UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
☒
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
The Fiscal Year Ended December 31 , 2021
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission
File No. 001-38717
PALTALK,
INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 20-3191847
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) Identification No.)
30 Jericho Executive Plaza Suite 400E
Jericho, NY 11753
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (212) 967-5120
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.001 par value PALT The Nasdaq Capital Market
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act: 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 Section 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. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock,
par value $0.001 per share, held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the closing price of the common stock as of the last business
day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was approximately $ 32,839,404 .
As
of March 21, 2022, the registrant had 9,837,157 * shares of common stock outstanding.
* Excludes 31,963 shares of common stock that are held as treasury
stock by Paltalk, Inc.
DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:
The
information required by Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, to the extent not set forth herein, is incorporated by reference
to the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A relating to the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders which will be
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this Annual Report on Form
10-K relates.
PALTALK,
INC.
ANNUAL
REPORT ON FORM 10-K
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
PART I
ITEM 1.
Business
1
ITEM 1A.
Risk
Factors
7
ITEM 1B.
Unresolved
Staff Comments
23
ITEM 2.
Properties
23
ITEM 3.
Legal
Proceedings
23
ITEM 4.
Mine
Safety Disclosures
23
PART II
ITEM 5.
Market
for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
24
ITEM 6.
Reserved
24
ITEM 7.
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
25
ITEM 7A.
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
35
ITEM 8.
Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data
36
ITEM 9.
Changes
in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
37
ITEM 9A.
Controls
and Procedures
37
ITEM 9B.
Other
Information
38
ITEM 9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
38
PART III
ITEM 10.
Directors,
Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
39
ITEM 11.
Executive
Compensation
39
ITEM 12.
Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
39
ITEM 13.
Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
39
ITEM 14.
Principal
Accounting Fees and Services
39
PART IV
ITEM 15.
Exhibits
and Financial Statement Schedules
40
ITEM 16.
Form
10-K Summary
42
Signatures
43
Unless
the context otherwise indicates, references to “Paltalk,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company”
refer to Paltalk, Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
Paltalk,
our logo and other trademarks or service marks appearing in this report are the property of Paltalk, Inc. Trade names, trademarks and
service marks of other companies appearing in this report are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks,
service marks and trade names included in this report are without the ®, or other applicable symbols, but such references are not
intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the
applicable licensors to these trademarks, service marks and trade names.
Unless
otherwise indicated, operational metrics such as those related to active users are based on internally-derived
metrics for users across all platforms through which our applications are accessed.
i
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
Certain
statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined in Section 27A
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and assumptions and are subject
to risks and uncertainties. Words such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “began,” “believe,”
“budget,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,”
“goal,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,”
“seek,” “should,” “target,” “would” and variations of such words and similar expressions
are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are
made. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, including, without limitation, the following:
●
our
ability to effectively market and generate revenue from our applications;
●
our
ability to generate and maintain active users and to effectively monetize our user base;
●
our
ability to update our applications to respond to rapid technological changes;
●
the
intense competition in the industry in which our business operates and our ability to effectively compete with existing competitors
and new market entrants;
●
our
ability to consummate favorable acquisitions and effectively integrate any companies or properties that we acquire;
●
the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our results of operations and our business;
●
the
dependence of our applications on mobile platforms and operating systems that we do not control, including our heavy reliance on
the platforms of Apple, Facebook and Google and their ability to discontinue, limit or restrict access to their platforms by us or
our applications, change their terms and conditions or other policies or features (including restricting methods of collecting payments,
sending notifications or placing advertisements), establish more favorable relationships with one or more of our competitors or develop
applications or features that compete with our applications;
●
our
ability to develop, establish and maintain strong brands;
●
our
reliance on our executive officers and consultants;
●
our
ability to adapt or modify our applications for the international market and derive revenue therefrom;
●
legal
and regulatory requirements related to holding and distributing cryptocurrencies and accepting cryptocurrencies as a method of payment
for our services;
●
the
ability of foreign governments to restrict access to our applications or impose new regulations;
●
the
reliance of our mobile applications on having a mobile data plan and/or Wi-Fi access to gain internet connectivity;
●
the
effect of security breaches, computer viruses and cybersecurity incidents;
●
our
reliance upon credit card processors and related merchant account approvals and the impact of chargeback liabilities that we may
face from credit card processors;
●
the
possibility that our users or third parties may be physically or emotionally harmed following interaction with other users;
ii
●
our
ability to obtain additional capital or financing when and if necessary, to execute our business plan, including through offerings
of debt or equity or sale of any of our assets;
●
the
risk that we may face litigation resulting from the transmission of information through our applications;
●
the
effects of current and future government regulation, including laws and regulations regarding the use of the internet, privacy, cybersecurity
and protection of user data and cryptocurrency technology;
●
the
impact of any claim that we have infringed on intellectual property rights of others;
●
our
ability to protect our intellectual property rights;
●
our
ability to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting;
●
our
ability to offset fees associated with the distribution platforms that host our applications;
●
our
reliance on internally derived data to accurately report user metrics and other measures of our performance;
●
our
ability to release new applications or improve upon or add features to existing applications on schedule or at all;
●
our
reliance on third-party investor relations firms to help create awareness of our Company and compliance by such third parties with
regulatory requirements related to promotional reports; and
●
our
ability to attract and retain qualified employees and consultants.
For
a more detailed discussion of these and other factors that may affect our business, see the discussion in “Item 1A. Risk Factors”
and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this report.
We caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive, and new factors may emerge, or changes to the foregoing factors may occur,
that could impact our business. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral,
relating to the matters discussed in this report, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws.
iii
PART
I
ITEM
1. BUSINESS.
Company
Overview
We
are a leading communications software innovator that powers multimedia social applications. Our product portfolio includes Paltalk, Camfrog
and Tinychat, which together host one of the world’s largest collections of video-based communities. The Company’s other
product is Vumber, which is a telecommunications services provider that enables users to communicate privately by having multiple phone
numbers with any area code through which calls can be forwarded to a user’s existing telephone number. We have an over 20-year
history of technology innovation and hold 14 patents.
We
were incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in 2005. Our principal executive office is located at 30 Jericho Executive
Plaza Suite 400E, Jericho, NY 11753.
Our
Services and Products
We
operate a leading network of consumer applications that we believe create a unique social media enterprise where users can meet, see,
chat, broadcast and message in real time in a secure environment with others in our network. Our consumer applications generate revenue
principally from subscription fees and advertising arrangements.
We
believe that the scale of our user base presents a competitive advantage in the video social networking industry and provides growth
opportunities to advance our existing products with up-sell opportunities and build future brands with cross-sell offers. We also believe
that our proprietary consumer app technology platform can scalably support large communities of users in activities such as video, voice
and text chat, online card and board games and provide robust user monetization tools.
Our
continued growth depends on attracting new consumer application users through the introduction of new applications, features and partnerships
and further penetration of our existing markets. Our principal growth strategy is to invest in the development of proprietary software,
expand our sales and marketing efforts with respect to such software, and increase our consumer application user base through potential
platform partnerships and new and existing advertising campaigns that we run through internet and mobile advertising networks, all while
balancing the capital needs of the business. Our strategy also includes the acquisition of, or investment in, technologies, solutions
or businesses that complement our business.
Our
strategy is to approach these opportunities in a measured way, being mindful of our resources and evaluating factors such as potential
revenue, time to market and amount of capital needed to invest in the opportunity.
Consumer
Applications
We
operate a leading network of consumer applications that create a unique social media enterprise where users can meet, see, chat, broadcast,
play online card and board games and message in real time in a secure environment with others in our network. The proprietary technology
underlying our products allows us to operate thousands of simultaneous streams, including on mobile platforms, which support interactions
on a one-on-one, one-to-many and many-to-many basis. Furthermore, our technology is supported by a portfolio of 14 issued patents.
Live
Video Chat . We have three existing products in the video chat space: Paltalk, Camfrog and Tinychat. Our major revenue-generating
live video chat products are Paltalk and Camfrog. Each product enables individuals to self-organize around topics and users with common
affinities. Tinychat enables adaptations of our video technology for use in alternative markets, focused on a younger demographic user
base.
1
Paltalk
and Camfrog are both leading providers of live video social networking applications available on Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android and other
tablet devices. Together, these products power one of the world’s largest global collections of video-based communities, with proprietary
technology to host thousands of simultaneous live group conversations on topics such as politics, financial markets, music and dating.
Our proprietary client server technology helps maintain high quality video and audio, even as many users simultaneously watch a particular
broadcaster. Paltalk and Camfrog both attract a demographically and geographically diverse user base, with users in over 180 different
countries. Paltalk users are approximately one-third domestic and two-thirds international, and Camfrog users have an even larger international
presence, with a particular concentration in Southeast Asia.
Telecommunications .
We own and operate a small telecommunications services provider called Vumber that enables users to have multiple phone numbers in any
area code through which calls can be forwarded to a user’s existing cell phone or land line telephone number. Vumber serves both
the retail and small business community. Vumber not only allows individuals to communicate while protecting privacy, but also gives business
professionals the ability to add a new business line with any chosen area code to their cell phones. Vumber provides an in-depth data
analytics platform that can track, record and analyze calls to gain new insights into one’s business.
Product
Payment Options . Our users have a variety of methods by which to purchase product subscriptions across all of our platforms. Users
can pay by credit card, PayPal, Western Union, check, local e-wallet providers, or complete an in-app purchase through the Apple App
Store or Google Play Store for Android users.
Apple
retains generally up to 30% of the revenue that is generated from sales on our iPhone applications through in-app purchases in the United
States. Google also retains generally up to 30% of the revenue that is generated from sales on Android applications via Google wallet
through in-app purchases in the United States.
All
of our credit card transactions are processed through various payment providers. Video chat users in certain international territories
also have an option to purchase through local resellers. Local resellers prepay in bulk for services and debit the prepaid balance as
one-time subscriptions and virtual currency are sold to end users. Regardless of which payment method is utilized, users may access our
products through any of the gateways we offer.
Technology
Services
Technology
service revenue is generated under service and partnership agreements that we negotiate with third parties which includes development,
integration, engineering, licensing or other services that we provide.
On
May 29, 2020, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement, which was subsequently amended and restated (the “Amended and Restated
Agreement”) with SecureCo, LLC (“SecureCo”), pursuant to which we agreed to sell substantially all of the assets related
to our secure communications business to SecureCo. The Amended and Restated Agreement also provides for a revenue sharing arrangement,
pursuant to which we are entitled to receive quarterly royalty payments ranging from 5% to 10% of certain revenues received by SecureCo,
with the aggregate amount of such royalty payments not to exceed $500,000. The royalty payments, if received, will be recorded as technology
service revenue. We do not expect to continue to pursue secure communications products or technology implementation services as part
of our overall business strategy.
During
the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, we also recorded technology service revenue in connection with our agreement to serve as
a launch partner with Open Props, Inc. (formerly YouNow, Inc., and referred to herein as “YouNow”) and to integrate YouNow’s
props infrastructure (the “Props platform”) into our Camfrog and Paltalk applications (as amended, the “YouNow Agreement”).
Pursuant to the terms of the YouNow Agreement,
YouNow agreed to pay us, in exchange for our services, an aggregate of 10.5 million cryptographic props tokens (“Props tokens”)
upon the achievement of certain milestones. Once the integration of Props tokens into our Paltalk and Camfrog applications was completed,
we began receiving Props tokens for providing a validator service and for allowing users to participate in the loyalty platform. The loyalty
platform was intended to drive engagement and incentivize users financially by providing users with the ability to earn Props tokens while
using the Paltalk and Camfrog applications. The net revenue earned was recorded under “technology service revenue” in the
consolidated statements of operations.
In
August 2021, we received notice from YouNow that it was terminating the YouNow Agreement, and that it would no longer support the Props
platform past the end of calendar year 2021. In connection with the notice of termination and in accordance with the YouNow Agreement,
we received an additional 2.6 million Props tokens. The value of these tokens was recorded as revenue under “technology service
revenue” in the consolidated statements of income. Following the termination of the YouNow Agreement, we expect that most of our
technology service revenue generated in the future will result from opportunistic partnerships between us and third parties.
2
Company
Business Strategy
User
Growth Through Marketing Efforts
Our
continued growth depends on attracting new consumer application users through the introduction of new applications, features and partnerships
and further penetration of our existing markets. Our principal growth strategy is to invest in the development of proprietary software,
expand our sales and marketing efforts with respect to such software, and increase our consumer application user base through potential
platform partnerships and new and existing advertising campaigns that we run through internet and mobile advertising networks, all while
balancing the capital needs of the business.
Our
strategy is to approach these opportunities in a measured way, being mindful of our resources and evaluating factors such as potential
revenue, time to market and amount of capital needed to invest in the opportunity.
During the first quarter of 2022, we engaged two
marketing agencies to help us drive consumer engagement through the Paltalk and Camfrog applications.
Enhance
Existing Live Video Chat Applications
We
plan to enhance our existing live video chat applications, which we anticipate will include several initiatives intended to improve usage
and revenue potential. We plan to add incentives for loyal or valuable users to enhance retention and overall user activity in the products.
We also intend to improve our product and marketing capabilities on mobile, to enhance monetization and our ability to acquire new users
on mobile platforms. In addition, we expect to increase the quality and quantity of live streaming entertainment content and broaden
the distribution across our user base. Finally, we plan to continue integrating certain technical functions of Paltalk and Camfrog, which
will reduce operating costs and speed time-to-market of future enhancements.
In August 2020, we began serving as a launch partner
with YouNow to integrate YouNow’s props infrastructure into our Camfrog and Paltalk applications, which allowed users to earn Props
tokens while using the Paltalk and Camfrog applications. On October 15, 2021, we launched our new rewards loyalty program, Paltalk Rewards
Points, and simultaneously ended the distribution of Props tokens, our prior rewards program. Paltalk and Camfrog users kept their existing
rewards earned from the former Props program as Paltalk Rewards Points and now have the opportunity to earn new Paltalk Rewards Points.
In connection with the Paltalk Rewards Points, we added 25 new reward tiers such as specialty coins, subscriptions, stickers, flair, and
other popular buttons.
In
November 2021, we launched a real-time asynchronous message board feature, the “Paltalk Feed”, which grants users the ability
to interact with the platform without a live video cam. The Paltalk Feed allows our users to comment, add photos or videos and contribute
to conversations around shared interests on a digital message board.
In
addition, during the first quarter of 2022, we integrated Hive Automated Content Moderation Solutions (“Hive”) into our Paltalk
and Camfrog platforms in an effort to enhance our user experience by reducing spam and objectionable content on our applications.
Private
Rooms and Online Games
On
January 12, 2021, we launched a private room functionality on our Paltalk platform in beta version. In private rooms, users are able
to set up their own unique URL private room that can be used again and again. Users are able to invite up to twelve friends to video
chat for unlimited use, unlike other similar offerings which have a 40-minute time out for free users. Private rooms are currently available
on our desktop application, Android platforms and the iOS platform. We are optimistic that our users will take advantage of this new
feature due to its audio and video fidelity and expect that as the feature gains popularity, these users will utilize other paid services
offered by us. Additionally, users can play online card and board games such as poker, blackjack, gin rummy, bridge, and chess on the
Paltalk platform.
Defend
our Intellectual Property
We
have a portfolio of 14 issued patents. We have successfully defended certain of our intellectual property in the past and have generated
tens of millions of dollars in licensing fees for the use of our patents. We intend to continue defending our intellectual property rights.
3
Marketing
Strategy
We
invest in advertising and marketing primarily for the purpose of acquiring users for our consumer applications. We adapt our marketing
expenditures and channels as we gather the data to analyze the success of our campaigns. We primarily advertise through internet and
mobile advertising networks and run hundreds of campaigns at any given time, targeting various audiences of users, and focusing on campaigns
that we believe will produce a positive return over the lifetime of new users. We also generate new sign-ups organically, as people find
our sites and applications through brand recognition and word of mouth, search engines and product review websites.
During the first quarter of 2022, we engaged two
marketing agencies to help us drive consumer engagement through the Paltalk and Camfrog applications. We expect that increasing our marketing
efforts by partnering with these marketing agencies and increasing our annual marketing spend will provide a meaningful contribution to
new users and generate revenue.
Competition
and Our Industry
Competition
in our industry remains fierce. The market for consumer applications is extremely dynamic and is undergoing constant change. We believe
this environment creates significant opportunities for us as well as our direct and indirect competitors. Our principal competitors are
BIGO Live, Cisco Webex, Facebook Live, Google Meet, Houseparty, Instagram Live, Live.ly, Live.me, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Twitch, YouTube
Live and Zoom.
Many
of our competitors have substantially greater financial, managerial, technological and other resources than we do. In addition, there
are relatively few barriers to entry into the consumer applications industry, and, as a result, any organization that has adequate financial
resources and access to technical expertise and skilled personnel may become one of our competitors.
In
order to compete effectively, we seek to offer software, services and applications that are differentiated from existing products, superior
in quality and more appealing than those of our competitors. We believe that our applications compete favorably against those offered
by our competitors due to their ability to scale, their cost-efficiency and their innovative technology. We also believe that we have
the tools and expertise to attract new users through Facebook and other sources at a lower cost per subscriber than certain of our traditional
competitors.
Although
we believe we have the capability to compete effectively in the consumer applications industry, our competitors may offer products, services
and applications that we do not provide, and that may have more desirable features or may be offered at lower prices, and they may be
able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion, sale and support of their products. In addition, many of our competitors
have more extensive customer bases and broader customer relationships than we have, including relationships with our potential customers.
4
Governmental
Regulations
We
are subject to a number of U.S. federal and state laws and regulations that affect companies conducting business on the internet, many
of which are still evolving and being litigated in the courts and could be interpreted in ways that could harm our business. These laws
and regulations may involve user privacy, data protection, content, intellectual property, distribution, electronic contracts and other
communications, competition, protection of minors, consumer protection, taxation and online payment services. In particular, we are subject
to federal and state laws regarding privacy and protection of user data, which are constantly evolving and can be subject to significant
change. We are also subject to diverse and evolving laws and regulations in other countries in which we operate. The application and
interpretation of these laws and regulations are often uncertain, particularly in the new and rapidly-evolving industry in which we operate.
Because our applications are accessible worldwide and used by residents of some foreign countries, foreign jurisdictions may claim that
we must comply with foreign laws, even in jurisdictions in which we have no local business entity, employees or infrastructure.
We
are also subject to federal laws and regulations regarding online content, user privacy and electronic marketing, including The Communications
Decency Act of 1996, as amended (“The Communications Decency Act”), The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of
1998, as amended, The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, as amended, the USA PATRIOT
Act of 2001, and the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing (“CAN-SPAM”) Act of 2003, among others.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act limits our liability as an online service provider for linking to or hosting third-party content
that infringes copyrights. The Communications Decency Act provides statutory protections to online service providers like us who distribute
third-party content. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act restricts the ability of online service providers to collect
personal information from children under 13. Congress, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and many states have promulgated
laws and regulations regarding email advertising, including the CAN-SPAM Act. Any changes in these laws or judicial interpretations narrowing
the protections of these laws may subject us to increased risk, increased costs of compliance, and limits on the operation of certain
parts of our business.
Growing public concern about privacy and the use of personal information
may subject us to increased regulatory scrutiny. Regulation related to treatment of user data by online services is evolving as federal,
state and foreign governments continue to adopt new, or modify existing, laws and regulations addressing data privacy and the collection,
processing, storage, transfer and use of data. These state laws include, for example: the California Consumer Protection Act (“CCPA”),
which became effective on January 1, 2020, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), which expands upon the CCPA and was
passed in the recent California election in November 2020, and the New York Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security (SHIELD) Act.
In addition, the FTC regularly investigates and brings enforcement actions against companies that have used personally identifiable information
in a deceptive or unfair manner or in violation of a posted privacy policy. On May 25, 2018, the European Union implemented a privacy
regulation called the Global Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) that imposes additional new regulatory scrutiny on our business
in the European Economic Area, with possible financial consequences for noncompliance. If we are accused of violating the terms of our
privacy policy, implementing unfair privacy practices or otherwise breaching data privacy laws, we may be forced to expend significant
financial and managerial resources to defend against an action by the FTC, European Data Protection Authorities, or other state or federal
enforcement agencies. Our user database holds the personal information of our users and subscribers residing in the United States and
other countries, and we could be sued by those users if any of the information is misused or misappropriated. Any failure by us to adequately
protect our users’ privacy and data could also result in loss of user confidence in our consumer applications and services and ultimately
in a loss of active users, which could adversely affect our business.
5
In
addition, virtually every U.S. state has passed laws requiring notification to users when there is a security breach resulting in unauthorized
disclosure of certain types of personal information, many of which are modeled on California’s Information Practices Act. There
are a number of legislative proposals pending before the U.S. Congress and various state legislative bodies concerning data protection
that could, if adopted, have an adverse effect on our business. We are unable to determine if and when such legislation may be adopted.
Many jurisdictions, including the European Union, have adopted breach notification and other data protection notification laws designed
to inform users of unauthorized disclosure of personally identifiable information. The introduction of new privacy and data breach laws
and the interpretation of existing privacy and data breach laws in the United States, Europe and other foreign jurisdictions is constantly
evolving. There is a risk that new laws may be introduced or that existing laws may be applied in a way that would conflict our current
data protection practices or prevent the transfer of data between countries in which we operate.
In
addition, rising concern about the use of social networking technologies for illegal conduct may in the future produce legislation or
other governmental action that could require changes to our applications or restrict or impose additional costs upon the conduct of our
business. These regulatory and legislative developments, including excessive taxation, may prevent or significantly limit our ability
to expand our business.
We
may also become subject to laws or regulations in the future that limit our payment processors’ ability to accept bitcoin or other
cryptocurrencies as a form of payment or to otherwise hold bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. As cryptocurrencies have grown in both
popularity and market size, governments around the world have reacted differently to cryptocurrencies, with certain governments deeming
cryptocurrency offerings and cryptocurrency exchanges illegal, while others have allowed their use and trade. Governments may in the
future curtail or outlaw the acquisition or use of cryptocurrencies or the exchange of cryptocurrencies for fiat currencies. Ownership
of, holding, trading in or participating in offerings of cryptocurrencies may then be considered illegal and subject to sanction. Governments
may also take regulatory action that may increase the cost and/or subject companies that transact in or hold cryptocurrencies to additional
regulation.
Some
of the video card games that we offer on our Paltalk application are based upon traditional casino games, such as poker and blackjack.
We have structured and operate these games and features with gambling laws in mind and believe that these games and features do not constitute
gambling. Our games are intended to be for entertainment purposes only and do not offer an opportunity to win earnings outside of the
platform.
Employees
As of March 21, 2022, we had 1 part-time employee and 21 full-time
employees. We believe that our future success depends, in part, on our continued ability to hire, assimilate and retain qualified personnel.
We attract and retain employees by offering training, bonus opportunities, competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package.
Company
Internet Site and Availability of SEC Filings
Our
corporate website is located at www.paltalk.com . We make available on that site, as soon as reasonably practicable, our Annual
Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, proxy statements, Current Reports on Form 8-K, other reports filed with or furnished
to the SEC, as well as any amendments to those filings. Our SEC filings, as well as our Code of Conduct and other corporate governance
documents, can be found in the Investor Relations section of our site and are available free of charge. Amendments to our Code of Conduct
and any grant of a waiver from a provision of the Code of Conduct requiring disclosure under applicable SEC rules will be disclosed on
our website. Information on our website is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, the SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov
that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding us and other issuers that file electronically
with the SEC.
6
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
Below
is a summary of our risk factors with a more detailed discussion following. The risks below are those that we believe are the material
risks that we currently face, but are not the only risks facing us and our business. If any of these risks actually occur, our business,
financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
● The
success of our consumer applications is principally dependent on our active users and our
engagement with our user base.
● We
operate in an intensely competitive industry and any failure to attract new users could diminish
or suspend our development and possibly cease our operations.
● The
online live video industry is characterized by rapid technological change and the development
of enhancements and new applications, and if we fail to keep pace with technological developments
or launch new applications, our business may be adversely affected.
● We
may make or attempt to make acquisitions in the future, which could require significant management
attention, disrupt our business, dilute our stockholders and seriously harm our business.
● The
COVID-19 pandemic may adversely affect our revenues, results of operations and financial
condition.
● The
COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to an increase in our subscription revenue in certain
geographic areas for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2020. However, we may not be able to sustain our subscription revenue
growth rate in such geographic areas or any other areas in the future.
● Our
mobile applications are substantially dependent on interaction with mobile platforms and
operating systems that we do not control.
● Our
business depends on developing, establishing and maintaining strong brands. If we are unable
to maintain and enhance our brands, we may be unable to expand or retain our active user
and paying subscriber bases.
● Our
future success is dependent, in part, on the performance and continued service of our executive
officers. Without their continued service, we may be forced to interrupt or eventually cease
our operations.
● We
plan to continue expanding our operations internationally and may be subject to increased
business and economic risks that could seriously harm our business.
● Currently,
there are a limited number of regulated trading markets for cryptocurrency tokens, and therefore
our ability to sell such tokens, if any, may be limited.
● Digital
tokens and other cryptocurrencies that we may hold may be subject to loss, theft or restriction
on access.
● Foreign
governments restricting access to our applications could materially adversely impact our
business.
● If
our goodwill or other intangible assets become impaired, we may be required to record a significant
charge to earnings, which could seriously harm our operating results.
● Our
mobile applications rely on high-bandwidth data capabilities, which are subject to hardware,
networks, regulations and standards that we do not control.
● Security
breaches, computer viruses and cybersecurity incidents could harm our business, results of
operations or financial condition.
● We
have faced, and we expect that we will continue to face, chargeback liability when our credit
card providers resolve chargebacks in favor of their customers. We cannot accurately anticipate
the extent of these liabilities, and if not properly addressed, these liabilities could increase
our operating expenses or preclude us from accepting certain credit cards as a method of
payment, either of which would materially adversely affect our results of operations and
financial condition.
● We
face certain risks related to the physical and emotional safety of users and third parties.
● Our
subscription metrics and other estimates are subject to inherent challenges in measurement,
and real or perceived inaccuracies in those metrics may seriously harm and negatively affect
our reputation and our business.
● Because
we recognize revenue from subscriptions over the term of the subscription, the full impact
of downturns or upturns in subscription sales may not be immediately reflected in our results
of operations or financial condition.
● A
portion of our revenue is dependent on third-party resellers, the efforts of which we do
not control.
● Our
business depends in large part upon the availability of cost-effective advertising space
through a variety of media and keeping pace with trends in consumer behavior.
7
● Interruption,
maintenance or failure of our programming code, servers or technological infrastructure could
hurt our ability to effectively provide our applications, which could damage our reputation
and harm our results of operations.
● Because
there has been limited precedent set for financial accounting of cryptocurrencies and other
digital assets, the determination that we have made for how to account for our tokens and
any other digital assets we may acquire may be subject to change.
● We
may be liable as a result of information retrieved from or transmitted over the internet.
● Changes
in laws or regulations, including laws and regulations that impact the use of the internet,
such as internet neutrality laws, or laws that relate to content provided over the internet
or monitoring such content, could adversely affect our business, results of operations or
financial condition.
● If
we are subject to intellectual property infringement claims, it could cause us to incur significant
expenses, pay substantial damages or royalties and prevent us from offering our applications.
● If
we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, we may be unable to compete with
competitors developing similar technologies.
● If
we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we
may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud and our business
may be harmed and our stock price may be adversely impacted.
● Our
common stock is historically thinly traded, stockholders may be unable to sell at or near
ask prices or at all and the price of our common stock may be volatile.
● The
ownership of our common stock is significantly concentrated in a small number of investors,
some of whom are affiliated with our Board of Directors and management, which could prevent
stockholders from having input on the course of our operations or otherwise lead to actual
or potential conflicts of interest.
Risks
Related to Our Business
The
success of our consumer applications is principally dependent on our active users and our engagement with our user base.
On an annual basis the Company has millions of
users, however, compared to the total number of users in any given period, only a small portion of our users are active users or purchasers
of virtual currency. We primarily generate revenue through the sale of subscriptions and virtual currency to this small portion of users
and secondarily generate revenue through paid advertisements. Accordingly, the success of our consumer applications is substantially dependent
on our ability to convert our users into active users and to sell our users virtual currency.
Users
discontinue the use of our applications in the ordinary course of business, and to sustain our revenue levels, we must attract, retain
and increase the number of users or more effectively monetize our existing users. Falling user retention, growth or engagement could
also make our applications less attractive to advertisers, which could harm our business.
There
are a number of factors that could negatively impact user retention, growth and engagement, including, among other things:
● users
may adopt competing products instead of ours;
● we
may fail to introduce new products and services or improve upon our existing applications,
or those new products and services or improvements we introduce may be poorly received;
● our
products may fail to operate effectively on mobile or other platforms;
● we
may be unable to combat spam or other hostile or inappropriate usage on our products or free
speech;
● there
may be adverse changes in user sentiment about the quality or usefulness of our existing
products;
● there
may be concerns about the privacy implications, safety or security of our products;
● technical
or other problems may frustrate the experience of our users, particularly if those problems
prevent us from delivering our products in a fast and reliable manner;
● we
may fail to provide adequate service to our users;
● we
or other companies in our industry may be the subject of adverse media reports or other negative
publicity;
● we
may not maintain our brand image or our reputation may be damaged; and
● we
may be subject to denial of service or other attacks from hackers that result in service
downtime.
8
To
retain existing users, and particularly those users who are paying subscribers, we must devote significant resources so that our applications
retain their interest. If we fail to grow or sustain the number of our users, or if the rates at which we attract and retain existing
users declines or the rate at which users become paying subscribers declines, it could have a material adverse effect on our business,
results of operations or financial condition.
We
operate in an intensely competitive industry and any failure to attract new users could diminish or suspend our development and possibly
cease our operations.
The
industry in which we compete is highly competitive and has few barriers to entry. If we are unable to efficiently and effectively attract
new users as a result of intense competition or a saturated market, we may not be able to continue the provision, development and enhancement
of our consumer applications or become profitable on a consistent basis in the future.
Important
factors affecting our ability to successfully compete include:
● the
usefulness, novelty, performance, ease of use, and reliability of our consumer applications compared to our competitors;
● the
timing and market acceptance of our consumer applications, including developments and enhancements
of our competitors’ consumer applications;
● our
ability to effectively monetize our consumer applications and the availability of free or
cheaper alternatives from our competitors;
● our
ability to hire and retain talented employees, including technical employees, executives,
and marketing experts;
● the
success of our customer service and support efforts;
● our
reputation and brand strength compared to our competitors;
● competition
for acquiring users that could result in increased user acquisition costs;
● reliance
upon the platforms through which our consumer applications are accessed and the platform
owner’s ability to control our activities on such platforms;
● the
effectiveness of the marketing and advertisement of our services and consumer applications;
● our
ability to maintain advertisers’ interest in advertising through our consumer applications;
● our
ability to innovate in the ever-changing consumer applications industry in which we operate;
● changes
as a result of new legislation or regulation within the consumer applications industry; and
● acquisitions
or consolidations within the consumer applications industry.
Many
of our current and potential competitors offer similar services, have longer operating histories, significantly greater capital, financial,
technical, marketing and other resources and larger user or subscriber bases than we do. These factors may allow our competitors to more
quickly respond to new or emerging technologies and changes in client or consumer preferences. These competitors may engage in more extensive
research and development efforts, undertake more far-reaching marketing campaigns and adopt more aggressive pricing strategies that may
allow them to build larger user bases consisting of greater numbers of clients or paying users. Our competitors may develop applications
and software that are equal or superior to our applications and software or that achieve greater market or industry acceptance. It is
possible that a new application developed or offered by one of our competitors could gain rapid scale at the expense of existing brands
through harnessing a new technology or distribution channel, creating a new approach to servicing clients or connecting people.
Certain
entities that we do not directly compete with but that have large or dominant positions in one or more markets could use those positions
to gain a competitive advantage against us by integrating competing video chat or social media platforms into products they control,
such as search engines, web browsers or mobile device operating systems.
Costs
for consumers to switch between products in the video chat industry are generally low, and consumers have a propensity to try new products
to connect with new people. As a result, new entrants and business models are likely to continue to emerge in our industry. These activities
could attract users and subscribers away from our applications and reduce our market share.
If we are unable to effectively compete, we may fail to obtain new
clients for our products or our users may discontinue the use of our products and we may lose active users, either of which would have
a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
9
The
online live video industry is characterized by rapid technological change and the development of enhancements and new applications, and
if we fail to keep pace with technological developments or launch new applications, our business may be adversely affected.
The
online live video industry is characterized by rapid change, and our future success is dependent upon our ability to adopt and innovate.
To attract new users and increase revenues from existing users, we need to enhance, add new features to and improve our existing applications
and introduce new applications in the future. The success of any enhancements or new features and applications depends on several factors,
including timely completion, introduction and market acceptance. Building a new brand or product is generally an iterative process that
occurs over a meaningful period of time and involves considerable resources and expenditures, and we may expend significant time and
resources developing and launching an application that may not result in revenues in the anticipated timeframe or at all, or may not
result in revenue growth that is sufficient to offset increased expenses. If we are unable to successfully develop enhancements, new
features or new applications to meet user trends and preferences, our business and operating results could be adversely affected.
In
addition, our applications are designed to operate on a variety of network, hardware and software platforms using internet tools and
protocols and we need to continuously modify and enhance our applications to keep pace with technological changes. If we are unable to
respond in a timely and cost-effective manner, our current and future applications may become less marketable and less competitive or
even obsolete.
The
COVID-19 pandemic may adversely affect our revenues, results of operations and financial condition.
The
World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the various
attempts to contain it have created significant volatility, uncertainty and economic disruption. The various precautionary as well as
on going measures taken by many governmental authorities around the world in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 have had, and could
continue to have, an adverse effect on the global markets and its economy, including on the availability and pricing of employees and
resources, and other aspects of the global economy. Therefore, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could disrupt and cause delays in
our software, disrupt the marketplace in which we operate, slow down the overall economy, curtail consumer spending, make it hard to
adequately staff our operations or enter into agreements with independent contractors and have a material adverse effect on our operations.
In addition, disruptions in the operations of the third parties with whom we do business have caused and could in the future cause such
third parties to fail to perform under their respective contracts or commitments with us. For instance, we were party to a sublease agreement
with Telecom for office space located at 122 East 42nd Street in New York, NY, pursuant to which Telecom was required to pay us $11,164
per month. Due to the COVID-19, Telecom was unable to make its monthly payments under the sublease agreement, and as a result, on June
18, 2020, we entered into an agreement with Telecom to terminate the sublease agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Telecom vacated
the offices on June 30, 2020. In addition, on June 22, 2020, we entered into an agreement to terminate our lease for this office space.
Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, we vacated the offices on June 30, 2020 and agreed to forfeit our security deposit of $133,968.
To
the extent that the COVID-19 pandemic and any subsequent outbreaks cause a substantial reduction or change in timing of our cash provided
by operating activities, we may be required to seek additional capital through the incurrence of debt or the issuance equity securities.
For instance, on April 13, 2020, to help ensure adequate liquidity in light of the uncertainties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we applied
for a loan under the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief,
and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), and on May 3, 2020, we entered into a promissory note with an aggregate principal
amount of $506,500 (the “Note”) in favor of Citibank, N.A., as lender (the “Lender”). On January 13, 2021, the
Note was fully forgiven by the SBA and the Lender in compliance with the provisions of the CARES Act. While we do not currently expect
to incur additional indebtedness under the CARES Act, any inability to obtain additional liquidity as and when needed would have a material
adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The
extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic and any subsequent outbreaks continue to impact our results will depend on future developments,
which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Despite recent progress in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines, the outbreak
of recent variants such as Delta and Omicron, the possible emergence of any new variants, and the related containment and mitigation
measures are likely to continue to have a serious adverse impact on the global economy, the severity and duration of which are uncertain.
The COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed
to an increase in our subscription revenue in certain geographic areas for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. However, we may not be able to sustain our subscription revenue growth rate in such geographic areas
or any other areas in the future.
The
COVID-19 pandemic likely led to an increase in our subscription revenue for the 2021 fiscal year relative to our 2020 subscription revenue
in certain geographic areas. You should not rely on the subscription revenue growth of any prior quarterly or annual period as an indication
of our future performance. Our subscription revenue may decline in certain geographic areas in future periods if the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic dissipates. These results, as well as other metrics such as total revenues, net income, net cash provided by operating activities
and other financial and operating data, may not be indicative of results for future periods.
Our
business is subscription based, and users are not obligated to, and may choose not to, renew their subscriptions after their existing
subscriptions expire. Renewals of subscriptions to our applications may decline or fluctuate because of several factors, such as dissatisfaction
with our products and support, a user no longer having a need for our products, including any new users that have subscribed to our services
during the COVID-19 pandemic that may subsequently reduce or discontinue their use after the impact of the pandemic has tapered, or the
perception that competitive products provide better, more secure, or less expensive options. If we are not able to continue to expand
our user base, our revenue may grow more slowly than expected or decline. Similar to the uncertainty of users renewing their subscriptions,
the number of new subscribers may slow or decline once the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, particularly as a vaccine becomes
widely available, and users return to work or school or are otherwise no longer subject to COVID-related travel restrictions.
10
Our
mobile applications are substantially dependent on interaction with mobile platforms and operating systems that we do not control.
A
portion of our revenue, primarily our revenue from mobile platforms, is derived from the Apple iOS platform and the Google Android platform.
Although we believe that we have a good relationship with Apple and Google, any deterioration in our relationship with either could materially
harm our business, results of operations or financial condition.
We
are subject to each of Apple’s and Google’s standard terms and conditions for application developers, which govern the promotion,
distribution and operation of our applications on their respective storefronts. Each of Apple and Google has broad discretion to change
its standard terms and conditions. In addition, these standard terms and conditions can be vague and subject to changing interpretations
by Apple or Google. In addition, each of Apple and Google has the right to prohibit a developer from distributing applications on the
storefront if the developer violates the standard terms and conditions. In the event that either Apple or Google ever determines that
we are in violation of its standard terms and conditions and prohibits us from distributing our applications on its storefront, it could
materially harm our business, results of operations or financial condition.
The
number of people who access the internet through devices other than personal computers, including smart phones, cell phones and handheld
tablets, has increased dramatically in the past several years and is projected to continue to increase. Accordingly, we are substantially
dependent on interoperability with popular mobile platforms that we do not control, including the Apple App Store and the Google Play
Store, and a portion of our revenue is derived from these two digital storefronts. There have been occasions in the past when these digital
storefronts were unavailable for short periods of time or where there have been issues with the in-App purchasing functionality from
the storefront. In the event that either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store is unavailable or if in-App purchasing functionality
from the storefront is non-operational for a prolonged period of time, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results
of operations or financial condition.
In
addition, each of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store provides consumers with products that compete with ours. If either of these
platforms give preferential treatment to competitive products, it could seriously harm the usage of our products on mobile devices.
Our
business depends on developing, establishing and maintaining strong brands. If we are unable to maintain and enhance our brands, we may
be unable to expand or retain our user and paying subscriber bases.
We
believe that developing, establishing and maintaining awareness of our application brands is critical to our efforts to achieve widespread
acceptance of our applications and is an important element to expanding our client and subscriber bases. Successful promotion of our
application brands will depend largely on the effectiveness of our advertising and marketing efforts and on our ability to provide reliable
and useful applications at competitive prices. If clients and users do not perceive our products to be of high quality, or if our products
are not favorably received by clients and users, the value of our brands could diminish, thereby decreasing the attractiveness of our
software, services and applications to clients and users. In addition, advertising and marketing activities may not yield increased revenue,
and even if they do, any increased revenue may not offset the expenses we incurred in building our brands.
If
we fail to successfully promote and maintain our application brands, or incur substantial expenses in unsuccessfully attempting to promote
and maintain our brands, we may fail to attract enough new clients or subscribers or retain our existing clients and subscribers to the
extent necessary to realize a sufficient return on our advertising and marketing activities, and it could have a material adverse effect
on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
If
our goodwill or other intangible assets become impaired, we may be required to record a significant charge to earnings, which could seriously
harm our operating results.
We
are required to test goodwill for impairment at least annually or more frequently if there are indicators that the carrying amount of
the goodwill exceeds its carried value. As of December 31, 2021, we had recorded a total of $6.3 million of goodwill and $0.2 million
of other intangible assets. An adverse change in domestic or global market conditions, particularly if such change has the effect of
changing one of our critical assumptions or estimates made in connection with the impairment testing of goodwill or intangible assets,
could result in a change to the estimation of fair value that could, in turn, result in an impairment charge to our goodwill or other
intangible assets. If we divest or discontinue product categories or products that we previously acquired, or if the value of those parts
of our business become impaired, we also may need to evaluate the carrying value of our goodwill. Any such material charges may have
a negative impact on our operating results.
Our
future success is dependent, in part, on the performance and continued service of our executive officers. Without their continued service,
we may be forced to interrupt or eventually cease our operations.
We
are dependent to a great extent upon the experience, abilities and continued service of Jason Katz, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
of the Board of Directors, and Kara B. Jenny, our Chief Financial Officer and director. The loss of the services of these individuals
would substantially affect our business or operations and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations
or financial condition.
11
Our
subscription metrics and other estimates are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and real or perceived inaccuracies in those
metrics may seriously harm and negatively affect our reputation and our business.
We
regularly review metrics to evaluate growth trends, measure our performance, and make strategic decisions. These metrics are calculated
using internal Company data and have not been validated by an independent third party. While these numbers are based on what we believe
to be reasonable estimates of our user base for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in measuring how
our products are used across large populations globally.
Some
of our demographic data may be incomplete or inaccurate. For example, because users self-report their dates of birth, our age-demographic
data may differ from our users’ actual ages. If our users provide us with incorrect or incomplete information regarding their age
or other attributes, our estimates may prove inaccurate.
In
addition, our business strategy is guided by data analytics that we compute internally based on data collection, data processing, cloud-based
platforms, statistical projections and forecasting, mobile computing, social media analytics and other applications and technologies.
We use these internally derived data analytics to guide decisions concerning the development and modification of features on our applications,
monetization strategies for our applications and the development of new applications, among other things.
The inability to accurately derive our metrics or data analytics could
result in incorrect business decisions and inefficiencies. For instance, if a significant understatement or overstatement of our active
users were to occur, we may expend resources to implement unnecessary business measures or fail to take required actions to attract a
sufficient number of subscribers to satisfy our growth strategies. If advertisers or investors do not perceive our subscription, geographic
or other demographic metrics to be accurate representations of our user base, or if we discover material inaccuracies in our subscription,
geographic or other demographic metrics, our reputation may be seriously harmed. At the same time, advertisers may be less willing to
allocate their budgets or resources to our products, which could seriously harm our business, results of operation or financial condition.
Because
we recognize revenue from subscriptions over the term of the subscription, the full impact of downturns or upturns in subscription sales
may not be immediately reflected in our results of operations or financial condition.
We
recognize subscription revenue from customers monthly over the term of the subscription, and subscriptions are generally offered in one-,
three-, six-, twelve-, and fifteen-month terms, depending on the particular product. As a result, much of the subscription revenue we
report in each period is deferred revenue from subscription agreements entered into during previous periods. Consequently, a decline
in new or renewed subscriptions in any one quarter will negatively affect our revenue in future quarters. In addition, we might not be
able to immediately adjust our costs and expenses to reflect these reduced revenues. Accordingly, the effect of significant downturns
in user acceptance of our applications may not be fully reflected in our results of operations until future periods. Our subscription
model also makes it difficult for us to quickly increase our revenue through additional sales in any period, as revenue from new subscribers
must be recognized over the term of the subscription. As a result, you should not rely on the amount of subscription revenue generated
in prior quarters as an indication of future results.
We
plan to continue expanding our operations internationally and may be subject to increased business and economic risks that could seriously
harm our business.
Presently, we derive a significant portion
of revenue from international territories and we plan to continue expanding our business operations abroad. In addition, we rely on
outsourced development services from companies with employees and consultants based in Russia, India and elsewhere. The recent
invasion of Ukraine by Russia has escalated tensions among the United States, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states, and Russia.
The United States, other North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states, as well as non-member states, have announced new
sanctions against Russia and certain Russian banks, enterprises and individuals. These and any future additional sanctions and any
resulting conflict between Russia, the United States and other countries may, on a short term, disrupt, or in the future could
disrupt, the consulting services provided by our third-party developers residing in Russia. This conflict may increase our costs
with respect to any current or future planned development services in Russia, or could result in negative publicity.
We may enter new international markets where we
have limited or no experience in marketing, selling and deploying our products. If we fail to deploy or manage our operations in international
markets successfully, our business may suffer. As our international operations increase our operating results may become more greatly
affected by fluctuations in the exchange rates of the currencies in which we do business. In addition, we are subject to a variety of
risks inherent in doing business internationally, including:
● political,
social, and economic instability;
● risks
related to the legal and regulatory environment in foreign jurisdictions, including with
respect to privacy, free speech and unexpected changes in laws, regulatory requirements,
and enforcement;
● potential
damage to our brand and reputation due to compliance with local laws, including potential
censorship and requirements to provide user information to local authorities;
● fluctuations
in currency exchange rates;
● higher
levels of credit risk and payment fraud;
● complying
with multiple tax jurisdictions;
● reduced
protection for intellectual-property rights in some countries;
● difficulties
in staffing and managing global operations and the increased travel, infrastructure and compliance
costs associated with multiple international locations;
12
● regulations
that might add difficulties in repatriating cash earned outside the United States and otherwise
preventing us from freely moving cash;
● import
and export restrictions and changes in trade regulation;
● complying
with statutory equity requirements;
● complying
with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act and similar laws in other
jurisdictions;
● the
impact of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union; and
● export
controls and economic sanctions administered by the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry
and Security and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
If
we are unable to expand internationally and manage the complexity of our global operations successfully, our business could be seriously
harmed.
A
portion of our revenue is dependent on third-party resellers, the efforts of which we do not control.
We
are dependent on the efforts of third parties who resell our subscriptions for a portion of our revenue. In particular, video chat users
in certain international territories have an option to purchase subscriptions through local resellers. These local resellers prepay in
bulk for services and debit the prepaid balance as one-time subscriptions and virtual currency are sold to end users.
We
do not control the efforts of these resellers. If they fail to market or sell our subscriptions successfully, merge or consolidate with
other businesses, declare bankruptcy or depart from their respective industries, our business could be harmed. If we are unable to maintain
or replace our contractual relationships with resellers, efficiently manage our relationships with them or establish new contractual
relationships with other third parties, we may fail to retain subscribers or acquire potential new subscribers and may experience delays
and increased costs in adding or replacing subscribers that were lost, any of which could materially affect our business, operating results
and financial condition.
Foreign
governments restricting access to our applications could materially adversely impact our business.
We
have continued to focus on increasing the international presence of our applications by expanding the localized and translated versions
for additional international countries that are culturally aligned with our products. Foreign data protection, privacy, consumer protection,
content regulation, and other laws and regulations are often more restrictive than those in the United States. Foreign governments may
censor our products in their countries, restrict access to our products from their countries entirely, or impose other restrictions that
may affect their citizens’ ability to access our products for an extended period of time or even indefinitely. If foreign governments
think we are violating their laws, or for other reasons, they may seek to restrict access to our products, which would give our competitors
an opportunity to penetrate geographic markets that we cannot access. As a result, our ability to grow our international user base would
be impaired, and we may not be able to maintain or grow our revenue as anticipated and our business could be seriously harmed.
Our
mobile applications rely on high-bandwidth data capabilities, which are subject to hardware, networks, regulations and standards that
we do not control.
Our
mobile applications require high-bandwidth data capabilities. If the costs of data usage increase or access to cellular networks is limited,
our user growth and retention on mobile platforms may be seriously harmed. Additionally, to deliver high-quality video and other content
over mobile cellular networks, our products must work well with a range of mobile technologies, systems, networks, regulations and standards
that we do not control, and any changes to those mobile technologies, systems, networks, regulations or standards could impact the usability
of our mobile applications, which would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Our
business depends in large part upon the availability of cost-effective advertising space through a variety of media and keeping pace
with trends in consumer behavior.
We depend upon the availability of advertising space through a variety
of media, including third-party applications on platforms such as Facebook, to recruit new users and subscribers, generate activity from
existing users and subscribers and direct traffic to our application. Historically, we have had to increase our marketing expenditures
in order to attract and retain users and sustain our growth. The availability of advertising space varies, and a shortage of advertising
space in any particular media or on any particular platform, or the elimination of a particular medium on which we advertise, could limit
our ability to generate new subscribers, generate activity from existing subscribers or direct traffic to our applications, any of which
could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, evolving consumer behavior
can affect the availability of profitable marketing opportunities. For example, as consumers communicate less via email and more via text
messaging and other virtual means, the reach of email campaigns designed to attract new and repeat users (and retain current users) for
our applications is adversely impacted. To continue to reach potential users and grow our business, we must devote more of our overall
marketing expenditures to newer advertising channels, which may be unproven and undeveloped, and we may not be able to continue to manage
and fine-tune our marketing efforts in response to these trends. In addition, during the first quarter of 2022, we engaged two marketing
agencies to help us drive consumer engagement through the Paltalk and Camfrog applications. However, these marketing efforts may be ineffective
or inadequate to attract potential users or retain existing users.
13
Interruption,
maintenance or failure of our programming code, servers or technological infrastructure could hurt our ability to effectively provide
our applications, which could damage our reputation and harm our results of operations.
The
availability of our applications depends on the continued operation of our programming code, databases, servers and technological infrastructure.
Any damage to, or failure of, our systems could result in interruptions in service for our applications, which could damage our brands
and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. Our systems are vulnerable to damage
or interruption from terrorist attacks, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, computer denial of
service attacks or other attempts to harm our systems. Some of our systems are not fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning
cannot account for all eventualities.
In
addition, from time to time we experience limited periods of server downtime due to maintenance or enhancements. If our applications
are unavailable during these periods of downtime or if our users are unable to access our applications within a reasonable amount of
time, users may not return to our applications in the future, or at all. As our user base and the volume and types of information shared
on our applications continues to grow, we will need an increasing amount of technology infrastructure, including network capacity and
computing power, to continue to satisfy our users’ needs. It is possible that we may fail to effectively scale and grow our technology
infrastructure to accommodate these increased demands. Any failure to support and scale our technology infrastructure could adversely
impact the reputation of our brands and harm our results of operations.
Security
breaches, computer viruses and cybersecurity incidents could harm our business, results of operations or financial condition.
We
receive, process, store and transmit a significant amount of personal user and other confidential information, including credit card
information, and enable our users to share their personal information with each other. In some cases, we retain third party vendors to
store this information. We continuously develop and maintain systems to protect the security, integrity and confidentiality of this information,
but cannot guarantee that inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure will not occur or that third parties will not gain unauthorized
access to this information despite our efforts. If any such event were to occur, we may not be able to remedy the event, and we may have
to expend significant capital and resources to mitigate the impact of such an event, and to develop and implement protections to prevent
future events of this nature from occurring.
Security
breaches, computer malware and cybersecurity incidents have become more prevalent in our industry and may occur on our systems in the
future. Although it is difficult to determine what, if any, harm may directly result from an interruption or attack, any security breach
caused by hacking, including efforts to gain unauthorized access to our applications, servers or websites, or to cause intentional malfunctions
or loss or corruption of data, software, hardware or other computer equipment, and the inadvertent transmission of computer viruses could
harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. If a breach of our security (or the security of our vendors and partners)
occurs, the perception of the effectiveness of our security measures and our reputation may be harmed, we could lose current and potential
users and the recognition of our various brands and their competitive positions could be diminished, any or all of which could adversely
affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Spammers
may attempt to use our products to send targeted and untargeted spam messages to users, which may embarrass or annoy users and make our
products less user friendly. We cannot be certain that the technologies that we have developed to repel spamming attacks will be able
to eliminate all spam messages from our products. Our actions to combat spam may also require diversion of significant time and focus
of our engineering team from improving our products. As a result of spamming activities, our users may use our products less or stop
using them altogether, and result in continuing operational cost to us.
Similarly,
terror and other criminal groups may use our products to promote their goals and encourage users to engage in terror and other illegal
activities. We expect that as more people use our products, these groups will increasingly seek to misuse our products. Although we invest
resources to combat these activities, including by suspending or terminating accounts we believe are violating our Terms of Service,
we expect these groups will continue to seek ways to act inappropriately and illegally on our products. Combating these groups requires
our engineering team to divert significant time and focus from improving our products. In addition, we may not be able to control or
stop our products from becoming the preferred application of use by these groups, which may become public knowledge and seriously harm
our reputation or lead to lawsuits or attention from regulators. If these activities increase, our reputation, user growth and user engagement,
and operational cost structure could be seriously harmed. Furthermore, many governments have enacted laws requiring companies to provide
notice of data security incidents involving certain types of personal data. Such laws are inconsistent, and compliance in the event of
a widespread data breach is costly.
As
a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we adopted a work-from-home policy in March 2020, and we expect this practice to continue for the
foreseeable future. Remote work and remote access increases our vulnerability to cybersecurity attacks. We may see an increase in cyberattack
volume, frequency and sophistication driven by the global enablement of remote workforces. We seek to detect and investigate unauthorized
attempts and attacks against our network, products and services and to prevent their recurrence where practicable through changes to
our internal processes and tools and changes or updates to our products and services; however, we remain potentially vulnerable to additional
known or unknown threats. In some instances, we and the users of our applications can be unaware of an incident or its magnitude and
effects.
Our
existing general liability insurance coverage and the coverage we carry for cyber-related liabilities may not continue to be available
on acceptable terms or be available in sufficient amounts to cover one or more large claims or that the insurer will not deny coverage
as to any future claim. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that are not covered or exceed available insurance
coverage, or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or
co-insurance requirements, could harm our business.
14
We
have faced, and we expect that we will continue to face, chargeback liability when our credit card providers resolve chargebacks in favor
of their customers. We cannot accurately anticipate the extent of these liabilities, and if not properly addressed, these liabilities
could increase our operating expenses or preclude us from accepting certain credit cards as a method of payment, either of which would
materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We
depend on the ability to accept credit and debit card payments from our subscribers and our ability to maintain the good standing of
our merchant account with our credit card providers to process subscription payments. In the event that one of our customers initiates
a billing dispute and one of our credit card providers resolves the dispute in the customer’s favor, the transaction is normally
charged back to us and the purchase price is credited or otherwise refunded to the customer. In addition, under current credit card practices,
a merchant is liable for fraudulent credit card transactions when, as is the case with the transactions we process, that merchant does
not obtain a cardholder’s signature.
We
have suffered losses and we expect that we will continue to suffer losses as a result of subscriptions placed with fraudulent credit
card data, as well as users who chargeback their purchases. Any failure to adequately control fraudulent credit card transactions or
keep our chargebacks under an acceptable threshold would result in significantly higher credit card-related costs and, therefore, materially
increase our operating expenses.
We
face certain risks related to the physical and emotional safety of users and third parties.
We
cannot control the actions of our users in their communications or physical actions. There is a possibility that users or third parties
could be physically or emotionally harmed following interaction with another user. We warn our users that we do not screen other users
and, given our lack of physical presence, we do not take any action to ensure personal safety on a meeting between users or subscribers
arranged following contact initiated via our applications or ensure personal safety of our users against self-harming following contact
with other users initiated via our applications. If an unfortunate incident of this nature occurred in a meeting of two people following
contact initiated on our applications or that of one of our competitors, any resulting negative publicity could materially and adversely
affect us or the online video chat industry in general. Any such incident involving our applications could damage our reputation and
our brand, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. In addition, the
affected users or third parties could initiate legal action against us, which could divert management attention from operations, cause
us to incur significant expenses, whether we are successful or not, and damage our reputation.
We
may need additional capital to execute our business plan. If we do not obtain additional financing, it could have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
We
might need to raise additional capital or financing through debt or equity offerings to support our expansion, marketing efforts and
application development programs in the future. For instance, we might require additional capital or financing to:
● hire
and retain talented employees, including technical employees, executives, and marketing experts;
● effectuate
our long-term growth strategy and expand our application development programs; and
● market
and advertise our applications to attract more paying subscribers.
We
may be unable to obtain future capital or financing on favorable terms or at all. If we cannot obtain additional capital or financing,
we may need to reduce, defer or cancel application development programs, planned initiatives, marketing or advertising expenses or costs
and expenses. The failure to obtain necessary additional capital or financing on favorable terms, if at all, could have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
If
the distribution of our products through application stores increases, we may incur additional fees from the developers of application
stores.
As
the user base of our consumer applications continues to shift to mobile solutions, we increasingly rely on the Apple iOS and Google Android
platforms to distribute our products. While our products are free to download from these stores, we offer our users the opportunity to
purchase paid memberships and certain premium features through our products. We determine the prices at which these memberships and features
are sold and, in exchange for facilitating the purchase of these memberships and features through our products to users who download
our products from these stores, we pay Apple or Google, as applicable, a share, which is currently up to 30% of the revenue we receive
from these transactions. In the future, other distribution platforms that we utilize may charge us fees for the distribution of our applications.
If the distribution of our products through application stores increases, the amount of fees that we must pay to the developers of these
application stores will also increase. Unless we find a way to offset these fees, our business, financial condition and results of operations
could be adversely affected.
15
We
may make or attempt to make acquisitions in the future, which could require significant management attention, disrupt our business, dilute
our stockholders and seriously harm our business.
As
part of our business strategy, we have made and intend to make acquisitions to add specialized employees and complementary companies,
products and technologies. In the future, we may not be able to find other suitable acquisition candidates, and we may not be able to
complete acquisitions on favorable terms, if at all. Our previous and future acquisitions may not achieve our goals, and any future acquisitions
we complete could be viewed negatively by users, advertisers or investors. In addition, if we fail to successfully close transactions
or integrate new teams, or integrate the products and technologies associated with these acquisitions into our company, our business
could be seriously harmed. Any integration process may require significant time and resources, and we may not be able to manage the process
successfully. We may not successfully evaluate or use the acquired products, technology and personnel, or accurately forecast the financial
impact of an acquisition transaction, including accounting charges. We may also incur unanticipated liabilities that we assume as a result
of acquiring companies. We may have to pay cash, incur debt or issue equity securities to pay for any acquisition, any of which could
negatively impact our business and financial condition. Issuing equity to finance any such acquisitions would also dilute our existing
stockholders. Incurring debt would increase our fixed obligations and could also include covenants or other restrictions that would impede
our ability to manage our operations.
We
may conduct a portion of our operations through informal relationships, partnerships, strategic alliances or joint ventures, and our
failure to continue such relationships or resolve any material disagreements with these third parties could have a material adverse effect
on the success of these operations, our financial condition and our results of operations.
We
may conduct a portion of our operations through partnerships, strategic alliances or joint ventures. For instance, at the end of 2019,
we launched our consumer application platform strategy, under which we plan to co-brand our video chat applications and promote them
in partnership with third-party communities, with the expectation of entering into revenue sharing arrangements with potential partners.
We
may depend on third parties for elements of these arrangements that are important to the success of the relationship, such as the development
of features or technologies to be incorporated into our applications. The performance of these third-party obligations or the ability
of third parties to meet their obligations under these arrangements would be outside of our control. If these third parties do not meet
or satisfy their obligations under these arrangements, the performance and success of these arrangements, and their value to us, would
be adversely affected. If our current or future partners are unable to meet their obligations, we may be forced to undertake the obligations
ourselves and/or incur additional expenses in order to have some other party perform such obligations. In such cases we may also be required
to seek legal enforcement of our rights, the outcome of which would be uncertain. If any of these events occur, they may adversely impact
us, our financial performance and results of operations, and/or adversely impact our ability to enter into similar relationships in the
future.
Strategic
arrangements with third parties could involve risks not otherwise present when we directly manage our operations, including, for example:
● third
parties may share certain approval rights over major decisions within the scope of the relationship;
● the
possibility that these third parties might become insolvent or bankrupt;
● the
possibility that we may incur liabilities as a result of an action taken by one of these
third parties;
● these
third parties may be in a position to take action contrary to our instructions or requests
or contrary to our policies or objectives; and
● disputes
between us and these third parties may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase
our expenses, delay or terminate projects and prevent our officers and directors from focusing
their time and effort on our business.
Risks
Related to Our Ownership of Cryptocurrencies
Because
there has been limited precedent set for financial accounting of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, the determination that we
have made for how to account for our tokens and any other digital assets we may acquire may be subject to change.
Because
there has been limited precedent set for the accounting classification and measurement of cryptocurrency and other digital tokens and
related revenue recognition, it is unclear how companies may in the future be required to account for digital asset transactions and
assets and related revenue recognition. We are currently accounting for our tokens as indefinite-lived intangible assets in accordance
with Accounting Standard Codification No. 350: Intangibles—Goodwill and Other . Indefinite-lived intangible assets are recorded
at cost and are not subject to amortization, but shall be tested for impairment annually and more frequently if events or changes in
circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired. Our management has exercised significant judgment
in determining the appropriate accounting treatment, and in the event that authoritative guidance is enacted by the Financial Accounting
Standards Board, we may be required to change our policies or restate our financial statements, which could have an effect on our consolidated
financial position and results from operations. Such a restatement or change in policies could adversely affect the accounting for our
tokens or other cryptocurrencies that we may acquire and may more generally negatively impact our business, prospects, financial condition
and results of operation.
16
Legal
and Regulatory Risks
We
may be liable as a result of information retrieved from or transmitted over the internet.
We
may be sued for defamation, civil rights infringement, negligence, copyright or trademark infringement, invasion of privacy, personal
injury, product liability or under other legal theories relating to information that is published or made available on our websites or
applications. These types of claims have been brought, sometimes successfully, against online services in the past. We also offer messaging
services on our applications and we send emails directly and through third parties to our users, which may subject us to potential risks,
such as liabilities or claims resulting from unsolicited email or spamming, lost or misdirected messages, security breaches, illegal
or fraudulent use of email or personal information or interruptions or delays in email service. Our insurance does not specifically provide
for coverage of these types of claims and, therefore, may be inadequate to protect us against them. In addition, we could incur significant
costs in investigating and defending such claims, even if we ultimately are not held liable. If any of these events occur, our revenue
could be materially adversely affected or we could incur significant additional expense, and the market price of our securities may decline.
Changes
in laws or regulations, including laws and regulations that impact the use of the internet, such as internet neutrality laws, or laws
that relate to content provided over the internet or monitoring such content, could adversely affect our business, results of operations
or financial condition.
The
adoption of any laws or regulations that adversely affect the growth or use of the internet, including laws governing internet neutrality,
could decrease the demand for our products and increase our cost of doing business. In January 2018, the Federal Communications Commission
(the “FCC”) released an order that repealed the “open internet rules,” often known as “net neutrality,”
which prohibit internet providers in the United States from impeding access to most content, or otherwise unfairly discriminating against
content providers like us. These rules also prohibited mobile providers from entering into arrangements with specific content providers
for faster or better access over their data networks. The FCC order repealing the open internet rules went into effect in June 2018.
In response to this decision, California and a number of states implemented their own net neutrality rules which largely mirrored the
repealed federal regulations. The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has filed suit to bar implementation of these state
laws and their application remains uncertain. For instance, on February 8, 2021, the DOJ voluntarily dismissed its suit against California’s
net neutrality bill. We cannot predict the outcome of similar litigation or whether the FCC order or state initiatives regulating providers
will be modified, overturned, or vacated by other legal action, federal legislation, or the FCC, or the degree to which this repeal would
adversely affect our business, if at all. The European Union similarly requires equal access to internet content. If the FCC, Congress,
the European Union or courts modify these open internet rules, mobile providers may be able to limit our users’ ability to access
our applications or make our applications a less attractive alternative to our competitors’ applications, which could materially
adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In
addition, it is possible that a number of additional laws and regulations may be adopted or construed to apply to us, including gambling
laws. Some of the video card games that we offer on our Paltalk application are based upon traditional casino games, such as poker and
blackjack. We have structured and operate these games and features with gambling laws in mind and believe that these games and features
do not constitute gambling. Our games are offered for entertainment purposes only and do not offer an opportunity to win real money.
However, our video card games could in the future become subject to gambling-related laws and regulations and expose us to civil and
criminal penalties. If were to become subject to such laws and regulations, we might be required to seek licenses, authorizations or
approvals from relevant regulators, the granting of which may be dependent on us meeting certain capital and other requirements, and
we may be subject to additional regulation and oversight, such as reporting to regulators, all of which could significantly increase
our operating costs. Changes in current laws or regulations or the imposition of new laws and regulations in the United States, Europe
or elsewhere regarding these activities may lessen the growth of video card game services and impair our business.
If
there are changes in laws or regulations regarding privacy and the protection of user data, or if we fail to comply with such laws or
regulations, we may face claims brought against us by regulators or users that could adversely affect our business, results of operations
or financial condition.
State,
federal and international laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, sharing and security of data that we receive from
and about our users. These laws can be particularly restrictive in certain states and in countries outside of the United States. In addition,
the application and interpretation of these laws and regulations are often uncertain, particularly in the new and rapidly evolving industries
in which we operate.
17
Any
failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with such laws and regulations, including Federal Trade Commission requirements or industry
self-regulatory principles, could result in proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others, which could potentially
have an adverse effect on our business. As a result of such a failure, or perceived failure, we may be subject to a claim or class-action
lawsuit regarding our online services. The successful assertion of a claim against us, or a regulatory action against us, could result
in significant monetary damages, diversion of management resources and require us to make significant payments and incur substantial
legal expenses. Any claims with respect to violation of privacy or misappropriation of user data brought against us may have a material
adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Several
proposals are pending before federal, state, and foreign legislative and regulatory bodies or have recently been enacted that could significantly
affect our business. For example, the California legislature enacted the CCPA, which became effective on January 1, 2020, and the CPRA,
which expands upon the CCPA and was passed in the recent California election in November 2020. Likewise, the New York legislature enacted
the New York Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security (SHIELD) Act, which went into effect on March 21, 2020. Further, the GDPR,
which applies to the European Economic Area and went into effect on May 25, 2018, required us to change our policies and procedures regarding
the handling of personal and sensitive data in the European Economic Area. The failure to comply with the GDPR could, in certain instances,
result in penalties of up to 4% of our worldwide revenues. Any failure, or perceived failure to comply with the GDPR or other state,
federal or international laws could seriously harm our business.
Continued
privacy concerns may result in new or amended laws and regulations. Future laws and regulations with respect to the collection, compilation,
use and publication of information and consumer privacy could result in limitations on our operations, increased compliance or litigation
expense, adverse publicity or loss of revenue, which any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations. It is also possible that we could be prohibited from collecting or disseminating certain types of data, which
could affect our ability to meet our users’ needs.
Risks
Related to Our Intellectual Property
If
we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, we may be unable to compete with competitors developing similar technologies.
Historically,
our defense of our intellectual property rights has been a significant aspect of our business and has meaningfully contributed to our
results of operations. Accordingly, our success and ability to compete are often dependent upon the development of intellectual property
for our applications.
We
aim to protect our confidential proprietary information, in part, by entering into confidentiality agreements and invention assignment
agreements with all our employees, consultants, advisors and any third parties who access or contribute to our proprietary know-how,
information, or technology. We also rely on trademark, copyright, patent, trade secret, and domain-name-protection laws to protect our
proprietary rights. We have filed various applications to protect aspects of our intellectual property, and we currently hold a number
of issued patents. In the future we may acquire additional patents or patent portfolios, which could require significant cash expenditures.
However, third parties may knowingly or unknowingly infringe our proprietary rights, third parties may challenge proprietary rights held
by us, and pending and future trademark and patent applications may not be approved. In addition, effective intellectual property protection
may not be available in every country in which we operate or intend to operate our business.
In
any of these cases, we may be required to expend significant time and expense to prevent infringement or to enforce our rights. Although
we have taken measures to protect our proprietary rights, others may offer products or concepts that are substantially similar to ours
and compete with our business. If we are unable to protect our proprietary rights or prevent unauthorized use or appropriation by third
parties, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished, and competitors may be able to more effectively mimic
our service and methods of operations. Any of these events could seriously harm our business.
If
we are subject to intellectual property infringement claims, it could cause us to incur significant expenses, pay substantial damages
or royalties and prevent us from offering our applications.
From
time to time, third parties may claim that our applications infringe or violate their intellectual property rights. Any claims of infringement
could cause us to incur significant expenses and, if successfully asserted against us, could require that we pay substantial damages
and prevent us from using licensed technology that may be fundamental to our applications. Even if we were to prevail, any litigation
regarding intellectual property could be costly and time-consuming and divert the attention of our management and key personnel from
our business operations. We maintain insurance to protect against intellectual property infringement claims and resulting litigation,
but such insurance may not cover or may not be sufficient to cover all potential claims, liability or expenses. We may also be obligated
to indemnify our business partners in any such litigation, which could further exhaust our resources. Furthermore, as a result of an
intellectual property challenge, we may be prevented from offering our applications unless we enter into royalty, license or other agreements.
We may not be able to obtain such agreements at all or on terms acceptable to us, and as a result, we may be precluded from offering
our applications and services.
18
Risks
Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
Our
common stock is historically thinly traded, stockholders may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all and the price of our common
stock may be volatile.
Historically,
shares of our common stock were thinly-traded on the OTCQB and have usually been thinly-traded following our uplist to The Nasdaq Capital
Market (“Nasdaq”), meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our common stock at or near ask prices at
any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. This situation is attributable to a number of factors, including the fact that
we are a small company that is relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment
community that generate or influence sales volume. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity
in our shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer that has a large and steady volume of trading activity that
will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on stock price.
However,
during certain periods we have received, and may continue to receive, a high degree of media coverage that is published or otherwise
disseminated by third parties, including blogs, articles, message boards and social and other media. This may include coverage that is
not attributable to statements made by the Company or our Board of Directors. Information provided by third parties may not be reliable
or accurate and could materially impact the trading price of our common stock which could cause stockholders to lose their investments.
The
market prices and trading volume of our common stock have recently experienced, and may continue to experience, extreme volatility, which
could cause purchasers of our common stock to incur substantial losses. For example, during 2021, the market price of our common stock
fluctuated from an intra-day low of $1.48 per share on January 4, 2021 to an intra-day high on Nasdaq of $15.20 on September 29, 2021.
The last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on December 31, 2021 was $2.84 per share. From June 2021 to September 2021,
daily trading volume ranged from approximately 100 to 133,244,100 shares. We believe that the recent volatility and our current market
prices reflect market and trading dynamics unrelated to our underlying business, or macro or industry fundamentals, and we do not know
if these dynamics will continue.
Although
our common stock is now listed for trading on Nasdaq, a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock may not develop
or be sustained, and the current trading level of our common stock may not be sustained. Due to these conditions, you may be unable to
sell your common stock at or near ask prices or at all if you desire to sell shares of common stock.
The
stock markets in general have experienced substantial volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of individual
companies. These broad market fluctuations may also adversely affect the trading price of our common stock, especially in light of the
COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders have
often instituted class action securities litigation against those companies. Such litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial
costs and diversion of management attention and resources, which could significantly harm our profitability and reputation.
Because
of the limited trading market for our common stock, and because of the possible price volatility, you may not be able to sell your shares
of common stock when you desire to do so. The inability to sell your shares in a rapidly declining market may substantially increase
your risk of loss because of such illiquidity and because the price for our common stock may suffer greater declines because of its price
volatility
The
ownership of our common stock is significantly concentrated in a small number of investors, some of whom are affiliated with our Board
of Directors and management, which could prevent stockholders from having input on the course of our operations or otherwise lead to
actual or potential conflicts of interest.
As of March 21, 2022, Jason Katz, our Chairman of the Board of Directors,
Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and President, beneficially owned approximately 7.1% of our outstanding common stock,
including shares of common stock held directly by Mr. Katz’s spouse, and The J. Crew Delaware Trust A, a trust formed by Mr. Katz
for the benefit of certain of his family members, also beneficially owned approximately 24.0% of our outstanding common stock as of March
21, 2022. Mr. Katz is not a beneficiary of the trust and does not hold voting or dispositive power over the shares held by the trust.
19
Mr.
Katz, The J. Crew Delaware Trust A and others that have significant beneficial ownership of our common shares have substantial influence
regarding matters submitted for stockholder approval, including proposals regarding:
● any
merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets;
● the
election of members of our Board of Directors; and
● any
amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”).
The
current or increased ownership position of any of these stockholders and/or their respective affiliates could delay, deter or prevent
a change of control or adversely affect the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for our common shares. In addition,
the interests of these stockholders and/or their respective affiliates may significantly differ from the interests of our other stockholders
and they may vote the common shares they beneficially own in ways with which our other stockholders disagree.
If
we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial
results or prevent fraud and our business may be harmed and our stock price may be adversely impacted.
Effective
internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and to effectively prevent fraud.
Any inability to provide reliable financial reports or to prevent fraud could harm our business. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the
“Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) requires management to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting. In order to continue to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we are required to continuously evaluate and,
where appropriate, enhance our policies, procedures and internal controls. We have in the past failed, and may in the future fail, to
maintain the adequacy of our internal controls over financial reporting. Such failure could subject us to litigation or regulatory scrutiny
and investors could lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports. We cannot provide any assurance that in
the future we will be able to fully comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or that management will conclude that our
internal control over financial reporting is effective. If we fail to fully comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our
business may be harmed and our stock price may decline.
Our
results of operations are volatile and difficult to predict, and our stock price may decline if we fail to meet the expectations of stockholders.
Our
revenue and results of operations could vary significantly from period-to-period and year-to-year and may fail to match our past performance
because of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. Any of these events could cause the market price of our common
stock to fluctuate. Factors that may contribute to the variability of our results of operations include:
● changes
in expectations as to our future financial performance;
● announcements
by us or our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, strategic partnerships or
capital commitments;
● market
acceptance of our new applications and enhancements to our existing applications;
20
● the
amount of advertising and marketing that is available and spent on user acquisition campaigns;
● disruptions
in the availability of our applications on third party platforms;
● actual
or perceived violations of privacy obligations and compromises of subscriber data;
● the
entrance of new competitors in our market whether by established companies or the entrance
of new companies;
● additions
or departures of key personnel and the cost of attracting and retaining application developers
and other software engineers; and
● general
market conditions, including market volatility and the impact of inflation.
Given
the rapidly evolving industry in which we operate, our historical results of operations may not be useful in predicting our future results
of operations. In addition, metrics available from third parties regarding our industry and the performance of our applications may not
be indicative of our future financial performance.
The
issuance of shares upon the exercise of stock options and unvested shares of restricted common stock may cause immediate and substantial
dilution to our existing stockholders.
As
of December 31, 2021, we had approximately 394,075 shares of common stock that were issuable upon the exercise of vested outstanding
stock options. The issuance of shares upon the exercise of these options may result in substantial dilution to the equity interest and
voting power of holders of our common stock.
In
the future, we may also issue additional shares of common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of common
stock. Our Certificate of Incorporation currently authorizes us to issue up to 25,000,000 shares of common stock, of which 9,832,157
were outstanding as of December 31, 2021, which includes 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock with such designations, preferences and
rights as determined by our Board of Directors, of which none were outstanding as of December 31, 2021. The issuance of additional shares
of our common stock may substantially dilute the ownership interests of our existing stockholders. Furthermore, sales of a substantial
amount of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales may occur, could reduce the market price of our common
stock. This could also impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of our securities.
Because
we have no current plans to pay cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future, a stockholder might not receive any return
on investment unless the stockholder sold its shares of common stock for a price greater than that for which the shares were purchased.
We
do not anticipate that we will declare or pay any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, stockholders
will only realize an economic gain on their investment in our common stock if the price appreciates. Stockholders should not purchase
our common stock expecting to receive cash dividends. Because we currently do not pay dividends, and there may be limited trading in
our common stock, stockholders may not have any manner to liquidate or receive any payment on their common stock. Therefore, our failure
to pay dividends may cause stockholders to not see any return on their common stock even if we are successful in our business operations.
In addition, because we do not pay dividends we may have trouble raising additional funds which could affect our ability to expand our
business operations.
Our
Certificate of Incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types
of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable
judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees, or stockholders.
Our
Certificate of Incorporation provides that, subject to limited exceptions, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the
sole and exclusive forum for any (i) derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our Company, (ii) action asserting a claim
of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee, agent, or stockholder of our Company to the Company or the Company’s
stockholders, (iii) action asserting a claim against the Company or any director, officer, employee, agent, or stockholder of the Company
arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or our Certificate of Incorporation or our Amended and Restated
By-Laws, as amended, or (iv) action asserting a claim against the Company or any director, officer, employee, agent, or stockholder of
the Company governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares
of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of our amended and restated certificate
of incorporation described above.
21
This
exclusive forum provision applies to state and federal law claims, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance
with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. In addition, this exclusive forum selection provision will
not apply to claims under the Exchange Act. Moreover, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and
state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
Accordingly, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce our forum selection provision as written in connection with claims
arising under the Securities Act. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial
forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits
against us and our directors, officers and employees.
Investor
relations activities, nominal “float” and supply and demand factors may affect the price of our common stock.
We
have engaged an investor relations firm to create investor awareness for our Company. These campaigns may include non-deal road shows
and personal, video and telephone conferences with investors and prospective investors in which our business and business practices are
described. We provide compensation to our investor relations firm, and may in the future provide compensation to additional investor
relations firms or financial advisory firms, for these services, and pay for newsletters, websites, mailings and email campaigns that
are produced by third parties based upon publicly available information concerning us. We do not intend to review or approve of the content
of such analyst reports or other writings and communications that are based upon analysts’ own research or methods. Investor relations
firms are generally required to disclose when they are compensated for their efforts and the source of such compensation, but whether
such disclosure is made or in compliance with applicable laws is not under our control. In addition, our investors may, from time to
time, take steps to encourage investor awareness through similar activities that may be undertaken at the expense of such investors.
Investor awareness activities may also be suspended or discontinued, which may impact the trading market of our common stock.
The
SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority enforce various statutes and regulations intended to prevent manipulative or deceptive
devices in connection with the purchase or sale of any security and carefully scrutinize trading patterns and company news and other
communications for false or misleading information, particularly in cases where the hallmarks of “pump and dump” activities
may exist, such as rapid share price increases or decreases. We and our stockholders may be subjected to enhanced regulatory scrutiny
due to the fact that our affiliates hold a majority of our outstanding common stock and we have a limited number of shares of common
stock that are publicly available for resale.
The
Supreme Court of the United States has stated that manipulative action is a term of art connoting intentional or willful conduct designed
to deceive or defraud investors by controlling or artificially affecting the price of securities. Often times, manipulation is associated
by regulators with forces that upset the supply and demand factors that would normally determine trading prices. Securities regulators
have often cited thinly-traded markets, small numbers of holders and awareness campaigns as components of their claims of price manipulation
and other violations of law when combined with manipulative trading, such as wash sales, matched orders or other manipulative trading
timed to coincide with false or touting press releases. There can be no assurance that our activities or the activities of third parties,
or the small number of potential sellers or small percentage of stock in our public float, or determinations by purchasers or holders
as to when or under what circumstances or at what prices they may be willing to buy or sell stock, will not artificially impact (or would
be claimed by regulators to have affected) the normal supply and demand factors that determine the price of our common stock.
If
we are not able to comply with the applicable continued listing requirements or standards of Nasdaq, Nasdaq could delist our securities.
Our
common stock was approved for listing on Nasdaq under the symbol “PALT” and began trading on Nasdaq on August 3, 2021. We
cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq in the future. In order to maintain that listing, we must
satisfy minimum financial and other continued listing requirements and standards, including those regarding director independence and
independent committee requirements, minimum stockholders’ equity, minimum share price, and certain corporate governance requirements.
We may not be able to comply with the applicable listing standards and Nasdaq could delist our securities as a result.
We
cannot assure you that our common stock, if delisted from Nasdaq, will be listed on another national securities exchange. If our common
stock is delisted by Nasdaq, our common stock would likely trade on the OTCQB where an investor may find it more difficult to sell our
shares or obtain accurate quotations as to the market value of our common stock.
22
ITEM
1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not
applicable.
ITEM
2. PROPERTIES
Our
principal executive office is located at 30 Jericho Executive Plaza in Jericho, New York 11753. The lease for the 30 Jericho Executive
Plaza office space expires on November 30, 2024. We currently do not own any real property.
ITEM
3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
On July 23, 2021, a wholly
owned subsidiary of the Company, Paltalk Holdings, Inc., filed a patent infringement lawsuit against WebEx Communications, Inc., Cisco
WebEx LLC, and Cisco Systems, Inc. (collectively, “Cisco”), in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
The Company alleges that Cisco’s Webex products have infringed U.S. Patent No. 6,683,858, and that the Company is entitled to damages.
A Markman hearing took place on February 24, 2022 and a trial is scheduled for early 2023.
To
our knowledge, other than as described above, there are no material pending legal proceedings to which we are a party or of which any
of our property is the subject.
ITEM
4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not
applicable.
23
PART
II
ITEM
5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market
Information
Our
common stock is quoted on The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “PALT.” Our common stock was
quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol “PALT” during the 2020 fiscal year, the first two fiscal quarters of 2021 and for a
portion of the third quarter of 2021. We completed an uplist to Nasdaq on August 3, 2021.
The
following table sets forth the range of the quarterly high and low bid price information for the fiscal quarters indicated below as reported
by Nasdaq or the OTCQB, as applicable. Except for trading on Nasdaq, there is no established public trading market for our common stock.
High
Bid*
Low
Bid*
($)
($)
2021
Fourth
Quarter
$ 13.57
$ 2.82
Third
Quarter
$ 15.20
$ 2.78
Second
Quarter
$ 3.63
$ 2.35
First
Quarter
$ 4.37
$ 1.48
2020
Fourth
Quarter
$ 1.72
$ 0.67
Third
Quarter
$ 2.70
$ 0.85
Second
Quarter
$ 6.00
$ 0.60
First
Quarter
$ 1.43
$ 0.76
* The
over-the-counter market quotations of the bid prices reflect inter-dealer prices, without
retail mark-up, markdown or commission, and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.
The
market price of our common stock is subject to significant fluctuations in response to variations in our quarterly operating results,
general trends in the market, and other factors, over many of which we have little or no control. In addition, broad market fluctuations,
as well as general economic, business and political conditions, may adversely affect the market for our common stock, regardless of our
actual or projected performance.
Holders
As of March 21, 2022, there were approximately
53 holders of record of our common stock. This does not reflect the number of persons or entities who held stock in nominee or street
name through various brokerage firms.
Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities
There
were no sales of unregistered securities during the year ended December 31, 2021 that were not previously reported on a Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q or a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
We
did not repurchase any of our equity securities during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
ITEM
6. Reserved
24
ITEM
7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is intended to provide a reader of our financial
statements with a narrative from the perspective of our management on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and
certain other factors that may affect our future results. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our
audited consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes thereto included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary
Data.”
Forward-Looking
Statements
In
addition to historical financial information, the following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks, uncertainties and assumptions. See “Forward-Looking Statements.” Our results and the timing of selected events may
differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed under
“Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Overview
We
are a leading communications software innovator that powers multimedia social applications. Our product portfolio includes Paltalk, Camfrog
and Tinychat, which together host one of the world’s largest collections of video-based communities. Our other product is Vumber,
which is a telecommunications services provider that enables users to communicate privately by having multiple phone numbers with any
area code through which calls can be forwarded to a user’s existing telephone number. We have an over 20-year history of technology
innovation and hold 14 patents.
We
believe that the scale of our user base presents a competitive advantage in the video social networking industry and provides growth
opportunities to advance our existing products with up-sell opportunities and build future brands with cross-sell offers. We also believe
that our proprietary consumer app technology platform can scalably support large communities of users in activities such as video, voice
and text chat, online card and board games and provide robust user monetization tools.
Our
continued growth depends on attracting new consumer application users through the introduction of new applications, features and partnerships
and further penetration of our existing markets. Our principal growth strategy is to invest in the development of proprietary software,
expand our sales and marketing efforts with respect to such software, and increase our consumer application user base through potential
platform partnerships and new and existing advertising campaigns that we run through internet and mobile advertising networks, all while
balancing the capital needs of the business. Our strategy also includes the acquisition of, or investment in, technologies, solutions
or businesses that complement our business.
Our
strategy is to approach these opportunities in a measured way, being mindful of our resources and evaluating factors such as potential
revenue, time to market and amount of capital needed to invest in the opportunity.
Background
of Presentation and Recent Developments
Update
on COVID-19
The
World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the various
attempts to contain it have created significant volatility, uncertainty and economic disruption. COVID-19 continues to have an unpredictable
and unprecedented impact on the U.S. economy as federal, state and local governments react to this public health crisis with travel restrictions
and potential quarantines. Although our core multimedia social applications have been able to support the increased demand we have experienced,
the extent of the future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business is highly uncertain and difficult to predict. Adverse economic
and market conditions as a result of COVID-19 could also affect the demand for our applications and the ability of our users to satisfy
their obligations to us. If the pandemic continues to cause significant negative impacts to economic conditions, our results of operations,
financial condition and liquidity could be materially and adversely impacted.
On
April 13, 2020, to help ensure adequate liquidity in light of the uncertainties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we applied for a loan
under the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
Security Act (the “CARES Act”), and on May 3, 2020, we entered into a promissory note with an aggregate principal amount
of $506,500 (the “Note”) in favor of Citibank, N.A., as lender (the “Lender”). On January 13, 2021, the Note
was fully forgiven by the SBA and the Lender in compliance with the provisions of the CARES Act. We do not expect to incur additional
indebtedness under the CARES Act.
We
continue to serve as a form of safe and entertaining communication during this global pandemic, and in order to help those affected in
hardest hit countries, will continue to offer some of its group video conferencing services free of charge to select countries.
25
August
2021 Underwritten Public Offering
On
August 5, 2021, we announced the pricing and closing of a firm commitment underwritten public offering of an aggregate of 1,333,310 shares
of our common stock (which includes 173,910 shares sold to the underwriter pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment
option) at a public offering price of $3.00 per share (the “August 2021 Offering”). The August 2021 Offering was made pursuant
to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-257036), initially filed with the SEC on June 11, 2021, as subsequently
amended, and declared effective on August 2, 2021. The August 2021 Offering was made only by means of a prospectus forming a part of
the effective registration statement. The net proceeds to us from the August 2021 Offering were approximately $3.2 million, after deducting
underwriting discounts, commissions and other estimated offering expenses.
In
connection with the August 2021 Offering, our common stock was approved for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”)
under the symbol “PALT” and began trading on Nasdaq on August 3, 2021.
October
2021 Underwritten Public Offering
On
October 19, 2021, we announced the pricing and closing of an underwritten public offering of an aggregate of 1,552,500 shares of our
common stock (which includes 202,500 shares sold to the underwriter pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment
option) at a public offering price of $7.50 per share (the “October 2021 Offering”). The October 2021 Offering was made pursuant
to an effective shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-260063), previously filed with the SEC on October 5, 2021
and declared effective on October 14, 2021. The October 2021 Offering was offered by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying
prospectus, forming part of the registration statement. The net proceeds to us from the October 2021 Offering were approximately $10.7
million, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other estimated offering expenses.
Launch
of Paltalk Rewards Points
As previously disclosed, we served as a launch
partner with YouNow to integrate YouNow’s props infrastructure into our Camfrog and Paltalk applications, which allowed users to
earn Props tokens while using the Paltalk and Camfrog applications. On October 15, 2021, we launched our new rewards loyalty program,
Paltalk Rewards Points, and simultaneously ended the distribution of Props tokens, our prior rewards program. Paltalk and Camfrog users
kept their existing rewards earned from the former Props program as Paltalk Rewards Points and now have the opportunity to earn new Paltalk
Rewards Points. In connection with the Paltalk Rewards Points, we added 25 new reward tiers such as specialty coins, subscriptions, stickers,
flair, and other popular buttons.
Operational
Highlights and Objectives
During
the year ended December 31, 2021, we executed key components of our objectives:
●
completed an uplist of our shares of common stock to Nasdaq, which
began trading on Nasdaq on August 3, 2021, under the Company’s current ticker symbol “PALT”;
●
raised
gross proceeds of approximately $15.6 million in connection with the August 2021 Offering and October 2021 Offering of an aggregate
of 2,885,810 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $3.00 and $7.50 per share, respectively;
●
sold
approximately 36.9 million Props tokens for proceeds of $0.9 million during the year ended
December 31, 2021;
● reported
net income of $1.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 which included a non-cash
$0.8 million impairment of digital token assets, compared to net income of $1.4 million for
the year ended December 31, 2020; and
● achieved
positive net cash flow of $16.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, an improvement
of $13.9 million when compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.
26
For
the near term, our business objectives include:
●
invest in robust marketing initiatives through marketing agencies in order to drive new user acquisition intended to result in an increase in revenue;
●
implementing several enhancements to our live video chat applications as well as the integration of games and other features focused on retention and monetization, which collectively are intended to increase user engagement and revenue opportunities;
● continuing
to explore strategic opportunities, including, but not limited to, potential mergers or acquisitions
of other entities that are synergistic to our businesses;
● focusing
on our core business to continue to leverage efficiencies gained during 2021 and expand our
core business in a cost-efficient way;
● continuing
to develop our consumer application platform strategy by seeking potential partnerships with
large third-party communities to whom we could promote a co-branded version of our video
chat products and potentially share in the incremental revenues generated by these partner
communities; and
● continuing
to defend our intellectual property.
Sources
of Revenue
Our
main sources of revenue are subscription, advertising and other fees generated from users of our core video chat products. We expect
that the majority of our revenue in future periods will continue to be generated from our core video chat products. We also generate
technology service revenue under licensing and service agreements that we negotiate with third parties which includes development, integration,
engineering, licensing or other services that we provide.
Subscription
Revenue
Our
video chat platforms generate revenue primarily through subscription fees. Our tiers of subscriptions provide users with unlimited video
windows and levels of status within the community. Multiple subscription tiers are offered in different durations depending on the product
from one-, six- and twelve-month terms, which continue to vary as we continue to test and optimize length and pricing. Longer-term plans
(those with durations longer than one month) are generally available at discounted monthly rates. Levels of membership benefits are offered
in tiers, with the least membership benefits in the lowest paid tier and the most membership benefits in the highest paid tier. Our membership
tiers are “Plus,” “Extreme,” “VIP” and “Prime” for Paltalk and “Pro,” “Extreme”
and “Gold” for Camfrog. We also hold occasional promotions that offer discounted subscriptions and virtual gifts.
We
recognize revenue from monthly premium subscription services beginning in the month in which the subscriptions are originated. Revenues
from multi-month subscriptions are recognized on a gross and straight-line basis over the length of the subscription period. The unearned
portion of subscription revenue is presented as deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
27
We
also offer virtual gifts to our users. Users may purchase credits that can be redeemed for a host of virtual gifts such as a rose, a
beer, or a car, among other items. Virtual gift revenue is recognized upon the users’ utilization of the virtual gift and included
in subscription revenue. The unearned portion of virtual gifts revenue is presented as deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated
balance sheets.
Advertising
Revenue
We
generate a portion of our revenue through advertisements on our video platforms. Advertising revenue is dependent upon the volume of
advertising impressions viewed by active users as well as the advertising inventory we place on our products. We recognize advertising
revenue as earned on a click-through, impression, registration or subscription basis. Measurements of impressions include when a user
clicks on an advertisement (CPC basis), views an advertisement impression (CPM basis), or registers for an external website via an advertisement
by clicking on or through our application (CPA basis).
Technology
Service Revenue
Technology
service revenue is generated under service and partnership agreements that we negotiate with third parties, which includes development,
integration, engineering, licensing or other services that we provide.
On
May 29, 2020, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement, which was subsequently amended and restated (the “Amended and Restated
Agreement”) with SecureCo, LLC (“SecureCo”), pursuant to which we agreed to sell substantially all of the assets related
to our secure communications business (the “Secured Communications Assets”) to SecureCo. The Amended and Restated Agreement
also provides for a revenue sharing arrangement, pursuant to which we are entitled to receive quarterly royalty payments ranging from
5% to 10% of certain revenues received by SecureCo, with the aggregate amount of such royalty payments not to exceed $500,000. The royalty
payments, if received, will be recorded as technology service revenue. We do not expect to continue to pursue secure communications products
or technology implementation services as part of our overall business strategy.
During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020,
we also recorded technology service revenue in connection with our agreement to serve as a launch partner with Open Props, Inc. (formerly
YouNow, Inc., and referred to herein as “YouNow”) and to integrate YouNow’s props infrastructure (the “Props platform”)
into our Camfrog and Paltalk applications (as amended, the “YouNow Agreement”).
Pursuant to the terms of the YouNow Agreement,
YouNow agreed to pay us, in exchange for our services, an aggregate of 10.5 million cryptographic props tokens (“Props tokens”)
upon the achievement of certain milestones. The upfront fee is recognized as revenue under the output method based on the direct measurements
of the value of services transferred to date to the customer, relative to the remaining services under the YouNow Agreement. The milestones
fees were recognized as revenue on the completion dates of integration services performed during the second and third quarters of 2020.
Once the integration of Props tokens into our Paltalk and Camfrog applications was completed, we began receiving Props tokens for providing
a validator service and for allowing users to participate in the loyalty platform. The loyalty platform was intended to drive engagement
and incentivize users financially by providing users with the ability to earn Props tokens while using the Paltalk and Camfrog applications.
The net revenue earned was recorded under “technology service revenue” in the consolidated statements of operations. The total
net revenue value is recognized as earned.
For
the year ended December 31, 2020, we determined the fair value of the Props tokens by converting them into U.S. dollars using an independent
third-party valuation. Digital tokens earned, receivable or payable before September 30, 2020, were recorded based on a $0.02 fair value
estimated at the end of the reporting period. Digital tokens earned, receivable or payable from July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
were recorded based on an estimated fair value of $0.039.
For
the year ended December 31, 2021, we determined the fair value of the Props tokens using observable daily quoted market prices on multiple
international exchanges, as recorded on CoinmarketCap.
In August 2021, we received notice from YouNow that it was terminating
the YouNow Agreement, and that it would no longer support the Props platform past the end of calendar year 2021. In connection with the
notice of termination and in accordance with the YouNow Agreement, we received an additional 2,625,000 Props tokens. The value of these
tokens was recorded as revenue under “technology service revenue” in the consolidated statements of income. The YouNow Agreement
was terminated effective on November 23, 2021. We now expect that most of our technology service revenue generated in the future will
result from opportunistic partnerships between us and third parties.
During
year the ended December 31, 2021, we sold approximately 36.9 million Props tokens for total proceeds of $0.9 million.
28
Costs
and Expenses
Cost of revenue
Cost
of revenue consists primarily of compensation (including stock-based compensation) and other employee-related costs for personnel engaged
in data center and customer care functions, credit card processing fees, hosting fees, and data center rent and bandwidth costs. Cost
of revenue also includes compensation and other employee-related costs for technical personnel, consultants and subcontracting costs
relating to technology service revenue.
Sales
and marketing expense
Sales
and marketing expense consist primarily of advertising expenditures and compensation (including stock-based compensation) and other employee-related
costs for personnel and consultants engaged in sales and sales support functions. Advertising and promotional spend includes online marketing,
including fees paid to search engines, and offline marketing, which primarily consists of partner-related payments to those who direct
traffic to our brands.
Product
development expense
Product
development expense, which relates to the development of technology of our applications, consists primarily of compensation (including
stock-based compensation) and other employee-related and consultants-related costs that are not capitalized for personnel engaged in
the design, testing and enhancement of service offerings as well as amortization of capitalized website development costs.
General
and administrative expense
General
and administrative expense consists primarily of compensation (including non-cash stock-based compensation) and other employee-related
costs for personnel engaged in executive management, finance, legal, tax and human resources and facilities costs and fees for other
professional services and cost of insurance. General and administrative expense also includes depreciation of property and equipment
and amortization of intangible assets.
Impairment
loss on digital tokens
Impairment loss on digital tokens results from
the daily assessment of the Props tokens’ quoted market prices, as reflected on CoinmarketCap, and adjusting the recorded carrying
amount to the amount equal to the lowest quoted market price during the period in which the Props tokens are held. During the year ended
December 31, 2021, we recorded a non-cash impairment charge in the amount of $765,232, which is reported in our accompanying consolidated
statements of income as a result of recent decline in the quoted market prices below the market price of their acquisition.
Key
Metrics
Our
management relies on certain non-GAAP and/or unaudited performance indicators to manage and evaluate our business. The key performance
indicators set forth below help us evaluate growth trends, establish budgets, measure the effectiveness of our advertising and marketing
efforts and assess operational efficiencies. We also discuss net cash provided by operating activities under the ‟Results of Operations”
and “Liquidity and Capital Resources” sections below. Subscription bookings and Adjusted EBITDA are discussed below.
Year Ended
December 31,
2021
2020
Subscription bookings
$
12,224,780
$
12,195,725
Net cash provided by operating activities
$
1,265,464
$
1,435,300
Net income
$
1,324,106
$
1,371,262
Adjusted EBITDA
$
1,281,361
$
1,955,854
Adjusted EBITDA as percentage of total revenue
9.7
%
15.2
%
29
Subscription
Bookings
Subscription
bookings is a financial measure representing the aggregate dollar value of subscription fees and virtual gifts purchases received during
the period. We calculate subscription bookings as subscription revenue recognized during the period plus the change in deferred subscription
revenue recognized during the period. We record subscription revenue from subscription fees as deferred subscription revenue and then
recognize that revenue ratably over the length of the subscription term or ratably over usage for virtual gifts. Our management uses
subscription bookings internally in analyzing our financial results to assess operational performance and to assess the effectiveness
of, and plan future, user acquisition campaigns. We believe that this financial measure is useful in evaluating the performance of our
consumer applications because we believe, as compared to subscription revenue, it is a better indicator of the subscription activity
in a given period. We believe that both management and investors benefit from referring to subscription bookings in assessing our performance
and when planning, forecasting and analyzing future periods.
While
the factors that affect subscription bookings and subscription revenue are generally the same, certain factors may affect subscription
bookings more or less than such factors affect subscription revenue in any period. While we believe that subscription bookings is useful
in evaluating our business, it should be considered as supplemental in nature and it is not meant to be a substitute for subscription
revenue recognized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”).
Adjusted
EBITDA
Adjusted
EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income adjusted to exclude net loss from interest income, net,
provision for income taxes, gain on office lease termination, impairment loss on goodwill, gain from sale of Secured Communication Assets,
gain on the extinguishment of term debt, provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization expense, loss on disposal of property
and equipment, other expense, impairment loss on digital tokens, gain on extinguishment of digital tokens payable, realized loss (gain)
from the sale of digital tokens and stock-based compensation expense.
We
present Adjusted EBITDA because it is a key measure used by our management and Board of Directors to understand and evaluate our core
operating performance and trends, to develop short- and long-term operational plans and to allocate resources to expand our business.
In particular, the exclusion of certain expenses in calculating Adjusted EBITDA can provide a useful measure for period-to-period comparisons
of the cash operating income generated by our business. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors and others to understand
and evaluate our operating results, and it allows for a more meaningful comparison between our performance and that of competitors.
Limitations
of Adjusted EBITDA
Our
use of Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider this performance measure in isolation from
or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are that Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect:
cash capital expenditures for assets underlying depreciation and amortization expense that may need to be replaced or for new capital
expenditures; net loss from discontinued operations; interest income, net; other expense, net; gain on sale of the Dating Services Business;
income tax expense from continuing operations; gain on office lease termination; impairment loss on goodwill; gain from sale of Secured
Communication Assets; loss on disposal of property and equipment; our working capital requirements; the impairment loss on digital tokens;
realized gain (loss) from the sale of digital tokens; the potentially dilutive impact of stock-based compensation; gain on the extinguishment
of term debt; gain on extinguishment of digital tokens payable; and the provision for income taxes. Other companies, including companies
in our industry, may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently, which reduces its usefulness as a comparative measure.
Because
of these limitations, you should consider Adjusted EBITDA alongside other financial performance measures, including various cash flow
metrics, net income and our other GAAP results. The following table presents a reconciliation of net income, the most directly comparable
financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted EBITDA for each of the periods indicated:
Year
Ended
December
31,
2021
2020
Reconciliation
of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA:
Net
income
$ 1,324,106
$ 1,371,262
Stock-based
compensation expense
(35,653 )
243,197
Depreciation
and amortization expense
370,845
571,725
Gain
on office lease termination
-
(141,001 )
Impairment
loss on digital tokens
765,232
-
Interest
income, net
(133 )
(7,119 )
Gain
from sale of Secured Communications Assets
-
(250,000 )
Loss
on disposal of property and equipment
-
39,238
Gain
on extinguishment of term debt
(506,500 )
-
Realized
loss (gain) from sale of digital tokens
(307,934 )
72,123
Gain
on termination of digital tokens payable
(338,553 )
-
Other
expense
-
56,042
Provision
for income taxes
9,951
387
Adjusted
EBITDA
$ 1,281,361
$ 1,955,854
30
Results
of Operations
The following table sets forth consolidated statements
of income data for each of the periods indicated as a percentage of total revenue:
Years
Ended
December 31,
2021
2020
Total
revenue
100.0 %
100.0 %
Costs
and expenses:
Cost
of revenue
20.5 %
20.1 %
Sales
and marketing expense
8.8 %
6.4 %
Product
development expense
40.6 %
39.2 %
General
and administrative expense
20.4 %
24.7 %
Impairment
loss on digital tokens
5.8 %
-%
Total
costs and expenses
96.1 %
90.4 %
Income
from operations
3.9 %
9.6 %
Interest
income, net
0.0 %
0.1 %
Gain
from sale of Secured Communications Assets
-%
1.9 %
Gain
on extinguishment of term debt
3.8 %
-%
Realized
gain (loss) from sale of digital tokens
2.3 %
(0.6 )%
Other
expense
- %
(0.4 )%
Income
from operations before provision for income taxes
10.0 %
10.6 %
Provision
for income taxes
(0.1 )%
(0.0 )%
Net
income
9.9 %
10.6 %
Year
Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020
Revenue
Total revenue increased to $13,273,849 for the year ended December
31, 2021 from $12,832,672 for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in subscription revenue
from the Paltalk application, as we experienced a change in the proportion of revenue generated from revenue from subscriptions to revenue
from virtual gifts.
The
following table sets forth our subscription revenue, advertising revenue, technology service revenue and total revenue for the year ended
December 31, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020, the increase or decrease between those periods, the percentage increase or decrease
between those periods, and the percentage of total revenue that each represented for those periods:
Years
Ended
$
%
%
of Revenue Years Ended
December
31,
Increase
Increase
December
31,
2021
2020
(Decrease)
(Decrease)
2021
2020
Subscription
revenue
$
12,368,008
$
11,966,497
$
401,511
3.4
%
93.2
%
93.3
%
Advertising
revenue
451,337
325,475
125,862
38.7
%
3.4
%
2.5
%
Technology
service revenue
454,504
540,700
(86,196
)
(15.9
)%
3.4
%
4.2
%
Total
revenues
$
13,273,849
$
12,832,672
$
441,177
3.4
%
100.0
%
100.0
%
31
Subscription
Revenue
Our subscription revenue for the year ended December
31, 2021 increased by $401,511, or 3.4%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in subscription revenue was primarily
driven by increased activity in the Paltalk application from our existing users, as well as a strategic alignment of pricing promotions
and a change in the blend of revenue generated from revenue from subscriptions to revenue from virtual gifts. In addition, we had an increase
in the Vumber application’s subscription revenue resulting from an increase in the work-from-home trend as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic.
Advertising
Revenue
Our
advertising revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $125,862, or 38.7%, as compared to the year ended December 31,
2020. The increase in advertising revenue was primarily due to an increase in the volume of advertising impressions related to changes
in and the optimization of third-party advertising partners.
Technology
Service Revenue
Our
technology service revenue decreased by $86,196, or 15.9%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in technology
service revenue was driven by the termination of the YouNow Agreement, effective November 23, 2021.
Costs
and Expenses
Total
costs and expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $1,164,382, or 10.0%, as compared to the year ended December 31,
2020. The following table presents our costs and expenses for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the increase or decrease between
those periods and the percentage increase or decrease between those periods and the percentage of total revenue that each represented
for those periods:
Years
Ended
December 31,
$
%
%
of Revenue Years Ended
December 31,
Increase
Increase
2021
2020
(Decrease)
(Decrease)
2021
2020
Cost
of revenue
$
2,720,189
$
2,573,083
$
147,106
5.7
%
20.5
%
20.1
%
Sales
and marketing expense
1,170,386
825,069
345,317
41.9
%
8.8
%
6.4
%
Product
development expense
5,391,819
5,025,482
366,337
7.3
%
40.6
%
39.2
%
General
and administrative expense
2,706,733
3,166,343
(459,610
)
(14.5
)%
20.4
%
24.7
%
Impairment
loss on digital tokens
765,232
-
765,232
100.0
%
5.8
%
-
%
Total
costs and expenses
$
12,754,359
$
11,589,977
$
1,164,382
10.0
%
96.1
%
90.4
%
Cost
of revenue
Our cost of revenue for the year ended December
31, 2021 increased by $147,106, or 5.7%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase for the year ended December 31,
2021 was primarily driven by an increase in non-cash stock compensation expense of $67,000 and an increase of approximately $62,800 in
consulting services to support fraud prevention.
Sales
and marketing expense
Our sales and marketing expense for the year ended December 31, 2021
increased by $345,317, or 41.9%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in sales and marketing expense for the
year ended December 31, 2021 was primarily due to an increase of approximately $259,000 in marketing user acquisition expenses and an
increase of approximately $87,000 in salary and related expenses driven by an increased headcount as we grow our focus on social media.
32
Product
development expense
Our product development expense for the year ended December 31, 2021
increased by $366,337, or 7.3%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase of approximately
$382,600 related to consulting services and software expenses in support of enhanced user retention and improved monetization in the Paltalk
application. This increase was offset by a decrease of approximately $55,800 in compensation expense as the sale of the secure communications
assets resulted in a decrease in headcount.
General
and administrative expense
Our general and administrative expense for the year ended December
31, 2021 decreased by $459,610, or 14.5%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in general and administrative
expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 was mainly due to reduced rent expense of $115,100 resulting from an office lease termination,
a decrease in compensation and related expenses of approximately $151,000, a reduction of approximately $336,500 in non-cash stock compensation
expense primarily from an unvested executive performance award that was forfeited, and $338,553 non-cash gain on extinguishment of digital
tokens payable. These reductions were offset by an increase in professional and legal fees in connection with the uplisting to The Nasdaq
Capital Market of approximately $146,000 in August of 2021 and a gain of $141,000 resulting from an office lease termination during the
year ended December 31, 2020.
Impairment
loss on digital tokens
We
recorded a non-cash impairment loss on digital tokens of $765,232 for the year ended December 31, 2021 as a result of recent declines
in the quoted market prices of certain digital tokens below the market price of their acquisition.
Non-Operating
Income
The
following table presents the components of non-operating income for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the year ended December 31,
2020, the increase or decrease between those periods and the percentage increase or decrease between those periods and the percentage
of total revenue that each represented for those periods:
Years
Ended
December 31,
$
Increase
%
Increase
%
of Revenue Years Ended
December 31,
2021
2020
(Decrease)
(Decrease)
2021
2020
Interest
income, net
$
133
$
7,119
$
(6,986
)
(98.1
)%
0.0
%
0.1
%
Gain
from the sale of Secured Communications Assets
-
250,000
(250,000
)
(100.0
)%
-
%
1.9
%
Gain
on extinguishment of term debt
506,500
-
506,500
100.0
%
3.8
%
-
%
Realized
gain (loss) from sale of digital tokens
307,934
(72,123
)
380,057
527.0
%
2.3
%
(0.6
)%
Other
expense
-
(56,042
)
56,042
100.0
%
-
%
(0.4
)%
Total
non-operating income
$
814,567
$
128,954
$
685,613
531.7
%
6.1
%
1.0
%
Non-operating income for the year ended December
31, 2021 was $814,567, an increase of $685,613, or 531.7%, as compared to non-operating income of $128,954 for the year ended December
31, 2020. The increase resulted from the gain on extinguishment of term debt of the $506,500 of proceeds from the Note received in order
to help ensure adequate liquidity in light of the uncertainties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and a gain from sale of digital tokens
of $307,934.
33
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Years Ended
December 31,
2021
2020
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Data:
Net cash provided by operating activities
$ 1,265,464
$ 1,435,300
Net cash provided by investing activities
858,848
225,406
Net cash provided by financing activities
13,927,128
497,656
Net change in cash and cash equivalents
$ 16,051,440
$ 2,158,362
Currently, our primary source of liquidity is
cash on hand and cash flows from continuing operations, and we believe that our cash and cash equivalents balance and our expected cash
flow from operations will be sufficient to meet all of our financial obligations for the twelve months from the date these financial statements
are issued. As of December 31, 2021, we had $21,636,860 of cash and cash equivalents.
Our primary use of working capital is related to product development
resources and an investment in marketing activities in order to maintain and create new services and features in applications for our
clients and users. In particular, a significant portion of our working capital has been allocated to the improvement of our products.
In the future, we may also seek to grow our business by expending our capital resources to fund strategic investments and partnership
opportunities.
As
discussed above, on May 29, 2020, we completed the sale of the Secured Communications Assets for a cash purchase price of $250,000, $150,000
of which was paid at closing and $100,000 of which was paid in four equal installments over the fifteen-month period following the closing.
The Amended and Restated Agreement also provides for a revenue sharing arrangement, pursuant to which we are entitled to receive quarterly
royalty payments ranging from 5% to 10% of certain revenues received by SecureCo, with the aggregate amount of such royalty payments
not to exceed $500,000. The royalty payments, if received, will be recorded as technology service revenue.
On
August 5, 2021, we announced the closing of the August 2021 Offering in which we offered and sold 1,159,400 shares of our common stock.
We also granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 173,910 shares of common stock at the public offering price
less discounts and commissions to cover over-allotments, which was exercised in full on August 5, 2021. The net proceeds to us from the
August 2021 Offering were approximately $3.2 million, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other estimated offering
expenses.
In
addition, on October 19, 2021, we announced the pricing and closing of the October 2021 Offering in which we offered and sold 1,552,500
shares of our common stock. We also granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 202,500 shares of common stock
at the public offering price less discounts and commissions to cover over-allotments, which was exercised in full on October 14, 2021.
The net proceeds to us from the October 2021 Offering were approximately $10.7 million, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions
and other estimated offering expenses.
Operating
Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities was $1,265,464 for the year
ended December 31, 2021, as compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $1,435,300 for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Changes in accounts receivable and deferred revenue contributed to a lower cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2021 of $134,064
and $372,456, respectively, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in cash flow resulted from a change in third-party
advertising partners as well as a change in the proportion of revenue generated between revenue from subscriptions and revenue from virtual
gifts due to strategic alignment of the frequency of promotions therefore, accumulating less deferred revenue. These decreases were offset
by an increase in accounts payables and accrued expenses of $1,059,132 for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended
December 31, 2020, mainly as result of higher provisions of annual performance incentives .
34
Investing
Activities
Net
cash provided by investing activities was $858,848 for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to net cash provided by investing
activities of $225,406 for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in net cash provided by investing activities is due to an increase
in proceeds from the sale of digital tokens.
Financing
Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was
$13,927,128 for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to net cash provided by financing activities of $497,656 for the year ended
December 31, 2020. The increase in net cash provided by financing activities is a result of the August 2021 and October 2021 Offerings,
in which the Company sold an aggregate of 2,885,810 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $3.00 and $7.50 per share, respectively.
Net proceeds received by the Company from the August 2021 and October 2021 Offerings were approximately $13.9 million, after underwriting
discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses.
Contractual
Obligations and Commitments
As
discussed above, on May 3, 2020, to help ensure adequate liquidity in light of the uncertainties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we entered
into the Note in favor of the Lender in the aggregate principal amount of $506,500. The Note had a two-year term and borne interest at
a stated rate of 1.0% per annum. We did not provide any collateral or guarantees for the Note, nor did we pay any facility charge to
obtain the Note. The Note provided for customary events of default, including, among others, those relating to failure to make payment,
bankruptcy, breaches of representations and material adverse effects. On January 13, 2021, the Note was fully forgiven by the SBA and
the Lender in compliance with the provisions of the CARES Act. We do not expect to incur additional indebtedness under the CARES Act.
On
June 7, 2016, we entered into a lease agreement with Jericho Executive Center LLC for office space at 30 Jericho Executive Plaza in Jericho,
New York, which commenced on September 1, 2016 and runs through November 30, 2021. Our monthly office rent payments under the lease are
currently approximately $7,081 per month. On April 9, 2021, we entered into a lease extension agreement with Jericho Executive Center
LLC for the office space at 30 Jericho Executive Plaza in Jericho, New York, which commenced on December 1, 2021 and runs through November
30, 2024.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
As
of December 31, 2021, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Critical
Accounting Estimates
We
prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. In doing so, we have to make estimates and assumptions. Our critical
accounting estimates are those estimates that involve a significant level of uncertainty at the time the estimate was made, and changes
in them have had or are reasonably likely to have a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Accordingly,
actual results could differ materially from our estimates. We base our estimates on past experience and other assumptions that we believe
are reasonable under the circumstances, and we evaluate these estimates on an ongoing basis. We have reviewed our critical accounting
estimates with the audit committee of our Board of Directors.
Critical Accounting Policies
See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included
in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for a summary of significant accounting policies, which includes our critical accounting policies, and the
effect on our financial statements.
ITEM
7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Not
applicable.
35
ITEM
8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Page
Number
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB No. 688 ) F-1
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 F-2
Consolidated Statements of Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 F-3
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 F-4
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 F-5
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements F-6
36
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of
Paltalk, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance
sheets of Paltalk, Inc. and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements
of income, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2021, 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 2020, and the results of its operations and
its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are
the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based
on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB")
and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance
with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether
the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were
we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding
of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal
control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing
procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures
that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the
financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management,
as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for
our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
Critical audit matters are matters arising from the current period audit
of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts
or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments.
We determined that there are no critical audit matters.
/s/ Marcum LLP
Marcum LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor
since 2016.
Melville, NY
March 23, 2022
F- 1
PALTALK,
INC.
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
December 31,
2021
2020
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 21,636,860
$ 5,585,420
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $ 3,648 as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively
153,448
71,410
Prepaid expense and other current assets
239,258
236,704
Total current assets
22,029,566
5,893,534
Operating lease right-of-use asset
239,491
68,967
Property and equipment, net
69,599
255,777
Goodwill
6,326,250
6,326,250
Intangible assets, net
196,543
381,210
Digital tokens
7,262
439,145
Digital tokens receivable
-
210,000
Other assets
13,937
13,937
Total assets
$ 28,882,648
$ 13,588,820
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
$ 1,332,632
$ 742,141
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
344,441
254,084
Operating lease liabilities, current portion
80,309
68,967
Digital tokens payable
-
123,397
Term debt, current portion
-
338,792
Deferred subscription revenue
1,915,493
2,058,721
Total current liabilities
3,672,875
3,586,102
Operating lease liabilities, non-current portion
159,182
-
Term debt, non-current portion
-
167,708
Total liabilities
3,832,057
3,753,810
Commitments and contingencies (Note 14)
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $ 0.001 par value, 25,000,000 shares authorized, 9,864,120 and 6,916,404 shares issued and 9,832,157 and 6,906,454 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively
9,864
6,917
Treasury stock, 31,963 and 9,950 shares as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively
( 194,200 )
( 10,859 )
Additional paid-in capital
35,639,910
21,568,041
Accumulated deficit
( 10,404,983 )
( 11,729,089 )
Total stockholders’ equity
25,050,591
9,835,010
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$ 28,882,648
$ 13,588,820
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 2
PALTALK,
INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Years
Ended
December 31,
2021
2020
Revenues
Subscription
revenue
$ 12,368,008
$ 11,966,497
Advertising revenue
451,337
325,475
Technology
service revenue
454,504
540,700
Total revenue
13,273,849
12,832,672
Costs and expenses
Costs of revenue
2,720,189
2,573,083
Sales and marketing
expense
1,170,386
825,069
Product development
expense
5,391,819
5,025,482
General and administrative
expense
2,706,733
3,166,343
Impairment
loss on digital tokens
765,232
-
Total costs and expenses
12,754,359
11,589,977
Income from operations
519,490
1,242,695
Interest income,
net
133
7,119
Gain from sale of
Secured Communications Assets
-
250,000
Gain on extinguishment
of term debt
506,500
-
Realized gain (loss)
from the sale of digital tokens
307,934
( 72,123 )
Other
expense
-
( 56,042 )
Income from operations before provision
for income taxes
1,334,057
1,371,649
Income
tax expense
( 9,951 )
( 387 )
Net income
$ 1,324,106
1,371,262
Net income per share of common stock:
Basic
$ 0.17
$ 0.20
Diluted
$ 0.17
$ 0.20
Weighted
average number of shares of common stock used in calculating net income per share of common stock:
Basic
7,766,111
6,884,690
Diluted
7,809,132
6,887,808
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 3
PALTALK,
INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Retained
Additional
Earnings
Total
Common
Stock
Treasury
Stock
Paid-in
(Accumulated
Stockholders’
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Capital
Deficit)
Equity
Balance at December 31, 2019
6,878,904
$
6,879
( 1,900
)
$
( 2,015
)
$
21,281,382
$
( 13,100,351
)
$
8,185,895
Stock-based compensation expense
-
-
-
-
243,197
-
243,197
Issuance of common stock for consulting services
37,500
38
-
-
43,462
-
43,500
Repurchases of common stock
-
-
( 8,050
)
( 8,844
)
-
-
( 8,844
)
Net income
-
-
-
-
-
1,371,262
1,371,262
Balance at December 31, 2020
6,916,404
$
6,917
( 9,950
)
$
( 10,859
)
$
21,568,041
$
( 11,729,089
)
$
9,835,010
Stock-based compensation expense
-
-
-
-
( 35,653
)
-
( 35,653
)
Issuance of common stock
2,885,810
2,886
-
-
13,916,240
-
13,919,126
Issuance of common stock pursuant to cashless option exercises
38,464
38
( 38
)
-
-
Treasury stock received from cashless option exercises
22,013
22
( 22,013
)
( 183,341
)
183,319
-
-
Issuance of common stock pursuant to option exercise
1,429
1
-
-
8,001
-
8,002
Net income
-
-
-
-
-
1,324,106
1,324,106
Balance at December 31, 2021
9,864,120
$
9,864
( 31,963
)
$
( 194,200
)
$
35,639,910
$
( 10,404,983
)
$
25,050,591
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 4
PALTALK,
INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Years Ended
December 31,
2021
2020
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income
$
1,324,106
$
1,371,262
Adjustments to reconcile net income from operations to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation of property and equipment
186,178
325,044
Amortization of intangible assets
184,667
246,681
Amortization of operating lease right-of-use assets
74,416
104,083
Gain on cancellation of office lease
-
( 141,001
)
Loss on disposal of property and equipment
-
39,238
Gain on extinguishment of digital token liability
( 338,553
)
-
Impairment loss on digital tokens
765,232
-
Realized (gain) loss from the sale of digital tokens
( 307,934
)
72,823
Write-off of note receivable
-
56,042
Gain on extinguishment of term debt
( 506,500
)
-
Stock-based compensation
( 35,653
)
243,197
Bad debt expense
( 3,235
)
4,015
Common stock issued for consulting services
-
43,500
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Digital tokens
( 884,263
)
( 439,145
)
Accounts receivable
( 78,803
)
55,261
Digital tokens receivable
210,000
( 210,000
)
Operating lease liability
( 74,416
)
( 107,674
)
Digital tokens payable
215,156
123,397
Prepaid expense and other current assets
( 2,554
)
( 219,263
)
Other assets
-
16,897
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities
680,848
( 378,285
)
Deferred subscription revenue
( 143,228
)
229,228
Net cash provided by operating activities
1,265,464
1,435,300
Cash flows from investing activities:
Proceeds from Secured Communications Assets
-
150,000
Proceeds from the sale of digital tokens
858,848
75,406
Net cash provided by investing activities
858,848
225,406
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings of term debt
-
506,500
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs
13,919,126
-
Proceeds from issuance of common stock pursuant to option exercise
8,002
-
Purchase of treasury stock
-
( 8,844
)
Net cash provided by financing activities
13,927,128
497,656
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
16,051,440
2,158,362
Balance of cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
5,585,420
3,427,058
Balance of cash and cash equivalents at end of period
$
21,636,860
$
5,585,420
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Modification of operating lease right-of-use asset and liability
$
244,940
$
-
Issuance of common stock pursuant to cashless option exercises
$
38
$
-
Treasury stock received from cashless option exercises
$
183,341
$
-
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 5
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Organization
and Description of Business
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements include Paltalk, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, A.V.M. Software, Inc., Paltalk
Software Inc., Paltalk Holdings, Inc., Tiny Acquisition Inc., Camshare, Inc., Fire Talk LLC and Vumber LLC (collectively, the “Company”).
The
Company’s product portfolio includes Paltalk, Camfrog and Tinychat, which together host one of the world’s largest collections
of video-based communities. The Company’s other product is Vumber, which is a telecommunications services provider that enables
users to communicate privately by having multiple phone numbers with any area code through which calls can be forwarded to a user’s
existing telephone number. The Company has an over 20-year history of technology innovation and hold 14 patents.
Update
on COVID-19
The
World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the various
attempts to contain it have created significant volatility, uncertainty and economic disruption. COVID-19 continues to have an unpredictable
and unprecedented impact on the U.S. economy as federal, state and local governments react to this public health crisis with travel restrictions
and potential quarantines. Although the Company’s core multimedia social applications have been able to support the increased demand
we have experienced, the extent of the future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business is highly uncertain and difficult to predict.
Adverse economic and market conditions as a result of COVID-19 could also affect the demand for the Company’s applications and
the ability of the Company’s users to satisfy their obligations to the Company. If the pandemic continues to cause significant
negative impacts to economic conditions, the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and liquidity could be materially
and adversely impacted.
On
April 13, 2020, to help ensure adequate liquidity in light of the uncertainties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company applied for
a loan under the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) under the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), and on May 3, 2020, the Company entered into a promissory note
with an aggregate principal amount of $ 506,500 (the “Note”) in favor of Citibank, N.A., as lender (the “Lender”).
On January 13, 2021, the Note was fully forgiven by the SBA and the Lender in compliance with the provisions of the CARES Act. The Company
does not expect to incur additional indebtedness under the CARES Act.
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 and were prepared
in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and with the requirements
of the Security and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.
Significant
Estimates and Assumptions
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses
during the reporting period.
Significant estimates relied upon in preparing these
financial statements include the estimates used to determine the fair value of the stock options issued in share-based payment arrangements,
subscription revenues net of refunds, credits, and known and estimated credit card chargebacks and the fair value of digital tokens. Management
evaluates these estimates on an ongoing basis. Changes in estimates are recorded in the period in which they become known. The Company
bases estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual
results may differ from the Company’s estimates.
F- 6
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Fair
Value Measurements
The
fair value framework under the guidance issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB’”) requires the categorization
of assets and liabilities into three levels based upon the assumptions used to measure the assets or liabilities. Level 1 provides the
most reliable measure of fair value, whereas Level 3, if applicable, would generally require significant management judgment. The three
levels for categorizing assets and liabilities under the fair value measurement requirements are as follows:
● Level
1: Fair value measurement of the asset or liability using observable inputs such as quoted
prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
● Level
2: Fair value measurement of the asset or liability using inputs other than quoted prices
that are observable for the applicable asset or liability, either directly or indirectly,
such as quoted prices for similar (as opposed to identical) assets or liabilities in active
markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that
are not active; and
● Level
3: Fair value measurement of the asset or liability using unobservable inputs that reflect
the Company’s own assumptions regarding the applicable asset or liability.
The
Company reviews the appropriateness of fair value measurements including validation processes, and the reconciliation of period-over-period
fluctuations based on changes in key market inputs. All fair value measurements are subject to the Company’s analysis. Review and
approval by management is required as part of the validation process.
The
carrying amounts of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable, approximate fair value due
to the short-term nature of these instruments.
Revenue
Recognition
In
accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers , revenue from
contracts with customers is recognized when control of the promised services is transferred to the customers in an amount that reflects
the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those services. Sales tax is excluded from reported revenue. The Company
has elected the practical expedient allowable by the guidance to not disclose information about remaining performance obligations pertaining
to contracts that have an original expected duration of one year or less.
Subscription
Revenue
The Company generates subscription revenue primarily
from monthly premium subscription services. Subscription revenues are presented net of refunds, credits, and known and estimated credit
card chargebacks. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, subscriptions were offered in durations of one-, three-, six- and
twelve- month terms. All subscription fees, however, are paid by credit card at the origination of the subscription regardless of the
term of the subscription. Revenues from multi-month subscriptions are recognized on a straight-line basis over the period where the service
is offered to the customer, indicated by length of the subscription term purchased. The unearned portion of subscription revenue is presented
as deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Deferred revenue at December 31, 2020 was $ 2,058,721 , which was subsequently
recognized as subscription revenue during the year ended December 31, 2021. The ending balance of deferred revenue at December 31, 2021
was $ 1,915,493 .
In addition, the Company offers virtual gifts
to its users. Users may purchase credits in $5, $10 or $20 increments that can be redeemed for a host of virtual gifts such as a rose,
a beer or a car, among other items. These gifts are given among users to enhance communication and are typically redeemed within 30 days
of purchase. Upon purchase, the virtual gifts are credited to the users’ account and are under the users’ control. Virtual
gift revenue is recognized upon the users’ redemption of virtual gifts at the fixed transaction price and included in subscription
revenue in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. Virtual gift revenue is presented as deferred revenue in the consolidated
balance sheets until virtual gifts are redeemed. Virtual gift revenue was $ 5,586,710 and $ 5,188,858 for the years ended December 31, 2021
and 2020, respectively. The ending balance of deferred revenue from virtual gifts at December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $ 293,737 and $ 348,677 ,
respectively.
Advertising
Revenue
The
Company generates advertising revenue from the display of advertisements on its products through contractual agreements with third parties
that are based on the number of advertising impressions delivered. Measurements of impressions include when a customer clicks an advertisement
(CPC basis), views an advertisement impression (CPM basis), or registers for an external website via an advertisement by clicking on
or through the application (CPA basis). Advertising revenue is dependent upon traffic as well as the advertising inventory placed on
the Company’s products.
F- 7
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Technology
Service Revenue
Technology service revenue is generated under
service and partnership agreements that the Company negotiates with third parties which includes development, integration, engineering,
licensing or other services that the Company provides.
On May 29, 2020, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement,
which was subsequently amended and restated (the “Amended and Restated Agreement”), with SecureCo, LLC (“SecureCo”),
pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell substantially all of the assets related to its secure communications business to SecureCo.
The Amended and Restated Agreement also provides for a revenue sharing arrangement, pursuant to which the Company is entitled to receive
quarterly royalty payments ranging from 5 % to 10 % of certain revenues received by SecureCo, with the aggregate amount of such royalty
payments not to exceed $ 500,000 . The royalty payments, if received, will be recorded as technology service revenue. The Company does not
expect to continue to pursue secure communications products or technology implementation services as part of its overall business strategy.
The
Company also recorded technology service revenue in connection with its agreement to serve as a launch partner with Open Props, Inc.
(formerly YouNow, Inc., and referred to herein as “YouNow”) and to integrate YouNow’s props infrastructure (the “Props
platform”) into its Camfrog and Paltalk applications (as amended, the “YouNow Agreement”).
Pursuant
to the terms of the YouNow Agreement, YouNow agreed to pay the Company, in exchange for the Company’s services, an aggregate of
10.5 million cryptographic props tokens (“Props tokens”) upon the achievement of certain milestones as follows: (i) 3.0 million
Props tokens upon execution of the YouNow Agreement, (ii) 4.0 million Props tokens upon the integration of the Props platform in the
Company’s Camfrog application and (iii) 3.5 million Props tokens due upon the integration of the Props platform in the Company’s
Paltalk application. In determining the value of the contract, the Company converted the Props tokens into U.S. dollars using an independent
third-party valuation. The Props tokens were estimated to have a price equal to $0.02 per token (see Note 7 for additional information
on the fair value of the Props tokens) at the contract inception date. The total contract value to be recognized was estimated to be
$210,000, which was recognized on the completion dates of the integration services performed during the second and third quarters of
2020.
The upfront fee was recognized as revenue under
the output method based on the direct measurements of the value of services transferred to date to the customer, relative to the remaining
services under the contract. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recognized $60,000 of the upfront fee and $150,000 from
the completion of the first and second integration milestones under technology service revenue in the consolidated statements of income
and digital tokens receivable in the consolidated balance sheets.
Once the integration of Props tokens into the
Company’s Paltalk and Camfrog applications was completed, the Company began receiving Props tokens for providing a validator service
and for allowing users to participate in the loyalty platform. The loyalty platform is intended to drive engagement and incentivize users
financially by providing users with the ability to earn Props tokens while using the Paltalk and Camfrog applications. During the third
and fourth quarters of 2020, the Company received an aggregate of 1.1 million Props tokens for the validator service and 13.5 million
Props tokens under the loyalty platform. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company received 1.5 million Props tokens for the
validator service and 24.3 million Props tokens under the loyalty platform. The net revenue earned was recorded under “technology
service revenue” in the consolidated statements of income.
For the year ended December
31, 2020, the Company retained an independent third-party to estimate the dollar value of the revenue for the validator service and digital
tokens earned through the loyalty platform. Given the recent trading availability of Props tokens in various active markets, during the
year ended December 31, 2021, the Company calculated the fair value of digital tokens based on the observable daily quoted market prices
(Level 1 inputs) on multiple international exchanges, as recorded on CoinmarketCap (see Note 7 for additional information on the fair
value of the Props tokens). The total net revenue value recognized as earned was estimated to be $ 454,504 and $ 525,748 for the years ended
December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
In August 2021, the Company received notice from
YouNow that it was terminating the YouNow Agreement, and that it would no longer support the Props platform past the end of calendar year
2021. In connection with the notice of termination and in accordance with the YouNow Agreement, the Company received an additional 2,625,000
Props tokens. The value of these tokens was recorded as revenue under “technology service revenue” in the consolidated statements
of income. As a result of the termination of the YouNow Agreement, the Company notified its users that it would no longer be issuing Props
starting October 15, 2021 and would be replacing any user’s outstanding Props with a new internal rewards program. The new rewards
loyalty program for Paltalk and Camfrog, allowed users to keep their existing rewards earned from the former Props program as internal
rewards and also have the opportunity to earn new internal rewards points. In connection with the internal rewards points, the Company
added 25 new reward tiers such as specialty coins, subscriptions, stickers, flair, and other popular buttons.
As of the termination of the YouNow Agreement,
the Company held 8,575,638 Props, or $ 338,553 , under “digital tokens payable” in our consolidated balance sheets. In accordance
with ASC 405-20-40, the Company recorded a $ 338,553 gain on extinguishment of digital tokens payable under the Company’s operation
expenses in the statement of income for the year ended December 31, 2021.
F- 8
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Revisions
to the Company’s estimates may result in increases or decreases to revenues and income and are reflected in the consolidated financial
statements in the periods in which they are first identified. If the Company’s estimates indicate that a contract loss will be
incurred, a loss provision is recorded in the period in which the loss first becomes probable and can be reasonably estimated. Contract
losses are the amount by which the estimated costs of the contract exceed the estimated total revenue that will be generated by the contract
and are included in cost of revenues in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. There were no contract losses for
the periods presented.
Digital
Tokens
At December 31, 2020, digital tokens and digital tokens receivable
consist of Props tokens received in connection with the YouNow Agreement. Given that there is limited precedent regarding the classification
and measurement of cryptocurrencies and other digital tokens under current GAAP, management has exercised significant judgment in determining
the appropriate accounting treatment and in the event that authoritative guidance is enacted by the FASB, the Company may be required
to change its policies, which could have an effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results from operations.
The
Company determined to account for digital tokens as indefinite-lived intangible assets in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles-Goodwill
and Other . Indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but assessed for impairment annually, or more frequently when events
or changes in circumstances occur indicating that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived asset is impaired. Impairment
exists when the carrying amount exceeds its fair value, which is measured using the quoted price of the digital token at the time its
fair value is being measured. In testing for impairment, the Company
has the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an impairment exists. If
it is determined that it is not more likely than not that an impairment exists, a quantitative impairment test is not necessary. Otherwise,
it is required to perform a quantitative impairment test. If, at the time of an impairment test, the carrying amount of an intangible
asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss in an amount equal to the excess is recognized. Subsequent reversal of impairment losses
is not permitted.
Gains (if any) are not recorded until realized
upon sale, at which point they would be presented net of any impairment losses in the Company’s consolidated statements of income.
In determining the gain to be recognized upon sale, the Company calculates the difference between the sales price and carrying value of
the specific digital token sold immediately prior to sale.
During
year the ended December 31, 2021, the Company sold approximately 36.9 million Props tokens for total proceeds of $ 0.9 million. The realized
gain of the sale of digital tokens was approximately $ 307,934 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and is included in the consolidated
statements of income.
The
Company determines the fair value of its digital tokens on a nonrecurring basis in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. See
Note 7, Digital Tokens, to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the Company’s digital tokens.
Cost
of Revenue
Cost
of revenue consists primarily of compensation (including stock-based compensation) and other employee-related costs for personnel engaged
in data center and customer care functions, credit card processing fees, hosting fees, and data center rent and bandwidth costs. Cost
of revenue also includes compensation and other employee-related costs for technical personnel and subcontracting costs relating to technology
service revenue.
Sales
and Marketing
Sales
and marketing expense consists primarily of advertising expenditures and compensation (including stock-based compensation) and other
employee-related costs for personnel engaged in sales and sales support functions. Advertising and promotional spend includes online
marketing, including fees paid to search engines, and offline marketing, which primarily consists of partner-related payments to those
who direct traffic to the Company’s brands. Total advertising expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 was approximately $ 1.2
million and $ 0.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
F- 9
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Product
Development
Product
development expense, which relates to the development of technology of the Company’s applications, consists primarily of compensation
(including stock-based compensation) and other employee-related costs that are not capitalized for personnel engaged in the design, testing
and enhancement of service offerings as well as amortization of capitalized website development costs.
General
and Administrative
General
and administrative expense consists primarily of compensation (including stock-based compensation) and other employee-related costs for
personnel engaged in executive management, finance, legal, tax, human resources and facilities costs and fees for other professional
services. General and administrative expense also includes depreciation of property and equipment and amortization of intangible assets.
Reportable
Segment
The
Company operates in one reportable segment, and management assesses the Company’s financial performance and makes operating decisions
based on a single operating segment.
Income
Taxes
The
Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities
for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, the Company
determines deferred tax assets and liabilities on the basis of the differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets
and liabilities by using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change
in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.
The
Company recognizes deferred tax assets to the extent that the Company believes that these assets are more likely than not to be realized.
In making such a determination, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing
taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If the Company
determines that it would be able to realize deferred taxes in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, the Company would make
an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.
The
Company records uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC No. 740, Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASC 740”) on
the basis of a two-step process in which (1) the Company determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be
sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition
threshold, the Company recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate
settlement with the related tax authority.
The Company recognizes interest and penalties
related to unrecognized tax benefits on the income tax expense line in the accompanying consolidated statement of income. Accrued interest
and penalties would be included on the related tax liability line in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Stock-Based
Compensation
In
accordance with ASC No. 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation , the Company measures the compensation costs of stock-based
compensation arrangements based on the grant date fair value of granted instruments and recognizes the costs in the financial statements
over the period during which employees are required to provide services. Stock-based compensation arrangements include stock options
and restricted stock awards.
F- 10
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Equity
instruments issued to non-employees are recorded on the basis of the fair value of the instruments, as required by Accounting Standards
Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-07, Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718) (“ASU 2018-07”). ASU 2018-07
expands the scope of Topic 718, which currently only includes share-based payments to employees, to include share-based payments to non-employees
for goods or services. Consequently, the accounting for share-based payments to non-employees and employees will be substantially aligned.
The
fair value of each option granted under the Company’s Amended and Restated 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2011 Plan”)
and 2016 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”) was estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model (see Note
10 for further details). Using this model, fair value is calculated based on assumptions with respect to the (i) expected volatility
of the Company’s common stock price, (ii) expected life of the award, which for options is the period of time over which employees
and non- employees are expected to hold their options prior to exercise, (iii) expected dividend yield on the Company’s common
stock, and (iv) a risk-free interest rate, which is based on quoted U.S. Treasury rates for securities with maturities approximating
the expected term. Expected volatility is estimated based on the Company’s historical volatilities. The expected life of options
has been determined using the “simplified” method, which uses the midpoint between the vesting date and the end of the contractual
term. The expected dividend yield is zero as the Company has never paid dividends and does not currently anticipate paying dividends
in the foreseeable future.
Net
Income Per Share
Basic earnings and net income per share are computed
by dividing the net income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period
as defined by ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share . Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of common
shares and, if dilutive, potential common shares outstanding during the period. Potential common shares consist of the incremental common
shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options (using the treasury stock method). To the extent stock options are antidilutive, they
are excluded from the calculation of diluted income per share.
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
The
Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash
equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on deposit with banks and money market funds. The Company maintains cash in bank
accounts which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits. As part of its cash management process, the Company periodically reviews
the relative credit standing of these banks. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and periodically evaluates the
credit worthiness of the financial institutions and has determined the credit exposure to be negligible.
Receivables
Accounts receivable are composed of amounts due
from our advertising partners and from credit card processing companies following the initiation of subscription arrangements originated
by the Company’s subscribers, which pay by credit card. These receivables are unsecured and are typically settled by the payment
processing company within several days of transaction processing accordingly, an allowance for doubtful accounts is considered. Accounts
receivable from advertising partners and payment processing companies amounted to $ 153,448 and $ 71,410 on December 31, 2021 and December
31, 2020, respectively.
As of December 31, 2021, three advertising partners accounted for 48 %
of accounts receivable. As of December 31, 2021, the three advertising partners made up 22%, 15 %, and 11 % of accounts receivable, respectively.
F- 11
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Property
and Equipment
Property
and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are calculated using
the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of those assets, as follows:
Computers and equipment
5 years
Website development
3 years
Furniture and fixtures
7 years
Leasehold improvements
Shorter of estimated useful life or remaining lease term
Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed
as incurred
Property
and equipment is evaluated for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of the assets
might not be recoverable. In evaluating an asset for recoverability, the Company estimates the future cash flow expected to result from
the use and eventual disposition of the asset. If the expected future undiscounted cash flow is less than the carrying amount of the
asset, an impairment loss, equal to the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the asset, is recognized. No impairment
losses were recorded on property and equipment for the periods presented in these consolidated financial statements.
Website
Development Costs
In
accordance with ASC 350-50, Website Development Costs , the Company accounts for website development costs by capitalizing qualifying
costs which are incurred during the development and infrastructure stage. Expenses incurred in the planning stage are expensed as incurred.
Capitalized website development cost is included in property and equipment and are amortized straight-line over the expected period of
benefit, which is three years, when the software is ready for its intended use. Amortization expense related to capitalize website development
costs is included in product development expense.
Goodwill
Goodwill
is recorded when the purchase price paid for an acquisition exceeds the estimated fair value of the net identified tangible and intangible
assets acquired. The Company evaluates its goodwill for impairment in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other
(as amended by ASU 2017-04) , by assessing qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood
of more than 50 percent) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. The Company performs
the quantitative goodwill impairment test, if, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances such as those described in paragraph
ASC 350-20-35-3C(a) through (g), the Company determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less
than its carrying amount. An impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s
fair value, limited to the total amount of goodwill related to the reporting unit.
The
Company tests the recorded amount of goodwill for impairment on an annual basis on December 31 of each fiscal year or more frequently
if there are indicators that the carrying amount of the goodwill exceeds its carried value. The Company has one reporting unit. The Company
performed a qualitative assessment and concluded that no impairment existed as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.
Intangible
Assets
The
Company’s intangible assets represent definite lived intangible assets, which are being amortized on a straight-line basis over
their estimated useful lives as follows:
Patents
20 years
Trade
names, trademarks, product names, URLs
5 - 10 years
Internally
developed software
5 - 6 years
Non-compete
agreements
3 years
Subscriber/customer
relationships
3 - 12 years
F- 12
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The
Company reviews intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount
of the assets might not be recoverable. Factors that the Company considers in deciding when to perform an impairment review include significant
underperformance of the business in relation to expectations, significant negative industry or economic trends, and significant changes
or planned changes in the use of the assets. If an impairment review is performed to evaluate a long-lived asset for recoverability,
the Company compares forecasts of undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the long-lived
asset to its carrying value. An impairment loss would be recognized when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result
from the use of an asset are less than its carrying amount. The impairment loss would be based on the excess of the carrying value of
the impaired asset over its fair value, determined based on discounted cash flows. No impairments were recorded on intangible assets
as no impairment indicators were noted for the periods presented in these consolidated financial statements.
Leases
The Company accounts for its leases under ASC
842, Leases (“ASC 842”). Under this guidance, arrangements meeting the definition of a lease are classified as operating
or financing leases and are recorded on the consolidated balance sheets as both a right of use asset and lease liability, calculated
by discounting fixed lease payments over the lease term at the rate implicit in the lease or the Company’s incremental borrowing
rate. Lease liabilities are increased by interest and reduced by payments each period, and the right of use asset is amortized over the
lease term. For operating leases, interest on the lease liability and the amortization of the right of use asset result in straight-line
rent expense over the lease term.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic
740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes , which is intended to simplify various aspects related to accounting for income
taxes. ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to
improve consistent application. ASU 2019-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. On December 1, 2021, the
Company adopted ASU 2019-12 and its adoption did not have any significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements
and related disclosures.
Reclassifications
Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified for comparative
purposes to conform to the current presentation. These reclassifications have no impact on the previously reported net income.
4. Property
and Equipment, Net
Property
and equipment, net consisted of the following for the periods presented:
December 31,
2021
2020
Computer equipment
$
866,459
$
866,459
Website development
3,076,323
3,076,323
Furniture and fixtures
47,463
47,463
Total property and equipment
3,990,245
3,990,245
Less: Accumulated depreciation
( 3,920,646
)
( 3,734,468
)
Total property and equipment, net
$
69,599
$
255,777
Depreciation
expense, which includes amortization of website development costs, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $ 186,178 and $ 325,044 ,
respectively.
Loss
on disposal of property and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $ 0 and $ 39,238 , respectively, as a result from
the termination of one of our office leases.
5. Goodwill
The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived
intangible assets for impairment annually and whenever events or circumstances arise that indicate an impairment may exist. The Company
determined there were no indicators that would lead to a test for impairment during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Goodwill
was $ 6,326,250 as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.
F- 13
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
6. Intangible
Assets, Net
Intangible
assets, net consisted of the following for the periods presented:
December 31,
2021
2020
Gross
Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Carrying
Amount
Gross
Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Carrying
Amount
Patents
$
50,000
$
( 31,251
)
$
18,749
$
50,000
$
( 28,750
)
$
21,250
Trade
names, trademarks, product names, URLs
555,000
( 509,148
)
45,852
555,000
( 493,648
)
61,352
Internally
developed software
1,990,000
( 1,990,000
)
-
1,990,000
( 1,990,000
)
-
Subscriber/customer
relationships
2,279,000
( 2,147,058
)
131,942
2,279,000
( 1,980,392
)
298,608
Total
intangible assets
$
4,874,000
$
( 4,677,457
)
$
196,543
$
4,874,000
$
( 4,492,790
)
$
381,210
Amortization expense for the years ended December
31, 2021 and 2020 was $ 184,667 and $ 246,681 , respectively. The aggregate amortization expense for each of the next three years and thereafter
is estimated to be $ 149,944 in 2022, $ 18,000 in 2023, $ 17,349 in 2024 and $ 11,250 thereafter.
7. Digital
Tokens
Digital
tokens, digital tokens receivable and digital tokens payable for the periods presented consist of Props tokens received in connection
with the YouNow Agreement. Given that there is limited precedent regarding the classification and measurement of cryptocurrencies and
other digital tokens under current GAAP, the Company has determined to account for these tokens as indefinite-lived intangible assets
in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other until further guidance is issued by the FASB.
The
Props tokens received, receivable and payable from YouNow are intangible assets that are accounted for at cost, less impairment charges.
According to the FASB guidance noted above, a holder of utility tokens cannot only compare the carrying value to fair value at the reporting
period, but instead must assess impairment daily. As a result, the Company uses the amount equal to the lowest price during the period
in which the Props tokens are held as the carrying amount for purposes of testing for impairment.
During
the year ended December 31, 2020, to calculate the fair value of the Props tokens received, receivable and payable pursuant to the YouNow
Agreement, the Company, through a third-party valuation, used the Backsolve method, which utilizes the option pricing method to calculate
the implied value of the Props tokens based on the most recent transaction price publicly available (Level 3 inputs). For purposes of
the Backsolve method, the Company used a precedent transaction in which Props tokens were purchased at a price of $ 0.07 per Props token.
The precedent transaction also included the issuance of warrants to purchase additional Props tokens at a strike price of $ 0.07 per Props
token. Using the Backsolve method, the Company took into account the strike price of the warrants issued in the precedent transaction
and then determined the allocated value of the Props tokens as though it were a basket purchase.
The
implied fair value of the Props tokens represents a marketable basis of value. As the Props tokens do not currently have access to a
liquid marketplace, a discount for lack of marketability was applied to the implied fair value using a protective put calculation. A
summary of the key inputs used in the Backsolve model at December 31, 2020 are summarized as follows:
Maturity (time until an exit or liquidity)
1 year
Volatility
197.0 %
Risk free rate of return
0.16 %
The
basic logic of the protective put approach is supported by the notion that the holder of a non-marketable security can effectively purchase
liquidity by purchasing a put option on the security. Therefore, the non-marketable value of a security is its value on a marketable
basis, less the value of the hypothetical put option. The put option calculation relies on the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which
utilizes volatility from comparable utility tokens, an estimated time to maturity (or liquidity), and the risk-free rate commensurate
with that maturity.
F- 14
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Digital
tokens earned, receivable or payable before June 30, 2020, were recorded based on an estimated fair value of $ 0.02 . Digital tokens
earned, receivable or payable from July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 were recorded based on an estimated fair value of $ 0.039 . At
December 31, 2020, the Company recorded $ 439,145 under digital tokens, $ 123,397 under digital tokens payable and $ 210,000 under digital
tokens receivable.
Given
the recent trading availability of Props tokens in various active markets, during the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company calculated
the fair value of digital tokens based on the observable daily quoted market prices (Level 1 inputs) on multiple international exchanges,
as recorded on CoinmarketCap. At December 31, 2021, the Company recorded $ 7,262 under digital tokens.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company
recorded a non-cash impairment charge in the amount of $ 765,232 , which is reported in the accompanying consolidated statements of income
as a result of recent declines in the quoted market prices of certain digital tokens below the market price of their acquisition.
In August 2021, the Company received notice from
YouNow that it was terminating the YouNow Agreement, and that it would not support the Props platform past the end of calendar year 2021.
In connection with the notice of termination and in accordance with the YouNow Agreement, the Company received an additional 2,625,000
Props tokens. As a result of the termination of the YouNow Agreement, the Company notified its users that it would no longer be issuing
Props starting October 15, 2021 and would be replacing any user’s outstanding Props with a new internal rewards program.
During
year the ended December 31, 2021, the Company sold approximately 36.9 million Props tokens for proceeds $ 0.9 million. The realized gain
of the sale of digital tokens was approximately $ 307,934 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and is included in the consolidated statements
of income.
8. Income
Taxes
On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was enacted in
response to COVID-19 pandemic. Under ASC 740, the effects of changes in tax rates and laws are recognized in the period which the new
legislation is enacted. The CARES Act made various tax law changes including among other things (i) increased the limitation under IRC
Section 163(j) for 2019 and 2020 to permit additional expensing of interest (ii) enacted a technical correction so that qualified improvement
property can be immediately expensed under IRC Section 168(k), (iii) made modifications to the federal net operating loss rules including
permitting federal net operating losses incurred in 2018, 2019, and 2020 to be carried back to the five preceding taxable years in order
to generate a refund of previously paid income taxes and (iv) enhanced recoverability of AMT tax credits. Given the Company’s full
valuation allowance position, the CARES Act did not have a material impact on the financial statements.
The
Company’s provision for income taxes is comprised of the following:
December 31,
2021
2020
Current
Federal
$ -
$ -
State
and local
9,951
387
Total Current
9,951
387
Deferred
Federal
-
-
State and local
-
-
Change
in Valuation Allowance
-
-
Total Deferred
-
-
Total Provision (Benefit)
$ 9,951
$ 387
F- 15
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Deferred
income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial
reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and
liabilities are as follows:
December 31,
2021
2020
Deferred Tax Assets:
Net operating
losses
$ 3,907,758
$ 4,098,329
Share-based compensation
767,318
859,100
Amortization of Intangible
Assets
716,598
769,742
Rent
56,251
15,272
Tax Credits
62,969
62,969
Other
266,986
160,762
Subtotal
5,777,880
5,966,174
Less
Valuation Allowance:
( 5,713,490 )
( 5,903,825 )
Total Deferred Tax Assets
64,390
62,349
Deferred Tax Liabilities:
Property
and equipment
( 64,390 )
( 62,349 )
Total Deferred Tax Liabilities
( 64,390 )
( 62,349 )
Net Deferred Tax Assets
$ -
$ -
In assessing the Company’s ability to recover
its deferred tax assets, the Company evaluated whether it is more likely than not that some portion or the entire deferred tax asset will
be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income in those periods
in which temporary differences become deductible and/or net operating losses can be utilized. The Company considered all positive and
negative evidence when determining the amount of the net deferred tax assets that are more likely than not to be realized. This evidence
includes, but is not limited to, historical earnings, scheduled reversal of taxable temporary differences, tax planning strategies and
projected future taxable income. Based on these factors including cumulative losses in recent years, the Company determined that its deferred
tax assets are not realizable on a more-likely-than-not basis and has recorded a valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets.
The Company’s valuation allowance decreased by $ 190,335 during 2021. The Company will continue to evaluate its deferred tax assets
to determine whether any changes in circumstances could affect the realization of their future benefit. If it is determined in future
periods that portions of the Company’s deferred income tax assets satisfy the realization standards, the valuation allowance will
be reduced accordingly.
As
of December 31, 2021, the Company has U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $ 17.4 million, of which $13.1 million
may be subject to an annual limitation under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. Of the $17.4 million, approximately, $16.2 million
are available to offset 100% of future taxable income but expire in varying amounts between 2030 to 2037, if not utilized. The remaining
$1.2 million is available to offset 80% of future taxable income but may be carried forward indefinitely.
The
Company’s effective tax rate differs from the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 21 % for 2021 and 2020 as follows:
2021
2020
Income
tax (expense) benefit at federal statutory rate
21.0 %
21.0 %
Permanent
Differences
0.2 %
0.2 %
State and local taxes
( 4.5 )%
1.9 %
Valuation allowance
( 14.3 )%
( 37.0 )%
Deferred tax adjustment
2.6 %
0.0 %
Share based compensation
3.9 %
14.6 %
PPP Loan Forgiveness
( 8.0 )%
-
Other
( 0.2 )%
( 0.6 )%
Effective
tax rate
0.7 %
0.1 %
The
Company applies the applicable authoritative guidance which prescribes a comprehensive model for the manner in which a company should
recognize, measure, present and disclose in its financial statements all material uncertain tax positions that the Company has taken
or expects to take on a tax return. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has no uncertain tax positions. As such, there are no uncertain
tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will significantly increase or
decrease within twelve months from December 31, 2021.
The Company files a federal income tax return
and income tax returns in various state tax jurisdictions. The open tax years for the federal income tax return are 2018 through 2021.
The state income tax returns have varying statutes of limitations. The open tax years relating to any of the Company’s federal and
state net operating losses begin in 2011.
F- 16
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
9. Accrued
Expenses and Other Current Liabilities
Accrued
expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following for the periods presented:
December 31,
2021
2020
Compensation, benefits and payroll taxes
$
318,150
$
226,500
Other accrued expenses
26,291
27,584
Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities
$
344,441
$
254,084
10. Stockholders’
Equity
The
Paltalk, Inc. Amended and Restated 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2011 Plan”) was terminated as to future awards on
May 16, 2016. A total of 121,930 shares of the Company’s common stock may be issued pursuant to outstanding options awarded under
the 2011 Plan; however, no additional awards may be granted under such plan. The Paltalk, Inc. 2016 Long-Term Incentive Plan (“the
2016 Plan”) was adopted by the Company’s stockholders on May 16, 2016 and permits the Company to award stock options (both
incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options), stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance
awards, dividend equivalent rights, and other stock-based awards and cash-based incentive awards to its employees (including an employee
who is also a director or officer under certain circumstances), non-employee directors and consultants. The maximum number of shares
of common stock that may be issued pursuant to awards under the 2016 Plan is 1,300,000 shares, 100 % of which may be issued pursuant to
incentive stock options. In addition, the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2016 Plan may be increased
by an indeterminate number of shares of common stock underlying outstanding awards issued under the 2011 Plan that are forfeited, expired,
cancelled or settled in cash. As of December 31, 2021, there were 978,359 shares available for future issuance under the 2016 Plan.
August
2021 Underwritten Public Offering
On
August 5, 2021, the Company announced the pricing and closing of an underwritten public offering (the “August 2021 Offering”),
in which the Company sold an aggregate of 1,333,310 shares of the Company’s common stock (which includes 173,910 shares sold to
the underwriter pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option) at a public offering price of $ 3.00 per
share. The August 2021 Offering was made pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-257036),
initially filed with the SEC on June 11, 2021, and was subsequently amended and declared effective on August 2, 2021.
Gross proceeds received by the Company from the August 2021 Offering
were approximately $ 4.0 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses of approximately
$ 769,200 . These costs were recorded in stockholders’ equity as a reduction of additional paid-in capital in connection with Staff
Accounting Bulletin Topic 5A.
In
connection with the August 2021 Offering, the Company’s common stock was approved for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market under
the symbol “PALT” and began trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on August 3, 2021.
October
2021 Underwritten Public Offering
On
October 19, 2021, we announced the pricing and closing of an underwritten public offering of an aggregate of 1,552,500 shares of our
common stock (which includes 202,500 shares sold to the underwriter pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment
option) at a public offering price of $ 7.50 per share (the “October 2021 Offering”). The October 2021 Offering was made pursuant
to an effective shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-260063), previously filed with the SEC on October 5, 2021
and declared effective on October 14, 2021. The October 2021 Offering was offered by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying
prospectus, forming part of the registration statement.
Gross proceeds received by the Company from the October 2021 Offering
were approximately $ 11.6 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses of approximately
$ 955,400 . These costs were recorded in stockholders’ equity as a reduction of additional paid-in capital in connection with Staff
Accounting Bulletin Topic 5A.
Stock
Options
The
following table summarizes the assumptions used in the Black-Scholes pricing model to estimate the fair value of the options granted
during the years ended:
December 31,
2021
2020
Expected volatility
178.0 – 197.0
%
188.0
%
Expected life of option
5.0 – 5.5
5.3
Risk free interest rate
0.81 – 0.88
%
0.6
%
Expected dividend yield
0.0
%
0.0
%
F- 17
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The
expected life of the options is the period of time over which employees and non-employees are expected to hold their options prior to
exercise. The expected life of options has been determined using the “simplified” method as prescribed by Staff Accounting
Bulletin 110, which uses the midpoint between the vesting date and the end of the contractual term. The volatility of the Company’s
common stock is calculated using the Company’s historical volatilities beginning at the grant date and going back for a period
of time equal to the expected life of the award. The Company estimates potential forfeitures of stock awards and adjusts recorded stock-based
compensation expense accordingly. The Company estimates pre-vesting forfeitures primarily based on the Company’s historical experience
and is adjusted to reflect actual forfeitures as the stock-based awards vest.
The
following tables summarize stock option activity during the year ended December 31, 2021:
Weighted
Average
Number of
Exercise
Options
Price
Outstanding at January 1, 2021
622,036
$ 5.53
Granted
37,932
3.77
Exercised during period
( 61,906 )
3.09
Forfeited or canceled, during the period
( 128,569 )
4.06
Expired, during the period
( 33,723 )
16.50
Outstanding at December 31, 2021
435,770
$ 5.31
Exercisable at December 31, 2021
394,075
$ 5.65
At December 31, 2021, there was $ 71,222 of total unrecognized
compensation expense related to stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.96 years.
On December 31, 2021, the aggregate intrinsic
value of stock options that were outstanding and exercisable was $ 149,394 and $ 109,644 , respectively. On December 31, 2020, the aggregate
intrinsic value of stock options that were outstanding and exercisable was $ 15,840 and $ 15,840 , respectively. The intrinsic value for
stock options is calculated based on the exercise price of the underlying awards and the fair value of such awards as of the period-end
date.
During
the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company granted stock options to members of the Board of Directors to purchase an aggregate of
24,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $ 3.20 per share. The stock options vest in four equal quarterly installments on
the last day of each calendar quarter in 2021 and have a term of ten years . During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company also
granted options to employees to purchase an aggregate of 13,932 shares of common stock. These options have a vesting date ranging between
the grant date and up to four years, have a term of ten years and have an exercise price of $ 3.20 to $ 4.90 .
The aggregate fair value for the options granted during the years ended
December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $ 145,522 and $ 18,664 , respectively.
Stock-based compensation expense for the Company’s stock options
included in the consolidated statements of income was as follows:
Years Ended
December 31,
2021
2020
Cost of revenue
$
67,182
$
1,527
Sales and marketing expense
294
90
Product development expense
11,302
19,491
General and administrative expense
( 114,431
)
222,089
Total stock-based compensation expense
$
( 35,653
)
$
243,197
Treasury
Shares
On April 29, 2019, the Company implemented a stock
repurchase plan to repurchase up to $ 500,000 of its common stock for cash. The repurchase plan expired on April 29, 2020 . The Company
had purchased 9,950 shares of its common stock under the repurchase plan as of April 29, 2020 and has classified them as treasury shares
on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. In addition, the Company retained 22,013 in treasury shares as part of a net share
exercise of stock options by former employees. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had 31,963 shares of its common stock classified as
treasury shares on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
F- 18
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
11. Net
Income Per Share
Basic earnings and net income per share are computed
by dividing the net income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period
as defined by ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share . Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of common
shares and, if dilutive, potential common shares outstanding during the period. Potential common shares consist of the incremental common
shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options (using the treasury stock method). To the extent stock options are antidilutive, they
are excluded from the calculation of diluted income per share. For the year ended December 31, 2021, 392,749 of shares issuable upon the
exercise of outstanding stock options were not included in the computation of diluted net income per share from operations because their
inclusion would be antidilutive. For the year ended December 31, 2021, 43,021 shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options
were included in the computation of diluted net income per share from operations because their inclusion would be dilutive. For the year
ended December 31, 2020, 618,918 of shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options were not included in the computation
of diluted net income per share for operations because their inclusion would be antidilutive. For the year ended December 31, 2020, 3,118
of shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options were included in the computation of diluted net income per share for
operations because their inclusion would be dilutive.
The
following table summarizes the net income per share calculation for the periods presented:
Years Ended
December
31,
2021
2020
Net income from operations –
basic and diluted
$ 1,324,106
$ 1,371,262
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic
7,766,111
6,884,690
Weighted average shares outstanding –
diluted
7,809,132
6,887,808
Per share data:
Basic from operations
$ 0. 17
$ 0. 20
Diluted from operations
$ 0. 17
$ 0. 20
12. Leases
Operating
Leases
On
June 7, 2016, the Company entered into a lease agreement with Jericho Executive Center LLC for office space at 30 Jericho Executive Plaza
in Jericho, New York, which commenced on September 1, 2016 and runs through November 30, 2021. The Company’s monthly office rent
payments under the lease are currently approximately $ 7,081 per month. On April 9, 2021, the Company entered into a lease extension agreement
with Jericho Executive Center LLC for the office space at 30 Jericho Executive Plaza in Jericho, New York, which commenced on December
1, 2021 and runs through November 30, 2024. The modification resulted in an increase its ROU assets and lease liabilities of $ 0.2 million,
using a discount rate of 2.30 %.
As
of December 31, 2021, the Company had no long-term leases that were classified as financing leases. As of December 31, 2021, the Company
did not have additional operating and financing leases that had not yet commenced.
At
December 31, 2021, the Company had operating lease liabilities of approximately $ 239,000 and right-of-use assets of approximately $ 239,000 ,
which are included in the consolidated balance sheets.
Total rent expense for the year ended December
31, 2021 was $ 84,525 , of which $ 4,500 was sublease income. Total rent expense for year ended December 31, 2020 was $ 206,347 , of which
$ 36,095 was sublease income. Rent expense is recorded under general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of income.
F- 19
PALTALK,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The
following table summarizes the Company’s operating leases for the periods presented:
Years
Ended
December
31,
2021
2020
Cash paid for amounts included
in the measurement of operating lease liabilities:
$ 74,416
$ 107,674
Weighted average assumptions:
Remaining lease term
2.9
0.9
Discount rate
2.3 %
3.5 %
As
of December 31, 2021, future minimum payments under non-cancelable operating leases were as follows:
For the years ending December 31,
Amount
2022
$
84,975
2023
84,975
2024
77,894
Total
$
247,844
Less: present value adjustment
( 8,353
)
Present value of minimum lease payments
$
239,491
13. Term
Debt
On
April 13, 2020, to help ensure adequate liquidity in light of the uncertainties posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Company applied
for a loan under the SBA PPP under the CARES Act. On May 3, 2020, the Company entered into the Note in favor of the Lender.
The
Note had an aggregate principal amount of $506,500, a two-year term, a maturity date of May 3, 2022 and borne interest at a stated rate
of 1.0% per annum. The Company did not provide any collateral or guarantees for the Note, nor did the Company pay any facility charge
to obtain the Note. The Note provided for customary events of default, including, among others, those relating to failure to make payment,
bankruptcy, breaches of representations and material adverse effects.
On
January 13, 2021, the Note was fully forgiven by the SBA and the Lender in compliance with the provisions of the CARES Act.
14. Commitments
and Contingencies
Patent
Litigations
On July 23, 2021, a wholly
owned subsidiary of the Company, Paltalk Holdings, Inc., filed a patent infringement lawsuit against WebEx Communications, Inc., Cisco
WebEx LLC, and Cisco Systems, Inc. (collectively, “Cisco”), in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
The Company alleges that Cisco’s Webex products have infringed U.S. Patent No. 6,683,858, and that the Company is entitled to damages.
A Markman hearing took place on February 24, 2022 and a trial is scheduled for early 2023.
Legal
Proceedings
The
Company may be included in legal proceedings, claims and assessments arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company evaluates
the need for a reserve for specific legal matters based on the probability of an unfavorable outcome and the reasonability of an estimable
loss. No reserve was deemed necessary as of December 31, 2021.
16. Subsequent
Events
On January 28, 2022, the Board of Directors
approved the issuance of 145,000 stock options to employees of the Company.
Management
has evaluated subsequent events or transactions occurring through the date the consolidated financial statements were issued and determined
that no other events or transactions are required to be disclosed herein.
F- 20
ITEM
9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM
9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Disclosure
controls are procedures that are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed
under the Exchange Act, such as this Annual Report on Form 10-K, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods
specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls are also designed with the objective of ensuring that such information
is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, as appropriate,
to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Internal controls are procedures which are designed with the objective of providing
reasonable assurance that (1) our transactions are properly authorized, recorded and reported; and (2) our assets are safeguarded against
unauthorized or improper use, to permit the preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP.
Our
management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls
and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report.
There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures. In designing and evaluating
the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated,
can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.
Based on the evaluation as of December 31, 2021,
for the reasons set forth below, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures
were 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 SEC’s rules and forms, and
that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer,
as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s
Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f)
or 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Our internal control system was designed to, in general, provide reasonable assurance to our management
and the Board of Directors regarding the preparation and fair presentation of published financial statements, but because of its inherent
limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements.
Our chief executive officer and chief financial
officer evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, and based on that evaluation,
management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective. Therefore, our management, including our chief
executive officer and chief financial officer, have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide reasonable
assurance that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended, is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
The framework used by management in making that
assessment was the criteria set forth in the document entitled “Internal Control – Integrated Framework” issued by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in 2013.
Remediation of Previously Disclosed Material Weakness
As previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2020, the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting determined that a material weakness in our
internal controls existed as of December 31, 2020, due to the lack of controls related to change management within the technology that
supported the Company’s financial reporting function. Measures were taken to remediate the material weakness, and we made significant
improvements to our key process related to change management around technology support. We concluded this reported material weakness was
remediated as of December 31, 2021.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We
have implemented changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) under the Exchange
Act) during the year ended December 31, 2021, related to general information technology controls in the area of change management in
order to remediate the material weakness identified in the year ended December 31, 2020.
There were no other changes in our internal control
over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2021 (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act)
that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
37
ITEM
9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Officer Employment Agreements
On March 23, 2022, the Company entered into
an Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with Jason Katz, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (the “Katz Employment
Agreement”), which amends and restates Mr. Katz’s existing employment agreement with the Company dated as of October 7, 2016.
In addition, on March 23, 2022, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with Kara Jenny, the Company’s
Chief Financial Officer (the “Jenny Employment Agreement”), which amends and restates Ms. Jenny’s existing employment
with the Company dated as of December 9, 2019. Except as provided herein, all other terms and conditions of the prior employment agreements
between the Company and each of Ms. Jenny and Mr. Katz will remain in full force and effect.
Pursuant to the Katz Employment Agreement,
and as previously disclosed in the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on April 9, 2021, effective February
1, 2021, Mr. Katz shall receive an annualized base salary of two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($225,000). The foregoing description
of the Katz Employment Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Katz Employment Agreement, which is
filed as Exhibit 10.15 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is incorporated by reference herein.
Pursuant to the Jenny Employment Agreement,
for fiscal year 2022, Ms. Jenny is entitled to receive an annualized base salary of two hundred sixty-five thousand dollars ($265,000),
effective retroactively as of January 28, 2022. For fiscal year 2023, provided that Ms. Jenny is still employed and in good standing with
the Company, she will be entitled to receive an annualized base salary of two hundred eighty-five thousand dollars ($285,000).
In addition, the Jenny Employment Agreement provides
that in the event of a Change in Control, if Ms. Jenny is terminated by the Company other than for Cause, or if Ms. Jenny terminates her
employment with the Company for Good Reason, then the Company shall pay Ms. Jenny severance equal to twelve (12) months of Ms. Jenny’s
then-current annualized base salary (each such capitalized term as defined in the Jenny Employment Agreement). The foregoing description
of the Jenny Employment Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Jenny Employment Agreement, which
is filed as Exhibit 10.21 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is incorporated by reference herein.
Stock Repurchase Plan
On March 21, 2022, the Board of Directors of the
Company approved a stock repurchase plan for up to $1,750,000 of the Company’s outstanding common stock (the “Stock Repurchase
Plan”). The Stock Repurchase Plan is effective as of March 29, 2022 and expires on the one-year anniversary of such date. Shares
may be repurchased from time-to-time in open market transactions at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions or
by other means in accordance with federal securities laws, including Rule 10b5-1 programs, and the Stock Repurchase Plan may be suspended
or discontinued at any time. The actual timing, number and value of shares repurchased will be determined by a committee of the Board
of Directors at its discretion and will depend on a number of factors, including the market price of the Company’s common stock,
general market and economic conditions, alternative investment opportunities and other corporate considerations.
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT
INSPECTIONS.
Not applicable.
38
PART
III
ITEM
10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The
information required in response to this Item 10 is incorporated herein by reference to our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM
11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The
information required in response to this Item 11 is incorporated herein by reference to our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM 12.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The
information required in response to this Item 12 is incorporated herein by reference to our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM
13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The
information required in response to this Item 13 is incorporated herein by reference to our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM
14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The
information required in response to this Item 14 is incorporated herein by reference to our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
to be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
39
PART
IV
ITEM
15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
The
following are filed as part of this Annual Report:
1. Financial
Statements
The
financial statements filed as part of this Annual Report are included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
2. Financial
Statement Schedules
All
schedules have been omitted since the required information is not present, or not present in amounts sufficient to require submission
of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the Consolidated Financial Statements or the Notes thereto.
3. Exhibits
The
following exhibits are required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
(a) Documents
filed as part of this Annual Report.
1.
Report of Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm
F-1
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2021
and 2020
F-2
Consolidated Statements
of Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
F-3
Consolidated
Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
F-4
Consolidated Statements
of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
F-5
Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements
F-6
2.
Financial Statement Schedules
40
3.
Exhibits
required to be filed by Item 601 of Regulation S-K
The
following exhibits are included herein or incorporated herein by reference:
2.1#
Agreement
and Plan of Merger, dated September 13, 2016, by and among Paltalk, Inc., SAVM Acquisition Corporation, A.V.M. Software, Inc. and
Jason Katz (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on September 14, 2016
by the Company with the SEC).
2.2#
Asset
Purchase Agreement, by and between Paltalk, Inc. and The Dating Company, LLC, dated as of January 31, 2019 (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 4, 2018 by the Company with the SEC).
2.3#
Amended
and Restated Asset Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 29, 2020, by and between Paltalk, Inc. and SecureCo, LLC (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 2.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Company filed on August 6, 2020 by the Company with the SEC).
3.1
Certificate
of Incorporation of Paltalk, Inc. (as amended through May 15, 2020) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q of the Company filed November 9, 2021 by the Company with the SEC).
3.2
Amended
and Restated By-Laws of Paltalk, Inc. (as amended through May 15, 2020) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q of the Company filed November 9, 2021 by the Company with the SEC).
4.1*
Specimen
Stock Certificate of Paltalk, Inc.
4.2*
Description of Securities.
10.1
Statement
of Rights and Responsibilities, by and between Paltalk, Inc. and Facebook Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the
Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 000-52176) filed March 31, 2011 by the Company with the SEC).
10.2
Registered
Apple Developer Agreement, by and between Paltalk, Inc. and Apple Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Annual Report
on Form 10-K (File No. 000-52176) filed March 31, 2011 by the Company with the SEC).
10.3
iOS
Developer Program License Agreement, by and between Paltalk, Inc. and Apple Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the
Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 000-52176) filed March 31, 2011 by the Company with the SEC).
10.4†
Amended
and Restated Paltalk, Inc. 2011 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q (File No. 000-52176) of the Company filed on November 14, 2011 by the Company with the SEC).
10.5†
Form
of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File
No. 333-174456) of the Company filed on May 24, 2011 by the Company with the SEC).
10.6†
Form
of Restricted Stock Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No.
333-174456) of the Company filed on May 24, 2011 by the Company with the SEC).
10.7†
Form
of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File
No. 333-174456) of the Company filed on May 24, 2011 by the Company with the SEC).
10.8†
Form
of Incentive Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 000-52176)
of the Company filed on November 14, 2011 by the Company with the SEC).
10.9†
Paltalk,
Inc. 2016 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed
on May 16, 2016 by the Company with the SEC).
10.10†
First
Amendment to Paltalk, Inc. 2016 Long Term Incentive Plan, dated as of April 10, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to
the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on May 30, 2017 by the Company with the SEC).
10.11†
Form
of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Company
filed on August 11, 2016 by the Company with the SEC).
41
10.12†
Form
of Incentive Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Company
filed on August 11, 2016 by the Company with the SEC).
10.13†*
Form of Director and Officer Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement.
10.14†
Form
of Restricted Stock Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Company
filed on August 11, 2016 by the Company with the SEC).
10.15†*
Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement, dated March 23, 2022, by and between Paltalk, Inc. and Jason Katz.
10.16
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated October 7, 2016, by and between Paltalk, Inc. and Clifford Lerner (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2
to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on October 11, 2016 by the Company with the SEC).
10.17†
Form
of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on
February 15, 2017 by the Company with the SEC).
10.18
First
Amendment to Registration Rights Agreement, dated June 15, 2018, by and between the Company and Clifford Lerner (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on June 19, 2018 by the Company with the SEC).
10.19†*
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated March 23, 2022, by and between Paltalk, Inc. and Kara Jenny.
21.1*
Subsidiaries
of the Company.
23.1*
Consent of Marcum LLP.
31.1*
Certification
of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2*
Certification
of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1**
Certification
of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance 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 (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).
#
Schedules
and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. Paltalk, Inc. hereby undertakes to furnish supplementally
copies of any of the omitted schedules and exhibits upon request by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
†
Management
contract or compensatory plan arrangement.
*
Filed
herewith.
**
The
certification attached as Exhibit 32.1 is not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated
by reference into any filing of Paltalk, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, whether made before or after the date of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, irrespective of any general incorporation language
contained in such filing.
ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
Not
applicable.
42
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.
Dated: March 23, 2022
PALTALK, INC.
By:
/s/ Jason Katz
Jason Katz
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/
Jason Katz
Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
March
23, 2022
Jason
Katz
(Principal
Executive Officer)
/s/
Kara Jenny
Chief
Financial Officer and Director
March
23, 2022
Kara
Jenny
(Principal
Financial and Accounting Officer)
/s/
Yoram “Rami” Abada
Director
March
23, 2022
Yoram
“Rami” Abada
/s/
Lance Laifer
Director
March
23, 2022
Lance
Laifer
/s/
John Silberstein
Director
March
23, 2022
John
Silberstein
43
/stocks — the workspaceLOADING