awards granted under the Plan
is 2,750,000 shares. Cancelled and forfeited stock options and stock awards may again become available for grant under the Plan. For
a further description of the Plan, see Item 11. “ Executive Compensation – 2022 Equity Incentive Plan ”. As of
December 31, 2022, no options, warrants or rights to securities were outstanding under the Plan, and no other securities had been granted
and were outstanding under the Plan.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.
Transactions
with Related Persons
The
following includes a summary of transactions since the beginning of our 2021 fiscal year, or any currently proposed transaction, in which
we were or are to be a participant and the amount involved exceeded or exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of the average of our total
assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years, and in which any related person had or will have a direct or indirect material
interest (other than compensation described under Item 11 “ Executive Compensation ” above). We believe the terms obtained
or consideration that we paid or received, as applicable, in connection with the transactions described below were comparable to terms
available or the amounts that would be paid or received, as applicable, in arm’s-length transactions.
● We
began our operations as a general partnership on August 1, 2020. California LLC was formed
on October 20, 2020 to operate our business. Asset Entities Inc., a Nevada corporation, was
incorporated on March 9, 2022. Immediately after the incorporation of Asset Entities Inc.,
all of the issued and outstanding stock of Asset Entities Inc. was purchased by California
LLC in exchange for $1.00. On March 28, 2022, in accordance with Sections 17710.01-17710.19,
inclusive, of the California Corporation Code and Chapter 92A of the Nevada Revised Statutes,
California LLC was merged with and into Asset Entities Inc. As a result of the merger, Asset
Entities Inc. acquired the business of California LLC. Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan
of Merger, the units of California LLC were automatically converted into shares of Asset
Entities Inc. in the same proportion as the percentage interests of California LLC represented
by such units. As a result and as further provided in the Agreement and Plan of Merger, on
March 28, 2022, AEH, which owned 97.56% of California LLC’s units, became the holder
of 9,756,000 shares of Class A Common Stock of Asset Entities Inc., or 97.56% of the total
issued and outstanding post-merger shares of common stock of Asset Entities Inc., or a holder
of 100.0% of total issued and outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock, and Richard A.
Benavides, MD, a holder of 2.44% of California LLC’s units became the holder of 244,000
shares of Class B Common Stock of Asset Entities Inc., or 2.44% of the total issued and outstanding
post-merger shares of common stock of Asset Entities Inc., or 100.0% of the total issued
and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock prior to the Company’s subsequent issuances
of Class B Common Stock. AEH’s managers, officers and owners, which include Arman Sarkhani,
Arshia Sarkhani, Derek Dunlop, Jackson Fairbanks, Kyle Fairbanks, Matthew Krueger, and Michael
Gaubert, are also our executive officers or directors, are considered the beneficial owners
of the shares held by AEH. Based on total stockholders’ equity of the Company of $33,937
as of March 31, 2022, the total approximate dollar value of these transactions was $33,937.
Based on this transactional value and the percentage of the total issued and outstanding
shares of common stock of the Company that each party or beneficiary acquired beneficial
ownership of as a result of these transactions, the approximate dollar value of the interest
of AEH and each of its beneficial owners in these transactions was $33,109, and the approximate
dollar value of the interest of Dr. Benavides in these transactions was $828.
63
● On
April 21, 2022, we entered into a Cancellation and Exchange Agreement with each of AEH, the
holder of 9,756,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, GKDB, the holder of 200,000 units of
membership interests in AEH representing 20.0% ownership of AEH, and the Former GKDB Holders
representing 39.5% ownership in GKDB. In accordance with these agreements, we and AEH agreed
to convert 770,724 shares of AEH’s Class A Common Stock into 770,724 shares of Class
B Common Stock and transfer such shares to GKDB, in exchange for GKDB’s agreement to
cancel and surrender 79,000 of GKDB’s 200,000 units of membership interests in AEH,
representing the Former GKDB Holders’ 39.5% share of GKDB’s total ownership interest
in AEH. GKDB in turn agreed to the cancellation of 79,000 of its AEH units and transfer of
the 770,724 shares of Class B Common Stock to the Former GKDB Holders in proportion to their
former ownership interests in GKDB, in exchange for the Former GKDB Holders’ agreement
to cancel and surrender all of their units of membership interests in GKDB. The 770,724 shares
of Class B Common Stock transferred to the Former GKDB Holders were derived from the Former
GKDB Holders’ 7.9% nominal indirect interest in AEH’s 9,756,000 shares of Class
A Common Stock, which in turn was derived from the Former GKDB Holders’ 39.5% ownership
of GKDB and, in turn, their nominal indirect interest in 79,000 of GKDB’s 200,000 units,
or 20.0% ownership of AEH. The Former GKDB Holders’ nominal indirect interest in AEH’s
9,756,000 shares of Class A Common Stock was therefore automatically converted into ownership
of 770,724 shares of Class B Common Stock upon the conversion and transfer of this number
of Class A Common Stock that were held by AEH to the Former GKDB Holders. As a result of
these transactions, AEH held 8,985,276 shares of Class A Common Stock and the Former GKDB
Holders held a total of 770,724 shares of Class B Common Stock. GTMC, a Former GKDB Holder,
whose manager is Carla Woodcock, acquired 292,680 shares of Class B Common Stock, or 28.8%
of the issued and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock prior to subsequent issuances
of Class B Common Stock; KD Holdings, a Former GKDB Holder, whose manager is Robyn Baker,
acquired 292,680 shares of Class B Common Stock, or 28.8% of the issued and outstanding shares
of Class B Common Stock prior to subsequent issuances of Class B Common Stock; and Trojan
Partners, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Trojan Partners”), a Former GKDB
Holder, whose general partner and officer is Jim Riggs, acquired 146,340 shares of Class
B Common Stock, or 14.4% of the issued and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock prior
to subsequent issuances of Class B Common Stock. Based on total stockholders’ equity
of the Company of $113,723 as of June 30, 2022 and the percentage of the total issued and
outstanding shares of common stock of the Company that was converted and transferred, the
total approximate dollar value of these transactions was $8,765. Based on this transactional
value, the percentage of the total shares of common stock of the Company that were converted
and transferred in these transactions, and the percentage of each party or beneficiary’s
beneficial ownership in such shares immediately prior to or as a result of these transactions,
the approximate dollar value of the interest of AEH and each of its beneficial owners in
these transactions was $8,765; the approximate dollar value of the interest of GTMC and Carla
Woodcock in these transactions was $3,328; the approximate dollar value of the interest of
KD Holdings and Robyn Baker in these transactions was $3,328; and the approximate dollar
value of the interest of Trojan Partners and Jim Riggs in these transactions was $1,664.
● On
June 9, 2022, October 7, 2022, and October 21, 2022, we conducted private placements of shares
of Class B Common Stock and entered into certain subscription agreements with a number of
investors. Pursuant to the agreements, we issued 750,000 shares of Class B Common Stock at
$1.00 per share for a total of $750,000. The shares were subject to certain lockup provisions
until 365 days after the commencement of trading of our Class B Common Stock, subject to
certain exceptions. However, these lockup provisions have been fully waived. If the Company’s
common stock had not been listed on a national securities exchange on or before the first
anniversary of the final closing of the private placement, then all of the private placement
investors would have been entitled to receive one additional share for each share originally
purchased. Boustead, which was the representative of the underwriters in the IPO, acted as
placement agent in each private placement. Pursuant to the Boustead Engagement Letter, in
addition to payments of a success fee of $52,500, or 7% of the total purchase price of the
shares sold in the private placements, and a non-accountable expense allowance of $7,500,
or 1% of the total purchase price of the shares sold in the private placement, we agreed
to issue Boustead five-year warrants to purchase up to 52,500 shares of Class B Common Stock
in aggregate, exercisable on a cashless basis, with an exercise price of $6.25 per share,
subject to adjustment. See “Item 1. Business – Corporate Structure and History
– Private Placements of Class B Common Stock ” for a description of additional
terms of the warrants. See “Item 1. Business – Corporate Structure and History
– Initial Public Offering ” for a description of related terms of the Boustead
Engagement Letter.
64
As
a result of these private placements, the following transactions resulted in the following acquisitions of shares of Class B Common Stock
from the Company: In a private placement on June 9, 2022, each of Eternal Horizon International Company Limited, a company organized
under the laws of Hong Kong, of which Jie Xu is Director and has beneficial ownership over its shares, and Gilbert Lam, an individual,
acquired 100,000 shares of Class B Common Stock from the Company, or 7.9% of the issued and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock
prior to subsequent issuances of Class B Common Stock, for a payment of $100,000 to the Company. In a private placement on October 21,
2022, Chris Etherington, an individual, acquired 25,000 shares of Class B Common Stock for a payment of $25,000 to the Company, which,
together with 150,000 other shares of Class B Common Stock beneficially owned by Chris Etherington indirectly as Managing Member of Oleta
Investments, LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, equaled 7.4% of the issued and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock; and
Vertical Holdings, LLC, of which Kevan Casey is Managing Member and has beneficial ownership over its shares, acquired 125,000 shares
of Class B Common Stock, or 5.3% of the issued and outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock, for a payment of $125,000 to the Company.
Each of the above payments equals the approximate dollar value of the respective transaction and the approximate dollar value of the
interest of each investor in such transaction.
● Matthew
Krueger, our Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Secretary, received annual compensation
from the Company of $25,500 in 2022 and $3,000 in 2021 under a consulting arrangement.
● Michael
Gaubert, our Chairman, received annual compensation from the Company of $60,000 in 2022 and
$10,000 in 2021 under a consulting arrangement.
● Arman
Sarkhani, our Chief Operating Officer, received annual compensation from the Company of $42,500
in 2022 and $107,334 in 2021 under a consulting arrangement.
● Jackson
Fairbanks, our Chief Marketing Officer, received annual compensation from the Company of
$42,500 in 2022 and $121,991 in 2021 under a consulting arrangement.
● Kyle
Fairbanks, our Executive Vice-Chairman, received annual compensation from the Company of
$50,500 in 2022 and $123,416 in 2021 under a consulting arrangement.
● Certain
of the Company’s directors, executive officers, and principal owners, including immediate
family members, are users of the Company’s services. Fees charged to these users are
on terms no more favorable than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third party
under the same or similar circumstances.
Promoters
and Certain Control Persons
Each
of Mr. Kyle Fairbanks, our co-founder and Executive Vice-Chairman, Mr. Arshia Sarkhani, our co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and President,
Mr. Jackson Fairbanks, our co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, and Mr. Arman Sarkhani, our co-founder and Chief Operating Officer,
may be deemed a “promoter” as defined by Rule 405 of the Securities Act. For information regarding compensation, including
items of value, that have been provided or that may be provided to these individuals, please refer to “ Executive Compensation ”
above.
Director
Independence
Independent
Directors
Nasdaq’s
rules generally require that a majority of an issuer’s Board of Directors consist of independent directors. Our Board of Directors
consists of seven (7) directors, four (4) of whom are independent within the meaning of Nasdaq’s rules.
Committees
of the Board of Directors
Our
board of directors has established an audit committee, a compensation committee, and a nominating and corporate governance committee,
each with its own charter approved by the board. Each committee’s charter is available on our website at https://assetentities.com/.
In
addition, our board of directors may, from time to time, designate one or more additional committees, which shall have the duties and
powers granted to it by the board.
Audit
Committee
Brian
Regli, Richard Burton, and Scott McDonald, each of whom satisfies the “independence” requirements of Rule 10A-3 under
the Exchange Act and Nasdaq’s rules, serve on our audit committee, with Mr. Regli serving as the chairman.
Compensation
Committee
Richard
Burton, John Jack, and Brian Regli, each of whom satisfies the “independence” requirements of Rule 10C-1 under the Exchange
Act and Nasdaq’s rules, serve on our compensation committee, with Mr. Burton serving as the chairman. The members of the compensation
committee are also “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee
John
Jack, Scott McDonald, and Richard Burton, each of whom satisfies the “independence” requirements of Nasdaq’s rules,
serve on our nominating and corporate governance committee, with Mr. McDonald serving as the chairman.
65
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES.
Independent
Auditors’ Fees
The aggregate fees billed to the Company by the Company’s
principal accountant for the indicated services for each of the last two fiscal years were as follows:
Year Ended
December 31,
2022
2021
Audit Fees
$ 30,000
$ 50,000
Audit-Related Fees
—
—
Tax Fees
—
—
All Other Fees
—
—
Total
$ 30,000
$ 50,000
As
used in the table above, the following terms have the meanings set forth below.
Audit
Fees
Audit
fees consist of aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for professional services performed by the Company’s
principal accountant for the audit of the financial statements included in this Annual Report and review of the financial statements
included in our quarterly Form 10-Q filings, reviews of registration statements and issuances of consents, and services that are normally
provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.
Audit-Related
Fees
Audit-related
fees consist of aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for assurance and related services performed by the Company’s
principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported
under the paragraph captioned “Audit-Fees” above. We did not engage our principal accountant to provide assurance or related
services during the last two fiscal years.
Tax
Fees
Tax
fees consist of aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for professional services performed by the Company’s
principal accountant with respect to tax compliance, tax advice, tax consulting and tax planning. We did not engage our principal accountant
to provide tax compliance, tax advice or tax planning services during the last two fiscal years.
All
Other Fees
All
other fees consist of aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for products and services provided by the Company’s
principal accountant, other than for the services reported under the headings “ Audit Fees ,” “ Audit-Related
Fees ” and “ Tax Fees ” above. We did not engage our principal accountant to render services to us during the
last two fiscal years, other than as reported above.
Pre-Approval
Policies and Procedures
The
Audit Committee must pre-approve all services provided and fees earned by the Company’s independent registered public accounting
firm. The Audit Committee annually considers the provision of audit services and, if appropriate, pre-approves certain defined audit
fees, audit-related fees and tax-compliance fees, and may impose specific dollar value limits for each category of service. The Audit
Committee also considers on a case-by-case basis specific engagements that are not otherwise pre-approved (e.g., internal control and
certain tax compliance engagements) or that exceed pre-approved fee amounts. On an interim basis, any proposed engagement that does not
fit within the definition of a pre-approved service may be presented to a designated member of the Audit Committee for approval and to
the full Audit Committee at its next regular meeting.
The
Company’s principal accountant did not provide, and the Audit Committee did not approve, any of the services described under “ —Audit-Related
Fees ”, or “ —Tax Fees ” or “ —All Other Fees ” above for either of the last two
fiscal years.
The
percentage of hours expended on the Company’s principal accountant’s engagement to audit the Company’s financial statements
for the most recent fiscal year that were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant’s full-time,
permanent employees was not greater than 50%.
66
PART
IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBIT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
(a) List
of Documents Filed as a Part of This Report:
(1) Index
to Financial Statements:
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-4
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholder’s Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-6
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
F-7
(2) Index
to Financial Statement Schedules:
All
schedules have been omitted because the required information is included in the financial statements or the notes thereto, or because
it is not required.
(3) Index
to Exhibits:
See
exhibits listed under “ —(b) Exhibits ” below.
(b) Exhibits:
Exhibit No.
Description
2.1
Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 11, 2022, by and between Asset Entities Limited Liability Company and Asset Entities Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
3.1
Articles of Incorporation of Asset Entities Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
3.2
Bylaws of Asset Entities Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
4.1*
Description of Securities of Asset Entities Inc.
4.2*
Warrant To Purchase Class B Common Stock issued to Boustead Securities, LLC , dated June 9, 2022
4.3*
Warrant To Purchase Class B Common Stock issued to Boustead Securities, LLC , dated October 7, 2022
4.4*
Warrant To Purchase Class B Common Stock issued to Boustead Securities, LLC , dated October 21, 2022
67
4.5
Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued to Boustead Securities, LLC, dated February 7, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 8, 2023)
10.1†
Employment Letter Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and Arshia Sarkhani, dated as of April 21, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.2†
Employment Letter Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and Derek Dunlop, dated as of April 21, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.3†
Employment Letter Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and Matthew Krueger, dated as of April 21, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.4†
Employment Letter Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and Kyle Fairbanks, dated as of April 21, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.5†
Employment Letter Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and Jackson Fairbanks, dated as of April 21, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.6†
Employment Letter Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and Arman Sarkhani, dated as of April 21, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.7†
Consulting Letter Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and Michael Gaubert, dated as of April 21, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.8
Cancellation and Exchange Agreement, dated as of April 21, 2022, by and among Asset Entities Inc., Asset Entities Holdings, LLC, GKDB AE Holdings, LLC, and Anel Bulbul (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.9
Cancellation and Exchange Agreement, dated as of April 21, 2022, by and among Asset Entities Inc., Asset Entities Holdings, LLC, GKDB AE Holdings, LLC, and GTMC, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.10
Cancellation and Exchange Agreement, dated as of April 21, 2022, by and among Asset Entities Inc., Asset Entities Holdings, LLC, GKDB AE Holdings, LLC, KD Holdings Group, LLC, and Trojan Partners, LP (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.11†*
Independent Director Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and Brian Regli, dated May 2, 2022
10.12†*
Independent Director Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and John A. Jack II, dated May 2, 2022
10.13†*
Independent Director Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and Richard A. Burton, dated May 2, 2022
10.14†*
Independent Director Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and Scott K. McDonald, dated May 2, 2022
10.15
Form of Indemnification Agreement between Asset Entities Inc. and each officer or director (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.16†
Asset Entities Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.17†
Form of Stock Option Agreement for Asset Entities Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.18†
Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement for Asset Entities Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.19†
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Asset Entities Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.20
Office
Agreement between Regus Management Group, LLC and Asset Entities, LLC, dated as of January 25, 2022 (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.17 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.21*
Office Agreement between Regus
Management Group, LLC and Asset Entities, LLC, dated as of May 4, 2022
10.22*
Renewal Agreement between Regus
Management Group, LLC and Asset Entities, LLC, dated as of October 10, 2022
68
10.23
Form of Private Placement Subscription Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
10.24
Underwriting Agreement, dated February 2, 2022, by and between Asset Entities Inc. and Boustead Securities, LLC (as representative of the underwriters named therein) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 8, 2023)
14.1
Code of Ethics and Business Conduct (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 14.1 to Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on September 2, 2022)
31.1*
Certifications of Principal Executive Officer filed pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
31.2*
Certifications of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer filed pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.1*
Certifications of Principal Executive Officer furnished pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
32.2*
Certifications of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer furnished pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Instance
Document
101.INS
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).
* Filed
herewith
† Executive
compensation plan or arrangement
ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY.
None.
69
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 1171)
F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets
F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations
F-4
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholder’s Equity
F-5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
F-6
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
F-7
F- 1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
To: The Board of Directors and Stockholders of
ASSET ENTITIES INC.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated
balance sheets of ASSET ENTITIES INC. and its variable interest entity (collectively the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022
and 2021, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the
two-year period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In
our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31,
2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period December 31, 2022, in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility
of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our
audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities
laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the
standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged
to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding
of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s
internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess
the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond
to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.
Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating
the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ WWC, P.C.
WWC, P.C.
Certified Public Accountants
PCAOB ID: 1171
We have served as the Company’s auditor since January 19, 2022.
San Mateo, CA
March 31, 2023
F- 2
ASSET
ENTITIES INC.
Consolidated
Balance Sheets
As
of
December 31,
As
of
December 31,
2022
2021
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash
$ 137,177
$ 33,731
Deferred offering costs
235,844
25,000
Total Current Assets
373,021
58,731
TOTAL ASSETS
$ 373,021
$ 58,731
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable and credit card liability
$ 214,590
$ 9,144
Contract liabilities
4,648
6,450
Total Current Liabilities
219,238
15,594
TOTAL LIABILITIES
219,238
15,594
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' Equity
Preferred Stock; $ 0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 authorized
-
-
Common Stock; $ 0.0001 par value, 200,000,000 authorized
Class A Common Stock; $ 0.0001 par value, 10,000,000 authorized
8,385,276 and 9,756,000 shares issued and outstanding
839
976
Class B Common Stock; $ 0.0001 par value, 190,000,000 authorized
2,364,724 and 244,000 shares issued and outstanding, respectively
236
24
Additional paid in capital
779,826
249,976
Subscription receivable
-
( 225,976 )
Retained earnings (deficit)
( 627,118 )
18,137
Total Stockholders’ Equity
153,783
43,137
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
$ 373,021
$ 58,731
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 3
ASSET
ENTITIES INC.
Consolidated
Statements of Operations
For the Years ended
December 31,
2022
2021
Revenues
$ 343,106
$ 829,618
Operating expenses
Contract labor
155,232
160,251
General and administrative
462,971
119,369
Management compensation
370,158
535,127
Total operating expenses
988,361
814,747
Income (loss) from operations
( 645,255 )
14,871
Net income (loss)
$ ( 645,255 )
$ 14,871
Basic and diluted loss per share of common stock
$ ( 0.06 )
$ 0.00
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding
10,249,315
9,767,364
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 4
ASSET
ENTITIES INC.
Consolidated
Statement of Stockholders’ Equity
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
Retained
Preferred
Stock
Class
A
Common Stock
Class
B
Common Stock
Additional
Paid in
Subscription
earnings
(Accumulated
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Capital
Receivable
Deficit)
Total
Balance,
December 31, 2020
-
$ -
9,756,000
$ 976
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ ( 976 )
$ 3,266
$ 3,266
Class
B Common stock issued
-
-
-
-
244,000
24
249,976
( 225,000 )
-
25,000
Net
income
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
14,871
14,871
Balance,
December 31, 2021
-
$ -
9,756,000
$ 976
244,000
$ 24
$ 249,976
$ ( 225,976 )
$ 18,137
$ 43,137
Conversion
from Class A to Class B common stock
-
-
( 1,370,724 )
( 137 )
1,370,724
137
-
-
-
-
Class
B Common stock issued
-
-
-
-
750,000
75
529,850
-
-
529,925
Subscription
received
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
225,976
-
225,976
Net
loss
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
( 645,255 )
( 645,255 )
Balance,
December 31, 2022
-
$ -
8,385,276
$ 839
2,364,724
$ 236
$ 779,826
$ -
$ ( 627,118 )
$ 153,783
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 5
ASSET
ENTITIES INC.
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows
For the Years ended
December 31,
2022
2021
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income (loss)
$ ( 645,255 )
$ 14,871
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
44,228
9,144
Contract liabilities
( 1,802 )
( 645 )
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
( 602,829 )
23,370
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Class A common stock subscription proceeds received
976
-
Class B common stock subscription proceeds received
754,925
25,000
Deferred offering costs
( 49,626 )
( 25,000 )
Net cash provided by financing activities
706,275
-
Net change in cash
103,446
23,370
Cash at beginning of period
33,731
10,361
Cash at end of period
$ 137,177
$ 33,731
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
Cash paid for income taxes
$ -
$ -
Cash paid for interest
$ -
$ -
NON-CASH INVESTING
AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Conversion from Class A to Class B common stock
$ 137
$ -
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 6
ASSET
ENTITIES INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As of and for the years ended December 31,
2022 and 2021
Note 1. Organization, Description of Business
and Liquidity
Organization
Asset
Entities Inc. (“Asset Entities”, “we”, “us” or the “Company”), began operations as a
general partnership in August 2020 and formed Assets Entities Limited Liability Company in the state of California on October 20, 2020.
The financial statements reflect the operations of the Company from inception of the general partnership. On March 15, 2022, the Company
filed Articles of Merger to register and incorporate with the state of Nevada and changed the company name to Asset Entities Inc.
On
March 9, 2022, the Company filed Articles of Incorporation with the state of Nevada to authorize the Company to issue 250,000,000 shares,
consisting of 10,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, $ 0.0001 par value per share (“Class A Common”), 190,000,000 shares
of Class B Common stock, $ 0.0001 par value per share (“Class B Common”), and 50,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $ 0.0001
par value (the “Preferred Stock”).
On
March 28, 2022, all 51,250,000 units of the previously outstanding membership interests were exchanged for 9,756,000 shares of Class
A Common Stock and 244,000 shares of Class B Common Stock.
Description
of Business
Asset
Entities is an Internet company providing social media marketing, content delivery, and development and design services across Discord,
TikTok, and other social media platforms. Based on the rapid growth of our Discord servers and social media following, we have developed
three categories of services. First, we provide subscription upgrades to premium content on our investment education and entertainment
servers on Discord. Second, we codevelop and execute influencer social media and marketing campaigns for clients. Third, we design, develop
and manage Discord servers for clients under our “AE.360.DDM” brand. Our AE.360.DDM service was just released in December
2021. All of these services – our Discord investment education and entertainment, social media and marketing, and AE.360.DDM services
– are therefore based on our effective use of Discord in combination with ongoing social media outreach on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, and YouTube.
Liquidity
The Company had an accumulated deficit of $ 627,118
at December 31, 2022 and a net loss of $ 645,255 during the year ended December 31, 2022. However, in February 2023, the Company completed
an equity offering which generated net proceeds of $ 6.6 million. Consequently, the Company’s existing cash resources and the cash
received from the equity offering are expected to provide sufficient funds to carry out the Company’s planned operations through
the next twelve (12) months.
Note
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis
of Presentation
The
financial statements and related disclosures have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”). The financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and are presented in US dollars. The Company uses the accrual basis of
accounting and has adopted a December 31 fiscal year end.
Principles
of Consolidation
The
consolidated financial statements include Asset Equity LLC (“Asset Equity”) which is accounted for as a variable interest
entity (“VIE”), because the Company is the primary beneficiary, as a result of the Company’s officers being responsible
for 100 % of the operations of Asset Equity, and the Company derived 100 % of the net profits or losses from Asset Equity’s business
operations. Through common control, the management of the Company had effective control over Asset Equity and had the power to direct
the activities of Asset Equity that most significantly impact its economic performance. There were no restrictions on the consolidated
VIE’s assets and on the settlement of its liabilities.
Asset
Equity was a limited liability company organized in the state of Delaware on February 26, 2021 and dissolved on April 21, 2022. The co-founders
of the Company, who were the managers of Asset Equity, formed Asset Equity for the purposes of setting up a separate bank account for
revenues derived from the Discord server designated for cryptocurrency education. All intercompany transactions and balances have been
eliminated on consolidation. If facts and circumstances change such that the conclusion to consolidate the VIE has changed, the Company
shall disclose the primary factors that caused the change and the effect on the Company’s financial statements in the periods when
the change occurs.
F- 7
On
April 21, 2022, the Company dissolved our VIE, Asset Equity LLC, and moved all operations to the Company.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the
reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Some of these judgments can be subjective and complex, and, consequently, actual
results may differ from these estimates.
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
For
purposes of balance sheet presentation and reporting of cash flows, the Company considers all unrestricted demand deposits, money market
funds and highly liquid debt instruments with an original maturity of less than 90 days to be cash and cash equivalents. The Company
had no cash equivalents at December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Periodically,
the Company may carry cash balances at financial institutions more than the federally insured limit of $ 250,000 per institution.
The Company has not experienced losses on account balances and management believes, based upon the quality of the financial institutions,
that the credit risk with regard to these deposits is not significant.
Accounts
Receivable
Accounts receivable are recorded in accordance
with ASC 310, “Receivables.” Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The allowance
for doubtful accounts is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in its existing accounts receivable.
The Company had accounts receivable of $ 5,000 and recorded specific allowance for doubtful accounts of $ 5,000 as of December 31, 2022
to account for the delinquency related to one specific transaction. Based on management’s estimate and based on all other accounts
being current and settled, the Company has not deemed it necessary to make any additional general provision for doubtful accounts at the
time of this report.
Deferred
Offering Costs
As
of December 31, 2022 and 2021, deferred offering costs represent legal fees for preparation of any securities purchase agreements or
current registration statement. The Company records these fees as a current asset that will be netted against gross proceeds received
from any offering or placements.
Fair
Value Measurements
The
Company uses a three-tier fair value hierarchy to classify and disclose all assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring
basis, as well as assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis, in periods subsequent to their initial measurement.
The hierarchy requires the Company to use observable inputs when available, and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs, when determining
fair value. The three tiers are defined as follows:
● Level 1—Observable
inputs that reflect quoted market prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets;
● Level 2—Observable
inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly in the marketplace for identical
or similar assets and liabilities; and
● Level 3—Unobservable
inputs that are supported by little or no market data, which require the Company to develop its own assumptions.
The
Company’s financial instruments, including cash, deferred offering costs and other current liabilities are carried at historical
cost. At December 31, 2022 and 2021, the carrying amounts of these instruments approximated their fair values because of the short-term
nature of these instruments.
F- 8
Revenue
Recognition
The
Company recognizes revenue utilizing the following steps: (i) Identify the contract, or contracts, with a customer; (ii) Identify the
performance obligations in the contract; (iii) Determine the transaction price; (iv) Allocate the transaction price to the performance
obligations in the contract; (v) Recognize revenue when the Company satisfies a performance obligation.
Subscriptions
Subscription revenue is related to a single performance obligation that is recognized over time when earned.
Subscriptions are paid in advance and can be purchased on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Any quarterly or annual subscription
revenue is recognized as a contract liability expensed over
the contracted service period.
Marketing
Revenue
related to marketing campaign contracts with customers are normally of a short duration, typically less than two weeks.
AE.360.DDM
Contracts
Revenue
related to AE.360.DDM contracts with customers are normally of a short duration, typically less than one week.
Contract
Liabilities
Contract liabilities consist of quarterly and
annual subscription revenue that have not been recognized. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, total contract liabilities were $ 4,648 and
$ 6,450 , respectively. Contract liabilities are typically expected to be recognized to revenue over a period not to exceed twelve (12)
months.
Earnings
Per Share of Common Stock
The Company has adopted ASC Topic 260, “Earnings
per Share” which requires presentation of basic earnings per share on the face of the statements of operations for all
entities with complex capital structures and requires a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of the basic earnings per share
computation. In the accompanying financial statements, basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number
of shares of common stock outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average
number of shares of common stock and potentially dilutive outstanding shares of common stock during the period to reflect the potential
dilution that could occur from common stock issuable through contingent share arrangements, stock options and warrants unless the result
would be antidilutive. The Company would account for the potential dilution from convertible securities using the as-if converted method.
The Company accounts for warrants and options using the treasury stock method. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, there
were no convertible securities outstand that would be potentially dilutive; During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company issued
warrants to a placement agent in connection with private offerings of its common stock; these warrants out of the money from the date
of their issuance to December 31, 2022; accordingly, they had no potentially dilutive effect on the Company’s diluted loss per share.
Income
Taxes
As
described in more detail above, the business now conducted by the Company was operated as a partnership from August 1, 2020 until October
19, 2020, when it was reorganized as a limited liability company, or LLC, and that LLC was merged into the Company on March 28, 2022.
Prior to that date, the partnership and the subsequent LLC were not subject to federal income tax and all income, deductions, gains and
losses were attributed to the partners or members.
The Company adopted FASB ASC 740, Income Taxes,
at its inception. Under FASB ASC 740, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable
to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred
tax assets, including tax loss and credit carryforwards, and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable
income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and
liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred income tax expense
represents the change during the period in the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities. The components of the deferred tax assets
and liabilities are individually classified as current and non-current based on their characteristics. Deferred tax assets are reduced
by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets
will not be realized. No deferred tax assets or liabilities were recognized as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
F- 9
Related
Parties
The
Company follows ASC 850, “Related Party Disclosures” , for the identification of related parties and
disclosure of related party transactions and balances.
Commitments
and Contingencies
The
Company follows ASC 450-20, “Loss Contingencies” , to report accounting for contingencies. Liabilities for loss
contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines and penalties and other sources are recorded when it is probable that
a liability has been incurred and the amount of the assessment can be reasonably estimated.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In
June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, ASC Subtopic “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities
Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions”. These amendments clarify that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security
is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The amendments
in this update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years, including interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning
after December 15, 2023. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of this standard
on its consolidated financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13,
Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The amendments in this
Update affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, and any other financial assets that have the contractual right to receive cash.
The ASU requires an entity to recognize expected credit losses rather than incurred losses for financial assets. For public entities,
the amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years.
For the Company which is a smaller reporting company, ASU No. 2019-10 extends the effective dates for two years . The Company will adopt
this standard beginning January 1, 2023. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the adoption of this standard on the consolidated
financial statements and related disclosures.
The
Company has considered all other recently issued accounting pronouncements and does not believe the adoption of such pronouncements will
have a material impact on its financial statements.
Note
3. Stockholders’ Equity
Authorized
Capital Stock
On
March 9, 2022, the Company filed Articles of Incorporation with the state of Nevada to authorize the Company to issue 250,000,000 shares,
consisting of 10,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, $ 0.0001 par value per share (“Class A Common”), 190,000,000 shares
of Class B Common stock, $ 0.0001 par value per share (“Class B Common”), and 50,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $ 0.0001
par value (the “Preferred Stock”).
On
March 28, 2022, all 51,250,000 units of the previously outstanding membership interests were exchanged for 9,756,000 shares of Class
A Common Stock and 244,000 shares of Class B Common Stock.
Preferred
Stock
The
Company shall have the authority to issue the shares of Preferred Stock in one or more series with such rights, preferences and designations
as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company.
Class
A Common Stock
Each
share of Class A Common Stock entitles the holder to ten (10) votes, in person or proxy, on any matter on which an action of the stockholders
of the Company is sought and is convertible by the holder into one (1) share of Class B Common Stock.
F- 10
As
part of a share conversion in March 2022, the Company converted the 97.56 % membership interest to 9,756,000 shares of Class A Common
Stock of the Company. The Company has reflected this conversion for all periods presented.
As
of December 31, 2021, the Company recorded a subscription receivable of $ 976 . During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company
received $ 976 for subscription receivable.
On
April 21, 2022, 770,724 shares of Class A Common Stock were converted into Class B Common Stock.
On
October 6, 2022, officers of the Company agreed to transfer 600,000 shares of Class A Common Stock for 600,000 shares of Class B Common
Stock.
The
Company had 8,385,276 and 9,756,000 shares of Class A Common Stock issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Class
B Common Stock
Each
share of Class B Common Stock entitles the holder to one (1) vote, in person or proxy, on any matter on which an action of the stockholders
of the Company is sought.
As
part of the share conversion in March 2022, the Company converted the 2.44 % membership interest to 244,000 shares of Class B Common Stock
of the Company. The Company has reflected this conversion for all periods presented.
On December 15, 2021, the Company issued 244,000
shares of Class B Common stock for $ 250,000 . During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company received $ 225,000 . As of December 31,
2022 and 2021, the Company recorded a subscription receivable of $ 0 and $ 225,000 , respectively.
On
June 9, 2022, the Company issued 250,000 shares of Class B Common stock for $ 250,000 less issuance cost of $ 75,075 .
During
October 2022, the Company issued 500,000 shares of Class B Common Stock to unaffiliated investors for $ 500,000 , less issuance cost of
$ 145,000 .
The
Company had 2,364,724 and 244,000 shares of Class B Common Stock issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Warrant
In June and October 2022, the Company issued a
total of 52,500 warrants to purchase Class B Common stock for a success fee of private placements of shares of Class B common stock. The
exercise price of warrants is $ 6.25 and expiration date is the date that is five years from the issuance date of each warrant. The Company
accounted for these warrants as equity-classified instruments.
A summary of activity during the year ended December
31, 2022, follows:
Number of
Weighted
Average Exercise
Weighted
Average
shares
Price
Life (years)
Outstanding, December 31, 2021
-
$ -
-
Granted
52,500
6.25
5.00
Expired
-
-
-
Exercised
-
-
-
Outstanding, December 31, 2022
52,500
$ 6.25
4.68
All of the outstanding warrants are exercisable
as of December 31, 2022. The intrinsic value of the warrants as of December 31, 2022, is $ 0 .
Note
4. Related Party Transactions
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021,
the Company paid management fees to their controlling members totaling $ 370,158 and $ 535,127 , respectively.
Note
5. Income tax
The
Company has not made a provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, since the Company has the benefit of
net operating losses in these periods and the Company changed from a limited liability partnership to a C corporation during 2022.
Due to uncertainties
surrounding the Company’s ability to generate future taxable income to realize deferred income tax assets arising as a result of
net operating losses carried forward, the Company has not recorded any deferred income tax assets as of December 31, 2022. During
the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company had incurred a net operating loss (“NOL”) of $ 645,255 ; NOLs generated after
December 31, 2017 are allowed to be carried forward on an indefinite basis.
F- 11
A
reconciliation between expected income taxes, computed at the federal income tax rate of 21 % applied to the pretax accounting loss, and
the income tax net expense included in the consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 is as
follows:
Years ended
December 31,
2022
2021
Income tax expense (credit) at statutory rate
$ ( 135,504 )
$ -
Change of valuation allowance
135,504
-
Income tax expense (credit)
$ -
$ -
Net
deferred tax assets consist of the following components as of:
December 31,
December 31,
2022
2021
Operating loss carry forward
$ 135,504
$ -
Valuation allowance
( 135,504 )
-
Deferred tax asset
$ -
$ -
Note
6. Subsequent Events
Management evaluated
all events from the date of the balance sheet, which was December 31, 2022 through March 31, 2023 which was the date these financial statements
were available to be issue and determined the following items were material and required disclosure:
On February 3, 2023,
the Company closed an initial public offering of its class B common stock. The Company raised total gross proceeds of $ 7,500,000 in the
offering, and after deducting $ 884,880 of underwriting discounts and commissions, the non-accountable expense allowance, and other expenses
from the offering, the Company received net proceeds of $ 6,615,120 .
On February 3, 2023, the Company’s Class
B Common Stock was listed on and began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “ASST”.
On February 7, 2023,
the Company issued 105,000 warrants exercisable into 105,000 shares of the Company’s Class B Common Stock which is equal to 7 % of
the aggregate number of shares of Class B Common Stock sold in the above mentioned initial public offering. These warrants carry an exercise
price of $ 6.25 per share, which is equal to 125 % of the public offering price, subject to adjustment, the warrants also include a cashless
exercise provision; these warrants may be exercised at any time for five years following the date of issuance.
F- 12
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date:
March 31, 2023
ASSET
ENTITIES INC.
/s/
Arshia Sarkhani
Name:
Arshia Sarkhani
Title:
Chief Executive Officer and President
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/
Matthew Krueger
Name:
Matthew Krueger
Title:
Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
SIGNATURE
TITLE
DATE
/s/ Arshia Sarkhani
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director
March 31, 2023
Arshia Sarkhani
(principal executive officer)
/s/ Matthew Krueger
Chief Financial Officer
March 31, 2023
Matthew Krueger
(principal financial and accounting officer)
/s/ Michael Gaubert
Executive Chairman
March 31, 2023
Michael Gaubert
/s/ Kyle Fairbanks
Executive Vice-Chairman
March 31, 2023
Kyle Fairbanks
/s/ Richard A. Burton
Director
March 31, 2023
Richard A. Burton
/s/ John A. Jack II
Director
March 31, 2023
John A. Jack II
/s/ Scott K.
McDonald
Director
March 31, 2023
Scott K. McDonald
/s/ Brian Regli
Director
March 31, 2023
Brian Regli
70