Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2022
or
☐ TRANSITION
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from _____ to _____
Commission file number 333-193087
FOCUS UNIVERSAL INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Nevada
46-3355876
(State or other jurisdiction of
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
Incorporation or organization)
2311 East Locust Court , Ontario , CA
91761
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including
area code (626) 272-3883
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b)
of the Act:
Title of each class
Trading Symbol(s)
Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.001 par value
FCUV
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
(Nasdaq Global Market)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g)
of the Act:
Title of each class
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a
well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not
required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
(1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months
(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405
of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes
☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.
See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,”
and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐
Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒
Smaller reporting company ☒
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check
mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting
standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial
reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or
issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant
included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether
any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive- based compensation received by any of
the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
As of June 30, 2022, the aggregate market value
of shares held by non-affiliates of the registrant (based upon the closing price of such shares on the Nasdaq Global Market on June 30,
2022) was $ 495,782,364 .14. For purposes of calculating the aggregate market value of shares held by non-affiliates, we have assumed that
all outstanding shares are held by non-affiliates, except for shares held by each of our executive officers, directors and 5% or greater
stockholders. In the case of 5% or greater stockholders, we have not deemed such stockholders to be affiliates unless there are facts
and circumstances which would indicate that such stockholders exercise any control over our company, or unless they hold 10% or more of
our outstanding common stock. These assumptions should not be deemed to constitute an admission that all executive officers, directors
and 5% or greater stockholders are, in fact, affiliates of our company, or that there are not other persons who may be deemed to be affiliates
of our company. Further information concerning shareholdings of our officers, directors and principal stockholders is included in Part
III, Item 12 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s
common stock, $0.001 par value, outstanding as of March 22, 2023: 43,229,653 .
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
None.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part I
Page No.
Item 1.
Business
1
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
31
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
45
Item 2.
Properties
45
Item 3.
Legal Proceedings
45
Item 4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
45
Part II
Item 5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
46
Item 6.
[ Reserved ]
47
Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
47
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
55
Item 8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
F-1
Item 9.
Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
56
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures
56
Item 9B.
Other Information
57
Item 9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
57
Part III
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
58
Item 11.
Executive Compensation
64
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
67
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
67
Item 14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
68
Part IV
Item 15.
Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
69
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary
69
Signatures
70
i
FOCUS UNIVERSAL INC.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are projections of events, revenues, income, future economic performance or management’s plans and objectives
for our future operations. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “should,”
“expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,”
“potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are
only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, the risks in the
section entitled “Risk Factors” and the risks set out below, any of which may cause our or our industry’s actual results,
levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks include, by way of example and not in limitation:
·
the uncertainty of profitability based upon our history of losses;
·
risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms;
·
risks related to our international operations and currency exchange fluctuations; and
·
other risks and uncertainties related to our business plan and business strategy.
This list is not an exhaustive list of the factors
that may affect any of our forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not
place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, estimates
and opinions on the date the statements are made, and we undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs,
estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking
statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Except as required by
applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to
conform these statements to actual results.
Our financial statements are stated in United
States dollars (US$) and are prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. All references to “common
stock” refer to the common shares in our capital stock.
As used in this annual report, the terms “we,”
“us,” “our,” the “Company” and “Focus Universal” mean Focus Universal Inc. unless otherwise
indicated.
ii
PART I
Item 1. BUSINESS
Company Background.
Focus Universal Inc. (the “Company,”
“we,” “us,” or “our”) is a Nevada corporation. We are based in the city of Ontario, California, and
were incorporated in Nevada in 2012. In December of 2013, we filed an S-1 registration statement that went effective on March 14, 2014.
From March 14, 2014, through August 30, 2021, our securities traded on the OTCQB Market. From August 31, 2021, through January 27, 2022,
our securities traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market. From January 28, 2022, to the present, our securities have traded on the Nasdaq Global
Market.
Our company websites are www.focusuniversal.com,
www.avxdesign.com, and www.attechsystems.com. Our website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended
to be incorporated into this report.
We have developed five proprietary platform technologies
that we believe solve the most fundamental problems plaguing the internet of things (“IoT”) industry by: (1) increasing the
overall degree of chip integration capabilities by shifting integration from the component level directly to the device level; (2) creating
a faster 5G cellular technology by using ultra-narrowband technology; (3) leveraging ultra-narrowband power line communication (“PLC”)
technology; (4) developing a natural integrated programming language (“NIPL”) applied to software development, which generates
a user interface through machine auto generation technology; and (5) developing a universal smart instrumentation platform (“USIP”).
Index of Key Technical Abbreviated Terms
Abbreviation
Full Term
5G
Fifth Generation Mobile Wireless Telecommunications Network
FSK
Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying
HANs
Home Area Networks
IC
Integrated Chip
IoT
Internet of Things
LTE Networks
Long-Term Evolution Networks
MOS Transistor
Metal-Oxide-Silicon Transistor
PLC
Power Line Communication
UNB
Ultra-narrowband
USIO
Universal Smart Instrumentation Operating System
USIP
Universal Smart Instrumentation Platform
1.
Our goal is to increase
the overall degree of chip integration capabilities by shifting integration from the component level directly to the device level.
We have developed an innovative and proprietary
“device on a chip” (“DoC”) technology, which combines the required electronic circuits of various integrated circuit
components onto a single, integrated chip (“IC”) and pushes beyond the limits of current integrated chips. Our DoC technology
works as a single component but is capable of handling entire IoT device functions (excluding sensors and architecture-specific components).
Our DoC technology includes both the hardware and software, uses less power compared to traditional IoT devices, with better performance,
includes smaller overall devices, and offers greater reliability despite decreasing the number of interconnections between components.
We believe that incorporating our DoC technology into our product offering, will simplify the manufacturing process, lowering our costs
and allowing us to achieve a faster time-to-market, when compared to our competitors’ who only manufacture and sell multi-chip devices.
Our planned DoC technology allows devices to achieve interoperability with one another and are interchangeable, both features where traditional
IoT devices fall short.
1
Our research and development suggest that the existing IC integration
in IoT devices is mainly focused on hardware-to-hardware integration, not incorporating software solutions. This lack of incorporating
software under a common operating system, application software, and extra interface into ICs, limits IC integration to the component
level. Software is a critical component in electronics, and the more tightly integrated the software, the better the power and performance.
Software also adds an element of flexibility and allows multiple discrete ICs, which in the past were unable to be further integrated
into a single IC.
Currently, ICs integration requires the development
and manufacture of customized hardware and software. As a result, IC fabrication is too expensive to manufacture on a large scale. IC
is ideally designed for products that are intended for mass production to keep manufacturing costs low by producing uniform products using
repetitive and standardized processes. Product standardization has become a major bottleneck in device-level IC fabrication because most
devices are custom-designed and manufactured.
The Universal Smart Instrumentation Platform (“USIP”)
we developed is a standardized, universal hardware and software integration platform that provides a universal common foundation for what
we anticipate will be used by thousands of IoT and standalone devices. The electronic design and production start from a 90% completed
common foundation, our USIP, instead of the individual components that necessitate the current method of building each standalone instrument
from scratch. USIP allows ICs to be integrated from the component level up to the device level, which pushes the frontier of semiconductor
technology beyond Moore’s Law. Our USIP also eliminates redundant hardware and software and results in significant cost savings
and production efficiency.
Figure 1. From USIP to device level
integrated circuits (“IC”).
2.
Creating a faster 5G cellular technology by using ultra-narrowband technology.
Fifth generation (“5G”) telecommunications
networks will revolutionize the digital economy by enabling new applications that depend on ultra-fast communications on an industrial
scale. 5G promises to deliver an improved end-user experience by offering new applications and services through gigabit speeds and significantly
improved performance and reliability. 5G will build on the successes of 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile networks, which have transformed society,
supporting new services and new business models. 5G provides an opportunity for wireless operators to move beyond providing connectivity
services to developing rich solutions and services for consumers and industries across a wide range of sectors at an affordable cost.
5G is an opportunity to implement wired and wireless converged networks and offers opportunities to integrate network management systems.
The United States and China are in a race to deploy 5G wireless networks, and the country that gets there first will lead in standard-setting,
patents, and the global supply chain. A World Economic Forum report stated that by 2035 5G networks would contribute $13.2 trillion in
economic value globally and generate 22.3 million jobs in the 5G global value chain from direct network investments and residual services [1] .
5G networks and their related applications are expected to add three million jobs and $1.2 trillion to the economy in the U.S. [2]
____________________
[1] World Economic Forum, January 2020 “The Impact of 5G: Creating
New Value across Industries and Society,” available at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Impact_of_5G_Report.pdf (last accessed
March 6, 2023).
[2] https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/power-line-communication-plc-market-912.html
(last accessed on March 6, 2023).
2
Though 5G offers a significant increase in speed
and bandwidth over previous generation telecommunication networks, its more limited range for high-speed internet will require further
infrastructure investments. A 5G network requires spectrum across low, mid, and high spectrum bands to deliver widespread coverage and
support a wide range of use cases [3] . A low-band cell site can cover hundreds of square miles and deliver a downlink data rate
in the range of 30-250 Mbps. [4] Mid-band frequencies (2.5/3.5Ghz) can also travel long distances but can carry a lot more data
than low-band cell sites. [5] Mid-band 5G base stations can transmit and receive high-capacity signals over fairly large areas.
They can represent an ideal mix of performance—including some networks providing download speeds around 100-900 Mbps—for the
bulk of 5G traffic in metropolitan areas. [6] High-band 5G uses millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency bands. Despite receiving
plenty of publicity, high-band is a very specialized part of the 5G offering. [7] Functioning over a shorter radius, it’s
particularly useful in urban areas and busy venues like stadiums and shopping malls. [8] With the potential to offer data rates
of up to 10 Gbps, high-band 5G is already being deployed in several major cities. Download speeds for carriers’ high band 5G can
sometimes clock in around 450 Mbps, with peak speeds of nearly 1 Gbps, and upload speeds near 50 Mbps. [9]
High band, mmWave spectrum is used primarily for
urban and dense urban markets. The characteristics of high band, mmWave spectrum is that it is very wide and provides a significant increase
in capacity. Because of the greater spectrum width, speed is increased, and transmission latency is reduced. However, the drawback is
that high-band spectrum does not propagate over a large coverage area. For example, a 28 GHz mmWave spectrum can only travel 500 feet. [10]
Low-band frequencies can travel long distances
and penetrate buildings but can only carry a limited amount of data. High-band frequencies can carry a substantial amount of data, but
due to their shorter wavelength, they travel shorter distances and are more susceptible to buildings and trees blocking the signal. [11]
____________________
[3] Horwitz, Jeremy (December 10, 2019). “The definitive guide
to 5G low, mid, and high band speeds.” VentureBeat online magazine (available at: https://venturebeat.com/2019/12/10/the-definitive-guide-to-5g-low-mid-and-high-band-speeds/
(Last accessed March 7, 2023)).
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
[7] See “5G Rollout—Beyond the Hype.” Parsons
Cyber Blog, June 16, 2020 (“As a result, 5G base stations must be positioned as close as a third of a mile, whereas 4G base stations
can provide coverage of 20 to 45 miles. This limitation becomes especially acute in more rural and/or remote areas, wherein 5G networks
become impractical”) (available at: https://www.parsons.com/2020/06/5g-rollout-beyond-the-hype/ (last accessed, March 7, 2023)).
[8] Id.
[9] https://www.t-mobile.com/business/resources/articles/benefits-of-the-5g-spectrum-for-businesses
(last accessed March 7, 2023).
[10] https://dgtlinfra.com/american-tower-5g-deployed-in-layers-different-spectrum-bands/
(last accessed March 7, 2023).
[11] https://www.md7.com/perspectives/infrastructure-challenges-of-5g-frequency/
(last accessed March 7, 2023).
3
Unlike 4G LTE, which operates on established frequency
bands below 6GHz, 5G requires frequencies up to 300GHz. Wireless carriers still need to bid for the costly higher spectrum bands, as they
build and roll out their respective 5G networks. Adding the hardware required for 5G networks can significantly increase operating expenses.
Building 5G networks is expensive. According to THALES, total global spending on 5G is set to reach $620 billion by 2025. [12]
A typical 5G base station consumes up to twice
or more the power of a 4G base station. Energy costs can grow even more at higher frequencies due to a need for more antennas and a denser
layer of small cells. Edge computing facilities needed to support local processing and new internet of things (IoT) services will also
add to overall network power usage.
Our ultra-narrowband wireless communication 5G+ technology aims to
achieve both low band 5G coverage and 1 Gbps high-band speed because we employ an ultra-narrow spectrum channel (<1KHz) to establish
an ultra-long-distance link between the 5G base station and the receiver. The ultra-narrowband modulation was initially conceived in 1985
by Dr. Harold R. Walker as a method to be used with ‘frequency modulation (FM) Sub-Carriers’ (as opposed to “FM Supplementary
Carriers” or “In Band On Channel” Carriers). In its original form, data rates as high as 196 kb/s were obtained from
a subcarrier at 98 kHz, and bandwidth spectral efficiencies as high as 15 bits/sec/Hz were achieved. A pulse width modulation baseband
encoding method called the “Slip Code” was used. That method, which was a baseband method, was limited in data rate and required
excessive filtering, which precluded it from being a practical ultra-narrowband method.
Ultra-narrowband (“UNB”) technology
employs an ultra-narrow spectrum channel (<1KHz) to establish an ultra-long-distance link between transmitter and receiver. UNB allows
for long-range coverage, making it an optimal low-power wide-area network technique for industrial IoT systems. Additionally, its ultra-high
power spectral density creates endurance against interference and jamming, which enables the friendly coexistence of UNB on shared frequency
bands. The narrower the bandwidth, the fewer occurrences of noise and interference entering the bandwidth. In addition, UNB’s transmission
of energy concentrates on ultra-narrowband width, resulting in a very high concentration of power in a very narrow frequency band.
Figure 4. Comparison between Ultra-Narrowband
and Broadband
Many traditional modulation approaches require
allowance for upper and lower sidebands throughout the carrier frequency. UNB modulation is a modified approach for data transmission
without sidebands. UNB is extremely robust in an environment with other signals, including spread spectrum signals. However, spread spectrum
networks are affected by UNB signals.
____________________
[12]
THALES, Dec 29,2022, A 5G PROGRESS REPORT: LAUNCHES, SUBSCRIBERS, DEVICES & MORE,
https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/digital-identity-and-security/magazine/5g-progress-report-launches-subscribers-devices,
(last accessed March 7, 2023)
4
UNB modulation utilizes a coded baseband with
abrupt edges. Any bandpass filter used at the transmitter for ultra-narrowband modulation must exhibit zero group delay to pass the instantaneous
phase changes. However, it may lack the bandwidth required to pass instantaneous changes in frequency. Conventional filters cannot be
used with ultra-narrowband signals, which are dependent upon negative or zero group delay filters.
One important characteristic has restricted widespread
adoption of ultra-narrowband modulation, and that is the zero group delay filters, which are complex and must be hand-tuned. Furthermore,
zero group delay filters are responsible for restricting data rates to just 196 kb/s from a subcarrier at 98 kHz and bandwidth spectral
efficiency to 15 bits/sec/Hz.
We developed an ultra-narrowband technology that
offers a potential alternative and/or complementary solution to the broadband technology used in 5G networks and meets the challenging
5G demands. A comparison of our ultra-narrowband technology with 4G and 5G is illustrated in the table below:
Technology
Bandwidth
No. of subcarriers
Operating Frequency
Speed
Spectral
MHz
GHz
Mbps
Bits/s/Hz
4G
20
1200
6
4-60
6
5G
100
3276
Up to 300
40-1100
10
UNB (finished)
0.001
1
0.004
4
~4000
UNB (in development)
0.001
1
0.064
64-256
>4000
As shown in the table, our internal testing shows
that our finished ultra-narrowband technology can achieve speeds of 4 Mbps per second at a bandwidth of less than 1000 Hz. The spectral
efficiency of our finished technology has reached 4000 bits/sec/Hz. Development work of our ultra-narrowband technology is underway for
speeds of 64 Mbps at a bandwidth of 64 MHz with spectral efficiency of over 4000 bits/sec/Hz.
UNB speeds will increase proportionally if it
operates at the higher frequencies used by 4G or 5G networks or adopts multiple subcarriers, equivalent to increasing bandwidth. As a
result, we believe that our ultra-narrowband technology can reach 5G speeds and has the potential for much higher speeds. Utilizing the
same bandwidth, our internal results show that UNB can save energy of up to 20,000 times when compared to current 4G technology and 100,000
times when compared to current 5G technology. Keeping the same bandwidth and energy consumption, our internal testing results suggest
the coverage provided by UNB can increase by two orders of magnitude. UNB breaks through the Shannon Law’s critical limit that current
5G cellular communication is reaching, overcomes the current 5G challenges, and allows cellular communication development beyond 5G.
Despite the excitement surrounding 5G networks, several challenges
need to be address before global adoption of 5G technology can occur.
1)
Spectrum availability.
5G networks operate on higher bandwidth
frequencies reaching up to 300 GHz, which permit data rates capable of delivering ultra-fast speeds measuring as much as 20 times more
than those provided by 4G LTE networks. However, the availability and cost of spectrum bands are still an issue for wireless operators.
Wireless operators need to bid for these costly higher spectrum bands as they build and deploy their respective 5G networks. On February
24, 2021, the Federal Communications Commission announced the winning bids in Auction 107, the auction of 3.7 GHz service licenses. The
winning bids for all 5,684 available licenses totaled over $81 billion and were concentrated among just 21 bidders. [13] Given
that Focus Universal operates in the ultra-narrowband spectrum where very limited spectrum is required and public access spectrum is also
available, this is potentially less of a concern than pursuing the traditional broadband capacity pathways.
____________________
[13] Federal Communications Commissions (February 17, 2021), https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-announces-winning-bidders-37-ghz-service-auction,
(last accessed March 7, 2023)
5
2)
Coverage.
Despite 5G networks offering significantly
increased speeds, their more limited range will require increased infrastructure investments. 5G requires three to four times the number
of base stations to provide the same coverage area as 4G LTE because higher frequencies are more readily absorbed by solid objects than
lower frequencies. For example, a signal at 700 MHz provides a coverage area three to four times that of a 2.6 GHz signal. Likewise, we
expect UNB coverage to potentially increase coverage over standard 5G broadband pathways.
3)
Cost.
Building a 5G network is expensive.
To do so is not just building a layer on top of an existing 4G network; instead, it is laying the groundwork for something new altogether.
The cost of a current 5G base station is approximately three times that of a 4G base station. [14]
4)
Energy consumption.
Two factors relate directly to the increased
energy consumption of 5G networks. First, 5G’s operating on higher frequency spectrums require greater energy input. [15]
For example, a typical 5G base station consumes up to twice the power consumed by a 4G base station. Second, to provide the same coverage
area as a 4G network, a 5G network requires three to four times the number of base stations. Accordingly, the overall energy consumption
of a typical 5G network will be at least six to eight times more than the energy consumption of a 4G network with equivalent coverage.
Like the coverage applications, we also expect energy consumption to be potentially significantly less with UNB technologies over the
conventional broadband pathways.
5G+
We are currently developing 5G+, which we believe
is a promising alternative wireless technology that uses our innovative ultra-narrowband (UNB) wireless technology. UNB technology employs
an ultra-narrow spectrum channel (<1 kHz) to establish an ultra-long-distance link between transmitter and receiver. Our internal testing
suggests that a single 5G+ subcarrier wave has the potential to provide speeds of 64 to 256 Mbps. Moreover, multiple UNB subcarriers may
be combined, which effectively increases bandwidth. Given anticipated data rates of 64 Mbps, we believe only 4 to 16 5G+ subcarrier waves
would be needed to achieve the current 5G speeds, and just 40 to 160 5G+ subcarrier waves would be needed to achieve 6G speeds. By contrast,
5G technology requires 3,276 subcarrier waves to achieve its current speeds. Fewer subcarriers translate into cost savings because they
are more compact and consume less energy. Our goal is to increase the speed of 5G networks while simultaneously reducing the number of
subcarriers.
Our internal testing suggests that to achieve
speeds of 1 Gbps, our 5G+ technology would only require bandwidths of 4 to 16 kHz, which is narrow enough to be operated in lower frequency
spectrums. This would mean that 5G+ providers would not need to purchase the higher frequency spectrums required by 5G technology. Accordingly,
a 5G+ provider would realize significant savings from not having to bid for costly higher spectrum band licenses. Operating in relatively
lower frequency spectrum bands, when compared to 5G, also means that 5G+ would have a more extensive coverage area than that of 5G, in
many cases three to ten times larger. It would also mean that we could reduce the number of subcarriers and reduce the overall costs of
the 5G networks infrastructure.
____________________
[14]
“How much does it cost to build a 5G base station?” Phate Zhang, April 7, 2020, CNTechPost (available at:
https://cntechpost.com/2020/04/07/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-5g-base-station/ (last accessed March 7, 2023)).
[15]
Environmental Health Trust, https://ehtrust.org/science/reports-on-power-consumption-and-increasing-energy-use-of-wireless-systems-and-digital-ecosystem/,
(last accessed March 7, 2023)
6
Further, the design of 5G+ infrastructure means
that cost savings could be realized as there is the potential of piggybacking the required 5G+ infrastructure on the current 4G infrastructure.
Finally, 5G+ only consumes 1/25,000 to 1/6,250 of the energy consumed by 5G. As outlined above, 5G+ has the potential to overcome the
challenges presented using higher broadband spectrums required for the implementation of the broadband technology used in 5G.
3.
Leveraging ultra-narrowband power line communication (“PLC”) technology.
Our patented PLC is an innovative communication
technology that enables sending data over existing power cables in the electric grid. Because PLC uses the existing power lines, it does
not require substantial new investment for a dedicated wiring infrastructure. Existing power lines already form a distribution network
that penetrates every residential, commercial, and industrial property. Given that the power grid is, for the most part, an established
ubiquitous network, PLC is potentially the most cost-effective, scalable interconnectivity approach for the backbone communication infrastructure
required for the IoT. PLC allows IoT devices to be plugged into power outlets to establish a connection using the existing electrical
wiring, permitting data sharing without the substantial investment and inconvenience of running dedicated network cables.
Historically, the primary design goal of the power
line network was electric power distribution. The power line network was not originally designed to function as a communication channel.
Consequently, while PLC has been around for many years, the harsh electrical noise present on power lines and variations in equipment
and standards make communications over the power grid difficult and present several challenges for data transfer. Signals propagating
along the power line are subjected to substantial amounts of noise, attenuation, and distortion that make them erratic, with several attributes
varying over time. PLC is susceptible to noise from devices linked to the power supply infrastructure, including, for example, fluorescent
tube lights, drills, hair dryers, microwave ovens, computers, switch-mode power supply, cellphone chargers, dimmers, refrigerators, televisions,
washing machines, and vacuum cleaners. The result is that previous attempts at implementing PLC technology resulted in power companies
and internet service providers deciding that the technology is not a viable means of delivering data or broadband internet access. These
technological challenges have impeded or even halted progress in PLC technology’s development.
We have successfully developed ultra-narrowband
PLC technology that can transfer data through the power grid. According to our internal testing, our ultra-narrowband PLC technology can
send and receive data without the customary interference that occurs in standard office and residential environments, achieving speeds
of 4 Mbps at a bandwidth of less than 1000 Hz. To test noise interference and disturbance, we utilized six industrial blowers simultaneously
when testing, and no significant interference was found. By comparison, a single hair dryer will render our competitors’ legacy
PLC technology completely useless. We have completed the development of our 4Mbps PLC modules and the printed circuit board layout. These
modules will be used for IoT systems involving over 1,000 sensors.
Our ultra-narrowband PLC technology is a considerably
more effective way to transfer data than current in-home and commercial network systems, such as Zigbee and Z-Wave. While Zigbee and Z-Wave
will need new infrastructure to be installed, our PLC technology could operate by itself or complement existing wideband communication
tools like Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or Z-Wave. Penetrating physical barriers like walls within a single floor or reaching out to different floors
in a single building is a challenge for the wireless technology that current IoT systems are using. Moreover, wireless networks often
face performance issues due to radio-frequency interference caused by microwave ovens, cordless telephones, or even Bluetooth devices
at home. However, our PLC technology can reach every node connected via the power lines. Our technology converts virtually every standard
wall socket into an access point, in many ways incorporating the best of wired and wireless communication, making it a more consistent
and reliable system for crucial and sensitive operations. Our ultra-narrowband PLC technology’s ability to reach long distances
via power lines becomes especially useful in commercial networks that require the ability to avoid physical barriers like walls, underground
structures, and hills, such as those networks used in industrial facilities, underground structures, golf course irrigation systems, and
campuses. Moreover, our technology can be an integral part of any smart city, community, or campus.
7
4.
Developing a natural integrated programming language (“NIPL”) applied to software development, which generates a user interface through machine auto generation technology.
We have developed a proprietary and patented “user
interface machine auto generation platform” (“UIMAGP”) to replace the manual software designs that are currently used.
This platform is used to build the IoT user interface. The natural integrated programming language we have developed is like the language
humans use to communicate with each other, which makes it is easy for humans to learn, while still being understood by a machine. The
UIMAGP simplifies the process of software programming by saving hundreds of lines of code into a micro code that can be saved to a sensor
module. When that sensor module is plugged into a USIP, the user interface specification codes saved to the sensor module is sent to the
platform and a universal display, such as a smartphone, a computer, or a display unit. The UIMAGP saved on the universal display automatically
generates the user interface within milliseconds instead of requiring months or years of software development work. An embedded coding
hardware engineer can design sensor module hardware and provide the user interface specification code. Thus, the hardware-defining software
is achieved.
UIMAGP is similar to low code or no code programming
because it reduces the amount of traditional hand-coding, enabling accelerated delivery of business applications. However, low code and
no code programming suffer from integration restrictions, absence of customization, and security risks issues, making them unsuitable
for large-scale and mission-critical enterprise applications such as IoT applications. UIMAGP has overcome these challenges while requiring
only a minimum amount of coding. The UIMAGP and user interface specification codes work collectively to perform the function of traditional
customized software, enabling UIMAGP to be shared by the estimated 20 billion IoT devices worldwide, 15[16] a feat that current
manual software designs could not achieve.
5.
Developing a universal smart instrumentation platform (“USIP”)
Instrumentation is a vast industry that covers
a variety of fields, including medical, healthcare, scientific, commercial, industrial, military, and daily life. Lack of instrumentation
universality results in every instrument design starting from scratch. Moreover, each instrument can only carry out a determined measurement
or control a specific operation. Integrating existing instruments that lack interoperability and compatibility into a platform can be
difficult and expensive. This integration is impeded by the inability of instruments to easily communicate with devices and sensors for
perception, mobility, and manipulation. As society enters the IoT era, it is not unreasonable to assume that millions of devices will
need to be connected in one square kilometer. If each IoT device requires unique hardware and software developed from scratch, implementation
in dense urban areas is simply not feasible. Wireless networks can be accessed by any device within the network’s signal range.
USIP is an advanced hardware and software integrated
instrumentation platform with a large-scale modular design approach. USIP integrates many technologies, including cloud technology, wired
and wireless communication technology, software programming, instrumentation technology, artificial intelligence, PLC, sensor networking,
and IoT technology into a single platform. This results in circuit designs that we believe are vastly cheaper and faster than those constructed
of discrete integrated circuit components designed from scratch.
USIP has primary functionalities and an open architecture
capable of incorporating a variety of individual instruments, functions, sensors, and probes from different industries and vendors into
a single unit. Instruments, sensors, or probes ranging from a few to several hundred or even thousands in any combination from various
industries and vendors can share or reuse the same platform. Adding, removing, or changing instruments or sensors is all the platform
requires to switch from one type of device to another without revising the software and redesigning the hardware.
Compared to traditional stand-alone instruments,
USIP exploits the processing power of a computer or a mobile device. Productivity, display, and connectivity capabilities to provide a
more powerful, flexible, and cost-effective measurement solution. Traditional hardware-centered instrumentation systems are made up of
multiple stand-alone instruments interconnected to carry out a determined measurement or control an operation. They have fixed vendor-defined
functionality, and the components that comprise the instruments are also fixed and permanently associated with each other. Different instruments
provided by different vendors cannot be interoperated and interchanged. For example, we simply cannot use a traditional blood pressure
meter to measure temperature or vice versa. USIP is designated to be compatible with all instruments, sensors, or probes on the market
and capable of monitoring and controlling any combination of instruments or sensors. We believe our USIP will revolutionize the field
of instrumentation, measurement, control, and automation.
8
USIP is a versatile platform, able to perform
and combine different measurements and controls, to substitute some instruments for others, and to integrate existing instruments into
it. The development of USIP is closely associated with the development and proliferation of computers and mobile devices that provide
the foundation and technical support to the universal smart instrument such as an attractive graphical user touch screen interface, data
processing and analysis capabilities, video and audio, cameras, GPS, ubiquitous wireless connectivity, artificial intelligence, cloud-based
communications and a diverse number of functions and software available to users that are not contained in traditional instruments. These
features embody the advantages of USIP, which are lacking stand-alone instrument systems. When compared with traditional instrument systems,
USIP’s biggest advantage is cost savings. Other distinctive features include universality, interoperability, flexibility, compatibility,
upgradeability, expandability, scalability, security, modularity, fast prototyping, reducing inventory, plug-and-play operation, remote
accessibility, simplification, standardization, and cloud instrumentation.
We have been dedicated to solving instrumentation
interoperability for over a decade. We subdivide instruments into a reusable foundation component to the maximum extent possible, architecture-specific
components, and sensor modules, which perform traditional instruments’ functions at a fraction of their cost. For most instruments,
90% of the design, parts, and firmware are the same. These parts can be replaced by USIP.
USIP utilizes a computer or a mobile device as
its display and control to communicate with a group of sensors, instruments, probes, or controllers manufactured by different vendors
in a manner that requires the user to have little or no knowledge of their unique characteristics.
The portable version of USIP is illustrated below.
When a blood pressure sensor is plugged into the universal device, the user interface specification code saved on the blood pressure sensor
is sent to the universal device, and a computer or smartphone will then generate the user interface for the blood pressure device based
on the interface specification code saved in the sensor.
Figure 5. A blood pressure sensor is
connected to our universal device, which we call the Ubiquitor, and changes our device into a blood pressure measurement instrument.
____________________
[16]
Gartner Insights “Leading the IoT,” available at: https://www.gartner.com/imagesrv/books/iot/iotEbook_digital.pdf (last accessed
March 7, 2023).
9
Similarly, if we remove the blood pressure sensor and connect
our universal device to both a pH sensor and a CO2 sensor, the universal device changes to a two-sensor device capable of measuring pH
and CO2 concentration. Each sensor has its own user interface automatically generated based on the user interface specification code saved
in each sensor.
Figure 6. A pH sensor and a CO2 sensor
are connected to our universal device, and our device changes into a two-sensor device. A computer or smartphone can also be used for
display.
As illustrated below, when a light sensor is also plugged
into our universal device using a three-way splitter, the universal device becomes a three-sensor device.
Figure 7. A pH sensor, a CO2 sensor,
and a light sensor are connected to the universal device, and the device changes into a three-sensor device. A computer or smartphone
can also be used for display.
10
As illustrated in Figure 8, the universal
device can connect any number of sensors in any combination.
Figure 8. Any number of sensors in any
combination can be connected to the universal device and changed it into a multiple sensor device. A computer or smartphone can also be
used for the display.
As an example of the capabilities of the Ubiquitor,
we implemented our universal device in the configuration pictured in Figure 9. This configuration demonstrates that our universal device
simultaneously controls 27 light sensors, 21 pH sensors, and 23 temperature humidity sensors (which have 23 temperature sensors and 23
humidity sensors), representing one device controlling a total of 72 devices and 95 sensors. Our universal device also controls two lights
in this configuration, which it can control by turning the lights on or off (including on a schedule) or by using a light sensor to control
the lights’ output intensity.
Figure 9. Our universal platform simultaneously
monitors and controls 72 different devices and 95 sensors.
11
To illustrate, the entire horticulture industry
has only a few hundred devices from different vendors for various measurement and control purposes. One of our universal smart devices
and corresponding sensors or actuators can replace all at a fraction of the cost. Leveraging the same technical principles discussed above,
we can simplify the smart control and monitoring in this and related industries (including agriculture and aquaculture) with a platform
that requires little design work for interoperability between sensors and control devices.
Figure 10. Traditional horticulture measurement
and control devices.
Figure 11. Universal Smart Device.
12
All household measurement and control devices,
such as air conditioner controls, swimming pool controls, garage door controls, sprinkler controls, lighting controls, and motorized curtain
controls, can be replaced by a single universal device and corresponding unique accessories.
Figure 12. A single universal smart
device can replace all these household control devices.
Internet of Things Overview
IoT refers to the overarching network created
by billions of internet-compatible devices and machines that share data and information worldwide. According to a Gartner report, by the
end of 2020, there were an estimated 20 billion IoT-connected devices in use around the world. As the sophistication of both hardware
and software in the consumer electronics industry skyrockets, an increasing share of the electronic devices produced around the world
are manufactured with internet connectivity. Forecasts suggest that by 2030, around 50 billion of these IoT devices will be in use worldwide,
creating a massive web of interconnected devices spanning everything from smartphones to kitchen appliances. [17]17 The IoT
will significantly impact the economy by transforming many enterprises into digital businesses, facilitating new business models, improving
efficiency, and increasing employee and customer engagement. It is foreseeable that the explosive growth in IoT will rapidly deplete natural
and human labor resources. We believe that IoT will soon reach a critical limit; we do not have enough human labor and natural resources
to support IoT growth. Twenty billion IoT devices challenge existing resources. We have overcome the current massive IoT production challenges
by developing a shared distributed universal IoT. Billions of internet-compatible devices and machines share data and information around
the world and share a large section of hardware and software (up to 90%).
Billions of IoT devices are in use worldwide,
each with different terminologies, technical specifications, and functional capabilities. These differences make it challenging to create
one standard interoperability format for acquiring, harmonizing, storing, accessing, analyzing, and sharing data in near real-time. In
fact, not even those instruments built on the same platform are necessarily interoperable because they are often highly customized to
an organization’s unique workflow and preferences.
____________________
[17]
Statista Report “Number of internet of things (IoT) connected devices worldwide in 2018, 2025 and 2030” available at https://www.statista.com/statistics/802690/worldwide-connected-devices-by-access-technology/
(last accessed March 7, 2023).
13
Wireless networks are far from perfect for IoT.
They are typically slower, expensive, and highly susceptible to radio signals and radiation interference. They can be accessed by any
device within range of the network’s signal, so unauthorized users may intercept information transmitted through the network (including
encrypted data). Walls and floors can seriously limit the range of the wireless network. Our proprietary ultra-narrowband PLC technology
offers a promising alternative to wireless networks. Integrating USIP with our ultra-narrowband PLC technology results in significant
simplification and cost savings in implementing IoT, as illustrated in Figure 13. Using these technologies, we have designed IoT products
for both residential and industrial usage and are now in the process of testing.
Figure 13. Comparison between (a) a traditional
machine to machine IoT and (b) a shared distributed universal IoT, which depicts a USIP and sensors forming a local network through PLC
technology. The platform communicates with the cloud to form a remote cloud-based system.
Figure 14. Comparison between (a) a traditional
wireless network and (b) Focus Universal Inc.’s PLC network.
14
How we will implement our business plan
We currently operate in the scientific instruments
industry and the smart home installations industry and plan to apply several of our new technologies to the IoT marketplace.
Four divisions have been established within our
Company to develop and promote our technologies. We believe that our technologies, as depicted above, can be used in standalone device
design and production and on large scale IoT device design and production, aiming to solve the attendant complexity and cost challenges.
a) Ultra-narrowband power line communication division.
Our ultra-narrowband PLC technology has achieved
data transfer speeds of 4 megabits per second (“Mbps”), with a bandwidth of less than 1000 hertz (Hz). These results are 15
times faster than the Zigbee short-range wireless technology mesh networks and 100-400 times faster than Z-Wave’s low-energy wave
short-range wireless technology. The current 4Mbps PLC modules will be used for IoT applications involving thousands of sensors. We are
developing even higher communication speeds through our PLC. The ultra-narrowband PLC module will be integrated into ICs. This division
will focus on ultra-narrowband PLC research and development, promoting and marketing ultra-narrowband PLC, ICs and finished products.
We also intend to promote and market ICs, licensing, and contract designing.
Given that the power grid is an already established,
ubiquitous network, connectivity via PLC technology may be the most cost-effective and scalable interconnectivity approach for the IoT.
Due to the harsh electrical noise and interference currently present on power lines and to the variations in equipment and standards,
that make data transfer using PLC technology limited and difficult, the global market for PLC technology is very limited.
Figure 15. Markets and Markets Updated
date – Oct 25
The market size for PLC is expected to reach $17.4
billion at the end of 2028. [18] This prediction is based on current PLC technology, which provides speeds that are too slow
(usually less than 9,600 bps), coverage that is too short (200-300 yards), and harsh electrical noise and interference. The major vendors
of PLC technology include ABB, General Electric, Siemens, AMETEK, Schneider Electric, Texas Instruments, Maxim Integrated, Devolo, Cypress
Semiconductor, ST Microelectronics, Panasonic, Microchip, Qualcomm Atheros, TP-Link Technologies, NETGEAR, D-Link, NXP Semiconductor NV,
Landis+Gyr, Sigma Designs, Zyxel Communications, Nyx Hemera Technologies, and Renesas Electronics Corporation.
____________________
[18]
GlobalNewswire, December 19, 2022, https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/12/19/2576452/0/en/Global-Programmable-Logic-Controller-PLC-Market-to-Reach-17-6-Billion-by-
2028-Presence-of-Over-1-500-Manufacturers-Makes-it-Highly-Fragmented.html, (March 7, 2023)
15
It is our understanding that no other vendor has
developed a PLC technology application that is similar to our ultra-narrowband PLC technology. We believe that market size will increase
significantly with the introduction of our ultra-narrowband PLC technology, which can overcome the interference and noise challenges presented
by traditional PLC technology. We believe that by utilizing ultra-narrowband PLC, the global IoT communication infrastructure costs and
operating costs can be reduced.
b) Ultra-narrowband wireless division
This division will focus on developing ultra-narrowband
wireless technology and overcoming the challenges facing current 5G networks. We intend to sell DoC for wireless communication, licensing,
and contract designing.
While developing our ultra-narrowband PLC technology,
we gained insight into the development of a single carrier wave ultra-narrowband wireless technology, which aims to increase data transfer
rates from 4 Mbps to 64 Mbps. We expect our ultra-narrowband wireless technology to achieve data transfer rates of 256 Mbps using 4 subcarrier
waves, which is close to 5G speeds requiring more than three thousand subcarrier waves. The projected speed can be further increased if
multiple carrier waves or higher operating frequencies are used.
Our current research and development efforts are
focused on an operating frequency of 64 megahertz (MHz), which is about 100 times lower than 4G networks (6 gigahertz (GHz)) and 5,000
times lower than 5G networks (up to 300 GHz). Our technology’s 1,000 Hz bandwidth is approximately 20,000 times narrower than 4G
networks and 100,000 times narrower than 5G networks. The narrower the bandwidth, the less energy consumption. By maintaining the 1,000
Hz bandwidth, our ultra-narrowband wireless technology can save electricity usage by a factor of up to 100,000 times when compared with
a 5G network. We believe that our ultra-narrowband wireless technology has the potential to push the wireless frontier well beyond 5G.
We finalized our ultra-narrowband technology research with data transfer speeds of 64-256 Mbps in the fourth quarter of 2022. We now need
to build testing equipment. This requires us to design and build a digital device that can perform the digital speed testing. We have
designed the devices and we should receive the finished circuit boards in the next few weeks and hope that such device will be completed
by the end of 2023.
Markets and Markets projects that the 5G infrastructure
market will reach USD 47,775 million by 2027, at a CAGR of 67.1%. The major players in the 5G infrastructure market are Huawei (China),
Ericsson (Sweden), Samsung (South Korea), Nokia Networks (Finland), ZTE (China), NEC (Japan), CISCO (US), CommScope (US), Comba Telecom
Systems (Hong Kong), Alpha Networks (Taiwan), Siklu Communication (Israel), and Mavenir (US). Huawei (China) is the leader in the 5G infrastructure
market. Limited coverage, high energy consumption, and expensive infrastructure installation are the major holdups for the successful
deployment of 5G technology. Most 5G technologies are based on broadband technology; our research suggests there are very few companies
working on ultra-narrowband technology. We believe that adopting our ultra-narrowband wireless technology can provide significant cost
savings to 5G spectrum bands, 5G network hardware, and 5G energy consumption.
c) User interface machine auto generation division
Established in 2009, our Company’s software
user interface machine auto generation technology division has developed 100 sensors in arbitrary combinations, all of which have been
tested for the iOS system. RS-485 is an industrial specification that defines the electrical interface and physical layer for point-to-point
communication of electrical devices. RS-485 is widely adopted and used in the IoT industry. Standard RS-485 modules available today usually
do not support more than 100 sensors. The first version of UIMAGP has been completed and we believe should support more than
1,000 sensors. We intend to sell and license the software to device manufacturers that use our DoC ICs and other industries where the
software can be applied.
16
UIMAGP can be used in IoT software design and
can be applied to other industry sectors. This division is planning to expand to other industries as well.
Figure 16. Software market size.
Today, some of the biggest companies within the
software industry, including Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, SAP, and Salesforce, have still not developed a UIMAGP. Any software that can be
created by low code and no code programming can also be created by using UIMAGP. However, the software created by UIMAGP achieves what
low code and no code programming cannot because of the complexities of applying the code to different platforms and the accompanying required
customization. One of the distinct features of UIMAGP is that the programming provides a starting point that includes foundational code
that may be used on any platform or operating system. This makes the final programming much more efficient, as it needs relatively few
lines of code to program a complicated application.
d) Universal smart instrument
division
This division will focus on developing and marketing
end-user universal smart instruments and shared distributed universal IoT devices for the commercial and residential markets. The development
of universal smart instruments and IoT have considerable overlap, with the only difference being the number of devices involved. We will
capitalize on this overlap by unifying universal smart instruments and IoT into a single system, eliminating any distinction between them.
USIP, a cost-effective and fully production-ready hardware and software platform, provides a considerable advantage in shorting design,
building, testing, and fixing cycles. Smart home products, including light controls, air conditioner controls, sprinkler controls, garden
light controls, heating floor controls, motorized curtain controls, pool filtration and algae controls, smoke detector controls, carbon
monoxide measurement, motion detectors, and doorbells, have been designed and tested.
17
This division will also develop and market end-user
universal smart instruments and shared distributed universal IoT devices in the horticulture, agriculture, and aquaculture industries.
Leveraging the Company’s ultra-narrowband PLC technology and USIP, we intend to provide a more stable, secure, and faster network
for large industrial operations requiring data-specific sensing and control automation to ensure optimal outcomes. According to Markets
and Markets, the agriculture IoT market is expected to grow from $11.4 billion in 2021 to $18.1 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 9.8%. [19]
A key factor driving the growth of this market is the rising demand for agricultural production due to increasing population and adoption
of IoT and AI technologies by farmers and growers. Deere & Company (US), Trimble (US), Raven Industries (US), AGCO Corporation (AGCO)
(US), AgJunction Inc. (AgJunction) (US), DeLaval (Sweden), GEA Farm Technology (Germany), Lely (Netherlands), Antelliq (France), AG Leader
Technology (AG Leader) (US), Tigercat (Canada), Ponsse (Finland), Komatsu Forest AB (Sweden), Caterpillar (US), Treemetrics (Ireland),
Topcon Positioning Systems (US), and DICKEY-john Corporation (US) are some of the major players in the agriculture IoT market. We have
completed the design of certain PLC industrial IoT devices, including industrial light controls, temperature controls, humidity controls,
carbon dioxide controls, digital lighting controls, quantum PAR measurement and controls, pH measurement and controls, TDS measurement
and controls, and fan speed controls.
This division will also focus on developing
device-on-a-chip (DoC) ICs, which we intend to sell to electronic device manufacturers for use in conjunction with the USIP. We will
distinguish our DoC technology from the component ICs; these ICs can perform entire device functions. According to the Cision the
globally integrated circuits market will be worth $1,248.6 billion in 2030. [20] Major players in the IC market are Intel
Corporation, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, STMicroelectronics, NXP, ON Semiconductor, Micron, Toshiba, Broadcom, and
Qualcomm.
This division will also install and design customer
solutions for residential and commercial IoT projects. The Company currently specializes in high-performance, easy-to-use audio/video,
home theater, lighting control, automation, and home integration solutions for residential installation and custom solution services.
On the commercial side, we plan to add well-trained staff ready to handle all aspects of voice, data, fiber, paging, audio-video services,
CATV, and other low voltage premise cabling. All of our service providers hold certifications for multiple product lines and specialty
work. The Company plans to use its current client base and expertise from these installation services to integrate products developed
on the USIP into the project proposals.
____________________
[19]
Market and Markets, May 2021, Agriculture IoT Market worth $18.1 billion by 2026, https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/iot-in-agriculture.asp,
(last accessed March 7, 2023)
[20]
Cision, January 25, 2023, Integrated Circuits Market to Reach USD 1,248.6 Billion by 2030, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/integrated-circuits-market-to-reach-usd-1-248-6-billion-by-2030--301730536.html,
(last accessed March 7, 2023)
18
Products we are currently selling
In addition to the technologies which we have
developed and described above, we are a wholesaler of various digital, analog, and quantum light meters and filtration products, including
fan speed adjusters, carbon filters, and HEPA filtration systems. We source these products from manufacturers in China and then sell them
to a major U.S. distributor, Hydrofarm, who resells our products directly to consumers through retail distribution channels and, in some
cases, places its branding on our products.
Specifically, we sell the following products:
Fan speed adjuster device . We provide a
fan speed adjuster device to our client Hydrofarm. Designed specifically for centrifugal fans with brushless motors, our adjuster device
helps ensure longer life by preventing damage to fan motors by adjusting the speed of centrifugal fans without causing the motor to hum.
These devices are rated for 350 watts max, have 120VAC voltage capacity, and feature an internal, electronic auto-resetting circuit breaker.
Our Fan Speed Adjuster Device
19
Carbon filter devices. We sell two types
of carbon filter devices to our client Hydrofarm. These carbon filter devices are professional-grade filters specifically designed and
used to filter the air in greenhouses that might be polluted by fermenting organics. One of these filters can be attached to a centrifugal
fan to scrub the air in a constant circle or can be attached to an exhaust line as a single pass filter, which moves air out of the growing
area, filters unwanted odors, and removes pollen, dust, and other debris in the air. The other filter is designed to be used with fans
from 0-6000 C.F.M.
Our Carbon Filter Device
HEPA filtration device. We provide a high-efficiency
particulate arrestance (“HEPA”) filtration device at wholesale prices to our client Hydrofarm. Manufactured, tested, certified,
and labeled in accordance with current HEPA filter standards, this device is targeted towards greenhouses and grow rooms and designed
to keep insects, bacteria, and mold out of grow rooms. We sell these devices in various sizes.
Our HEPA Filtration Device
20
Digital light meter. We provide a handheld
digital light meter to measure luminance in FC units or foot-candles.
Our Digital Light Meter Device
Quantum par meter . We provide a handheld
quantum PAR meter to measure photosynthetically active radiation (“PAR”). This fully portable handheld PAR meter measures
PAR flux in wavelengths ranging from 400 to 700 nm. It is designed to measure up to 10,000 µmol.
Our Quantum Par Meter Device
21
Smart Home Installation
Through AVX Design and Integration, Inc. (“AVX”),
an IoT installation and management company based in southern California, and a subsidiary of the Company, we offer residential customers
an entire smart home product line. We have finished designing smart devices for lighting control, air conditioner control, sprinkler control,
garden light control, garage door control, and heating control. We are developing a swimming pool control device, smoke detector, and
carbon monoxide monitor.
We believe smart installation based on the USIP,
and our Ubiquitor together will include more functionalities than the current systems offered by our competitors. It is our goal that
our smart systems would integrate, exchange data, interact and connect utilizing our forthcoming PLC technology. As a result, the installation
process would be simplified, and its costs would be reduced.
Once successfully integrated, the Ubiquitor will be
central to every smart installation with our IoT Installation Services segment. The Ubiquitor’s connectivity capabilities will allow
that system to be expanded and customized in the future. We also plan to offer zero down payment options for installation of our smart
systems and charge a monthly subscription fee instead.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, should we be unable
to successfully integrate the Ubiquitor into our smart installations, the Ubiquitor will continue to be a flagship product of our Company
that can be applied to various other purposes in the different industries and fields mentioned above.
Strategy and Marketing Plan
The Company plans to market the USIP to the industrial
sector first, including key growth industries such as indoor agriculture. Once the technology is established there, the core technologies
of universality and interoperability through a readily available device, such as a mobile device or smartphone, may be ported to products
specifically intended for the consumer and residential markets.
While industrial markets are large, the consumer
and residential markets are even more significant. This two-phase approach will allow for continuous and increasing revenue growth. Moreover,
during the industrial phase of development, the Company will test and refine its products to ensure that they are ready for the consumer
and residential markets.
22
Once we have successfully entered the industrial
sector, we intend to roll out additional technologies that are currently under development. These technologies will advance and support
the core technologies marketed in phases one and two to the industrial and consumer markets.
We will continue to design, manufacture, market,
and distribute our electronic measurement devices, such as temperature humidity meters, digital meters, quantum PAR meters, pH meters,
TDS meters, and CO2 monitors. Over the years, Hydrofarm has developed a broad and loyal customer base that buys our existing products
on a repeat basis. The universal smart technology has been applied to our existing traditional devices and demonstrated significant functional
improvement and hardware cost savings. We believe hardware cost reductions of up to 90% have been achieved. However, promoting universal
smart technology and universal smart IoT devices to our customers, including traditional instrument manufacturers, will be the central
focus of our business in the future.
Different markets require different strategies.
We divided our customers into a few segments to determine what specific marketing technique will reach each targeted group and its needs.
a) Our Existing Customer, Hydrofarm
Our universal smart instruments’ design,
development, and manufacture are targeted to increase current sales to Hydrofarm, our existing customer.
Our current customer, Hydrofarm, is the largest
distributor in the horticulture industry, with roughly 50% of the market share in the U.S. horticulture industry.
All our current universal smart devices, including
sensors and controllers, will be distributed to Hydrofarm. Smartphones can be used to display and control all the sensors and controllers
in the horticulture industry. By the end of 2020, we completed the development of several sensors that are used in the gardening industry,
including a light control node, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, digital light sensor, quantum PAR sensor, pH sensor, TDS sensor and
carbon dioxide sensor; and we finished the circuit layouts for the pilot IoT system for the gardening industry (consisting of approximately
1,000 sensor nodes and controllers). These circuit layouts are in the possession of our manufacturer in China for production. We have
now received the circuit boards and are trying to launch the pilot production. We are designing the injection molding tooling so that
we can create the casing. We believe we will be able to launch the pilot production once the casing tooling is fixed. In 2023, we intend
to extend our product line to Hydrofarm, who in turn will resell and market our systems and devices to its customers in the horticulture
industry.
b) Online Customers
We intend to use traditional and specialized e-commerce
outlets to help with online brand awareness. By analyzing Amazon’s data, we plan to determine which traditional instruments have
the highest selling volumes and at what price point. Future research and development will focus on integrating the sensors used in these
instruments into the universal smart instruments to leverage on their existing markets.
c) Traditional Controller and Remote-Control
Customers
Traditional controllers monitor and control their
sensors through bi-directional communication implemented by hardware. The sensors or probes in controllers not only measure the physical
environment but also give feedback to the input actuators that can make necessary corrections. They are expensive and require a corresponding
monitor in which unidirectional communication is needed. For example, a traditional temperature meter may cost approximately $15 and a
temperature controller may cost approximately $100. The wireless bi-directional communication supported by a smartphone or mobile device
offers cost reduction in controller design and manufacturing. Traditional remote control is accomplished through hardware, which can be
replaced by a smartphone. Universal smart technology will also play an important role in traditional control applications. Traditional
controller users are one of highest profit margin customers of universal smart technology.
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d) Special Customers
For customers who consider an instrument’s
compatibility, interoperability, interchangeability, universality, upgradeability, expandability, scalability, and remote access ability
as crucial, universal smart technology has several fundamental advantages over traditional instruments in terms of hardware cost and functionality.
End users will not only enjoy the remote access to their sensors wirelessly but also save the cost of the hardware module which will be
replaced by a smartphone.
e) Traditional Instruments Manufacturers
We may consider selling the Ubiquitor directly
to instrument manufacturers and allowing them to distribute it through their established platforms. We are putting together an internal
sales team in order to establish the marketing campaign for our sensor devices, including the Ubiquitor. We are also expanding the sales
team for AVX because we believe that the Ubiquitor device will be integral to smart home installations.
We believe that universal smart technology will
play a critical role for traditional industrial instrument manufacturers, because it is too expensive and difficult to develop industrial
instrument sensors for medium or smaller companies or individual homes. The cost factor is the first consideration when deciding whether
a company wants to develop universal smart technologies and implement them in their products.
On December 23, 2021, Focus Universal (Shenzhen)
Technology Co. LTD was founded as a mainland China office for manufacturing procurement expertise and support research and development
activities. Focus Universal (Shenzhen) Technology Co. LTD is 100% owned by Focus Universal Inc. and designed to function as a branch office
accessing high level ability to source products and build relationships with manufacturers in the region and as a lower cost form of support
research and development as engineers are more plentiful in the region. In the future, this office could also handle other online marketing
and marketing production activities, provided a cost and quality benefit exists at the time.
24
Our goals over the next three years include:
·
Raise capital to move into full manufacturing and production for our Ubiquitor device;
·
Partner with manufacturers and promote the adoption of our Ubiquitor device in a USIP;
·
Acquire a stable market share of the sensor device market;
·
Continue performing research and development on PLC technology;
·
Focus on building our smart home offerings so that we can reduce the cost of smart home implementation to focus on expanding smart home installation and implementation beyond luxury homes;
·
File additional patents to expand our intellectual property portfolio related to the many uses of our Ubiquitor device; and
·
File patents to protect our PLC technology.
To achieve these goals, we intend to focus on the following initiatives:
·
Position the Ubiquitor device as the industry standard in universal sensor reading technology;
·
Establish strategic supply chain channels to facilitate efficient production operations; and
·
Communicate the product and service differentiation through direct networking and effective marketing.
Growth Strategy
Growth through Mergers and Acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”)
represent a significant part of our growth strategy because M&A can fill business gaps or add key business operations without requiring
us to wait years for marketing and sales cycles to materialize. We have used this growth strategy in our acquisition of AVX, and in the
future intend to continue to use M&A to find and secure opportunities that will either: (i) achieve the objective of growth in our
market segments; or (ii) provide an area of expansion that will add to the Company’s products and/or service lines in markets that
we are currently not serving, but could serve if we had the appropriate expertise. The resulting combination of our existing products
and services, new key personnel, and strategic partnerships through M&A will allow us to operate in new markets and provide new offerings
to our existing market.
Acquiring key competitors may allow the addition
of key personnel to our team. These additions may include people with vast industry knowledge, which can act as a catalyst to further
our growth and lead to the development of new products and business lines. We will seek to target synergistic acquisitions in the same
industry, targeting different geographic locations, which will allow us to actively compete on a regional or national scale in the IoT
segment. If we target businesses in the same sector or location, we hope to combine resources to reduce costs, eliminate duplicate facilities
or departments and increase revenue. We believe this strategy will allow for accelerated growth and maximize investor returns.
One of our key strategies to grow through M&A
is to acquire smaller businesses that focus on IoT installation technology (industrial or residential) and in the USIP or PLC industries.
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Original Equipment Manufacturer (“OEM”)
Engineering Consulting and Design Services
Universal smart technology is new to most electronic
engineers and manufacturers. One way to promote our universal smart technology is to provide direct OEM engineering design consulting
services to potential industrial customers. Direct, on-site consulting will educate our industrial consumers on the many ways our technology
can be implemented in a variety of industrial applications. We believe that we are well positioned to perform product design and engineering
consulting services for future OEM customers. We believe we can operate as a seamless extension of our customers’ engineering organizations
and add scale, flexibility, and speed to their design processes. We will not be able to offer such engineering consulting and design consulting
services until the Ubiquitor is being produced and distributed. We believe that once the Ubiquitor is being produced and distributed,
we will have hired and trained enough engineers to execute our consulting strategy. Through our engineering consulting services strategy,
we intend to become our customers’ engineering partner at all stages of the design cycle so that we may effectively assist them
in transforming ideas into production-ready products and accelerate time to market for our universal smart technology product segment.
Technology Licensing
We may also consider entering into licensing arrangements
with our customers for our technology. We believe that once we educate our industrial consumers, they may want to integrate our universal
smart technology into their own technology through licensing agreements. We believe licensing our intellectual property may provide a
revenue stream with no additional overhead, all while allowing us to retain proprietary ownership and create long-term industrial consumers
who rely on our products. By creating incentives, such as cost incentives, to license our IP rather than design their own technology,
we believe potential customers could save on design costs and create business development opportunities. Licensing may also allow us to
rely on the expertise, capacity, and skill of a licensee to commercialize our IP, which is especially valuable if we lack the infrastructure,
financial resources, and know-how to bring a product to market independently.
Distribution Method
We intend to engage in relationships
predominantly with standard U.S. component manufacturers and similar electronics providers for the manufacturing of unassembled
parts of the Ubiquitor and its sensor nodes, and to then ship such parts to our Ontario, California facility where we will assemble
the Ubiquitor devices and sensor nodes. Afterwards, we would distribute our Ubiquitor devices to distributors and retailers directly
and also ship directly to traditional industrial instrument manufacturers. We have a sales department operating out of our Ontario,
California office and eventually plan to open a second sales department in China dedicated to promoting our technologies to local
instrument manufacturers who can utilize our Ubiquitor devices in their manufacturing and other processes. We intend to market the
Ubiquitor to industrial end-users through Hydrofarm, through direct business-to-business sales channels and also directly to
consumers via e-commerce internet platforms. For our quantum light meters, and air filtration products, while we still continue to
anticipate orders from Hydrofarm in 2023, we have begun to diversify away from one single dominant distributor into more diversified
distribution channels, such as direct wholesale into retail outlets and direct distribution to end-users. We also intend to
implement a direct sales method via Amazon.com and other online retailers.
Raw Materials
The electronic components used in the Ubiquitor
are common and can be easily purchased through a variety of suppliers with little advanced notice. We predominantly use large-scale manufacturers
in the United States such as Texas Instruments and Intel for the major components. Other key suppliers we could consider include Analog
Devices, Skyworks Solutions, Infineon, STMicroelectronics, NXP Semiconductors, Maxim Integrated, On Semiconductor, and Microchip Technology.
Production and assembly lines are also available worldwide if we needed to outsource or increase our capacity, though we intend to complete
our assembly in our Ontario, California facility.
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Manufacturing and Assembly
We have an assembly facility in Ontario, California
where we assemble the Ubiquitor from parts sourced predominantly in the United States. Our quantum light meters and handheld sensors are
also manufactured in our Ontario, California facility. Our air filtration products are manufactured and assembled in China by a third-party
contract manufacturer, Tianjin Guanglee.
Our subsidiary unit in the Canton province of
mainland China, Focus Universal (Shenzhen) Technology Co. LTD, was founded in December 2021 as an office for manufacturing procurement
expertise and support research and development activities. Focus Universal (Shenzhen) Technology Co. LTD is designed to function as a
branch office accessing high level ability to source products and build relationships with manufacturers in the region and as a lower
cost form of support research and development as engineers are more plentiful in the region. In the future, this office could also handle
other online marketing and marketing production activities, provided a cost and quality benefit exists at the time. This excludes any
projects subject to approval or that require a separate business license in accordance with the local laws. China allows foreign entities
to setup wholly owned limited liability companies in China, also known as Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises (WFOEs), in non “restricted”
or “prohibited” industries or business activities. The subsidiary’s business operation has been approved by the local
government in Shenzhen to be qualified as a WFOE entity in China. The entity is 100% owned by Focus Universal Inc.
Competitors
Sensor Node Industry
There are several competitors we have identified
in the sensor node industry, including traditional instruments or devices manufacturers such as Hanna Instruments or Extech Instruments.
Hach developed and launched the SC1000 Multi-parameter
Universal Controller, a probe module for connecting to 32 digital sensors or analyzers. However, their products are not compatible with
smart phones yet; and we believe their price point is still prohibitive to consumers.
Monnit Corporation offers a range of wireless
and remote sensors. Many of Monnit’s products are web-based wireless sensors that usually are not portable because of their power
consumption. Also, the sensors’ real-time updates are slow; and we believe security of the web-based sensor data acquisition may
be a concern. In addition to purchasing the device, consumers usually have to pay a monthly fee for using web-based services.
IoT Installation Industry
There are several companies that compete with
AVX in smart home installations, including Vivint Smart Home, Crestron and Control4. However, we believe we can distinguish ourselves
from our competitors by offering a substantially lower price. An installation by Crestron ranges between $20,000 and $100,000 and by Control4
between $20,000 and $40,000. The cheapest competitor we can identify in this sector is Vivint Smart Home, which costs less than $5,000
to install; however, we understand that the Vivint Smart Home focuses on security systems only and that users have no other smart applications,
which our smart home product line would include.
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Air Filtration Systems and Meter Products
Industry
The air filtration system and meter products industry
is a niche industry. The global industrial air filtration market was valued at $23.83 billion by 2029 and analysts expect it to register
a CAGR of 7.2% because of the industrial need to control air quality across a range of industries. [21] Air purification methods
are an effective way to control contaminants and improve indoor air quality and as a result, many national and local governments overseeing
indoor air quality and other emissions are enacting stricter workforce health and safety regulations in this area, which drives demand.
We are not trying to compete with traditional
instruments or device manufacturers because we plan to utilize our Ubiquitor device in conjunction with our smartphone application. We
believe the resulting product may compete in a much wider product category due to its many potential applications.
Our Corporate History
We are based in the City of Ontario, California,
and were incorporated in Nevada in 2012. In December of 2013, we filed an S-1 registration statement that went effective on March 14,
2014. From March 14, 2014, through August 30, 2021, our securities traded on the OTCQB Market. From August 31, 2021, our securities traded
on the Nasdaq Capital Market. From January 28, 2022, our securities traded on the Nasdaq Global Market.
Our website is www.focusuniversal.com. Our website
and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended to be incorporated into this report.
The Company entered the residential and commercial
automation installation service industry through the acquisition of AVX Design and Integration, Inc. (“AVX”) in March of 2019.
AVX was established in 2000 with the goal of installing high-performance, easy-to-use Audio/Video, Home Theater, Lighting Control, Automation,
and Integration systems for high-net-worth residential projects.
Additionally, we are performing research and development
on an electric power line communication (“PLC”) technology and have filed three patents with the United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) related to our Ubiquitor device and the design of a quantum PAR photo sensor. Eventually, we hope that PLC technology
will further enhance smart IoT installations performed by AVX and powered by the Ubiquitor.
In late 2018, we purchased a manufacturing warehouse
and office space addressed at 2311 East Locust Court, Ontario, CA, 91761. The property consists of an industrial type, two-story building,
with a total building area of 30,740 square feet. Ten thousand square feet will be utilized for office space; and 20,000 square feet will
be utilized for warehouse space. The property includes 58 parking spaces. The purchase price for the property was approximately $4.62
million.
On March 15, 2019, the Company entered into a
stock purchase agreement with Patrick Calderone, the CEO and owner of AVX, whereby the Company purchased 100% of the outstanding stock
of AVX (the “AVX Acquisition”) for $890,716. The purchase price was structured as follows: (1) $550,000 payable in cash at
closing; (2) $290,716 payable in 39,286 shares of the Company’s common stock issued upon closing; and (3) $50,000 payable in the
form of a secured promissory note at 6% interest over 12 months secured by six shares of AVX common stock. In connection with the AVX
Acquisition, Patrick Calderone also entered into a consulting agreement with the Company pursuant to which he would offer consulting and
training services during the 12-month period following the closing of the AVX Acquisition. Since AVX is an installer of smart home products,
and since we anticipate that our Ubiquitor device can enhance smart home installations, we believe that this acquisition will allow us
to test new applications and the integration capabilities of our Ubiquitor device in smart homes.
On August 31, 2021, the Company commenced trading
on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “FCUV.”
____________________
[21]
Fortune, The global air filters market is projected to grow from $14.68 billion in 2022 to $23.83 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR
of 7.2% in forecast period, 2022-2029, https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/air-filters-market-101676, (last accessed
March 7, 2023)
28
On September 2, 2021, the Company announced the
closing of an underwritten public offering of 2,300,000 newly issued shares of common stock at a price to the public of $5.00 per share.
The closing included the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option to purchase 300,000 shares of common stock at
the public offering price, for gross proceeds to the Company of $11.5 million, prior to deducting underwriting discounts and commissions
and offering expenses payable by us.
On January 26, 2022, the Company announced approval
for the uplist of its stock onto the Nasdaq Global Market exchange under the symbol “FCUV.”
Patent, Trademark, License and Franchise
Restrictions and Contractual Obligations and Concessions
On November 4, 2016, we filed a U.S. patent application
number 15/344,041 with the USPTO. On March 5, 2018, we issued a press release announcing that the USPTO had issued an Issue Notification
for U.S. Patent Application No. 9924295 entitled “Universal Smart Device,” which covers a patent application regarding the
Company’s Universal Smart Device. The patent was granted on March 20, 2018.
After our internal research and development efforts,
we filed with the USPTO on June 2, 2017, a patent application regarding a process for improving the spectral response curve of a photo
sensor. The small and cost-effective multicolor sensor and its related software protected by the potential patent we believe could achieve
a spectral response that approximates an ideal photo response to measure optical measurement. The patent was issued on February 26, 2019.
On November 29, 2019, the Company filed an international
utility patent application filed through the patent cooperation treaty as application PCT/US2019/63880. In April 2020, the Company was
notified that it received a favorable international search report from the International Searching Authority regarding this patent application,
which patents the Company’s PLC technology. The World International Property Organization report cited only three category “A”
documents, indicating that the Company’s application met both the novelty and non-obviousness patentability requirements. Consequently,
the Company is optimistic that the patent covering the claims for its PLC technology will be issued in due course and will allow the Company
to implement strong protections on the PLC technology worldwide.
On May 19, 2021, we filed thirteen provisional
patent applications with the USPTO that we had been researching and developing for years encompassing a broad spectrum of technology areas
including sensor technology, wired and wireless communications, power line communications, computer security, software solutions, interconnected
technological communications, smart home systems and methods for both home and hydroponic areas, dynamic password cipher, local file security,
payment card security, infrared sensor, and a method and apparatus for high data rate transmission.
We continue to ultilize the services of the law
firm of Knobbe Martens, Olson & Bear, LLP based in Orange County, CA to serve as outside intellectual property counsel for the Company.
The firm is working on transferring the Company’s provisional patent applications to formal patent applications in addition to filing
new provisional patents. In 2021, we filed 14 patents. We filed 18 domestic patents in 2022 (plus two international patents in 2022),
and so far have filed 3 patents in 2023.
In addition, the Company’s patent number
11,488,468 was allowed and subsequently issued on November 1, 2022. The patent, titled Sensor for Detecting the Proximity of an IEEE 802.11
Protocol Connectable Device.
Research and Development Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we spent
a total of $1,060,385 on research and development activities; and for the year ended December 31, 2021, we spent a total of $220,469.
Focus Universal (Shenzhen) Technology Co. LTD
was founded as a mainland China office for manufacturing procurement expertise and non-confidential support research and development activities.
This wholly owned subsidiary is registered to be engaged in IoT research and development, IoT sales and service, and other related activities.
29
Compliance with Environmental Laws
We are not aware of any environmental laws that
have been enacted, nor are we aware of any such laws being contemplated for the future, that impact issues specific to our business.
Employees
As of the date of this report we have a total
of 32 employees, with 25 full-time employees and 7 part-time employees. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Secretary is Dr.
Desheng Wang, and our Chief Financial Officer is Irving Kau. We have a head of marketing whose efforts are focused on the controlled agricultural
market segment. We have eleven full-time senior electrical and computer engineers working on the research and development of our products.
We have one full-time sales employee and three full-time employees are working on administrative tasks. We also have a full-time accounting
manager/controller. Four employees perform audio/visual home installations for our subsidiary AVX, with one employee serving as the supervisor
and operational head.
Legal Proceedings
On or about April 13, 2020, Ian Patterson, the
Chief Operations Officer of AVX resigned from his position. On May 5, 2020, Mr. Patterson filed an action in the Superior Court for the
County of Los Angeles, State of California, against the Company, et al. The complaint alleges claims including discrimination, wrongful
termination, retaliation and various other provisions of the California Labor Code, and various other claims under California state law.
The complaint seeks unspecified economic and non-economic losses, as well as attorneys’ fees. In response to the Complaint, defendants
filed a motion to compel arbitration asking the court to order Plaintiff to submit his claims to binding individual arbitration based
on an arbitration agreement signed by Plaintiff at the outset of his employment. The motion was unfortunately denied, and in response,
defendants filed an appeal. The appeal was also denied. Trial for this matter is not set, nor has discovery been conducted. AVX intends
to vigorously contest this matter. Further, AVX disputes that the other defendants are proper parties to the litigation. However, litigation
and investigations are inherently uncertain, but the outcome could have a material impact on the Company.
On or about April 14, 2020, Devesa Sarria, the
Sales and Marketing Director, was terminated. On May 13, 2020, she filed an action in the Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles,
State of California. The Complaint alleges claims including discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation and various other provisions
of the California Labor Code, and various other claims under California state law. The complaint seeks unspecified economic and non-economic
losses, as well as attorneys’ fees. We have completed written discovery and most of the non-expert discovery. Trial is set for October
11, 2023. AVX intends to vigorously contest this matter. Further, AVX disputes that the other defendants are proper parties to the litigation.
However, litigation and investigations are inherently uncertain, but the outcome could have a material impact on the Company.
On January 19, 2023, the company filed an action in
the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino against Jacqueline Li. AVX Design and Integration pre-paid for equipment toward
a joint project with her father Jeffrey Li. Payment was made to Jaqueline’s father’s company Sing Young Music, while no goods
or services were ever received. Upon death, Jacqueline Li distributed assets from the business Sing Young Music without consideration
toward the business entity or any formation of an estate for Jeffrey Li. We attended the trial on March 17, 2023 to represent our side
of the case and are awaiting judgement from the court.
Reports to Securities Holders
We provide an annual report that includes audited
financial information to our shareholders. We make our financial information equally available to any interested parties or investors
through compliance with the disclosure rules for a small business issuer under the Exchange Act. We are subject to disclosure filing requirements
including filing Form 10-K annually and Form 10-Q quarterly. In addition, we will file Form 8-K and other proxy and information statements
from time to time as required. We do not intend to voluntarily file the above reports in the event that our obligation to file such reports
is suspended under the Exchange Act. The public may read and copy any materials that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549.
The public may obtain information on the operation
of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains
reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
30
Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
Risks Related to our Business and Industry
We have a history of operating losses, and
we may not be able to sustain profitability.
We were incorporated on December 4, 2012; and as of
December 31, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $17,864,028. If we are not successful in growing revenues and controlling
costs, we will not maintain profitable operations or positive cash flow, and even if we achieve profitability in the future, we may not
be able to sustain profitability in subsequent periods.
Because we have a limiting operating history
with positive revenues, you may not be able to accurately evaluate our operations.
We were incorporated on December 4, 2012, and
have had limited profitable operations to date. Therefore, we have a limited profitable operating history upon which to evaluate the merits
of investing in our company. The likelihood of success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications
and delays encountered in connection with the operations that we plan to undertake. These potential problems include, but are not limited
to, unanticipated problems relating to the ability to generate sufficient cash flow to operate our business, and additional costs and
expenses that may exceed current estimates. However, we expect to continue generating revenues. Additionally, we recognize that if the
effectiveness of our business plan is not forthcoming, we will not be able to continue business operations. If we are unsuccessful in
addressing these risks, our business will most likely fail.
We require significant funding to develop, manufacture and market
our Ubiquitor wireless sensor.
We may ultimately require up to $20 million to
fund the development, manufacturing, assembly and marketing strategy for the Ubiquitor. Once we achieve this fund-raising goal, we intend
to position ourselves in the small device market, establishing the price at below a few hundred dollars. Due to superior functionality
and low price, we expect to capture this section of the market easily. Once our product and service mature, and the Company becomes better
known, we believe we could gain market share in the high-end market. None of this will be possible if we fail to obtain the funding we
require. There is no guarantee that additional funding can be obtained on favorable terms, if at all.
We depend on key personnel.
Our future success will depend in part on the
continued service of key personnel, particularly, Desheng Wang, our Chief Executive Officer, and Edward Lee, the Chairman of our Board.
If any of our directors and officers choose to
leave the company, we will face significant difficulties in attracting potential candidates for replacement of our key personnel due to
our limited financial resources and operating history. In addition, the loss of any key employees or the inability to attract or retain
qualified personnel could delay our plan of operations and harm our ability to provide services to our current customer, Hydrofarm, and
harm the market’s perception of us.
Regulatory actions could limit our ability
to market and sell our products.
Many of our products and the industries in which
they are used are subject to U.S. and foreign regulation. Government regulatory action could greatly reduce the market for our Ubiquitor
device and for smart home installation. For example, the power line grid, which is the communications grid that could be used by some
of our products, is subject to special regulations in North America, Europe and Japan. In general, these regulations limit the ability
of companies such as ours to use power lines as a communication medium. In addition, some of our competitors have attempted or may attempt
to use regulatory actions to reduce the market opportunity for our products or to increase the market opportunity for their own products.
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We outsource our product manufacturing
and are susceptible to problems in connection with procurement, decreasing quality, reliability and protectability.
We assemble our Ubiquitor devices by using fully
manufactured parts, the manufacturing of which has been fully outsourced. We have no direct control over the manufacturing processes of
our products. This lack of control may increase quality or reliability risks and could limit our ability to quickly increase or decrease
production rates.
We outsource the manufacturing of key elements
of our quantum light meters and air filters to a single manufacturing partner, with whom we do not have a formal contractual relationship.
We outsource the manufacture of our quantum light
meter and air filtration devices to a single contract manufacturer, Tianjin Guanglee Technologies Ltd. (“Tianjin Guanglee”).
If Tianjin Guanglee’s operations are interrupted or if Tianjin Guanglee is unable to meet our delivery requirements due to capacity
limitations or other constraints, we may be limited in our ability to fulfill new customer orders, and we may be required to seek new
manufacturing partners in the future. Tianjin Guanglee has limited manufacturing capacity, is itself dependent upon third-party suppliers
and is dependent on trained technical labor to effectively create components making up our devices or to repair special tooling. In addition,
as of the date of this report, we do not have a formal development and manufacturing agreement that regulates our business relationship
with Tianjin Guanglee. Although we continue to operate under the terms of an oral agreement, and we believe there are a multitude of manufacturers
that could quickly replace Tianjin Guanglee, our manufacturing operations could be adversely impacted if we are unable to enforce Tianjin
Guanglee’s performance.
Our potential inability to adequately protect
our intellectual property during the outsource manufacturing of our quantum light meters and filtration products in China could negatively
impact our performance.
In connection with our manufacturing outsourcing
arrangements, we rely on third-party manufacturers to implement customary manufacturer safeguards onsite, such as the use of confidentiality
agreements with employees, to protect our proprietary information and technologies during the manufacturing process. However, these safeguards
may not effectively prevent unauthorized use of such information and technical knowhow or prevent the manufacturers from retaining them.
We face risks that our proprietary information may not be afforded the same protection in China as it is in countries with more comprehensive
intellectual property laws, and local laws may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential
information. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights in China,
and failure to obtain or maintain intellectual property or trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.
If the third-party manufacturers of our proprietary products misappropriate our intellectual property, our business, prospects and financial
condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Our business operations in China may negatively
affect our ability to protect our intellectual property and our financial position.
On December 31, 2021, we set up a branch office
in mainland China. Historically, China has not protected intellectual property rights to the same extent as the United States, and infringement
of intellectual property rights continues to pose a serious risk of doing business in China. Monitoring
and preventing unauthorized use is difficult. The measures we take to protect our intellectual property rights may not be adequate. Any
unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights could harm our competitive advantages and business. Furthermore, the application
of laws governing intellectual property rights in China is uncertain and evolving and could involve substantial risks to us. If we are
unable to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, we may lose these rights and our business may suffer materially. Moreover,
the complexities that arise from operating in a different tax jurisdiction inevitably led to an increased exposure to international taxation.
Should review of our tax filings result in unfavorable adjustments, our operating results, cash flows, and financial position could be
materially and adversely affected.
32
The size and future growth in the market
for our Ubiquitor device or our PLC technology has not been established with precision and may be smaller than we estimate, possibly materially.
If our estimates and projections overestimate the size of this market, our sales growth may be adversely affected.
Our estimates of the size and future growth in
the market for our Ubiquitor device or our PLC technology is based on several internal studies, reports and estimates. In addition, our
internal estimates are based on current feedback from clients using current generation technology and our belief is that the use and implementation
of our technologies in the United States and worldwide will be extensive. While we believe we are using effective tools in estimating
the total market for Ubiquitor device or our PLC technology, these estimates may not be correct and the conditions supporting our estimates
may change at any time, thereby reducing the predictive accuracy of these underlying factors. The actual demand for our products or competitive
products, could differ materially from our projections if our assumptions are incorrect. As a result, our estimates of the size and future
growth in the market for the Ubiquitor device or our PLC technology may prove to be incorrect. If the demand is smaller than we have estimated,
it may impair our projected sales growth and have an adverse impact on our business.
If we are unable to properly forecast future
demand of our products, our production levels may not meet demands, which could negatively impact our operating results.
Our ability to manage our inventory levels to
meet our customer’s demand for our products is important for our business. Our production levels and inventory management are based
on demand estimates six to twelve months forward considering supply lead times, production capacity, timing of shipments, and dealer inventory
levels. If we overestimate or underestimate demand for any of our products during a given season, we may not maintain appropriate inventory
levels, which could negatively impact our net sales or working capital, hinder our ability to meet customer demand, or cause us to incur
excess and obsolete inventory charges.
Demand for our Ubiquitor product may be
affected by new entrants who copy our products and/or infringe on our intellectual property.
The ability to protect and enforce intellectual
property rights varies across jurisdictions. An inability to preserve our intellectual property rights may adversely affect our financial
performance. Competitors and others may also initiate litigation to challenge the validity of our intellectual property or allege that
we infringe their intellectual property. We may be required to pay substantial damages if it is determined our products infringe on their
intellectual property. We may also be required to develop an alternative, non-infringing product that could be costly and time-consuming,
or acquire a license on terms that are not favorable to us. Protecting or defending against such claims could significantly increase our
costs, divert management’s time and attention away from other business matters, and otherwise adversely affect our results of operations
and financial condition.
Internal system or service failures, including
as a result of cyber or other security incidents, could disrupt business operations, result in the loss of critical and confidential
information, and adversely impact our reputation, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Our connected
products potentially expose our business to cybersecurity threats.
Some of our products connect to the internet and
potentially expose our business to cybersecurity threats. Global cybersecurity threats and incidents can range from uncoordinated individual
attempts to gain unauthorized access to our systems to sophisticated and targeted measures known as advanced persistent threats directed
at our products, our customers and/or our third-party service providers, including cloud providers. There has been an increase in the
frequency and sophistication of cyber and other security threats we face, and our customers are increasingly requiring cyber and other
security protections and standards in our products, and we may incur additional costs to comply with such demands.
The potential consequences of a material cyber,
or other security incident include financial loss, reputational damage, negative media coverage, litigation with third parties, which
in turn could adversely affect our competitiveness, business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
33
Our sensor segment is subject to risks associated
with operations as we diversify away from a single dominant customer.
While in the past we were subject to volatility as
a result of having only one dominant customer, diversification away from a single customer also poses some risks associated with the migration,
While the company will possess more revenues streams, the migration away from a single steady customer poses risks as we begin to build
new relationships. Along with new marketing efforts, we need to continue to cater to the needs of these new customers or the business
may fluctuate or vanish.
Our air filtration business segment could
experience price fluctuations in raw materials, availability problems, and volatile demand.
The principal raw materials that we use are filter
media, activated charcoal, perforated metal sheet, and certain other petroleum-based products, like plastics, rubber, and adhesives. Our
cost of filter media can experience price fluctuations. Larger competitors can enter selective supply arrangements with major suppliers
that reduce medium-to-long-term volatility in costs. We cannot guarantee purchases in the volume that justifies such selective supply
arrangements. Thus, we could be subject to price volatility.
Prices and availability for the electronic
parts and plastics we need to assemble the Ubiquitor could fluctuate.
The principal raw materials that we use for our
Ubiquitor device are standard industrial electronics parts and plastics that are generally easily available through a variety of U.S.
domestic and foreign manufacturers. Such raw materials can experience price fluctuations due to a variety of factors, such as tariffs,
import/export fees and delays, and availability. If there is scarcity, then larger competitors could be given purchasing priority with
major suppliers that could make it so smaller companies like us experience volatility in costs and/or availability issues. Also, since
we have not yet manufactured in large numbers, our management team might not have the expertise to mitigate such price fluctuations or
availability concerns. Thus, suppliers could stop selling to us because of demand. Even though it is possible to find alternative suppliers,
changing to new suppliers could delay production and affect the quality of certain products.
Changes in tariffs, import or export restrictions,
Chinese regulations or other trade barriers may reduce gross margins.
We currently source products from manufacturers
in China, including digital, analog, and quantum light meters, filtration products and certain components for our Ubiquitor device. Currently,
the prices we offer to Hydrofarm are FOB (Free on Board) China. Only the cost of delivering the goods to the nearest port is included
and Hydrofarm is responsible for the shipping from China and responsible for all other fees, including tariffs, associated with delivering
the goods to the ultimate destination. If Hydrofarm changes the term to CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) United States, then we would
be responsible for the shipping costs and the tariff costs, which may reduce our gross margin. Thus, we may incur increases in costs due
to changes in tariffs, import or export restrictions, other trade barriers, or unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, any of which
could reduce our gross margins. Moreover, volatile economic conditions may impact the ability of our suppliers to make timely deliveries;
and if a supplier fails to make a delivery, there is no guarantee that we will be able to timely locate an alternative supplier of comparable
quality at an acceptable price.
Since the beginning of 2018, there has been increasing
rhetoric, in some cases coupled with legislative or executive action, from several U.S. and foreign leaders regarding tariffs against
imports of certain materials. It is difficult to anticipate the impact on our business caused by the proposed tariffs or whether the proposed
changes in tariffs will materialize in the future. Given the relatively fluid regulatory environment in China and the United States, there
could be additional tax, tariffs, or other regulatory changes in the future. Any such changes could directly and materially adversely
impact our business, financial condition, and operating results.
34
Our failure to respond to rapid change in
the technology markets could cause us to lose revenue and harm our competitive position.
Our future success will depend significantly on
our ability to develop and market new products that keep pace with technological developments and evolving industry standards for technology.
We are currently developing products, including our Ubiquitor device, universal smart monitors, and controllers, distributed shared universal
smart home products, and smart products for the gardening industry, for MacOS, PC, as well as mobile operating systems such as Android
and iOS, that transmit data over Wi-Fi signals, cellular signals, Bluetooth, certain power line systems, traditional wired systems, and
other radio frequency systems that enable data transmission. Our delay or failure to develop or acquire technological improvements, adapt
our products to technological changes or provide technology that appeals to our customers may cause us to lose customers and may prevent
us from generating revenue which could ultimately cause us to cease operations.
Our business depends on our ability to keep
manufacturing costs low; and we may lack the expertise necessary to negotiate and maintain favorable pricing, supply, business and credit
terms with our potential vendors.
It may be difficult to negotiate or maintain favorable
pricing, supply, business or credit terms with our potential vendors, suppliers and service providers. In addition, product manufacturing
costs may increase if we fail to achieve anticipated volumes. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully manage these
risks. In summary, we can offer no assurance that we will be able to obtain a sufficient (but not excess) supply of products on a timely
and cost-effective basis. Our failure to do so would lead to a material adverse impact on our business.
Since wireless networks are susceptible
to interference and other limitations, and one advantage of our Ubiquitor device and our USIP platform is that it can connect to wireless
networks as one way to transmit data, wireless network limitations may reduce the competitive advantage of the Ubiquitor and USIP platform
in the marketplace.
Our Ubiquitor and USIP platform relies on both
wired and wireless networks to transmit data, which is a major advantage of the Ubiquitor device and the USIP platform. Wireless networks
allow multiple users to access large amounts of information without the hassle of running wires to and from each IoT device. However,
wireless networks have technological limitations and there are several disadvantages that our Ubiquitor device may face when using a wireless
network. Wireless networks are typically expensive; it can cost up to four times more to set up a wireless network than to set up a wired
network. The range of a wireless network is limited, and a typical wireless router will only allow individuals located within 150 to 300
feet to access the network. Wireless networks are extremely susceptible to interference from radio signals, radiation, and other similar
types of interference. Such interference may cause a wireless network to malfunction. Wireless networks can be accessed by any IoT device
within range of the network’s signal so information transmitted through the network (including encrypted information) may be intercepted
by unauthorized users. Wireless networks are typically slower than wired networks, sometimes even up to 10 times slower. Walls and floors
can seriously limit the range of your wireless network. Since wireless networks have severe limitations, these limitations may reduce
the competitive advantage that the Ubiquitor provides in the marketplace which might prevent widespread adoption.
Demand for our products is uncertain and
depends on our currently unproven ability to create and maintain superior performance.
Our future operating results will depend upon
our ability to provide our products or services and to operate profitably in an industry characterized by intense competition, rapid technological
advances, and low margins. This, in turn, will depend on several factors, including:
·
Our ability to generate significant sales and profit margin from the Ubiquitor device;
·
Worldwide market conditions and demand for sensor devices and other products we may continue to add as we move forward;
·
Our success in meeting targeted availability dates for our products and services;
35
·
Our ability to develop and commercialize new intellectual property and to protect existing intellectual property;
·
Our ability to maintain profitable relationships with our distributors, retailers and other resellers;
·
Our ability to maintain an appropriate cost structure;
·
Our ability to attract and retain competent, motivated employees;
·
Our ability to comply with applicable legal requirements throughout the world; and
·
Our ability to successfully manage litigation, including enforcing our rights, protecting our interests, and defending claims made against us.
These factors are difficult to manage, satisfy
and influence and we cannot provide any assurance that we will be able to generate significant demand for and sales of our products.
The Ubiquitor device could fail to gain
traction in the marketplace for several reasons that would adversely impact our financial results and cause our investors to lose money.
Future rollout of the Ubiquitor entail numerous risks such as:
·
Any lack of market acceptance of the Ubiquitor;
·
Failure to maintain acceptable arrangements with product suppliers, particularly considering lower than anticipated volumes;
·
Manufacturing, technical, supplier, or quality-related delays, issues, or concerns, including the loss of any key supplier or failure of any key supplier to deliver high quality products on time;
·
Competition;
·
Potential declines in demand for sensor devices; and
·
Risks that third parties may assert intellectual property claims against our products.
To compete successfully, we must accurately forecast
demand, closely monitor inventory levels, secure quality products, continuously drive down costs, meet aggressive product price and performance
targets, create market demand for our brand and hold sufficient, but not excess, inventory.
36
Our Ubiquitor device greatly depends on
the growth and adoption of the IoT market, and other next-generation internet and smartphone-based applications.
The Internet may ultimately prove not to be a viable commercial marketplace
for IoT applications for several reasons, including:
·
unwillingness of consumers to shift to and use other such next-generation Internet-based, smartphone-assisted applications;
·
refusal to purchase our products and services;
·
perception by end-users with respect to the quality of our wireless sensors in an industry historically dominated by wired sensors;
·
competition;
·
inadequate development of smartphone infrastructure to keep pace with increased levels of use; and
·
increased government regulations in a relatively unregulated marketplace.
There is a risk that the market will not
adapt to using the smartphone readout as a substitute platform for sensor devices, causing our products to fail in the marketplace.
Most products on the small sensor device market
do not currently use smartphones to collect and analyze sensor data. There is no guarantee that using smartphone technology will cut production
costs and be well received. If our USIP using smartphone technology is not well received, there is a risk that device manufacturers will
develop new monitoring and operating components that are incompatible with our current platform instead of developing the traditional
sensors that are compatible with our technology. Updating our platform to stay compatible with new components could increase our costs
unexpectedly.
Using wireless transmission technologies
such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth may create security risks.
There is also a risk of failure based on the wireless
transmission of data used by our smartphone platform. If there is instability in a wireless network, Bluetooth sensor, or other network
problems that are out of our control, our new platform may not be well received. Our smartphone platform relies on the wireless transmission
of data through Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth sensors. These networks are often deemed less secure than a hard-wired network. The security
of a wireless network is often out of our control. However, any breach of security could result in the market and sensor device manufacturers
to fail to embrace our platform.
Our business involves the use, transmission
and storage of confidential information, and the failure to properly safeguard such information could result in significant reputational
harm.
We may at times collect, store, and transmit information
of, or on behalf of, our clients that may include certain types of confidential information that may be considered personal or sensitive,
and that are subject to laws that apply to data breaches. We believe that we take reasonable steps to protect the security, integrity,
and confidentiality of the information we collect and store, but there is no guarantee that inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure will
not occur or that third parties will not gain unauthorized access to this information despite our efforts to protect this information,
including through a cyber-attack that circumvents existing security measures and compromises the data that we store. If such unauthorized
disclosure or access does occur, we may be required to notify persons whose information was disclosed or accessed. Most states have enacted
data breach notification laws and, in addition to federal laws that apply to certain types of information, such as financial information,
federal legislation has been proposed that would establish broader federal obligations with respect to data breaches. We may also be subject
to claims of breach of contract for such unauthorized disclosure or access, investigation and penalties by regulatory authorities and
potential claims by persons whose information was disclosed. The unauthorized disclosure of information, or a cyber-security incident
involving data that we store, may result in the termination of one or more of our commercial relationships or a reduction in client confidence
and usage of our services. We may also be subject to litigation alleging the improper use, transmission, or storage of confidential information,
which could damage our reputation among our current and potential clients and cause us to lose business and revenue.
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Product liability associated with the production,
marketing, and sale of our products, and/or the expense of defending against claims of product liability, could materially deplete our
assets and generate negative publicity which could impair our reputation.
The production, marketing and sale of digital
products have inherent risks of liability in the event of product failure or claim of harm caused by product operation. Furthermore, even
meritless claims of product liability may be costly to defend against. We do not currently have product liability insurance for our products.
We may not be able to obtain this insurance on acceptable terms or at all. Because we may not be able to obtain insurance that provides
us with adequate protection against all or even some potential product liability claims, a successful claim against us could materially
deplete our assets. Moreover, even if we can obtain adequate insurance, any claim against us could generate negative publicity, which
could impair our reputation and adversely affect the demand for our products, our ability to generate sales and our profitability. For
the products we sell through Hydrofarm, we also do not carry product liability insurance. It is our management’s position that these
handheld battery-operated products do not carry substantial product liability risk and to the extent there are any product liability risks,
such risks are born by Hydrofarm, who does carry product liability insurance coverage for the products we provide to them, and they sell
to their customers. However, it is possible that we could face liability in a products liability lawsuit for manufacturing defects or
defective design since we design or manufacture the products sold by Hydrofarm.
Some of the agreements that we may enter with
manufacturers or distributors of our products and components of our products may require us:
·
to obtain product liability insurance; or
·
to indemnify manufacturers against liabilities resulting from the sale of our products.
If we are not able to obtain and maintain adequate
product liability insurance, then we could be in breach of these agreements, which could materially adversely affect our ability to produce
our products and generate revenues. Even if we can obtain and maintain product liability insurance, if a successful claim in excess of
our insurance coverage is made, then we may have to indemnify some or all of our manufacturers or distributors for their losses, which
could materially deplete our assets.
We may not be able to identify suitable
acquisition targets or otherwise successfully implement a growth strategy reliant on mergers and acquisitions.
To expand our business, we hope to pursue mergers
and acquisitions to acquire new or complementary businesses, services or technologies. We expect to continue evaluating potential strategic
acquisitions of businesses, services, and technologies. However, we may not be able to identify suitable candidates, negotiate appropriate
or favorable acquisition terms, obtain financing that may be needed to consummate such transactions or complete proposed acquisitions.
Any such future mergers and acquisitions would be accompanied by the risks commonly encountered in acquisitions of companies, including,
among other things, the difficulty of integrating the operations and personnel of the acquired companies; the potential disruption of
the Company’s ongoing business; the inability of management to incorporate successfully acquired technology and rights into the
Company’s services and product offerings; additional expense associated with amortization of acquired intangible assets; the maintenance
of uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies; and the potential impairment of relationships with employees, customers and strategic
partners.
Our growth strategy includes licensing our intellectual property,
and we run the risk that a licensee could become a competitor.
As part of our growth strategy, we anticipate
licensing our intellectual property. Licensing our intellectual property could potentially damage our business if a licensee becomes a
competitor, especially once the statutory rights to our intellectual property have expired or the licensing arrangement with a licensee
has terminated. A licensee could develop modifications of our intellectual property and choose to compete with us in the marketplace.
Litigation may be necessary to protect our rights to our intellectual property. Even if we are successful, litigation could result in
substantial costs and be a distraction to our management team. If we are not successful, we could lose valuable intellectual property
rights.
38
Product defects could result in costly fixes,
litigation, and damages.
Our business exposes us to potential product liability
risks that are inherent in the design, manufacture, and sale of our products. If there are claims related to defective products (under
warranty or otherwise), particularly in a product recall situation, we could be faced with significant expenses in replacing or repairing
the product. For example, our filtration products or Ubiquitor devices obtain raw materials, machined parts and other product components
from suppliers who provide certifications of quality which we rely on. Should these product components be defective and pass undetected
into finished products, or should a finished product contain a defect, we could incur significant costs for repairs, re-work and/or removal
and replacement of the defective product. In addition, if a dispute over product claims cannot be settled, arbitration or litigation may
result, requiring us to incur attorneys’ fees and exposing us to the potential of damage awards against us.
Only two officers have public company experience
on our management team which could adversely impact our ability to comply with the reporting requirements of U.S. securities laws.
Amongst our officers, only Dr. Desheng Wang, our
CEO, and Irving Kau, our CFO, have public company experience. Our CEO and CFO are ultimately responsible for complying with federal securities
laws and making required disclosures on a timely basis. Any such deficiencies, weaknesses or lack of compliance could have a materially
adverse effect on our ability to comply with the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which is necessary
to maintain our public company status. If we were to fail to fulfill those obligations, our ability to continue as a U.S. public company
would be in jeopardy in which event you could lose your entire investment in our Company.
Some of our officers, directors, consultants,
and advisors are involved in other businesses and not obligated to commit their time and attention exclusively to our business and therefore
they may encounter conflicts of interest with respect to the allocation of time and business opportunities between our operations and
those of other businesses.
Another example of a conflict of interest are
so called “self-dealing” transactions. If a conflict-of-interest transaction is negotiated and approved, in a manner that
approximates arms-length negotiations, the transaction is accepted unless a shareholder proves in court that the transaction is not entirely
fair to the company or its shareholders. The burden is on the shareholder to show lack of entire fairness. A self-dealing transaction
is considered invalid if challenged, unless the interested director proves in court that the transaction is entirely fair to the Company.
The burden is on the director to show entire fairness.
If, because of these conflicts, we may be deprived
of business opportunities or information, the execution of our business plan and our ability to effectively compete in the marketplace
may be adversely affected. If our audit committee becomes aware of such conflict of interests, we will take an immediate action to resolve
it. Each conflict of interest will be handled by the Company based on the nature of the conflict and the individual involved in it.
We are not aware of any current or potential conflict of interests
with our consultants or advisors.
We have concluded that we have not maintained
effective internal control over financial reporting through the years ended December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021. Significant deficiencies
and material weaknesses in our internal control could have material adverse effects on us.
It is important for us to maintain effective internal
control over financial reporting, which is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any
evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions,
or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
39
A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination
of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement
of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
A material weakness in our internal control over
financial reporting could adversely impact our ability to provide timely and accurate financial information. If we are unsuccessful in
implementing or following our remediation plan, we may not be able to timely or accurately report our financial condition, results of
operations or cash flows or maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures. If we are unable to report financial information timely
and accurately or to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures, we could be subject to, among other things, regulatory or
enforcement actions by the SEC, any one of which could adversely affect our business prospects.
Our executive officers and directors collectively
have the power to control our management and operations and have a significant majority in voting power on all matters submitted to the
stockholders of the Company.
Our CEO and one of our directors, Dr. Desheng
Wang, owns 33.345% of the outstanding shares of our common stock as of the date of this report. Two of our directors together own over
50% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Accordingly, our directors have a significant influence in determining the outcome
of all corporate transactions or other matters, including mergers, consolidations, and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets.
They also have the power to prevent or cause a change in control. The interests of our directors may differ from the interests of the
other stockholders and thus result in corporate decisions that are disadvantageous to other shareholders.
Management currently beneficially owns most of
our outstanding common stock. Consequently, management can influence control of the operations of the Company and, acting together, will
have the ability to influence or control substantially all matters submitted to stockholders for approval, including:
·
Election of our board of directors;
·
Removal of directors;
·
Amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; and
·
Adoption of measures that could delay or prevent a change in control or impede a merger, takeover or other business combination.
These stockholders have complete control over
our affairs. Accordingly, this concentration of ownership by itself may have the effect of impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover
or other business consolidation, or discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer for the common stock.
If we fail to maintain an effective system
of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results. As a result, current and
potential shareholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our stock.
Members of our Board of Directors are inexperienced
with U.S. GAAP and the related internal control procedures required of U.S. public companies. Management has determined that our internal
audit function is also significantly deficient due to insufficient qualified resources to perform internal audit functions.
40
We are a smaller reporting company with limited
resources. Therefore, we cannot assure investors that we will be able to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting
based on criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control-Integrated
Framework. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that
there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not
be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The Company has deficiencies over financial statements in areas of recording revenue and expenses
in proper cut off as well as proper classification of accounts. For these reasons, we are considering the costs and benefits associated
with improving and documenting our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls and procedures, which includes (i) hiring
additional personnel with sufficient U.S. GAAP experience and (ii) implementing ongoing training in U.S. GAAP requirements for our CFO
and accounting and other finance personnel. If the result of these efforts are not successful, or if material weaknesses are identified
in our internal control over financial reporting, our management will be unable to report favorably as to the effectiveness of our internal
control over financial reporting and/or our disclosure controls and procedures, and we could be required to further implement expensive
and time-consuming remedial measures and potentially lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports
which could have an adverse effect on our stock price and potentially subject us to litigation.
The requirements of being a public company
may strain our resources and distract our management.
We are required to comply with various regulatory
and reporting requirements, including those required by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Complying with these reporting and other
regulatory requirements is time-consuming and may result in increased costs to us and could have a negative effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting
requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,
as amended, or SOX. These requirements may place a strain on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual,
quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. SOX requires that we maintain effective disclosure
controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting. Compliance with these rules and regulations will increase our
legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming, or costly and increase demand on our systems
and resources.
These activities may divert management’s
attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards
relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance
costs, and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in
many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided
by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated
by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and
standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time
and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards
differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to practice, regulatory authorities may
initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be harmed.
We also expect that being a public company and
these new rules and regulations will make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required
to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for
us to attract and retain qualified members of our Board of Directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee,
and qualified executive officers.
41
Risks Related to the Ownership of our Common
Stock
Our shares may be affected by short selling
practices which may decrease the stock price.
The Company believes that certain individuals
and/or companies may have engaged in manipulative and/or suspected illegal trading practices that may artificially depress our share price.
There is great concern in today’s market environment regarding the potential targeting of publicly traded companies in a market
manipulation scheme involving illegal naked short selling of stock. The Company finds such suspected manipulation completely unacceptable
as it distorts the value of the Company and negatively impacts shareholders who have invested their hard-earned money. We are considering
engaging third party service providers to further investigate these practices by aggregating and analyzing repository data from reporting
entities, broker-dealers and shareholders enabling us to proactively track shareholder ownership, identify parties involved in suspicious,
aberrant, or unusual trading activity and deploy corrective action steps to help curtail such activity.
The SEC and other regulatory and self-regulatory
authorities have implemented various rules and taken certain actions, and may in the future adopt additional rules, and take other actions,
that may impact those engaging in short selling activity involving equity securities (including our common stock). Such rules and actions
include Rule 201 of SEC Regulation SHO, the adoption by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. and the national securities
exchanges of a “Limit Up-Limit Down” program, the imposition of market-wide circuit breakers that halt trading of securities
for certain periods following specific market declines, and the implementation of certain regulatory reforms required by the Dodd-Frank
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. Any governmental or regulatory action that restricts the ability of investors
to effect short sales of our common stock, borrow our common stock or enter into swaps on our common stock could adversely affect the
trading price and liquidity of our shares.
An increase of free trading shares of our
common stock could result in substantial sales of common stock on the open market which could cause our stock price to fall substantially.
In 2018, we registered 19,904,706 shares of our
common stock for more than 300 shareholders, which is substantially more than the 18,018,039 shares of common stock that are currently
free trading. Any increase in freely trading shares, or the perception that such shares will or could come onto the market could have
an adverse effect on the trading price of the stock. No prediction can be made as to the effect, if any, that sales of these shares, or
the availability of such shares for sale, will have on the market prices prevailing from time to time. Nevertheless, the possibility that
substantial amounts of common stock may be sold in the public market may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock
and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of our equity securities or impair our shareholders’ ability to sell
on the open market.
You could be diluted from our future issuance
of capital stock and derivative securities.
As of December 31, 2022, we had 43,530,915 shares
of common stock outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding. We are authorized to issue up to 75,000,000 shares of common
stock and no shares of preferred stock. To the extent of such authorization, our Board of Directors will have the ability, without seeking
stockholder approval, to issue additional shares of common stock or preferred stock in the future for such consideration as the Board
of Directors may consider sufficient. The issuance of additional common stock or preferred stock in the future may reduce a shareholder’s
proportionate ownership and voting power.
Substantial future sales of our common stock, or the perception
in the public markets that these sales may occur, may depress our stock price.
Sales of substantial shares of our common stock
in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the price of our common stock and could impair
our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional shares.
In the future, we may issue our securities if
we need to raise capital in connection with a capital raise or acquisitions. The number of shares of our common stock issued in connection
with a capital raise or acquisition could constitute a material portion of our then-outstanding shares of our common stock and have a
dilutive effect on our shareholders which could have a material negative effect on our stock price.
42
Future sales of our common stock by existing
stockholders could cause our stock price to decline.
If our existing stockholders sell substantial shares
of our common stock in the public market, then the market price of our common stock could decrease significantly. The perception in the
public market that our stockholders might sell shares of common stock also could depress the market price of our common stock. There are
approximately 43,229,653 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 22, 2023, of which approximately 17,946,923 shares are currently
freely tradable.
Certain existing holders of most of our common
stock have rights, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering their shares or to include their
shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other shareholders. If the sale of these shares are registered, they
will be freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act. In the event such registration rights are exercised and many shares
of common stock are sold in the public market, such sales could reduce the trading price of our common stock.
A decline in the price of shares of our common
stock might impede our ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional shares of our common stock or other equity securities.
We do not intend to pay dividends and there will be less ways
in which you can make a gain on any investment in Focus Universal Inc.
We have never paid any cash dividends and currently
do not intend to pay any dividends for the foreseeable future. To the extent that we require additional funding currently not provided
for in our financing plan, our funding sources may likely prohibit the payment of a dividend. Because we do not intend to declare dividends,
any gain on an investment in Focus Universal Inc. will need to come through appreciation of the stock’s price.
Sales of a substantial number of shares
of our common stock in the public market by certain of our shareholders could cause our stock price to fall.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our
common stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our common stock,
and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We are unable to predict the effect that
sales may have on the prevailing market price of shares of our common stock.
An active trading market for our common
stock may not be maintained.
Our common stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq
Global Market under the symbol “FCUV,” but we can provide no assurance that we will be able to maintain an active trading
market on this or any other exchange in the future. A lack of an active market may impair the ability of our stockholders to sell shares
at the time they wish to sell or at a price that they consider favorable. The lack of an active market may also reduce the fair market
value of our common stock, impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of capital stock and may impair our ability to use common
stock as consideration to attract and retain talent or engage in business transactions (including mergers and acquisitions). In 2021,
our common stock was listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Our stock was uplisted onto the Nasdaq Global Market on January 28, 2022.
Our shares of common stock are only recently
listed on NASDAQ, and we may not be able to maintain the continued listing standards.
NASDAQ requires companies to fulfill specific
requirements in order for their shares to continue to be listed. There is no guarantee that our common stock will maintain NASDAQ continued
listing standards and we may be delisted. If our common stock is delisted from NASDAQ, our shareholders could find it difficult to sell
their common stock.
If the shares of our common stock were to be delisted
from NASDAQ, we expect that it would be traded on the OTCQB or OTCQX marketplaces, which are unorganized, inter-dealer, over-the-counter
markets that provide significantly less liquidity than NASDAQ or other national securities exchanges. Thus, a delisting from NASDAQ may
have a material adverse effect on the trading and price of our common stock.
43
If we are unable to maintain compliance
with NASDAQ continued listing standards, including maintenance of at least $2.5 million of stockholders’ equity and maintenance
of a $1.00 minimum bid price, our common stock may be delisted from NASDAQ.
There can be no assurances that we will be able
to maintain our NASDAQ listing in the future. In the event we are unable to maintain compliance with NASDAQ continued listing standards
and our common stock is delisted from NASDAQ, it could likely lead to a number of negative implications, including an adverse effect on
the price of our common stock, reduced liquidity in our common stock, the loss of federal preemption of state securities laws and greater
difficulty in obtaining financing. In the event of a delisting, we would take actions to restore our compliance with NASDAQ’s continued
listing standards, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our common stock to become listed again,
stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our common stock, prevent our common stock from dropping below the NASDAQ minimum
bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements.
Risks Related to Our Acquisition of AVX
If we are unable to manage our anticipated
post-acquisition growth effectively, our business could be adversely affected.
We anticipate that because of the significant
expansion of our operations and addition of operating subsidiaries, new personnel may be required in all areas of our operations to continue
to implement our post-acquisition business plan. Our future operating results depend to a large extent on our ability to manage this expansion
and growth successfully. For us to continue to manage such growth, we must put in place legal and accounting systems and implement human
resource management and other tools. We have taken preliminary steps to put this structure in place. However, there is no assurance that
we will be able to successfully manage this anticipated rapid growth. A failure to manage our growth effectively could materially and
adversely affect our profitability.
Increasing competition within our industry
could have an impact on our business prospects.
The IoT market is a growing industry where new
competitors are entering the market frequently. These competing companies may have significantly greater financial and other resources
than we have and may have been developing their products and services longer than we have been developing ours. Although our portfolio
of products and related revenue stream sources are broad, increasing competition may have a negative impact on our profit margins.
The success of our smart home installation
business will depend upon the efforts of management of our subsidiary AVX.
We can offer no assurance that we will be able
to retain or effectively recruit new additional personnel. The departure of any key members of AVX’s management team could make
it more difficult to operate AVX. Moreover, to the extent that we will rely upon their management team to operate AVX, we will be subject
to risks regarding their managerial competence. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove
to be correct and that they will have the skills, abilities, and qualifications we expect.
If we are unable to integrate the Ubiquitor
device into the smart home installation business, we may not be able to distinguish ourselves in the segment and that could negatively
affect our ability to operate in the competitive smart home installation industry.
The smart home installation business is a highly
competitive market, and we have numerous competitors who are already well-established in the market. We expect our competitors to continue
improving the design and performance of their products and to introduce new products that could be competitive in both price and performance.
The reason we believe that we could become competitive in this market segment is because we anticipate integrating the Ubiquitor device
into AVX’s smart home installations. However, there is no guarantee that we can integrate the Ubiquitor device into AVX’s
smart home installations. If we are unable to integrate the Ubiquitor device into smart home installations, we will not be able to achieve
the competitive price and performance we anticipate achieving success in AVX’s future smart home installations. Alternatively, we
may not be able to achieve a smart home installation at a cost-effective price that is sufficient to distinguish us from amongst the competition
in this market segment.
44
Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
In September 2018, we purchased a manufacturing
warehouse and office space addressed at 2311 East Locust Court, Ontario, CA, 91761. The property consists of an industrial type, two-story
building, with a total building area of 30,740 square feet. Ten thousand square feet will be utilized for office space; and 20,000 square
feet for warehouse space. The property includes 58 parking spaces. The purchase price for the property was approximately $4.62 million
dollars.
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
On or about April 13, 2020, Ian Patterson,
the Chief Operations Officer of AVX resigned from his position. On May 5, 2020, Mr. Patterson filed an action in the Superior Court
for the County of Los Angeles, State of California, against the Company, et al. The complaint alleges claims including
discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation and various other provisions of the California Labor Code, and various other
claims under California state law. The complaint seeks unspecified economic and non-economic losses, as well as attorneys’
fees. In response to the Complaint, defendants filed a motion to compel arbitration asking the court to order Plaintiff to submit
his claims to binding individual arbitration based on an arbitration agreement signed by Plaintiff at the outset of his employment.
The motion was unfortunately denied, and in response, defendants filed an appeal. The appeal was also denied. Trial for
this matter is not set, nor has discovery been conducted. AVX intends to vigorously contest this matter. Further, AVX disputes
that the other defendants are proper parties to the litigation. However, litigation and investigations are inherently uncertain, but
the outcome could have a material impact on the Company.
On or about April 14, 2020, Devesa Sarria, the
Sales and Marketing Director, was terminated. On May 13, 2020, she filed an action in the Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles,
State of California. The Complaint alleges claims including discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation and various other provisions
of the California Labor Code, and various other claims under California state law. The complaint seeks unspecified economic and non-economic
losses, as well as attorneys’ fees. We have completed written discovery and most of the non-expert discovery. Trial is set
for October 11, 2023. AVX intends to vigorously contest this matter. Further, AVX disputes that the other defendants are proper
parties to the litigation. However, litigation and investigations are inherently uncertain, but the outcome could have a material impact
on the Company.
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable to our Company.
45
PART II
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER
MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.
Market Information
On August 31, 2021, the Company commenced the trading
of its common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “FCUV.” On January 28, 2022, the Company commenced trading
of its common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “FCUV.” On March 22, 2022, the last reported sale price of
our common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market was $3.84 per share.
On September 23, 2014, our common stock was verified
for trading on the OTCQB Market under the trading symbol “FCUV.” Prior to that time, there was no public market for our stock.
The following table sets forth for the indicated periods the high and low intra-day sales price per share for our common stock on the
Nasdaq Capital Market (as applicable) for the four quarters of 2021 and 2022. As of March 22, 2023, our common stock trades upon the Nasdaq
Global Market.
High
Low
2021: First Quarter
$ 4.25
$ 3.56
2021: Second Quarter
$ 10.00
$ 4.25
2021: Third Quarter
$ 25.25
$ 4.49
2021: Fourth Quarter
$ 15.52
$ 7.33
2022: First Quarter
$ 14.17
$ 6.18
2022: Second Quarter
$ 14.58
$ 10.00
2022: Third Quarter
$ 16.43
$ 9.38
2022: Fourth Quarter
$ 13.49
$ 5.90
Holders.
As of March 22, 2022, there were 366 record holders
of 43,229,653 shares of the Company’s common stock. The number of record holders was determined from the records of our transfer
agent and does not include beneficial owners of common stock whose shares are held in the names of various security brokers, dealers,
and registered clearing agencies. The transfer agent of our common stock is VStock Transfer, LLC.
Dividends.
The Company has not paid any cash dividends to
date and does not anticipate or contemplate paying dividends in the foreseeable future. It is the present intention of management to utilize
all available funds for the development of the Company’s business. However, we cannot provide any assurance that we will or will
not declare or pay cash dividends on our common stock. Any future determination to declare cash dividends will be made at the discretion
of our Board of Directors, subject to applicable laws, and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements,
general business conditions and other factors that our Board of Directors may deem relevant.
46
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
On December 15, 2018, our Board of Directors presented
the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan to the shareholders. On December 17, 2018, the holders of 63.051% of our issued and outstanding shares
of common stock adopted a resolution by written consent without a meeting adopting the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan. The plan reserves an
aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, which provides for the payment of various forms of incentive compensation
to employees, consultants, executives, and directors of the Company. The 2018 Equity Incentive Plan provides for the grant of the following
types of stock awards: (i) incentive stock options; (ii) non-statutory stock options; (iii) stock appreciation rights; (iv) restricted
stock awards; (v) restricted stock unit awards; and (vi) other stock awards. Under the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, a ten percent stockholder
will not be granted an incentive stock option unless the exercise price of such option is at least one hundred and ten percent of the
fair market value on the date of grant and the option is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the grant date. The Board
of Directors determines the vesting schedule of the grants with broad discretion. On August 6, 2019, each member of the Board was granted
30,000 options to purchase shares at $5.70 per share. On December 11, 2020, each member of the Board was granted 15,000 options to purchase
shares at $3.00 per share. On December 31, 2021, each member of the Board was granted 15,000 options to purchase shares at $8.86 per share.
On December 30, 2022, each member of the Board was granted 15,000 options to purchase shares at $6.41 per share.
Recent sales of unregistered securities.
None.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
We did not repurchase any of our equity securities
during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, the nine months ended December 31, 2016, the year ended March 31, 2016,
2015, 2014 or the period from December 4, 2012 (inception) to March 31, 2013.
Item 6. [RESERVED]
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in
conjunction with our audited financial statements and notes thereto included herein. In connection with, and because we desire to take
advantage of, the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we caution readers regarding
certain forward-looking statements in the following discussion and elsewhere in this report and in any other statement made by, or on
our behalf, whether in future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are statements not based
on historical information and which relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments. Forward-looking
statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive
uncertainties, and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control and many of which, with respect to future business decisions, are
subject to change. These uncertainties and contingencies can affect actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by, or our behalf. We disclaim any obligation to update forward-looking statements.
Focus Universal Inc., a Nevada corporation (the
“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), has developed the five proprietary platform technologies
described in the Business Section, starting on page 1. These are: (1) device on a chip; (2) universal smart instrumentation platform (“USIP”);
(3) ultra-narrowband technology; (4) ultra-narrowband power line communication (“PLC”) technology; and (5) natural integrated
programming language (“NIPL”).
47
Our main sources of revenue are derived from our sales
of sensor devices and our wholesaling of various digital, analog, and quantum light meters and filtration products, including fan speed
adjusters, carbon filters and HEPA filtration systems. We source these products from manufacturers in China and then sell them to a major
U.S. distributor, Hydrofarm, who resells our products directly to consumers through its established retail distribution channels and,
in some cases, places its own branding on our products. For the year ended December 31, 2021, our primary source of revenue was from sales
of these agricultural sensors and measurement equipment sold through Hydrofarm. Hydrofarm was not our primary source of revenue for the
year ended December 31, 2022.
For a greater description of our technologies,
our business segments and the products we are currently selling, see “Part I – Item 1. Business” above.
Ubiquitor Wireless Universal Sensor Device
Our USIP technology is an advanced software
and hardware integrated instrumentation platform that uses a large-scale modular design approach. The large-scale modular design
approach subdivides instruments into a foundation component (a USIP) and architecture-specific components (sensor nodes). The USIP
has an open architecture, incorporating a variety of individual instrument functions, sensors, and probes from different industries
and vendors. The platform features the ability to connect potentially thousands of different sensors or probes, addressing major
limitations present in traditional instrumentation systems. The result of such integration is a smaller, cheaper, and faster circuit
system design than those currently offered in the instrumentation market.
The USIP, which is compatible with a significant
percentage of the instruments currently manufactured, consists of universal and reusable hardware and software. The universal hardware
in the USIP is (i) a smartphone, computer, or any mobile device capable of running our software that includes a display and either hardware
controls or software control surfaces, and (ii) our Ubiquitor.
We have created and assembled prototype models
of the Ubiquitor in limited quantities and plan to expand our assembly in 2023. Our prototype Ubiquitor is compatible with standard desktop
computers running Windows OS or MacOS and Android- or iOS-based mobile devices, and acts as a conduit that communicates with a group of
sensors or probes manufactured by different vendors in a manner that requires the user to have little or no knowledge of their unique
specifications. The data readout is displayed on the computer or mobile device display. We are designing the application software (the
“App”) to have a graphical representation of control and indicator elements common in traditional tangible instruments, such
as knobs, buttons, dials, and graphs, etc. Our developers are designing and implementing a soft control touch screen interface that supports
real-time data monitoring and facilitates instrument control and operation.
The Company continues to devote a substantial
number of resources to research and development despite a slight decrease to the overall number year over year to bring the Ubiquitor
and its App to full production and distribution. We anticipate that the sales and marketing involved with bringing the Ubiquitor to market
will require us to hire several new employees in order to gain traction in the market. We intend to introduce the Ubiquitor in smart home
and commercial installations to reduce costs and increase functionality, as well as implement the Ubiquitor device in greenhouses and
other agricultural warehouses that require regulation of light, humidity, moisture, and other measurable scientific units required to
create optimal growing conditions.
We have completed an initial production run of
prototype Ubiquitor devices and intend to proceed into full-scale production. The Ubiquitor’s sensor analytics system integrates
event-monitoring, storage and analytics software in a cohesive package that provides a holistic view of the sensor data it is reading.
For a description of the physical hardware, see illustrations in “Figures
5-10 in Part I - Item 1. Business Section 5. “Developing a universal smart instrumentation platform (“USIP”)”
above.
48
We believe the Ubiquitor device can connect up to thousands of potential
sensor nodes integrate data using embedded software to display the data and all analytics onto a digital screen (desktop, smartphone or
mobile device displays) using a wired or Wi-Fi connection. As disclosed in our patent application, we have already tested up to 256 sensor
instrument readouts. Most types of nodes and probes can connect to the hardware. If the sensor size is bigger than the standard probe
size, it is possible to simply use a USB cable to connect the probe and the hub. All data and analytics are displayed on a single screen,
with tools that record and keep track of all measurements, and sort and display analytic information in easy-to-read charts.
The Ubiquitor is a general platform that collects
data in real time and is intended to be adapted to many industrial uses.
Also, we plan to design a full line of products
for the gardening industry by integrating the Ubiquitor device into a gardening system. The system would include the Ubiquitor connected
to a light control node, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, digital light sensor, quantum PAR sensor, pH sensor, total dissolved solids
(“TDS”) sensor and carbon dioxide sensor. We believe the combination of the Ubiquitor with these sensors would offer the
same features as a combination of dozens or even hundreds of different standalone instruments in the gardening industry. The Ubiquitor-powered
gardening system would be used to replace these standalone devices and could offer another case study of the effectiveness of the application
of universal smart technology to such systems.
Research and Development Efforts of Power Line
Communication
Power Line Communication (“PLC”) is
a communication technology that enables sending data over existing power cables. One advantage of this technology is that PLC does not
require substantial new investment for its communications infrastructure. Rather, PLC utilizes existing power lines, thereby forming a
distribution network that penetrates most residential, commercial, and industrial premises. Accordingly, connectivity via PLC is a cost-effective
and scalable interconnectivity approach for the IoT. We believe PLC can be an integral part of our communication infrastructure for the
IoT, which enables reliable, real-time measurements, monitoring and control. A large variety of appliances may be interconnected by transmitting
data through the same wires that provide electrical energy.
Our PLC technology uses an ultra-narrowband spectrum
channel of less than 1 KHz to establish a long-distance link between transmitter and receiver. Thus, we believe that our proprietary ultra-narrowband
PLC technology will offer a promising alternative to wireless networks and provide the backbone communication infrastructure for IoT devices.
The primary design goal of the power line network
is electric power distribution, not data transmission. The harsh electrical noise present on power lines and variations in equipment and
standards make data transmission over the power grid difficult. These technological challenges have impeded, or even halted, progression
of PLC technology.
49
We continue to build upon our existing research
and development with the intention of inventing an ultra-narrowband PLC technology that attempts to tackle two challenges: 1) overcoming
interference caused by electronic noise on the power line system; and 2) bandwidth. Preliminary internal testing suggests that we have
achieved significant noise rejection and interference suppression. In our preliminary internal testing, we have been able to increase
bandwidth to 4 megabits per second with the potential for more, while simultaneously effectively dealing with electrical noise and interference.
Based on the promising results of our internal testing, we have begun designing a proprietary PLC microchip and have set an intended launch
date for 2023.
We believe that because residential and commercial
structures already include multiple power outlets, the power line infrastructure represents an excellent network to share data among intelligent
devices, particularly in the smart home installations that we are currently performing through AVX.
We plan to leverage the communications technology
of PLC to enhance the Ubiquitor and make the Ubiquitor a central component of the smart home and gardening systems we are currently developing.
The goal would be that our Ubiquitor would be used to send or receive control signals from a smart device, and control hundreds of devices
in near real time. We intend to apply the same concept to commercial and industrial applications.
On December 23, 2021, Focus Universal (Shenzhen) Technology
Co. LTD was founded as a mainland China office for manufacturing procurement expertise and support research and development activities.
Focus Universal (Shenzhen) Technology Co. LTD is designed to function as a branch office accessing high level ability to source products
and build relationships with manufacturers in the region and as a lower cost form of support research and development as engineers are
more plentiful in the region. This last quarter of 2022, this office has continued to grow to double digit headcount and has also begun
to handle other online and simple phone marketing and marketing materials production activities, provided a cost and quality benefit exists
at the time.
Research and Development Efforts of 5G Cellular
Technology
Just like our ultra-narrowband technology can
be used to reduce noise in powerline communication technology, our internal research suggests that our ultra-narrowband technology can
be leveraged to create a type of 5G wireless communication technology that can achieve both low band 5G coverage and we believe 1 Gbps
high band speed. We employ an ultra-narrow spectrum channel (<1KHz) to establish an ultra-long-distance link between the 5G base station
and the receiver which reduces noise and interference entering the bandwidth.
For a description of the ultra-narrowband technology
and the 5G applications, see “Part I - Item 1. Business, Section 2. “Creating a faster 5G cellular technology by using ultra-narrowband
technology” above.
50
Intellectual Property Protection
On November 4, 2016, we filed a U.S. patent application
number 15/344,041 with the USPTO. On March 5, 2018, we issued a press release announcing that the USPTO published an Issue Notification
for U.S. Patent Application No. 9924295 entitled “Universal Smart Device,” which covers a patent application regarding the
Company’s Universal Smart Device. The patent was issued on March 20, 2018.
Subsequent to our internal research and development
efforts, we filed with the USPTO on June 2, 2017, a patent application regarding a process for improving the spectral response curve of
a photo sensor. The small and cost-effective multicolor sensor and its related software protected by the potential patent we believe could
achieve a spectral response that approximates an ideal photo response to measure optical measurement. The patent was issued on February
26, 2019.
On November 29, 2019, the Company filed an international
utility patent application filed through the patent cooperation treaty as application PCT/US2019/63880. In April 2020, the Company was
notified that it received a favorable international search report from the International Searching Authority regarding this patent application,
which patents the Company’s PLC technology. The World International Property Organization report cited only three category “A”
documents, indicating that the Company’s application met both the novelty and non-obviousness patentability requirements. Consequently,
the Company is optimistic that the patent covering the claims for its PLC technology will be issued in due course and will allow the Company
to implement strong protections on the PLC technology worldwide.
On May 19, 2021, we filed thirteen provisional
patent applications with the USPTO that we had been researching and developing for years encompassing a broad spectrum of technology areas
including sensor technology, wired and wireless communications, power line communications, computer security, software solutions, interconnected
technological communications, smart home systems and methods for both home and hydroponic areas, dynamic password cipher, local file security,
payment card security, infrared sensor, and a method and apparatus for high data rate transmission.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, we hired the law
firm of Knobbe Martens, Olson & Bear, LLP based in Orange County, CA to serve as outside intellectual property counsel for the Company.
The firm is working on transferring the Company’s provisional patent applications to formal patent applications in addition to filing
new provisional patents. In 2021, we filed 14 patents. We filed 18 domestic patents in 2022 (plus two international patents in 2022),
and so far have filed 3 patents in 2023.
In addition, the Company’s patent number
11,488,468 was allowed and subsequently issued on November 1, 2022. The patent, titled Sensor for Detecting the Proximity of an IEEE 802.11
Protocol Connectable Device.
Competitors
There are several competitors we have identified
in the wireless sensor node industry, including traditional instruments or devices manufacturers such as Hanna Instruments and Extech
Instruments.
Hach developed and launched the SC1000 Multi-parameter
Universal Controller, a probe module for connecting a maximum to 32 digital sensors or analyzers. However, we believe their current price
points are still cost prohibitive to consumers.
Monnit Corporation offers a range of wireless
and remote sensors. Many of Monnit’s products are web-based wireless sensors that usually are not portable because of their power
consumption. Also, the sensors’ real-time updates are slow; and we believe security of the web-based sensor data acquisition also
may be a concern. In addition to purchasing the device, consumers usually have to pay monthly fees for using web-based services.
We are not trying to compete with traditional
instruments or device manufacturers because we utilize our Ubiquitor device in conjunction with our smartphone application, which we believe
will be a completely different product category.
51
IoT Installation Industry
There are several companies that compete with AVX
in smart home installations, including Vivint Smart Home, Crestron and Control4. However, we believe we can distinguish ourselves from
our competitors by offering a substantially lower price. An installation by Crestron ranges between $20,000 and $100,000 and by Control4
between $20,000 and $40,000. The cheapest competitor we can identify in this sector is Vivint Smart Home, which costs less than $5,000
to install; however, we understand that the Vivint Smart Home focuses on security systems only and that users have no other smart applications,
which our smart home product line would include.
Air Filtration Systems and Meter Products Industry
The air filtration system and meter products industry
is a niche industry. The global industrial air filtration market was valued at $23.83 billion by 2029 and analysts expect it to register
a CAGR of 7.2% because of the industrial need to control air quality across a range of industries. 22
Air purification methods are an effective way to control contaminants and improve indoor air quality and as a result, many national and
local governments overseeing indoor air quality and other emissions are enacting stricter workforce health and safety regulations in
this area, which drives demand.
___________________
22
Fortune, The global air filters market is projected to grow from $14.68 billion in 2022 to $23.83 billion by 2029, exhibiting a
CAGR of 7.2% in forecast period, 2022-2029, https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/air-filters-market-101676, (last
accessed March 7, 2023)
52
Market Potential
We believe universal wireless smart technology
will play a critical role for traditional instrument manufacturers, as currently simply the undertaking of an IoT project is too expensive
and difficult to develop for medium or smaller companies and carries 75% failure rate according to Cisco Systems 22 . The cost
factor is the first consideration when deciding whether a company wants to develop smart wireless technologies and implement them in
their products or use them in their field testing. We also hope to play a role in academic laboratories, particularly with smaller academic
laboratories that are sensitive to price. Regarding the larger IoT industry statistics, overall enterprise IoT spending increased to
$201 Billion in 2022, an increase of 21.5%. The outlook for growth in 2023 is 18.5% from this large base of enterprise spending 23 .
More specifically, the IoT sensors market is projected to reach $26 Billion by 2026 from $11.1 Billion in 2022 24 . The IoT
marketplace size assessments usually include the hardware components and the software components which often contain a Software as a
Service (SaaS) model. Additionally, the rising need for reliable high bandwidth communication for IoT devices is expected to rise to
$664.75 Billion in 2028, spearheaded by the currently predominant services in the 5G category 25 . We would also expect this
market to grow with the addition of new categories of services delivering reliable high bandwidth communication for IoT devices and would
cannibalize and expand the existing services where the new services proved to be more effective and efficient.
We
also expect our recent growth within our IoT Installation Services segment to bolster and complement our AVX Design and Integration and
all other related installation businesses of these IoT products. The number of new contracts we have signed thus far in a limited amount
of time through the segment is 9 with an average value of $52,257.44 and a total collection value of $470,317 in signed contracts to
date, of which we have already collected $233,515.89. Additionally, thus far, we have an aggregate $615,797 in contracts agreed
in principle, of which we expect to be signed and deposits paid. This is compared to our highest AVX revenue for calendar year of $817,233
in 2019, $705,877 for 2020, $252,958 for 2021, and $260,871 for 2022 for the entire calendar year. While statistics regarding the IoT
installation sectors are difficult to aggregate given that the work is often are pieced off into various contractor service categories,
the residential custom installation market ranges from $5.7B to $12.1B 27 ,
and we would expect the commercial and industrial installation markets to be larger than the residential for IoT devices.
________________________
22 Cisco Systems, Connected
Futures, Executive Business Insights, May 2017, The Journey to IOT Value, Challenges, Breakthroughs, and Best Practices, https://www.slideshare.net/CiscoBusinessInsights/journey-to-iot-value-76163389,
https:// newsroom .cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2017/m05/cisco-survey-reveals-close-to-three-fourths-of-iot-projects-are-failing.html
23 IoT Analytics, Market Insights for the Internet of Things,
February 7, 2023, Global IoT market size to grow 19% in 2023—IoT shows resilience despite economic downturn, https://iot-analytics.com/iot-market-size/
24 Markets and Markets, IoT Sensors Market by Sensor Type,
Network Technology, Vertical, Application, and Geography – Global Forecast -2026, https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/sensors-iot-market-26520972.html
25 Cision PRNewswire, Research and Markets, Global $664.75
Billion 5G Services Markets to 2028: Rising Need for High Bandwidth to Provide Reliable Communication to IoT Devices is Expected to Boost
Overall Market Growth, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-664-75-billion-5g-services-markets-to-2028-rising-need-for-high-bandwidth-to-provide-
reliable-communication-to-iot-devices-is-expected-to-boost-overall-market-growth-301432173.html
26 CEPro. How Big is the Custom Installation Market?, February
5, 2018, https://www.cepro.com/news/how_big_is_custom_installation_market/
53
Results of Operations
For the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended
December 31, 2021
Revenue
Our consolidated gross revenue for the years ended
December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $353,619 and $1,434,446, respectively, which included revenue from related parties of $49,782 and $29,084,
respectively. Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 decreased $1,080,827 due to AVX Design & Integration Inc. being unable
to generate more service work or develop a big project during the pandemic. As mentioned, the company is midstream in shifting toward
more higher technology products and revenues and diversifying away from generalized hydroponic equipment.
Cost of revenue and Gross Profit
Cost of revenue for the year ended December 31,
2022 was $330,899, compared to $1,137,287 for the year ended December 31, 2021. This decrease in cost of revenue was related to the decrease
in revenues. In addition to the decrease in revenue, gross profit decreased to $22,720 for the year ended December 31, 2022
compared to $297,159 for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Operating Expenses
The major components of our operating expenses
for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are outlined in the table below:
For the year ended December 31, 2022
For the year ended December 31, 2021
Increase
(Decrease)
$
Selling expense
$ 142,372
$ 39,821
$ 102,551
Compensation – officers and directors
1,055,133
661,171
393,962
Research and development
1,060,385
220,469
839,916
Professional fees
896,385
1,030,159
(133,774 )
General and administrative
2,074,091
1,362,126
711,965
Total costs and operating expenses
$ 5,228,366
$ 3,313,746
$ 1,914,620
Selling expense for the year ended December 31,
2022 was $142,372, compared to $39,821 for the year ended December 31, 2021. Selling expense incurred was mainly from third party advertising
fees. The increase of selling expense was due to an increase in advertising fees.
Compensation – officers and directors were
$1,055,133 and $661,171 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase was due to increase in directors’
stock-based compensation - options.
Research and development costs were $1,060,385
and $220,469 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase was due to an increase number of employee in research
and development department.
Professional fees were $896,385 during the year
ended December 31, 2022 compared to $1,030,159 during the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in professional fees mainly resulted
from the Nasdaq uplist in 2021 compared to the current period.
General and administrative expenses of $2,074,091
incurred during the year ended December 31, 2022 primarily consisted of salaries of $739,943, insurance expense of $406,612, rent of $209,738,
office expense of $188,464, payroll taxes of $136,614 and depreciation expense of $165,293. General and administrative expenses of $1,362,126
incurred during the year ended December 31, 2021 primarily consisted of salaries of $487,073, insurance expense of $359,372 and depreciation
expense of $162,160. The increase was mainly due to increased expense in China entity.
54
Other Income (expense)
Other income of $278,709 incurred during the year
ended December 31, 2022, primarily consisted of interest income of $3,887, forgiveness of debt of $158,547, unrealized loss on marketable
equity securities of $42,395, realized loss on marketable equity securities of $21,205, rental income of $166,288 and other income of
$13,587. Other expense of $204,390 incurred during the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily consisted of interest expense of $37,608,
forgiveness of debt of $371,118, change in fair value of warrant liability of $1,284,780, gain on settlement of derivative liability of
$550,406, rental income of $186,212 and other income of $10,262.
Net Losses
During the years ended December 31, 2022, and
2021, we incurred net losses of $4,926,937 and $3,220,977 respectively, due to the factors discussed above.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Working Capital
December 31,
2022
December 31,
2021
Current Assets
$ 4,807,830
$ 9,214,340
Current Liabilities
(1,387,239 )
(571,442 )
Working Capital
$ 3,420,591
$ 8,642,898
Cash Flows
The table below, for the periods indicated, provides
selected cash flow information:
For the year ended December 31, 2022
For the year ended December 31, 2021
Net cash used in operating activities
$ (2,957,983 )
$ (1,969,445 )
Net cash used in investing activities
(211,257 )
(22,990 )
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
(1,158,547 )
10,087,818
Effect of exchange rate
(7,452 )
(43 )
Net change in cash
$ (4,335,239 )
$ 8,095,340
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Our net cash outflows from operating activities
of $2,957,983 for the year ended December 31, 2022, was primarily the result of our net loss of $4,926,937 and changes in our operating
assets and liabilities offset by the add-back of non-cash expenses. The change in operating assets and liabilities includes an increase
in accounts receivable of $37,335, increase in accounts receivable – related party of $19,331, increase in inventory of $53,684,
decrease in other receivable of $13,057, decrease in prepaid expenses of $158,474, decrease in deposits of $4,035, decrease in operating
lease right-of-use asset of $139,754, decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $21,722, decrease in other current liabilities
of $17,135, decrease in customer deposit of $271, decrease in lease liabilities of $117,245, and increase in other liabilities of $12,335.
Non-cash expense included add-backs of $136,337 in bad debt expense, $166,266 in depreciation expense, $42,395 in unrealized loss on marketable
equity securities, $21,205 in realized loss on marketable equity securities, $719,975 in stock-based compensation – shares, $849,043
in stock-based compensation - options, reduction in inventory fair value net realizable of $27,199.
55
Our net cash outflows from operating activities of
$1,969,445 for the year ended December 31, 2021, was primarily the result of our net loss of $3,220,977 and changes in our operating assets
and liabilities offset by the add-back of non-cash expenses. The change in operating assets and liabilities includes an increase in accounts
receivable of $28,875, increase in accounts receivable – related party of $15,176, decrease in inventory of $21,229, increase in
other receivable of $13,057, increase in prepaid expenses of $210,017, decrease in deposits of $66,767, increase in operating lease right-of-use
asset of $333,140, increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $94,484, decrease in accounts payable – related party
of $17,471, increase in other current liabilities of $17,299, decrease in customer deposit of $57,106, increase in lease liabilities of
$328,846, and decrease in other liabilities of $17,135. Non-cash expense included add-backs of $42,116 in bad debt expense, $162,160 in
depreciation expense, $1,284,780 in change in fair value of warrant liability, $48,000 in stock-based compensation, $429,856 in stock
option compensation, reduction in inventory reserve of $1,622, and gain on settlement of derivative liability of $550,406.
We expect that cash flows from operating activities
may fluctuate in future periods because of a number of factors, including fluctuations in our net revenues and operating results, utilization
of new revenue streams, collection of accounts receivable, and timing of billings and payments.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had cash
outflow from investing activities of $211,257. That was primarily the result from the purchase of property and equipment of $42,187, purchase
of marketable securities of $768,949 and proceeds from sales of marketable securities of $599,879. For the year ended December 31, 2021,
we had cash outflow from investing activities of $22,990 from the purchase of property and equipment.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2022, cash outflows
from financing activities of $1,158,547. That was primarily the result from purchase of treasury stock of $1,000,000, and
forgiveness of debt of $158,547. For the year ended December 31, 2021, cash inflows of $10,087,818 were due to proceeds of SBA loans of
$267,297, repayment of SBA loans of $246,650, proceeds from bank loan of $1,500,000, repayment of the bank loan of $1,500,000, proceeds
from issuance of shares of $10,326,131, and forgiveness of debt of $258,960.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2022, we did not have any off-balance-sheet
arrangements, as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation SK.
Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are a smaller reporting company as defined
by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are not required to provide the information under this item.
56
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY
DATA
FOCUS UNIVERSAL INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022 AND 2021
Index to the Financial Statements
Contents
Page
Report of Independent Registered
Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB No. 6906 )
F-2
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB
No. 5041)
F-4
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-6
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-7
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity for the Years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-8
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-9
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
F-10
F- 1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm
To the shareholders and the board of directors
of Focus Universal, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated
balance sheet of Focus Universal, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022 the related consolidated statement
of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the years then ended, 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 the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then
ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.
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
audit. 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 audit 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.
Our audit 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 audit 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 audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter
communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to
be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and
(2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter
in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below,
providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
F- 2
Revenue recognition — identification
of contractual terms in certain customer arrangements
As described in Note
2 to the consolidated financial statements, management applies FASB Topic 606, Revenue from Contacts with Customers (“ASC
606”) to recognize revenue. Management recognizes revenue upon transfer of control of promised goods or services to customers in
an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The Company’s
revenue is divided into two sources, with one source being from project construction which is recognized over time using the percentage-of-completion
method under the cost approach. Management is required to estimate the percentage of completion when determining the amount and timing
of revenue recognition.
The principal considerations
for our determination that performing procedures over the percentage-of-completion method of recognition of revenue contracts and subsequent
payment collections is a critical audit matter as there are more significant risks associated with the percentage-of completion recognition
of this revenue. This in turn led to significant effort in performing our audit procedures which were designed to evaluate whether the
contractual terms, the timing of revenue recognition were appropriately identified and determined by management and to evaluate the reasonableness
of management’s estimates.
Our audit procedures included, among others, understanding
of controls relating to management’s revenue recognition process, examining transaction related documents, confirming revenues and
outstanding receivables at the balance sheet date with a sample of the project construction customers, and testing collections subsequent
to the balance sheet date.
/s/ Reliant CPA PC
Reliant CPA PC
We have served as the Company’s auditor
since 2023
Newport
Beach, CA
March
31, 2023
F- 3
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm
To the shareholders and the board of directors
of Focus Universal, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated
balance sheet of Focus Universal, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021, the related statement of operations, stockholders’
equity, and cash flows for the years then ended, 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, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States.
Substantial Doubt about the Company’s
Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that
the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company’s significant operating
losses raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments
that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
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
audit. 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 audit 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.
Our audit 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 audit 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 audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter
communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to
be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and
(2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter
in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below,
providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
F- 4
Revenue recognition — identification
of contractual terms in certain customer arrangements
As described in Note
2 to the consolidated financial statements, management applies FASB Topic 606, Revenue from Contacts with Customers (“ASC
606”) to recognize revenue. Management recognizes revenue upon transfer of control of promised goods or services to customers in
an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The Company’s
revenue is divided into two sources, with one source being from project construction which is recognized over time using the percentage-of-completion
method under the cost approach. Management is required to estimate the percentage of completion when determining the amount and timing
of revenue recognition.
The principal considerations
for our determination that performing procedures over the percentage-of-completion method of recognition of revenue contracts and subsequent
payment collections is a critical audit matter as there are more significant risks associated with the percentage-of completion recognition
of this revenue. This in turn led to significant effort in performing our audit procedures which were designed to evaluate whether the
contractual terms, the timing of revenue recognition were appropriately identified and determined by management and to evaluate the reasonableness
of management’s estimates.
Our audit procedures included, among others, understanding
of controls relating to management’s revenue recognition process, examining transaction related documents, confirming revenues and
outstanding receivables at the balance sheet date with a sample of the project construction customers, and testing collections subsequent
to the balance sheet date.
/s/ BF Borgers CPA PC
BF Borgers CPA PC
We have served as the Company’s auditor
since 2017 to 2022.
Lakewood, CO
March 8, 2022
F- 5
FOCUS UNIVERSAL INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
December 31,
December 31,
2022
2021
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash
$ 4,343,426
$ 8,678,665
Accounts receivable, net
78,313
177,315
Accounts receivable – related party
34,507
15,176
Inventories
103,772
22,889
Other receivables
–
13,057
Prepaid expenses
142,342
301,270
Marketable securities
105,470
–
Deposit - current portion
–
5,968
Total Current Assets
4,807,830
9,214,340
Property and equipment, net
4,228,630
4,353,340
Operating lease right-of-use asset
253,336
420,137
Deposits
33,264
33,933
Total Assets
$ 9,323,060
$ 14,021,750
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
$ 267,685
$ 293,354
Treasury stock payable
1,000,000
–
Other current liabilities
6,496
23,902
Loan, current portion
–
132,618
Lease liability, current portion
113,058
121,568
Total Current Liabilities
1,387,239
571,442
Non-Current Liabilities:
Lease liability, less current portion
165,952
302,387
Loan, less current portion
–
25,929
Other liability
12,335
–
Total Non-Current Liabilities
178,287
328,316
Total Liabilities
1,565,526
899,758
Contingencies (Note 13)
–
–
Stockholders' Equity:
Common stock, par value $ 0.001 per share, 75,000,000 shares authorized; 43,530,915 and 43,259,741 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively
43,531
43,259
Treasury stock ( 400,000
and 0 shares
held at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively)
( 2,000,000 )
–
Additional paid-in capital
27,536,499
24,093,075
Shares to be issued, common shares
48,075
1,922,753
Accumulated deficit
( 17,864,028 )
( 12,937,091 )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
( 6,543 )
( 4 )
Total Stockholders' Equity
7,757,534
13,121,992
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
$ 9,323,060
$ 14,021,750
The accompanying notes are an integral part
of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 6
FOCUS UNIVERSAL INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Years ended December 31,
2022
2021
Revenue
$ 303,837
$ 1,405,362
Revenue - related party
49,782
29,084
Total Revenue
353,619
1,434,446
Cost of revenue
330,899
1,137,287
Gross Profit
22,720
297,159
Operating Expenses
Selling expense
142,372
39,821
Compensation - officers and directors
1,055,133
661,171
Research and development
1,060,385
220,469
Professional fees
896,385
1,030,159
General and administrative
2,074,091
1,362,126
Total Cost and Operating Expense
5,228,366
3,313,746
Loss from Operations
( 5,205,646 )
( 3,016,587 )
Other Income (Expense):
Interest income (expense), net
3,887
( 37,608 )
Forgiveness of debt
158,547
371,118
Change in fair value of warrant liability
–
( 1,284,780 )
Gain on settlement of derivative liability
–
550,406
Unrealized loss on marketable equity securities
( 42,395 )
–
Realized loss on marketable equity securities
( 21,205 )
–
Rental income
166,288
186,212
Other income
13,587
10,262
Total other income (expense)
278,709
( 204,390 )
Loss before income taxes
( 4,926,937 )
( 3,220,977 )
Income tax expense
–
–
Net Loss
$ ( 4,926,937 )
$ ( 3,220,977 )
Other comprehensive items
Foreign currency translation loss
( 6,539 )
( 4 )
Total comprehensive loss
$ ( 4,933,476 )
$ ( 3,220,981 )
Weight Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding: Basic and Diluted
43,413,080
41,715,905
Net Loss per common share: Basic and Diluted
$ ( 0.11 )
$ ( 0.08 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part
of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 7
FOCUS UNIVERSAL INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022 and 2021
Common
stock
Treasury stock
Additional
Paid-In
Shares to be issued
Common
Accumulated
Accumulated Other
Comprehensive
Total
Stockholders'
Description
Shares
Amount
Amount
Capital
Shares
Deficit
Loss
Equity
Balance - December 31, 2020
40,959,741
$ 40,959
$ –
$ 14,381,058
$ 98,709
$ ( 9,716,114 )
$ –
$ 4,804,612
Issuance of common stock
2,300,000
2,300
–
9,282,161
1,776,044
–
–
11,060,505
Stock based compensation - options
–
–
–
429,856
–
–
–
429,856
Common stock issued for services
–
–
–
–
48,000
–
–
48,000
Other comprehensive loss
–
–
–
–
–
–
( 4 )
( 4 )
Net loss
–
–
–
–
–
( 3,220,977 )
–
( 3,220,977 )
Balance – December 31, 2021
43,259,741
$ 43,259
$ –
$ 24,093,075
$ 1,922,753
$ ( 12,937,091 )
$ ( 4 )
$ 13,121,992
Stock based compensation - options
–
–
–
849,043
–
–
–
849,043
Stock based compensation - cashless exercise option
54,898
55
–
( 55 )
–
–
–
–
Stock based compensation - shares
62,500
63
–
663,837
48,075
–
–
711,975
Purchase of treasury stock
–
–
( 2,000,000 )
–
–
–
–
( 2,000,000 )
Common stock issued for current services
891
1
–
7,999
–
–
–
8,000
Common stock issued for prior services
31,736
32
–
146,677
( 146,709 )
–
–
–
Shares issued for cashless exercise of warrants
121,149
121
–
1,775,923
( 1,776,044 )
–
–
–
Other comprehensive loss
–
–
–
–
–
–
( 6,539 )
( 6,539 )
Net loss
–
–
–
–
–
( 4,926,937 )
–
( 4,926,937 )
Balance – December 31, 2022
43,530,915
$ 43,531
$ ( 2,000,000 )
$ 27,536,499
$ 48,075
$ ( 17,864,028 )
$ ( 6,543 )
$ 7,757,534
The accompanying notes are an integral part
of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 8
FOCUS UNIVERSAL INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the
Years Ended
December 31,
2022
2021
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net Loss
$ ( 4,926,937 )
$ ( 3,220,977 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash from operating activities:
Bad debt expense
136,337
42,116
Inventories fair value net realizable
( 27,199 )
( 1,622 )
Depreciation expense
166,266
162,160
Unrealized loss on marketable equity securities
42,395
–
Realized loss on marketable equity securities
21,205
–
Change in fair value of warrant liability
–
1,284,780
Gain on settlement of derivative liability
–
( 550,406 )
Stock-based compensation - shares
719,975
–
Stock-based compensation - services
–
48,000
Stock based compensation - options
849,043
429,856
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
( 37,335 )
( 28,875 )
Accounts receivable - related party
( 19,331 )
( 15,176 )
Inventories
( 53,684 )
21,229
Other receivable
13,057
( 13,057 )
Prepaid expenses
158,474
( 210,017 )
Deposit
4,035
66,767
Operating lease right-of-use asset
139,754
( 333,140 )
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
( 21,722 )
94,484
Accounts payable - related party
–
( 17,471 )
Other current liabilities
( 17,135 )
17,299
Customer deposit
( 271 )
( 57,106 )
Lease liabilities
( 117,245 )
328,846
Other liabilities
12,335
( 17,135 )
Net cash flows used in operating activities
( 2,957,983 )
( 1,969,445 )
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment
( 42,187 )
( 22,990 )
Purchase of marketable securities
( 768,949 )
–
Proceeds from sales of marketable
securities
599,879
–
Net cash flows used in investing activities
( 211,257 )
( 22,990 )
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from SBA loan
–
267,297
Repayment on SBA loan
–
( 246,650 )
Purchase of treasury stock
( 1,000,000 )
–
Proceeds from bank loan
–
1,500,000
Repayment on bank loan
–
( 1,500,000 )
Forgiveness of debt
( 158,547 )
( 258,960 )
Proceeds from IPO, net
–
10,326,131
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing
activities
( 1,158,547 )
10,087,818
Effect of exchange rate
( 7,452 )
( 43 )
Net change in cash
( 4,335,239 )
8,095,340
Cash beginning of year
8,678,665
583,325
Cash end of year
$ 4,343,426
$ 8,678,665
Supplemental cash flow disclosure:
Cash paid for income taxes
$ –
$ –
Cash paid for interest
$ 12,164
$ 42,968
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities:
Cashless warrant
$ –
$ 1,776,044
The accompanying
notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 9
FOCUS UNIVERSAL INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER 31, 2022 AND 2021
Note 1 – Organization and Operations
Focus Universal Inc. (“Focus”)
was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on December 4, 2012 (“Inception”). It is a universal smart
instrument developer and manufacturer, headquartered in the Ontario, California, specializing in the development and
commercialization of novel and proprietary universal smart technologies and instruments. Focus Universal Inc. is also a provider of
patented hardware and software design technologies for Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G. The company has developed five disruptive
patented technology platforms with 26 patents and patents pending in various phases and 8 trademarks pending in various phases to
solve the major problems facing hardware and software design and production within the industry today. These technologies combined
to have the potential to reduce costs, product development timelines and energy usage while increasing range, speed, efficiency, and
security. The smartphone or other mobile device, foundation, and sensor readouts together perform the functions of many traditional
scientific and engineering instruments and are intended to replace the traditional, wired stand-alone instruments at a fraction of
their cost.
The company has multiple subsidiary units, including
Perfecular Inc. (“Perfecular”), AVX Design and Integration Inc. (“AVX”), Focus Universal (Shenzhen) Technology
Company LTD (“Focus Shenzhen”), Lusher Bioscientific, Inc. (“Lusher”), and AT Tech Systems LLC (“AT Tech
LLC”). Perfecular Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Focus, was founded in September 2009 and is headquartered in Ontario, California,
and is engaged in designing certain digital sensor products and sells a broad selection of horticultural sensors and filters in North
America and Europe. AVX Design & Integration, Inc. was incorporated on June 16, 2000, in the state of California. AVX is an internet
of things (“IoT”) installation and management company specializing in high performance and easy to use Audio/Video, Home Theater,
Lighting Control, Automation and Integration. Services provided by AVX include full integration of houses, apartment, commercial complex,
office spaces with audio, visual and control systems to fully integrate devices in the low voltage field. AVX’s services also include
partial equipment upgrade and installation. Focus set up a branch in Shenzhen China, Focus Universal (Shenzhen) Technology Company LTD
to be engaged in IoT research and development, equipment sales, and application services, software development and sales, amongst other
activities.
On January 5, 2022, the Company founded a wholly owned
subsidiary named Lusher Bioscientific, Inc. Lusher Bioscientific was founded to market to the hydroponic and controlled agriculture market
and to assist in the product development of IoT technology products within this sector. As of the date of this filing, Lusher’s
activities are in the introductory phase.
Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements
include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Perfecular Inc., AVX Design & Integration, Focus Universal
(Shenzhen) Technology Co. LTD, and Lusher Bioscientific. Focus and Perfecular, collectively “the entities,” were under common
control; therefore, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”)
805-50-45, the acquisition of Perfecular was accounted for as a business combination between entities under common control and treated
like a pooling of interest transaction. On March 15, 2019, Focus entered into a stock purchase agreement with AVX whereby Focus purchased
100% of the outstanding stock of AVX. On December 23, 2021, Focus established Focus Universal (Shenzhen) Technology Co. LTD as a wholly
owned subsidiary. On January 5, 2022, the Company founded a wholly owned subsidiary named Lusher Bioscientific, Inc. All significant intercompany transactions and balances
have been eliminated.
F- 10
Segment Reporting
The Company currently has two operating segments.
In accordance with ASC 280, Segment Reporting (“ASC 280”), the Company considers operating segments to be components
of the Company’s business for which separate financial information is available and evaluated regularly by Management in deciding
how to allocate resources and to assess performance. Management reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes
of allocating resources and evaluating financial performance. Accordingly, the Company has determined that it has three operating
and reportable segments. The Company consists of three types of operations. (1) Focus and Focus Shenzhen (“Corporate”) involve
operations related to research and development of technology products, non-specific financing, executive expense, operations and investor
relations of the public entity, and general shared management and costs across subsidiary units which spread across all functional categories.
(2) Perfecular and Lusher (“Product”) involve wholesale, marketing, and production of universal smart instruments and devices
in the hydroponic and controlled agricultural segments. (3) AVX (“Installation service”) is an IoT installation and management
company specializing in high performance and easy to use audio/video, home theater, lighting control, automation, and integration.
Asset information by operating segment is not
presented as the chief operating decision maker does not review this information by segment. The reporting segments follow the same accounting
policies used in the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements
in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities
and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the accompanying consolidated financial statements, and the
reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The Company bases its estimates and assumptions on current facts,
historical experience and various other factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the
basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the accrual of costs and expenses that are not readily
apparent from other sources.
The actual results experienced by the Company
may differ materially and adversely from the Company’s estimates. To the extent there are material differences between the estimates
and the actual results, future results of operations will be affected. Significant estimates in the accompanying financial statements
include the lease term impacting right-of use asset and lease liability, useful lives of property and equipment, useful lives of intangible
assets, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory reserves, debt discounts, valuation of derivatives, and the valuation allowance on
deferred tax assets. The Company regularly evaluates its estimates and assumptions.
Cash
The Company considers all highly liquid investments
with a maturity of three months or less to be cash. At times, such investments may be in excess of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(FDIC) insurance limit. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, approximately $ 3,120,763 and $ 7,464,846 of the Company’s cash was not
insured by the FDIC. There were no cash equivalents held by the Company at December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Accounts Receivable
The Company grants credit to clients that sell
the Company’s products or engage in construction service under credit terms that it believes are customary in the industry and do
not require collateral to support customer receivables. The accounts receivable balances are generally collected within 30 to 90 days
of the product sale.
Allowance for doubtful accounts
The Company estimates an allowance for doubtful
accounts based on historical collection trends and review of the current status of trade accounts receivable. It is reasonably possible
that the Company's estimate of the allowance for doubtful accounts will change. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, allowance for doubtful
accounts amounted to $ 222,972 and $ 86,635 , respectively.
F- 11
Concentrations of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject
the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. The Company limits its exposure to credit
loss by investing its cash with high credit quality financial institutions.
Inventories
Inventory consists primarily of parts and
finished goods and is valued at the lower of the inventory’s cost or net realizable value under the first-in-first-out method.
Management compares the cost of inventory with its market value and an allowance is made to write down inventory to market value, if
lower. Inventory allowances are recorded for obsolete or slow-moving inventory based on assumptions about future demand and
marketability of products, the impact of new product introductions and specific identification of items, such as discontinued
products. These estimates could vary significantly from actual requirements, for example, if future economic conditions, customer
inventory levels or competitive conditions differ from expectations. The Company regularly reviews the value of inventory based on
historical usage and estimated future usage. If estimated realized value of our inventory is less than cost, we make provisions in
order to reduce the carrying value to its estimated market value. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, inventory fair value net
realizable amounted to $ 41,741 and $ 68,940 ,
respectively.
Marketable Securities
The Company invests part of its excess treasury
cash in equity securities and money market funds according to company treasury and investment policies. Marketable securities represent
trading securities bought and held primarily for sale in the near-term to generate income on short-term price differences and are stated
at fair value. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are recorded in other income (expense), net.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost. The
cost and accumulated depreciation of assets sold or retired are removed from the respective accounts and any gain or loss is included
in earnings. Maintenance and repairs are expensed currently. Major renewals and betterments are capitalized. Depreciation is computed
using the straight-line method. Estimated useful lives are as follows:
Schedule of estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment
Fixed assets
Useful life
Furniture
5 years
Equipment
5 years
Warehouse
39 years
Improvement
5 years
Land
N/A
Long-Lived Assets
The Company applies the provisions of FASB ASC
Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment, which addresses financial accounting and reporting for the impairment or disposal of long-lived
assets. ASC 360 requires impairment losses to be recorded on long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment are present
and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets’ carrying amounts. In that event,
a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived assets. Loss on long-lived
assets to be disposed of is determined in a similar manner, except that fair values are reduced for the cost of disposal. Long-term assets
of the Company are reviewed when circumstances warrant as to whether their carrying value has become impaired. The Company considers assets
to be impaired if the carrying value exceeds the future projected cash flows from related operations. The Company also re-evaluates the
periods of amortization to determine whether subsequent events and circumstances warrant revised estimates of useful lives. Based on its
review at December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company believes there was no impairment of its long-lived assets.
F- 12
Treasury stock
Purchases and sales of treasury stock are accounted
for using the cost method. Under this method, shares acquired are record at the acquisition price directly to the treasury stock account.
Upon sale, the treasury stock account is reduced by the original acquisition price of the shares and any difference is recorded in additional
paid in capital, on a first-in first-out basis. The Company does not recognize a gain or loss to income from the purchase and sale of
treasury stock.
Share-based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation
to employees in conformity with the provisions of ASC Topic 718, Stock-Based Compensation. Stock-based compensation to employees consist
of stock options, grants, and restricted shares that are recognized in the statement of operations based on their fair values at the date
of grant.
The measurement of stock-based compensation is
subject to periodic adjustments as the underlying equity instruments vest and is recognized as an expense over the period during which
services are received.
The Company calculates the fair value of option
grants utilizing the Black-Scholes pricing model and estimates the fair value of the stock based upon the estimated fair value of the
common stock. The amount of stock-based compensation recognized during a period is based on the value of the portion of the awards that
are ultimately expected to vest.
The resulting stock-based compensation expense
for both employee and non-employee awards is generally recognized on a straight- line basis over the requisite service period of the award.
Warrants
The Company accounts for warrants as either equity-classified
or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant’s specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance
in FASB ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”) and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”).
The assessment considers whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability
pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether
the warrants are indexed to the Company’s own ordinary shares and whether the warrant holders could potentially require “net
cash settlement” in a circumstance outside of the Company’s control, among other conditions for equity classification. This
assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted at the time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly
period end date while the warrants are outstanding.
For issued or modified warrants that meet all
of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the
time of issuance. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required
to be recorded at their initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair
value of the warrants are recognized as a non-cash gain or loss on the statements of operations. The fair value of the warrants was estimated
using a Black-Scholes pricing model (see Note 11). The Company does no t have any outstanding warrants as of December 31, 2022 and 2021,
respectively.
F- 13
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Company follows paragraph ASC 825-10-50-10
for disclosures about fair value of its financial instruments and paragraph ASC 820-10-35-37 (“Paragraph 820-10-35-37”) to
measure the fair value of its financial instruments. Paragraph 820-10-35-37 establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) and expands disclosures about fair value measurements.
To increase consistency and comparability in fair
value measurements and related disclosures, Paragraph 820-10-35-37 establishes a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to
valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three (3) broad levels. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted
prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs. The three (3)
levels of fair value hierarchy defined by Paragraph 820-10-35-37 are described below:
☐
Level 1: Quoted market prices available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date.
☐
Level 2: Pricing inputs other than quoted prices in active markets included in Level 1, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date.
☐
Level 3: Pricing inputs that are generally unobservable inputs and not corroborated by market data.
The following table summarize financial
assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2022:
Schedule of Fair Value Assets And Liabilities Measured On Recurring Basis
December 31, 2022
Fair Value
Carrying
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Value
Assets
Marketable securities:
Stock
$ 105,470
$ –
$ –
$ 105,470
Total assets measured at fair value
$ 105,470
$ –
$ –
$ 105,470
The carrying amount of the Company’s financial
assets and liabilities, such as cash, accounts receivable, inventories, other receivable, prepaid expenses, deposit, accounts payable
and accrued expenses, other current liabilities, customer deposit, approximate their fair value because of the short maturity of those
instruments.
Transactions involving related parties cannot
be presumed to be carried out on an arm's-length basis, as the requisite conditions of competitive, free-market dealings may not exist.
Representations about transactions with related parties, if made, shall not imply that the related party transactions were consummated
on terms equivalent to those that prevail in arm's-length transactions unless such representations can be substantiated.
However, it is not practical to determine the
fair value of advances from stockholders, if any, due to their related party nature.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Other comprehensive income (loss) refers to revenues,
expenses, gains and losses that under generally accepted accounting principles are included in comprehensive income but are excluded from
net income (loss) as these amounts are recorded directly as an adjustment to stockholders’ equity. The Company other comprehensive
loss for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was comprised of foreign currency translation adjustments.
F- 14
Revenue Recognition
Revenue from the Company is recognized under Topic
606 in a manner that reasonably reflects the delivery of its services and products to customers in return for expected consideration and
includes the following elements:
☐
executed contracts with the Company’s customers that it believes are legally enforceable;
☐
identification of performance obligations in the respective contract;
☐
determination of the transaction price for each performance obligation in the respective contract;
☐
Allocation of the transaction price to each performance obligation; and
☐
recognition of revenue only when the Company satisfies each performance obligation.
These five elements, as applied to each of the
Company’s revenue category, is summarized below:
☐
Product sales –
revenue is recognized at the time of sale upon the delivery of the equipment to the customer.
☐
Service sales –
revenue is recognized based on the service been provided and the agreed upon performance obligation has been completed to the
customer.
Revenue from our project construction is recognized
over time using the percentage-of-completion method under the cost approach. The percentage of completion is determined by estimating
stage of work completed. Under this approach, recognized contract revenue equals the total estimated contract revenue multiplied by the
percentage of completion. Our construction contracts are unit priced, and an account receivable is recorded for amounts invoiced based
on actual units produced.
Cost of Revenue, excluding depreciation & amortization
Cost of revenue includes the cost of services,
labor and product incurred to provide product sales, service sales and project sales.
Research and development
Research and development costs are expensed as
incurred. Research and development costs primarily consist of efforts to refine existing product models and develop new product models.
Related Parties
The Company follows ASC 850-10 for the identification
of related parties and disclosure of related party transactions. Pursuant to ASC 850-10-20 the related parties include: a) affiliates
of the Company; b) entities for which investments in their equity securities would be required, absent the election of the fair value
option under the Fair Value Option Subsection of ASC 825–10–15, to be accounted for by the equity method by the investing
entity; c) trusts for the benefit of employees, such as pension and profit-sharing trusts that are managed by or under the trusteeship
of management; d) principal owners of the Company; e) management of the Company; f) other parties with which the Company may deal if one
party controls or can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the other to an extent that one of the transacting
parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests; and g) other parties that can significantly influence the management
or operating policies of the transacting parties or that have an ownership interest in one of the transacting parties and can significantly
influence the other to an extent that one or more of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests.
F- 15
The consolidated financial statements shall include
disclosures of material related party transactions, other than compensation arrangements, expense allowances, and other similar items
in the ordinary course of business. However, disclosure of transactions that are eliminated in the preparation of consolidated financial
statements is not required in those statements. The disclosures shall include: (a) the nature of the relationship(s) involved; (b) a description
of the transactions, including transactions to which no amounts or nominal amounts were ascribed, for each of the periods for which income
statements are presented, and such other information deemed necessary to an understanding of the effects of the transactions on the consolidated
financial statements; (c) the dollar amounts of transactions for each of the periods for which income statements are presented and the
effects of any change in the method of establishing the terms from that used in the preceding period; and (d) amounts due from or to related
parties as of the date of each balance sheet presented and, if not otherwise apparent, the terms and manner of settlement.
Commitments and Contingencies
The Company follows ASC 450-20 to report accounting
for contingencies. Certain conditions may exist as of the date the consolidated financial statements are issued, which may result in a
loss to the Company, but which will only be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. The Company assesses such
contingent liabilities, and such assessment inherently involves an exercise of judgment. In assessing loss contingencies related to legal
proceedings that are pending against the Company or unasserted claims that may result in such proceedings, the Company evaluates the perceived
merits of any legal proceedings or unasserted claims as well as the perceived merits of the amount of relief sought or expected to be
sought therein.
If the assessment of a contingency indicates that
it is probable that a material loss has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be estimated, then the estimated liability would
be accrued in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. If the assessment indicates that a potential material loss contingency
is not probable but is reasonably possible, or is probable but cannot be estimated, then the nature of the contingent liability, and an
estimate of the range of possible losses, if determinable and material, would be disclosed.
Loss contingencies considered remote are generally
not disclosed unless they involve guarantees, in which case the guarantees would be disclosed. Management does not believe, based upon
information available at this time that these matters will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position,
results of operations or cash flows. However, there is no assurance that such matters will not materially and adversely affect the Company’s
business, financial position, and results of operations or cash flows.
Income Tax Provision
The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance
with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes. ASC 740 requires a company to use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes, whereby
deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences, and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary
differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred
tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, the Company does not foresee generating taxable income
in the near future and utilizing its deferred tax asset, therefore, it is more likely than not that some portion, or all of, the deferred
tax assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on
the date of enactment.
Under ASC 740, a tax position is recognized as
a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination
being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized
on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded. The Company has
no material uncertain tax positions for any of the reporting periods presented.
Income taxes are accounted for using the asset
and liability method. Deferred income taxes are provided for temporary differences in recognizing certain income, expense and credit items
for financial reporting purposes and tax reporting purposes. Such deferred income taxes primarily relate to the difference between the
tax basis of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured by applying
enacted statutory tax rates applicable to the future years in which deferred tax assets or liabilities are expected to be settled or realized.
There was no material deferred tax asset or liabilities as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company
did no t identify any material uncertain tax positions.
F- 16
Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) Per Share
Net income (loss) per share is computed pursuant
to ASC 260-10-45. Basic net income (loss) per share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average
number of shares outstanding during the period.
Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income
(loss) by the weighted average number of shares of stock and potentially outstanding shares of stock during the period to reflect the
potential dilution that could occur from common shares issuable through contingent shares issuance arrangement, stock options or warrants.
Due to the net loss incurred by the Company, potentially
dilutive instruments would be anti-dilutive. Accordingly, diluted loss per share is the same as basic loss for all periods presented.
The following potentially dilutive shares were excluded from the shares used to calculate diluted earnings per share as their inclusion
would be anti-dilutive.
Schedule of anti dilutive shares
Year ended December 31,
2022
2021
Stock options
305,616
315,288
Total
305,616
315,288
Subsequent Events
The Company follows the guidance in ASC 855-10-50
for the disclosure of subsequent events. The Company will evaluate subsequent events through the date when the financial statements were
issued. Pursuant to ASU 2010-09, the Company as an SEC filer considers its financial statements issued when they are widely distributed
to users, such as through filing them on EDGAR.
Reclassification
Certain reclassifications have been made to the
consolidated financial statements for prior years to the current year’s presentation. Such reclassifications have no effect on net
income as previously reported.
Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions
The reporting
and functional currency of Focus is the USD. The functional currency of Focus Universal (Shenzhen) Technology Co. LTD, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Focus located in China, is the Renminbi (“RMB”).
For financial
reporting purposes, the financial statements of the Company’s Chinese subsidiary, which are prepared using the RMB, are translated
into the Company’s reporting currency, USD. Assets and liabilities are translated using the exchange rate on the balance sheet
date. Revenue and expenses are translated using average exchange rates prevailing during each reporting period. Stockholders’
equity is translated at historical exchange rates. Adjustments resulting from the translation are recorded as a separate component of
accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ equity.
F- 17
Transactions
denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are translated into the functional currency at the exchange rates prevailing
at the dates of the transactions. The resulting exchange difference, presented as foreign currency transaction loss, is included in the
accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The exchange rates used for consolidated financial statements are as follows:
Schedule Of Intercompany Foreign Currency Balances
Average Rate for the Year Ended
December 31,
2022
2021
China Yuan (RMB)
RMB
6.7263
RMB
6.3714
United States Dollar ($)
$
1.0000
$
1.0000
Exchange Rate at
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2021
China Yuan (RMB)
RMB
6.8973
RMB
6.4466
United States Dollar ($)
$
1.0000
$
1.0000
Note 3 – Recent Accounting Pronouncement
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13,
(Topic 326), Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments which amends the current
accounting guidance and requires the use of the new forward-looking “expected loss” model, rather than the “incurred
loss” model, which requires all expected losses to be determined based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable
and supportable forecasts. This guidance amends the accounting for credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments
including trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other instruments. In November 2019, the FASB issued
ASU No. 2019-10 to postpone the effective date of ASU No. 2016-13 for public business entities eligible to be smaller reporting companies
defined by the SEC to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company
believes the adoption of ASU No. 2016-13 will not have a material impact on its financial position and results of operations.
Management does not believe that any recently
issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards could have a material effect on the accompanying financial statements. As new accounting
pronouncements are issued, we will adopt those that are applicable under the circumstances.
Note 4 – Inventories
At December 31, 2022 and 2021, inventory consisted
of the following:
Schedule of Inventory
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2021
Parts
$ 3,767
$ 12,470
Finished goods
100,005
10,419
Inventories
$ 103,772
$ 22,889
Note 5 – Deposits
Deposit balance as of December 31, 2022, amounted
to $ 33,264 for lease agreement and utility deposit. Deposit balance as of December 31, 2021, amounted to $ 39,901 for lease agreement and
utility deposit.
F- 18
Note 6 – Property and Equipment
At December 31, 2022 and 2021, property and equipment consisted of
the following:
Schedule of property and equipment
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2021
Warehouse
$ 3,789,773
$ 3,789,773
Land
731,515
731,515
Building improvement
240,256
238,666
Furniture and fixture
37,785
27,631
Equipment
101,076
71,368
Software
1,995
1,995
Total cost
4,902,400
4,860,948
Less accumulated depreciation
( 673,770 )
( 507,608 )
Property and equipment, net
$ 4,228,630
$ 4,353,340
Depreciation expense for the years ended December
31, 2022 and 2021 amounted to $ 166,266 and $ 162,160 , respectively.
Note 7 – Related Party Transactions
Revenue generated from Vitashower Corp., a company
owned by the Chief Executive Officer’s wife, amounted to $ 41,536
and $ 29,084
for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Account receivable balance due from Vitashower Corp. amounted to
$ 34,507
and $ 15,176
as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Service revenue generated from the installation
of home security equipment by AVX for one of the Company’s directors, amounted to $ 8,246
and $ 0
for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Compensation for services provided by the President
and Chief Executive Officer for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 amounted to $ 141,020 and $ 124,615 , respectively. Of subsequent
note, Tianjin Guanglee was once owned by the Chief Executive Officer Desheng Wang, as fully disclosed in the annual report in 2017. Since
then, during 2018, the entity was transferred to another individual and was not considered a related party transaction per guidelines.
Note 8 – Business Concentration and Risks
Major customers
Four customers accounted for 11 % of the total
accounts receivable as of December 31, 2022 and those customers accounted for 49 % of total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022.
One customer accounted 9 % of the total accounts
receivable as of December 31, 2021 and this customer accounted for 77 % of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Major vendors
One vendor, Tianjin Guanglee, accounted for 65 %
and 0 % of total accounts payable at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. This same vendor, Tianjin Guanglee, accounted for 22 % and
81 % of the total purchases for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
F- 19
Note 9 – Leases
The Company recorded its operating lease
cost of $ 209,738
and $ 67,664
for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. This included in general and administrative expenses.
On April
8, 2015, AVX Design & Integration Inc. entered an eighty-six-month commercial lease with a third party for an approximately 2,592
square foot office space. The lease commenced on July 1, 2015, and ended upon August 31, 2022, as AVX operations moved into our corporate
headquarters in Ontario. The monthly rent is $4,536 with approximately a 3% increase rate in each additional year. The incremental borrowing
rate for a lease is the rate of interest the Company would have to pay on a collateralized basis to borrow an amount equal to the lease
payments for the asset under similar term, which is 15%. Lease expense for the lease is recognized on a straight-line basis over the
lease term.
On December 7, 2021, Focus Universal (Shenzhen)
Technology Co. LTD entered a thirty-eight-month commercial lease with a third party for an approximately 5,895 square foot office space.
The lease commenced on December 25, 2021, and will end on February 28, 2025. The monthly rent is RMB70,097 (approximately $11,014) with
approximately an 11.1% to 12.5% increase rate in each additional year. The incremental borrowing rate for a lease is the rate of interest
the Company would have to pay on a collateralized basis to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments for the asset under similar term,
which is 10%. Lease expense for the lease is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Operating lease right-of-use assets represent
the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation
to make lease payments arising from the lease. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, operating lease right-of use assets and lease liabilities
were as follows:
Schedule of operating Right-of-use asset and liability
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2021
Operating lease right-of-use assets
$ 253,336
$ 420,137
Lease liabilities, current portion
$ 113,058
$ 121,568
Lease liabilities, less current portion
$ 165,952
$ 302,387
Lease term and discount rate:
Schedule Lease term and discount rate
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2021
Weighted average remaining lease term
Operating lease
2.17 years
0.67 to 3.17 years
Weighted average discount rate
Operating lease
10 %
10 % - 15 %
The minimum future lease payments are as follows:
Schedule of maturity of lease liabilities
Amount
Year ending December 31, 2023
$ 135,929
Year ending December 31, 2024
151,173
Year ending December 31, 2025
25,407
Total minimum lease payment
312,509
Less: imputed interest
( 33,499 )
Present value of future minimum lease payments
$ 279,010
F- 20
Note 10 – Loans
Paycheck Protection Program
On March 2, 2021, our subsidiary Perfecular Inc.
entered into an agreement to receive a U.S. Small Business Administration Loan (“SBA Loan”) from Wells Fargo related to the
COVID-19 pandemic in the amount of $ 158,547 ,
which we received on March 3, 2021. The SBA Loan has a fixed interest rate of 1 percent per annum and a maturity date two years from
the date loan was issued. On April 4, 2022, the SBA authorized full forgiveness of this loan principal amount of $ 158,547
and $ 1,570
interest.
Schedule of debt
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2021
SBA Loan
$ –
$ 158,547
Less: current portion
–
( 132,618 )
Long term portion
$ –
$ 25,929
Note 11 – Stockholders’ Equity
Shares authorized
Upon formation, the total number of shares of
all classes of stock that the Company is authorized to issue is seventy-five million ( 75,000,000 ) shares of common stock, par value $ 0.001
per share.
Common stock
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company
issued 271,174 shares of common stock.
On April 4, 2022, the Company issued 121,149 shares
of its Common Stock to Boustead Securities LLC. (“Boustead”), issued pursuant to the cashless warrant exercise, exercised
by Boustead on September 7, 2021 with an exercise price of $6.25 with the shares were valued at $ 1,776,044 upon the cashless exercise
option of the warrants related to the completion of the Company’s August 30, 2021, public offering in connection with its listing
on Nasdaq.
On May 2, 2022, the Company issued 32,627 shares
to consultants in exchange for professional services rendered. The shares were valued at $ 154,709 based on the closing price of the Company’s
common stock on the dates that the shares were deemed earned, according to the agreements.
On August 17, 2022, the Company issued 54,898
shares to two of the board members who exercised their options.
On August 22, 2022, the Company issued 62,500
shares to employee based on the Restricted Stock Award Agreements (see Employee compensation ).
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company
issued 2,300,000 shares of common stock.
F- 21
On September 2, 2021, the Company closed its initial
public offering (“IPO”) under a registration statement effective August 30, 2021, in which it issued and sold 2,000,000 shares
of its Common Stock at a purchase price of $5.00 per share. On September 2, 2021, the Company closed on the IPO’s overallotment
option, selling an additional 300,000 shares of Common Stock to the IPO’s underwriters at the public offering price of $5.00 per
share. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $ 10.3 million from the IPO after deducting underwriting fee and offering expenses.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company
had 43,530,915 and 43,259,741 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, respectively.
Treasury stock
On August 10, 2022, the Company entered a stock
purchase agreement with a private shareholder to repurchase 400,000
shares of its common stock for $ 2,000,000
and placed it in treasury. The private shareholder transferred the shares on October 4, 2022, forming a binding agreement, and
on October 6, 2022, the Company wired the first $1,000,000 of the purchase price. The remaining $1,000,000 was due on or before February
6, 2023. This $1,000,000 is still not paid off as of the filing date.
Shares to be issued for compensation
The Company entered into agreements with third
party consultants for financing and management consulting. The Company has incurred consulting service fees paid in cash amounting to
$ 8,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, which the Company intends to issue stock as compensation for services rendered. Expenses
incurred and paid in shares as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 amounted to $ 8,000 and $ 48,000 , respectively.
On August 30, 2021, the Company entered into a
Representative Common Stock Purchase Warrant agreement (“Warrant Agreement”) with its placement agent, Boustead Securities
LLC. (“Boustead”) for 161,000 shares and the exercise price is $6.25. Boustead exercised the warrants on September 7, 2021.
The fair value of the warrants was $ 1,041,670 and $ 2,326,450 as of August 30 and September 7, 2021, respectively. For the year ended December
31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded a loss from change in the fair value of warrant liability which amounted to a difference of $ 0
and $ 1,284,780 , respectively.
These warrants were valued using a Black-Scholes
pricing model with the following assumptions:
Schedule of warrant assumptions
August 30, 2021 (Initial
September 7,
Measurement)
2021
Risk-free interest rate
0.77 %
0.82 %
Expected term
5 years
5 years
Expected volatility
194.37 %
204.27 %
Expected dividend yield
0 %
0 %
Fair value of units (using Black-Scholes)
$ 6.47
$ 14.45
This Warrant Agreement allowed for cashless exercise
option, which is calculated by the percentage difference between exercise and trading price, which resulted in a reduced number of warrants
being exercisable. On September 7, 2021, Boustead exercised 121,149 warrants with fair value of $1,776,044 upon cashless exercise option
of warrants related to completion of the Company’s public offering. The shares will be issued six months after these warrants have
been exercised. For the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company has a gain on settlement of derivative liability which amounted
to $0 and $550,406, respectively. Shares to be issued as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 amounted to $0 and $1,776,044, respectively.
F- 22
Employee compensation
On February 11, 2022 (“Vesting
Date”), the Company entered into a Restricted Stock Award Agreement (“Award Agreement”) with eight employees for 280,000
shares of the $0.001 par value voting common stock subject to the terms and to the fulfillment of the conditions set in the
Company’s equity incentive plan. The first 20% of the restricted shares was granted and vested on February 11, 2022 (the
“Vesting Date”). Twenty percent of the restricted shares will vest on each anniversary of the Vesting Date until fourth
anniversary of the Vesting Date. There were 56,000
shares granted on February 11, 2022. The fair value of above employee compensation was $ 588,560
as of December 31, 2022.
In November 2021, the Company entered into a one-year
employment agreement with VP of Finance and Head of Investor Relations of the Company, pursuant to which the Company rewards a 10,000-share
bonus consisting of shares of $0.001 par value voting common stock, which will be granted in 2,500 blocks every quarter based on certain
performance metrics. In November 2022, the Company entered into an amendment agreement to amend performance metrics.
In October 2022, the Company entered into a employee
agreement with VP of the Company, pursuant to which the Company rewards a 10,000 -share bonus consisting of shares of $0.001 par value
voting common stock, which will be granted in 2,500 shares every quarter.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and
2021, the total employee compensation amount for all employees in the company, was $ 711,975
and $ 0 ,
respectively. The Company issued 62,500
shares with total value of $ 663,900 for employee compensation as of the year ended December 31, 2022. During the year ended
December 31, 2022, the Company recognized employee compensation in amount of $ 107,390
for the fixed salary of the VP of Finance and $ 16,025
for the VP. The Company has incurred expenses amount of $ 48,075 employee compensation
for the year ended December 31, 2022 and not yet paid in shares as of December 31, 2022.
Stock options
On August 6, 2019, each member of the Board was
granted 30,000 options to purchase shares at $ 5.70 per share.
On January 4, 2021, each member of the Board was
granted 15,000 options to purchase shares at $ 3.00 per share.
On December 31, 2021, each member of the Board
was granted 15,000 options to purchase shares at $ 8.86 per share.
On December 30, 2022, each member of the Board
was granted 15,000 options to purchase shares at $ 6.41 per share.
As of December 31, 2022, there were 410,041 options
granted, 305,616 options vested, 104,425 options unvested, and 410,041 outstanding stock options.
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021,
the Company’s stock option compensation expenses amounted to $ 849,043 and $ 429,856 , respectively.
The fair value of the stock options listed above
was determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions:
Schedule of option assumptions
December 31, 2022
December 31, 2021
Risk-free interest rate
4.22 %
0.93 – 1.52 %
Expected life of the options
3 years
10 years
Expected volatility
42.63 %
122.93 – 148.18 %
Expected dividend yield
0 %
0 %
The following is a summary of options activity
from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2022:
Schedule of options activity
Options
Shares
Weighted average exercise price
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at December 31, 2021
420,000
$
5.82
8.56
–
Granted
105,000
$
6.41
–
–
Exercised
( 107,500
)
$
5.46
–
–
Cancelled or forfeited
( 7,459
)
$
8.86
–
–
Outstanding at December 31, 2022
410,041
$
5.93
8.04
362,250
Exercisable at December 31, 2022
305,616
$
5.87
7.58
362,250
F- 23
Note 12 – Segment reporting
The Company consists of three types of operations.
(1) Focus and Focus Shenzhen (“Corporate”) involve operations related to research and development of technology products,
non-specific financing, executive expense, operations and investor relations of the public entity, and general shared management and costs
across subsidiary units which spread across all functional categories. (2) Perfecular and Lusher (“IoT Products”) involve
wholesale, marketing, and production of universal smart instruments and devices in the hydroponic and controlled agricultural segments.
(3) AVX (“IoT Installation Services”) is an IoT installation and management company specializing in high performance and easy
to use audio/video, home theater, lighting control, automation, and integration. The table below discloses income statement information
by segment.
Segment Reporting
Year Ended December 31, 2022
Corporate
IoT Products
IoT Installation Services
Total
Revenue
$ –
$ 51,302
$ 252,535
$ 303,837
Revenue - related party
–
41,536
8,246
49,782
Total revenue
–
92,838
260,781
353,619
Cost of revenue
–
84,296
246,603
330,899
Gross Profit
–
8,542
14,178
22,720
Operating Expenses
Selling expense
–
132,443
9,929
142,372
Compensation - officers and directors
1,055,133
–
–
1,055,133
Research and development
1,060,385
–
–
1,060,385
Professional fees
883,213
–
13,172
896,385
General and administrative
1,465,121
316,617
292,353
2,074,091
Total Cost and Operating Expenses
4,463,852
449,060
315,454
5,228,366
Loss from Operations
( 4,463,852 )
( 440,518 )
( 301,276 )
( 5,205,646 )
Other Income (Expense):
Interest income (expense), net
4,109
( 288 )
66
3,887
Gain on extinguishment of debt
–
158,547
–
158,547
Unrealized loss on marketable equity securities
( 42,395 )
–
–
( 42,395 )
Realized loss on marketable equity securities
( 21,205 )
–
–
( 21,205 )
Rental income
166,288
–
–
166,288
Other income (expense), net
20,368
–
( 6,781 )
13,587
Total other income (expense)
127,165
158,259
( 6,715 )
278,709
Loss before income taxes
( 4,336,687 )
( 282,259 )
( 307,991 )
( 4,926,937 )
Tax expense
–
–
–
–
Net Loss
$ ( 4,336,687 )
$ ( 282,259 )
$ ( 307,991 )
$ ( 4,926,937 )
F- 24
Note 13 – Commitments and Contingencies
Pending Litigation
On or about April 13, 2020, Ian Patterson, the
Chief Operations Officer of AVX resigned from his position. On May 5, 2020, Mr. Patterson filed an action in the Superior Court for the
County of Los Angeles, State of California, against the Company, et al. The complaint alleges claims including discrimination, wrongful
termination, retaliation and various other provisions of the California Labor Code, and various other claims under California state law.
Trial for this matter is not set, nor has discovery been conducted. AVX intends to contest this matter. Further, AVX disputes that the
other defendants are proper parties to the litigation. However, litigation and investigations are inherently uncertain, but the outcome
could have a material impact on the Company.
Similarly, on or about April 14, 2020, Devesa
Sarria, the Sales and Marketing Director, was terminated. On May 13, 2020, she filed an action in the Superior Court for the County of
Los Angeles, State of California. The Complaint alleges claims including discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation and various
other provisions of the California Labor Code, and various other claims under California state law. The complaint seeks unspecified economic
and non-economic losses, as well as attorneys’ fees. Trial is set for October 11, 2023. AVX intends to vigorously contest this matter.
Further, AVX disputes that the other defendants are proper parties to the litigation. However, litigation and investigations are inherently
uncertain, but the outcome could have a material impact on the Company.
On January 19, 2023, the company filed an action in
the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino against Jaqueline Li. AVX Design and Integration pre-paid for equipment toward
a joint project with her father Jeffrey Li. Payment was made to Jaqueline’s father’s company Sing Young Music, while no goods
or services were ever received. Upon death, Jacqueline Li distributed assets from the business Sing Young Music without consideration
toward the business entity or any formation of an estate for Jeffrey Li. We attended the trial on March 17, 2023 to represent our side
of the case and are awaiting judgement from the court.
Note 14 – Income taxes
The United States of America
The Company is subject to taxation in the United
States and certain state jurisdictions. The provision for income taxes differs from the amounts which would be provided by applying the
statutory federal income tax rate of 21 % to the net loss before provision for income taxes. Accordingly, the Company reevaluated its deferred
tax assets on net operating loss carryforward in the U.S. As of December 31, 2022, due to uncertainties surrounding future utilization,
the Company recorded a full valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets based upon management’s assessment as to their realization.
People’s Republic of China
Effective January 1, 2008, the New Taxation Law
of PRC stipulates that domestic enterprises and foreign invested enterprises (the “FIEs”) are subject to a uniform tax rate
of 25 %. Under the PRC tax law, companies are required to make quarterly estimate payments based on 25% tax rate; companies that received
preferential tax rates are also required to use a 25% tax rate for their installment tax payments. The overpayment, however, will not
be refunded and can only be used to offset future tax liabilities.
Our effective tax rate differs from the statutory
federal income tax rate, primarily as a result of the changes in valuation allowance, nondeductible permanent differences, credits, and
state income taxes.
A reconciliation of the federal statutory income
tax to our effective income tax is as follows:
Schedule of effective tax rate
2022
2021
Federal statutory rates
$ ( 1,034,596 )
$ ( 673,266 )
State income taxes
( 435,516 )
( 283,413 )
Foreign income taxes
( 129,904 )
( 857 )
Permanent differences
( 86 )
( 3,439 )
Valuation allowance against net deferred tax assets
1,600,102
960,975
Effective rate
$ –
$ –
F- 25
The tax effect of temporary differences that give
rise to a significant portion of the deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2022 and 2021 is presented below:
Schedule of deferred tax assets and liabilities
2022
2021
Deferred income tax asset
Net operating loss carryforwards
$ 5,261,884
$ 3,661,868
Interest
43,786
43,700
Total deferred income tax asset
5,305,670
3,705,568
Less: valuation allowance
( 5,305,670 )
( 3,705,568 )
Total deferred income tax asset
$ –
$ –
The Company recognizes valuation allowances to
reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. The Company’s net deferred income tax asset
is not more likely than not to be realized due to the lack of sufficient sources of future taxable income and cumulative losses that have
resulted over the years. During the year ended December 31, 2022 the valuation allowance increased by $ 1,600,102 .
As of December 31, 2022, we had cumulative net
operating loss carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes of $ 17,718,495 , and available tax credit carryforwards of approximately
$ 3,611,045 for federal income tax purposes, which can be carried forward to offset future taxable income. The federal net operating loss
carryforwards consists of $ 12,268,804 of losses incurred prior to January 1, 2022 and which can be used to offset 100% of future taxable
income and, $ 4,926,649 of losses incurred after January 1, 2022, which can be used to offset up to 80% of taxable income in subsequent
years.
Note
15 – Subsequent Events
As of January 6, 2023, the Company completed the
business combination of AT Tech Systems. The transaction included AT Tech Systems’ business, including its cash and cash equivalents,
accounts receivable, professional licenses, customer lists and corresponding client relationships, trademarks, trade names, brand names,
goodwill and related intangible assets, inventory, and all other assigned contracts. While the agreement was signed on December 19, 2022,
in order to complete control, a new entity AT Tech Systems LLC needed to be formed, which was completed on January 6, 2023. The Company
also hired certain employees of AT Tech Systems’ business, assuming employment obligations as of December 30, 2023, despite the
control of the entity being completed thereafter. AT Tech Systems LLC is now a subsidiary of Focus Universal, as defined in ASC 805, Business
Combinations . The Company has integrated the acquired assets and employees throughout its existing business, including key employees
serving dual roles with AVX Design and Integration. For example, Mr. Anthony Tejeda will serve as the Company’s director
of installation services, as the vice president of operations of AVX, and as chief operating officer of AT Tech Systems LLC. In addition
to the provision of services in the positions mentioned above, Mr. Tejeda shall assist with AVX’s management and train certain of
its personnel in performing installations. The employment agreement of Mr. Tejeda is for a term of 5 years. The onboarding of Mr. Tejeda,
who has extensive experience and expertise in commercial smart installations, will complement the smart installation services and allow
Focus and AVX to enter the commercial smart installation market. AT Tech Systems has several clients from medical/dental facilities, commercial,
and industrial projects, including notable manufacturers and wholesalers, and provides clients with integrated network, security, and
multimedia design solutions and technology systems.
As of February 7, the Company approved a fifty
percent (50%) stock dividend of the Company’s common stock. The Company will issue one share of common stock for every two shares
of common stock held. The record date for the stock dividend will be February 23, 2023, and the payment date will be March 23, 2023. The
Company’s common stock shares will be traded in accordance with the “due bill” procedures of NASDAQ from February 7,
2023 through March 2, 2023. This means any trades that are executed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange during this period will be identified
to ensure purchasers of the Company’s common stock receive the entitlement to the stock dividend. The Company’s common stock
shares are expected to begin trading on a post-stock dividend basis on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange on March 23, 2023.
As of February 13, 2023, the Company granted and
vested the second 20% of the restricted shares based on 2022 Award Agreement, which is 34,000 shares with the total fair value of $205,360.
As of February 16, 2023, one of the Company predecessor
Director accept the cashless exercise of his entirety grant options to be exercised for 7,238 shares.
As of March 1, 2023, the Company reduced its previously
announced at-the-market (ATM) offering from December 12, 20222 from US $25 million to US $1 million.
As of March 8, 2023, the Board of Directors also
agreed to include on the Annual Shareholder Meeting ballot the increase of share count from 75,000,000 to 750,000,000. This increase is
to facilitate additional stock dividends in the future as needed.
The Company has evaluated other subsequent events
through the date these consolidated financial statements were issued and determined that there were no other subsequent events or transactions
that require recognition or disclosures in the consolidated financial statements.
F- 26
Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING
AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls
Our Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial
Officer, after evaluating the effectiveness of our “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Evaluation
Date”), concluded that as of the Evaluation Date, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective to provide reasonable
assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms.
Changes in internal control over financial
reporting.
There were no changes in our internal control
over financial reporting during our most recent fiscal quarter that materially affected, or were reasonably likely to materially affect,
our internal control over financial reporting.
Limitations on the Effectiveness of Internal
Controls
Disclosure controls and procedures, no matter
how well designed and implemented, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving an entity’s disclosure objectives. The likelihood
of achieving such objectives is affected by limitations inherent in disclosure controls and procedures. These include the fact that human
judgment in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns in internal control can occur because of human failures such as simple errors
or mistakes or intentional circumvention of the established process.
Management’s Report on Internal Control
over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing
and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Rule
13a-15(f). Our management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework
in Internal Control - Integrated Framework, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the “COSO
Framework”). Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of our financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
A material weakness is a deficiency or combination
of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement
of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. An effective internal control system,
no matter how well designed, has inherent limitations, including the possibility of human error or overriding of controls, and therefore
can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to reliable financial reporting. Because of its inherent limitations, our internal
control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect all misstatements, including the possibility of human error, the circumvention
or overriding of controls or fraud. Effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation
and fair presentation of financial statements.
In connection with the audit of our financial
statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we identified significant deficiencies in our internal control over
financial reporting and a general understanding of U.S. GAAP. As such, there is a reasonable possibility that a misstatement of our financial
statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
As we have thus far not needed to comply with
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, neither we nor our independent registered public accounting firm has performed an evaluation of
our internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In light of this deficiency, we
believe that it is possible that certain control deficiencies and material weaknesses may have been identified if such an evaluation had
been performed.
56
We are working to remediate the deficiencies and
material weaknesses. Our remediation efforts are ongoing, and we will continue our initiatives to implement and document policies, procedures,
and internal controls. We have taken steps to enhance our internal control environment and plan to take additional steps to remediate
the deficiencies and address material weaknesses. Specifically:
·
We have hired our Vice
President of Finance. We have also hired additional outside consultants, and we will hire qualified personnel in our accounting
department, especially to add an experienced accountant in a controller capacity. We will continue to evaluate the structure of the
finance organization and add resources as needed;
·
We are engaging an external accounting firm to supplement our efforts to the implementation of the COSO Framework for internal controls;
·
We will design and implement internal controls related to revenue and expenses recognition accounting;
·
We are initiating a comprehensive program and development plan to provide ongoing company-wide trainings regarding internal controls, with particular emphasis on the training of our accounting staff;
·
We are implementing additional internal reporting procedures, including those designed to add depth to our review processes and improve our segregation of duties;
·
We are updating our systems so that we may collect the information necessary to enable us to more effectively monitor and comply with applicable filing requirements on a timely basis;
·
We will continue to enhance risk assessment procedures and conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to enhance overall compliance; and
·
We are redesigning and implementing common internal control activities; and we will continue to establish policies and procedures and enhance corporate oversight over process-level controls and structures to ensure that there is appropriate assignment of authority, responsibility and accountability to enable remediating our material weaknesses.
In addition to the items noted above, as we continue
to evaluate, remediate and improve our internal control over financial reporting, executive management may elect to implement additional
measures to address control deficiencies or may determine that the remediation efforts described above require modification. Executive
management, in consultation with and at the direction of our Audit Committee, will continue to assess the control environment and the
above-mentioned efforts to remediate the underlying causes of the identified material weaknesses.
Although we plan to complete this remediation
process as quickly as possible, we are unable, at this time to estimate how long it will take; and our efforts may not be successful in
remediating the deficiencies or material weaknesses.
This annual report does not include an attestation
report of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s
report was not subject to attestation by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the SEC
that permit the company to provide only management’s report on internal control in this annual report.
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
Item 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT
INSPECTIONS
Not applicable.
57
PART III
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The following table presents information with respect to our officers,
directors and significant employees as of the date of this report:
Name
Position
Age
Dr. Edward Lee*
Director and Chairman
59
Dr. Desheng Wang**
Chief Executive Officer, Secretary, and Director
58
Irving Kau******
Chief Financial Officer
48
Dr. Jennifer Gu*
Director
55
Michael Pope****
Director (1)
42
Sheri Lofgren****
Director (1)
66
Carine Clark****
Director (1)
59
Sean Warren*****
Director (1)
51
* Appointed director on October 21, 2015
** Appointed director on December 29, 2014
**** Appointed director on June 8, 2018
***** Appointed director on August 10, 2022
****** Appointed officer on November 18, 2022
(1) Independent director
Each director serves until our next annual meeting
of the stockholders or unless they resign earlier and serves until his or her successor is elected and qualified. At the present time,
members of the Board of Directors are not compensated with cash for their services to the board.
Each of our officers is elected by the Board of
Directors to a term of one (1) year and serves until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until he or she is removed
from office.
Biographical Information Regarding Officers and Directors
Desheng Wang
Dr. Desheng Wang was appointed as Chief Executive
Officer, Secretary, and has been a director since December 29, 2014. Dr. Wang has over 20 years of professional experience in mobile technology.
Dr. Wang earned his bachelor’s degree from Hebei Normal University, Physics Department in 1985. In 1988, Dr. Wang earned his master’s
degree from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Science. Dr. Wang earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry at Emory University
in 1994. Dr. Wang served as a senior research fellow at California Institute of Technology from 1994-2011. Over the last five years, Dr.
Wang has served as president of Vitashower Corporation and formerly as President of Perfecular Inc.
Edward Lee
Dr. Edward Lee was appointed President and director
on October 21, 2015. On November 15, 2019, Dr. Lee resigned as President and was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Dr.
Lee received his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Lanzhou University in 1983, received his master’s degree at University
of Science and Technology of China in 1985 and earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics at University of Florida in 1991. Dr. Lee worked as an
assistant professor at Tsinghua University in 1986 and National University of Singapore in 1992. Since 1996, Dr. Lee has served as CEO
of AIDP, a leading supplier of dietary supplement ingredients, focusing on research and development and marketing and sales of proprietary
ingredients like Magtein, KoACT, Predtic X, and Actizin. Dr. Lee is also serving as the Vice Chairperson of the American Chinese CEO Association.
Dr. Lee is married to Jennifer Gu, a current director of Focus Universal.
58
Irving Kau
Irving Kau was appointed as Chief Financial Officer
on November 18, 2022, prior to that he served as Focus Universal’s Vice President of Finance and Head of Investor Relations since
November 10, 2021. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Kau served as a Managing Partner of both Elementz Ventures and KW Capital Partners,
and during his tenure he successfully invested and grew companies across various geographies. The Company expects that as CFO, Mr. Kau
will assist with many matters in the near future, including building up the Company’s internal businesses, processes and controls,
the Company’s external outreach and growth measures, as well as strengthen the Company’s financial reporting and the investor
relations. Prior to his work at Elementz Ventures and KW Capital Partners, Mr. Kau served as the head of Asia at GHS (now known as Seaport
Global). Mr. Kau also previously served for approximately 10 years as Chief Financial Officer of an AgBiotech company Origin Agritech
Limited (Nasdaq: SEED). During his tenure, shareholders included Wellington Management, Fidelity Investments, Citadel Investments, Heartland
Fund, Mitsubishi UFJ, amongst others. Mr. Kau received undergraduate degrees from Johns Hopkins University and a graduate degree from
Rice University and pursued a PhD degree in Business Strategy (economics) at USC.
Jennifer Gu
Dr. Jennifer Gu was appointed as a director on
October 21, 2015. Dr. Gu earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from University of Florida in 1990 and earned her Ph.D. in Experimental
Pathology at University of California, Los Angeles in 1997. She also completed post-doctoral research at the California Institute of Technology
in 2004. Since 2005, Dr. Gu served, and is still currently serving, as the Vice President of Research & Development at AIDP. Dr. Gu
is married to Edward Lee, the current Chairman of the Board of Directors of Focus Universal.
Michael Pope
Michael Pope was appointed as a director of the
Company on June 8, 2018. Mr. Pope serves as the CEO and Chairman at Boxlight Corporation (Nasdaq: BOXL), a global provider of interactive
technology solutions, where he has been an executive since July 2015 and director since September 2014. Mr. Pope has led Boxlight through
nine acquisitions from 2016 to 2020, a Nasdaq IPO in November 2017, and over $100 million in debt and equity fundraising. He previously
served as Managing Director at Vert Capital, a private equity and advisory firm from October 2011 to October 2016, managing portfolio
holdings in the education, consumer products, technology and digital media sectors. Prior to joining Vert Capital, from May 2008 to October
2011, Mr. Pope was Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for the Taylor Family in Salt Lake City, managing family investment
holdings in consumer products, professional services, real estate and education. Mr. Pope also held positions including senior SEC reporting
at Omniture (previously listed on Nasdaq and acquired by Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) in 2009) and Assurance Associate at Grant Thornton. Since
January 2021, Mr. Pope has served as a member of the board of directors of Novo Integrated Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: NVOS), a provider of
multi-dimensional primary healthcare products and services. He holds an active CPA license and earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees
in accounting from Brigham Young University.
Sheri Lofgren
Sheri Lofgren was appointed as an independent
director of the Company on June 8, 2018. Ms. Lofgren has served as a financial consultant since March 2018. She served as Chief Financial
Officer for Boxlight Corporation (Nasdaq: BOXL), a global education technology provider, from September 2014 to March 2018. She was Chief
Financial Officer at Logical Choice Technologies, Inc., a distributor of interactive technologies to the education market, from 2005 to
2013. Ms. Lofgren is a Certified Public Accountant with extensive experience in financial accounting and management, operational improvement,
budgeting and cost control, cash management and treasury, along with broad audit experience, internal control knowledge and internal and
external reporting. She started her career with KPMG and then joined Tarica and Whittemore, an Atlanta based CPA firm, as an audit manager.
Ms. Lofgren is a graduate of Georgia State University where she earned a B.A. in Business Administration – Accounting.
59
Sean Warren
Sean Warren is a seasoned executive with over
25 years of experience in technology and enterprise technology systems. He brings a wealth of expertise with strengths in areas such as
software development, cloud management, enterprise infrastructure development and full spectrum of IT compliance. Sean has been the CIO
of Mountain Medical, Veyo Medical and VP of IT at Larry Miller. He has worked for technology companies as Omniture, Adobe and served as
the director of cloud operations at Domo from 2016 to 2018. From 2019-2021, Mr. Warren served as the VP of OPSA Change Advisory at Wells
Fargo, and since 2021 to the present works as the VP of Global Platform Services at Cotiviti where he manages over 1,000 employees globally
in four countries. Sean is fluent in Spanish and graduated from Florida State University in accounting. Mr. Warren previously served on
our board of directors from June 2018 to November 28, 2018.
Carine Clark
Carine Clark was appointed as an independent director
of the Company on June 8, 2018. Ms. Clark has served as president and CEO of four high-growth tech companies. In March 2019, Ms. Clark
was appointed to the board of directors of Domo, Inc. (NASDAQGM: DOMO) and is currently serving as a member of Domo’s compensation
committee. Since 2017 she has served as an Executive Board Member of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Silicon
Slopes, a non-profit helping Utah’s tech community thrive. Prior to that, Ms. Clark served from January 2015 to December 2016 as
the President and CEO of MartizCX. From December 2012 to December 2016, Ms. Clark served as the President and CEO of Allegiance, Inc.
Her reputation as a data-driven marketing executive at Novell for 14 years, Altiris for five years, and Symantec for more than 10 years.
She has received numerous awards including the EY Entrepreneur of The Year® Award in the Utah Region and Utah Business Magazine’s
CEO of the Year. Ms. Clark earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications and an MBA from Brigham Young University.
Corporate Governance
Our Board of Directors currently consists of seven
members. Our Chairperson of the Board of Directors is Dr. Edward Lee. Dr. Edward Lee, Dr. Desheng Wang and Dr. Jennifer Gu are the three
members of our Board of Directors who are not independent directors. Michael Pope, Sheri Lofgren, Sean Warren, and Carine Clark are four
members of our Board of Directors who are independent directors.
Director Attendance at Meetings
Our Board of Directors conducts its business through
meetings, both in person and telephonic, and by actions taken by written consent in lieu of meetings. During the year ended December 31,
2022, our Board of Directors held four meetings. All directors attended at least 75% of the meetings of our Board of Directors and of
the committees of our Board of Directors on which they served during 2022.
Our Board of Directors encourages all directors
to attend our annual meetings of stockholders unless it is not reasonably practicable for a director to do so.
Committees of our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors has established and delegated
certain responsibilities to its standing Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
60
Audit Committee
We have a separately designated standing Audit
Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities
include monitoring the integrity of our financial statements, monitoring the independence and performance of our external auditors, and
monitoring our compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements. The functions of the Audit Committee also include reviewing
periodically with our independent registered public accounting firm the performance of the services for which they are engaged, including
reviewing the scope of the annual audit and its results, reviewing with management and the auditors the adequacy of our internal accounting
controls, reviewing with management and the auditors the financial results prior to the filing of quarterly and annual reports, reviewing
fees charged by our independent registered public accounting firm and reviewing any transactions between our Company and related parties.
Our independent registered public accounting firm reports directly and is accountable solely to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee
has the sole authority to hire and fire the independent registered public accounting firm and is responsible for the oversight of the
performance of their duties, including ensuring the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee
also approves in advance the retention of, and all fees to be paid to, the independent registered public accounting firm. The rendering
of any auditing services and all non-auditing services by the independent registered public accounting firm is subject to prior approval
of the Audit Committee.
The Audit Committee operates under a written charter.
The Audit Committee is required to be composed of directors who are independent under the rules of the SEC and the listing standards of
The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”).
The current members of the Audit Committee are
directors Ms. Sheri Lofgren, the Chairperson of the Audit Committee, Mr. Michael Pope and Mr. Sean Warren, all of whom have been determined
by the Board of Directors to be independent under the NASDAQ listing standards and rules adopted by the SEC applicable to audit committee
members. The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Sheri Lofgren qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert”
under the rules adopted by the SEC and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Audit Committee met four times during 2021.
Compensation Committee
The primary duties and responsibilities of our
standing Compensation Committee are to review, modify and approve the overall compensation policies for the Company, including the compensation
of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and other senior management; establish and assess the adequacy of director compensation;
and approve the adoption, amendment and termination of the Company’s stock option plans, pension and profit-sharing plans, bonus
plans and similar programs. The Compensation Committee may delegate to one or more officers the authority to make grants of options and
restricted stock to eligible individuals other than officers and directors, subject to certain limitations. Additionally, the Compensation
Committee has the authority to form subcommittees and to delegate authority to any such subcommittee. The Compensation Committee also
has the authority, in its sole discretion, to select, retain and obtain, at the expense of the Company, advice and assistance from internal
or external legal, accounting or other advisors and consultants. Moreover, the Compensation Committee has sole authority to retain and
terminate any compensation consultant to assist in the evaluation of director, Chief Executive Officer or senior executive compensation,
including sole authority to approve such consultant’s reasonable fees and other retention terms, all at the Company’s expense.
The Compensation Committee operates under a written
charter. All members of the Compensation Committee must satisfy the independence requirements of NASDAQ applicable to compensation committee
members.
The Compensation Committee currently consists
of directors Ms. Carine Clark, Mr. Sean Warren, and Mr. Sheri Lofgren. Ms. Carine Clark is the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee.
Each of the Compensation Committee members has been determined by the Board of Directors to be independent under NASDAQ listing standards
applicable to compensation committee members. The Compensation Committee met four times during 2021.
61
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
identifies, reviews, and evaluates candidates to serve on the Board; reviews and assesses the performance of the Board of Directors and
the committees of the Board; and assesses the independence of our directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is also
responsible for reviewing the composition of the Board’s committees and making recommendations to the entire Board of Directors
regarding the chairpersonship and membership of each committee. In addition, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible
for developing corporate governance principles and periodically reviewing and assessing such principles, as well as periodically reviewing
the Company’s policy statements to determine their adherence to the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
has adopted a charter that identifies the procedures whereby Board of Director candidates are identified primarily through suggestions
made by directors, management, and stockholders of the Company. We have implemented no material changes in the past year to the procedures
by which stockholders may recommend nominees for the Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider director nominees
recommended by stockholders that are submitted in writing to the Company’s Corporate Secretary in a timely manner and which provide
necessary biographical and business experience information regarding the nominee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does
not intend to alter the manner in which it evaluates candidates, including the criteria considered by the Nominating Committee, based
on whether or not the candidate was recommended by a stockholder. The Board of Directors does not prescribe any minimum qualifications
for director candidates, and all candidates for director will be evaluated based on their qualifications, diversity, age, skill and such
other factors as deemed appropriate by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee given the current needs of the Board of Directors,
the committees of the Board of Directors and the Company. Although the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not have a specific
policy on diversity, it considers the criteria noted above in selecting nominees for directors, including members from diverse backgrounds
who combine a broad spectrum of experience and expertise. Absent other factors which may be material to its evaluation of a candidate,
the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee expects to recommend to the Board of Directors for selection incumbent directors who
express an interest in continuing to serve on the Board. Following its evaluation of a proposed director’s candidacy, the Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee will make a recommendation as to whether the Board of Directors should nominate the proposed director
candidate for election by the stockholders of the Company.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
operates under a written charter. No member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may be an employee of the Company, and
each member must satisfy the independence requirements of NASDAQ and the SEC.
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
currently consists of directors Mr. Sean Warren, who is the Chairperson of the committee, Mr. Michael Pope and Ms. Carine Clark. Each
of the members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has been determined by the Board of Directors to be independent under
NASDAQ listing standards. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met four times in 2021.
Oversight of Risk Management
Risk is inherent with every business, and how
well a business manages risk can ultimately determine its success. We face a number of risks, including economic risks, financial risks,
legal and regulatory risks and others, such as the impact of competition. Management is responsible for the day-to-day management of the
risks that we face, while our Board, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management. In
its risk oversight role, our Board of Directors is responsible for satisfying itself that the risk management processes designed and implemented
by management are adequate and functioning as designed. Our Board of Directors assesses major risks facing our Company and options for
their mitigation to promote our stockholders’ interests in the long-term health of our Company and our overall success and financial
strength. A fundamental part of risk management is not only understanding the risks a company faces and what steps management is taking
to manage those risks, but also understanding what level of risk is appropriate for us. The involvement of our full Board of Directors
in the risk oversight process allows our Board of Directors to assess management’s appetite for risk and also determine what constitutes
an appropriate level of risk for our Company. Our Board of Directors regularly includes agenda items at its meetings relating to its risk
oversight role and meets with various members of management on a range of topics, including corporate governance and regulatory obligations,
operations and significant transactions, risk management, insurance, pending and threatened litigation and significant commercial disputes.
62
While our Board of Directors is ultimately responsible
for risk oversight, various committees of our Board of Directors oversee risk management in their respective areas and regularly report
on their activities to our entire Board of Directors. In particular, the Audit Committee has the primary responsibility for the oversight
of financial risks facing our Company. The Audit Committee’s charter provides that it will discuss our major financial risk exposures
and the steps we have taken to monitor and control such exposures. Our Board of Directors has also delegated primary responsibility for
the oversight of all executive compensation and our employee benefit programs to the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee
strives to create incentives that encourage a level of risk-taking behavior consistent with our business strategy.
We believe the division of risk management responsibilities
described above is an effective approach for addressing the risks facing our Company and that our Board’s leadership structure provides
appropriate checks and balances against undue risk taking.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Our Board of Directors has adopted a code of ethical
conduct that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and senior financial management. This code of ethical
conduct is embodied within our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which applies to all persons associated with our Company, including
our directors, officers, and employees (including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer
and controller). To satisfy our disclosure requirements under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K, we will disclose amendments to, or waivers of, certain
provisions of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics relating to our chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief accounting
officer, controller or persons performing similar functions on our website promptly following the adoption of any such amendment or waiver.
The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics provides that any waivers of, or changes to, the code that apply to the Company’s executive
officers or directors may be made only by the Audit Committee. In addition, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics includes updated procedures
for non-executive officer employees to seek waivers of the code.
Director Independence
Our Company is governed by our Board. Currently,
each member of our Board, other than Dr. Edward Lee, Dr. Desheng Wang, and Dr. Jennifer Gu, is an independent director; and all standing
committees of our Board of Directors are composed entirely of independent directors, in each case under NASDAQ’s independence definition
applicable to boards of directors. For a director to be considered independent, our Board of Directors must determine that the director
has no relationship which, in the opinion of our Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the
responsibilities of a director. Members of the Audit Committee also must satisfy a separate SEC independence requirement, which provides
that they may not accept directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee from us or any of our subsidiaries
other than their directors’ compensation. In addition, under SEC rules, an Audit Committee member who is an affiliate of the issuer
(other than through service as a director) cannot be deemed to be independent. In determining the independence of members of the Compensation
Committee, NASDAQ listing standards require our Board of Directors to consider certain factors, including, but not limited to: (1) the
source of compensation of the director, including any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee paid by us to the director, and (2)
whether the director is affiliated with us, one of our subsidiaries or an affiliate of one of our subsidiaries. Under our Compensation
Committee Charter, members of the Compensation Committee also must qualify as “outside directors” for purposes of Section
162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and as “non-employee directors” for purposes
of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. The independent members of the Board of Directors are Michael Pope, Sheri Lofgren, Greg Butterfield,
and Carine Clark.
63
Item 11: EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Compensation of Officers
The following summary compensation table sets
forth information concerning compensation for services rendered in all capacities during 2020 and 2021 awarded to, earned by or paid to
our executive officers.
Summary Compensation
Table
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
Name and Principal
Salary
Bonus
Stock Awards
Option Awards
Non-Equity Incentive
Plan Compensation
Change in Pension
Value & Non-qualified Deferred Compensation Earnings
All Other
Compensation
Totals
Position
Year
($)*
($)
($)
($)
(S)
($)
($)
($)
Desheng Wang
2022
120,000
0
0
0
21,020
0
0
141,020
CEO, Secretary and Director
2021
124,615
0
0
0
0
0
0
124,615
Irving Kau
2022
150,000
0
0
0
10,000
0
0
160,000
Chief Financial Officer
2021
15,962
0
0
0
0
0
0
21,700
Narrative Disclosure Requirement for Summary Compensation Table
Compensation
Dr. Desheng Wang entered into an employment agreement
with the Company whereby the Company agreed to pay Dr. Wang a salary of $120,000 per year, payable monthly, for his services as Chief
Executive Officer, effective as of November 1, 2018. We have not provided our other named executive officers with perquisites or other
personal benefits. Irving Kau was appointed as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer on November 18, 2022. Mr. Kau has executed
and employment agreement with the Company, dated November 3, 2021, for the provision of services as VP of Finance. Mr. Kau’s employment
agreement included a salary and certain equity incentive. Mr. Kau would receive up to 10,000 shares of the Company’s common stock
per year, vesting in 4 installments of 2,500 shares at the end of each calendar quarter, provided that certain metrics are achieved. No
other officer or director has formally entered into any compensation arrangement for services provided under consulting agreements or
employment agreements.
64
Retirement, Resignation or Termination Plans
We sponsor no plan, whether written or verbal,
that would provide compensation or benefits of any type to an executive upon retirement, or any plan that would provide payment for retirement,
resignation, or termination as a result of a change in control of our company or as a result of a change in the responsibilities of an
executive following a change in control of our company.
Directors’ Compensation
The persons who served as affiliated members of
our Board of Directors, including executive officers, did not receive any compensation for services as directors in 2021 or 2022. As of
the date of this report, no director has formally entered into any compensation arrangement for services provided under consulting agreements
or employment agreements.
As of the date of this annual report, all directors
have been issued 15,000 options per person pursuant to our 2018 Stock Option Plan and such options will vest over a period of one year.
In 2021, all independent directors were paid $20,000 cash, except for Sheri Lofgren, who received $25,000 for serving as the chair of
the audit committee. In 2022, all independent directors were paid $30,000 cash, except for Sheri Lofgren, Gregory Butterfield, and Sean
Warren. Sheri Lofgren received $32,500 for serving as the chair of the audit committee. Gregory Butterfield and Sean Warren received $10,000
and $15,699, respectively, for serving independent board director. Additionally, a company affiliated with Mr. Pope received $120,000
for advisory services in 2021, which included $72,000 in cash and $48,000 in stock and $20,000 for advisory services in 2022, which included
$12,000 in cash and $8,000 in stock.
Option Exercises and Stock Vested
On December 17, 2018, the Company adopted the
2018 Stock Option Plan (the “2018 Stock Option Plan”) whereby the Company reserved for issuance 1,000,000 shares of common
stock and agreed that such shares shall, when issued and paid for in accordance with the provisions of the 2018 Stock Option Plan, constitute
validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of common stock.
Pension Benefits and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
The Company does not maintain any qualified retirement
plans or non-nonqualified deferred compensation plans for its employees or directors.
65
Executive Officer Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
The following table provides certain information
concerning any common share purchase options, stock awards or equity incentive plan awards held by each of our named executive officers
that were outstanding as of December 31, 2022.
Option
Awards
Stock
Awards
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Equity
Incentive Plan
Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned
Option
Exercise Price
Option
Expiration
Number of
Shares or
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested
Market
Value of
Shares or
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Number
of
Unearned
Shares,
Units or
Other
Rights
That Have
Not
Equity
Incentive Plan
Awards:
Market or
Payout Value
of
Unearned
Shares, Units
or
Other Rights
That Have Not
Name
Exercisable
Unexercisable
Options
(#)
($)
Date
(#)
Vested
Vested
Vested
Edward Lee - Chairman
30,000
–
–
$
5.70
August
6, 2029
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
–
$
3.00
December
10, 2030
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
–
$
8.86
December
30, 2031
–
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
$
6.41
December
30, 2032
–
–
–
–
Desheng Wang - CEO, Secretary
30,000
–
–
$
5.70
August
6, 2029
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
–
$
3.00
December
10, 2030
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
–
$
8.86
December
30, 2031
–
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
$
6.41
December
30, 2032
–
–
–
–
Irving Kau - CFO
–
–
–
–
10,000
–
–
–
Jennifer Gu
30,000
–
–
$
5.70
August
6, 2029
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
–
$
3.00
December
10, 2030
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
–
$
8.86
December
30, 2031
–
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
$
6.41
December
30, 2032
–
–
–
–
Michael Pope
6,250
–
–
$
8.86
December
30, 2031
–
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
$
6.41
December
30, 2032
–
–
–
–
Carine Clark
30,000
–
–
$
5.70
August
6, 2029
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
–
$
3.00
December
10, 2030
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
–
$
8.86
December
30, 2031
–
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
$
6.41
December
30, 2032
–
–
–
–
Sheri Lofgren
6,250
–
–
$
8.86
December
30, 2031
–
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
$
6.41
December
30, 2032
–
–
–
–
Greg Butterfield
30,000
–
–
$
5.70
August
6, 2029
–
–
–
–
15,000
–
–
$
3.00
December
10, 2030
–
–
–
–
7,541
–
–
$
8.86
December
30, 2031
–
–
–
–
Sean Warren
–
15,000
–
$
6.41
December
30, 2032
–
–
–
–
66
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL
OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The following table sets forth certain information
regarding beneficial ownership of our common stock as of December 31, 2022: (i) by each of our directors, (ii) by each of the Named Executive
Officers, (iii) by all of our executive officers and directors as a group, and (iv) by each person or entity known by us to beneficially
own more than five percent (5%) of any class of our outstanding shares. As of December 31, 2022, there were 43,530,915 shares of our common
stock outstanding:
Title of Class
Name of Beneficial Owner
Amount and
Nature
of Beneficial
Ownership
(1)
Percentage of
Beneficial
Ownership
%
Common
Desheng Wang, CEO, and Director
14,395,700
33.277%
Common
Edward Lee, Chairman and Director jointly with Jennifer Gu, Director
8,185,000
18.921%
Common
Yan Chen
2,983,561
6.897%
Common
Michael Pope
1,546
*
Common
Sheri Lofgren
1,546
*
Common
Irving Kau
10,000
*
(1) Applicable percentage of ownership is based
on 43,530,915 shares of common stock outstanding on December 31, 2022.
Percentage ownership is determined based on shares
owned together with securities exercisable or convertible into shares of common stock within 60 days of December 31, 2022, for each stockholder.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally includes voting or investment power with respect
to securities. Shares of common stock subject to securities exercisable or convertible into shares of common stock that are currently
exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2022, are deemed to be beneficially owned by the person holding such securities
for the purpose of computing the percentage of ownership of such person but are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing
the percentage ownership of any other person. Our common stock is our only issued and outstanding class of securities eligible to vote.
As of December 31, 2022, there were 25,585,646
shares of common stock outstanding owned by our officers and directors.
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED
TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Consulting services provided by the President,
Chief Executive Officer, Secretary, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows:
For the
Year Ended
December 31,
2022
For the
Year Ended
December 31,
2021
President
$ 0
$ 0
Chief Executive Officer, Secretary and Treasurer
141,020
124,615
Chief Financial Officer
37,020
21,700
$ 178,040
$ 146,315
67
Related party Transactions
Revenue generated from Vitashower Corp., a company
owned by the Chief Executive Officer’s wife, amounted to $41,536 and $29,084 for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Account receivable balance due from Vitashower Corp. amounted to $34,507 and $15,176 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Service revenue generated from the installation of
home security equipment by AVX for one of the Company’s directors, amounted to $8,246 and $0 for the year ended December 31, 2022
and 2021, respectively.
Compensation for services provided by the President
and Chief Executive Officer for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 amounted to $141,020 and $124,615, respectively. Of subsequent
note, Tianjin Guanglee was once owned by the Chief Executive Officer Desheng Wang, as fully disclosed in the annual report in 2017. Since
then, during 2018, the entity was transferred to another individual and was not considered a related party transaction per guidelines.
Director Independence
A director is not considered to be independent
if he or she is also an executive officer or employee of the corporation. Our director Edward Lee is also our Chairman; our director Desheng
Wang is also our Chief Executive Officer. The rest of our directors, excluding Jennifer Gu, are independent directors.
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
During the year ended March 31, 2015, 2014, and the
period from December 4, 2012 (Inception) to March 31, 2013, we engaged Cutler & Co, LLC, as our independent auditor. On October 20,
2015, we changed our independent auditor to DYH & Company. On April 16, 2017, we changed our independent auditor to BF Borgers CPA
PC (the “Former Auditor”).
On January 19, 2023, the Company notified the Former
Auditor that the Company is dismissing it as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company due to partner and personnel
movement from the Former Auditor to the Company’s New Auditor. On the same day, the Company engaged Reliant CPA PC (the “New
Auditor”) as its independent PCAOB registered public accounting firm for the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we
incurred fees as discussed below:
Year ended
December 31,
2022
Year ended
December 31,
2021
Audit fees
$
94,000
$
128,000
Audit – related fees
$
Nil
$
Nil
Tax fees
$
Nil
$
Nil
All other fees
$
Nil
$
Nil
Audit fees consist of fees related to professional
services rendered in connection with the audit of our annual financial statements and review of our quarterly financial statements. Tax
fees represent fees related to preparation of our corporation income tax returns. Our policy is to pre-approve all audit and permissible
non-audit services performed by the independent accountants. These services may include audit services, audit-related services, tax services
and other services.
68
PART IV
Item 15. EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT NUMBER
DESCRIPTION
3.1
Articles of Incorporation , as filed with the SEC on
December 26, 2013.
3.2
Amended and Restated Bylaws, as filed with the SEC on October 22, 2019.
10.1
2018 Equity Incentive Plan, as filed with the SEC on December 28, 2018.
10.2
Promissory
Note with Chase Bank, dated March 10, 2021 for $108,750 SBA Loan , as filed with the SEC on March 23, 2021.
10.3
Secured Promissory Note with East West Bank, dated January 8, 2021 for $1,500,000 ,
as filed with the SEC on March 23, 2021.
10.4
Loan Agreement with Golden Sunrise Investment LLC, dated March 15, 2021
for $1,500,000 , as filed with the SEC on March 23, 2021.
10.5
Company Guarantee Agreement with Golden Sunrise Investment LLC, dated March
15, 2021 , as filed with the SEC on March 23, 2021.
10.6
Secured Promissory Note with Golden Sunrise Investment LLC, dated March 15, 2021 for $1,500,000 ,
as filed with the SEC on March 23, 2021.
10.7
Employment Agreement by and between the Company and Irving Kau, dated November 3, 2021. *
10.8
Amendment to I. Kau Employment Agreement, dated November 21, 2022. *
10.9
At the Market Sales Agreement, dated December 9, 2022, with Sutter Securities, as filed with the SEC on December 12, 2022.
10.10
Asset Purchase Agreement, dated December 19, 2022 with AT Tech Systems. *
10.11
Articles of Organization of Lusher Bioscientific, LLC. *
10.12
Bylaws of Lusher Bioscientific *
10.13
Articles of Organization of AT Tech Systems, LLC. *
10.14
Operating Agreement of AT Tech Systems, LLC. *
31.1
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. *
31.2
Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 .*
32.1
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 .*
32.2
Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 .*
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document (the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document)**
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document**
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document**
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document**
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document**
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document**
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
* Filed herewith.
** XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language) information is furnished
and not filed or a part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, is deemed not filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and otherwise is not subject
to liability under these sections.
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.
69
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
FOCUS UNIVERSAL INC.
By:
/s/ Desheng Wang
Desheng Wang
Chief Executive Officer, Secretary, and Director
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.
SIGNATURES
TITLE
DATE
/s/ Desheng Wang
Chief Executive Officer, Secretary and Director
March 31, 2023
Desheng Wang
Focus Universal Inc., a Nevada corporation
/s/ Desheng Wang
By Desheng Wang,
its CEO
70
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