KULR Technology Group, Inc. 10-K

ITEM 1. BUSINESS Overview and Market Opportunities KULR Technology Group, Inc., through our wholly owned subsidiary KULR Technology Corporation, develops and commercializes high-performance thermal management technologies for batteries, electronics, and other components across an array of battery-powered applications. As the global economy becomes increasingly electrified and connected, KULR is addressing the rising demand for cooler, lighter, and safer batteries, and electronic systems. Leveraging the company’s roots in developing breakthrough cooling solutions for NASA space missions and backed by a strong intellectual property portfolio, KULR provides customers with industry-leading battery safety technologies as well as cost-effective cooling technologies that outperform traditional solutions. The world’s leading aerospace, electronics, energy storage, 5G infrastructure, and electric vehicle manufacturers trust KULR to solve safety, reliability, and efficiency challenges in an ethical and environmentally sustainable manner. Active government initiatives propelled by industry and regulatory tailwinds are increasing demand for battery recycling and clean energy, resulting in an expanding total addressable market for KULR’s solutions. The Company’s disruptive technologies strive to fulfill an addressable $24 billion thermal management systems market (estimated based on market data projections published by Converged Markets stating that the thermal management systems market size was projected to grow from $11.1 billion in 2017 to $24.8 billion by 2025. The Company’s integrated design approach offers comprehensive solutions in thermal interface materials, lightweight heat exchangers, and protection against lithium-ion battery thermal runaway propagation. Its high-performance solutions can be designed to fit demanding configurations and applications. As companies and governments around the world pledge to meet net zero emissions over the next few decades, KULR is uniquely positioned to accelerate the adoption of clean energy solutions and sustainable products and facilitate the migration to a global circular economy. The Company’s goal is to provide total battery safety solutions for more efficient battery systems, increased sustainability, and end-of-life battery management, making KULR a key technology solutions provider in the migration to a global circular economy. Energy Storage The U.S. doubled its energy storage capacity in 2021 and is expected to increase 17x by 2030, according to Wood Mackenzie. Lithium-ion batteries are the dominant technology on the market for energy storage because of their cost and availability but do carry well documented safety risks. While rare, cell to cell thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries can cause a fire or explosion. For example, an explosion at Arizona Public Service’s McMicken battery plant injured four emergency responders in 2019 and overheating caused the 1.2 GWh Moss Landing storage facility in California to go off-line. To reach net zero by mid-century will require an additional 245 GWh of battery capacity each year until 2030, but incidents of the like distill trust in battery technologies and threaten to slow the pace which is needed to achieve decarbonization goals. KULR’s passive propagation resistant (PPR) and thermal runaway shield (TRS) technologies prevent cell to cell thermal runaway propagation and inhibit fire and ejecta of a single cell from exiting the battery enclosure, making battery energy storage packs safe for homes, hospitals, schools, and universities, and more. KULR is partnering with leaders in the energy storage industry such as Volta Energy Products, the subsidiary of Buffalo NY based parent company, Viridi Parente, to increase deployments of safe, reliable, and durable energy storage safety systems to accelerate the broader energy transition. Battery Recycling and Management KULR-Tech Safe_Case provides a safe and cost-effective solution to commercially store and transport lithium batteries, which is increasing in frequency as supply chain challenges and ESG commitments necessitate battery recycling and end-of-lifecycle management. Whether shipping a single battery, a battery-powered device or a load shipment of batteries, KULR’s technology mitigates the impacts of cell-to-cell thermal runaway propagation and ensures a safe journey. KULR’s Thermal Runaway Shield (TRS) technology is trusted by NASA to ship and store astronauts’ laptop batteries on the International Space Station. In addition, KULR combines its Passive Propagation Resistant (PPR) solutions with its new CellCheck intelligent battery management system to extend battery life. The CellCheck modular battery management system platform is KULR’s AI-powered battery safety technology for e-mobility, energy storage and fleet applications. It captures real time and lifetime battery intelligence, sensing adverse electrical, environmental, and physical events to analyze and control for maximum battery safety, reliability, and performance. As commercial industries across the board face greater scrutiny to comply with ESG standards, KULR is serving a total addressable market for a circular economic model for batteries that will reach over $21 billion by 2025 (estimated based on market data projections published by Grand View Research, Inc. stating that the global battery recycling market size is expected to reach $21.04 billion by 2025). 2 Table of Contents E-mobility KULR is supporting the shift to electrified transport by enabling safer, lighter, and faster charging lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and micro mobility solutions. KULR’s passive propagation resistant (PPR) battery pack solutions increase battery energy capacity while preventing thermal runaway events that can lead to hazardous explosions, helping the transportation industry to address growing public safety concerns around electric vehicles, electric aviation and micro-mobility markets. Vehicle technology advancements and EV range anxiety requires more battery capacity to expand the range and power of existing platforms while adding new, power-demanding components for advances such as 5G data networks. The additional strain on batteries increases the risk for overheating and serious failures and can damage sensitive chip architecture. In addition, overheating has been a key limiting factor for advancing fast charging battery technology. KULR’s carbon fiber thermal management technologies reduce the thermal resistance inside battery cells while increasing electrical conductivity to dissipate heat more efficiently to enable the safe deployment of fast charging batteries. With KULR, automotive OEMs and battery manufacturers can increase the energy capacity of battery cells so less cells are needed, making for lighter vehicles that drive further before needing to be charged. Aerospace/Defense KULR’s thermal management solutions enable the defense and aerospace industries to safely deploy electronic technologies that support critical missions and protect national security. Technology in this sector is developing at increasing rates - the space industry alone will be worth nearly $3 trillion in 30 years. The electronic devices being placed into aircrafts, satellites, and missiles are becoming ever smaller and more powerful. Lithium-ion batteries, which are already prone to overheating and propagation, are exposed to harsh thermal environments as well as shock and vibration during aerospace and defense operations. The Company has partnered with Lockheed Martin, Leidos and other prime contractors to develop and supply mission-critical technologies for hypersonic vehicles, high-power magnetic wave, and other defense systems. High-Powered Computing & 5G Demand for improved, cost-effective cooling solutions in the rapidly growing 5G and cloud computing industries is ever-increasing. KULR’s portfolio of thermal management solutions target air and liquid-cooling of high-performance computing applications such as crypto mining, cloud computing, AI, and AR/VR simulations to maximize performance, energy efficiency and safety. KULR’s proprietary carbon fiber-based suite of thermal interface materials leverage advanced carbon fiber based heatsink technology that offers customers highly customizable, lightweight, and cost-effective solutions with industrial-level reliability due to their high thermal conductivity, lightweight, and low contact pressure. New Battery Cell Development KULR started a research and development initiative using carbon fiber structures to produce battery cells with higher energy density and faster charging capabilities. Fast-charging will be the killer app for next-gen batteries. Right now, overheating is a key limiting factor in advancing fast-charging battery technology. There may be a way to solve that problem by using carbon fiber inside the battery cell to reduce thermal and electrical resistance which can dissipate heat more effectively. The R&D initiatives include thicker cathode with higher loading factor, silicon anode, lithium metal anode and solid-state electrolyte development. This is a long-term strategic development for KULR. Commercial Partnerships KULR has a long-term technology and developmental partnership with Andretti Technologies (ATEC), the advanced technology arm of racing team Andretti Autosport. The alliance will establish a thermal management testing and design platform for high-performance battery solutions with the highest safety ratings that will be adapted to the technical requirements of Andretti’s racing enterprise with the goal of transferring solutions to mass-market electric vehicle (EV) applications. New Facility and IT-Systems KULR relocated in October 2021 to a new facility located at 4863 Shawline St, San Diego, CA. The facility is 3 times larger than the previous facility with adequate room to support our new automated battery cell testing capability that will launch in Q322 as well as personnel growth. Additionally, we installed independently enclosed areas to support the machine shop, testing lab, battery lab, and Fiber Thermal Interface Material (“FTI”) manufacturing lab. We have implemented a 5S standard for the entire facility and will seek ISO 9001 certification in June 2022. 3 Table of Contents KULR has engaged with Managed Solutions to enhance our IT infrastructure and improve all aspects of Cyber Security. As a sub-contractor for DOD programs, it was vital that KULR have state of the art IT systems and controls. We believe the best path based on the current scale of the company is to outsource this activity to a professional IT services organization. The result of this activity was an improvement of our NIST score of over 140 points. We have not yet achieved profitability and expect to continue to incur cash outflows from operations, as a result, we will eventually need to generate significant revenues to achieve profitability. Until that time we shall have to continue to use cash reserves or raise additional cash through equity or debt financings. Corporate KULR was incorporated in the State of Delaware in December 2015 and was formerly known as “KT High-Tech Marketing, Inc.” and, prior to that, as “Grant Hill Acquisition Corporation.” In April 2016, KULR implemented a change of control by issuing shares to new shareholders, redeeming shares of existing shareholders, electing new officers and directors and accepting the resignations of its then existing officers and directors. Our wholly-owned subsidiary, KULR Technology Corp, was formed in 2013 and is based in San Diego California. Since its inception, KTC primarily focused on developing and commercializing its thermal management technologies, which it acquired through assignment from and license with KTC’s co-founder Dr. Timothy Knowles. Prior to 2013, KTC’s technologies were used in numerous advanced space and industrial applications for NASA, Boeing, and Raytheon. A few notable achievements were the use of KTC’s technologies in the X-31 aircraft (battery heat sink), Mercury Messenger (battery heat sink), and X-51 Scramjet (heat exchanger). On June 19, 2017, KULR closed a share exchange with KTC and 100% of the shareholders of KTC (the “KTC Shareholders”) whereby the KTC Shareholders agreed to transfer an aggregate of 25,000,000 shares of KTC’s common stock to KULR in exchange for the issuance of an aggregate of 50,000,000 shares of KULR’s common stock to the KTC Shareholders (the “Share Exchange”), resulting in KTC becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of KULR and KTC’s business of developing and commercializing its thermal management technologies becoming KULR’s main operation. The Share Exchange was accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, with KTC being treated as the acquiring company for accounting purposes. Accordingly, the financial statements included in this Annual Report reflect the assets, liabilities and historical results of KTC prior to the completion of the Share Exchange. On August 30, 2018, KULR changed its name from “KT High-Tech Marketing, Inc.” to “KULR Technology Group, Inc.” by filing a certificate of amendment to its Certificate of Incorporation with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. On December 31, 2018, KULR filed a certificate of amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, to increase the number of authorized shares of its common stock from 100,000,000 to 500,000,000. As a result, the aggregate number of the Company’s authorized capital stock became 520,000,000 shares. Recent Developments COVID-19 In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19, a novel strain coronavirus, a pandemic. During 2020 and continuing into 2022, the global economy has been, and continues to be, affected by COVID-19. While the Company continues to see signs of economic recovery as certain governments begin to gradually ease restrictions, provide economic stimulus and accelerate vaccine distribution, the rate of recovery on a global basis has been affected by resurgence of the virus or its variants in certain jurisdictions. The Company continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on its business and operational assumptions and estimates and has determined there were no material adverse impacts on the Company’s results of operations and financial position at December 31, 2021, although the full extent of the future impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s operations and financial condition remains uncertain. Appointment of Officers and Management On March 8, 2021, our Board of Directors (the “Board”) appointed Keith Cochran as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company, to hold office until the earlier of the expiration of the term of office, a successor is duly elected and qualified, or the earlier of such officer’s death, resignation, disqualification, or removal. 4 Table of Contents As compensation for his services as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company, Mr. Cochran will receive: (1) a salary of $250,000 per annum and commensurate benefits; (2) 2,000,000 restricted shares of the Company’s common stock, which shares shall vest, so long as Mr. Cochran remains employed by the Company, in four (4) equal yearly installments, with the first installment amount to vest on March 1, 2022 and annually thereafter; and (3) eligibility, also subject to Mr. Cochran’s continued employment with the Company, for incentive based grants of up to 1,500,000 shares, which shall be earned upon the Company achieving certain market capitalization milestones. In addition, during 2021, we hired Antonio Martinez as our new Vice President of Operations on April 19, 2021 and Greg Provenzano as our new Vice President of Sales and Marketing on June 10, 2021. Appointment and Resignation of Independent Directors Effective June 7, 2021, in connection with our uplisting to the NYSE American exchange, Morio Kurosaki, Joanna D. Massey and Stayce D. Harris were appointed as directors to our Board of Directors. In connection with their appointments, each of Mr. Kurosaki, Dr. Massey and Ms. Harris were granted compensation equal to (1) $10,000 per quarter; (2) 20,000 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock, vesting in equal 5,000 share increments per quarter, with the first quarterly vest on September 7, 2021, subject to the respective director’s continued services to the Company; (3) $5,000 per year ($10,000 for respective chairpersons), beginning on June 7, 2021, for each directors’ positions on each of the Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board; (4) $8,000 per year ($17,000 for the chairperson), beginning on June 7, 2021, for each directors’ position on the Audit Committee of the Board; and (5) customary per diems and/or expense reimbursements for attending meetings of the Board. Effective as of December 13, 2021, Ms. Harris resigned as an independent member of the Board. Conversion of Series B Preferred Stock During the year ended December 31, 2021, KULR issued an aggregate of 698,600 shares of our common stock upon conversion of 13,972 shares of our Series B Preferred Stock, after which there remained no further Series B Preferred Stock outstanding. Series D Preferred Stock On May 20, 2021, we sold an aggregate of 650 shares of Series D Preferred pursuant to a new designation of preferred stock, and one-year warrants to purchase 2,600,000 shares of common stock at a price of $2.50 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $6,500,000. The Series D Preferred shares were convertible into an aggregate of 3,170,732 shares of common stock at a fixed conversion price of $2.05 and had the right to vote on an as-converted basis. We also paid the investor a commitment fee of 1,300,000 shares of common stock in connection with the sale of the Series D Preferred. Notes payable obligations in the aggregate amount of $1,540,000, were paid in full upon the closing of the sale of the Series D Preferred. On June 17, 2021, we issued an aggregate of 3,170,730 shares of our common stock upon conversion of 650 shares of our Series D Preferred Stock, after which no Series D Preferred shares remained outstanding. Operating Lease On April 5, 2021, we entered into an agreement to lease office space for a thirty-six-month period, commencing June 1, 2021 with the option to renew for an additional 5 years. Monthly rental payments under the new lease total $23,787, which are comprised of $18,518 of base rent plus $5,269 for common area costs, with annual escalation of 3.5%. Exercise of Warrants During the year ended December 31, 2021, we issued 6,793,358 shares of common stock upon the exercise of warrants for proceeds of $11,719,204. NYSE American Exchange Listing On June 7, 2021, the Company’s common stock was up listed and now trades on the NYSE American Exchange. 5 Table of Contents Sales and Marketing Strategy The Company markets and sells products and solutions directly to customers and through representatives. We believe that a direct relationship with Key Accounts allows us to have more in-depth technical interactions, faster turnaround time and provides valuable information directly to our Engineering and Marketing teams we use to improve our product features and roadmap. We market to our customers through our website, industry conferences, and industry market research reports. In the first half of 2022, we are expanding our direct sales and support team for Key Account coverage and to support an expanded representative and distributor network in the second half of 2022. Advertising and Communications Strategy We plan to utilize all forms of advertising and communications tools at our disposal. This includes commissioning unbiased white papers and technical papers, attending, sponsoring, and guest speaking at industry events, conferences, and symposiums. We have hired a public relations consultant who will oversee our press releases and media relations interface with newspapers, magazines, and blogs. We have also hired a SEO specialist for social media outreach activities and will also rely on the company’s pedigree within the thermal management community to spread high praise via word of mouth. To date, as a result of these efforts, we have received coverage in WSJ, Cheddar TV, CNBC, Forbes, EE Times, USA Today, Business Insider and others. Intellectual Property and Patent Strategy Our intellectual property strategy includes pursuing patent protection for new innovations in core carbon fiber architecture development, application development, acquisition of intellectual property, and licensing of third-party patents and intellectual property. As of December 31, 2021, we have five patents granted and assigned to KULR, an exclusive license to four third party patents, and eight pending nonprovisional and provisional patent applications. Product and Services Our heat management products and services can be divided into the following categories, subcategories and functionalities: Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Runaway Shield (“TRS”) : KULR has developed a thermal insulation technology aimed at passive resistance to thermal runaway propagation in Li-ion batteries in partnership with National Aeronautics and Space Administration Johnson Space Center (“NASA JSC”). HYDRA TRS acts as a heat sink during normal Li-ion battery pack operation but also prevents thermal runaway propagation, which is a serious concern for aerospace and defense customers and electric vehicle manufacturers. The HYDRA is a vaporizing thermal capacitor that provides passive prevention of thermal runaway propagation (“TRP”) in Li-ion battery packs. Thermal runaway can occur spontaneously in a Li-ion cell due to a short. This can trigger an explosive release of electric energy that ruptures the end cap resulting in a flare and combustion of cell materials. Released heat drives the triggered cell temperatures to > 500°C, causing a dramatic increase in neighboring cell temperatures. Temperatures above the critical 130°C greatly increases the chance for a short in adjacent cells and result in TRP. TRS keeps neighboring cell temperatures from rising above 100°C (well below the 130°C threshold) and prevents TRP. KULR Battery Cell Screening and Testing Automation System: A new automated battery cell testing platform in the second quarter of 2021 to support the stringent requirements of NASA and the DOD. This platform has been designed to meet the entire specifications of NASA WI-037 battery testing requirements. The automated equipment is modular and the initial processing capability is 500K cells annually. Based on current commitments for the equipment, we intend to have the system installed and validated in the third quarter of 2022. CellCheck: A scalable battery management platform to provide a new level of safety, performance optimization and regulatory compliance capabilities to our customers. We achieve this by putting together a modular architecture that's built on large data sets, performing an array of analytics, and then layering on top of it AI algorithms to provide predictive and preventative intelligence to our customers. It’s modular so that we can incorporate new capabilities and enhancements to the platform as the battery evolution accelerates in the coming years. This is another significant step to position KULR as a one-stop-shop total solutions provider of battery thermal energy and safety management. KULR-Tech Safe Case: This product was developed for the commercial transportation and storage of Li-ion batteries. It is an extension of the product jointly developed with NASA, the TRS Bags which safely store and transport Li-ion batteries to and in the International Space Station. The cases have been tested and granted special permits by the Department of Transportation (DOT) for shipment of Li-ion batteries up to 2.1KWh for shipment of batteries classified as DDR (damaged, defective or recall), recycling and prototype. 6 Table of Contents Fiber Thermal Interface Material (“FTI”) : KULR thermal interface materials (“TIMs”) consist of vertically oriented carbon fiber velvets attached to a film of polymer or metal. The fiber packing density and orientation are selected to serve a wide range of applications, including hostile thermal and chemical environments, sliding interfaces, and interfaces with widely varying gaps. They can be coated for electrical isolation. They require low contact pressure and provide high thermal conductivity. Their light weight and high compliance make them uniquely suited for aerospace, industrial and high-performance commercial devices. Phase Change Material (“PCM”) Heat Sink : KULR PCM composite heat sinks consisting of a conductive carbon fiber velvet embedded with a proprietary heat dissipation medium having high latent heat at its melting point. Such heat sinks offer passive thermal control for instruments that would otherwise overheat or under-cool during periodic operations. A typical application involves lasers that dissipate heat but need tight thermal control where active cooling is unavailable. Internal Short Circuit (“ISC”) Device : In March 2018, KULR reached an agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (“NREL”), a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, to be the exclusive manufacturing and distribution partner for the patented ISC device, which causes predictable battery cell failures in Li-ion batteries, making them easier to study and, therefore, safer. Li-ion batteries are the industry and consumer standard for portable power; billions of individual battery cells exist and billions more are planned for production. They provide power for everything from smart phones and laptops to electric cars and space crafts. But Li-ion batteries fail, sometimes with catastrophic results. Due to the relative rarity of cell failures, scientists and researchers had been unable to reliably or accurately replicate latent defect cell failures in lab settings, impeding research into safer battery technology. CRUX Cathode : The CRUX Cathode is composed of a carbon fiber velvet, providing a means of generating powerful electron pulses by field emission from the tops of the carbon fibers. CRUX Cathodes can be customized for different applications including the generation of microwaves, x-rays, and laser radiation. They can be fabricated in a wide variety of physical configurations, ranging from simple planar and cylindrical forms to more complex lobed shapes. Competition Currently, the battery industry uses a number of solutions to mitigate thermal runaway propagation that are offered by Unifrax, Lydall, LHS, 3M, Engineered Syntactic Systems, Celono, AllCell and others. Each of their solutions offer unique features and benefits for a specific application. We do not believe, however, that there is a one-size-fits-all solution across all applications. We believe our PPR design solution offers competitive light-weight and effective solutions for high energy battery cells because it is more flexible and can fit into different design configurations. For applications that require passive, light-weight solutions for high energy density battery cells, TRS offers a competitive solution. Thermal interface material is a large and fragmented market with many large suppliers including Henkel Bergquist, Fujipoly, Laird, 3M, Honeywell and others. These solutions are typically based on silicone and thermal particles. KULR’s FTI offers high bulk thermal conductivity and low contact pressure requirements, which we believe gives us a competitive advantage over other thermal interface solutions. Our licensed ISC device offers a reliable way to trigger battery cell thermal runaway compared to nail penetration, over-charging or over-heating the cell. ISC does not rely on mechanically damaging the battery exterior to activate the short, as do most of the other evaluation methodologies. Instead, the ISC devices trigger true internal shorts. This makes it possible to accurately pinpoint and fix problems leading to malfunctions, an ability that we believe will give us a competitive advantage over other testing solutions. Governmental Regulation and Environmental Compliance Certain substances we use in our manufacturing process are subject to federal governmental regulations (such as Environmental Protect Agency regulations). We believe we are in material compliance with all applicable governmental regulations, and that the cost and effect of compliance with environmental laws is not material. As a small generator of hazardous substances, we are subject to local governmental regulations relating to the storage, discharge, handling, emission, generation, manufacture and disposal of toxic or other hazardous substances, such as acetone that is used in very small quantities to manufacture our products. We are currently in compliance with these regulations. Most new materials sold in the U.S or in many other countries require regulation by government authorities. In most other countries, there are no specific regulations that require additional regulation, but some countries do have registration requirements with which we comply to the best our ability. 7 Table of Contents Employees As of December 31, 2021, we had 52 full time employees and 5 contractors. We believe that we maintain a good working relationship with our employees, and we have not experienced any significant labor disputes. In addition, KULR leverages outsource partners for IT management, Software Development, Battery Cell R&D, and Machine Automation. Intellectual Property We seek to establish and maintain our proprietary rights in our technology and products through the use of patents, copyright, trademarks and trade secrets. We have, and will continue to, file applications for and/or obtain patents, copyrights and trademarks in the United States and selected foreign countries where we believe filing for such protection is appropriate. We also seek to maintain our trade secrets and confidential information by implementing organizational nondisclosure policies and through the use of appropriate confidentiality agreements. As of December 31, 2021, we held five U.S. patents and eight non-provisional pending U.S. patent applications with expiration dates ranging from 2022 to 2035. In addition, KULR has exclusive license on four patents from its partnerships. There can be no assurance, however, that the rights obtained can be successfully enforced against infringing products in every jurisdiction. While our patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets provide some advantage and protection, we believe our competitive position and future success is largely determined by such factors as the system and application knowledge, innovative skills, technological expertise and management ability and experience of our personnel; the range and success of new products being developed by us; our market brand recognition and ongoing marketing efforts; and customer service and technical support. We also have trademarks that are used in the conduct of our business to distinguish genuine KULR products; KULR has been granted trademarks for Class 9 and Class 17 applications. ​