EvoAir Holdings Inc. 10-K

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS Risks Related to Our Business and Industry If we are unable to continue to innovate, meet evolving market trends, adapt to changing customer demands and maintain our culture of innovation, our ability to sustain and grow our business may suffer. The ongoing success of our business depends on our ability to continue to introduce innovative eco-friendly HVAC products to meet evolving market trends and satisfy changing customer demands. We must continue to adapt by innovating, improving our products and modifying our strategies, which could cause us to incur substantial costs. We may not be able to continue to innovate or adapt to changing market and customer needs in a timely and cost-effective manner, if at all. This could adversely impact our ability to expand our ecosystem and grow our business. Failure to develop new products to meet evolving market demands through innovation could cause us to lose current and potential customers and harm our operating results and financial condition. In addition, we may not be able to maintain our culture of innovation, which has been critical to our success and has helped us create value for our shareholders, succeed as a leader in eco-friendly HVAC products, attract, retain and motivate employees and other ecosystem participants. Among other challenges, we may not be able to identify and promote people into leadership positions who share our culture and also focus on technology and innovation. Competitive pressure may also cause us to move in directions that may divert us from our mission, vision and values. If we cannot maintain our culture of innovation, our long-term business prospects could be materially and adversely affected. 18 | Page We are exposed to concentration risk of heavy reliance on our largest nano copper supplier for the supply of nano copper solution for our INCU technology, and any shortage of, or delay in, the supply may significantly impact on our business and results of operation. We source INCU nano copper solution for incorporation of our INCU technology into our air purifier products for sale to our customers from our largest nano copper supplier. As such, we rely on the ability and efficiency of our largest supplier to supply products. Our purchase from our largest nano copper supplier amounted to approximately Nil and $315,627 for FYE2023 and FYE 2022, respectively, representing approximately 37% and 30% of our total purchases, respectively. Our purchases from our top largest supplier accounted for a significant portion of our total purchases for FYE2022 and FYE2021. As we do not engage in manufacturing of nano copper solution, our business, financial condition and operating results for our air purifier system depends on the continuous supply of nano copper solution from our largest supplier and our continuous supplier-customer relationship with them. Our heavy reliance on our largest supplier for the supply of nano copper solution will have significant impact on our air purifier business and results of operation in the event of any shortage of, or delay in the supply. Our product supply may also be disrupted by potential labor disputes, strike action or natural disasters or other accidents affecting our largest supplier. If our largest suppliers do not supply products to us in a timely manner or in sufficient quantities, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially and adversely affected. Any shortage of, disruption, or delay in the supply, or our inability to obtain supplies from alternative sources will have a significant impact on our business and results of operation. We entered into distribution agreement with our nano copper solution supplier in September, 2020 and December 2021. As is customary in the supply or sales arrangements, the agreements with our largest supplier are terminable by either party by giving notice. We cannot guarantee that our largest suppliers will not terminate the agreements before the expiry of the agreements. In the event that our largest suppliers terminate the agreements, we will have to source products from other suppliers and we may not be able to secure a similar supply of products with the quantity and quality required to support our business or at all. Such termination may therefore have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results if we fail to engage any other suppliers with similar standards before the termination. There is no assurance that our major nano copper supplier and supplier of raw materials for our other products will continue to supply their products in the quantities and timeframes required by us to meet the demand of our customers or comply with their supply agreements with us. If our major supplier does not supply products to us in a timely manner or in sufficient quantities, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, in the event of any delay in delivery of the products to us, our cash flow or working capital may be materially and adversely affected as a result of the corresponding delay in delivery of our products to our customers, and hence the delay in our receipt of payment from our customers. Furthermore, our largest nano copper supplier may change their existing sales or marketing strategy in respect of the products supplied to us by changing its export strategy, reducing its sales or production volume or changing its selling prices. As a result, there is no assurance that our largest supplier will not appoint other agents, dealers or distributors which may compete with us in the market where we operate. Furthermore, any significant increase in the selling prices of the products which we source from our largest suppliers will increase our costs and may materially and adversely affect our profit margin if we are not able to pass the increased costs on to our customers. There is no assurance that there will be no deterioration in our relationship with our largest supplier which could affect our ability to secure sufficient supply of products for our business. In the event that our largest supplier change their sales or marketing strategy or otherwise appoints other dealers or distributors who may compete with us, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially and adversely affected. We operate in a competitive industry, and if we fail to compete effectively, our business could suffer. The air-conditioning and air purifying industry in Asia is highly competitive. Competition in our HVAC products includes several multinational, regional and local companies, the largest players of which include Daikin Industries, Gree Electric, Trane Technologies, Johnson Controls, Lennox International, Midea Group and Mitsubishi Electric. Sales depend on price, product availability, delivery schedule, product performance, product line breadth, brand reputation, design, technical expertise and service. In addition to established players, we face competition from new market entrants. Increased competition may lead to a loss of market share, increased difficulty in launching new service offerings, reduction in revenue or increase in loss, any one of which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. In certain of our businesses, our contracts are typically awarded on a competitive basis. Our bids are based upon, among other factors, the cost to timely provide the products and services. To generate an acceptable return, we must accurately estimate our costs and schedule. If we fail to do so, the profitability of contracts may be materially and adversely affected – including because some of our contracts provide for liquidated damages if we do not perform on time – which could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. 19 | Page If we are unable to create brand influence, we may not be able to maintain current or attract new users and customers for our products. Our operational and financial performance is highly dependent on the strength of our brand. We believe brand familiarity and preference will continue to have a significant role in winning over customers. In order to further expand our customer base, we may need to substantially increase our marketing expenditures to enhance brand awareness through various online and offline means. Moreover, negative coverage in the media of our company could threaten the perception of our brand, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to defuse negative press coverage about our company to the satisfaction of our investors, customers and suppliers. If we are unable to defuse negative press coverage about our company, our brand may suffer in the marketplace, our operational and financial performance may be negatively impacted. Currently, we sell our products, under our various product line brands, to domestic customers in Malaysia and to overseas customers. However, while the management does not consider the likelihood to be high, if our competitors initiate a lawsuit against us for infringing their trademarks, we may be forced to adopt a new brand name for our products. As a result, we may incur additional marketing cost to raise awareness of such new brand name. We may also be ordered to pay a significant amount of damages, and our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. We operate in a competitive environment and our profitability and competitive position depend on our ability to accurately estimate the costs and timing of providing our products and services. Climate change and regulations associated with climate change could adversely affect our business. The effects of climate change, including extreme weather conditions, create financial risks to our business. The effects of climate change could disrupt our operations by impacting the availability and cost of materials and by increasing insurance and other operating costs. The effects of climate change also may impact our decisions to construct new facilities or maintain existing facilities in the areas most prone to physical risks, which could similarly increase our operating and material costs. We could also face indirect financial risks passed through the supply chain that could result in higher prices for our products and the resources needed to produce them. There is a general consensus that greenhouse gas emissions are linked to climate change, and that these emissions must be reduced dramatically to avert its worst effects. As a result, increased public awareness and concern about climate change will likely continue to (1) generate more international, regional and/or national concerns and result in the implementation of further requirements and restrictions at international, regional and/or national level to curtail the use of high global warming potential refrigerants (which are essential to many of our products); (2) encourage increase in building energy efficiency; and (3) cause a shift away from the use of fossil fuels as an energy source. While our products are focused on being eco-friendly, these requirements may render some of the existing technology, particularly some of our products that require refrigerant use, non-compliant or obsolete. While we continue to be committed to developing eco-friendly sustainable solutions for our products, there can be no assurance that our development efforts will be successful, that our products will be accepted by the market, that proposed regulations or deregulation will not have an adverse effect on our competitive position, or that economic returns will reflect our investments in new product development. The inconsistent international, regional and/or national requirements associated with climate change regulations also create economic and regulatory uncertainty. There is also regulatory and budgetary uncertainty associated with government incentives, which, if discontinued, could adversely impact the demand for energy-efficient buildings and could increase costs of compliance. Our business and financial performance depend on continued and substantial investments in our information technology infrastructure, which may not yield anticipated benefits and which may be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The efficient operation of our business requires continued and substantial investments in information technology (“IT”) infrastructure systems. The failure to design, develop and implement new IT technology infrastructure systems in an effective and timely manner or to maintain existing systems could divert management’s attention and resources. Our information systems may also become obsolete because of inadequate investments, requiring an unplanned transition to a new platform that could be time consuming, costly, and damaging to our competitive position and could require additional management attention. Repeated or prolonged interruptions of service because of poor execution, inadequate investments or obsolescence could have a significant adverse impact on our reputation and our ability to sell products and services. 20 | Page In addition, our business may be impacted by disruptions to our or third-party IT infrastructure, which could result from (among other causes) cyber-attacks, infrastructure failures or compromises to our physical security. Cyber-based risks are evolving and include attacks: (i) on our IT infrastructure (ii) targeting the security, integrity and/or availability of hardware and software; (iii) on information installed, stored or transmitted in our products (including after the purchase of those products and when they are installed into third-party products); and (iv) on facilities or similar infrastructure. Such attacks could disrupt our systems (or those of third parties) and business operations, impact the ability of our products to work as intended or result in the unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, or destruction of information in violation of applicable law and/or contractual obligations. We have experienced cyber-based attacks and, due to the evolving threat landscape, may continue to experience them going forward, potentially with more frequency or severity. We continue to make investments and adopt measures to enhance our protection, detection, response and recovery capabilities, and to mitigate potential risks to our technology, products, services, operations and confidential data. However, depending on the nature, sophistication and scope of cyber-attacks, it is possible that potential vulnerabilities could go undetected for an extended period. As a result, we could potentially experience: (i) production downtimes; (ii) operational delays or other detrimental impacts on our operations; (iii) destruction or corruption of data; (iv) security breaches; (v) manipulation or improper use of our or third-party systems, networks or products; and (vi) financial losses from remedial actions, loss of business, liability, penalties, fines and/or damage to our reputation—any of which could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. Due to the evolving nature of such risks, the impact of any potential incident cannot be predicted. In addition, because of the global nature of our business, our internal systems and products must comply with applicable laws, regulations and standards in a number of jurisdictions, and government enforcement actions and violations of data privacy and cybersecurity laws could be costly or interrupt our business operations. Any disruption to our business arising from such issues, or an increase in our costs to cover these issues that is greater than what we have anticipated, could have an adverse effect on our competitive position, reputation, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. We depend on our intellectual property and have access to certain intellectual property and information of our customers and suppliers. Infringement of or the failure to protect that intellectual property could adversely affect our future growth and success. The Company’s intellectual property rights are important to our business and include numerous patents, trademarks, proprietary technology, technical data, business processes and other confidential information. Although we consider our intellectual property rights in the aggregate to be valuable, we do not believe that our business is materially dependent on a single intellectual property right or any group of them. We nonetheless rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, nondisclosure agreements, customer and supplier agreements, license agreements, information technology security systems, internal controls and compliance systems and other measures to protect our intellectual property. We also rely on nondisclosure agreements, information technology security systems and other measures to protect certain customer and supplier information and intellectual property that we have in our possession or to which we have access. Our efforts to protect such intellectual property and proprietary information may not be sufficient, however. We cannot be sure that our pending patent applications will result in the issuance of patents, that patents issued to or licensed by us in the past or in the future will not be challenged or circumvented by competitors, or that these patents will found to be valid or sufficiently broad to preclude our competitors from introducing technologies similar to those covered by our patents and patent applications. In addition, we may be the target of competitor or other third-party patent enforcement actions seeking substantial monetary damages or seeking to prevent the sale and marketing of certain of our products. Our competitive position also may be adversely impacted by limitations on our ability to obtain possession, ownership or necessary licenses concerning data important to the development or sale of our products or service offerings, or by limitations on our ability to restrict the use by others of data related to our products or services. Any of these events or factors could subject us to judgments, penalties and significant litigation costs or temporarily or permanently disrupt our sales and marketing of the affected products or services and could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. 21 | Page We use a variety of raw materials and supplier-provided parts in our business. Significant shortages, supplier capacity constraints or production disruptions, price increases, or tariffs could increase our operating costs and adversely impact the competitive positions of our products. Our reliance on suppliers and commodity markets to secure components and raw materials (such as copper and steel as well as INCU ionic copper solution), and on service providers to deliver our products, exposes us to volatility in the prices and availability of these materials and services. That potential volatility is particularly acute in certain instances where we depend upon a single source. Issues with suppliers (such as delivery or production disruptions, capacity constraints, quality issues, consolidations, closings or bankruptcies), price increases, raw material shortages, or the decreased availability of trucks and other delivery services could have a material adverse effect on our ability to meet our commitments to customers or increase our operating costs. We use various strategies to lock in prices of expected purchases of certain raw materials; however, these efforts could cause us to pay higher prices for a commodity when compared with the market price at the time the commodity is actually purchased or delivered. Tariffs can also increase our costs, the impact of which is difficult to predict. However, we believe that our supply management and production practices appropriately balance the foreseeable risks and the costs of alternative practices. Nonetheless, these risks may have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. We design, manufacture and service products that incorporate advanced technologies. The introduction of new products and technologies involves risks, and we may not realize the degree or timing of benefits initially anticipated. Our future success depends on designing, developing, producing, selling and supporting innovative products that incorporate advanced technologies. The regulations applicable to our products, as well as our customers’ product and service needs, change from time to time. Moreover, regulatory changes may render our products and technologies non-compliant. Our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of our technological advancements or product improvements – including those associated with regulatory changes – depends on a variety of factors, including: meeting development, production, and regulatory approval schedules; meeting performance plans and expectations; the availability of raw materials and parts; our suppliers’ performance; the hiring, training and deployment of qualified personnel; achieving efficiencies; identifying emerging regulatory and technological trends; validating innovative technologies; the level of customer interest in new technologies and products; and the costs and customer acceptance of our new or improved products. Failure to achieve and maintain a high level of product and service quality could damage our reputation with customers and negatively impact our results. Product and service quality issues could harm customer confidence in our company and our brands. If certain of our product offerings do not meet applicable safety standards or our customers’ expectations regarding safety or quality, we can experience lost sales and increased costs and we can and have been exposed to legal, financial and reputational risks. Actual, potential or perceived product safety concerns could expose us to litigation as well as government enforcement actions, which has also occurred in certain instances. In addition, when our products fail to perform as expected, we are exposed to warranty, product liability claims, personal injury and other claims. We maintain strict quality controls and procedures. However, we cannot be certain that these controls and procedures will reveal defects in our products or their raw materials, which may not become apparent until after the products have been placed in use in the market. Accordingly, there is a risk that products will have defects, which could require a product recall. Product recalls can be expensive to implement, and may damage our reputation, customer relationships and market share. In many jurisdictions, product liability claims are not limited to any specified amount of recovery. If any such claims or contribution requests or requirements exceed our available insurance or if there is a product recall, there could be an adverse impact on our results of operations. In addition, a recall or claim could require us to review our entire product portfolio to assess whether similar issues are present in other products, which could result in a significant disruption to our business and which could have a further adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. There can be no assurance that we will not experience any material warranty or product liability claim losses in the future, that we will not incur significant costs to defend such claims or that we will have adequate reserves to cover any recalls, repair and replacement costs. 22 | Page We are subject to litigation, environmental, and other legal and compliance risks. We are subject to a variety of litigation, legal and compliance risks. These risks relate to, among other things, personal injuries, intellectual property rights, contract-related claims, taxes, environmental matters, employee health and safety, competition laws and laws governing improper business practices. If found responsible in connection with such matters, we could be subject to significant fines, penalties, repayments and other damages (in certain cases, treble damages), and experience reputational harm. On October 8, 2021, a filing (the “Filing”) was made with the Kuala Lumpur High Court by a reseller (the “Reseller”) of the Company’s INCU ionic nano copper solution (the “Solution”) and the Reseller’s related party (together with the Reseller, the “Plaintiffs”). The Reseller was authorized by WKL Eco Earth as its sole distributor of the Solution (the “WKL Distributor”) to resell the Solution together with a diffuser with a capacity of not more than 1000ml through a tripartite agreement (the “Tripartite Agreement”) entered into between (a) the Reseller, (b) the WKL Distributor and (c) a solution packaging company (the “Packaging Company”). WKL Eco Earth was not a party to the Tripartite Agreement and did not directly authorize or engage the Reseller in the resale of the Solution. In the Filing, the Plaintiffs claimed against (i) WKL Eco Earth; (ii) Dr. Low; (iii) Chan Kok Wei, (iv) the Packaging Company and (v) two directors of the Packaging Company for loss and damages arising from an alleged breach of contract, defamation and tort of inducement. The Plaintiffs also alleged that pursuant to the Tripartite Agreement, WKL Eco Earth was prohibited from selling the Solution to any party other than the WKL Distributor, and that the Tripartite Agreement allowed for the resale of the Solution by the Plaintiffs without limitation, the Plaintiffs were not confined in their resale of the Solution to a product consisting of a diffuser with a capacity of not more than 1000ml. The Company believes the claims are without merit and will defend itself against the claims. As a global business, we are subject to complex laws and regulations in Malaysia. and other countries in which we operate. Those laws and regulations may be interpreted in different ways. They may also change from time to time, as may related interpretations and other guidance. Changes in laws or regulations could result in higher expenses. Uncertainty relating to laws or regulations may also affect how we operate, structure our investments and enforce our rights. Changes in environmental and climate change related-laws could require additional investments in product designs, which may be more expensive or difficult to manufacture, qualify and sell and/or may involve additional product safety risks and could increase environmental compliance expenditures. At times we are involved in disputes with private parties over environmental issues, including litigation over the allocation of cleanup costs, alleged personal injuries and property damage. Existing and future asbestos-related claims could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Personal injury lawsuits may involve individual and purported class actions alleging that contaminants originating from our current or former products or operating facilities caused or contributed to medical conditions. Property damage lawsuits may involve claims relating to environmental damage or diminution of real estate values. Even in litigation where we believe our liability is remote, there is a risk that a negative finding or decision could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition, in particular with respect to environmental claims in regions where we have, or previously had, significant operations or where certain of our products have been manufactured and used. Our failure to comply with anti-corruption laws and regulations, or effectively manage our employees, customers and business partners, could severely damage our reputation, and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We are subject to risks in relation to actions taken by us, our employees, third-party customers or third-party suppliers that constitute violations of the anti-corruption laws and regulations. While we adopt strict internal procedures and work closely with relevant government agencies to ensure compliance of our business operations with relevant laws and regulations, our efforts may not be sufficient to ensure that we comply with relevant laws and regulations at all times. If we, our employees, third-party customers or third-party suppliers violate these laws, rules or regulations, we could be subject to fines and/or other penalties. Actions by Malaysia regulatory authorities or the courts to provide an alternative interpretation of the laws and regulations or to adopt additional anti-bribery or anti-corruption related regulations could also require us to make changes to our operations. Our reputation, corporate image, and business operations may be materially and adversely affected if we fail to comply with these measures or become the target of any negative publicity as a result of actions taken by us, our employees, third-party customers or third-party suppliers. Our business depends on the continued contributions made by Low Wai Koon (“Dr. Low”), as our founder, chief executive officer, chief operating officer and chairman of the board, the loss of who may result in a severe impediment to our business, results of operation and financial condition. Our success is dependent upon the continued contributions made by founder, chief executive officer, chief operating officer and chairman of the board, Dr. Low. We rely on his expertise in business operations when we are developing our business. We have no “Key Man” insurance to cover the resulting losses in the event that Dr. Low should die or resign. In order to mitigate this risk, the Group has continued to invest in its personnel training as well as investment into its research and development department. However, if Dr. Low cannot serve the Company or is no longer willing to do so, the Company may not be able to find alternatives in a timely manner or at all. This would likely result in severe damage to our business operations and would have an adverse material impact on our financial position and operating results. To sustain our operations, the Company may have to recruit and train replacement personnel at a higher cost. In addition, if Dr. Low joins our competitors or develops similar businesses that are in competition with our Company, our business, results of operation and financial conditions may also be negatively impacted. 23 | Page Risks Related to Doing Business in Malaysia Developments in the social, political, regulatory and economic environment in Malaysia may have a material adverse impact on us. Our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by social, political, regulatory and economic developments in Malaysia. Such political and economic uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks of war, terrorism, nationalism, nullification of contract, changes in interest rates, imposition of capital controls and methods of taxation. According to Economy Outlook 2024 from Ministry of Finance Malaysia, global growth is projected to moderate in 2023 and 2024 following slow growth in advanced economies; volatile financial market due to tightening monetary policy; prolonged geopolitical tensions; and increasing climatic changes. Nevertheless, inflation continues to soften as markets head towards supply chain stabilisation. In addition, world trade is projected to moderate in 2023 in line with weaker global demand. However, global trade is expected to increase in 2024 in tandem with improved trade activity in advanced economies, and emerging market and developing economies (“EMDEs”). In the case of Malaysia, the economy continued to expand amid these persistent challenges in the external environment. During the first half of 2023, GDP posted a growth of 4.2% supported by resilient domestic demand, in particular private expenditure. Despite escalating uncertainties in the global landscape, Malaysia’s economy remains resilient. The GDP is forecast to expand by approximately 4% in 2023 and between 4% and 5% in 2024. The Government acknowledged the World Bank’s forecast that Malaysia’s growth will be 4.3% in 2024, which is slightly higher than its initial estimate. This is in line with Malaysia’s 2024 growth projection, which will be achieved through robust domestic demand, effectively offsetting the challenges posed by the moderate global growth, supported by the implementation of measures in the new National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), and the Mid-Term Review of the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (MTR of the Twelfth Plan). On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization or WHO declared the corona virus or COVID-19 a pandemic. To help counter the transmission of COVID-19, from March 18, 2020 to April 26, 2022, the government of Malaysia initiated Movement Control Orders (“MCO”). The MCO had resulted in quarantines, travel restrictions, and the temporary closure of stores and facilities in Malaysia. Conditional Movement Control Orders were introduced where most business sectors were allowed to operate under strict rules and Standard Operating Procedures mandated by the government of Malaysia, followed by Recovery Movement Control Orders. At the height of the pandemic, on January 12, 2021, the Malaysian government even declared a state of emergency nationwide to combat COVID-19. On April 1, 2022, the Malaysian government announced the country had begun transitioning into the endemic phase with further easing of restrictions. We are witnessing the adverse impact on the purchasing power of consumers in Malaysia, where our products are mainly sold as a direct result of the prolonged pandemic. As such, the extent to which the coronavirus may continue to adversely impact the Malaysian economy is uncertain. In the event that the Malaysia economy suffers, demand for our products may diminish, which would in turn result in our profitability. This could in turn result in a substantial need for restructuring of our business objectives and could result in a partial or entire loss of an investment in our Company. We are subject to foreign exchange control policies in Malaysia. The ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other payments to us may be restricted by the foreign exchange control policies in the countries where we operate. For example, there are foreign exchange policies in Malaysia which support the monitoring of capital flows into and out of the country in order to preserve its financial and economic stability. The foreign exchange policies are administered by the Foreign Exchange Administration, an arm of Bank Negara Malaysia (“BNM”), the central bank of Malaysia. The foreign exchange policies monitor and regulate both residents and non-residents. Under the current Foreign Exchange Administration rules issued by BNM, non-residents are free to repatriate any amount of funds from Malaysia in foreign currency other than the currency of Israel at any time (subject to limited exceptions), including capital, divestment proceeds, profits, dividends, rental, fees and interest arising from investment in Malaysia, subject to any withholding tax. In the event BNM or any other country where we operate introduces any restrictions in the future, we may be affected in our ability to repatriate dividends or other payments from our subsidiaries in Malaysia or in such other countries. Since we are a holding company and rely principally on dividends and other payments from our subsidiaries for our cash requirements, any restrictions on such dividends or other payments could materially and adversely affect our liquidity, financial condition and results of operation. 24 | Page Many of the economies in Asia, including Singapore, are experiencing substantial inflationary pressures which may prompt the governments to take action to control the growth of the economy and inflation that could lead to a significant decrease in our profitability in the future. While many of the economies in Asia have experienced rapid growth over the last two decades, they currently are experiencing inflationary pressures. As governments take steps to address the current inflationary pressures, there may be significant changes in the availability of bank credit, interest rate increases, limitations on loans, or restrictions on currency conversions and foreign investment. There also may be imposition of price controls. If prices for the products we source or if wages rise at a rate that is insufficient to compensate for the rise in these costs, it may have an adverse effect on our profitability. If these or other similar restrictions are imposed by a government to influence the economy, it may lead to a slowing of economic growth. Singapore’s core inflation rose to 5.3% on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis in September 2022, compared to 5.1% in August 2022. The pickup in core inflation was on account of larger increases in the prices of food, services and retail & other goods. CPI (consumer price index)—All Items inflation was 7.5% year-over-year in September 2022, unchanged from that in August. (source: https://www.mas.gov.sg/-/media/MAS/EPG/CPD/2022/Inflation202209.pdf) While this inflationary trend will result in higher operational costs, we believe that this also strengthens our value proposition by emphasizing potential savings to customers through improved productivity and workflow efficiency derived from our technology solutions. To mitigate inflationary pressures, we will regularly review our pricing structure to ensure sustainable profitability. Risks Related to Intellectual Property If we are not able to adequately protect our proprietary intellectual property and information, and protect against third party claims that we are infringing on their intellectual property rights, our results of operations could be adversely affected. The value of our business depends in part on our ability to protect our intellectual property including our patents applications and trademarks, as well as our customer, employee, and customer data. Third parties may try to challenge our ownership of our intellectual property in Asia and around the world. In addition, intellectual property rights and protections in Malaysia may be insufficient to protect material intellectual property rights. Further, our business is subject to the risk of third parties counterfeiting our products or infringing on our intellectual property rights. The steps we have taken may not prevent unauthorized use of our intellectual property. We may need to resort to litigation to protect our intellectual property rights, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources. If we fail to protect our proprietary intellectual property and information, including with respect to any successful challenge to our ownership of intellectual property or material infringements of our intellectual property, this failure could have a significant adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. If we are unable to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, or if we are accused of infringing on the intellectual property rights of others, our competitive position could be harmed or we could be required to incur significant expenses to enforce or defend our rights. Our commercial success will depend in part on our success in obtaining and maintaining patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights in Malaysia and elsewhere and protecting our proprietary technology. If we do not adequately protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology, competitors may be able to use our technologies or the goodwill we have acquired in the marketplace and erode or negate any competitive advantage we may have, which could harm our business and ability to achieve profitability. We cannot provide any assurances that any of our pending patent applications that mature into issued patents will include a scope sufficient to protect our products, any additional features we develop for our products or any new products. Other parties may have developed technologies that may be related or competitive to our system, may have filed or may file patent applications and may have received or may receive patents that overlap or conflict with our patent applications, either by claiming the same methods or devices or by claiming subject matter that could dominate our patent position. Our patent position may involve complex legal and factual questions, and, therefore, the scope, validity and enforceability of any patent claims that we may obtain cannot be predicted with certainty. Patents, if issued, may be challenged, deemed unenforceable, invalidated or circumvented. Proceedings challenging our patents could result in either loss of the patent or denial of the patent application or loss or reduction in the scope of one or more of the claims of the patent or patent application. In addition, such proceedings may be costly. Thus, any patents that we may own may not provide any protection against competitors. Furthermore, an adverse decision in an interference proceeding can result in a third party receiving the patent right sought by us, which in turn could affect our ability to commercialize our products. 25 | Page Though an issued patent is presumed valid and enforceable, its issuance is not conclusive as to its validity or its enforceability and it may not provide us with adequate proprietary protection or competitive advantages against competitors with similar products. Competitors could purchase our products and attempt to replicate some or all of the competitive advantages we derive from our development efforts, willfully infringe our intellectual property rights, design around our patents, or develop and obtain patent protection for more effective technologies, designs or methods. We may be unable to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of our technical knowledge or trade secrets by consultants, suppliers, vendors, former employees and current employees. Our ability to enforce our patent rights depends on our ability to detect infringement. It may be difficult to detect infringers who do not advertise the components that are used in their products. Moreover, it may be difficult or impossible to obtain evidence of infringement in a competitor’s or potential competitor’s product. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate and the damages or other remedies awarded if we were to prevail may not be commercially meaningful. In addition, proceedings to enforce or defend our patents could put our patents at risk of being invalidated, held unenforceable or interpreted narrowly. Such proceedings could also provoke third parties to assert claims against us, including that some or all of the claims in one or more of our patents are invalid or otherwise unenforceable. If any of our patents covering our products are invalidated or found unenforceable, or if a court found that valid, enforceable patents held by third parties covered one or more of our products, our competitive position could be harmed or we could be required to incur significant expenses to enforce or defend our rights. The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain, and we cannot ensure that: ● any of our pending patent applications, if issued, will include claims having a scope sufficient to protect our products; ● any of our pending patent applications will be issued as patents; ● we were the first to file patent applications for these inventions; ● others will not develop similar or alternative technologies that do not infringe our patents; any of our patents will be found to ultimately be valid and enforceable; ● any patents issued to us will provide a basis for an exclusive market for our commercially viable products, will provide us with any competitive advantages or will not be challenged by third parties; ● we will develop additional proprietary technologies or products that are separately patentable; or ● our commercial activities or products will not infringe upon the patents of others. We rely, in part, upon unpatented know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. Further, our trade secrets could otherwise become known or be independently discovered by our competitors. 26 | Page Risks Relating to Our Securities There may not be sufficient liquidity in the market for our securities in order for investors to sell their securities. There is currently only a limited public market for our ordinary share, which is listed on the Over-the-Counter Pink Sheets, and there can be no assurance that a trading market will develop further or be maintained in the future. Volatility in our shares price may subject us to securities litigation. The market for our shares may have, when compared to seasoned issuers, significant price volatility and we expect that our share price may continue to be more volatile than that of a seasoned issuer for the indefinite future. In the past, plaintiffs have often initiated securities class action litigation against a company following periods of volatility in the market price of its securities. We may, in the future, be the target of similar litigation. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and liabilities and could divert management’s attention and resources. Our ordinary share may be considered a “penny stock” and may be difficult to sell. The SEC has adopted regulations which generally define a “penny stock” to be an equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to specific exemptions. The market price of our ordinary share is less than $5.00 per share and, therefore, it may be designated as a “penny stock” according to SEC rules. This designation requires any broker or dealer selling these securities to disclose certain information concerning the transaction, obtain a written agreement from the purchaser and determine that the purchaser is reasonably suitable to purchase the securities. These rules may restrict the ability of brokers or dealers to sell our ordinary share and may affect the ability of investors to sell their shares. The market for penny stocks has experienced numerous frauds and abuses, which could adversely impact investors in our stock. OTC Pink Sheet securities are frequent targets of fraud or market manipulation, both because of their generally low prices and because OTC Pink Sheet reporting requirements are less stringent than those of the stock exchanges or NASDAQ. Patterns of fraud and abuse include: ● Control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; ● Manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; ● “Boiler room” practices involving high pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; ● Excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differentials and mark-ups by selling broker-dealers; and ● Wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, along with the inevitable collapse of those prices with consequent investor losses. ● Our management is aware of the abuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market . We have not paid dividends in the past and do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future and any return on investment may be limited to the value of our stock. We have never paid any cash dividends on our ordinary share and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our ordinary share in the foreseeable future and any return on investment may be limited to the value of our stock. We plan to retain any future earnings to finance growth. We are a “smaller reporting company,” and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors. We are currently a “smaller reporting company”, meaning that we are not an investment company, an asset- backed issuer, or a majority-owned subsidiary of a parent company that is not a smaller reporting company and annual revenues of less than $50.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year. In the event that we are still considered a “smaller reporting company,” at such time as we cease being an “emerging growth company,” we will be required to provide additional disclosure in our SEC filings. However, similar to an “emerging growth companies”, “smaller reporting companies” are able to provide simplified executive compensation disclosures in their filings; are exempt from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting; and have certain other decreased disclosure obligations in their SEC filings, including, among other things, only being required to provide two years of audited financial statements in annual reports. Decreased disclosures in our SEC filings due to our status as a “smaller reporting company” may make it harder for investors to analyze our results of operations and financial prospects. 27 | Page General Risks Natural disasters, epidemics or other unexpected events may disrupt our operations, adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and may not be fully covered by insurance. The occurrence of one or more natural disasters, power outages or other unexpected events, including hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, floods and other forms of severe weather, health epidemics, pandemics (including COVID-19) or other contagious outbreaks, conflicts, wars or terrorist acts, in the U.S. or in other countries in which we or our suppliers or customers operate could adversely affect our operations and financial performance. Natural disasters, power outages or other unexpected events could damage or close one or more of our facilities or disrupt our operations temporarily or long-term, such as by causing business interruptions or by affecting the availability and/or cost of materials needed for manufacturing. We have only one factory and another assembly line that can manufacture a specific product or product line. As a result, damage to or the closure of that factory may disrupt or prevent us from manufacturing certain products. Existing insurance arrangements may not cover all of the costs or lost cash flows that may arise from such events. The occurrence of any of these events could also increase our insurance and other operating costs or harm our sales. We may be affected by global economic, capital market and political conditions, and conditions in the construction, transportation and infrastructure industries in particular. Our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows may be adversely affected by changes in global economic conditions and geopolitical risks and conditions, including credit market conditions, levels of consumer and business confidence, fluctuations in residential, commercial and industrial construction activity, pandemic health issues (including COVID-19 and its effects), natural disasters, commodity prices, energy costs, interest rates, foreign exchange rates, levels of government spending and deficits, trade policies (including tariffs, boycotts and sanctions), regulatory changes, actual or anticipated default on sovereign debt and other challenges that could affect the global economy. These economic and political conditions affect our business in a number of ways. Additionally, the tightening of credit in the capital markets could adversely affect the ability of our customers, including individual end-customers and businesses, to obtain financing for significant purchases and operations, which could result in a decrease in or cancellation of orders for our products and services. Similarly, tightening credit may adversely affect our supply base and increase the potential for one or more of our suppliers to experience financial distress or bankruptcy. Additionally, because we have a number of factories and suppliers in foreign countries, the imposition of tariffs or sanctions or unusually restrictive border crossing rules could adversely affect our supply chain, operations and overall business. Our business and financial performance is also adversely affected by decreases in the general level of economic activity, such as decreases in business and consumer spending and construction (both residential and commercial as well as remodelling). Our business success depends on attracting and retaining qualified personnel. Our ability to sustain and grow our business requires us to hire, retain and develop a highly skilled and diverse management team and workforce. Failure to ensure that we have leadership with the necessary skill sets and experience could impede our ability to deliver our growth objectives, execute our strategic plan and effectively transition our leadership. ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS None.