Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
The following management’s discussion
and analysis of financial condition and results of operations provides information that management believes is relevant to an assessment
and understanding of our plans and financial condition . The following financial information is derived from our condensed consolidated
financial statements and should be read in conjunction with such condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto set forth
elsewhere herein.
Use of Terms
Except as otherwise indicated by the context and
for the purposes of this report only, references in this report to “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,”
“Asset Entities,” and “our company” are to Asset Entities Inc., a Nevada corporation. “Class A Common Stock”
refers to the Company’s Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share. “Class B Common Stock” refers to the Company’s
Class B Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share.
Note Regarding Trademarks,
Trade Names and Service Marks
We use various trademarks, trade names and service
marks in our business, including “AE 360 DDM”, “Asset Entities Where Assets Are Created”, “SiN”, “Social
Influencer Network”, and associated marks. For convenience, we may not include the ℠, ® or ™
symbols, but such omission is not meant to indicate that we would not protect our intellectual property rights to the fullest extent allowed
by law. Any other trademarks, trade names or service marks referred to in this report are the property of their respective owners.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains forward-looking statements
that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us. All statements other than
statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance
and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance
or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied
by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:
● the potential
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and financial condition;
● our ability to introduce new products and services;
● our ability to obtain additional funding to develop additional
services and offerings;
● anticipated compliance with obligations under intellectual
property licenses with third parties;
● market acceptance of our new offerings;
● competition from existing online offerings or new offerings
that may emerge;
● our ability to establish or maintain collaborations, licensing
or other arrangements;
● our ability and third parties’ abilities to protect
intellectual property rights;
● our ability to adequately support future growth;
● our goals and strategies;
● our future business development, financial condition and
results of operations;
● expected changes in our revenue, costs or expenditures;
● growth of and competition trends in our industry;
● the accuracy and completeness of the data underlying our
or third-party sources’ industry and market analyses and projections;
11
● our expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, our services;
● our expectations regarding our relationships with investors, institutional funding partners and other
parties with whom we collaborate;
● fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in the markets in which we operate; and
● relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking
statements by terms such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,”
“plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,”
“potential,” “project” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.
These statements are only predictions. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could materially affect results.
Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under “Item
1A. Risk Factors ” and elsewhere in this report. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or if our underlying
assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual events or results may vary significantly from those implied or projected by the forward-looking
statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance.
In addition, statements that “we believe”
and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available
to us as of the date of this report, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information
may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or
review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to
unduly rely upon these statements.
The forward-looking statements made in this report
relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this report. Except as expressly required by the
federal securities laws, there is no undertaking to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events, changed circumstances or any other reason.
Overview
Asset Entities is a technology company providing
social media marketing and content delivery services across Discord and other social media platforms. We also design, develop and manage
servers for communities on Discord. Based on the rapid growth of our Discord servers and social media following, we have developed three
categories of services: (1) our Discord investment education and entertainment services, (2) social media and marketing services, and
(3) our AE.360.DDM services. All of our services are based on our effective use of Discord as well as other social media including TikTok,
Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Our Discord investment education and entertainment
service is designed primarily by and for enthusiastic Generation Z, or Gen Z, retail investors, creators and influencers. Gen Z is commonly
considered to be people born between 1997 and 2012. Our investment education and entertainment service focuses on stock, real estate,
cryptocurrency, and NFT community learning programs designed for the next generation. While we believe that Gen Z will continue to be
our primary market, our recently-expanded Discord server offering features education and entertainment content covering real estate investments,
which is expected to appeal strongly to older generations as well. Our combined server user member base was approximately 260,000 as of
June 30, 2023. During the quarter ended June 30, 2023, we introduced a line of limited-supply avatars and related merchandise for sale
to users of this service.
Our social media and marketing services utilize
our management’s social influencer backgrounds by offering social media and marketing campaign services to business clients. Our
team of social influencer independent contractors, which we call our “SiN” or “Social Influencer Network”, can
perform social media and marketing campaign services to expand our clients’ Discord server bases and drive traffic to their businesses,
as well as increase the number members of our own servers.
Our “AE.360.DDM, Design Develop Manage”
service, or “AE.360.DDM”, is a suite of services to individuals and companies seeking to create a server on Discord. We believe
we are the first company to provide “Design, Develop and Manage,” or DDM, services for any individual, company, or organization
that wishes to join Discord and create their own community. With our AE.360.DDM rollout, we are uniquely positioned to offer DDM services
in the growing market for Discord servers. During the quarter ended June 30, 2023, we launched a new AE.360.DDM website; engaged music
producer Jeff Blue as Head of Entertainment to lead the development of the AE.360.DDM Music and Entertainment Artist and Repertoire (A&R)
service; hired a Senior Project Manager for all Discord servers under the AE.360.DDM suite of services; introduced a ChatGPT AI bot as
an AE.360.DDM Discord server customer service feature; engaged professional golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Scott Verplank to promote the
AE.360.DDM service; and engaged Michael Irvin, American sports commentator and former professional football player, to provide marketing
services for the AE.360.DDM service.
12
We believe that we are a leading provider of all
of these services, that we have built a scalable and sustainable business model and that our competitive strengths position us favorably
in each aspect of our business.
Our revenue
depends in part on the number of paying subscribers to our Discord servers. During the three months ended June 30, 2023 and
2022, we received revenue from 348 and 723 Asset Entities Discord server paying subscribers, respectively. We
define “members” as all Discord users who join any of our Discord servers, regardless of whether they subscribe to our
premium content, and “paying subscribers” as members who pay a fee to subscribe to our premium Discord content.
As discussed above, we have recently announced
a number of initiatives to expand our revenue base, but the extent and timing of any favorable impacts that they may have upon our revenues,
income from operations, or other results of operations, are subject to, and may be offset by unfavorable impacts on our results of operations
due to, many other factors and uncertainties that are discussed in this report, including under “— Special Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements ” and “— Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic ”, and “ —Principal Factors
Affecting Our Financial Performance ”, and “Item 1A. Risk Factors ” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
The global pandemic of a novel strain of coronavirus,
or COVID-19, prompted public health authorities and governments at local, national and international levels to announce various measures
to counter the pandemic. Some measures that directly or indirectly impact our business include voluntary or mandatory quarantines, school
and workplace closures, restrictions on travel, and limiting gatherings of people in public places.
We believe that we have fully complied with all
federal, state and local requirements relating to COVID-19. We have undertaken various measures in an effort to mitigate the spread of
COVID-19. From our founding, we have been a highly efficient remote-first company, which has been able to continue to function as normal
even with pandemic-related stay-at-home orders and other regulations. We have also exploited certain trends related to the COVID-19 pandemic,
including its acceleration of global growth in virtual services.
Conversely, we believe we have experienced a substantial
decrease in subscriptions and related revenues compared to those generated during 2021 largely as a result of the reversal of COVID-19-pandemic
countermeasures. We believe that the general full reopening of schools, workplaces, social settings, and travel services in most of the
United States as of the first quarter of 2022 has reduced demand for online services like ours. The rapid growth of our revenues from
2020 to 2021 as disclosed in previous filings with the SEC is therefore not believed to be indicative of our performance for subsequent
periods.
In addition, were the COVID-19 pandemic to resurge
in severity, there is no assurance that it would contribute favorably to our results of operations. Pandemic-related effects have included
and may in the future include adverse impacts on global economic activity and significant volatility and negative pressure in financial
markets. The resulting global deterioration in economic conditions and financial volatility may have an adverse impact on discretionary
consumer spending or investing, and could also impact our business and demand for our services. Therefore, the manner and extent to which
future pandemic-related measures may impact our results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot
be predicted as of the date of this report. The pandemic and the current financial, economic and capital markets environment, and future
developments in these and other areas present material uncertainty and risk with respect to our performance, financial condition, results
of operations and cash flows. See also “Item 1A. Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – The
COVID-19 pandemic may cause a material adverse effect on our business ” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2022.
13
Emerging Growth Company
We qualify as an “emerging growth company”
under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As a result, we are permitted to, and intend to, rely
on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements. For so long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:
● have an auditor report on our internal controls over financial
reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
● comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional
information about the audit and the financial statements (i.e., an auditor discussion and analysis);
● submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder
advisory votes, such as “say-on-pay” and “say-on-frequency;” and
● disclose certain executive compensation related items such
as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation
to median employee compensation.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also
provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an
emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private
companies. We have elected to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period. Our financial statements may therefore
not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.
We will remain an emerging growth company until
the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering, (ii) the last day
of the first fiscal year in which our total annual gross revenues are $1,235,000,000 or more, (ii) the date that we become a “large
accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”),
which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business
day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible
debt during the preceding three year period.
Principal Factors Affecting Our Financial Performance
Our operating results are primarily affected by
the following factors:
● our ability to acquire new customers and users or retain
existing customers and users;
● our ability to offer competitive pricing;
● our ability to broaden product or service offerings;
● industry demand and competition;
● our ability to leverage technology and use and develop efficient processes;
● our ability to attract and retain talented employees and contractors; and
● market conditions and our market position.
Recent Developments
On June 30, 2023, the
Company entered into a Closing Agreement (the “Closing Agreement”) with Triton Funds LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Triton”).
Subject to the terms of the Closing Agreement, the Company had an option to deliver a closing notice (the “Closing Notice”)
to Triton at any time on or before September 30, 2023, pursuant to which Triton would have been obligated to purchase shares of Class
B Common Stock of the Company with an aggregate value of $1,000,000.
14
On August 1, 2023, the
Company and Triton entered into an Amended and Restated Closing Agreement (the “Amended and Restated Closing Agreement”).
Subject to the terms of the Amended and Restated Closing Agreement, the Company has an option to deliver the Closing Notice to Triton
at any time on or before September 30, 2023, pursuant to which Triton will be obligated to purchase certain securities of the Company
with an aggregate value of $1,000,000 in the following manner. Upon delivery of the Closing Notice, Triton must purchase newly-issued
shares of Class B Common Stock of the Company (the “Triton Shares”) in an amount equal to up to 9.99% of the outstanding shares
of Class B Common Stock following such purchase, plus pre-funded warrants (the “Triton Pre-Funded Warrants” and together with
the Triton Shares, the “Triton Securities”) that may be exercised to purchase an amount of newly-issued shares of Class B
Common Stock (the “Triton Warrant Shares”), such that the aggregate price of the Triton Shares and the Triton Pre-Funded Warrants
together with the exercise price to be paid upon full exercise of the Triton Pre-Funded Warrants will equal a total gross purchase price
of $1,000,000. Upon the Company’s election to deliver the Closing Notice, the price of each of the Triton Shares will be set at
85% of the lowest daily volume-weighted average price of the Class B Common Stock during the five business days before and five business
days after the date of the Closing Notice. The anticipated Triton Shares, Triton Pre-Funded Warrant, if required or elected by Triton,
or both, will be issued on the date of such notice based on the price per share that is 85% of the lowest daily volume-weighted average
price of the Class B Common Stock during the five business days before the date of such notice. If the lowest volume-weighted average
price up to five of the trading days following the date of the notice is lower than the lowest volume-weighted average price during the
five-trading-day before the date of such notice, then the Company will issue the required additional Triton Shares, a Triton Pre-Funded
Warrant, if required or elected by Triton, or both, based on that price. Triton will pay the purchase price no later than five business
days after the date of the Closing Notice.
The Triton Pre-Funded
Warrants will have an exercise price of $0.01 per share and no expiration date. The Triton Pre-Funded Warrants will also contain cashless
exercise provisions. For each of the Triton Warrant Shares that is required to or is elected to be issuable pursuant to the issuance
of the Triton Pre-Funded Warrants instead of as Triton Shares, the number of Triton Shares that the Company will issue to Triton at the
time of any sale of the Triton Securities will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. The proceeds from a sale under the Amended
and Restated Closing Agreement will be reduced by a $25,000 administrative fee.
Triton’s obligation
to purchase the Triton Securities under the Amended and Restated Closing Agreement is subject to certain conditions. These conditions
include the filing and effectiveness of a registration statement for the resale of the Triton Shares and Triton Warrant Shares. In addition,
the Class B Common Stock must remain listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market tier of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), and
the issuance of the Triton Shares, the Triton Pre-Funded Warrants, or the Triton Warrant Shares must not violate any requirements of Nasdaq.
The Amended and Restated
Closing Agreement contains additional requirements, including that, except as disclosed in the Company’s filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, the Company must maintain the listing of the Class B Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market tier of Nasdaq
and provide notice to Triton of certain events affecting the effectiveness of the registration statement filed to register the resale
of the Triton Shares and Triton Warrant Shares or the availability of the respective prospectus. The Amended and Restated Closing Agreement
also provides for indemnification of Triton against liabilities relating to misrepresentations, breaches of obligations, and third-party
claims relating to the Amended and Restated Closing Agreement, with certain exceptions. The Amended and Restated Closing Agreement will
expire either upon the date that Triton pays the required purchase price after receiving the Closing Notice, or September 30, 2023.
There is no relationship
between the Company or its affiliates and Triton, other than in respect of the Amended and Restated Closing Agreement.
In connection with the
Amended and Restated Closing Agreement, pursuant to an engagement letter agreement between the Company and Boustead Securities, LLC, a
registered broker-dealer (“Boustead”), dated November 29, 2021 and the underwriting agreement between the Company and Boustead,
as representative of the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering, dated February 2, 2023, upon a closing under the
Amended and Restated Closing Agreement, if any, the Company will be required to pay Boustead a cash fee equal to 7% of the gross proceeds
to be received from such closing, i.e., $70,000; pay Boustead a non-accountable expense allowance equal to 1% of the gross proceeds to
be received from such closing, i.e., $10,000; issue Boustead a warrant with respect to the Triton Shares exercisable for a number of shares
of Class B Common Stock equal to 7% of the number of the Triton Shares at an exercise price equal to the price per share for the Triton
Shares; and issue Boustead a warrant with respect to the issuance of the Triton Pre-Funded Warrants exercisable for a number of shares
of Class B Common Stock equal to 7% of the Triton Warrant Shares at an exercise price equal to $0.01 per share (collectively, the “Tail
Warrants”). The Tail Warrants will be exercisable for a period of five years and contain cashless exercise provisions. The Company
is also required to reimburse Boustead for all reasonable invoiced out-of-pocket expenses in connection with its performance of any services
relating to the Amended and Restated Closing Agreement, regardless of whether a sale under the Amended and Restated Closing Agreement
occurs.
15
Results of Operations
Comparison of Three Months Ended June 30,
2023 and 2022
Three Months Ended
Consolidated Operations Data
June 30,
2023
June 30,
2022
Revenues
$ 74,912
$ 72,664
Operating expenses
Contract labor
48,083
51,289
General and administrative
497,713
119,027
Management compensation
850,173
147,487
Total operating expenses
1,395,969
317,803
Loss from operations
(1,321,057 )
(245,139 )
Net loss
(1,321,057 )
(245,139 )
Revenues .
Our revenues increased 3.1% to approximately $0.075 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 from approximately $0.073 million
for the three months ended June 30, 2022. This increase was primarily due to an increase in contract revenue of approximately $0.037 for
the three months ended June 30, 2023, offset by a decrease in revenue from Discord paying subscribers of approximately $0.035 million
for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to such revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2022. There was no material difference
in the Company’s subscription pricing structure between these periods.
Operating Expenses .
Our total operating expenses increased 339.3% to approximately $1.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 from approximately
$0.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022. This increase was primarily due to an increase in costs associated with the Company’s
initial public offering and administrative cost of public filings of approximately $0.4 million and an increase in management compensation
costs of approximately $0.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 compared to such costs for the three months ended June 30,
2022.
Loss From Operations .
Our loss from operations increased 438.9% to approximately $1.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 from approximately $0.2
million for the three months ended June 30, 2022. This increase was primarily due to an increase in costs associated with the Company’s
initial public offering and administrative cost of public filings of approximately $0.4 million and an increase in management compensation
costs of approximately $0.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 compared to such costs for the three months ended June 30,
2022.
Net Loss .
Our net loss increased 438.9% to approximately $1.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 from approximately $0.2 million for
the three months ended June 30, 2023. This increase was primarily due to an increase in costs associated with the Company’s initial
public offering and administrative cost of public filings of approximately $0.4 million and an increase in management compensation costs
of approximately $0.8 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 compared to such costs for the three months ended June 30, 2022.
Comparison of Six Months Ended June 30,
2023 and 2022
Six Months Ended
Consolidated Operations Data
June 30,
2023
June 30,
2022
Revenues
$ 136,047
$ 198,723
Operating expenses
Contract labor
84,664
82,084
General and administrative
843,654
239,637
Management compensation
1,600,037
206,341
Total operating expenses
2,528,355
528,062
Loss from operations
(2,392,308 )
(329,339 )
Net loss
(2,392,308 )
(329,339 )
16
Revenues .
Our revenues decreased 31.5% to approximately $0.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 from approximately $0.2 million for
the six months ended June 30, 2022. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease in subscription revenue of approximately $0.073 million,
offset by an increase in contract revenue of approximately $0.011 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to such revenues
for the six months ended June 30, 2022. There was no material difference in the Company’s subscription pricing structure between
these periods.
Operating Expenses .
Our total operating expenses increased 378.8% to approximately $2.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 from approximately
$0.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2022. This increase was primarily due to an increase in costs associated with the Company’s
initial public offering and administrative cost of public filings of approximately $0.6 million and an increase in management compensation
costs of approximately $1.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 compared to such costs for the six months ended June 30, 2022.
Loss From Operations .
Our loss from operations increased 626.4% to approximately $2.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 from approximately $0.3
million for the six months ended June 30, 2022. This increase was primarily due to a decrease in subscription revenue of approximately
$0.073, offset by an increase in contract revenue of approximately $0.011 million; an increase in costs associated with the Company’s
initial public offering and administrative cost of public filings of approximately $0.6 million; and an increase in management compensation
costs of approximately $1.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to such revenue and costs for the six months ended
June 30, 2022.
Net Loss .
Our net loss increased 626.4% to approximately $2.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023 from approximately $0.3 million for
the six months ended June 30, 2023. This increase was primarily due to a decrease in subscription revenue of approximately $0.073, offset
by an increase in contract revenue of approximately $0.011 million; an increase in costs associated with the Company’s initial public
offering and administrative cost of public filings of approximately $0.6 million; and an increase in management compensation costs of
approximately $1.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to such revenue and costs for the six months ended June 30,
2022.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of June 30, 2023,
we had cash consisting of approximately $5.0 million. To date, we have financed our operations primarily through contributed capital and
sales of our services. In February 2023 we raised approximately $6.6 million in net proceeds from the Company’s initial public offering.
We believe that our current levels of cash will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for our operations and cash payment obligations
for the 12 months ended June 30, 2024 and in the long-term beyond this period, including our anticipated costs associated with being a
public reporting company. We may, however, in the future require additional cash resources due to changing business conditions, implementation
of our strategy to expand our business, or other investments or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If our own financial resources are
insufficient to satisfy our capital requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain additional credit
facilities. The sale of additional equity securities could result in dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would
result in increased debt service obligations and could require us to agree to operating and financial covenants that would restrict our
operations. Financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Any failure by us to raise additional funds
on terms favorable to us, or at all, could limit our ability to expand our business operations and could harm our overall business prospects.
Summary of Cash Flow
The following table provides detailed information
about our net cash flow for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022.
Six Months Ended
June 30,
2023
2022
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
$ (1,966,045 )
$ (293,702 )
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
-
-
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
6,845,050
375,395
Net change in cash
4,879,005
81,693
Cash at beginning of period
137,177
33,731
Cash at end of period
$ 5,016,182
$ 115,424
17
Net cash used in operating activities was approximately
$2.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, as compared to net cash used in operating activities of approximately $0.3 million
for the six months ended June 30, 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in costs associated with the Company’s February
2023 initial public offering and administrative cost of public filings of approximately $0.6 million and an increase in management compensation
costs of approximately $1.4 million compared to such costs for the six months ended June 30, 2022.
Net cash provided by financing activities was
approximately $6.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, as compared to approximately $0.4 million net cash provided by financing
activities for the six months ended June 30, 2022. The change was primarily due to an increase in financing activities from the Company’s
February 2023 initial public offering compared to financing from a private placement conducted during the six months ended June 30, 2022.
Initial Public
Offering
On February 2, 2023,
we entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Boustead Securities, LLC (“Boustead”),
as representative of the underwriters named on Schedule 1 thereto, relating to the Company’s initial public offering of 1,500,000
shares of Class B Common Stock (the “IPO Shares”). Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, in exchange for Boustead’s
firm commitment to purchase the IPO Shares, the Company agreed to sell the IPO Shares to Boustead at a purchase price (the “IPO
Price”) of $4.65 (93% of the public offering price per share of $5.00, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and
before deducting a 0.75% non-accountable expense allowance), and one or more warrants to purchase 7% of the aggregate number of shares
of Class B Common Stock sold in the initial public offering, at an exercise price equal to 125% of the public offering price, subject
to adjustment (the “Representative’s Warrant”).
On February 3, 2023,
the IPO Shares and 1,500,000 outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock that were registered for resale as described below were listed
and commenced trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market tier of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”).
The closing of the initial
public offering took place on February 7, 2023. At the closing, the Company sold the IPO Shares for total gross proceeds of $7,500,000.
After deducting the underwriting discounts, commissions, non-accountable expense allowance, and other expenses from the initial public
offering, the Company received net proceeds of approximately $6.6 million. The Company also issued Boustead the Representative’s
Warrant exercisable for the purchase of 105,000 shares of Class B Common Stock at an exercise price of $6.25 per share, subject to adjustment.
The Representative’s Warrant may be exercised by payment of cash or by a cashless exercise provision, and may be exercised at any
time for five years following the date of issuance.
The IPO Shares were offered and sold, and the
Representative’s Warrant was issued, pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-267258), as
amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 2, 2022, and declared effective
by the SEC on February 2, 2023 (the “Registration Statement”), and the final prospectus, dated February 2, 2023 (the “Final
IPO Prospectus”), filed with the SEC on February 6, 2023 pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”). In addition, a total of 1,500,000 shares of Class B Common Stock were registered for resale by the selling
stockholders named in the Registration Statement, and a final prospectus relating to these shares, dated February 2, 2023 (the “Final
Resale Prospectus”), was filed with the SEC on February 6, 2023 pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) of the Securities Act. As stated in the
Final Resale Prospectus, any resales of these shares occurred at a fixed price of $5.00 per share until the Class B Common Stock was listed
on Nasdaq. Thereafter, these sales will occur at fixed prices, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing
market prices, or at negotiated prices. The Company would not receive any proceeds from the resale of Class B Common Stock by the selling
stockholders.
The Registration Statement also registered for
sale shares of Class B Common Stock with a maximum aggregate offering price of $1,125,000 for an additional 225,000 shares of Class B
Common Stock at the assumed public offering price of $5.00 per share upon full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option;
and up to an additional 15,750 shares of Class B Common Stock underlying the Representative’s Warrant with a maximum aggregate offering
price of $98,437.50 at the assumed exercise price of $6.25 per share assuming full exercise of the over-allotment option .
As of the date of this report, the underwriters’ over-allotment option had expired unexercised and we have not received any
proceeds from the exercise of the Representative’s Warrant because it has not been exercised.
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On April 4, 2023, Post-Effective
Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement (the “Post-Effective Amendment”) was filed with the SEC and became
effective on April 14, 2023 . The Post-Effective Amendment was
required to be filed to update the Registration Statement’s prospectus to include, among other things, the information contained
in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC on June 30, 2023. The
Post-Effective Amendment maintained the effectiveness of the Registration Statement with respect to the sale of shares of common
stock issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrant and the resale of the shares of common stock held by the selling
stockholders. Updated prospectuses were included with the Post-Effective Amendment.
As stated in the Final
IPO Prospectus, the Company intended to use the net proceeds from the initial public offering for investment in corporate infrastructure,
marketing and promotion of Discord communities, social campaigns, and the Company’s “AE.360.DDM” service, expansion
of the Company’s “SiN” service, increasing staff and company personnel, and general working capital, operating, and
other corporate expenses.
The following is our
reasonable estimate of the uses of the proceeds from the Company’s initial public offering from the date of the closing of the offering
on February 7, 2023 until June 30, 2023:
● None was used for construction
of plant, building and facilities;
● None was used for the purchase
and installation of machinery and equipment;
● None was used for purchases
of real estate;
● None was used for the acquisition
of other businesses;
● None was used for the repayment
of indebtedness;
● $1.3 million was used for working
capital; and
● None was used for temporary
investments.
As of the date of this report, none of the proceeds from the initial public offering were used to make direct or indirect payments to
any of our directors or officers, any of their associates, any persons owning 10% or more of any class of our equity securities, or any
of our affiliates, or direct or indirect payments to any others other than for the direct costs of the offering.
There has not been, and we do not expect, any
material change in the planned use of proceeds from the initial public offering as described in the Registration Statement, the Final
IPO Prospectus, and the Post-Effective Amendment.
Under our engagement letter agreement with Boustead,
dated November 29, 2021 (the “Boustead Engagement Letter”), during the 12-month period following the termination or expiration
of the Boustead Engagement Letter, which will occur no earlier than February 7, 2024, we must compensate Boustead for any transaction
with “any party,” including any investor in a private placement in which Boustead served as placement agent or in the initial
public offering, who became aware of the Company or who became known to the Company prior to the termination or expiration of the Boustead
Engagement Letter, or any Company officers, directors, employees, consultants, advisors, stockholders, members, or partners (the “Tail
Rights”). The Boustead Engagement Letter will expire upon the later to occur of February 7, 2024 (12 months from the completion
date of the initial public offering), or mutual written agreement of the Company and Boustead.
We also agreed to provide Boustead a right of
first refusal (the “Right of First Refusal”) for two years following the expiration of the Boustead Engagement Letter to act
as financial advisor, lead managing underwriter, book runner, placement agent, or to act as joint advisor, managing underwriter, book
runner, or placement agent on at least equal economic terms, on any public or private financing (debt or equity), merger, business combination,
recapitalization or sale of some or all of the equity or assets of the Company. In the event that we engage Boustead to provide
such services, Boustead will be compensated consistent with the Boustead Engagement Letter, as described below, unless we mutually agree
otherwise.
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Under the Boustead Engagement Letter, in connection
with a transaction as to which Boustead duly exercises the Right of First Refusal or is entitled to the Tail Rights, Boustead shall receive
compensation as follows:
● other than normal course of business activities, as to any
sale, merger, acquisition, joint venture, strategic alliance, license, research and development, or other similar agreements, Boustead
will accrue compensation under a percentage fee of the Aggregate Consideration (as defined in the Boustead Engagement Letter) calculated
as follows:
o 10.0% for Aggregate Consideration of less than $10,000,000; plus
o 8.0% for Aggregate Consideration between $10,000,000 - $25,000,000; plus
o 6.0% for Aggregate Consideration between $25,000,001 - $50,000,000; plus
o 4.0% for Aggregate Consideration between $50,000,001 - $75,000,000; plus
o 2.0% for Aggregate Consideration between $75,000,001 - $100,000,000; plus
o 1.0% for Aggregate Consideration above $100,000,000;
● for any investment transaction including any common stock,
preferred stock, ordinary shares, convertible stock, limited liability company or limited partnership memberships, debt, convertible
debentures, convertible debt, debt with warrants, stock warrants, stock options (excluding issuances to Company employees), stock purchase
rights, or any other securities convertible into common stock, any form of debt instrument involving any form of equity participation,
and including the conversion or exercise of any securities sold in any transaction, Boustead shall receive upon each investment transaction
closing a success fee, payable in (i) cash, equal to 7% of the gross amount to be disbursed to the Company from each such investment
transaction closing, plus (ii) a non-accountable expense allowance equal to 1% of the gross amount to be disbursed to the Company from
each such investment transaction closing, plus (iii) warrants equal to 7% of the gross amount to be disbursed to the Company from each
such investment transaction closing, including shares issuable upon conversion or exercise of the securities sold in any transaction,
and in the event that warrants or other rights are issued in the investment transaction, 7% of the shares issuable upon exercise of the
warrants or other rights, and in the event of a debt or convertible debt financing, warrants to purchase an amount of Company stock equal
to the 7% of the gross amount or facility received by the Company in a debt financing divided by the warrant exercise share. The warrant
exercise price will be the lower of: (i) the fair market value price per share of the Company’s common stock as of each such financing
closing date; (ii) the price per share paid by investors in each respective financing; (iii) in the event that convertible securities
are sold in the financing, the conversion price of such securities; or (iv) in the event that warrants or other rights are issued in
the financing, the exercise price of such warrants or other rights;
● any such warrants will be transferable in accordance with
rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and SEC regulations, exercisable from the date of issuance
and for a term of five years, contain cashless exercise provisions, be non-callable and non-cancelable with immediate piggy-back registration
rights, have customary anti-dilution provisions and any future stock issuances, etc., at a price(s) below the exercise price per share,
at terms no less favorable than the terms of any warrants issued to participants in the related transaction, and provide for automatic
exercise immediately prior to expiration; and
● reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the
performance of its services, regardless of whether a transaction occurs.
Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, as of
February 3, 2023, we are subject to a lock-up agreement that provides that we may not, for 12 months, subject to certain exceptions, (i)
offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, change the terms
of, or grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of
capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company;
(ii) file or cause to be filed any registration statement with the SEC relating to the offering of any shares of capital stock of the
Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company (other than pursuant
to a registration statement on Form S-8 for employee benefit plans); or (iii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers
to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of capital stock of the Company, whether any such transaction
described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of capital stock of the Company or such other securities,
in cash or otherwise.
The Underwriting Agreement and Boustead Engagement
Letter contain other customary representations, warranties and covenants by the Company, customary conditions to closing, indemnification
obligations of the Company and Boustead, including for liabilities under the Securities Act, other obligations of the parties, and termination
provisions. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Underwriting Agreement and Boustead Engagement Letter were
made only for purposes of such agreement and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, and may
be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties.
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Contractual Obligations
During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, we had no significant
cash requirements for capital expenditures or other cash needs under any contractual or other obligations.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have no off-balance sheet arrangements that
have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues
or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
This discussion and analysis of our financial
condition and results of operations is based on our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates
and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at
the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based
on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which
form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources.
Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. While our significant accounting policies are
described in more detail in the notes to our financial statements included with this report, we believe that the following accounting
policies are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving
management’s judgments and estimates. We believe our most critical accounting policies and estimates relate to the following:
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue utilizing the following
steps: (i) Identify the contract, or contracts, with a customer; (ii) Identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) Determine
the transaction price; (iv) Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; (v) Recognize revenue when
the Company satisfies a performance obligation.
Subscriptions
Subscription revenue is related to a single performance
obligation that is recognized over time when earned. Subscriptions are paid in advance and can be purchased on a monthly, quarterly, or
annual basis. Any quarterly or annual subscription revenue is recognized as a contract liability expensed over the contracted service
period.
Marketing
Revenue related to marketing campaign contracts
with customers are normally of a short duration, typically less than two (2) weeks.
AE.360.DDM Contracts
Revenue related to AE.360.DDM contracts with customers
are normally of a short duration, typically less than one (1) week.
Earnings per Share of Common Stock
The Company
has adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 260, “ Earnings per Share ”, which
requires presentation of basic earnings per share on the face of the statements of operations for all entities with complex capital structures
and requires a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of the basic earnings per share computation. In the accompanying financial
statements, basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding
during the year. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock
and potentially dilutive outstanding shares of common stock during the period to reflect the potential dilution that could occur from
common stock issuable through contingent share arrangements, stock options and warrants unless the result would be antidilutive. The Company
would account for the potential dilution from convertible securities using the as-if converted method. The Company accounts for warrants
and options using the treasury stock method. As of June 30, 2023, dilutive potential shares of common stock include outstanding warrants.
21
Income Taxes
As described
in more detail above (see “ Part 1. Financial Information – Item 1. Financial Statements – Note 1 . Organization,
Description of Business and Liquidity – Organization ” ), the business now
conducted by the Company was operated as a partnership from August 1, 2020 until October 19, 2020, when it was reorganized as a limited
liability company, or LLC, and that LLC was merged into the Company on March 28, 2022. Prior to that date, the partnership and the subsequent
LLC were not subject to federal income tax and all income, deductions, gains and losses were attributed to the partners or members.
The
Company adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes” (“FASB ASC 740”),
at its inception. Under FASB ASC 740, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable
to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred
tax assets, including tax loss and credit carryforwards, and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable
income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and
liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred income tax expense
represents the change during the period in the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities. The components of the deferred tax assets
and liabilities are individually classified as current and non-current based on their characteristics. Deferred tax assets are reduced
by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets
will not be realized.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In June
2022, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2022-03, ASC Subtopic “Fair Value
Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions”. These amendments
clarify that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security
and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The amendments in this update are effective for public business entities for
fiscal years, including interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2023. Early adoption is permitted. The
Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of this standard on its financial statements.
The
Company has considered all other recently issued accounting pronouncements and does not believe the adoption of such pronouncements will
have a material impact on its financial statements.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
Not applicable.
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