UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
☒
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the quarterly period ended June 30, 2025
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the transition period from __________ to __________
Commission
File Number: 001-39875
STARDUST
POWER INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
99-3863616
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
Number)
15
E. Putnam Ave ,
Suite
378
Greenwich ,
CT
06830
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(Zip
Code)
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (800)
742-3095
Not
applicable
(Former
name or former address, if changed since last report)
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title
of each class
Trading
Symbol(s)
Name
of each exchange on which registered
Common
Stock, par value $0.0001 per share
SDST
The
Nasdaq Global Market
Redeemable
warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50
SDSTW
The
Nasdaq Global Market
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2)
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes
☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Date File required to be submitted and pursuant to
Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files). Yes
☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting
company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer,” “smaller
reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large
accelerated filer
☐
Accelerated
filer
☐
Non-accelerated
filer
☒
Smaller
reporting company
☒
Emerging
growth company
☒
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
As
of August 12, 2025, there were 84,589,754
shares of common stock, par value $ 0.0001
per share, issued and outstanding.
STARDUST
POWER INC
FORM
10-Q FOR THE QUARTER ENDED
June
30, 2025
Table
of Contents
Page
PART
I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
1
Item
1.
Financial
Statements
1
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2025 (unaudited) and December 31, 2024
1
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024 (unaudited)
2
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024
(unaudited)
3
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024 (unaudited)
4
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)
5
Item
2.
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
28
Item
3.
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
48
Item
4.
Controls
and Procedures
50
PART
II – OTHER INFORMATION
51
Item
1.
Legal
Proceedings
51
Item
1A.
Risk
Factors
51
Item
2.
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
51
Item
3.
Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
51
Item
4.
Mine
Safety Disclosures
51
Item
5.
Other
Information
51
Item
6.
Exhibits
52
Signature
53
i
Cautionary
Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain
statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal
securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our and our management team’s
expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections,
forecasts, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements.
The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “can”, “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,”
“design,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “leading,” “may,”
“might,” “objective,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,”
“project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions may
identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking
statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as—and must not be relied on by any investor
as—guarantees, assurances, predictions, or definitive statements of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult
or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Stardust Power
Inc. (the “Company” or “Stardust Power”). Forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may
include, for example, statements about:
●
the
uncertainty of the projected financial information with respect to the Company;
●
the
substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern and the need to raise capital in the near term in order to
maintain the Company’s operations;
●
our
failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination;
●
our
ability to maintain the listing of the Common Stock and the Public Warrants on the Nasdaq;
●
our
ability to regain compliance with the Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements and rules, and the risk that the Nasdaq may delist
our Common Stock and Public Warrants, which could negatively affect our company, the price of our Common Stock and Public Warrants
and our shareholders’ ability to sell our Common Stock and Public Warrants in the event we are unable to list our Common Stock
and Public Warrants on another exchange;
●
the
Company’s ability to issue equity or equity-linked securities, to obtain debt financing, or refinance existing indebtedness
on satisfactory terms, or otherwise raise financing in the future;
●
the
liquidity and trading of the Common Stock and the Public Warrants;
●
members
of the Company’s management team allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with
the Company’s business;
●
the
Company’s future financial performance;
●
the
Company’s success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, its officers, key employees, or directors;
●
the
Company’s ability to manage future growth;
●
the
Company’s ability to operate in the lithium industry;
●
the
Company’s ability to enter into and deliver products under offtake agreements;
●
the
Company’s ability to develop new products and services, bring them to market in a timely manner, and make enhancements to its
business;
●
the
effects of competition on the Company’s business;
●
market
demand for and uses of lithium-based end products;
●
changes
in domestic and foreign business, financial, political, and legal conditions;
●
future
global, regional, or local economic and market conditions;
●
the
outcome of any potential litigation, government and regulatory proceedings, investigations, and inquiries;
●
the
development, effects and enforcement of laws and regulations;
●
the
impact of material weaknesses or deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting; and
●
the
Company’s other plans, objectives, expectations, and intentions described or referenced in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
under the heading “ Risk Factors ,” and other documents that the Company files from time to time with the SEC.
If
any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by
these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that we do not presently know or that we currently believe are immaterial
that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.
In
addition, forward-looking statements reflect our expectations, plans, or forecasts of future events and views as of the date hereof.
We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our assessments to change. However, while we may elect to update these
forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so except as otherwise required
by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our assessment as of any date subsequent
to the date hereof.
These
statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements. As a result of a number of
known and unknown risks and uncertainties, actual results or our performance of the Company may be materially different from those expressed
or implied by these forward-looking statements.
You
should read this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the documents that we reference in and have filed as exhibits to this Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We
qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
ii
PART
I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM
1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Stardust
Power Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(all
amounts in USD, except number of shares)
As
of
June 30, 2025
As
of
December 31, 2024
(unaudited)
ASSETS
Current assets
Cash
$ 2,606,750
$ 912,574
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
147,533
606,331
Investment in equity securities
576,571
-
Deferred transaction costs
25,000
116,121
Promissory notes
332,363
502,838
Total current assets
$ 3,688,217
$ 2,137,864
Property and equipment, net
1,754,411
1,755,947
Capital project costs
5,266,271
3,320,403
Investment in equity securities
18,228
1,496,422
Other long-term assets
576,335
312,501
Total assets
$ 11,303,462
$ 9,023,137
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Current liabilities
Accounts payable
$ 10,585,314
$ 10,264,117
Accrued liabilities and other current liabilities
4,319,006
4,722,687
Current portion of early exercised shares option liability
1,253
1,814
Short-term loan from related parties (Note 11)
-
5,875,000
Short-term loans
-
4,133,552
Total current liabilities
$ 14,905,573
$ 24,997,170
Warrant liability
279,545
2,451,237
Advance from PIPE investor
-
425,000
Earnout liability
4,700
532,700
Early exercised shares option liability
1,108
2,814
Total liabilities
$ 15,190,926
$ 28,408,921
Commitments and contingencies (Note 3)
-
-
Stockholders’ equity (deficit)
Preferred stock, $ 0.0001
par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized,
Nil shares issued and outstanding
as at June 30, 2025, and December 31, 2024
-
-
Common stock, $ 0.0001
par value, 700,000,000 shares authorized,
84,274,837 and 47,736,279
shares issued and outstanding as at June 30, 2025, and December 31, 2024, respectively
8,292
4,603
Additional paid-in capital
56,237,330
33,228,561
Accumulated deficit
( 60,133,086 )
( 52,618,948 )
Total stockholders’ deficit
$ ( 3,887,464 )
$ ( 19,385,784 )
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit
$ 11,303,462
$ 9,023,137
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
1
Stardust
Power Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(all
amounts in USD, except number of shares)
(Unaudited)
June
30, 2025
June
30, 2024
June
30, 2025
June
30, 2024
Three
months ended
Six
months ended
June
30, 2025
June
30, 2024
June
30, 2025
June
30, 2024
Revenue
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ -
General
and administrative expenses
3,036,347
1,267,059
8,784,994
2,502,425
Operating
Loss
( 3,036,347 )
( 1,267,059 )
( 8,784,994 )
( 2,502,425 )
Other income (expenses)
Interest income
4,731
-
12,010
-
Interest expense
( 58,092 ) 1
( 789 ) 1
( 165,933 ) 1
( 2,078 ) 1
Finance charge
( 20,697 )
-
( 219,120 )
-
Change in fair value of sponsor
earn out shares
-
-
528,000
-
Change in fair value of warrant
liability
472,515
-
2,171,692
-
Change in fair value of investment
in equity securities
( 738,889 )
( 108,014 )
( 728,134 )
( 162,672 )
Change in fair value of convertible
notes
-
( 471,400 )
-
( 471,400 )
Change in fair value of SAFE
notes
-
( 847,100 )
-
( 955,000 )
Loss on sale of investment
in equity securities
( 95,178 )
-
( 95,178 )
-
Loss
on write-off of Promissory note and deposit
( 232,481 )
-
( 232,481 )
-
Total
other expenses
( 668,091 )
( 1,427,303 )
1,270,856
( 1,591,150 )
Net
Loss
$ ( 3,704,438 )
$ ( 2,694,362 )
$ ( 7,514,138 )
$ ( 4,093,575 )
Net loss
per share
Basic
$ ( 0.06 )
$ ( 0.07 )
$ ( 0.13 )
$ ( 0.10 )
Diluted
$ ( 0.06 )
$ ( 0.07 )
$ ( 0.13 )
$ ( 0.10 )
Weighted
average common shares outstanding
Basic
$ 63,198,151
$ 39,977,333
$ 58,116,801
$ 39,938,310
Diluted
$ 63,198,151
$ 39,977,333
$ 58,116,801
$ 39,938,310
(1) Includes
related party amounts of $ 422
and
$ Nil
for
the three months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024, respectively and $ 58,651
and
$ Nil
for
the six months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
2
Stardust
Power Inc. and Subsidiaries
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
(all
amounts in USD, except number of shares)
(Unaudited)
Shares
Amount
capital
Deficit
Deficit
For the six months ended June 30,
2024
Common Stock
Additional
paid-in
Accumulated
Total
Stockholders’
Shares
Amount
capital
Deficit
Deficit
Balance as at December 31, 2023
9,017,300
$ 87
$ 58,736
$ ( 3,793,585 )
$ ( 3,734,762 )
Retroactive application of recapitalization
32,482,472
3,936
( 3,936 )
-
-
Balance as at December 31, 2023
41,499,772
$ 4,023
$ 54,800
$ ( 3,793,585 )
$ ( 3,734,762 )
Net loss
-
-
-
( 1,399,213 )
( 1,399,213 )
Transfer from early exercised stock option liability on vesting (Note 3)
-
-
100
-
100
Stock based compensation (Note 3)
-
-
59,599
-
59,599
Balance as at March 31, 2024
41,499,772
4,023
114,499
( 5,192,798 )
( 5,074,276 )
Net loss
-
-
-
( 2,694,362 )
( 2,694,362 )
Transfer from early exercised stock option liability on vesting (Note 3)
-
-
100
-
100
Stock based compensation (Note 3)
-
-
58,125
-
58,125
Balance as at June 30, 2024
41,499,772
$ 4,023
$ 172,724
$ ( 7,887,160 )
$ ( 77,10,413 )
For the six months ended June 30,
2025
Common Stock
Additional
paid-in
Accumulated
Total
Stockholders’
Shares
Amount
capital
Deficit
Deficit
Balance as at December 31, 2024
47,736,279
$ 4,603
$ 33,228,561
$ ( 52,618,948 )
$ ( 19,385,784 )
Net loss
-
-
-
( 3,809,700 )
( 3,809,700 )
Transfer from early exercised stock option liability on vesting (Note 5)
-
6
355
-
361
Stock based compensation (Note 5)
-
2,954,279
-
2,954,279
Issuance of common stock
3,981
-
16,414
-
16,414
Issuance of common stock and warrants from January 2025 public offering, net of offering costs
4,792,000
479
4,590,590
-
4,591,069
Issuance of common stock upon warrant inducement, net of offering costs
4,792,000
479
2,797,720
-
2,798,199
Repurchase of unvested early exercised common stock
( 244,494 )
-
-
-
-
Issuance of common stock for settlement of RSU
570,714
57
( 57 )
-
-
Balance as at March 31, 2025
57,650,480
$ 5,624
$ 43,587,862
$ ( 56,428,648 )
$ ( 12,835,162 )
Balance
57,650,480
$ 5,624
$ 43,587,862
$ ( 56,428,648 )
$ ( 12,835,162 )
Net loss
-
-
-
( 3,704,438 )
( 3,704,438 )
Transfer from early exercised stock option liability on vesting (Note 5)
-
5
308
-
313
Stock based compensation (Note 5)
-
1,426,400
-
1,426,400
Issuance of common stock (Note 4)
160,620
16
106,120
-
106,136
Issuance of common stock to short- term loan holders (Note 14)
1,731,840
173
6,199,827
-
6,200,000
Issuance of common stock to PIPE investors (Note 4)
128,504
13
549,987
-
550,000
Issuance of common stock to vendor
150,000
15
80,597
-
80,612
Issuance of common stock under license arrangement (Note 4)
500,000
50
342,950
-
343,000
Issuance of common stock for settlement of RSU
1,353,393
136
( 136 )
-
-
Issuance of common stock from public offering, net of offering costs
22,600,000
2,260
3,943,415
-
3,945,675
Balance as at June 30, 2025
84,274,837
$ 8,292
$ 56,237,330
$ ( 60,133,086 )
$ ( 3,887,464 )
Balance
84,274,837
8,292
56,237,330
( 60,133,086 )
$ ( 3,887,464
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
3
Stardust
Power Inc. & Subsidiary
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(all
amounts in USD)
(Unaudited)
Six
months ended
June 30, 2025
Six
months ended
June 30, 2024
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss
$ ( 7,514,138 )
$ ( 4,093,575 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Stock based compensation
4,380,679
117,724
Loss from change in fair value of common stock make-whole obligation
215,443
-
Loss on sale of investments in equity securities
95,178
-
Change in fair value of investment in equity securities
728,134
162,672
Change in fair value of SAFE notes
-
955,000
Loss on write-off of promissory notes and deposit
232,481
-
Loss on write-off of deferred transaction cost
30,000
-
Change in fair value of warrant liability
( 2,171,692 )
Change in fair value of convertible notes
-
471,400
Change in fair value of sponsor earnout shares
( 528,000 )
Depreciation expense
1,536
505
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other assets
239,723
( 65,185 )
Accounts payable
128,902
266,068
Accrued liabilities and other current liabilities
( 328,696 )
81,465
Net cash used in operating activities
$ ( 4,490,450 )
$ ( 2,103,926 )
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital project costs
( 2,278,760 )
( 442,966 )
Land acquisition cost
( 16,619 )
-
Proceeds from sale of investment in equity securities
78,311
-
Investment in other long-term assets
-
( 50,000 )
Purchase of property and equipment
-
( 7,421 )
Net cash used in investing activities
$ ( 2,217,068 )
$ ( 500,387 )
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from investor for issuance of SAFE notes
-
200,000
Proceeds from issuance of common stock
122,551
-
Proceeds from issuance of notes payable to related parties
250,000
-
Repayment of notes payable to related parties
( 250,000 )
-
Repayment of short-term loan from related parties
( 2,000,000 )
-
Repayment of short-term loan
( 1,808,552 )
( 48,143 )
Proceeds from advance received from PIPE investors
125,000
75,002
Deferred transaction costs paid
( 25,000 )
( 346,401 )
Proceeds from public offering
10,270,400
-
Proceeds from warrant inducement exercises
2,971,040
-
Transaction costs associated with public offering and warrant inducement
( 1,252,152 )
-
Proceeds from issuance of convertible notes
-
2,100,000
Repurchase of unvested shares
( 1,593 )
( 6,003 )
Net cash provided by financing activities
$ 8,401,694
$ 1,974,455
Net (decrease)/ increase in cash
$ 1,694,176
$ ( 629,858 )
Cash at the beginning of the period
912,574
1,271,824
Cash at the end of the period
$ 2,606,750
$ 641,966
Supplemental disclosure for cash flow information:
Interest paid
$ 143,565
$ 2,189
Taxes paid
5,150
-
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unpaid deferred transaction costs
$ -
$ 1,612,331
Unpaid capital project costs
1,698,517
27,253
Reclass of advances to capital project costs
236,235
-
Unpaid public offering issuance cost
623,345
-
Unpaid warrant inducement issuance cost
29,000
-
Incremental fair value of warrant inducement
2,108,480
-
Issuance of common stock to short- term loan holders
6,200,000
-
Issuance of common stock to PIPE investors
550,000
-
Issuance of common stock to vendor
80,612
-
Issuance of common stock under license arrangement
343,000
-
The accompanying notes are an integral
part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
4
Stardust
Power Inc. and Subsidiaries
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
NOTE
1 – DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPANY
Nature
of Business
Stardust
Power Inc. (the “Company”, “Stardust Power”) formerly known as Global Partner Acquisition Corp II, a Delaware
corporation, is an American developer of battery grade lithium products, designed to foster energy independence in the United States.
While the Company has not earned any revenue yet, the Company is in the process of developing a strategically central, lithium refinery
capable of producing up to 50,000
metric tons per annum of battery grade lithium.
Business
Combination
On
November 21, 2023, Stardust Power Operating Inc (f/k/a Stardust Power Inc. prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, “Legacy
Stardust Power”) entered into a business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”) with Global Partner
Acquisition Corp II (“GPAC II”), a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated on November 3, 2020, Strike Merger Sub I,
Inc. (“First Merger Sub”), a Delaware corporation and direct wholly owned subsidiary of GPAC II, and Strike Merger Sub II
LLC (“Second Merger Sub”), a Delaware limited liability company and direct wholly owned subsidiary of GPAC II. On July 8,
2024, former Stardust Power Inc. was renamed Stardust Power Operating Inc.
On
July 8, 2024 (the “Closing Date”), Legacy Stardust Power completed the business combination contemplated by the Business
Combination Agreement (the “Business Combination”). GPAC II deregistered as a Cayman Islands exempted company and domesticated
in the State of Delaware as a Delaware corporation. As per the Business Combination Agreement, First Merger Sub merged into Legacy Stardust
Power, with Legacy Stardust Power being the surviving corporation (the effective time of such merger being the “First Effective
Time”). Legacy Stardust Power then merged into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity. Upon the completion
of the Business Combination, GPAC II was renamed Stardust Power Inc. (also referred to herein as the “Combined Company” or
“Stardust Power”).
The
common stock (the “Common Stock”) and warrants of the Company are currently listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”)
under the symbol “SDST” and “SDSTW”, respectively.
The
Business Combination was accounted for as a reverse recapitalization. Accordingly, Legacy Stardust Power was deemed the accounting acquirer
(and legal acquiree) and GPAC II was treated as the accounting acquiree (and legal acquirer). Under this method of accounting, the reverse
recapitalization was treated as the equivalent of Legacy Stardust Power issuing stock for the net assets of GPAC II, accompanied by recapitalization.
5
NOTE
2 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis
of Presentation
The
accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in conformity
with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting.
In
the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all normal and recurring adjustments
(which consist primarily of accruals, estimates and assumptions that impact the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements)
considered necessary to present fairly the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2025, its unaudited
condensed consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ deficit for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025 and June
30, 2024 and condensed statement of cashflows for six months ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024. Certain information and note disclosures
normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules
and regulations. As such, the information included in this report should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial
statements and notes thereto of Stardust Power for the year ended December 31, 2024 included in the Company’s Annual Report on
Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 27, 2025, which provides a more complete discussion of the Company’s accounting policies
and certain other information. The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2024, has been derived from the
audited consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2024, contained in the above referenced form 10-K.
The
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Stardust Power Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries,
Stardust Power LLC and Strike Merger Sub II, LLC. All material intercompany balances have been eliminated upon consolidation. Interim
results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year or any future periods.
These
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions
that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Those
estimates and assumptions include, but are not limited to, useful life of assets, realization of deferred tax assets, and fair valuation
of stock based compensation, common shares purchase agreement, warrants, convertible notes, simple agreement for future equity notes
(each a “SAFE note”), and sponsor earnout shares. The Company evaluates estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using
historical experience and other factors and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events
and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ from these estimates, and those differences could
be material to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
Emerging
Growth Company
Section
102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards
until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a
class of securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”)) are required to comply with
the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition
period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable.
The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when an accounting standard is issued or revised
and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new
or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard.
6
Going
Concern
The
Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been presented on the basis that it is a going concern, which
contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business.
As
of June 30, 2025, the Company has $ 2,606,750 of
unrestricted cash. The Company is a development stage entity having no revenues and has incurred a net loss of $ 3,704,438
and $ 7,514,138
for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, respectively.
The Company has an accumulated deficit of $ 60,133,086
and stockholders’ deficit of $ 3,887,464
as of June 30, 2025. The Company expects to continue to incur
significant costs in pursuit of its operating and investment plans. These costs exceed the Company’s existing cash balance and
net working capital. These conditions raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.
On
October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) and a related Registration
Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC (“B. Riley Principal
Capital II”) to sell up to $ 50,000,000
of newly issued shares of the Company’s Common Stock
to B. Riley Principal Capital II, subject to certain conditions and limitations contained in the Purchase Agreement, from time to time
during the term of the Purchase Agreement. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company issued 164,601
shares of Common Stock aggregating to net proceeds of $ 118,874 .
(See Note 4).
On
January 27, 2025, the Company consummated a public offering of 4,792,000
shares of Common Stock and accompanying warrants to purchase
up to 4,792,000
shares of Common Stock at a public offering price of $ 1.20
per share and warrant with an exercise price of $ 1.30 ,
generating aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $ 5,750,400
before offering expenses. (See Note 4).
On
March 16, 2025, the Company entered into a letter agreement (the “Inducement Letter”) with a warrant holder (the “Exercising
Holder”) providing for the immediate cash exercise of outstanding warrants to purchase 4,792,000
shares of the Company’s Common Stock at a reduced exercise
price of $ 0.62
per share, generating aggregate gross proceeds of approximately
$ 2,971,040
before related expenses. In connection with such exercise,
the Company agreed to issue new common stock purchase warrants (the “Inducement Warrants”) to purchase up to 9,584,000
shares of common stock at an exercise price of $ 0.70
per share, subject to shareholder approval and Nasdaq rules.
(See Note 4).
On
June 18, 2025, the Company consummated a public offering of 21,500,000
shares of Common Stock at a public offering price of $ 0.20
per share, generating aggregate gross proceeds of approximately
$ 4,300,000
before offering expenses. On June 25, 2025, the Company consummated
the partial exercise of over allotment of the public offering, of 1,100,000
shares of Common Stock at a public offering price of $ 0.20
per share, generating additional aggregate gross proceeds of
approximately $ 220,000
before offering expenses (See Note 4).
As
of the date on which these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were available to be issued, we believe that the cash
on hand, and additional investments available through issuance of new Common Stock, will be inadequate to satisfy the Company’s
working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next twelve months. The ability of the Company to continue as a
going concern is dependent upon management’s plan to raise additional capital from issuance of equity or receive additional borrowings
to fund the Company’s operating and investing activities over the next year. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
do not include any adjustments to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that
might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
7
Stardust
Power Inc. and Subsidiaries
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
The
significant accounting policies applied in the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended
December 31, 2024, as disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 27, 2025, are applied consistently
in these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements.
Net
Loss per Share
The
Company adopted ASC 260, “Earnings per Share” , at its inception. Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing
the net loss by the weighted average number of Common Stock outstanding for the period. Diluted loss per share is calculated by dividing
the Company’s net loss available to common stockholders by the diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period.
The diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding is the basic weighted number of shares adjusted as at the first of the year
for any potentially dilutive debt or equity. Potential common shares from unvested restricted stock options, earnouts and common stock
warrants are computed using the treasury stock method. Contingently issuable shares are included in basic EPS only when there is no circumstance
under which those shares would not be issued.
The
following table sets forth the computation of the basic and diluted net loss per share:
SCHEDULE
OF BASIC AND DILUTED NET LOSS PER SHARE
June
30, 2025
June
30, 2024
June
30, 2025
June
30, 2024
Three
months ended
Six months ended
June 30, 2025
June 30, 2024
June 30, 2025
June 30, 2024
Numerator:
Net loss
$ ( 3,704,438 )
$ ( 2,694,362 )
$ ( 7,514,138 )
$ ( 4,093,575 )
Denominator:
Weighted average shares outstanding
63,198,151
39,977,333
58,116,801
39,938,310
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
$ ( 0.06 )
$ ( 0.07 )
$ ( 0.13 )
$ ( 0.10 )
The
following potentially dilutive shares were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders
for the periods presented, because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect:
SCHEDULE
OF ANTI-DILUTIVE EFFECT
June
30, 2025
June
30, 2024
Unvested common stock – restricted shares (Note 5)
-
1,484,415
Restricted Stock options
361,948
-
Restricted Stock Units
1,686,034
-
Performance Stock units
506,596
-
Sponsor Earnout Shares (Note 4) *
-
-
Public warrants
4,864,133
-
Private warrants
5,566,667
-
Inducement warrants
9,584,000
-
Short term loan warrants
865,918
-
Private placement warrants
64,251
-
Potentially dilutive shares
9,584,000
-
*
The
Sponsor Earnout Shares (as defined in the Business Combination Agreement) were not included for purposes of calculating the number
of diluted shares outstanding as of June 30, 2025, as the Sponsor Earnout Shares remain contingently forfeitable, as the conditions
have not been met.
8
Stardust
Power Inc. and Subsidiaries
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
Deferred
Transaction Costs
In
accordance with ‘Codification of Staff Accounting Bulletins – Topic 5: Miscellaneous Accounting A. Expenses of Offering’
(“SAB Topic 5”), public offering related costs, including legal fees and advisory and consulting fees, are deferred until
consummation/completion of the proposed public offering. The Company deferred $ 116,121
of related costs incurred towards the proposed public offering
which are presented within current assets in the audited consolidated balance sheet as at December 31, 2024. The Company consummated
the public offering on January 27, 2025. After the consummation of the public offering, costs allocated to equity-classified instruments
amounting to $ 86,121
were recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital.
The remaining deferred costs of $ 30,000 attributable
to a separate proposed offering was expensed as the transaction did not materialize during the six months ended June 30, 2025.
The
Company has deferred $ 25,000
of costs incurred towards potential future debt arrangement
which is presented within current assets in the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as at June 30, 2025. If the transaction
does not materialize, the deferred offering costs will be expensed.
Capital
Project Costs and Property and Equipment, Net
The
Company had an exclusive option purchase agreement with the City of Muskogee, Oklahoma for 66 acres of undeveloped tract (excluding wetlands
and creeks). On January 10, 2024, the Company entered into an agreement to exercise the option and purchase the land for an amount of
$ 1,662,030 .
The Company capitalized an additional $ 78,535 as
land for costs incurred for obtaining permits and title. On December 16, 2024, title to the land was transferred in the Company’s
name. The Company capitalized $ 3,320,403 towards
capital project costs related to front-end loading and environmental studies done for setting up the refinery during the year ended December
31, 2024. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company capitalized an additional amount of $ 1,945,868
towards capital project costs. The construction of the Facility
is still in progress and hence no depreciation is charged on capital project costs.
Property
and equipment, net is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment loss. The Company depreciates computer
and equipment using the straight-line method over the estimated economic useful lives of the asset, which are generally 3
three to five
years . Land is a non-depreciable asset and is
stated at cost.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
From
time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), under its ASC
or other standard setting bodies, and adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date. The Company has reviewed the accounting
pronouncements issued during the six months ended June 30, 2025, and concluded they were either not applicable or not expected to have
a material impact on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
NOTE
3 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Certain
conditions may exist as at the date the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are issued, which may result in a loss
to the Company, but which will only be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. The Company assesses such contingent
liabilities, and such assessment inherently involves an exercise of judgment. The Company monitors the arrangements that are subject
to guarantees in order to identify if the obligor who is responsible for making the payments fails to do so. If the Company determines
it is probable that a loss has occurred, then any such estimable loss would be recognized under those guarantees. The methodology used
to estimate potential loss related to guarantees considers the guarantee amount and a variety of factors, which include, depending on
the counterparty, the latest financial position of the counterparty, actual defaults, historical defaults, and other economic conditions.
Management does not believe, based upon information available at this time, that these matters will have a material adverse effect on
the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, there is no assurance that such matters will not
materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial position, and results of operations or cash flows.
9
On
October 10, 2023, Legacy Stardust Power entered into a non-binding (except for the confidentiality provision) letter of intent with QX
Resources Limited, an Australian limited liability company (“QXR”), to negotiate an agreement to work together collaboratively
and in good faith to assess the lithium brines contained in QXR’s Liberty Lithium Brine Project (the “Project”). QXR
is earning into 75% of the Project situated in Inyo County, California, by way of an earn-in agreement with IG Lithium LLC (“IGL”)
and QXR intends to use either evaporation or direct extraction technology to produce a concentrated lithium product or other lithium
products. On August 16, 2024, the Company entered into a promissory note arrangement with IGL (the “IGL Note”) for $ 316,000
to allow the Company to enter into related agreements and future
partnerships with IGL on the Project. The IGL Note carries an interest rate of 6 %
with a maturity date of July
1, 2025 . The IGL Note is secured by first priority
in all rights, title, interest, claims and demands of IGL related to the Project and other assets of IGL. The promissory note including
interest amounting to $ 332,363
and $ 322,961
is outstanding as on June 30, 2025, and December 31, 2024,
respectively, and presented as Promissory notes issued under current assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The Company
is actively negotiating the terms for repayment and evaluating multiple options including a possible strategic investment and based on
current information, does not believe an allowance for credit losses is necessary. The Company will continue to monitor these balances
and reassess if conditions change.
On
August 4, 2024, the Company entered into an engineering agreement (the “Primero Agreement”) with Primero USA, Inc. (“Primero”)
pursuant to which Primero agreed to provide certain engineering, design and consultancy professional services, including to assist in
procurement of major equipment, engage relevant third parties for construction and provide a Front End Loading-3 report of the Company’s
Lithium Facility at Southside Industrial Park, in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The total amount due pursuant to the Primero Agreement, assuming
full performance, is approximately $ 4,724,690
in the aggregate, subject to customary potential adjustments.
As at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the total performance pending to be performed and billed by Primero is $ Nil
and $ 1,855,911 ,
respectively.
On
February 7, 2025 (the “Effective Date”), the Company executed an exclusive license agreement (the “License Agreement”)
with KMX Technologies, Inc. a Delaware corporation. Under the terms of the License Agreement, KMX agreed to irrevocably license to the
Company the use of KMX’s vacuum membrane distillation technology (“VMD Technology”) and associated processes and systems
(including units incorporating the VMD Technology (“KMX VMD Units”)) for the purpose of the Company’s use of the technology
in its refining and upstream operations. Among other obligations set forth in the License Agreement, the Company shall be required to
exclusively purchase all KMX VMD Units from the Licensor during the term of the Agreement on the terms and conditions set forth therein.
Legal
Proceedings
We
are also subject to certain routine legal and regulatory proceedings, as well as demands and claims that arise in the normal course
of our business. We make a provision for a liability relating to legal matters when it is both probable that a liability has been
incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. These provisions are reviewed at least quarterly and adjusted to
reflect the impact of negotiations, estimated settlements, legal rulings, advice of legal counsel and other information and events
pertaining to a particular matter. In our opinion, resolution of any pending claims (either individually or in the aggregate) is not
expected to have a material adverse impact on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows or financial position, nor is it
possible to provide an estimated amount of any such loss. However, depending on the nature and timing of any such dispute, an
unfavorable resolution of a matter could materially affect our future financial position, results of operations, or cash flows, or
all in a particular period.
NOTE
4 – COMMON STOCK
On
July 8, 2024, the Common Stock and warrants began trading on Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “SDST” and “SDSTW”,
respectively.
Each
share of Common Stock is entitled to one vote. The holders of Common Stock are also entitled to receive dividends whenever funds are
legally available and when declared by the board of directors (the “Board”), subject to prior rights of the convertible preferred
stockholders. Shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet and unaudited condensed
consolidated statement of stockholders’ deficit includes shares related to restricted stock that are subject to repurchase.
10
The
Company is authorized to issue 700,000,000
and 100,000,000
shares, par value of $ 0.0001
per share, of Common Stock and Preferred stock, respectively.
At June 30, 2025, the Company had 84,274,837
shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding. Not reflected
in the shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2025, is approximately 212,584
shares of Common Stock related to restricted stock units that
vested in 2024 and 2025 but have not yet been settled and issued. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had 47,736,279
shares of common stock, issued and outstanding.
Sponsor
Earnout Shares
As
part of the closing of the Business Combination, the Company issued 1,000,000 shares to Global Partner Sponsor II, LLC (the “Sponsor”).
These shares are subject to vesting (or forfeiture) based on achieving certain trading price thresholds following the closing (“Sponsor
Earnout Shares”). Fifty percent of the Sponsor Earnout Shares will vest when the VWAP of the Common Stock price equals or exceeds
$12.00 per share for a period of 20 trading days in a 30 trading day period, and the remaining fifty percent of the Sponsor Earnout Shares
will vest when the VWAP of the Common Stock price equals or exceeds $14.00 per share for a period of 20 trading days in a 30 trading
day period. There are no service conditions or any requirement for the participants to provide goods or services in order to vest in
the Sponsor Earnout Shares. Accordingly, we determined that the Sponsor Earnout Shares are not within the scope of ASC 718. The accounting
for the Sponsor Earnout Shares was evaluated under ASC Topic 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity”, and ASC Subtopic
815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity”, to determine if the Sponsor Earnout Shares
should be classified as a liability or within equity. As part of the analysis, it was determined that the Sponsor Earnout Shares subject
to vesting are freestanding from other shares of Combined Company Common Stock held by the Sponsor and do not meet the criteria in ASC
815-40 to be considered indexed to the Combined Company Common Stock, due to the settlement provisions including a change in control
component which could impact the number of the Sponsor Earnout Shares are ultimately settled for, which is not an input to a fixed-for-fixed
option pricing model. As a result, the Sponsor Earnout Shares were classified as a liability. Subsequent changes in the fair value of
the Sponsor Earnout shares will be reflected in the consolidated statement of operations.
Upon
the occurrence of a change in control, any remaining unvested Sponsor Earnout Shares become vested. Unvested Sponsor Earnout Shares will
be forfeited if vesting does not occur prior to the eighth anniversary of the Closing Date. The Company assesses the fair value of expected
earnout consideration at each reporting period using the Monte Carlo Method, which is consistent with the initial measurement of the
expected earnout consideration. The Company did not perform a fair valuation of expected earnout consideration using the Monte Carlo
method as of June 30, 2025 as the Company determined that change in fair value is deemed immaterial to the fair value of earnout consideration.
As at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the fair value of Sponsor Earnout Shares amounted to $ 4,700
and $ 532,700 ,
respectively.
The
Sponsor Earnout Shares were valued using the following assumptions under the Monte Carlo Model that assumes optimal exercise of the Company’s
redemption option at the earliest possible date:
SCHEDULE
OF ASSUMPTIONS UNDER THE MONTE CARLO MODEL
March 31, 2025
December 31, 2024
Market price of public stock
$ 0.4716
$ 3.58
Expected term (years)
7.27
years
7.52
years
Volatility
75.00 %
65.00 %
Risk-free interest rate
4.10 %
4.50 %
Dividend rate
0.00 %
0.00 %
11
Common
Stock Purchase Agreement
On
October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement and a Registration Rights Agreement (collectively referred
to as the “Purchase Agreement”) with B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Company
has the right, in its sole discretion, to sell to B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC up to the lesser of (i) $ 50.0
million of newly issued shares of the Company’s common
stock, and (ii) the Exchange Cap (as defined below) (subject to certain conditions and limitations), from time to time during the 36-month
term of the Purchase Agreement. Under
the applicable Nasdaq rules, the Company may not issue to B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC under the Purchase Agreement more than 9,569,701
shares of common stock, which number of shares is equal to 19.99% of the common shares outstanding immediately prior to the execution
of the Purchase Agreement unless certain exceptions are met (the “Exchange Cap”). The purchase price of the shares of common
stock will be determined by reference to the VWAP of the common stock during the applicable purchase date, less a fixed 3% discount to
such VWAP. Additionally, B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC cannot acquire shares that would result in its beneficial ownership exceeding
4.99% of Stardust Power’s outstanding shares. The Exchange Cap does not apply if the average share price exceeds $7.7020 per share
but will remain in place if this threshold is not met and stockholder approval is not obtained. The Company evaluated this common stock
purchase agreement to determine whether they should be accounted for considering the guidance in ASC 815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging
- Contracts on an Entity’s Own Equity” (“ASC 815-40”) and concluded that it is an equity-linked contract that
does not qualify for equity classification, and therefore requires fair value accounting as a derivative. The Company has analyzed the
terms of the freestanding purchased put right and has concluded that it had insignificant value as of December 31, 2024, and June 30,
2025.
Upon
executing the Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement, the Company also issued 63,694
shares of Common Stock called Commitment Shares to B. Riley
Principal Capital II, LLC as a consideration for this agreement. These shares, valued at $ 7.85
each (based on Nasdaq’s closing price on October 4, 2024),
represent 1.0% of B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC’s $ 50
million purchase commitment under the agreement. The cost of
this on the effective date of the purchase agreement was $ 500,000
and included as a component of finance charges in the consolidated
statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024. Regarding the aforementioned commitment shares, the Purchase Agreement
specifies the following:
a)
If
B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC’s resale of the Commitment Shares yields less than $500,000 by specified dates, the Company
may need to pay up to $500,000 in cash (the “make-whole obligation”).
b)
No
cash payment will be made if B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC’s net proceeds from reselling the shares meet or exceed $500,000.
c)
If
B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC’s resale proceeds exceed $500,000, it will pay the Company 50% of the amount above $500,000.
Under
the terms of the Purchase Agreement, if the aggregate proceeds received by B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC from its resale of the
Commitment Shares is less than $ 500,000
then, upon notice by B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC, the
Company must pay the difference between $ 500,000 ,
and the aggregate proceeds received by B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC from its resale of the Commitment Shares. On December 31, 2024,
and June 30, 2025, the fair market value of the Commitment Shares was $ 227,989
and $ 12,546
respectively. Therefore, the Company’s make-whole obligation
was $ 272,011
and $ 487,454
as of December 31, 2024, and June 30, 2025, respectively, and
this amount was recorded in Accrued liabilities and other current liabilities in the accompanying audited condensed consolidated balance
sheet as at December 31, 2024 and unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as at June 30, 2025, respectively. The change in the
fair value of the make-whole obligation of $ 17,513
and $ 215,443
is recorded as a component of finance charges in the unaudited
condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, respectively.
The
Company agreed to reimburse B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC an amount of $ 75,000
for legal fees related to the Purchase and Registration Rights
Agreements, with $ 25,000
paid upfront and $ 50,000
withheld by B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC from 50 %
of the purchase price of shares acquired in initial and subsequent purchases under the agreement until the full amount is covered. Additionally,
the Company will reimburse up to $ 5,000
per fiscal quarter for B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC’s
legal fees related to due diligence and related matters.
The
Company issued 164,601
shares of Common Stock during the six months ended June 30,
2025, aggregating to net proceeds of $ 118,874
under the Common Stock Purchase Agreement.
12
Public
Offering and Warrant Inducement
On
January 27, 2025, the Company consummated a public offering of 4,792,000
shares of Common Stock and accompanying warrants to purchase
up to 4,792,000
shares of Common Stock at a public offering price of $ 1.20
per share and warrant, generating aggregate gross proceeds
of $ 5,750,400
before offering expenses of $ 1,159,331 .
The common stock purchase warrants, exercisable at $ 1.30
per share and expiring five years from issuance, were issued
under an effective registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-284298) filed by the Company with the SEC under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) that became effective on January 23, 2025. The Company evaluated the common stock
purchase warrants issued under this public offering to determine whether they should be accounted for considering the guidance in ASC
815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts on an Entity’s Own Equity” (“ASC 815-40”) and concluded that
the warrants are freestanding and are indexed to the Company’s own stock and are classified as equity.
On
March 16, 2025, the Company entered into a letter agreement (the “Inducement Letter”) with a warrant holder (the “Exercising
Holder”) providing for the immediate cash exercise of outstanding warrants to purchase 4,792,000
shares of the Company’s Common Stock at a reduced exercise
price of $ 0.62
per share. In order to further incentivize the early exercise
of these outstanding warrants, the Company also agreed to issue additional common stock purchase warrants (the “Inducement Warrants”)
to purchase up to 9,584,000
shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $ 0.70
per share, subject to shareholder approval and Nasdaq rules.
Pursuant to this inducement letter, the warrant holders exercised the outstanding warrants on March 18, 2025, and the Company received
gross proceeds of $ 2,971,040
before cash offering expenses of $ 172,841 .
The Company intends to use the net proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes. In connection with the Inducement Letter,
the Company entered into a financial advisory services agreement with the placement agent, pursuant to which the company agreed to pay
a cash fee of 4 %
of the cash proceeds raised in the offering, in addition to reimbursement for certain expenses. No exercises of the Inducement Warrants
have occurred as of the date on which these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were available to be issued.
The
Company evaluated the common stock purchase warrants issued under this inducement offer to determine whether they should be accounted
for considering the guidance in ASC 815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts on an Entity’s Own Equity” (“ASC
815-40”) and concluded that the warrants are freestanding and are indexed to the Company’s own stock and are classified as
equity. The Company recognized the incremental fair value due to effect of the modification of approximately $ 2,108,480
as an equity issuance cost and charged the same against proceeds.
The incremental fair value of the warrants resulting from the modification (comprising of decrease in exercise price from $ 1.30
to $ 0.62
per share and the issue of additional 9,584,000
warrants) was measured as the excess of the fair value of the
modified warrants over the fair value of the original warrants immediately before modification. The Company estimated the fair value
of the warrants immediately before the modification and the fair value of the New Inducement Warrants after the modification using the
Black-Scholes valuation model with an expected term of 5.00
years, expected volatility of 75 %,
dividend yield of 0 %,
and risk-free interest rate of 4.11 %.
On
June 18, 2025, the Company consummated a public offering of 21,500,000
shares of Common Stock at a public offering price of $ 0.20
per share, generating aggregate gross proceeds of approximately
$ 4,300,000
before underwriting discounts and other offering expenses.
The offering was conducted pursuant to a firm commitment underwriting agreement entered into with the underwriters, on June 17, 2025.
The offering was made under an effective registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-287939), which was declared effective by the
SEC on June 16, 2025. In connection with the offering, the Company granted the underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional
3,225,000
shares of Common Stock to cover over-allotments, if any. On
June 25, 2025, the underwriter partially exercised the over-allotment option, purchasing an additional 1,100,000
shares at the same public offering price, resulting in additional
gross proceeds of approximately $ 220,000 .
After giving effect to the partial exercise of the over-allotment option, the aggregate gross proceeds from the offering increased to
approximately $ 4,520,000 ,
before deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses of $ 574,325 .
The Company currently intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to support the completion of the Definitive Feasibility Study
(DFS/FEL-3) related to its proposed lithium processing facility in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and for general working capital purposes.
13
KMX
Licensing Agreement
On
February 7, 2025 (the “Effective Date”), the Company executed an exclusive license agreement (the “License Agreement”)
with KMX Technologies, Inc. a Delaware corporation. Under the terms of the License Agreement, KMX agreed to irrevocably license to the
Company the use of KMX’s vacuum membrane distillation technology (“VMD Technology”) and associated processes and systems
(including units incorporating the VMD Technology (“KMX VMD Units”)) for the purpose of the Company’s use of the technology
in its refining and upstream operations. Among other obligations set forth in the License Agreement, the Company shall be required to
exclusively purchase all KMX VMD Units from the Licensor during the term of the Agreement on the terms and conditions set forth therein.
The License Agreement grants the Company the exclusive right to sub license, use, market, sell and operate KMX’s VMD Technology
across the United States, Canada and select international markets. As a consideration for this license, the Company agreed to pay KMX
a royalty comprised of 500,000
shares of Company Common Stock. The securities are being offered
and sold by the Company pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Section 4(a)(2)
and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder, as a transaction not involving a public offering.
As
of the effective date, the license did not meet the recognition criteria for an intangible asset under U.S. GAAP, as it did not provide
probable future economic benefits independent of the KMX VMD Units, which are expected to be acquired only upon the commencement of operations
at the Company’s planned facility. Accordingly, the Company initially recognized a liability of $ 343,000
as other long-term liabilities, with a corresponding debit
recorded as other long-term assets on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2025. On April 24, 2025, the
Company issued the 500,000
shares of Common Stock to KMX in accordance with the terms
of the License Agreement. As a result, the liability has been settled and the corresponding amounts were credited to equity and
APIC as of June 30, 2025.
Private Placement Agreement
On December
31, 2024, the Company entered into binding term sheets with certain investors pursuant to which the Company has agreed to sell, and the
Investors have agreed to purchase, Company securities for an aggregate amount of $ 550,000 (the “Private Placement”). The proceeds
of the Private Placement are expected to be used by the Company for capital expenditures, working capital and general corporate purposes.
The Investors have agreed to purchase, and the Company has agreed to issue and sell, up to $ 550,000 in shares of Common Stock at a price
equal to 95% of the closing bid price of the Common Stock on the last trading day prior to the closing date for the Private Placement.
In addition, each Investor will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within five years of the closing date, to purchase
up to 50% of the shares of Common Stock purchased by such Investor in the Private Placement, with each whole warrant exercisable for one
share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $ 11.50 . The Company received proceeds of $ 425,000 in December 2024 and additional proceeds
of $ 125,000 in January 2025 from investors. The Company has accounted for this as Advance from PIPE investor for shares and warrants to
be issued based on purchase agreement to be entered on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2024. On
April 24, 2025, the Company issued 128,504 shares of Common Stock and 64,251 Warrants to the investors.
NOTE
5 – STOCK BASED COMPENSATION
As
the Business Combination has been accounted for as a reverse recapitalization, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
of the merged entity reflect the continuation of Legacy Stardust Power, Inc. financial statements. Legacy Stardust Power’s equity
has been retroactively adjusted to the earliest period presented to reflect the legal capital of the legal acquirer, GPAC II. As a result,
the number of shares was also retrospectively adjusted for periods ended prior to the Business Combination.
Shares
Issued at Inception
At
March 16, 2023 (inception of Legacy Stardust Power), certain employees and service providers participated in the purchase of restricted
Common Stock of Legacy Stardust Power aggregating to 2,531,232
shares. Out of the total, certain restricted stock vested immediately
and remaining unvested restricted stock aggregating to 1,191,980
shares vests over 24
months subject to service conditions and accelerated vesting
upon certain events. The agreements also contain a repurchase option noting that if the employee or service provider is terminated, for
any reason, the Company has the right and option to repurchase the service provider’s unvested restricted Common Stock. Since all
shareholders purchased the shares at par value and the shares had no incremental value beyond the par value as at that date, during the
three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the stock based compensation expense impact is insignificant. As at June 30, 2025, all the
shares had been fully vested. Any shares subject to repurchase by the Company are not deemed, for accounting purposes, to be outstanding
until those shares vest. The amount to be recorded as liabilities associated with shares issued with repurchase rights were immaterial
as at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
Restricted
stock activity for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and balances as at the end of June 30, 2025, were as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF RESTRICTED STOCK ACTIVITY
Restricted Stock
Number of shares
Weighted Average
Grant-Date Fair
Value
Unvested as of December 31, 2024
62,706
0.000002
Granted
-
-
Vested
( 62,706 )
0.000002
Forfeited
-
-
Unvested as of June 30, 2025
-
$ -
14
2023
Equity Incentive Plan
At
March 16, 2023 (inception), the Legacy Stardust Power stockholders approved the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan and 2,301,120
shares of the Company’s Common Stock were reserved for
issuance thereunder. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Board adopted a resolution to increase the number of shares of Common
Stock authorized for issuance under the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan by 1,150,560
shares of Common Stock. During the three months and six months
ended June 30, 2025, there were no
grants under the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan.
Stock
Options
During
October and November 2023, Legacy Stardust Power granted options for 2,278,108
shares of stock options under the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan,
2,186,064
options were granted to employees, and 92,045
options were granted to a consultant. The employee grants vest
over a period of 3
to 5
years, and the consultant grant vests over 18
months. The options granted to both employees and the consultant
were exercisable at the exercise price of $ 0.0065 .
All
the options under the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan were early-exercised by grantees. Accordingly, the Company received a total amount of
$ 14,850 towards
the early exercise of these options during the period from March 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, and recorded a liability
against the early exercise of these options.
On
December 14, 2023, the Company repurchased 920,448
unvested shares that were granted to an employee under the
2023 Equity Incentive Plan at the original exercise price of $ 0.0065 .
The Company repaid a total amount of $ 6,000
for the repurchase of these early exercised shares from the
employee in January 2024. The amount was charged against the ‘Early exercised shares option liability’.
During
the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company repurchased 25,575
unvested shares that were granted to a consultant and 230,112
unvested shares that were granted to an employee under the
2023 Equity Incentive Plan at the original exercise price of $ 0.0065 .
During
the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company repurchased 244,494
unvested shares that were granted to an employee under the
2023 Equity Incentive Plan at the original exercise price of $ 0.0065 .
The
early exercised shares liability amounting to $ 2,361
and $ 4,628
is outstanding as at June 30, 2025, and December 31, 2024,
respectively, and is presented under “Early exercised shares option liability” on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance
sheet.
Stock
option activity for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and balances as at the end of June 30, 2025, were as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF STOCK OPTION ACTIVITY
Number
of shares
Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair
Value
Unvested as at December 31, 2024
709,992
0.56
Granted
-
-
Vested
( 103,550 )
0.53
Forfeited
( 244,494 )
0.58
Unvested as at June 30, 2025
361,948
0.55
The
total compensation expense for stock options recognized in the General and administrative expenses of the Company’s unaudited condensed
consolidated statements of operations were $ 50,826
and $ 117,724
for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
The total compensation expense for stock options recognized in the General and administrative expenses of the Company’s unaudited
condensed consolidated statements of operations were $ 25,017
and $ 58,125
for the three months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
15
As
at June 30, 2025, total unvested compensation cost for stock options granted to employees not yet recognized was $ 193,366 .
The Company expects to recognize this compensation over a weighted average period of approximately 1.96
years.
Restricted
Stock Units
During
April and June 2024, Legacy Stardust Power granted 2,024,985
restricted stock units (“2023 Plan RSUs”) to employees
under the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan. These 2023 Plan RSUs are subject to a service-based vesting requirement, and a liquidity plus service-based
vesting requirement, which is defined as completion of a go public transaction or change in control. In order for any shares to vest,
both the service-based vesting requirement and the liquidity plus service-based vesting requirement must be satisfied with respect to
such shares. The liquidity conditions were met on July 8, 2024 upon consummation of the Business Combination, and therefore compensation
expenses related to these awards began to be recognized in the year ended December 31, 2024 using a graded vesting method over the requisite
service period.
Given
the absence of a public trading market prior to the closing of the Business Combination, the Legacy Stardust Power board of directors
considered numerous objective and subjective factors to determine the fair value of its common stock at each grant date. These factors
included, but were not limited to: (i) independent contemporaneous third-party valuations of common stock; (ii) the prices for the Company’s
convertible notes sold to outside investors; (iii) the rights and preferences of convertible preferred stock relative to common stock;
(iv) the lack of marketability of its common stock; (v) developments in the business; and (vi) the likelihood of achieving a liquidity
event, such as an IPO, given prevailing market conditions. Subsequent to the closing of the Business Combination, the fair value of common
stock is based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock, as reported on Nasdaq on the date of grant.
RSU
activity for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and balances as at the end of June 30, 2025, were as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF RESTRICTED STOCK ACTIVITY
Number
of shares
Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair
Value
Unvested as at December 31, 2024
1,004,822
$ 8.67
Granted
-
-
Vested
( 251,205 )
8.67
Forfeited
-
-
Unvested as at June 30, 2025
753,617
8.67
The
total compensation expense for RSU recognized in the General and administrative expenses of the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated
statements of operations was $ 2,392,528
and $ Nil
for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
The
total compensation expense for RSU recognized in the General and administrative expenses of the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated
statements of operations was $ 1,094,640
and $ Nil
for the three months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
As
at June 30, 2025, total unvested compensation cost for RSUs granted to employees not yet recognized was $ 2,922,454 .
The Company expects to recognize this compensation over a weighted average period of approximately 1.98
years.
16
2024
Equity Incentive Plan
The
Board adopted, and the stockholders of the Company approved, the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan in September 2024. The maximum number of
shares with respect to one or more awards that may be granted to any one participant during any calendar year shall be 4,673,665
shares of Common Stock. The 2024 Equity Incentive Plan provides
for the grant of stock options, RSUs, PSUs share appreciation rights, restricted shares, dividend equivalents, substitute awards, and
other share or cash-based awards (such as cash bonus awards and performance awards) for issuance to employees or consultants of the Company
(or any of the Company’s parents or subsidiaries), or directors of the Company.
During
the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company granted (a) 1,524,296
RSUs to independent directors, officers, employees and consultants
which are subject to a service based vesting requirement, (b) 74,000
RSUs fully vested as of the date of grant to consultants and
(c) 506,596
PSUs to employees with a service and market condition.
During
the six month period ended June 30, 2025, the Company granted to employees (a) 408,719 RSUs
which are subject to a service based vesting requirement, (b) 1,039,297 RSUs
fully vested as of the date of grant to employees and (c) 89,180 RSUs
fully vested as of the date of grant to consultants.
The
PSUs cliff vest at the end of a three-year term subject to share price-based market condition (i.e., the volume weighted average price
of the Common Stock is greater than or equal to $ 12.00
per share for a period of 20 trading days in any 30 trading
day period or there is a change of control, or the PSUs are otherwise forfeited). The compensation expense for these RSUs and PSUs were
recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the award.
The
grant date fair value of RSUs is based on the closing price of the Company’s Common Stock, as reported on The Nasdaq Global Select
Market on the date of grant.
RSU
activity for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and balances as at the end of June 30, 2025, were as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF RESTRICTED STOCK ACTIVITY
Number of shares
Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair
Value
Unvested as at December 31, 2024
1,482,081
11.51
Granted
1,537,196
0.50
Vested
( 1,266,860 )
1.73
Forfeited
( 820,000 )
11.62
Unvested as at June 30, 2025
932,417
6.56
The
total compensation expense for RSUs recognized in the General and administrative expenses of the Company’s consolidated statements
of operations was $ 1,374,077
and $ Nil
for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
The
total compensation expense for RSUs recognized in the General and administrative expenses of the Company’s consolidated statements
of operations was 23,564
and $ Nil
for the three months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
As
at June 30, 2025, total unvested compensation cost for RSUs granted to employees and non-employee directors not yet recognized was $ 5,131,359 .
The Company expects to recognize this compensation over a weighted average period of approximately 3.02
years.
As
at June 30, 2025, total unvested compensation cost for RSUs granted to the consultants not yet recognized was $ 699,588 .
We expect to recognize this compensation over a period of approximately 3.21
years.
17
The
estimated grant date fair value of the PSUs was determined using a Monte Carlo simulation valuation model. Assumptions used in the valuation
were as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF ESTIMATED GRANT DATE FAIR VALUE OF PSU
Assumptions
Fair value of Common Stock
$ 11.62
Selected volatility
60 %
Risk-free interest rate
3.42 %
Contractual terms (years)
3.0
PSU
activity for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and balances as at the end of June 30, 2025, were as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF PERFORMANCE SHARES UNITS ACTIVITY
Number of shares
Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair
Value
Unvested as at December 31, 2024
506,596
6.73
Granted
-
-
Vested
-
-
Forfeited
-
-
Unvested as at June 30, 2025
506,596
6.73
The
total compensation expense for PSUs recognized in the General and administrative expenses of the Company’s consolidated statements
of operations was $ 563,248
and $ Nil
for the six months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
The
total compensation expense for PSUs recognized in the General and administrative expenses of the Company’s consolidated statements
of operations was $ 283,179
and $ Nil
for the three months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
As
at June 30, 2025, total unvested compensation cost for PSUs granted to employees not yet recognized was $ 2,514,388 .
The Company expects to recognize this compensation over a weighted average period of approximately 2.21
years.
NOTE
6 – ACCOUNTING FOR WARRANTS LIABILITY
The
Company established the initial fair value of the Private and Public Warrants on July 8, 2024, the date of consummation of the Business
Combination, and revalued the warrants on June 30, 2025. Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Common Stock at $ 11.50
per share. For additional terms refer to the Company’s
Registration Statement on Form S-4/A filed with the SEC on May 8, 2024. As at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, there were 10,430,800
warrants outstanding, including 4,864,133
Public Warrants and 5,566,667
Private Warrants outstanding.
Each
Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one share of Common Stock at $ 11.50
per share. Once
the Public Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding Public Warrants in whole and not in part at a price of
$0.01 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, only in the event that the last sale price of
the Common Stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share for any 20 trading days within the 30-trading day period ending on the third trading
day before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the Public Warrant holders, and that certain other conditions are met. Once
the Public Warrants become exercisable, the Company may also redeem the outstanding Public Warrants in whole and not in part at a price
of $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, only in the event that the closing price of
the common stock equals or exceeds $10.00 per share on the trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption,
and that certain other conditions are met. If the closing price of the common stock is less than $18.00 per share (as adjusted) for any
20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three trading days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant
holders, the Private Warrants must also concurrently be called for redemption on the same terms as the outstanding Public Warrants.
18
The
Company, in no event later than twenty (20) Business Days after the closing of its initial Business Combination, shall use its commercially
reasonable efforts to file with the Commission a registration statement for the registration, under the Securities Act, of the Ordinary
Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the same to become
effective within sixty (60) Business Days following the closing of its initial Business Combination and to maintain the effectiveness
of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration or redemption of the warrants in accordance
with the provisions of this Agreement.
If
any such registration statement has not been declared effective by the sixtieth (60th) Business Day following the closing of the Business
Combination, holders of the warrants shall have the right, during the period beginning on the sixty-first (61st) Business Day after the
closing of the Business Combination and ending upon such registration statement being declared effective by the Commission, and during
any other period when the Company shall fail to have maintained an effective registration statement covering the issuance of the Ordinary
Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, to exercise such warrants on a “cashless basis,” by exchanging the warrants
(in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption) for that number of Ordinary Shares equal to the lesser
of:
(A)
the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of Ordinary Shares underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess
of the Fair Market Value less the warrant Price by (y) the Fair Market Value and
(B)
0.361
per warrant (“a settlement cap” for accounting
purposes).
The
Private Warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the Public Warrants. However, the Private Warrants are not
redeemable by the Company as long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees. If the Private Warrants are held by holders
other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the Private Warrants will be redeemable by the Company in all redemption scenarios
and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the Public Warrants.
The
Company’s warrants are not indexed to the Company’s Common Stock in the manner contemplated by ASC Section 815-40-15 because
the holder of the instrument is not an input into the pricing of a fixed-for-fixed option on equity shares. Further, there is a settlement
cap for Public Warrants, and Private Warrants upon transfer from Sponsor or permitted transferees to other holders, if the holder elects
to exercise warrants on a cashless basis if the Company fails to maintain an effective registration statement covering the Common Stock
issuable upon warrant exercises throughout the term of the warrants. Maintenance of an effective registration statement is not an input
to the fair value option model for a fixed-for-fixed option or forward. As such, the Company’s warrants are accounted for as derivative
warrant liabilities which are required to be valued at fair value at each reporting period.
The
following tables present information about the Company’s warrant liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis
at June 30, 2025 and December 31 2024, and indicate the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine
such fair value:
SCHEDULE
OF WARRANT LIABILITIES THAT ARE MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE ON A RECURRING BASIS
Description
At
June 30, 2025
Quoted
price in active markets
(level
1)
Significant
other observable input
(level
2)
Significant
other unobservable input
(level
3)
Warrant liability
Public warrants
$ 130,359
$ 130,359
$ -
$ -
Private warrants
149,186
-
149,186
-
$ 279,545
$ 130,359
$ 149,186
$ -
19
Description
At
December 31, 2024
Quoted
price in active markets
(level
1)
Significant
other observable input
(level
2)
Significant
other unobservable input
(level
3)
Warrant liability
Public warrants
$ 1,143,071
$ 1,143,071
$ -
$ -
Private warrants
1,308,166
-
1,308,166
-
$ 2,451,237
$ 1,143,071
$ 1,308,166
$ -
At
June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company valued its Public Warrants by reference to the publicly traded price of the Public Warrants.
The Company valued its Private Warrants based on the closing price of the Public Warrants since they are similar instruments.
The
warrant liabilities are not subject to qualified hedge accounting. The Company’s policy is to record transfers between levels at
the end of the reporting period. There were no transfers during the three and six months ended June 30, 2025.
NOTE
7 – INVESTMENT IN EQUITY SECURITIES
In
October 2023, Legacy Stardust Power subscribed to and purchased 13,949,579
ordinary shares ( 1.26 %
of the total equity) of QXR, an Australian limited liability company whose ordinary shares are listed on the Australian Securities Exchange
(“ASX”), for $ 200,000 .
This
investment in the ordinary shares of QXR has been made for strategic purposes and specifically with an intention to gain access for conducting
feasibility studies for the production of lithium products from the lithium brine surface anomaly identified over the 102 square-kilometer
Liberty Lithium Brine Project in SaltFire Flat, California, for which QXR has a binding option to purchase agreement and operating agreement
to earn a 75% interest from IGL (“the Earn-in Venture”). The Company is not a direct party to the Earn-in Venture and accordingly
has no direct or indirect economic or controlling interest either in the Project or in any of the associated rights originating from
the Earn-in Venture held by QXR. The Company will
conduct feasibility studies to assess the lithium brine at its own cost and if successful, will have the option to execute a commercial
off-take agreement with QXR for the supply of brine from the Project. No formal off-take agreement has been executed as at June 30, 2025.
Further, no material expenses have been incurred towards the feasibility studies during the three and six months ended June 30, 2025.
All costs associated with the feasibility studies would be expensed as incurred.
The
Company neither has a controlling financial interest nor does it exercise significant influence over QXR. Accordingly, the investment
in QXR’s ordinary shares does not result in either the consolidation or application of equity method of accounting for the Company.
QXR’s
ordinary shares are listed on the ASX with a readily determinable fair value and change in fair value is recognized in the unaudited
condensed consolidated statement of operations. Accordingly, the investment in these securities has been recorded at cost at initial
recognition and at fair value of $ 18,228
and $ 34,707
as at June 30, 2025, and December 31, 2024, respectively. The
Company recognized a loss of $ 12,448
and $ 16,479
for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, respectively
and $ 108,014
and $ 162,672
for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, respectively,
due to change in fair value of securities in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations. Further, this investment in
securities has been disclosed outside of current assets on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet in accordance with ASC
210-10-45-4 because the investment has been made for the purpose of affiliation and continuing business reasons as described above.
In
December 2024, Stardust Power subscribed to and purchased 10,000,000
ordinary shares (approximately 6 %
of the total equity) of IRIS Metals Limited (“IRIS Metals”), an Australian limited company whose ordinary shares are listed
on the ASX, for $ 1,600,000 .
This
investment in the ordinary shares of IRIS Metals allows the Company to explore a strategic partnership with, or investment in, IRIS Metals,
including, without limitation, a potential commercial off-take arrangement for battery grade lithium production, financing or other investments
in IRIS Metals or its affiliates. No formal off-take agreement has been executed as of June 30, 2025. Further, no material expenses have
been incurred toward due diligence during the three and six months ended June 30, 2025. All
costs associated with due diligence are expensed as incurred. The Company neither has a controlling financial interest nor exercises
significant influence over IRIS Metals. Accordingly, the investment in IRIS Metals’ ordinary shares does not result in either consolidation
or application of the equity method of accounting by the Company. Additionally, the Company has the option to acquire a second tranche
of 10,000,000
shares on similar terms as the initial investment, plus 20,000,000
free attaching warrants to acquire ordinary shares of IRIS
Metals at an exercise price of $ 0.40
per share. This second tranche investment is subject to approval
by the Company and IRIS Metals shareholders and other conditions precedent.
20
IRIS
Metals’ ordinary shares are listed on the ASX with a readily determined fair value and change in the fair value is recognized
in the consolidated statements of operations. During the three months ended June 30, 2025, the Company sold 1,175,000 ordinary
shares of IRIS Metals for total proceeds of $ 78,311 ,
resulting in a realized loss of $ 95,178 .
The carrying amount of the shares sold was $ 173,489 .
The investment in these securities is initially recognized at cost and subsequently measured at fair value. As at June 30, 2025 and
December 31, 2024, the fair value of the investment was $ 576,571 and
$ 1,461,715 ,
respectively. The company recognized a loss of $ 726,441 and
$ 711,655 for
the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, due to change in fair value of securities in the unaudited condensed consolidated
statements of operations. During the quarter ended June 30, 2025, management determined that a strategic investment in IRIS Metals
was no longer viable. As a result, the Company reclassified the investment in IRIS Metals from non-current asset to current asset on
the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as at June 30, 2025 This reclassification was driven by reduced likelihood of
pursuing a strategic relationship, evolving market conditions and liquidity needs. Subsequent to the quarter end, the Company
sold all its investment in IRIS Metals.
NOTE
8 – SIMPLE AGREEMENT FOR FUTURE EQUITY (SAFE NOTES)
On
June 6, 2023, Legacy Stardust Power received $ 2,000,000
in cash from a single investor and funded a SAFE note on August
15, 2023. The funds were received from an unrelated third party, through its entity which is currently being managed under the purview
of an investment management agreement between them and VIKASA Capital Advisors, LLC (a related party) in consideration for which VIKASA
Capital Advisors, LLC is paid-investment management fees.
On
November 20, 2023, Legacy Stardust Power received an additional $ 2,000,000
in cash from a single investor, which, along with the $ 1,000,000
deposit received in September 2023, funded a new $ 3,000,000
SAFE note. On February 23, 2024, the Company entered into a
third SAFE note and received an additional $ 200,000
in cash from a single investor.
The
SAFE notes were classified as a liability based on evaluating characteristics of the instrument and is presented at fair value as a non-current
liability in the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. The SAFE notes provide the Company an option to call
for additional preferred stock up to $ 25,000,000
based on the contingent event of SAFE note conversion and notice
issued by the Board, and achievement of certain milestones, for up to 42 months following such conversion. This feature was determined
to be an embedded feature and is valued as part of the liability value associated with the instrument as a whole. The terms for SAFE
notes were amended on November 18, 2023 for both the original and new issuance to introduce a discount rate of 20 %
to the lowest price per share of preferred stock sold or the listing price of the Company’s Common Stock upon consummation of a
SPAC transaction or IPO. Additionally, the SAFE notes provide the investor certain rights upon an equity financing, change in control
or dissolution.
On
March 21, 2024, Legacy Stardust Power entered into a financing commitment and equity line of credit agreement with American Investor
Group Direct LLC (“AIGD”). The agreement replaced the above contingent commitment feature of the SAFE notes, granting the
Company an option to drawdown up to an additional $ 15,000,000
on terms similar to the SAFE notes prior to the First Effective
Time. On April 24, 2024, the Company amended and restated the August 2023 SAFE note and the November 2023 SAFE. On May 1, 2024, the Company
amended and restated the February 2024 SAFE note. These amendments clarify the conversion mechanism in connection with the Business Combination.
The
estimated fair value of the SAFE notes considered the timing of issuance and whether there were changes in the various scenarios since
issuance. Pursuant to the consummation of the Business Combination, the SAFE notes converted into 636,916
Common Stock shares of the Company and therefore no further
fair valuation was required as at June 30, 2025 and at December 31, 2024. The SAFE notes had no interest rate or maturity date, description
of dividend and participation rights. The liquidation preference of the SAFE notes was junior to other outstanding indebtedness and creditor
claims, on par with payments for other SAFE notes and/or preferred equity, and senior to payments for other equity of the Company that
is not SAFE notes and/or pari preferred equity.
21
NOTE
9 – CONVERTIBLE NOTES
On
April 24, 2024, Legacy Stardust Power entered into a convertible equity agreement (“convertible notes”) for $ 2,000,000
with AIGD. Further, the Company entered into separate convertible
equity agreements with other individuals for a total of $ 100,000
in April 2024, based on similar terms to the AIGD convertible
equity agreement. The convertible notes were classified as a liability based on evaluating characteristics of the instrument and were
presented at fair value as a non-current liability in the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as at June
30, 2024. The estimated fair value of the convertible notes considered the timing of issuance and whether there were changes in the various
scenarios since issuance. The convertible notes had no interest rate or maturity date, no description of dividend and no participation
rights. The liquidation preference of the convertible notes was junior to other outstanding indebtedness and creditor claims, on par
with payments for other SAFE notes and/or preferred equity, and senior to payments for other equity of the Company that is not convertible
and/or pari preferred equity.
Pursuant
to the consummation of the Business Combination and in accordance with the terms of the convertible equity agreements, the convertible
notes converted into 257,216
shares of the Company’s Common Stock and therefore no
further fair valuation was required as at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
NOTE
10 – FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The
following tables summarize the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value in the unaudited condensed consolidated
financial statements:
SCHEDULE
OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES ARE MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE
Level
1
Level
2
Level
3
Total
Fair Value Measurements as at December
31, 2024
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Other noncurrent assets:
Investment in equity securities ( a )
$ 1,496,422
$ -
$ -
$ 1,496,422
Total financial assets
$ 1,496,422
$ -
$ -
$ 1,496,422
Level
1
Level
2
Level
3
Total
Fair Value Measurements as at June
30, 2025
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Other noncurrent assets:
Investment in equity securities ( a )
$ 594,799
$ -
$ -
$ 594,799
Total financial assets
$ 594,799
$ -
$ -
$ 594,799
Level
1
Level
2
Level
3
Total
Fair Value Measurements as at December
31, 2024
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Liabilities
Sponsor earnout shares ( b )
$ -
$ -
$ 532,700
$ 532,700
Total financial liabilities
$ -
$ -
$ 532,700
$ 532,700
Level
1
Level
2
Level
3
Total
Fair Value Measurements as at June
30, 2025
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Liabilities
Sponsor earnout shares ( b )
$ -
$ -
$ 4,700
$ 4,700
Total financial liabilities
$ -
$ -
$ 4,700
$ 4,700
( a )
These
represent equity investments with a readily determinable fair value. The Company has measured its investments to fair value in accordance
with ASC 321, Investments-Equity Securities, based on quoted prices in active markets.
(b)
For
Level 3 earnout liability, the Company assesses the fair value of expected earnout liability
at each reporting period using the Monte Carlo Method, which is consistent with the initial
measurement of the expected earnout consideration. This fair value measurement is considered
a Level 3 measurement because the Company estimates projections during the earnout period
utilizing various potential pay-out scenarios. The Monte Carlo simulation method repeats
a process thousands of times in an attempt to predict all the possible future outcomes. At
the end of the simulation, several random trials produce a distribution of outcomes that
are then analyzed to determine the average present value of earnout. Change in the fair value
of earnout liability is reflected in our unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations.
The
make-whole obligation liability related to the Purchase Agreement is measured at fair value categorized within Level 1 of the fair
value hierarchy. See Note 4.
22
The
following table provides a reconciliation of activity and changes in fair value for the Company’s SAFE notes, convertible notes
and sponsor earnout liability:
SCHEDULE
OF RECONCILIATION OF ACTIVITY AND CHANGES IN FAIR VALUE
SAFE
notes at fair value
Convertible
notes at fair value
Sponsor
earnout liability at fair value
Balance
as at December 31, 2023
$ 5,212,200
$ -
$ -
Issuance
of notes
200,000
-
-
Change
in fair value
107,900
-
-
Balance
as at March 31, 2024
$ 5,520,100
$ -
$ -
Issuance
of notes
-
2,100,000
-
Change
in fair value
847,100
471,400
-
Balance
as at June 30, 2024
$ 6,367,200
$ 2,571,400
$ -
Issuance
of common stock upon conversion
( 6,367,200 )
( 2,571,400 )
-
Sponsor
earnout liability recognized on closing of Business Combination
-
-
4,608,900
Change
in fair value
-
-
( 1,636,100 )
Balance
as at September 30, 2024
$ -
$ -
$ 2,972,800
Change
in fair value
-
-
( 2,440,100 )
Balance
as at December 31, 2024
$ -
$ -
$ 532,700
Change
in fair value
-
-
( 528,000 )
Balance
as at March 31, 2025
$ -
$ -
$ 4,700
Change
in fair value
-
-
-
Balance
as at June 30, 2025
$ -
$ -
$ 4700
The
valuation of the Level 3 measurement for SAFE notes considered the probabilities of the occurrence of the scenarios as discussed in Note
2 of the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the period March 16, 2023 (inception) to December 31, 2023,
included in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4/A filed with the SEC on May 8, 2024. The Company valued the SAFE notes
based on the occurrence of the preferred financing or a SPAC transaction. As of the date of initial measurement and December 31, 2023,
the management has assigned zero probability for a change in control event or a dissolution event. Pursuant to the consummation of the
Business Combination and in accordance with the terms of the SAFE note agreements, the SAFE notes and convertible notes converted into
636,916
and 257,216
shares of the Company’s Common Stock.
NOTE
11 – SEGMENT REPORTING
The
Company reports segment information in the same way management internally organizes the business in assessing performance and making
decisions regarding allocation of resources in accordance with ASC 280, “ Segment Reporting” . The Company has a single
reportable operating segment which operates as a single business platform. In reaching this conclusion, management considered the definition
of the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”), how the business is defined by the CODM, the nature of the information provided
to the CODM, how the CODM uses such information to make operating decisions, and how resources and performance are assessed. The Company
has a single, common management team and our cash flows are reported and reviewed with no distinct cash flows.
23
In
addition to the significant expense categories included within net loss presented on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations,
see below for disaggregated amounts that comprise general and administrative expenses.
SCHEDULE
OF SEGMENT REPORTING CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
June
30, 2025
June
30, 2024
June
30, 2025
June
30, 2024
Three months ended
Six months ended
June 30, 2025
June 30, 2024
June 30, 2025
June 30, 2024
Payroll and related taxes
3,207,013
602,187
6,763,660
1,072,465
Professional and consulting fees
( 885,117 )
321,367
337,557
844,992
Legal fees
266,727
112,923
479,662
198,151
Insurance
146,418
26,994
291,456
53,989
Other
301,306
203,588
912,659
332,828
Total
3,036,347
1,267,059
8,784,994
2,502,425
NOTE
12 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
On
September 18, 2024, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with DRE Chicago LLC, whose principal is Paramita Das. Ms. Das was
onboarded as a Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Advisor to CEO of the Company. Additionally, in December 2024, the Company entered into
a binding term sheet with DRE Chicago LLC, providing for loan in the principal amount of $ 250,000 ,
bearing interest at a rate of 15 %
per year, and maturing in March 2025. (the “Maturity Date”). Pursuant to the Term Sheets, an aggregate of approximately 470,000
shares of Common Stock, owned by Roshan Pujari, Chief Executive
Officer of the Company, were pledged as collateral. In addition, the Company has agreed to issue to DRE Chicago an aggregate of $ 375,000
in Common Stock as an Equity Kicker. In addition, DRE Chicago
will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within five years of the closing date, of up to 50% of Common Stock issued
as Equity Kicker, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $ 11.50
in accordance with the Private Placement terms. During the
six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company has repaid the principal amount of $ 250,000
along with the accrued interest of $ 9,166
and issued 104,748
shares of common stock and 52,374
warrants to DRE Chicago.
In
December 2024, the Company entered into a binding term sheet (“Term Sheet”) with Endurance Antarctica Partners II, LLC (“Endurance”)
an affiliate of a director at the time and a shareholder, providing for a loan (the “Loan”) in the aggregate principal amount
of $ 1,750,000 ,
bearing interest at a rate of 15 %
per year, and maturing in March 2025 (the “Maturity Date”). Pursuant to the Term Sheet, 5,500,000
shares of Common Stock, owned by Roshan Pujari, Chief Executive
Officer of the Company, were pledged as collateral. In addition, the Company has agreed to issue to Endurance $ 3,500,000
in Common Stock as an Equity Kicker. In addition, Endurance
will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within five years of the closing date of up to 50% of Common Stock issued as
Equity Kicker, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $ 11.50
in accordance with the Private Placement terms. During the
six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company repaid the principal amount of $ 1,750,000
along with the accrued interest of $ 70,000
and issued 977,653
shares of Common Stock and 488,826 of warrants to Endurance.
In
March 2023, the Company entered into unsecured notes payable with three related parties. These notes payable provided the Company
the ability to draw up to $ 1,000,000 ,
in aggregate: $ 160,000 until
December 31, 2023, and $ 840,000 until
December 31, 2025. These loan facilities accrue interest, compounding semi-annually, at the long-term semiannual Applicable Federal
Rate, as established by the Internal Revenue Service, which effectively was 4.71 %
as of June 30, 2025. In June 2025, the Company drew $ 250,000 from
Energy Transition Investors LLC, and subsequently repaid the drawn amount by quarter end. The Company has accrued interest of $ 422 during
the three months ended June 30, 2025 on the drawn amount. As at June 30, 2025, the Company had $ 840,000 available
to draw.
24
The
Company incurred the following expenses with related parties, which were all affiliates of the Company:
SCHEDULE
OF EXPENSES WITH RELATED PARTIES
Expense type
Three
months ended
June 30, 2025
Three
months ended
June 30, 2024
Six
months ended
June 30, 2025
Six
months ended
June 30, 2024
Expenses under contract due to:
Energy Transition Investors LLC
Interest
$ 422
$ -
$ 422
-
DRE Chicago LLC
Interest
-
-
7,187
-
Endurance Antarctica Partners II, LLC
Interest
-
-
51,042
-
Total expenses
$ 422
$ 0
$ 58,651
-
The
Company entered into notes payable agreements of with related parties, all of whom were affiliates.
SCHEDULE
OF RELATED PARTIES
As
of
June
30, 2025
As
of
December
31, 2024
DRE Chicago LLC
Interest Accrued
$ -
$ 1,979
Endurance Antarctica Partners II, LLC
Interest Accrued
-
18,958
Energy Transition Investors LLC
Interest Accrued
422
-
DRE Chicago LLC *
Short-term loan*
-
625,000
Endurance Antarctica Partners II, LLC *
Short-term loan*
-
5,250,000
Notes obtained from related parties
$ 422
$ 5,895,937
*
Short-term
loan includes Equity Kicker payable as per the terms of the loan agreement.
In
March 2025, the Company repaid the loan principal amount of $ 250,000
and $ 1,750,000
and interest of $ 9,166
and $ 70,000
to DRE Chicago LLC and Endurance Antarctica Partners II, LLC,
respectively. Further in April 2025, the Company issued 104,748
shares and 52,374
warrants to DRE Chicago LLC, and 977,653
shares and 488,826
warrants to Endurance Antarctica Partners II, LLC against Equity
Kicker payable as per the terms of the loan agreement. As at June 30, 2025, the Company had repaid all the above notes.
NOTE
13 - ACCRUED LIABILITIES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES :
SCHEDULE
OF ACCRUED LIABILITIES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
June
30, 2025
December
31, 2024
Accrued expenses
$ 1,768,964
$ 1,787,985
Capital market advisory fees
1,419,388
1,500,000
Personnel related liabilities
1,130,232
1,400,141
Accrued Interest
422
34,561
Total
$ 4,319,006
$ 4,722,687
NOTE
14 – SHORT-TERM
LOANS
Insurance
funding borrowing
On
July 18, 2024, the Company entered into a financing agreement of $ 510,000
for the purchase of an insurance policy with AFCO Insurance
Premium Finance. The Company made a downpayment of $ 44,162 ,
which was applied to the loan amount at the time of the loan agreement. The debt is payable in monthly installments of $ 44,162
per month for 11 months. Payments include a stated interest
rate of 8.46 %
and are secured against a lien on the insurance policy. The debt was fully repaid in June 2025. The carrying amount of $ Nil
and $ 258,552
is included as Short-term Loan Liability on the accompanying
unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as on June 30, 2025, and audited condensed consolidated balance sheets as on December
31, 2024, respectively. The Company recognized interest expense of $ 1,164
and $ 5,067
on the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statement
of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025.
25
On
November 19, 2023, the Company entered into a financing agreement of $ 80,800
for the purchase of an insurance policy with First Insurance
Funding. The
debt is payable in monthly installments of $8,389 per month for 10 months. Payments
include a stated interest rate of 8.25 %
and are secured against lien on the insurance policy. The debt was fully repaid on September 1, 2024 and there was no
balance outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
The Company recognized interest expense of $ 789
and $ 2,078
on the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements
of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024.
Other
short-term loans
In
December 2024, the Company entered into a binding Term Sheet (“Term Sheet”) with Endurance Antarctica Partners II, LLC (“Endurance”),
a related party, providing for a loan (the “Loan”) in the aggregate principal amount of $ 1,750,000 ,
bearing interest at a rate of 15 %
per year, and maturing in March 2025 (the “Maturity Date”). The Term Sheet contained customary representations and warranties
and customary events of default. Pursuant to the Term Sheet, 5,500,000
shares of Company’s Common Stock, owned by Roshan Pujari,
Chief Executive Officer of the Company, were pledged as collateral. In addition, the Company has agreed to issue to Endurance $ 3,500,000
in Common Stock as an Equity Kicker, with the price of each
share being determined based on terms per the earlier to occur of (i)
the consummation of a private placement offering of Company securities (in which case such issuance shall be on no less favorable terms
than the terms of such private placement) and (ii) the Maturity/ Repayment Date, provided that the minimum number of shares of Common
Stock shall be no less than 500,000 shares. The
Company recorded the short-term loan as a liability and evaluated embedded features in accordance with the accounting guidance and determined
that bifurcation is not required for any embedded feature. By analyzing the economic characteristics of the Equity Kicker terms, the
unconditional obligation to transfer variable number of shares where the monetary value of the obligation is a fixed monetary amount
known at inception is akin to a traditional debt arrangement with a principal of $ 1,750,000 ,
which will be settled in cash along with a premium of $ 3,500,000
in the form of variable number of shares. The Equity Kicker
$ 3,500,000
was triggered by the private placement that occurred on December
31, 2024. Upon such occurrence, the Company has recorded the accretion impact of this premium of $ 3,500,000
as finance charges in the consolidated statements of operations
for the year ended December 31, 2024, and has reported the obligation (which will be settled through issuance of variable number of shares)
as short-term loan. In addition, Endurance will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within five years of the closing
date, of up to 50% of Common Stock issued as Equity Kicker, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise
price of $ 11.50
in accordance with the Private Placement terms. During the
six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company repaid the principal amount of $ 1,750,000
along with accrued interest of $ 70,000
and issued 977,653
shares of Common Stock and 488,826
warrants to Endurance.
In
December 2024, the Company entered into binding Term Sheets (“Term Sheets”) with several lenders including DRE Chicago LLC,
a related party (collectively, the “Lenders”), providing for loans (the “Loans”) in the aggregate principal amount
of $ 1,800,000 ,
bearing interest at a rate of 15 %
per year, and maturing in March
2025 (the “Maturity Date”). The proceeds
of the Loans are expected to be used by the Company for general corporate and working capital purposes. The Term Sheets contained customary
representations and warranties and customary events of default. Pursuant to the Term Sheets, an aggregate of approximately 3,400,000
shares of Company’s Common Stock, owned by Roshan Pujari,
Chief Executive Officer of the Company, were pledged as collateral. In addition, the Company has agreed to issue to the Lenders an aggregate
of $ 2,700,000
in Common Stock as an Equity Kicker, with the price of each
share being determined based on terms per the earlier to occur of (i)
the consummation of a private placement offering of Company securities (in which case such issuance shall be on no less favorable terms
than the terms of such private placement) and (ii) the Maturity/ Repayment Date, provided that the minimum number of shares of Common
Stock issued to the Lenders shall be no less than an aggregate of 360,000 shares. The
Company recorded the short-term loan as a liability and evaluated embedded features in accordance with the accounting guidance and determined
that bifurcation is not required for any embedded feature. By analyzing the economic characteristics of the Equity Kicker terms, the
unconditional obligation to transfer variable number of shares where the monetary value of the obligation is a fixed monetary amount
known at inception is akin to a traditional debt arrangement with a principal of $ 1,800,000 ,
which will be settled in cash along with a premium of $ 2,700,000
in the form of variable number of shares. The Equity Kicker
$ 2,700,000
was triggered by the private placement that occurred on December
31, 2024. Upon such occurrence, the Company has recorded the accretion impact of this premium of $ 2,700,000
as finance charges in the consolidated statements of operations
for the year ended December 31, 2024, and has reported the obligation (which will be settled through issuance of variable number of shares)
as short-term loan. In addition, the Lenders will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within five years of the closing
date, of up to 50% of Common Stock issued as Equity Kicker, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise
price of $ 11.50
in accordance with the Private Placement terms. During the
six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company repaid the principal amount of $ 1,800,000
along with accrued interest of $ 67,146
and issued 754,187
shares of Common Stock and 377,092
warrants to the Lenders.
26
The
Company recognized interest expense of $ 103,938
towards other short-term loans on the accompanying unaudited
condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025.
The
following table summarizes the Company’s outstanding short-term loan arrangements:
SCHEDULE
OF SHORT TERM LOAN ARRANGEMENTS
June
30, 2025
December
31, 2024
Insurance funding loan
$ -
$ 258,552
Short-term loans from related parties (See Note 12)
-
5,875,000
Other short-term loans
-
3,875,000
Total
$ -
$ 10,008,552
NOTE
15 – PROMISSORY NOTES AND WRITE-OFFS
On
March 13, 2024, Legacy Stardust Power and IGX Minerals LLC (“IGX”), entered into an exclusive letter of intent (the “IGX
LOI”) to potentially acquire interests in certain mining claims (the “IGX Claims”). The Company paid a non-refundable
payment of $ 30,000
in connection with obtaining a binding exclusivity right.
On
August 19, 2024, Legacy Stardust Power entered into a promissory note arrangement with IGX (the “IGX Note”) for $ 176,000
to allow the Company to potentially be able to enter into related
agreements and partnerships with IGX. The payment is made solely for the payment of all 2024 Bureau of Land Management fees and county
land maintenance fees, notice of intent and associated filing fees for the claims owned by IGX. During the three months ended June 30,
2025, the Company wrote off the promissory note balance including interest in the amount of $ 182,481
as the note was deemed unrecoverable from IGX and the likelihood
of entering into definitive agreements with IGX had diminished significantly. As a result, the Company recognized a loss of $ 182,481
in the Other Income/Expense section of the unaudited condensed
consolidated statement of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025.
On
March 15, 2024, Legacy Stardust Power and Usha Resources Ltd. (“Usha Resources”) entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent
(the “Jackpot LOI”), except for certain binding terms such as those relating to the exclusivity period until June 30, 2025,
as extended, to acquire an interest in Usha Resources’ lithium brine project, situated in the United States. Usha Resources is
an established lithium developer with multiple projects in development. The Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine Project is a flagship asset of
Usha Resources and is a lithium brine asset located in the United States, comprised of 8,714 acres of property. The project is currently
engaged in its maiden drill program. The Jackpot LOI provides Stardust Power with the exclusive option to agree to acquire up to 90%
of the interests held by Usha Resources in the Jackpot Lake project, based on an indicative earn-in schedule. As part of a definitive
agreement, Stardust Power would be required to invest into the development of the Jackpot Lake project. The Company has made a non-refundable
payment of $ 25,000
upon execution of the Jackpot LOI in connection with securing
exclusivity and a further $ 50,000
payment (the “Second Payment”) was made by the
Company on May 14, 2024; provided that the Second Payment shall be non-refundable except if Usha Resources breaches the terms of the
Jackpot LOI at which point Usha Resources shall refund the Second Payment together with all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees
and expenses of legal counsel, accountants and other advisors hereof) incurred by the Company. As of June 30, 2025, the Company determined
that the likelihood of entering into definitive agreements with Usha Resources Ltd. had diminished significantly. As a result, the Company
wrote off the outstanding deposit balance of $ 50,000
related to the non-refundable payments made under the Jackpot
LOI with Usha Resources. The Company recognized a loss of $ 50,000
in the Other Income/Expense section of the unaudited condensed
consolidated statement of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025.
NOTE
16 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The
Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date the consolidated financial statements were available to be issued and there
are no other items that would have had a material impact on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
27
ITEM
2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The
following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our unaudited condensed
consolidated financial statements for the three months ended June 30, 2025, and the related notes thereto contained elsewhere in this
Quarterly Report.
Unless
the context otherwise requires, all references in this section to “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company”,
“Stardust” or “Stardust Power” refer to Stardust Power Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries at or after the
consummation of the business combination (the “Business Combination”). Terms otherwise not defined herein, have the meaning
given to such terms in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Certain Defined Terms” beginning on page iii
thereof, and such definitions are incorporated herein by reference.
Cautionary
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain
of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including
information with respect to plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
As a result of many factors, including those factors described or referenced in this Quarterly Report under the heading “Risk Factors,”
our actual results could differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the
following discussion and analysis. You should carefully read the section titled “Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report to
gain an understanding of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements.
Please also see the section titled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this Quarterly Report.
Company
Overview and History
On
December 5, 2022, Stardust Power LLC was organized as a limited liability company in the State of Delaware. On March 16, 2023, Stardust
Power Operating Inc. (f/k/a Stardust Power Inc. prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, “Legacy Stardust Power”)
was organized as a corporation in the State of Delaware with operations commencing on March 16, 2023. The ownership interests of Stardust
Power LLC were subsequently transferred to Stardust Power Inc. On July 8, 2024, former Stardust Power Inc. was renamed Stardust Power
Operating Inc.
Stardust
Power is a U.S. based development stage battery grade lithium manufacturer designed to foster clean energy independence for America.
The Company is in the process of creating capacity to manufacture battery grade lithium products, primarily for the electric vehicle
(“EV”) market, by developing a large-scale lithium refinery in the United States. Stardust Power seeks to become a sustainable,
cost-effective supplier of battery grade lithium products, by its innovative approach in the development of a large central refinery
optimized for multiple inputs of lithium brine inputs (the “Facility”) in Oklahoma.
Stardust
Power intends to source lithium brine feedstock from various suppliers and may make investments upstream to secure additional feedstock.
We seek to sell our products to EV manufacturers as our primary market, with potential applications in other areas such as battery manufacturers,
the U.S. military, and original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”).
Some
of the key driving factors are the demand for battery grade lithium products, fueled largely by the demand and production of electric
vehicles and automotive OEMs and battery manufacturers seeking domestic supply options, leading to demand for minerals used in battery
cells, such as lithium, governmental incentives for American manufacturing and evolving geopolitical climate that is creating a national
security priority for the U.S. market.
In
February 2023, Stardust Power LLC received an illustrative incentive analysis for up to $257 million in performance-based incentives
from the State of Oklahoma and potential federal incentives, which also contained potential for further eligible federal grants. The
state incentives were based on initial job creation, equipment procurement, training and recruitment incentives, property tax exemptions,
sales tax exemptions, and capital expenditure projections submitted to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce in the first quarter of 2023
and could be subject to changes as the Company would progress in setting up the Facility and commercial production of battery grade lithium
in the future. These incentives may change based on the actual financial metrics of the Company in the future, which may be lower or
higher.
28
Stardust
Power believes that it is well poised to address these opportunities by emerging as a leading, fully integrated domestic lithium supplier,
and contribute to restoring American energy independence, thereby bridging the gap in the domestic supply of battery grade lithium products.
Recent
Developments
Purchase
and Sale Agreement for Site
On
January 10, 2024, Stardust Power entered into a purchase and sale agreement with the City of Muskogee to purchase the site in Southside
Industrial Park, Muskogee, Oklahoma for a total of $1,662,030. On December 16, 2024, the agreement was finalized and the title to the
land was transferred in the Company’s name.
Recent
financing activity
On
December 31, 2024, the Company entered into binding term sheets with certain investors pursuant to which the Company has agreed to sell,
and the Investors have agreed to purchase, Company securities for an aggregate amount of $550,000 (the “Private Placement”).
The proceeds of the Private Placement are expected to be used by the Company for capital expenditures, working capital and general corporate
purposes. The Investors have agreed to purchase, and the Company has agreed to issue and sell, up to $550,000 in shares of Common Stock
at a price equal to 95% of the closing bid price of the Common Stock on the last trading day prior to the closing date for the Private
Placement. In addition, each Investor will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within five years of the closing date,
to purchase up to 50% of the shares of Common Stock purchased by such Investor in the Private Placement, with each whole warrant exercisable
for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50. The Company received proceeds of $425,000 in December 2024 and additional
proceeds of $125,000 in January 2025 from investors. The Company has accounted for this as Advance from PIPE investor for shares and
warrants to be issued based on purchase agreement to be entered on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December
31, 2024. On April 24, 2025, the Company issued 128,504 shares of Common Stock and 64,251 Warrants to the investors.
On
January 27, 2025, the Company consummated a public offering of 4,792,000 shares of common stock and accompanying warrants to purchase
up to 4,792,000 shares of common stock at a combined public offering price of $1.20 per share and warrant, generating aggregate gross
proceeds of approximately $5,750.000 before offering expenses. The common stock purchase warrants, exercisable at $1.30 per share and
expiring five years from issuance, were issued under an effective registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-284298), filed by
the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”), that became effective on January 23, 2025.
On
March 16, 2025, the Company entered into a letter agreement (the “Inducement Letter”) with a warrant holder (the “Exercising
Holder”) providing for the immediate cash exercise of outstanding warrants to purchase 4,792,000 shares of the Company’s
Common Stock at a reduced exercise price of $0.62 per share. In connection with such exercise, the Company agreed to issue new common
stock purchase warrants (the “Inducement Warrants”) to purchase up to 9,584,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price
of $0.70 per share, subject to shareholder approval and Nasdaq rules. The Company received gross proceeds of approximately $3 million
on March 18, 2025, and intends to use the net proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes. No exercises of the Inducement
Warrants have occurred as of the date on which these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were available to be issued.
On
June 18, 2025, the Company consummated a public offering of 21,500,000 shares of Common Stock at a public offering price of $0.20 per
share, generating aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $4,300,000 before underwriting discounts and other offering expenses. The
offering was conducted pursuant to a firm commitment underwriting agreement entered into with the underwriters, on June 17, 2025. The
offering was made under an effective registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-287939), which was declared effective by the SEC
on June 16, 2025. In connection with the offering, the Company granted the underwriter a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional
3,225,000 shares of Common Stock to cover over-allotments, if any. On June 25, 2025, the underwriter partially exercised the over-allotment
option, purchasing an additional 1,100,000 shares at the same public offering price, resulting in additional gross proceeds of approximately
$220,000. After giving effect to the partial exercise of the over-allotment option, the aggregate gross proceeds from the offering increased
to approximately $4,520,000, before deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses of $574,325. The Company currently
intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to support the completion of the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS/FEL-3) related to
its proposed lithium processing facility in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and for general working capital purposes.
29
Engineering
Agreement
On
August 4, 2024, the Company entered into an engineering agreement (the “Primero Agreement”) with Primero USA, Inc. (“Primero”)
pursuant to which Primero agreed to provide certain engineering, design and consultancy professional services, including to assist in
procurement of major equipment, engage relevant third parties for construction and provide a Front End Loading-3 report of the Company’s
Lithium Facility at Southside Industrial Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The total amount due pursuant to the Primero Agreement, assuming
full performance, is approximately $4.7 million, in the aggregate, subject to customary potential adjustments and is due for completion
in the third quarter of 2025.
Investment
in IRIS Metals Limited
In
December 2024 Stardust Power subscribed to and purchased 10,000,000 ordinary shares (approximately 6% of the total equity) of IRIS Metals
Limited (“IRIS Metals”), an Australian limited company whose ordinary shares are listed on the Australian securities exchange
(“ASX”) for $1,600,000. This investment in the ordinary shares if IRIS Metals allows the Company to explore strategic partnership
with, or investment in, IRIS Metals, including without limitation, a commercial off take arrangement for battery grade lithium production,
financing or other investments in IRIS Metals or its affiliates. No formal off take agreement has been executed as at June 30, 2025.
Further no material expenses have been incurred towards due diligence during the year ended June 30, 2025. The Company neither has a
controlling financial interest nor does it exercise significant influence over IRIS Metals. Accordingly, the investment in IRIS Metals
ordinary shares does not result in either the consolidation or application of equity method of accounting for the Company. During the three months ended June 30, 2025, the Company sold 1,175,000 ordinary shares of IRIS Metals for total
proceeds of $78,311, resulting in a realized loss of $95,178. The carrying amount of the shares sold was $173,489. The investment in these
securities is initially recognized at cost and subsequently measured at fair value. As at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the fair
value of the investment was $576,571 and $1,461,715, respectively. Subsequent to the quarter end, the Company sold all its investment in IRIS Metals.
Offtake
and licensing agreements
On
January 28, 2025, the Company entered into a non-binding letter agreement with Sumitomo, contemplating a long-term commercial offtake
agreement, pursuant to which Sumitomo would agree to acquire 20,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate per year from the Company’s
first line of production, with the potential to increase to 25,000 metric tons based on mutual agreement. The initial contract term would
span 10 years starting from the date of the first qualification of the Company’s lithium carbonate for sale to any of Sumitomo’s
customers, with an option for Sumitomo to renew for an additional five years under mutually agreed terms, provided written notice is
given to the Company at least twelve months prior to the end of the initial term.
On
February 7, 2025, the Company executed an exclusive license agreement with KMX. Under the terms of the License Agreement, KMX agreed
to irrevocably license to the Company the use of KMX’s VMD Technology and associated processes and systems (including the KMX VMD
Units) for the purpose of the Company’s use of the technology in its refining and upstream operations. Among other obligations
set forth in the Agreement, the Company shall be required to exclusively purchase all KMX VMD Units from KMX during the term of the Agreement
on the terms and conditions set forth therein. The License Agreement grants the Company the exclusive right to sub license, use, market,
sell and operate KMX’s VMD Technology across the United States, Canada and select international markets. The Company agreed to
pay KMX a royalty comprised of 500,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Royalty Shares”). The securities are being offered and
sold by the Company pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Section 4(a)(2) and/or
Regulation D promulgated thereunder, as a transaction not involving a public offering. As on the effective date of the agreement, the
Company received the contractual right to access and purchase KMX VMD Units. On April 24, 2025, the Company issued 500,000 shares of
common stock to KMX, with a corresponding debit recorded as other long-term asset, until the license meets the recognition criteria for
an intangible asset.
30
Short-term
loans
In
December 2024, the Company entered into a binding term sheet (“Term Sheet”) with Endurance Antarctica Partners II, LLC (“Endurance”)
a related party, providing for a loan (the “Loan”) in the aggregate principal amount of $1,750,000, bearing interest at a
rate of 15% per year, and maturing in March 2025 (the “Maturity Date”). The Term Sheet contained customary representations
and warranties and customary events of default. Pursuant to the Term Sheet, 5,500,000 shares of Company’s Common Stock, owned by
Roshan Pujari, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, were pledged as collateral. In addition, the Company has agreed to issue to Endurance
$3,500,000 in Common Stock as an Equity Kicker, with the price of each share being determined based on terms per the earlier to occur
of (i) the consummation of a private placement offering of Company securities (in which case such issuance shall be on no less favorable
terms than the terms of such private placement) and (ii) the Maturity/ Repayment Date, provided that the minimum number of shares of
Common Stock shall be no less than 500,000 shares. In addition, Endurance will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within
five years of the closing date, up to 50% of Common Stock issued as Equity Kicker, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share
of Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 in accordance with the Private Placement terms. During the six months ended June 30, 2025,
the Company has fully repaid the principal amount, the accrued interest and issued the equity shares and warrants to Endurance.
In
December 2024, the Company entered into binding term sheets (“Term Sheets”) with several lenders including DRE Chicago, LLC,
a related party (collectively, the “Lenders”), providing for loans (the “Loans”) in the aggregate principal amount
of $1,800,000, bearing interest at a rate of 15% per year, and maturing in March 2025 (the “Maturity Date”). The proceeds
of the Loans are expected to be used by the Company for general corporate and working capital purposes. The Term Sheets contained customary
representations and warranties and customary events of default. Pursuant to the Term Sheets, an aggregate of approximately 3,400,000
shares of Company’s Common Stock, owned by Roshan Pujari, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, were pledged as collateral. In
addition, the Company has agreed to issue to the Lenders an aggregate of $2,700,000 in Common Stock as an Equity Kicker, with the price
of each share being determined based on terms per the earlier to occur of (i) the consummation of a private placement offering of Company
securities (in which case such issuance shall be on no less favorable terms than the terms of such private placement) and (ii) the Maturity/
Repayment Date, provided that the minimum number of shares of Common Stock issued to the Lenders shall be no less than an aggregate of
360,000 shares. In addition, the Lenders will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within five years of the closing date,
up to 50% of Common Stock issued as Equity Kicker, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price
of $11.50 in accordance with the Private Placement terms. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company has fully repaid the
principal amount, the accrued interest and issued the equity shares and warrants to the lenders.
Notices
from Nasdaq
On
March 18, 2025, we received a notice (the “MVPHS Notice”) from the Nasdaq that the Company was not in compliance with the
continued listing standards set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(2)(C), as the Company’s market value of publicly held shares
closed below $15,000,000 for the previous 30 consecutive business days. On March 19, 2025, we received a subsequent notice (the “Minimum
Bid Price Notice”) from the Nasdaq that the Company was not in compliance with the continued listing standards set forth in Nasdaq
Listing Rule 5450(a)(1), as the minimum bid price of the Company’s Common Stock closed below $1.00 per share for the previous 30
consecutive business days. On April 3, 2025, we received a subsequent notice (the “MVLS Notice”) from the Nasdaq that the
Company was not in compliance with the continued listing standards set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b) (2)(A), as the market value
of the Company’s listed securities fell under $50 million for the previous 30 consecutive business days. The MVPHS Notice, Minimum
Bid Price Notice and MVLS Notice have no present impact on the listing of the Company’s securities on the Nasdaq Global Market.
Under
Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company has a period of 180 calendar days, or until September 15, 2025, to regain compliance with
the Minimum Price Rule. To regain compliance with the Minimum Price Rule, during the 180-day compliance period, the minimum bid price
of the Company’s listed securities must close at $1.00 per share or more for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days.
31
To
regain compliance with the MVPHS Rule, during the 180-day compliance period, the market value of publicly held shares must close at $15,000,000
or more for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days. If compliance is not achieved with both rules by September 15, 2025, Nasdaq will
provide written notification to the Company that its securities are subject to delisting. At such time, the Company may appeal the delisting
determination to a Hearings Panel.
Separately,
the Company has a period of 180 calendar days, or until September 30, 2025, to regain compliance with the MVLS Rule. To regain compliance
with the MVLS Rule, during this 180-day compliance period, the market value of the Company’s listed securities must close at $50,000,000
or more for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days. If compliance is not achieved with this rule by September 30, 2025, Nasdaq will
provide written notification to the Company that its securities are subject to delisting. At such time, the Company may appeal the delisting
determination to a Hearings Panel.
Key
Factors Affecting Our Performance
We
believe that our performance and future success depend on a number of factors that present significant opportunities for us but also
pose risks and challenges, including competition from other lithium brine and other brine producers, changes to existing federal and
state level incentive framework, changes in regulations, and other factors discussed under the section titled “Risk Factors”
in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and this Quarterly Report. We believe the factors described below are key to our success.
Commencing
Commercial Operations
We
are a development stage company, and have purchased the site in Southside Industrial Park, Muskogee, Oklahoma. The critical issue analysis,
phase I ESA, geotechnical study, and readiness assessment of the site in Southside Industrial Park, Muskogee, Oklahoma has been conducted,
and we may be required to conduct other relevant studies.
Stardust
Power is developing a large central refinery in a phased approach. The first phase is the construction of a production line with up to
25,000 metric tons per annum (“tpa”). The second phase is to add a second production line with up to 25,000 tpa, to create
a total capacity of up to 50,000 tpa.
A
technological innovation of Stardust Power’s planned refinery is the ability for the Facility to refine different sources of lithium
brine inputs. The Facility is being designed to accept lithium brines, of a certain approved chemical composition. It is Stardust Power’s
intention that the Facility will be able to dilute and pre-treat feedstock as necessary, to ensure that various lithium feedstock can
be blended, in order to produce a consistent feedstock. Stardust Power’s strategy is to differentiate itself by screening for a
broader set of contaminants, in comparison to other lithium refineries.
Partnership
Ecosystem
Our
success will depend on whether we can execute and expand our ecosystem of commercial arrangements with additional suppliers of brine
and executing agreements with them at favorable terms. The availability of brine for the purpose of extracting lithium is still in a
nascent stage and we would require access to multiple sources as we start commercial production and grow our business. Our management
team frequently evaluates current and future sources of supplies for reliability of supply and geographic locations for logistics and
cost efficiency. We would also have to maintain technology arrangements with existing strategic affiliations on whose patented and proprietary
processes we depend on, as well as forge new technology affiliations as exploration, extraction and purification processes evolve, to
obtain raw materials required to manufacture high-quality lithium suitable for consumption by the EV industry, and other potential usages.
These affiliations will enable us to refine and sell battery grade lithium at competitive prices, which in turn helps secure the growth
and profitability of our business operations in the long term.
32
Adequate
Capital Raise
The
success of our refinery’s activities relating to producing battery grade lithium from brine and the success of our ability to obtain
relevant permits in a timely manner require significant capital investment and financing to fund the initial investment in all aspects
of setting up the operations, and may subsequently be impacted by our operating losses, competition from substitute products and services
from larger companies, protection of proprietary technology of our strategic partners, and dependence on key individuals.
Our
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been presented on the basis that the Company is a going concern, which contemplates
the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has not earned any revenue
and has been operating at a loss since inception. The Company has an accumulated deficit and stockholders’ deficit. We believe
that the cash on hand and additional investments available through issuance of new Common Stock will be inadequate to satisfy the Company’s
working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next twelve months. These conditions raise substantial doubt about
our ability to continue as a going concern for one year from the issuance of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
As a development stage company, Stardust Power needs to raise additional capital to realize its business objectives. Our long-term success
and ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to successfully raise additional capital or financing, or successfully
enter into strategic partnerships. Until commercial production is achieved from our planned operations, we will continue to incur operating
and investing net cash outflows associated with, among other things, maintaining and acquiring exploration properties and undertaking
ongoing exploration activities.
Limited
Operating History
We
have a limited operating history and there is limited historical financial information upon which to base an evaluation of our performance.
Our business and financial condition must be considered in light of the uncertainties, risks, expenses, and difficulties frequently encountered
by companies in their early stages of operation.
Key
Business Metrics, Non-GAAP Measure
Since
we have yet to start the construction of our Facility and associated commercial production, we do not have financial information on key
business metrics. However, based on our experience and industry knowledge, we expect the following would be key business metrics:
●
Raw
Material Cost/ton : This includes the input cost of lithium chloride for the plant. As this may be obtained from various sources,
the weighted average cost will be calculated to arrive at the raw material cost per ton and reflects the Company’s ability
to procure high-quality raw materials at an appropriate price. The weighted average method also helps in calculating the gross margin
on a per-ton basis. The technology implemented and the efficiency of the operations are also reflected on the gross margin per ton.
●
Selling
Price/ton : This multiple is driven by the demand and supply of the lithium price as well as the efficient operations of the
plant. The computation of the selling price may be based on the output sold per long-term contract, which is expected to have a floor
and a cap, as well as the spot price on the date of placing a purchase order by the customer, with the Company and the customer sharing
the difference between the floor and spot price.
●
Capex/ton :
This reflects the Capex incurred on a per-ton basis. It includes both direct and indirect costs. It also has contingency costs built
in for any impact on Capex, to account for unforeseen events. The key is to optimize plant efficiency in long-term operations with
the appropriate technology and set-up.
●
Opex/ton :
This includes the ongoing expenses incurred from the day-to-day running of the operations. It helps in measuring how much profit
a company makes on a dollar of sales after paying for variable costs of production, such as wages and raw materials, but before paying
interest or tax. The lower multiple reflects the efficient functioning of the management.
●
Capacity
Utilization : This measures how much output a plant is producing, compared to its maximum potential output, which is dependent
on two key factors: (a) design capacity, which impacts the operational efficiency of the plant, and (b) the plant’s downtime
for its maintenance. Timely maintenance is also the key to running any efficient operations.
33
Further,
since we are yet to generate revenue, non-GAAP measures such as EBITDA and EBITDA margins, cannot be captured currently, but will be
stated once we have commenced commercial production and selling of battery grade lithium to our intended customers.
Business
and Macroeconomic Conditions
Our
business and financial condition has been, and we believe will continue to be, impacted by adverse and uncertain macroeconomic conditions
and events, including higher inflation, higher interest rates, supply chain and logistics challenges, banking crises, and fluctuations
or volatility in capital markets.
Components
of Results of Operations
Revenue
We
have not generated any revenue to date. We expect to generate a significant portion of our future revenue from the sale of battery grade
lithium primarily to the EV market. We expect that we will enter into long-term contracts (typically 10 years), driven by industry dynamics
of the EV industry, with a pricing structure at cap and ceiling, and sharing of variable price between customers and the Company.
Cost
of Goods Sold
We
have not sourced any raw material to date. We expect to source brine from lithium producing suppliers including the oil and gas industry
as a byproduct of their exploration and extraction processes. We are in the process of negotiating with multiple suppliers for brine
feedstock, including producers from the oil and gas industry. The length, tenure and pricing of these contracts will depend largely on
the type of supply and is expected to vary from supplier to supplier.
Expenses
General
and administrative
General
and administrative expense consists of costs to maintain our daily operations and administer the business that are not directly attributable
to generating revenue or cost of goods or raw material. These consist primarily of consulting services (including advisory services for
organization setup and administrative related services from contractors, consultants), professional services such as accounting advisory,
statutory auditor fees, technical consultants, and business consulting, as well as personnel related expenses (including stock based
compensation), legal and book-keeping services, insurance expenses (including director and officer’s insurance), investor relations
activities and marketing expenses. We expect our general and administrative expenses will increase in absolute dollars over time as we
continue to invest in initially setting up our Facility, hire additional employees, and subsequently invest in the growth of our business
and incur costs associated with being a publicly traded company with respect to compliance with the regulations of the SEC and the Nasdaq
Global Market.
Other
Income (Expenses)
Interest
income
Interest
income is comprised of interest earned on promissory notes. During the year 2024, the Company issued promissory notes of $176,000 and
$316,000 to IGX Minerals LLC and IG Lithium LLC respectively. These notes carry an interest rate of 6% with maturity date of February
28, 2025, and July 1, 2025, respectively. The Company is actively negotiating the terms for repayment of the promissory note issued and
is evaluating multiple options including a possible strategic investment.
Interest
expense
Interest
expense is comprised of interest payable on the insurance funding loans and short-term loans.
34
The
Company entered into a financing agreement of $510,000 for the purchase of a director and officer’s insurance policy with AFCO
Insurance Premium Finance in 2024. The Company made a downpayment of $44,162, which was applied to the loan amount at the time of the
loan agreement. The debt is payable in monthly installments of $44,162 per month for 11 months. Payments include a stated interest rate
of 8.46% and are secured against a lien on the insurance policy.
The
Company issued a Term Sheet to Endurance in the aggregate principal amount of $1,750,000, bearing interest at a rate of 15% per year,
and maturing in March 2025.
The
Company issued Term Sheets to several lenders, providing for loans in the aggregate principal amount of $1,800,000, bearing interest
at a rate of 15% per year, and maturing in March 2025.
Interest
expense for the three months ended June 30, 2024 included interest on a Legacy Stardust Power financing agreement of $80,800 for the
purchase of an insurance policy with First Insurance Funding. Payments include a stated interest rate of 8.25% and are secured against
a lien on the insurance policy. The debt was fully paid off as of June 30, 2025.
Finance
charges
Finance
charges includes the change in fair value of the Company’s make-whole provision related to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement
and the costs incurred on sale of common stock pursuant to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement.
Change
in fair value of investment in equity securities
Change
in fair value of investment in equity securities relates to movements in fair value of investment in equity securities of strategic investments
such as the investment in QXR and IRIS Metals, that need to be recorded in the consolidated statements of operations for each reporting
period, based on readily available quoted prices for such investment.
Change
in fair value of SAFE notes and convertible notes
Change
in fair value of SAFE notes and convertible notes relates to movements in fair value of SAFE notes and convertible notes that have been
classified as liability instruments in the financial statements, which need to be recorded in the statement of operations for each reporting
period, based on third party valuations carried out at period end. Upon consummation of the Business Combination on July 8, 2024, the
SAFE notes and convertible notes were converted into Common Stock of the Company and hence the balance is $Nil in the unaudited condensed
balance sheet as of June 30, 2025, and December 31, 2024.
Change
in fair value of sponsor earnout shares
Change
in fair value of sponsor earnout shares relates to movements in fair value of earnout shares issued to the Sponsor which have been classified
as liability instruments in the financial statements, that need to be recorded in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations
for each reporting period, based on third party valuations carried out at period end.
Change
in fair value of warrant liability
Change
in fair value of warrant liability relates to movements in fair value of Public Warrants and Private Warrants which have been classified
as liability instruments in the financial statements, that need to be recorded in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations
for each reporting period, based on fair value at period end.
35
Provision
for income taxes
We
are constituted as a Delaware corporation and are subject to U.S. federal and state income taxes based on enacted rates, as adjusted
for allowable credits, deductions, uncertain tax positions, changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities and changes in tax law.
Loss
on sale of investments in equity securities
Loss
on sale of investment in equity securities relates to realized loss on sale of investment in equity securities of IRIS Metals. The sale
was made in response to evolving market conditions and liquidity needs.
Loss
on write off promissory notes and deposit
Loss
on write off promissory notes and deposit relates to write-off of a promissory note and deposit made in connection with a previously
contemplated strategic partnership with IGX and Usha Resources. The likelihood of entering into definitive agreements with them had diminished significantly during the quarter and based on an updated
assessment these amounts were deemed uncollectible.
Results
of Operations
The
following table sets forth our unaudited condensed statements of operations information for the period indicated:
Three
Months Ended
Six
Months Ended
June
30,
2025
June
30,
2024
Changes
June
30,
2025
June
30,
2024
Changes
Revenue
-
-
-
-
-
-
General
and administrative expenses
3,036,347
1,267,059
1,769,288
8,784,994
2,502,425
6,282,569
Operating
Loss
(3,036,347 )
(1,267,059 )
(1,769,288 )
(8,784,994 )
(2,502,425 )
(6,282,569 )
Other income
(expenses)
-
SAFE note issuance costs
-
-
-
Other transaction costs
-
-
-
Interest income
4,731
-
4,731
12,010
-
12,010
Interest expense
(58,092 )
(789 )
(57,303 )
(165,933 )
(2,078 )
(163,855 )
Finance charge
(20,697 )
(20,697 )
(219,120 )
(219,120 )
Change in fair value of earnout
shares
-
-
528,000
-
528,000
Change in fair value of warrant
liability
472,515
-
472,515
2,171,692
-
2,171,692
Change in fair value of investment
in equity securities
(738,889 )
(108,014 )
(630,875 )
(728,134 )
(162,672 )
(565,462 )
Change in fair value of convertible
equity
-
(471,400 )
471,400
(471,400 )
471,400
Change in fair value of SAFE
notes
(847,100 )
847,100
(955,000 )
955,000
Loss on write off of promissory
note and deposit
(232,481 )
(232,481 )
(232,481 )
(232,481 )
Loss
on sale of investment un equity securities
(95,178 )
-
(95,178 )
(95,178 )
(95,178 )
Total
other expenses
(668,091 )
(1,427,303 )
759,212
1,270,856
(1,591,150 )
2,862,006
Net
Loss
(3,704,438 )
(2,694,362 )
(1,010,076 )
(7,514,138 )
(4,093,575 )
(3,420,563 )
Revenues
We
have not earned any revenue since inception.
Cost
of Goods Sold
We
did not manufacture any products, and hence did not incur any direct costs related to production or carrying inventory, since inception.
36
General
and Administrative Expenses
General
and administrative expenses primarily attributable to fees for professional and consulting fees, mainly comprising marketing advisory
services and other consulting, legal services and advisory services with respect to the Company’s organization, fees for strategic
investments evaluation and employee related compensation expenses representing base salary, benefits and stock based compensation expense.
The details of these expenses are as follows:
Three months ended
Six months ended
June
30,
2025
June 30,
2024
Changes
June
30,
2025
June 30,
2024
Changes
Payroll and related taxes
3,207,013
602,187
2,604,826
6,763,660
1,072,465
5,691,195
Professional and consulting fees
(885,117 )
321,367
(1,206,484 )
337,557
844,992
(507,435 )
Legal fees
266,727
112,923
153,804
479,662
198,151
281,511
Insurance
146,418
26,994
119,424
291,456
53,989
237,467
Other
301,306
203,588
97,718
912,659
332,828
579,831
Total
3,036,347
1,267,059
1,769,288
8,784,994
2,502,425
6,282,569
For
the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, general and administrative
expenses increased compared to three and six months ended June 30, 2024, primarily due to higher employee related costs driven by an increase
in stock based compensation expense and increase in number of employees, increase in legal fees, and increase in other administrative
expenses in line with growth in operations. The increase was partially offset by decrease in professional and consulting fees primarily
driven by reduction in stock based compensation expense for consultants due to forfeiture during the three and six months ended June 30, 2025.
Other
Income (Expenses)
Interest
income
For
the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded interest income of $4,731 and $12,010 respectively, compared to $Nil
for the same periods in 2024. The increase is attributable to interest earned on promissory notes issued during August 2024.
Interest
expense
For
the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, interest expenses increased by $58,092 and $165,933 respectively, compared to three and
six months ended June 30, 2024. The increase was primarily due to interest expense incurred on the financing agreement for the Company’s
purchase of directors and officers and other insurance policies and finance agreements for short-term loans with various lenders during
December 2024.
Finance
charges
The
increase in finance charges of $20,697 and $219,120 during the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, respectively, is due to the
change in fair value of the Company’s make-whole provision related to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement. The Company did not
have any such expense in the comparative period.
37
Change
in fair value of investment in equity securities
The
decrease in fair value of investment in equity securities of $630,875 and $565,462 during the three and six months ended June 30,
2025, compared to three and six months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, is due to change in fair value of investment in QXR and
IRIS Metals based on readily available quoted prices for such investment.
Change
in fair value of SAFE notes
For
the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company did not recognize any change in the fair value of SAFE notes, compared to a
loss of $847,100 and $955,000 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, respectively. The SAFE notes, which had previously been classified as liability instruments,
were converted to equity following the consummation of the Business Combination with GPAC II on July 8, 2024. The Company had not issued
any such SAFE notes post Business Combination consummation.
Change
in fair value of convertible notes
For
the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company did not recognize any change in the fair value of convertible notes, compared
to a loss of $471,400 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024. The convertible notes, which had previously been classified as liability instruments,
were converted to equity following the consummation of the Business Combination with GPAC II on July 8, 2024. The Company had not issued
any such convertible notes post Business Combination consummation.
Change
in fair value of earnout shares
The
income from change in fair value of earnout shares increased by $Nil and $528,000 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, respectively,
related to movements in fair value of earnout shares issued to the Sponsor. The earnout shares have been classified as liability instruments
in the financial statements, and the fair value adjustment is recorded in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations
for each reporting period, based on third party valuations carried out at period end. The Company had not issued any such earnout shares
in the comparative period.
Change
in fair value of warrant liability
Change
in fair value of warrant liability which was an increase in income of $472,515 and $2,171,692 for the three and six months ended June
30, 2025, respectively, relates to movements in fair value of Public and Private Warrants which have been classified as liability instruments
in the financial statements, that need to be recorded in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations for each reporting
period, based on fair value at period end. The Company had not issued any such warrants in the comparative period.
Loss
on sale of investments in equity securities
During
the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded a loss of $95,178 in connection with the sale of investment in equity
securities. These securities were originally acquired as part of a broader investment strategy but were sold during the quarter in response
to evolving market conditions and liquidity needs. The loss reflects the decline in market value relative to the carrying amount at the
time of sale. The Company had not sold any investment in equity securities in the comparative period.
38
Loss
on write off promissory notes and deposit
During
the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company recorded a loss of $182,481 and $50,000 related to the write-off of a
promissory note and deposit associated with a previously contemplated strategic partnership with IGX and Usha Resources, respectively. The
arrangement was terminated during the quarter, and based on an updated assessment these amounts were deemed uncollectible.
Accordingly, the full balance was written off and recognized as a non-operating loss.
Tax
expenses
For
the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, and 2024 the tax expense is Nil, due to net losses incurred during these periods. We do
not carry any deferred tax assets on the balance sheet as at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, primarily due to net operating loss
carryforwards resulting from historically incurred net operating losses and full valuations allowance of those losses, as our ability
to realize future tax benefits related to these assets is largely dependent upon operational profitability, which is uncertain. As a
result of this uncertainty, we have established a full valuation allowance, and have not recognized a net provision or benefit for income
taxes in the periods reported.
Net
loss
For
the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company incurred a net loss of $3,704,438 and $7,514,138 respectively and for the three
and six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company incurred a net loss of $2,694,362 and $4,093,575 respectively. Since the Company is yet
to start commercial production of battery grade lithium, the operating expenses are expected to increase, as the Company starts to recruit
more personnel to perform general operational tasks and set up the Facility and execute supply agreements.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Overview
We
have devoted substantial efforts and financial resources to raising capital and organizing and staffing the Company, and as a result,
have incurred significant operating losses. As of June 30, 2025, and December 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $60,133,086
and $52,618,948 respectively.
We
have not earned any revenue and have been operating at a loss since inception. We have an accumulated deficit and stockholders’
deficit.
Liquidity
Requirements
Our
primary requirements for liquidity and capital are investment in new facilities, new technologies, working capital and general corporate
needs. Specifically, in this regard, the total refinery cost, which includes all direct and indirect costs and contingencies needed to
build the refinery, has been estimated at $1,165 million. We intend to finance our project cost through a mix of debt, equity and potential
government grants. We expect our operational expenditures to increase for the foreseeable future in connection with ongoing and future
activities. Specifically, expenditures will increase as we:
●
Secure
and build facilities;
●
invest
in research and development activities to advance the development of our technologies; and
●
incur
additional expenses associated with transitioning to, and operating as, a public company.
Our
current and ongoing liquidity requirements will depend on many factors, including: our launch cadence, the timing and extent of spending
to support additional development efforts, the introduction of new and enhanced offerings, the continuing market adoption of our offerings,
the timing and extent of additional capital expenditures to build and invest in the Facility. In addition, we may, in the future, enter
into arrangements to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, business offerings and technologies. However, we do not have agreements
or commitments to enter into any such acquisitions or investments at this time.
39
Sources
of Liquidity and Going Concern
We
have funded our operations with proceeds from sales of Legacy Stardust Power Common Stock, promissory notes, SAFE notes, debt financing,
equity financing and convertible equity agreements. To continue as a going concern, we anticipate funding our near-term operations through
the sale of equity securities, promissory notes, debt financing or from other capital sources. If adequate funds are not available, we
may be required to curtail, delay, or eliminate some or all of our planned activities, or raise additional financing to continue to fund
operations, and may not be able to continue as a going concern.
Our
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been presented on the basis that the Company is a going concern, which contemplates
the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company is a development stage entity
having no revenues, has incurred net loss since inception of $60,133,086 and has stockholders’ deficit of $3,887,464 as at June
30, 2025. The Company expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its operating and investment plans. These costs exceed
the Company’s existing cash balance and net working capital.
As
discussed above:
●
On
October 7, 2024, the Company entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) and a related
Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC (“B.
Riley Principal Capital II”) to sell up to $50,000,000 of newly issued shares of the Company’s Common Stock to B. Riley
Principal Capital II. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company issued 164,601 shares
of common stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, aggregating to net proceeds of $118,874.
●
On
January 27, 2025, the Company consummated a public offering of 4,792,000 shares of Common Stock and accompanying warrants to purchase
up to 4,792,000 shares of Common Stock at a public offering price of $1.20 per share and warrant with an exercise price of $1.30,
generating aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $5,750,400 before offering expenses.
●
On
March 16, 2025, the Company entered into a letter agreement (the “Inducement Letter”) with a warrant holder (the “Exercising
Holder”) providing for the immediate cash exercise of outstanding warrants to purchase 4,792,000 shares of the Company’s
Common Stock at a reduced exercise price of $0.62 per share, generating aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $3 million, before
related expenses, on March 18, 2025. In connection with such exercise, the Company agreed to issue new Common Stock purchase warrants
(the “Inducement Warrants”) to purchase up to 9,584,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.70 per share.
●
On
June 18, 2025, the Company consummated a public offering of 21,500,000 shares of Common Stock at a public offering price of $0.20
per share, generating aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $4,300,000 before offering expenses. On June 25, 2025, the Company
consummated the partial exercise of over allotment of the public offering, of 1,100,000 shares of Common Stock at a public offering
price of $0.20 per share, generating additional aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $220,000 before offering expenses.
We
believe that the cash on hand, and additional investments available through issuance of new Common Stock, will be inadequate to satisfy
the Company’s working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next twelve months. The ability of the Company
to continue as a going concern is dependent upon management’s plan to raise additional capital from the issuance of equity or receive
additional borrowings to fund the Company’s operating and investing activities over the next year. The accompanying unaudited condensed
consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and
classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.
No
assurance can be given that any future financing will be available or, if available, that it will be on terms that are satisfactory to
us. Even if we are able to obtain additional financing, it may contain undue restrictions on our operations, in the case of debt financing,
or cause substantial dilution for our stockholders, in the case of equity financing. Failure to secure adequate financing could have
a material adverse effect on the business, operations and financial performance of the Company.
40
Insurance
funding borrowing
On
November 19, 2023, Legacy Stardust Power borrowed $80,800 from First Insurance Funding to finance its insurance policies. The total of
premium, taxes and fees aggregated to $101,000, of which an initial down payment of $20,200 was paid by Stardust Power, and the balance
financed through First Insurance Funding. The loan has an annual percentage rate of 8.25% and is payable in 10 installments through September
21, 2024. As at December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2025, the loan was fully repaid and the balance was $Nil.
On
July 18, 2024, the Company entered into a financing agreement of $510,000 for the purchase of an insurance policy with AFCO Insurance
Premium Finance. The Company made a downpayment of $44,162, which was applied to the loan amount at the time of the loan agreement. The
debt is payable in monthly installments of $44,162 per month for eleven months. Payments include a stated interest rate of 8.46% and
are secured against a lien on the insurance policy. As at June 30, 2025, the loan was fully repaid.
SAFE
notes
On
February 23, 2024, Legacy Stardust Power signed the February 2024 SAFE note for an amount of $200,000. In accordance with the terms of
the February 2024 SAFE note, the SAFE notes converted into shares of Legacy Stardust Power Common Stock, immediately prior to the First
Effective Time on similar terms to the other SAFE notes.
The
SAFE notes are classified as liabilities based on evaluating characteristics of the instruments and are presented at fair value as non-current
liabilities in the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet.
The
SAFE notes provided Legacy Stardust Power an option to call for additional preferred stock up to 25,000,000 based on the contingent event
of SAFE note conversion and notice issued by the Stardust Power board of directors (the “Board”), and achievement of certain
milestones, for up to 42 months following such conversion. This feature was determined to be an embedded feature and is valued as part
of the liability value associated with the instrument as a whole. Additionally, the SAFE notes provided the investor certain rights upon
an equity financing, change in control or dissolution as described in Note 4 of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
of the Company. The estimated fair value of the SAFE notes considered the timing of issuance and whether there were changes in the various
scenarios since issuance. As of December 31, 2023, the fair value of the SAFE notes was $5,212,200 and were classified as a non-current
liability. The SAFE notes had no interest rate or maturity date, description of dividend and participation rights. The liquidation preference
of the SAFE notes was junior to other outstanding indebtedness and creditor claims, on par with payments for other SAFE notes and/or
preferred equity, and senior to payments for other equity of the Company that were not SAFE notes and/or pari preferred equity.
On
March 21, 2024, Legacy Stardust Power entered into a financing commitment and equity line of credit agreement with AIGD. The agreement
replaced the above contingent commitment feature of the SAFE notes with granting Legacy Stardust Power an option to drawdown up an additional
$15,000,000 on terms similar to existing SAFE notes prior to the First Effective Time. On April 24, 2024, Legacy Stardust Power amended
and restated the August 2023 SAFE note and the November 2023 SAFE note. On May 1, 2024, Legacy Stardust Power amended and restated the
February 2024 SAFE note. These amendments clarified the conversion mechanism in connection with the Business Combination. In accordance
with the terms of the convertible equity agreements, immediately prior to the First Effective Time, the cash received pursuant to the
SAFE note agreements automatically converted into 636,916 shares of Combined Company Common Stock.
Short-term
loans
In
December 2024, the Company entered into a binding Term Sheet (“Term Sheet”) with Endurance Antarctica Partners II, LLC (“Endurance”),
a related party, providing for a loan (the “Loan”) in the aggregate principal amount of $1,750,000, bearing interest at a
rate of 15% per year, and maturing in March 2025 (the “Maturity Date”). The Term Sheet contained customary representations
and warranties and customary events of default. Pursuant to the Term Sheet, 5,500,000 shares of Company’s Common Stock, owned by
Roshan Pujari, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, were pledged as collateral. In addition, the Company has agreed to issue to Endurance
$3,500,000 in Common Stock as an Equity Kicker, with the price of each share being determined based on terms per the earlier to occur
of (i) the consummation of a private placement offering of Company securities (in which case such issuance shall be on no less favorable
terms than the terms of such private placement) and (ii) the Maturity/ Repayment Date, provided that the minimum number of shares of
Common Stock shall be no less than 500,000 shares. In addition, Endurance will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within
five years of the closing date, of up to 50% of Common Stock issued as Equity Kicker, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share
of Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 in accordance with the Private Placement terms. During the six months ended June 30, 2025,
the Company has fully repaid the principal amount, the accrued interest and issued the equity shares and warrants to Endurance.
41
In
December 2024, the Company entered into binding Term Sheets (“Term Sheets”) with several lenders including DRE Chicago, LLC,
a related party (collectively, the “Lenders”), providing for loans (the “Loans”) in the aggregate principal amount
of $1,800,000, bearing interest at a rate of 15% per year, and maturing in March 2025 (the “Maturity Date”). The proceeds
of the Loans are expected to be used by the Company for general corporate and working capital purposes. The Term Sheets contained customary
representations and warranties and customary events of default. Pursuant to the Term Sheets, an aggregate of approximately 3,400,000
shares of Company’s Common Stock, owned by Roshan Pujari, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, were pledged as collateral. In
addition, the Company has agreed to issue to the Lenders an aggregate of $2,700,000 in Common Stock as an Equity Kicker, with the price
of each share being determined based on terms per the earlier to occur of (i) the consummation of a private placement offering of Company
securities (in which case such issuance shall be on no less favorable terms than the terms of such private placement) and (ii) the Maturity/
Repayment Date, provided that the minimum number of shares of Common Stock issued to the Lenders shall be no less than an aggregate of
360,000 shares. In addition, the Lenders will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within five years of the closing date,
of up to 50% of Common Stock issued as Equity Kicker, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise
price of $11.50 in accordance with the Private Placement terms. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company has fully repaid
the principal amount, the accrued interest and issued the equity shares and warrants to the lenders.
Cash
Flow
Summary
The
following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods presented:
Six
months ended
June
30, 2025
Six
months ended
June
30, 2024
Change
Net cash used in operating activities
(4,490,450 )
(2,103,926 )
(2,386,524 )
Net cash used in investing activities
(2,217,068 )
(500,387 )
(1,716,681 )
Net cash provided by financing activities
8,401,694
1,974,455
6,427,239
Net change in cash
1,694,176
(629,858 )
2,324,034
Cash
Flows Used in Operating Activities
For the six months ended June
30, 2025, net cash used in operating activities was $4,490,450 consisting of a $7,514,138 net loss, adjusted for $2,983,759 non-cash charge
for stock based compensation, change in fair value of investments, warrant liability, sponsor earnout shares, common stock make-whole
obligation, loss on sale of investments, loss on write off of deferred transaction cost, promissory note and deposits and depreciation
and a $39,929 net change in operating assets and liabilities, primarily driven by an increase of $239,723 in prepaid expenses and other
assets partially offset by an increase of $199,794 in accounts payable and other current liabilities which represent the various costs
that are expected to be incurred as we set up operations during this period.
For
the six months ended June 30, 2024, net cash used in operating activities was $2,103,926, consisting of a $4,093,575 net loss, adjusted
for $1,707,301 non-cash charge for change in fair value of SAFE notes, convertible notes, investments and stock based compensation and
a $282,348 net change in operating assets and liabilities, primarily driven by an increase of $347,533 in accounts payable and other
current liabilities which primarily represent the various costs that are expected to be incurred as we set up operations during this
period, partially offset by a decrease of $65,185 in prepaid expenses.
42
Cash
Flows Used in Investing Activities
For
the six months ended June 30, 2025, net cash used in investing activities was $2,217,068, primarily representing $2,278,760 on account
of capital project costs related to construction of the refinery offset partially by $78,311 proceeds from sale of investments in equity
securities.
For
the six months ended June 30, 2024, net cash used in investing activities was $500,387, primarily representing $442,966 on account of
pre-acquisition capital project costs related to construction of the refinery and $50,000 investments in other long term assets.
Cash
Flows from Financing Activities
For
the six months ended June 30, 2025, net cash provided by financing activities was $8,401,694 related primarily to gross proceeds from
consummation of a public offering of $10,270,400, Warrant Inducement gross proceeds of $2,971,040, advance from PIPE investors of $125,000,
common stock issuance proceeds of $122,551 partially offset by repayment of short-term loans of $3,808,552, payment of transaction costs
associated with public offering and warrant inducement of $1,252,152, and deferred transaction costs payment of $25,000.
For
the six months ended June 30, 2024, net cash provided by financing activities was $1,974,455 related primarily to cash received from
proceeds for issuance of convertible notes $2,100,000, deposit for PIPE investment $75,002 and SAFE Notes $200,000 offset partially by
deferred Business Combination transaction costs of $346,401 and repayment of short-term loan and repurchase of unvested shares of $48,143.
Operating
and Capital Expenditure Requirements
The
Company has not earned any revenue and has been operating at a loss since inception. The Company has an accumulated deficit and stockholders’
deficit. These conditions raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue to finance operations over the next twelve months and
is dependent upon management’s plan to raise additional capital from issuance of equity or receive additional borrowings to fund
the Company’s operating and investing activities over the next one year. Our intended capital requirements depend on many factors
including the capital expenditures required to set up our Facility, and undertake all activities necessary to start commercial production,
prices of capital equipment, and preliminary costs. In the future, it will depend on our expansion of acquiring new assets/sites to have
access and potential ownership of raw material. We may in the future enter into arrangements to acquire or invest in complementary businesses,
services and technologies, including intellectual property rights. We may be required to seek additional equity or debt financing. If
additional financing is required from outside sources, over and above what we are intending to raise currently, we may not be able to
raise it on acceptable terms or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when desired, our business, results of operations
and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected and may not be able to continue our intended operations as a going
concern.
Commitments
and Contractual Obligations
We
have entered into an engineering agreement with Primero USA, Inc. for $4,724,690 to provide a FEL-3 report. See Note 3 to our unaudited
condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report for additional details regarding other contractual
obligations and commitments. While the Company has not entered into any other binding commitments, other strategic partnerships are being
evaluated which could lead to future contractual obligations.
43
Summary
of Critical Accounting Estimates
We
believe that the following accounting policies and estimates involve a high degree of judgment and complexity. Accordingly, these are
the policies we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our unaudited condensed consolidated financial
condition and results of our operations. See Note 2 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere
in this Quarterly Report for a description of our other significant accounting policies. The preparation of our unaudited condensed consolidated
financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in those
financial statements and accompanying notes. Although we believe that the estimates we use are reasonable, due to the inherent uncertainty
involved in making those estimates, actual results reported in future periods could differ from those estimates.
Income
Taxes
Income
taxes are recorded in accordance with ASC 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”), which provides for deferred taxes
using an asset and liability approach. We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events
that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference
between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences
are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are provided, if based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not
that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. We account for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the provisions
of ASC 740. When uncertain tax positions exist, we recognize the tax benefit of tax positions to the extent that the benefit would more
likely than not be realized assuming examination by the taxing authority. The determination as to whether the tax benefit will more likely
than not be realized is based upon the technical merits of the tax position as well as consideration of the available facts and circumstances.
We recognize any interest and penalties accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense.
Earnout
Share Liability, SAFE Notes, and Convertible Notes
We
account for the earnout share liability, SAFE notes, and convertible notes in accordance with the guidance in ASC 480, “Distinguishing
Liabilities from Equity” and ASC 815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging,” whereby it is accounted for as a liability which
requires initial and subsequent measurements at fair value. This liability is subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until
a triggering event, equity financing, change in control or dissolution occurs, and any change in fair value is recognized in the Company’s
unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. The fair value estimate includes significant inputs not observable in market,
which represents a Level 3 measurement within the fair value hierarchy. The valuation uses probabilities considering pay-offs under various
scenarios as follows: (i) an equity financing where the SAFE notes and convertible note will convert into certain preferred stock; (ii)
a change in control where the SAFE note and convertible note holders will have an option to receive a portion of the cash and other assets
equal to the purchase amount; (iii) a dissolution event where the SAFE notes and convertible note holders will be entitled to the purchase
amount subject to liquidation priority and (iv) achievement of Combined Company Common Stock price targets, where the earnout share liability
will convert into certain number of shares of Common Stock. The value of the instrument is likely to vary significantly based on the
probability of each of the conversion scenarios that occurs, and management will reassess such probability at each reporting period.
These probabilities will ultimately be factored into the valuation of the instrument and will require third party valuation experts to
assist in the determination of this value. The changes in value of the instrument could impact the unaudited condensed consolidated financial
statements materially and therefore constitute a critical estimate.
44
Fair
Value of Common Stock
Due
to the absence of an active market for our Common Stock prior to consummation of the business combination, and in accordance with the
American Institute of Certified Public Accounting and Valuation Guide, Valuation of Privately-Held Company Equity Securities Issued as
Compensation, the fair value of our Common Stock was previously estimated based on valuation carried out by third party appraisers and
approved by our Board based on current available information and after exercising reasonable judgment. This estimate requires significant
judgment and considers several factors, including:
●
independent
third-party valuations of our Common Stock;
●
estimated
probabilities of future liquidation scenarios;
●
projected
future cash flows provided by management;
●
guideline
public company information;
●
discount
rates;
●
our
actual operating and financial performance;
●
current
business conditions and projections;
●
our
stage of development;
●
U.S.
and global capital markets conditions; and
●
expected
volatility based on comparable public company stock performance over the time period being measured.
Probability
weightings assigned to potential liquidity scenarios were based on management’s expected near-term and long-term funding requirements
and assessment of the most attractive liquidation possibilities at the time of the valuation. In the most heavily weighted scenarios,
the enterprise valuation was calculated using a valuation approach based on a combination of the guideline public company approach, an
income approach analysis with an option pricing model and a cost approach, to determine the amount of aggregate equity value allocated
to our Common Stock.
In
all scenarios, a discount for lack of marketability (“DLOM”) was applied to arrive at a fair value of common shares. A DLOM
accounts for the lack of marketability of shares that are not publicly traded.
Application
of these approaches and methodologies involves the use of estimates, judgment and assumptions that are complex and subjective, such as
those regarding our expected future revenue, expenses, operations and cash flows, discount rates, industry and economic outlook, and
the probability of and timing associated with potential future events. Changes in any or all estimates and assumptions or the relationships
between those assumptions impact our valuations as of each relevant valuation date and may have a material impact on the valuation of
our Common Stock. Estimates of the fair value of the Common Stock are used in the measurement of stock based compensation. Following
the Business Combination, it is no longer necessary to determine the fair value of our business as the Stardust Power Common Stock is
now publicly traded.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
See
Note 2 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report for additional details
regarding recent accounting pronouncements.
Segment
Reporting
The
Company reports segment information in the same way management internally organizes the business in assessing performance and making
decisions regarding allocation of resources in accordance with ASC Topic 280, “ Segment Reporting .” The Company has
a single reportable operating segment which operates as a single business platform. In reaching this conclusion, management considered
the definition of the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”), how the business is defined by the CODM, the nature of the
information provided to the CODM, how the CODM uses such information to make operating decisions, and how resources and performance are
accessed. The Company has a single, common management team and our cash flows are reported and reviewed with no distinct cash flows.
45
Related
Party Transactions
On
September 18, 2024, the Company entered into a consulting agreement in the amount of $500,000 with DRE Chicago LLC, whose principal is
Paramita Das. Ms. Das was onboarded as the Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Advisor to CEO of the Company. Additionally, as discussed
above, in December 2024, the Company entered into a binding term sheet with DRE Chicago LLC and other lenders, providing for loan in
the principal amount of $250,000 to DRE Chicago, bearing interest at a rate of 15% per year, and maturing in March 2025 (the “Maturity
Date”). In addition, the Company has agreed to issue to DRE Chicago an aggregate of $375,000 in Common Stock as an Equity Kicker.
In addition, DRE Chicago will receive warrants representing the right, exercisable within five years of the closing date, of up to 50%
of Common Stock issued as Equity Kicker, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50
in accordance with the Private Placement terms. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company has fully repaid the principal
amount, the accrued interest and issued the equity shares and warrants to DRE Chicago.
As
discussed above, in December 2024, the Company entered into a binding term sheet with Endurance Antarctica Partners II, LLC (“Endurance”),
an affiliate of a director at the time and a shareholder, providing for a loan (the “Loan”) in the aggregate principal amount
of $1,750,000, bearing interest at a rate of 15% per year, and maturing on March 2025 (the “Maturity Date”). In addition,
the Company has agreed to issue to Endurance $3,500,000 in Common Stock as an Equity Kicker. In addition, Endurance will receive warrants
representing the right, exercisable within five years of the closing date, of up to 50% of Common Stock issued as Equity Kicker, with
each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 in accordance with the Private Placement
terms. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company has fully repaid the principal amount, the accrued interest and issued
the equity shares and warrants to Endurance.
In
March 2023, the Company entered into unsecured notes payable with three related parties. These notes payable provided the Company the
ability to draw up to $1,000,000, in aggregate: $160,000 until December 31, 2023, and $840,000 until December 31, 2025. These loan facilities
accrue interest, compounding semi-annually, at the long-term semiannual Applicable Federal Rate, as established by the Internal Revenue
Service, which effectively was 4.71% as of June 30, 2025. In June 2025, the Company drew $250,000 from Energy Transition Investors LLC,
and subsequently repaid the drawn amount. The Company has accrued interest of $422 during the three months ended June 30, 2025 on the
drawn amount. As at June 30, 2025, the Company had $840,000 available to draw.
Private
Warrants
The
Sponsor purchased from GPAC II an aggregate of 5,566,667 warrants at a price of $1.50 per warrant in a private placement that occurred
simultaneously with the completion of the Company’s initial public offering (the “Private Warrants”). At closing of
the Business Combination, Stardust Power acquired the net liabilities for GPAC II including the Private Warrants. Each Private Warrant
entitles the holder to purchase one share of Common Stock at $11.50 per share. At June 30, 2025 there were 5,566,667 Private Warrants
outstanding. As at June 30, 2025, the fair value of Private Warrants amounted to $149,187. The Company valued its Private Warrants based
on the closing price of the Public Warrants since they are similar instruments.
Sponsor
Earnout Shares
As
part of the closing of the Business Combination, the Company issued 1,000,000 shares to the Sponsor. These shares are subject to vesting
(or forfeiture) based on achieving certain trading price thresholds following the closing (“Sponsor Earnout Shares”). Fifty
percent of the Sponsor Earnout Shares will vest when the VWAP of the Combined Company Common Stock price equals or exceeds $12.00 per
share for a period of 20 trading days in a 30 trading day period, and the remaining fifty percent of the Sponsor Earnout Shares will
vest when the VWAP of the Combined Company Common Stock price equals or exceeds $14.00 per share for a period of 20 trading days in a
30 trading day period. Upon the occurrence of a change in control, any remaining unvested Sponsor Earnout Shares become vested. Unvested
Sponsor Earnout Shares will be forfeited if vesting does not occur prior to the eighth anniversary of the Closing Date. The Company assesses
the fair value of expected earnout consideration at each reporting period using the Monte Carlo Method, which is consistent with the
initial measurement of the expected earnout consideration. As at June 30, 2025, the fair value of Sponsor Earnout Shares amounted to
$4,700.
46
Recent
Events
See
Note 16 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report for additional details
regarding subsequent events.
Stardust
Power’s Risk Management Framework
Commodity
Price Risk
Global
commodity prices, especially for lithium hydroxide and, or lithium carbonate and other “battery metals” changes may impact
the margins and produce less revenue or losses for the Company. Global lithium commodities market are still somewhat nascent and as the
global supply chain changes this could impact the prices of commodities. The costs of lithium inputs could be affected as well further
impacting margins and profitability. In order to address this risk, the Company is negotiating fixed price off take agreement with suppliers
of raw material required. Also, we seek to enter into long-term partnerships to limit potential volatility in pricing. Additionally,
in the future, we intend to enter into strategic partnerships that would create long-term alignment with buyers.
While
there has been significant recent softness and reduced demand in respect of EVs and a significant decrease in the price of lithium, we
believe that the long-term prospects for both remain positive.
Global
Demand and Product Pricing Risk
New
supplies of lithium and the emergence of new refiners both here in the United States and globally, could impact the global supply chain
and product prices. Existing companies may be seeking to increase their capacity to provide lithium products and new companies seek to
bring capacity online further increasing supply. Other companies may seek to enter the market. Also, the demand for lithium may be impacted
by emerging technologies and other battery chemistries that may decrease the reliance on lithium and could result in reducing product
prices. In order to address fluctuations in product price, and in lines with industry norms, the Company is intending to enter into 10-year
long-term sales contracts with EV manufacturers, whereby we expect to have a cap and floor pricing strategy, and both, customer and the
Company, sharing the difference between actual price and cap or floor pricing. We may further limit chemistry risk by refining to lithium
carbonate prior to potentially refining to lithium hydroxide so we can meet market demands for either product. We stay informed on current
trends in battery chemistry to project market demand.
Insurance
Risk
The
nature of these risks is such that liabilities could exceed any applicable insurance policy limits or could be excluded from coverage.
There are also risks against which we cannot insure or against which we may elect not to insure. The potential costs, which could be
associated with any liabilities not covered by insurance or in excess of insurance coverage, or compliance with applicable laws and regulations
may cause substantial delays and require significant capital outlays, adversely affecting our future earnings and competitive position
and potentially our financial viability. We may limit insurance risk by being proactive in our policies for environmental impact and
climate change impact. Through strict adherence to company protocols we may limit certain types of risk. Also, we intend to work only
with best-in-class providers, who are adept at assessing various risks in our line of business adequately.
Strategic
Risk
Strategic
risk represents the risk associated with executive management failing to develop and execute on the appropriate strategic vision which
demonstrates a commitment to our culture, leverages our core competencies, appropriately responds to external factors in the marketplace,
and is in the best interests of our clients, employees, and members. By working with best-in-class partners and consultants who are industry
experts, as well as by leveraging the knowledge of our senior executive team, we expect to be able to limit or address strategic risk
and execution risk.
47
ITEM
3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Market
Risk Framework
Market
risk represents the risk of losses, or financial volatility, that may result from the change in value of our products due to fluctuations
in its market price. The scope of our market risk management policies and procedures includes all market-sensitive data related to input
and selling prices. We expect to be able to limit this risk by using third parties to finance acquisition of feedstock and logistics,
as required. We may enter into long-term arrangements for supply to limit impacts of market risk.
The
Company’s different types of market risk include:
Interest
rate risk
Interest
rate risk represents the potential volatility from changes in market interest rates. We are exposed to interest rate risk arising from
changes in the level and volatility of interest rates, changes in the slope of the yield curve, changes in credit spreads, and the rate
of prepayments on our interest-earning assets (e.g., inventories) and our funding sources (e.g., short-term financing) which finance
these assets. Project finance and loan facilities are a key component of our financing strategy. Volatility in the interest rate market
could impede our plans for growth.
Liquidity
risk
Liquidity
risk is the risk that we are unable to timely access necessary funding sources in order to operate our business, as well as the risk
that we are unable to timely divest securities that we hold in connection with our sales and trading activities. The Company has been
successful in equity financing in the past but there is no assurance that it will continue to be able to finance the Company with equity
financing. The Company does not have substantial credit lines for financing the Company.
Credit
risk
Credit
risk refers to the potential for loss due to the default or deterioration in credit quality of a counterparty, customer, borrower, or
issuer. The nature and amount of credit risk depends on the type of transaction, the structure and duration of that transaction and the
parties involved. Credit risk also results from an obligor’s failure to meet the terms of any contract with us or otherwise fail
to perform as agreed. This may be reflected through issues such as settlement obligations or payment collections.
Operational
risk
The
success of our plan requires us to be able to operationally deliver on the project plan and timelines as projected by management. In
order to mitigate and control operational risk, we will develop policies and procedures that are designed to identify and manage operational
risk at appropriate levels throughout the organization. We will also have business continuity plans in place that we believe will cover
critical processes on a company-wide basis, and redundancies are built into our systems as we deem appropriate. These control mechanisms
will be designed to ensure that operational policies and procedures are being followed and that our various businesses are operating
within established corporate policies and limits. We are leveraging and intend to continue implementing established best practices for
our industry to reduce operational risk.
Human
Capital Risk
The
success of our business is dependent upon the skills, expertise, industry knowledge and performance of our employees. Human capital risks
represent the risks posed if we fail to attract and retain qualified individuals, particularly those having specialized technical knowledge
in the exploration, extraction, and purification of brine from varying sources to produce battery-grade lithium, and employees who are
motivated to serve the best interests of our clients, thereby serving the best interests of our Company. Attracting and retaining employees
depends, among other things, on our Company’s culture, management, work environment, geographic locations and compensation. There
are risks associated with the proper recruitment, development and rewards of our employees to ensure quality performance and retention.
We offer competitive compensation and benefits to retain human capital, intend to offer educational opportunities to allow advancement,
and promote balance in work life conditions by offering hybrid work-from-home options.
48
Legal
and regulatory risk
Legal
and regulatory risk includes the risk of non-compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements and loss to our reputation
we may suffer as a result of failure to comply with laws, regulations, rules, related self-regulatory organization standards and codes
of conduct applicable to our business activities. We are generally subject to extensive regulation in the various jurisdictions in which
we conduct our business. We are in the process of setting up procedures that are designed to ensure compliance with applicable statutory
and regulatory requirements, such as public company reporting obligations, regulatory net capital requirements, sales practices, potential
conflicts of interest, anti-money laundering, privacy and recordkeeping. We will also establish procedures that are designed to require
that our policies relating to ethics and business conduct are followed.
Market
Risk Exposure
Interest
Rate Risk
As
of June 30, 2025, the Company did not have any significant risk for changes in interest rates.
Credit
Risk
We
are subject to credit risk with respect to our cash balances for those amounts in excess of the FDIC insured amount of $250,000. The
Company has only one financial banking institution.
Inflation
Risk
We
do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations, other than its
impact on the general economy. However, we are currently operating in a more volatile inflationary environment due to macroeconomic conditions
and have limited data and experience doing so in our history, particularly as we continue to invest in growth in our business. The principal
inflationary factor affecting our business is higher costs. Our inability or failure to address challenges relating to inflation could
harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
49
ITEM
4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We
are required to comply with the internal control requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the period ending December 31, 2021 and thereafter.
Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer and no longer qualify as an emerging growth
company would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on internal control
over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take
advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging
growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting
firm attestation requirement.
Disclosure
controls are procedures with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports under the Exchange Act,
such as this report, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time period specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.
Disclosure controls are designed with the objective of ensuring that information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including
our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
As required by Rules
13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness
of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of June 30, 2025. Based upon their evaluation, our Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)
under the Exchange Act) were effective. Accordingly, management believes that the financial statements included in this Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q present fairly in all material respects our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the period
presented.
Background
and Remediation of Material Weaknesses
During
the period from March 16, 2023 (inception) to December 31, 2023, the Company’s management identified material weaknesses in the
implementation of the COSO 13 Framework (which establishes an effective control environment), lack of segregation of duties and management
oversight, and control surrounding maintenance of adequate repository of contracts, appropriate classifications of expenses and complex
financial instruments. We designed and implemented measures to improve our controls over financial reporting process and remediated these
material weaknesses. Our ability to comply with the annual internal control report requirements will depend on the effectiveness of our
financial reporting controls across our Company. We expect these systems and controls to involve significant expenditures and may become
more complex as our business grows. To effectively manage this complexity, we will need to continue to improve our operational, financial
and management controls, and our reporting systems and procedures. For more information, please refer to “ Risk Factors - We
identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to remediate these material weaknesses,
or if we experience additional material weaknesses or other deficiencies in the future, or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system
of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial results, which could result
in loss of investor confidence and adversely impact our stock price ” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with SEC on March
27, 2025.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Other
than the material weakness remediation efforts undertaken during 2024, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting
(as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially
affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
We
do not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and all instances of fraud. Disclosure controls and
procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the
disclosure controls and procedures are met. Further, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there
are resource constraints, and the benefits must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all disclosure
controls and procedures, no evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures can provide absolute assurance that we have detected all
our control deficiencies and instances of fraud, if any. The design of disclosure controls and procedures also is based partly on certain
assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated
goals under all potential future conditions.
50
PART
II — OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM
1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We are subject to certain routine legal and regulatory proceedings,
as well as demands and claims that arise in the normal course of our business. The ultimate outcome of any litigation is often uncertain
and unfavorable outcomes could have a negative impact on our results of operations and financial condition. We make a provision for
a liability relating to legal matters when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably
estimated. These provisions are reviewed at least quarterly and adjusted to reflect the impact of negotiations, estimated settlements,
legal rulings, advice of legal counsel and other information and events pertaining to a particular matter.
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
Please
refer to Part I, Item 1A—Risk Factors of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2024, and Part I, Item 3—Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Any
of these factors could result in a significant or material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, or
financial condition.
There
have been no material changes to the Company’s risk factors since its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2024. Additional risk factors not presently known to the Company or that the Company currently deems immaterial may also impair its
business, results of operations, or financial condition.
ITEM
2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
None.
ITEM
3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
None.
ITEM
4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
None.
ITEM
5. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
51
ITEM
6. EXHIBITS
Exhibit
Number
Description
2.1†
Business
Combination Agreement, dated as of November 21, 2023, by and among Global Partner Acquisition Corp., Strike Merger Sub I, Inc., Strike
Merger Sub II, LLC., and Stardust Power Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form
8-K filed with the SEC on November 21, 2023).
2.2
Amendment
No. 1 to the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of April 24, 2024, by and among Global Partner Acquisition Corp II, Strike
Merger Sub I, Inc., Strike Merger Sub II, LLC, and Stardust Power Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 of the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on April 24, 2024).
2.3
Amendment
No. 2 to the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of June 20, 2024, by and among Global Partner Acquisition Corp II, Strike Merger
Sub I, Inc., Strike Merger Sub II, LLC, and Stardust Power Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 of the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on June 21, 2024).
3.1
Certificate
of Incorporation of Global Partner Acquisition Corp II (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Company’s Current Report
on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on July 12, 2024).
3.2
Bylaws
of Global Partner Acquisition Corp II (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K,
filed with the SEC on July 12, 2024).
10.1
Amendment
to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2024, by and between Stardust
Power Inc. and B. Riley Principal Capital II, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1
of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 16, 2025).
31.1*
Certification
of the Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2*
Certification
of the Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and Rule 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1**
Certification
of the Principal Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act
of 2002.
32.2**
Certification
of the Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act
of 2002.
101.INS
Inline
XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CAL
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
101.LAB
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE
Inline
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.
104
Cover
Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).
*
Filed
herewith
**
Furnished
herewith
†
Schedules
and exhibits to this Exhibit omitted pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(2). The Company agrees to furnish supplementally a copy
of any omitted schedule or exhibit to the SEC upon request.
52
SIGNATURE
In
accordance with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
STARDUST
POWER INC.
Dated:
August 13, 2025
/s/
Udaychandra Devasper
Name:
Udaychandra
Devasper
Title:
Chief
Financial Officer
(Principal
Financial and Accounting Officer)
53
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.