Item 1A. Risk Factors
ITEM 1 A. RISK FACTORS.
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the following risks, together with all the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the section titled “Forward-Looking Statements,” and Part II, Item 7.“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation” and our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The risks described below are not the only ones we face. Any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business. If any of the following risks actually materializes, our operating results, financial condition and liquidity could be materially adversely affected. As a result, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose part or all of your investment. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could also be harmed by risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently do not believe are material.
Risks Relating to our Financial Position and Capital Requirements.
If we are not successful in our efforts to increase sales or raise capital, we could experience a shortfall in cash over the next twelve months, and our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, if at all, may be limited.
At December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents and a short-term investment, collectively, of $13,024,381 and $13,010,356, respectively. However, during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we reported a net loss of $5,908,372 and $4,508,162, respectively, and used $662,759 and $2,887,950 of cash for operations, respectively. If we are not successful with our efforts to increase revenue, we could experience a shortfall in cash over the next twelve months. If there is a shortfall, we may be forced to reduce operating expenses, among other steps, all of which would have a material adverse effect on our operations going forward.
We may also seek to obtain debt or additional equity financing to meet any cash shortfalls. The type, timing and terms of any financing we may select will depend on, among other things, our cash needs, the availability of other financing sources and prevailing conditions in the financial markets. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to secure additional funds if needed and that, if such funds are available, the terms or conditions would be acceptable to us. If we are unable to secure additional financing, further reduction in operating expenses might need to be substantial in order for us to ensure enough liquidity to sustain our operations. Any equity financing would be dilutive to our stockholders. If we incur debt, we will likely be subject to restrictive covenants that significantly limit our operating flexibility and require us to encumber our assets. If we fail to raise sufficient funds and continue to incur losses, our ability to fund our operations, take advantage of strategic opportunities, or otherwise respond to competitive pressures will be significantly limited. Any of the above limitations could force us to significantly curtail or cease our operations, and you could lose all of your investment in our common stock. These circumstances have raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, and continued cash losses may risk our status as a going concern. Our consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern.
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We have incurred net losses in prior periods, and there can be no assurance that we will generate income in the future, or that we will be able to successfully achieve or maintain our growth strategy.
Our ability to achieve profitability will depend upon our ability to generate and sustain substantially increased revenues. We may continue to incur operating losses in the future as we execute our growth strategy. Although we expect that our expenses will decline due to our new business model, there can be no assurance that our revenue from royalties will exceed our expenses, especially since we anticipate that most of our expenses will be fixed expenses that will not be dependent upon revenue generated. The likelihood that we will generate net income in the future must be considered in light of the difficulties facing the construction industry as a whole, economic conditions and the competitive environment in which we operate. Our operating results for future periods are subject to numerous uncertainties, and we may not achieve sufficient revenues to sustain or increase profitability. In addition, we may be unable to successfully achieve or maintain our growth strategy, including our ability to expand into new geographic markets.
An impairment of goodwill could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
As December 31, 2021, we had $1,309,330 of goodwill. We perform an impairment test of our goodwill annually during the fourth quarter of our fiscal year or when events occur or circumstances change that would more-likely-than-not indicate that goodwill might be impaired. Factors that may be considered a change in circumstances, indicating that the carrying value of our goodwill may not be recoverable, include a decline in stock price and market capitalization, reduced future cash flow estimates and slower growth rates in our industry. Our annual impairment tests resulted in no impairment of goodwill during fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020. Deterioration in estimated future cash flows in our reporting unit could result in further future goodwill impairment. Changes to our business strategy, changes in industry or market conditions, changes in operating performance or other indicators of impairment could cause us to record a significant impairment charge during the period in which the impairment is determined, negatively impacting our results of operations and financial position.
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Risks Relating to our Company
Our residential construction business is difficult to evaluate because we are currently focused on a new business model and have very limited operating history and limited information.
We recently terminated our licensing business model for our residential construction business in the United States and are currently developing and constructing our own residential developments. In 2019 we entered into one license agreement for use of our technology for construction of residences in the United States which we terminated in June 2021. There is a risk that we will be unable to successfully generate revenue from this new business model. Although we believe that we will experience increased revenue from this new business model, there can be no assurance that we will experience increased costs and generate less income that we anticipate. We are subject to many risks associated with this new business model such as our dependence upon third parties to provide services and supply required materials. Even if we generate revenue, there can be no assurance that we will be profitable. We are subject to the risks inherent to the operation of a new business enterprise, and cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully address these risks.
In addition, it is still too early to evaluate the impact of our recent acquisition of Echo. Although we expect to control have better control of cost of goods and efficiency from this acquisition, it is too early to determine the full benefits, if any to be experienced as a result of the acquisition.
The impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, or similar global health concerns, could negatively impact our ability to source certain products, impact product pricing, impact our customers’ ability or that of our licensee to obtain financing or have a negative impact on our business.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. This contagious disease outbreak, which has continued to spread, and the related adverse public health developments, have adversely affected work forces, economies and financial markets globally . Our use of third-party suppliers for production and shipping of certain products could be negatively impacted by the regional or global outbreak of illnesses, including the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. In addition, any outbreak of COVID at our Echo facility could result in closures of the facility and negatively impact our ability to meet timelines. To date, we have experienced some delays in projects due to COVID-19 . Any quarantines, the timing and length of containment and eradication solutions, travel restrictions, absenteeism by infected workers, labor shortages or other disruptions to our suppliers and their contract manufacturers or our customers would likely adversely impact our sales and operating results and result in further project delays. In addition, the pandemic could result in an economic downturn that could affect the ability of our customers and licensees to obtain financing and therefore impact demand for our products. Order lead times could be extended or delayed and pricing could increase. Some products or services may become unavailable if the regional or global spread were significant enough to prevent alternative sourcing. Accordingly, we are considering alternative product sourcing in the event that product supply becomes problematic. We expect this global pandemic to have an impact on our revenue and our results of operations, the size and duration of which we are currently unable to predict.
In addition, the outbreak of the COVID- 19 coronavirus could disrupt our operations due to absenteeism by infected or ill members of management or other employees, or absenteeism by members of management and other employees who elect not to come to work due to the illness affecting others in our office or other workplace, or due to quarantines. COVID- 19 illness could also impact members of our Board of Directors resulting in absenteeism from meetings of the directors or committees of directors, and making it more difficult to convene the quorums of the full Board of Directors or its committees needed to conduct meetings for the management of our affairs.
The global outbreak of the COVID- 19 coronavirus continues to rapidly evolve. The extent to which the COVID- 19 coronavirus may impact our business and clinical trials will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the ultimate geographic spread of the disease, the duration of the outbreak, travel restrictions and social distancing in the United States and other countries, business closures or business disruptions and the effectiveness of actions taken in the United States and other countries to contain and treat the disease.
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We may be unable to successfully integrate the Echo business with its current management and structure and the acquisition of Echo may not result in the benefits anticipated.
Our failure to successfully complete the integration of Echo could have an adverse effect on our prospects, business activities, cash flow, financial condition, results of operations and stock price. Integration challenges may include the following:
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assimilating Echo’s technology and retaining personnel;
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estimating the capital, personnel and equipment required for Echo based on the historical experience of management with the businesses they are familiar with;
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minimizing potential adverse effects on existing business relationships; and
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successfully developing the new products and services.
We believe the acquisition of Echo will provide certain strategic benefits which would enable us to accelerate our business plan through an increased access to capital in the public equity markets. However, our employee number has experienced significant growth from the acquisition as has our expenses. There can be no assurance that these anticipated benefits of the acquisition will materialize or that if they materialize will result in increased stockholder value or revenue stream to the combined company.
Our ability to meet our workforce needs is crucial to our results of operations and future sales and profitability.
We rely on the existence of an available hourly workforce to manufacture our products. We cannot assure you that we will be able to attract and retain qualified employees to meet current or future manufacturing needs at a reasonable cost, or at all. For instance, the demand for skilled employees has increased recently with the low unemployment rates in Oklahoma where we have manufacturing facilities. Also, although none of our employees are currently covered by collective bargaining agreements, we cannot assure you that our employees will not elect to be represented by labor unions in the future. Additionally, competition for qualified employees could require us to pay higher wages to attract a sufficient number of employees. Significant increases in manufacturing workforce costs could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We have a fixed cost base that will affect our profitability if our sales decrease.
The fixed cost levels of operating Echo can put pressure on profit margins when sales and production decline. Our profitability depends, in part, on our ability to spread fixed costs over a sufficiently large number of products sold and shipped, and if we make a decision to reduce our rate of production, gross or net margins could be negatively affected. Consequently, decreased demand or the need to reduce production can lower our ability to absorb fixed costs and materially impact our financial condition or results of operations.
A material disruption at one of our suppliers’ facilities or Echo’s facilities could prevent us from meeting customer demand, reduce our sales and negatively affect our overall financial results.
Any of the following events could cease or limit operations unexpectedly: fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, on-site or off-site environmental incidents or other catastrophes; global pandemic; utility and transportation infrastructure disruptions; labor difficulties; other operational problems; or war, acts of terrorism or other unexpected events. Any downtime or damage at our suppliers’ facilities or Echo’s facilities could prevent us from meeting customer demand for our products or require us to make more expensive purchases from a competing supplier. If our suppliers were to incur significant downtime, our ability to satisfy customer requirements could be impaired, resulting in customers seeking products from other distributors, as well as decreased customer satisfaction and lower sales and operating income.
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A natural disaster, the effects of climate change, or other disruptions at our Echo facility could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations .
We rely on the continuous operation of our Echo facility in Durant, Oklahoma for the production of our Modules . Any natural disaster or other serious disruption to our facility due to fire, flood, earthquake, or any other unforeseen circumstance would adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, adverse weather conditions, such as increased frequency and/or severity of storms, or floods could impair our ability to operate by damaging our facilities and equipment or restricting product delivery to customers. The occurrence of any disruption at our manufacturing facility, even for a short period of time, may have an adverse effect on our productivity and profitability, during and after the period of the disruption. These disruptions may also cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property and equipment, and environmental damage. Although we maintain property, casualty, and business interruption insurance of the types and in the amounts that we believe are customary for the industry, we are not fully insured against all potential natural disasters or other disruptions to our manufacturing facility.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management’s attention and affect our ability to attract and retain qualified board members.
We are subject to the reporting and corporate governance requirements of the Exchange Act, the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market and other applicable securities rules and regulations, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act. Compliance with these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources. Among other things, the Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and results of operations and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. In order to continue to maintain our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We also may need to further expand our legal and finance departments in the future, which will increase our costs and expenses.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time-consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expense and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business and prospects may be harmed. As a result of disclosure of information in the filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition are more visible, which may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If such claims are successful, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be harmed, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert the resources of our management and harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We are dependent on the services of key personnel, and the unexpected loss of their services may adversely affect our operations.
Our success depends highly upon the personal efforts and abilities of our senior management team, specifically the efforts of Paul M. Galvin, our Chief Executive Officer, Gerald Sheeran , our Acting Chief Financial Officer and William Rogers, our Chief Operations Officer. The Company has entered into employment agreements with Messrs. Galvin, Sheeran and Rogers. The employment agreements with Messrs. Galvin, Sheeran and Rogers each provide for two-year terms, with automatic renewal after the end of such term. The loss of the services of one or more of these individuals could have a material adverse effect on our business. Our ability to achieve profitability and generate increased revenue will depend upon our ability to retain, and, if necessary, attract experienced management personnel.
The loss of one or a few customers could have a material adverse effect on us.
A few customers have in the past, and may in the future, account for a significant portion of our revenues in any one year or over a period of several consecutive years. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, 78% and 79%, respectively, of the our gross accounts receivable were due from four and three customers. Revenue relating to one and three customers represented approximately 80% and 61% of our total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Although we have contractual relationships with many of our significant customers, our customers may unilaterally reduce or discontinue their contracts with us at any time. The loss of business from a significant customer could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
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We rely on certain vendors to supply us with materials and products that, if we were unable to obtain, could adversely affect our business.
We have relationships with key materials vendors, and we rely on suppliers for our purchases of products from them. Any inability to obtain materials or services in the volumes required and at competitive prices from our major trading partners, the loss of any major trading partner or the discontinuation of vendor financing (if any) may seriously harm our business because we may not be able to meet the demands of our customers on a timely basis in sufficient quantities or at all. Other factors, including reduced access to credit by our vendors resulting from economic conditions, may impair our vendors’ ability to provide products in a timely manner or at competitive prices. We also rely on other vendors for critical services such as transportation, supply chain and professional services. Any negative impacts to our business or liquidity could adversely impact our ability to establish or maintain these relationships.
We currently are, and may in the future be, subject to legal proceedings or investigations, the resolution of which could negatively affect our profitability and cash flows in a particular period.
The nature of our operations exposes us to possible litigation claims, including disputes relating to our operations and commercial and contractual arrangements. Often the litigation matters are not totally within our control. We will contest these matters vigorously and will make insurance claims where appropriate, but because of the uncertain nature of litigation and coverage decisions, we cannot predict the outcome of these matters. The costs associated with litigation matters could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and profitability. In addition, our profitability or cash flow in a particular period could be affected by an adverse ruling in any litigation currently pending in the courts or by litigation that may be filed against us in the future. We are also subject to government regulation, which could result in administrative proceedings in the future. For additional information, see “Item 3. Legal Proceedings .”
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We may have difficulty protecting our proprietary manufacturing processes, which could adversely affect our ability to compete.
We use a proprietary manufacturing process that allows us to be code-compliant in our SGBlocks™ product . Such manufacturing process is unique to the construction industry and is important to ensure our continued success, and we cannot assure you that our efforts to protect our proprietary rights will be sufficient or effective. If other companies replicate our methodology, we could lose our competitive advantage. Any future patent or trademark applications may not lead to issued patents and registered trademarks in all instances. We also cannot be assured that the scope of any patents issued in the future will be sufficiently broad to offer meaningful protection. Others may develop or patent similar or superior technologies, products or services, and our intellectual property rights may be challenged, invalidated, misappropriated or infringed by others. If we are unable to protect and maintain our intellectual property rights, or if there are any successful intellectual property challenges or infringement proceedings against us, our business and revenue could be materially and adversely affected.
Risks Relating to our Business and Industry
We, in particular Clarity Mobile Venture, are dependent on the availability and skill of subcontractors, their willingness to work with us, and their expertise in the medical industry.
We rely and expect to continue to rely on subcontractors to perform the collection of COVID-19 tests and run testing procedures within our LAX laboratory. Despite detailed specifications and quality control procedures, in some cases, improper processes or defective materials may cause issues in producing a timely test result. We may need to spend money to remediate such problems when they are discovered. Defective materials and or improper testing procedures can result in refunds owed back to our COVID-19 customers. Pervasive problems could adversely affect our business and therefore our ability to generate income at LAX. The inability to contract with skilled subcontractors at reasonable costs and on a timely basis could erode our profit margins and adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.
We depend on third parties for transportation services, and limited availability or increases in costs of transportation could adversely affect our business and operations.
Our business depends on the transportation of a large number of products, via railroad or truck. We rely primarily on third parties for transportation of the products we manufacture or distribute and for the delivery of our raw materials. We are also subject to seasonal capacity constraints, which may be severely reduced due to COVID-19 coronavirus, and weather-related delays for both rail and truck transportation. If any of our third-party transportation providers were to fail to deliver raw materials to us or our Modules to our customers in a timely manner, we may be unable to complete projects in a timely manner and may, among other things, incur penalties for late delivery or be unable to use the Modules as intended. In addition, if any of these third parties were to cease operations or cease doing business with us, we may be unable to replace them at reasonable cost. Any failure of a third-party transportation provider to deliver raw materials to us or finished Modules to our customers in a timely manner could harm our reputation, negatively affect our customer relationships, and have a material adverse effect on our operating results, cash flows, and financial condition. Additionally, an increase in transportation rates or fuel surcharges could adversely affect our sales, profitability, and cash flows.
Expansion of our operations may strain resources, and our failure to manage growth effectively could adversely impact our operating results and harm our ability to attract and retain key personnel.
Increased orders for our Modules have placed, and may continue to place, a strain on our operational, financial, and managerial resources and personnel. In addition, execution of our growth strategy will require further substantial capital and effective planning. Significant rapid growth on top of our current operations could greatly strain our internal resources, leading to a lower quality of customer service, reporting problems, and delays, resulting in a loss of market share and other problems that could adversely affect our financial performance. Our efforts to grow could place an additional strain on our personnel, management systems, liquidity, and other resources. If we do not manage our growth effectively, our operations could be adversely affected, resulting in slower, no or negative growth, critical shortages of cash and a failure to achieve or sustain profitability.
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Our clients may adjust, cancel or suspend the contracts in our backlog; as such, our backlog is not necessarily indicative of our future revenues or earnings. In addition, even if fully performed, our backlog is not a good indicator of our future gross margins.
Backlog represents the total dollar amount of revenues we expect to record in the future as a result of performing work under contracts we have been awarded. Backlog may fluctuate significantly due to the timing of orders or awards for large projects and is not necessarily indicative of future backlog levels or the rate at which backlog will be recognized as revenue. We include in backlog only those contracts for which we have reasonable assurance that the customer can obtain the permits for construction and can fund the construction. As of December 31, 2020, our backlog totaled approximately $ 25.1 million and as of December 31, 2021 , our backlog totaled approximately $3.2 million. The decrease in backlog at December 31, 2021 from December 31, 2020 is primarily attributable to two contract cancellation, one which occurred during the third quarter of 2021 in the amount of approximately $1.3 million and one cancellation during the fourth quarter of 2021 in the amount of approximately $16.9 million. Our backlog is described more in detail in “Note 13 —Construction Backlog” of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. We cannot provide assurance that our backlog will be realized as revenues in the amounts reported or, if realized, will result in profits. In accordance with industry practice, substantially all of our contracts are subject to cancellation, termination or suspension at our customer’s discretion. In the event of a project cancellation, we generally would not have a contractual right to the total revenue reflected in our backlog. Projects can remain in backlog for extended periods of time because of the nature of the project and the timing of the particular services required by the project. In addition, the risk of contracts in backlog being cancelled or suspended generally increases during periods of widespread economic slowdowns or in response to changes in commodity prices.
The contracts in our backlog are subject to changes in the scope of services to be provided and adjustments to the costs relating to the contracts. The revenue for certain contracts included in backlog is based on estimates. Additionally, our performance of our individual contracts can affect greatly our gross margins and, therefore, our future profitability. We can provide no assurance that the contracts in backlog, assuming they produce revenues in the amounts currently estimated, will generate gross margins at the rates we have realized in the past.
Our liability for estimated warranties may be inadequate, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to construction defect and warranty claims arising in the ordinary course of business. These claims are common in the construction industry and can be costly. At this time, our third-party providers offer guarantees and warranties in accordance with industry standards that flow through to our clients. A large number of warranty claims could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
We can be adversely affected by failures of persons who act on our behalf to comply with applicable regulations and guidelines.
Although we expect all of our associates (i.e., employees), officers and directors to comply at all times with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, there are instances in which subcontractors or others through whom we do business may engage in practices that do not comply with applicable regulations or guidelines. It is possible that our associates may become aware of these practices but do not take steps to prevent them. If we learn of practices relating to buildings constructed on our behalf that do not comply with applicable regulations or guidelines, we will move actively to stop the non-complying practices as soon as possible, and we will take disciplinary action with regard to our associates who were aware of the practices, including in some instances terminating their employment. However, regardless of the steps we take, we may be subject to fines or other governmental penalties, and our reputation may be negatively affected.
The cyclical and seasonal nature of the construction industry causes our revenues and operating results to fluctuate, and we expect this cyclicality and seasonality to continue in the future.
The construction industry is highly cyclical and seasonal and is influenced by many international, national and regional economic factors, including the availability of consumer and wholesale financing, which may be severely reduced due to COVID-19 coronavirus, seasonality of demand, consumer confidence, interest rates, income levels and general economic conditions, including inflation and recessions. As a result of the foregoing factors, the revenues and operating results we derive from customers will fluctuate and we currently expect them to continue to fluctuate in the future. Moreover, we have experienced, and may continue to experience, operating losses during cyclical downturns in the construction market. These and other economic factors could have a material adverse effect on demand for our products and our financial condition and operating results.
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Our business depends on the construction industry and general business, financial market and economic conditions.
The construction industry is cyclical and significantly affected by changes in general and local economic and real estate conditions, such as employment levels, consumer confidence, demographic trends, housing demand, inflation, deflation, interest rates and credit availability. Changes in these general and local economic conditions or deterioration in the broader economy could negatively impact the level of purchases, capital expenditures and creditworthiness of our indirect customers and suppliers, and, therefore, our royalty income and financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Changes in these economic conditions may affect some of our regions or markets more than others. If adverse conditions affect our larger markets, they could have a proportionately greater impact on us than on some other companies. In addition, any uncertainty regarding global economic conditions such as raising gas prices may have an adverse effect on the results of operations and financial condition of us or our customers, distributors and suppliers, such as negative effects of currency exchange fluctuations. A shortage of labor in the construction industry could also have an impact on our financial results.
Our business relies on private investment and a slower than expected economy may adversely affect our results.
A significant portion of our sales are for projects with non-public owners, such as non-residential builders and home builders who make investments with private funds into their projects. Construction spending is affected by their customers’ ability to finance projects, which may be severely reduced due to the COVID-19 coronavirus . Residential and nonresidential construction could decline if companies and consumers are unable to finance construction projects or if the economy slows or is stalled, which could result in delays or cancellations of capital projects. If the economy slows, or if housing starts and nonresidential projects do not increase, sales of our products directly by us to consumers and related services may decline, and our financial position, results of operations and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.
A material disruption at one of our suppliers’ facilities or Echo's facilities could prevent us from meeting customer demand, reduce our sales and negatively affect our overall financial results.
Any of the following events could cease or limit operations unexpectedly: fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, on-site or off-site environmental incidents or other catastrophes; global pandemic; utility and transportation infrastructure disruptions; labor difficulties; other operational problems; or war, acts of terrorism or other unexpected events. Any downtime or damage at our suppliers’ facilities or Echo's facilities could prevent us from meeting customer demand for our products or require us to make more expensive purchases from a competing supplier. If our suppliers were to incur significant downtime, our ability to satisfy customer requirements could be impaired, resulting in customers seeking products from other distributors, as well as decreased customer satisfaction and lower sales and operating income.
Environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and any changes to, or liabilities arising under, such laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
We are subject to a variety of federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to, among other things: the release or discharge of materials into the environment; the management, use, generation, treatment, processing, handling, storage, transport or disposal of solid and hazardous wastes and materials; and the protection of public and employee health and safety and the environment. These laws and regulations may expose us to liability for the conduct of others or for our actions, even if such actions complied with all applicable laws at the time these actions were taken. These laws and regulations may also expose us to liability for claims of personal injury or property or natural resource damage related to alleged exposure to, or releases of, regulated or hazardous materials. The existence of contamination at properties we own, lease or operate could also result in increased operational costs or restrictions on our ability to use those properties as intended, including for purposes of construction materials distribution. In addition, because our properties are generally situated adjacent to or near industrial companies, our properties may be at an increased risk of having environmental contaminants from other properties spill or migrate onto or otherwise affect our properties.
Despite our compliance efforts, there is an inherent risk of liability in the operation of our business, especially from an environmental standpoint, and, from time to time, we may be in noncompliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These potential liabilities or non-compliances could have an adverse effect on our operations and profitability. In some instances, we must have government approvals, certificates, permits or licenses in order to conduct our business, which may require us to make significant capital, operating and maintenance expenditures to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Our failure to obtain and maintain required approvals, certificates, permits or licenses or to comply with applicable governmental requirements could result in sanctions, including substantial fines or possible revocation of our authority to conduct some or all of our operations. The cost of complying with such laws could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
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Our business may be subject to economic and political risks of operating and obtaining supplies from foreign countries, including adverse impact of changes in international trade and tariff policies.
We operate in and source some of our products from outside of the United States, and our suppliers may also rely upon non-domestic products. As such, any significant changes to, among other things, the general political and social conditions in foreign counties in which we maintain operations or sourcing relationships, unfavorable changes in U.S. trade legislation and regulation, the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the imposition of governmental economic sanctions on countries in which we do business or other trade barriers, threats of war, terrorism or governmental instability, labor disruptions, currency controls, fluctuating exchange rates with respect to contracts not denominated in U.S. dollars and unanticipated or unfavorable changes in government policies with respect to laws and regulations, anti-inflation measures and method of taxation. If we are unable to navigate foreign regulatory environments, or if we are unable to enforce our contract rights in foreign countries, our business could be adversely impacted. Any of these events could interrupt our business and cause operational disruptions, increase our costs of operations, reduce our sales or otherwise have an adverse effect on our operating performance.
The U.S. government has indicated its intent to alter its approach to trade policy, including, in some instances, to revise, renegotiate or terminate certain multilateral trade agreements. It has also imposed new tariffs on certain foreign goods and raised the possibility of imposing additional increases or new tariffs on other goods. Such actions have, in some cases, led to retaliatory trade measures by certain foreign governments. Such policies could make it more difficult or costly for us to do business in or procure products from those countries. In turn, we may need to raise prices or make changes to our operations, which could negatively impact our revenue or operating results. At this time, it remains unclear what additional actions, if any, will be taken by the U.S. government or foreign governments with respect to tariff and international trade agreements and policies, and we cannot predict future trade policy or the terms of any revised trade agreements or any impact on our business.
Our operating results will be subject to fluctuations and are inherently unpredictable.
In order to achieve profitability, we will need to generate and sustain higher revenue while maintaining reasonable cost and expense levels. In our most recent quarter, we experienced a loss. We do not know if our revenue will grow, or if it will grow sufficiently to outpace our expenses, which we expect to increase as we expand our operational capacity. We may not be able to become profitable on a quarterly or an annual basis. Our quarterly revenue and operating results will be difficult to predict and have in the past fluctuated from quarter to quarter. The amount, timing and mix of project sales, often for a single medium or large-scale project, may cause large fluctuations in our revenue and other financial results. Further, our revenue mix of high margin materials sales versus lower margin projects can fluctuate dramatically quarter to quarter, which may adversely affect our revenue and financial results in any given period. Finally, our ability to meet project completion schedules for an individual project and the corresponding revenue impact under the percentage-of-completion method of recognizing revenue, may similarly cause large fluctuations in our revenue and other financial results. This may cause us to miss any future guidance announced by us.
We base our planned operating expenses in part on our expectations of future revenue, and a significant portion of our expenses are fixed in the short-term. If revenue for a particular quarter is lower than we expect, we likely will be unable to proportionately reduce our operating expenses for that quarter, which would harm our operating results for that quarter. This may cause us to miss any guidance announced by us.
Cybersecurity risks related to the technology used in our operations and other business processes, as well as security breaches of company, customer, employee and vendor information, could adversely affect our business.
We rely on various information technology systems to capture, process, store and report data and interact with customers, vendors and employees. Despite careful security and controls design, as the prevalence of cyber-attacks continues to increase, our information technology systems, and those of our third-party providers, could become subject to increased security threats, such as phishing and malware incidents. Our security measures may be unable to prevent certain security breaches, and any such network, system, data or other breaches could result in misappropriation of sensitive data, transactional errors, theft of funds, business disruptions, loss of or damage to intellectual property, loss of customers and business opportunities, unauthorized access to or disclosure of confidential or personal information (which could cause a breach of applicable data protection legislation), regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensatory costs and additional compliance costs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
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Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to, or disable, degrade or sabotage, information technologies systems change frequently, and may not be recognized until after they have been launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques, implement adequate preventative measures or remediate any breach in a timely or effective manner. In addition, the development and maintenance of preventative or detective measures is costly, and requires ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to circumvent security measures become more sophisticated. As well as incurring additional costs, sophisticated hardware and operating system software and applications that we procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture, including “bugs” and other problems that could unexpectedly interfere with the operation of the systems , or we may be unable to successfully integrate and launch new systems as planned without disruptions to our operations. Misuse of internal applications, theft of intellectual property, trade secrets, funds or other corporate assets and inappropriate disclosure of confidential information could stem from such incidents.
Despite our efforts, we remain potentially vulnerable to cyber -attacks and security breaches, and any such attack or breach could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition or results of operations.
We could suffer adverse tax and other financial consequences if we are unable to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards.
At December 31, 2021, we had tax net operating loss carry forwards totaling approximately $26.1 million. The net operating loss expires beginning 2030 through 2037 for those losses generated in 2017 and prior years. Approximately $14.8 million of such net operating losses will carry forward indefinitely and be available to offset up to 80% of future taxable income each year. During 2020 , the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was passed, which temporarily removes such 80% limitation for years 2020 and 2019 . At December 31, 2021 , we had a valuation allowance of approximately $7.4 million, primarily related to net operating loss carry forwards that are not more likely than not to be utilized due to an inability to carry back these losses in most states and short carry forward periods that exist in certain states. If we are unable to use our net operating losses, we may be required to record charges or reduce our deferred tax assets, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
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Risks Relating to the Construction Sector
We are dependent upon third-party financing, and our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected if additional third-party financing for our customers does not become available
Our business and earnings depend substantially on our ability to obtain financing for the development of their construction projects , which may be adversely impacted by the recent COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. The availability and cost of such financing is further dependent on the number of financial institutions participating in the industry, the departure of financial institutions from the industry, the financial institutions’ lending practices, the strength of the domestic and international credit markets generally, governmental policies and other conditions, all of which are beyond our control. In light of the current economic climate, some of our projects may not be successful in obtaining additional funds in a timely manner, on favorable terms or at all. The availability of borrowed funds, especially for construction financing, has been greatly reduced, and lenders may require project developers to invest increased amounts of equity in a project in connection with both new loans and the extension of existing loans. Unfavorable changes in the availability and terms of financing in the industry will have a material adverse effect on certain privately financed projects.
Our results of operations also depend on the ability of any potential privately financed licensees to obtain loans for the purchase of new buildings. Over the past few years, lenders have tightened the credit underwriting standards, which have reduced lending volumes. If this trend continues, it would negatively impact our sales, which depend in large part on the availability and cost of financing. In addition, where our potential customers must sell their existing buildings or real estate in order to develop new buildings, increases in mortgage costs and/or lack of availability of mortgages could prevent buyers of potential customers’ existing buildings from obtaining the mortgages they need to complete their purchases, which would result in our potential customers’ inability to make purchases from us. If our potential customers cannot obtain suitable financing, our sales and results of operations would be adversely affected.
The construction industry is highly competitive, and such competition may increase the adverse effects of industry conditions , including the consolidation of the industry.
We operate in a very competitive environment characterized by competition from numerous local, regional and national builders. We may compete for financing, raw materials and skilled management and labor resources. A decline in construction starts could adversely affect demand for our buildings and our results of operations. Increased competition could require us to further increase our selling incentives and/or reduce our prices, which could negatively affect our profits. We may be unable to successfully expand into or compete in the markets in new geographic areas. In addition, while we believe our ESR may improve our competitive position by potentially expediting reviews and approvals by state and local building departments and certifying our specific quality control and design acceptance criteria, there is no assurance that it will have the desired impact.
There can be no assurance that Modules or modular construction techniques that utilize our technology and expertise will achieve market acceptance and grow; thus, the future of our business and the modular construction industry as a whole is uncertain.
There can be no assurance that we will achieve market acceptance for our technology and expertise or that the modular construction market will grow. Our business may be disrupted by the introduction of new products and services and is subject to changing consumer preferences and industry trends, which may adversely affect our ability to plan for the future development and marketing of our products. Although Modules have particular applications in a wide variety of market segments, there is no assurance that we will be able to expand our relationship within such market segments or, even if we do, that general market acceptance for our technology and expertise or Modules will continue to increase.
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Government regulations and legal challenges may delay the start or completion of our projects, increase our expenses or limit our building activities, which could have a negative impact on our operations.
Various domestic and international rules and regulations concerning building, zoning, sales and similar matters apply to and/or affect the construction industry. Governmental regulation affects construction activities, as well as sales activities, mortgage lending activities and other dealings with consumers. These industries also have experienced an increase in state and local legislation in the United States and regulations that limit the availability or use of land. Municipalities may also restrict or place moratoriums on the availability of utilities, such as water and sewer taps. In some areas, municipalities may enact growth control initiatives, which restrict the number of building permits available in a given year. In addition, we may be required to apply for additional approvals or modify our existing approvals because of changes in local circumstances or applicable law. If governments in locations in which we operate take actions like the ones described, they could adversely affect our business by causing delays, increasing our costs or limiting our ability to operate in those areas. Further, we may experience delays and increased expenses as a result of legal challenges to our proposed projects, whether brought by governmental authorities or private parties. Failure to comply with laws or regulations applicable to or affecting us, or the passage in the future of new and more stringent laws affecting us, may adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.
The dangers inherent in our operations, such as disruptions to our facilities and project sites, and the limits on insurance coverage could expose us to potentially significant liability costs and materially interfere with the performance of our operations.
While we believe our insurance coverage is adequate and in line with our industry’s standards, all construction, including modular construction, involves operating hazards that can cause personal injury or loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and equipment and suspension of operations , including, but not limited to, natural or man-made disruptions to our facilities and project sites. The failure of such structures during and after installation can result in similar injuries and damages. Although we believe that our insurance coverage is adequate, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain adequate insurance in the future at rates we consider reasonable, or that our insurance coverage will be adequate to cover future claims that may arise. Claims for which we are not fully insured may adversely affect our working capital and profitability. In addition, changes in the insurance industry have generally led to higher insurance costs and decreased availability of coverage. The availability of insurance that covers risks we and our competitors typically insure against may decrease, and the insurance that we are able to obtain may have higher deductibles, higher premiums and more restrictive policy terms.
Risks Relating to the Clarity Mobile Venture Sector
There can be no assurance that the velocity of COVID-19 tests being conducted by Clarity Mobile Venture will continue at current rates or be effective for new variants of the COVID-19 virus.
There can be no assurance that the demand for Clarity Mobile Venture’s COVID-19 testing and related laboratory services will continue to grow at the current pace. While we expect that the coronavirus will be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future, viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of the COVID-19 virus are expected to occur over time. Our business may be disrupted by the emergence and spread of new variants of the COVID-19 virus that may require different types of tests that may or may not be readily available to us at the time. Currently, we are deploying several COVID-19 tests including PCR and Rapid-Antigen tests. No assurance can be given that the COVID-19 tests currently deployed by us will be effective for any future variants.
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We may be adversely affected by actions of our competitors.
The market for COVID-19 testing facilities is highly competitive. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and other resources than we have. Our ability to compete effectively depends in part on market acceptance of our testing solutions and our ability to service customers in a timely manner. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete effectively or that we will respond appropriately to industry trends or to activities of competitors.
We rely on third-party vendors to supply us with the COVID-19 tests that Clarity Mobile Venture uses that, if we were unable to obtain, could adversely affect our business.
Clarity Mobile Venture relies on third-party vendors to supply it with COVID-19 tests. Any inability to obtain COVID-19 tests in the volumes required and at competitive prices from our vendors, the loss of any major vendor may seriously harm our business because we may not be able to meet the demands of our customers on a timely basis in sufficient quantities or at all.
Risks Relating to our Common Stock
Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market could result in a delisting of our common stock.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq” or the “Nasdaq Capital Market”) , which imposes, among other requirements, a minimum bid requirement. Although we are currently in compliance with the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market in the past we have experiences periods of time when we were not compliant with the minimum bid price requirements and, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain compliance in the future.
The delisting of our common stock from Nasdaq may make it more difficult for us to raise capital on favorable terms in the future, or at all. Such a delisting would likely have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our common stock when you wish to do so. Further, if our common stock were to be delisted from Nasdaq, our common stock would cease to be recognized as a covered security, and we would be subject to additional regulation in each state in which we offer our securities. Moreover, there is no assurance that any actions that we take to restore our compliance with the Nasdaq minimum bid requirement would stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our common stock, prevent our common stock from falling below the Nasdaq minimum bid price required for continued listing again or prevent future non-compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements.
There can be no assurance that we will continue to meet the minimum bid price requirement, or any other requirement in the future. If we fail to meet the minimum bid price requirement, or other applicable Nasdaq listing requirements, including maintaining minimum levels of stockholders’ equity or market values of our common stock, our common stock could be delisted. Delisting from Nasdaq would cause us to pursue eligibility for trading of our common stock on other markets or exchanges, or on an over-the-counter market. In such case, our stockholders’ ability to trade or obtain quotations of the market value of our common stock would be severely limited because of lower trading volumes and transaction delays. These factors could contribute to lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices of these securities. There can be no assurance that our common stock, if delisted from the Nasdaq, would be listed on a national securities exchange, a national quotation service or the over-the-counter markets. Delisting from the Nasdaq could also result in negative publicity, make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital, adversely affect the market liquidity of our common stock, decrease securities analysts’ coverage of us or diminish investor, supplier and employee confidence. In addition, our stock could become a “penny stock,” which would make trading of our common stock more difficult.
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Our stock price has been subject to fluctuations in the past, has recently been volatile, and will likely continue to be subject to fluctuations and decline, due to factors beyond our control, and investors in our common stock may lose all or part of their investment in our company.
The trading price of our common stock has been and is expected to continue to be volatile and has been and may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including limited trading volume. On March 15, 2022, the reported low sale price of our common stock was $1.60, the reported high sale price was $1.71 and closing price of our common stock was $1.64 while on June 30, 2021, the closing price of our common stock was $5.50. We may incur rapid and substantial decreases in our stock price in the foreseeable future that are unrelated to our operating performance for prospects. In addition to the factors discussed in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Annual Report, these factors include:
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economic and market conditions or trends in our industry or the economy as a whole and, in particular, in the construction industry;
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additions or departures of key personnel;
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operating results that fall below expectations;
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industry developments;
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new laws or regulations or new interpretations of existing laws or regulations applicable to our business;
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material litigation or government disputes;
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the public’s response to press releases or other public announcements by us or third parties, including our filings with the SEC;
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changes in financial estimates or recommendations by any securities analysts who follow our common stock;
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the size of our market float and potential dilution due to the exercise of outstanding options and warrants;
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future sales of our common stock by our officers, directors and significant stockholders, including sales pursuant to a registration statement filed to permit a significant stockholder to sell shares of our common stock, pursuant to certain registration rights granted to such stockholder;
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other events or factors, including those resulting from such events, or the prospect of such events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts, public health issues including health epidemics or pandemics, such as the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, and natural disasters such as fire, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados or other adverse weather and climate conditions, whether occurring in the United States or elsewhere, could disrupt our operations, disrupt the operations of our suppliers or result in political or economic instability; and
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period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results.
In addition, the securities markets have, from time to time, experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Since the stock price of our common stock has fluctuated in the past, has recently been volatile and will likely be volatile in the future, investors in our common stock may lose all or part of their investment in our company. In the past, stockholders have instituted securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, we could incur substantial costs and our resources and the attention of management could be diverted from our business.
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The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management’s attention and affect our ability to attract and retain qualified board members.
We are subject to the reporting and corporate governance requirements of the Exchange Act, the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market and other applicable securities rules and regulations, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act. Compliance with these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources. Among other things, the Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and results of operations and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. In order to continue to maintain our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We also may need to further expand our legal and finance departments in the future, which will increase our costs and expenses.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time-consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expense and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business and prospects may be harmed. As a result of disclosure of information in the filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition are more visible, which may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If such claims are successful, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be harmed, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert the resources of our management and harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that they might occur, could cause the price of our common stock to decline.
The price of our common stock could decline if there are substantial sales of our common stock, particularly sales by our directors, executive officers and significant stockholders. If our existing stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or if the public perceives that such sales could occur, this could have an adverse impact on the market price of our common stock, even if there is no relationship between such sales and the performance of our business.
In addition, shares subject to outstanding options under our Incentive Plan are and will become eligible for sale in the public market in the future, subject to certain legal and contractual limitations. Substantial sales of such shares, at that time, could depress the sale price of our common stock.
Significant sales of our common stock, or the possibility that these sales may occur, might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. In addition, we may issue shares of our common stock in connection with investments or acquisitions in the future. The amount of shares of our common stock issued in connection with an investment or acquisition could constitute a material portion of our then-outstanding shares of common stock.
The issuance of shares of our common stock upon the exercise of outstanding options, warrants and restricted stock units may dilute the percentage ownership of the then-existing stockholders and may make it more difficult to raise additional equity capital.
As of April 11, 2022, there are outstanding options and warrants to purchase 36,436 and 2,025,520 shares of common stock, respectively, in addition to 2,220,514 vested and unvested restricted stock units. The exercise of such options and warrants and the vesting of restricted stock units would dilute the then-existing stockholders’ percentage ownership of our stock, and any sales in the public market of common stock underlying such securities could adversely affect prevailing market prices for the common stock. Moreover, the terms upon which we would be able to obtain additional equity capital could be adversely affected because the holders of our options and warrants can be expected to exercise them at a time when we would, in all likelihood, be able to obtain any needed capital on terms more favorable to us than those provided by such securities.
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The issuance of additional securities by our Board of Directors (the “Board” or “Board of Directors”) will dilute the ownership interests of our current stockholders and could discourage the acquisition of us.
Our Board, without any action by our stockholders, is authorized to designate and issue additional classes or series of capital stock (including classes or series of preferred stock) as it deems appropriate and to establish the rights, preferences and privileges of such classes or series, and we currently have an effective universal shelf registration statement on file with the SEC, providing for the potential issuance of shares of our common stock and other securities. The issuance of any new class or series of capital stock would not only dilute the ownership interest of our current stockholders but may also adversely affect the voting power and other rights of holders of common stock. The rights of holders of preferred stock and other classes of common stock that may be issued may be superior to the rights of the holders of the existing class of common stock in terms of the payment of ordinary and liquidating dividends and voting rights.
In addition, the ability of the Board to designate and issue such shares could impede or deter an unsolicited tender offer or takeover proposal regarding us and the issuance of additional shares having preferential rights could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of holders of common stock and render more difficult the removal of current management, even if such removal may be in the stockholders’ best interests.
We do not expect to pay dividends in the future. Any return on investment may be limited to the value of our common stock.
For the foreseeable future, we intend to retain any earnings to finance the development and expansion of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon results of operations, financial condition, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors our Board of Directors deem relevant. Accordingly, if you purchase shares of our common stock, realization of a gain on your investment will depend on the appreciation of the price of our common stock, which may never occur. Investors seeking cash dividends in the foreseeable future should not purchase our common stock.
If securities or industry analysts do not publi sh research or reports about our business or our industry, or publish negative reports about our business or our industry, our stock price and trading volume could decline .
The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us, our business, our industry or our competitors. If one or more of the analysts who cover us change their recommendation regarding our stock adversely, change their opinion of the prospects for our company in a negative manner or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
Certain provisions of Delaware law could discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition at a premium price.
Certain provisions of Delaware law could discourage potential acquisition proposals, delay or prevent a change in control of our company, or limit the price that investors may be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. Because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner. Such provisions may discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition of the Company, including a transaction in which the acquirer may offer a premium price for our stock.
If our shares become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.
The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not retain a listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and if the price of our shares of common stock is less than $5.00, our common stock will be deemed a penny stock (meaning that our shares may be considered highly speculative and may trade infrequently, which can make them difficult to accurately price or sell). The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that, before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive: (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.
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As a “smaller reporting company,” we may avail ourselves of reduced disclosure requirements, which may make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are a “smaller reporting company” under applicable SEC rules and regulations, and, as a result of the SEC’s recent amendment to the definition of “smaller reporting company,” we will continue to be a “smaller reporting company” for so long as either (i) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates as of the end of our most recently completed second quarter (“public float”) is less than $250 million or (ii) annual revenues of less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and (A) no public float or (B) a public float of less than $700 million. As a “smaller reporting company,” we have relied on exemptions from certain SEC disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies. These exemptions include reduced financial disclosure and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation. Until such time as we cease to be a “smaller reporting company,” such reduced disclosure in our SEC filings may make it harder for investors to analyze our operating results and financial prospects. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result of our reduced disclosure, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
Our shares of common stock are from time to time thinly traded, so stockholders may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if they need to sell shares to raise money or otherwise desire to liquidate their shares .
Our common stock has from time to time been “thinly-traded,” 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, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until such time as we became more seasoned and viable. 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 share price. We cannot give stockholders any assurance that a broader or more active public trading market for our common stock will develop or be sustained, or that current trading levels will be sustained.
ITEM 1B . UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
None.