UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
☒
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2022
OR
☐
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: 001-41276
SKYX
Platforms Corp.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Florida
46-3645414
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
(IRS
Employer
Identification
No.)
2855
W. McNab Road
Pompano
Beach , Florida 33069
(Address, including zip code, of principal executive offices)
(855)
759-7584
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
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, no par value per share
SKYX
The
Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2)
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting
company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,”
“smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer
☐
Accelerated
filer
☐
Non-accelerated
filer
☒
Smaller
reporting company
☒
Emerging
growth company
☐
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered
public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If
securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant
included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation
received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The
aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $ 107,896,912
based on the closing price as reported on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC as of June 30, 2022, the last business day of the registrant’s
most recently completed second fiscal quarter.
As
of March 20, 2023, the registrant had 83,119,862
shares of common stock, no par value per share,
issued and outstanding.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
CAUTIONARY
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
1
RISK
FACTORS SUMMARY
2
PART
I
Item
1.
Business
3
Item
1A.
Risk
Factors
16
Item
1B.
Unresolved
Staff Comments
44
Item
2.
Properties
44
Item
3.
Legal
Proceedings
44
Item
4.
Mine
Safety Disclosures
44
PART
II
Item
5.
Market
for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
44
Item
6.
[Reserved]
45
Item
7.
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
45
Item
7A.
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
51
Item
8.
Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data
51
Item
9.
Changes
in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
51
Item
9A.
Controls
and Procedures
51
Item
9B.
Other
Information
52
Item
9C.
Disclosure
Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
52
PART
III
Item
10.
Directors,
Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
54
Item
11.
Executive Compensation
60
Item
12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
76
Item
13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
79
Item
14.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
83
PART IV
Item
15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
84
Item
16.
Form 10-K Summary
87
SIGNATURES
88
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
F-1
i
CAUTIONARY
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Form 10-K”) of SKYX Platforms Corp. (the “Company,” “Sky Technologies,”
“we,” “us,” or “our”) contains forward-looking statements that are based on management’s beliefs
and assumptions and on information currently available to management. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained
in this Form 10-K, including statements regarding our strategy, future financial condition, future operations, projected costs, prospects,
plans, objectives of management, outlook, and expected market growth, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify
forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,”
“should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “aim,” “objective,” “anticipate,”
“believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,”
“ongoing,” “target,” “seek” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although
not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which
have outcomes that are difficult to predict and may be outside our control, that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance
or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements in this Form 10-K include, but are not limited to, statements about:
● our
ability to successfully launch, develop additional features and achieve market acceptance
of our smart products and technologies, access and integrate our products and technologies
with third-party platforms or technologies, respond to rapidly changing technology and customer
demands, and compete in our industry;
● our
ability to consummate the acquisition of Belami, Inc. (“Belami”) and integrate and manage the operations of the acquired
business;
● our
ability to expand, operate and successfully manage our operations, including managing our
business transformation in connection with evolving our business strategy to focus on smart
products and technologies and integrating new lines of business;
● our
ability to raise additional financing to support our operations as needed;
● our
ability to comply with the terms of, and timely repay, our current debt financing;
● the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations, including the potential impact
on manufacturing operations in China;
● our
reliance on a limited number of third-party manufacturers and suppliers and our ability to
successfully reduce our production costs;
● our
potential dependence upon a limited number of customers and/or on contracts awarded through
competitive bidding processes;
● any
downturn in the cyclical industries in which our customers operate;
● our
ability to acquire other businesses, license rights, form alliances or dispose of operations
when desired;
● our
ability to comply with regulations relating to applicable quality standards;
● our
ability to maintain our License Agreement (as defined below) with General Electric (“GE”);
● our
ability to maintain, protect and enhance our intellectual property and retain rights to use
intellectual property owned by third parties;
● the
potential outcome of any legal proceedings;
● compliance
with various tax laws and regulations, including income and sale tax;
● our
ability to successfully sell and distribute our products and technologies;
● our
ability to attract and retain key executives and qualified personnel;
● guidance
provided by management, which may differ from our actual operating results;
● our
ability to successfully manage our planned development and expansion, including the additional
costs of being a public company;
● our
ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls
and procedures;
● the
potential impact of unstable market and economic conditions on our business, financial condition
and stock price, including the effects of governmental regulations, geopolitical conflicts, including potentially deteriorating relationships with China,
inflation, labor shortages, supply chain constraints and shortages, including availability
of affordable electronic microchips;
● the
potential impact of cybersecurity breaches or disruptions to our information systems, including
our cloud-based infrastructure;
● the
potential impact of natural disasters and other catastrophic events;
● risks
related to ownership of our common stock;
● the
potential impact of anti-takeover and director and officer liability provisions in our charter
documents and under Florida law; and
● other
risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the section titled “Risk Factors.”
These
forward-looking statements represent our intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions, and beliefs about future events and are subject
to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including unpredictable or unanticipated factors that we have not discussed in this Form
10-K. Investors should refer to the “Risk Factors” section of this Form 10-K for a discussion of other important factors,
many of which are outside of our control, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K will prove to be
accurate. Furthermore, if the forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant
uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any
other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in
this Form 10-K represent our views as of the date of this Form 10-K. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause
our views to change; however, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws. You should, therefore, not rely on these
forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this Form 10-K.
1
RISK
FACTORS SUMMARY
The
following is a summary of the principal risks that could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial
condition, all of which are more fully described in the section titled “Risk Factors.” This summary should be read in conjunction
with the “Risk Factors” section and should not be relied upon as an exhaustive summary of the material risks facing our business,
as it does not address all of the risks that we face.
● We
have a history of operating losses, will likely incur losses in the future and may be unable
to generate sufficient revenue to support our operations.
● If
we are unable to successfully launch our smart products and technologies on our anticipated
timeline, integrate them with third-party products and technologies, further develop them
to include new features and to respond to customer demands, or otherwise are unable to realize
our product strategy or compete in our industry, our business, results of operations and
financial condition would be adversely affected.
● If
we are unable to successfully complete the acquisition of Belami, or any other acquisition,
and integrate and manage the operations of the acquired business, our business, results of
operations and financial condition would be adversely affected.
● Our
success depends on our ability to develop, expand and manage our operations and effectively
and timely develop and implement our strategic business initiatives, which may include engaging
in strategic transactions, including acquisitions, which involves substantial risks.
● We
may need to raise additional financing to support our operations, and any inability to do
so may adversely affect or terminate our operations. We also face risks related to our current
debt financing.
● Our
business has been, and could continue to be, negatively impacted by the lingering effects
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
● We
depend on a limited number of third-party manufacturers and suppliers.
● The
loss of any significant customers, or the loss of our License Agreement with GE, could materially
adversely affect us.
● We
face substantial risks relating to our intellectual property, including any inability to
protect our intellectual property and maintain rights to use intellectual property owned
by third parties, potential litigation and the expiration or loss of patent protection and
licenses.
● We
could face significant liabilities or may be subject to legal claims that could adversely
affect our business and financial condition.
● We
have limited product distribution experience and expect to rely on third parties, who may
not successfully sell our products.
● We
have incurred, and will continue to incur, increased costs as a result of operating as a
public company.
● Our
future success depends on our ability to retain key executives and qualified personnel.
● Any
failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting or disclosure controls
and procedures could negatively impact us.
● Unstable
market and economic conditions, as well as natural disasters, geopolitical events and other
highly disruptive events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, could materially adversely affect
us.
● Unauthorized
breaches or failures in cybersecurity measures adopted by us or third parties on which we
rely and/or are included in our products and technologies, or any disruption to our cloud-based
infrastructure, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
● Our
executive officers, directors, principal stockholders and their affiliates will exercise
significant influence over us.
● We
are a smaller reporting company, and the reduced reporting requirements applicable to smaller
reporting companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.
● Anti-takeover
provisions in our charter documents and under Florida law could discourage, delay or prevent
a change in control of us and may affect the trading price of our common stock.
2
PART
I
ITEM
1. BUSINESS
Our
Mission
As electricity is a standard in every home and building,
our mission is to make homes and buildings become safe advanced and smart as the standard.
Overview
Sky
Technologies has a series of highly disruptive advanced-safe-smart platform technologies, with over 60 U.S. and global patents and patent
pending applications. Our technologies place an emphasis on high quality and ease of use, while significantly enhancing both safety and
lifestyle in homes and buildings. We believe that our products are a necessity in every room in both homes and other buildings in the
U.S. and globally.
Our
first-generation technologies enable light fixtures, ceiling fans and other electrically wired products to be installed safely and plugged
in to a ceiling’s electrical outlet box within seconds, and without the need to touch hazardous wires. The plug and play technology
method is a universal power-plug device that has a matching receptacle that is simply connected to the electrical outlet box on the ceiling,
enabling a safe and quick plug and play installation of light fixtures and ceiling fans in just seconds. The plug and play power-plug
technology eliminates the need of touching hazardous electrical wires while installing light fixtures, ceiling fans and other hard wired
electrical products. In recent years, we have developed prototypes that expand the capabilities of our power-plug product, to include
advanced safe and quick universal installation methods, as well as advanced smart capabilities, which are currently in the third and
final prototype stage prior to launching. The smart features contained in the final prototype include control of light fixtures and ceiling
fans by the SkyHome App, through WIFI, Bluetooth Low Energy (“BLE”) and voice control connections. The SkyHome App will allow
scheduling, energy savings eco mode, dimming, back-up emergency light, night light, light color changing and much more.
We
believe that due to safety, convenience, cost, and time that all hard-wired electrical products, such as light fixtures, ceiling fans
and other products, should become plug and play and smart, as the standard, enabling consumers to plug their fixtures and control them
through their smart phones at any time.
Our
second-generation technology, which is in the second stage prototype, is an all-in-one safe and smart advanced platform (the “Smart
Sky Platform”) that is designed to enhance all-around safety and lifestyle of homes and other buildings.
We
believe that our patented advanced, safe and smart home platform technologies will enhance and promote safety in homes and
buildings and make them smart, as a standard, in a fraction of the time and cost, as compared to other market
products.
We
believe that our smart home products will enable builders to deliver smart homes as a standard, in the same way they deliver electricity
and appliances as a standard.
As
our products, including our prototype advanced, safe and smart products, can be easily implemented and installed in both existing and
new homes and buildings in just minutes, installing our products is expected to save a major part of the cost and time associated with
installation of smart home products. As many people spend the majority of time at their homes, we believe that they should have an affordable,
easily installed, standard solution to make their homes safe, secured and smart. Similar to how smartphones serve people as an all-in-one
personal smart platform, we believe that our all-in-one Smart Sky Platform will enable every room in homes and other buildings to include
a smart platform as a standard.
The
Smart Sky Platform technology is an open system that can integrate with both existing and new smart home features, devices, and systems.
The Smart Sky Platform prototype is designed and built in a way that it can accommodate additional smart home features, enabling the
platform to serve as a gateway for safe and smart technologies into rooms/homes, buildings, and that it can act like a “Panama-Canal”
that can accommodate other type of software systems, wireless systems, electronic chips and more.
3
Since
2015, we have generated over $29 million in sales from our standard products, which include ceiling fans and light fixtures with our
standard “plug and play” feature built in and are described further below under “Products—Our First Product:
The Weight Bearing Power-Plug”. We have decided to wind down the sales of our standard products by discontinuing production of
light fixtures and ceiling fans that include the older version of our standard Sky Plug & Receptacle in favor of launching our
new line of products, which are in the third and final prototype stage prior to launching and include a universal “plug and
play” adapter kit, our smart products, which will include smart light fixtures and ceiling fans with our smart “plug and
play” features, and our Smart Sky Platform. Additional information regarding our new line of products is described below under
“Products—Advanced Products” and “—Smart Products.” We elected to do so since we believe that
the market has great demand for smart advanced products, and that we will be able to generate significant sales from our new line of
advanced and smart products from direct sales as well as from licensing. Our first generation of advanced and smart products are in
the third and final prototype stage prior to launching. We expect that all advanced and smart products will be commercially
available during 2023. As part of the launch of certain
products, we have allowed customers to pre-order prior to general availability.
Recent
Developments
On
February 6, 2023 (the “Signing Date”), we entered into the Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Stock Purchase Agreement”)
with the stockholders (the “Sellers”) of Belami, a California corporation, pursuant to which we agreed to acquire all of
the issued and outstanding shares of Belami from the Sellers (the transactions contemplated by the Stock Purchase Agreement, the “Acquisition”).
Belami is a strategic e-commerce lighting and home décor conglomerate that the Company expects will serve as a marketing and growth
platform and will provide several distribution channels, including to retail customers, builders and professionals.
At
the closing of the Acquisition (the “Acquisition Closing”), Belami’s stock will transfer to the Company, and the Company
will pay to the Sellers as consideration (i) $7.0 million in cash, net of indebtedness (other than permitted indebtedness), transaction
expenses (as provided in the Stock Purchase Agreement), and bonuses to certain employees and consultants, and the release to Sellers
of a $1.0 million payment held in escrow, which the Company paid into escrow on the Signing Date, and (ii) 2,018,692 shares of the Company’s
common stock, no par value (the “common stock”), which is equal to $6.48 million divided by $3.21, which is the average closing
price per share of the common stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) for the 20 trading days immediately preceding
the Signing Date. The Company will also pay to the Sellers, on the first anniversary of the Acquisition Closing date (the “Deferred
Payment Date”), (i) $3.22 million in cash and (ii) a number of shares of common stock equal to approximately $6.4 million divided
by the average closing price per share of the common stock on Nasdaq for the 20 trading days immediately preceding the Deferred Payment
Date, subject to a minimum price per share of $3.00 and a maximum price per share of $4.00. The deferred payment will be increased or
decreased by the amount of a working capital adjustment, as provided for in the Stock Purchase Agreement, and will be subject to offset
for indemnification claims. Any payment of the working capital adjustment by the Company will be paid one-third in cash and two-thirds
in common stock, equal to such adjustment amount divided by the average closing price per share of common stock on Nasdaq for the 20
trading days immediately preceding the date of the post-closing adjustment, up to 100,000 shares of common stock (with any additional
amount to be paid in cash).
In
addition, prior to the Acquisition Closing, an amount of cash equal to Belami’s retained earnings is required to be distributed
to the Sellers. If the amount of cash distributed is insufficient, the Company will be required to deliver a promissory note to Sellers
at the Acquisition Closing equal to the difference between retained earnings and the cash distributed, with a term of one year and an
interest rate equal to the short-term applicable federal rate then in effect. The Company also agreed to assume Belami’s loan agreement
with PNC Bank, National Association, consisting of a $2.0 million revolving line of credit and a term loan of approximately $2.5 million.
4
In
connection with the Acquisition, the Company closed private placement offerings (the “Private Placements”) pursuant to
securities purchase agreements with certain existing Company investors, providing for the issuance and sale by the Company to such
investors of (i) subordinated secured convertible promissory notes in the aggregate principal amount of $10.35 million and (ii)
warrants to purchase an aggregate of up to 1,391,667 shares of the Company’s common stock for certain investors. The proceeds will be used for the cash
component of the Acquisition consideration and to pay certain transaction expenses in connection with the Acquisition and the
Private Placements.
In
March 2023, the Company also acquired 50% of the equity of a strategic e-commerce private label lighting website, for $225,000. The other
50% of the equity is owned by Belami. The Company expects that this acquisition will serve as another marketing and growth platform for
the Company and will provide additional distribution to both professional and retail channels for the Company’s products.
Safety
We
believe that safety is a necessity and the top priority in all aspects of life. Therefore, our technologies and products emphasize human
safety, home, building and property safety and security, while combining safety features with high demand smart home features. We believe
our products should contribute to the elimination of many cases of hazardous incidents, including ladder falls, electric shock/electrocutions,
fires, carbon monoxide poisonings, injuries and deaths, as management believes that our products will result in easier installment processes
and enhance the use of life saving products such as smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and emergency lights, among other products.
Our products, including the Smart Sky Platform’s second-generation prototype, incorporate our “plug and play” technology,
which eliminates the need to touch wires during the later plug-in install, replacement and maintenance, and cleaning and, accordingly,
could result in reduced incidents of electrical shocks and fires resulting from faulty wiring. The installation of our products and retrofitting
of electrical services does not require the services of a licensed electrician but does not preclude the services of a licensed electrician.
As more individuals engage in do-it-yourself (DIY) lighting projects, using our products rather than traditional lighting products could
reduce incidents of incorrect wiring, shocks, injury and even death. In addition, we believe installing our products will allow installers
to spend less time on a ladder during initial installation. Installers often wire light fixtures and fans while also holding such fixture
or fan; with our products, including the Smart Sky Platform, the initial receptacle installation will be completed on the ladder and,
afterwards, the fixture can simply be plugged into place, resulting in a faster and, we believe, much safer process, as installers can
focus on wiring without also holding potentially heavy or breakable fixtures. Further, the Smart Sky Platform will incorporate a hard-wired
smoke detector with battery back-up and a carbon monoxide monitor, which we believe could reduce injuries and deaths from fire and carbon
monoxide poisoning.
Products
Our
products are designed to improve all around home and building safety and lifestyle. While we have developed and created working prototypes
of our advanced and smart products, as described below, we are continuing to refine the product prototypes and expect that all advanced
and smart products will be commercially available during 2023.
Our
First Product: The Weight Bearing Power-Plug
Our
first patented technology was the Power-Plug, a weight bearing power plug that acts as a safe and quick installation device, designed
for “plug and play” installation of weight bearing electronics, such as light fixtures, ceiling fans and other electrical
products, into ceiling electrical outlet boxes.
Our
patented technology consists of a fixable socket and a revolving plug (the Power-Plug) for conducting electric power and supporting an
electrical appliance attached to a wall or ceiling. The socket is comprised of a non-conductive body that houses conductive rings connectable
to an electric power supply through terminals in its side exterior. The Power-Plug, which is comprised of a non-conductive body that
houses corresponding conductive rings, attaches to the socket via a male post and can feed electric power to an appliance. The Power-Plug
also includes a second structural element allowing it to revolve with a releasable latch that, when engaged, provides a retention force
between the socket and the Power-Plug to prevent disengagement. The socket and Power-Plug can be detached by releasing the latch, disengaging
the electric power from the Power-Plug. The socket is designed to replace the support bar incorporated in electric junction boxes, and
the Power-Plug can be installed in light fixtures, ceiling fans, wall sconce fixtures and other electrical devices and products. Once
installed, the socket can remain affixed to the junction box, enabling any electronic fixture installed with the Power-Plug to be connected
and/or removed in seconds. The combined socket and Power-Plug technology are referred to throughout this Form 10-K as the “Sky
Plug & Receptacle”.
5
We
have previously sold products with the Sky Plug & Receptacle built in, including ceiling fans and light fixtures. We have decided
to wind down the sales of our standard products by discontinuing production of light fixtures and ceiling fans that include the older
version of our standard Sky Plug & Receptacle in favor of launching our new line of products described below.
Advanced
Products
Sky
– Universal Power-Plug & Receptacle : Our universal “plug and play” Sky Plug & Receptacle technology is
comprised of two devices. The first device is a male Power-Plug Retrofit Kit, which can be easily embedded in the base of light fixtures
and ceiling fans. The second device is a Ceiling Receptacle, which can be connected to a ceiling outlet box. After a one-time installation
of the Ceiling Receptacle to a ceiling outlet box, a light fixture or ceiling fan that includes the Power-Plug Retrofit Kit can be plugged
into the Ceiling Receptacle within seconds. The Universal Power-Plug & Receptacle should contribute to the elimination of hazardous
incidents in homes and buildings including ladder falls, electric shock/electrocutions, fires, injuries, and deaths, etc.
Smart
Products
SkyHome
App : Our proprietary SkyHome Application works with both iPhones and Android phones. The SkyHome App controls products through WIFI
and BLE and is designed to control our products through additional communication methods as needed. The SkyHome App controls various
products, features and specifications, including scheduling, controlling, voice control, safety features, security features, lifestyle
features, sound, lights, dimming, emergency back-up battery and much more.
Sky
Smart – Universal Power-Plug & Receptacle : Our Sky Smart Plug & Receptacle system contains two devices. First, the
male Smart Power-Plug, which includes a smart electronic board, comes as a Retrofit Kit, that can be simply embedded to the base of light
fixtures and ceiling fans, enabling them to become both Plug and Play and Smart. The second device is a Ceiling Receptacle that can be
simply connected to a ceiling outlet box. After a one-time simple installation of the Ceiling Receptacle to a ceiling outlet box,
a light fixture or ceiling fan that includes the male Smart Plug Retrofit Kit can be plugged into the Ceiling Receptacle within seconds.
Our Smart Power-Plug is controlled by our proprietary SkyHome App or through voice control and is an open system that can integrate
with other smart home devices and systems. Our Smart Power-Plug is connected through WIFI and BLE, and includes numerous smart features,
including scheduling, energy saving-eco mode, dimming, back-up emergency light, night light, light color changing and more. We believe
that, due to safety, convenience, cost and time, all hard-wired electrical products, such as light fixtures and ceiling fans, should
become plug and play and smart, as the standard, enabling consumers to plug their fixture and control them through their smart phones
at any time. The Smart Universal Power-Plug & Receptacle should contribute to the elimination of hazardous incidents in homes and
buildings including ladder falls, electric shock/electrocutions, fires, injuries, and deaths, etc.
Sky
– Smart Plug and Play Ceiling Fans : Our line of high-end smart plug and play ceiling fans can be installed to our matching
ceiling receptacle within seconds. Our smart ceiling fans incorporate advanced technologies, have unique modern designs, and are controlled
by our proprietary SkyHome App or through voice control, and are an open system that can integrate with other smart home devices and
systems. Our Smart Plug and Play Ceiling Fan is connected through WIFI and BLE, and includes numerous smart features, including scheduling,
energy saving-eco mode, dimming, back-up emergency light, night light, light color changing and more. We believe that, due to safety,
convenience, cost and time, all hard-wired electrical products, such as ceiling fans, should become plug and play and smart, as the standard,
enabling consumers to plug their fixture and control them through their smart phones at any time. The Smart Plug and Play Ceiling Fan
should contribute to the elimination of hazardous incidents in homes and buildings including ladder falls, electric shock/electrocutions,
fires, injuries, and deaths, etc.
6
Sky
– Smart Plug and Play Lighting : Our line of high-end Smart Plug and Play light fixtures can be installed to our matching ceiling
receptacle within seconds. Our smart light fixtures incorporate advanced technologies, have unique modern designs, and are controlled
by our proprietary SkyHome App or through voice control, and are an open system that can integrate with other smart home devices and
systems. Our smart light fixture is connected through WIFI and BLE, and includes numerous smart features, including scheduling, energy
saving-eco mode, dimming, back-up emergency light, night light, light color changing and more. We believe that, due to safety, convenience,
cost and time, all hard-wired electrical products, such as light fixtures should become plug and play and smart, as the standard, enabling
consumers to plug their fixture and control them through their smart phones at any time. The Smart Plug and Play Lighting should contribute
to the elimination of hazardous incidents in homes and buildings including ladder falls, electric shock/electrocutions, fires, injuries,
and deaths, etc.
Sky
– All-In-One Smart Sky Platform : As most people spend a majority of their time in their homes, we believe that they should have an
easy solution to make their homes safe, secured, and smart in a simple way and as the standard. We believe that our patented advanced-safe-smart
home platform technologies will make homes and buildings safe, have numerous technological features and smart as a standard, in a fraction
of time and cost, compared to other market products. Our all-in-one Smart Sky Platform is designed to enhance the all-around safety and
lifestyle of homes and buildings and can be easily implemented and installed to the ceiling receptacle in both existing and new homes
and buildings within minutes. Our Smart Sky Platform includes distinctive advanced smart and safety technologies, has unique modern designs
and is controlled by our proprietary SkyHome App or through voice control. It is an open system that can integrate with other smart home
devices and systems.
As
smart phones serve people as an all-in-one personal smart platform, we believe that our all-in-one Smart Sky Platform technology enables
every room in homes and buildings to have a smart platform as a standard. Our Smart Sky Platform is connected through WIFI and BLE, includes
numerous smart and safety features, including a smart smoke detector, a smart carbon monoxide detector, time scheduling, temperature
sensor, humidity sensor, WIFI extender, energy saving-eco mode, high quality speakers, back-up battery that can power back-up internet
and an emergency light, as well as dimming, night light, light color changing and more. The platform’s electrical power and transformer,
combined with the size of our platform’s data storage space, which represents vast electronic “Real-Estate” in terms
of today’s technology, driven by microchips, enables the platform to accommodate a significant amount of software as well as electronic
microchips, while the unique ceiling location of the platform significantly enhances the performance of the platform’s features,
including WIFI and BLE.
The
Smart Sky Platform is inconspicuous to the décor. It is designed to install over existing ceiling electrical outlet boxes while
allowing any pre-existing fixture to reconnect to the same box utilizing our Retrofit Kits. This innovation gives us access to the best
location for the gathering and distribution of electronic signals, virtually unlimited power for our low-voltage safety and smart features,
and a vast amount of electronic real estate.
This
open-system Smart Sky Platform is intended to seamlessly integrate unrelated safe and smart products into a single, spatially designed
unit whose functionality is controlled by an all-in-one app, the SkyHome App. The Smart Sky Platform will eliminate the need for installation
of numerous stand-alone devices and their integration into a working unit.
The
Smart Sky Platform’s location on the ceiling significantly advances smart home products’ performance, including the speed
and range of both WIFI and Bluetooth, as well as the performance of sensors and alarms.
The
adoption of the Smart Sky Platform should contribute to the elimination of hazardous incidents in homes and buildings including ladder
falls, electric shock/electrocutions, fires, carbon monoxide poisonings, injuries, and deaths, etc.
Installation
takes only minutes and fixtures previously hung from that location can still be plugged into the Smart Sky Platform.
7
Sustainability
We
aim to provide safe and sustainable solutions to consumers, who increasingly consider sustainability and energy efficiency when purchasing
products. We believe that creating sustainable products and streamlining our operations drives efficiency, innovation and, ultimately,
long-term value-creation. In designing and improving our products, we consider and apply sustainability strategies, as appropriate. For
example, our products’ features include an energy savings economical mode, which can help users reduce their energy consumption, and we
generally use LED lighting in our ceiling fans and light fixtures, which is more energy-efficient than traditional lighting products.
Cyber
Security
We
have implemented measures and protocols to ensure that our users’ information is safe and fully protected. We use high
level of cyber security measures and protocols to ensure that our software, technologies, servers, products, platform, and devices are
all protected to prevent any type of unauthorized or illegal access or interference to our software, technologies, servers, products,
platforms, and devices.
Our
products, platforms and devices communicate over MQTT and are encrypted over Transport Layer Security, with each individual product,
platform and device having its own set of certificates, keys, and universally unique identifiers, which ensures that each device can
only communicate with its own topic. This ensures that even in extreme cases of illegally gaining control over a specific device, it
will not affect any other devices.
Each
login to the platform generates the user a temporary token that grants access to the services for a limited amount of time, which ensures
that there is no permanent access token that can be used by hackers for unauthorized access. Each token has permissions to access only
the user’s resources.
Our
solutions are designed in a way that the user will need to conduct a restricted set of permissions, thus minimizing the risk of unwanted
users gaining control over other locations.
Sky
Plug & Receptacle – NEC Code
The
NEC (National Electrical Code) is the U.S. electrical safety building code, and is the benchmark for safe electrical design, installation,
and inspection to protect people and property from electrical hazards. It has been adopted in some form in all 50 states in the United
States and is intended to improve safety in U.S. homes and buildings.
Based
on the safety aspects of the Sky Plug & Receptacle, it was voted into the NEC and is represented by 10 different segments in the
NEC Code Book. The Company has provided data relating to safety aspects of its receptacle as to electrocutions, fires and ladder falls
to NEC.
One
of the key votes and segments relating to our technologies in the NEC Code Book was the change of the definition of “receptacle”
in the Code Book, which we believe is one of the most significant additions to the NEC in the past 120 years. The NEC leads the United
States and globally with respect to electrical safety standards; as such, we believe the reputable standards of the NEC can assist with
the adoption of our technology in additional countries.
Pursuant
to these NEC provisions, the Sky Plug & Receptacle enables builders to expedite and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy without the
need to install a light fixture to the ceiling.
During
the third quarter of 2022, the Company received NEC generic name approval for its weight-bearing safe plug and play outlet/receptacle
for ceilings as WSCR (Weight-Supporting Ceiling Receptacle) for its universal ceiling outlet and WSAF (Weight-Supporting Attachment Fitting)
for its ceiling plug. The specifications for the WSCR and WSAF received a standardization approval vote by the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), leading U.S. standardization organizations. The American
National Standards Institute’s and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s vote for the standardization of the
Company’s weightbearing plug and outlet/receptacle for ceilings does not guarantee approval by the National Fire Protection Association’s
(NFPA) Committee on the National Electrical Code (which consists of multiple code-making panels and a technical correlating committee
and develops the National Electrical Code (NEC)) or any other trade or regulatory organization and does not guarantee that any of the
Company’s products will become NEC mandatory in any jurisdiction, or that any of the Company’s current or future products
or technologies will be adopted by any state, country, or municipality, within any specific timeframe or at all.
8
Intellectual
Property
Developing
and maintaining a strong intellectual property position is one of the most important elements of our business. We rely on a combination
of patents, copyright, trademarks, and trade secret laws, as well as confidential procedures and contractual provisions, to protect our
proprietary technology and our brands. We enter into confidentiality and proprietary rights agreements with our employees, consultants
and other third parties. We have sought, and will continue to seek, patent protection for our technology and for improvements to our
technology, as well as for any of our other technologies where we believe such protection will be advantageous. In addition, certain
intellectual property and proprietary information held by a third party is central to our products and technologies. If we lose our rights
to use such intellectual property and proprietary information in the future, our business or operating results and our ability to complete
could be adversely impacted.
We
protect our intellectual property through various aspects and strategies including broad and particular intellectual
property claims. We have over 60 U.S. and global patents and patent applications, including in China, India, and Europe as well in other
countries around the world. These patents and patent applications protect different aspects of our technologies. We sought intellectual
property protection of our technologies in China due to our current manufacturing operations and prospective sales in China’s market,
and we sought protection in India in anticipation of future growth into India’s developing market, both with respect to the sales
of our products and our potential operations. As of December 31, 2022, in the U.S., we owned seven issued patents, which expire from
2036 to 2038, and six pending or published but not yet issued patents, and outside of the U.S., we owned eight issued patents, which
expire from 2026 to 2039, and 46 pending or published but not yet issued patents. We intend to diligently maintain and vigorously defend
the intellectual property of Sky Technologies, and to enhance our patent protections actively and continuously in the U.S. and globally.
The
issued patents are directed to various aspects our platform technologies, including our smart and standard plug and play products, as
well as our safe and smart platform technologies. As further innovations are developed, we intend to seek additional patent protection
to enhance and maintain our competitive advantage. Additionally, we have submitted 10 trademark applications, seven of which have been
issued and three of which are pending.
GE
- General Electric Agreements
We
have two U.S. and global agreements with GE related to our products.
● The
first agreement is a U.S. and Global Trademark Agreement dated June 15, 2011 (as later amended)
(sometimes referred to as the “License Agreement”), which expires November 30,
2023 and is generally renewed for five-year periods. Pursuant to such agreement, the Company
may use the GE brand logo on certain products, including plug and play smart and standard
ceiling fans and the Company’s standard and smart plug and play devices. We have exclusive
U.S. and global rights, including Canada, Asia, Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand and
India, subject to a mutually agreed to commercialization plan, to market plug and play smart
and standard ceiling fans and the Company’s standard and smart plug and play devices
under the GE brand. GE will assist us with manufacturing standards, audit of factories, audit
of materials, and quality control under “Six Sigma” guidelines, as well as with
public relations for products and other.
● The
second agreement is a U.S. and Global Licensing and Master Service Agreement dated June 14,
2019. The agreement expires on June 14, 2024 and includes automatic renewal provisions. Pursuant
to such agreement, GE’s licensing team has the rights to exclusively license the Company’s
Standard and Smart plug-and-play products in the U.S. and worldwide. Pursuant to the agreement,
we expect that GE’s licensing team will seek and arrange licensee partners for our
products in the U.S. and globally, including negotiating agreement terms, managing contracts,
collecting payments, auditing partners, assisting with patent strategy and protection, and
assisting in auditing product quality control under the “Six Sigma” guidelines.
For products licensed to third parties, we and GE will each receive a specified percentage
of the earned revenue realized from such licensing, unless otherwise provided in the applicable
statement of work.
9
On
June 15, 2011, we entered into the License Agreement with GE, pursuant to which we have the right to market certain ceiling light and
fan fixtures displaying the GE brand. We and GE subsequently amended the License Agreement, including on April 17, 2013, August 13, 2014,
September 25, 2018, May 2019 and December 1, 2020. The License Agreement imposes certain manufacturing and quality control conditions
that we must maintain to continue to use the GE brand. The License Agreement is nontransferable and cannot be sublicensed. Various
termination clauses are applicable to the License Agreement; however, none were applicable as of December 31, 2022.
On
August 13, 2014, we entered into a second amendment to the License Agreement pertaining to our royalty obligations. Under the
initial terms of the amendment, we agreed to pay GE a minimum trademark license fee of $12.0 million by November 30, 2018 (the
“Initial Royalty Obligation”) for the rights assigned in the original contract. The amendment provided that, if we did
not pay to GE royalties equal to the Initial Royalty Obligation over the term of the License Agreement, we would owe the difference
to GE in December 2018.
We
are expanding our relationship with GE to collaborate on mutual capabilities, and in December 2020, we entered into the current
amendment to the License Agreement. The amendments following the second amendment expanded our product range, including smart, and
added additional global territory rights. The License Agreement has been extended for an additional five years and expires on
November 30, 2023. Pursuant to the third amendment, entered September 2018, the approximate remaining payment of $10.0 million
pursuant to the Initial Royalty Obligation was waived, and we agreed to pay GE an aggregate amount
of $6.0 million, consisting of three annual installments of $2.0 million to be paid to GE in each of December 2018, 2019 and 2020.
In December 2020, we restructured the royalty payment obligations due of approximately
$4.4 million, plus $0.7 million in interest. We agreed to pay a total of $5.1 million to GE in quarterly installments through
December 2023, including $100,000 due December 2020, an aggregate of $500,000 due in four equal installments in 2021, an aggregate
of $1.2 million due in four equal installments in 2022 and an aggregate of $3.3 million due in four equal installments in 2023 (the
“Minimum Payments”). In the event the Company receives significant funding rounds of at least $50.0 million in funding,
it is required to use a portion of such funding to pay certain amounts to GE. The Minimum Payments will be in addition to the
royalty payments made to GE during the respective year, as set forth below.
Royalty
payments are due quarterly, using a December 1 – November 30 contract year and based upon the prior quarter’s sales. Royalty
payments will be paid from sales of GE branded product subject to the following repayment schedule:
Net
Sales in Contract Year
Percentage
of Contract
Year Net Sales owed to GE
$0
to $50,000,000
7%
$50,000,001
to $100,000,000
6%
$100,000,000+
5%
As
of December 31, 2022, the remaining royalty obligations amounted to $2,638,000, which are expected to be paid in 2023.
Employees
Our
management members include leading executives from various industries and have joined us as they believe in our vision, technology, and
strategy. Many of our key personnel are employed pursuant to an employment agreement or a consulting agreement.
As
of December 31, 2022, we had 37 total employees and consultants, 29 of which are full-time. We also employ independent contractors to
support our operations. We have never had a work stoppage, and none of our employees are represented by a labor union.
We consider our relations with our employees to be good. We expect to continue to expand our staff and team of engineers to develop our products.
Our
human capital resources objectives include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our current
and future employees. We encourage and support the growth and development of our employees. Continual learning and career development
is advanced through ongoing performance and development conversations with employees, and reimbursement is available to employees for
seminars, conferences, formal education and other training events employees attend in connection with their job duties.
10
Our
core values of accountability, openness, and integrity underscore everything we do and drive our day-to-day interactions. The safety,
health and wellness of our employees is a top priority.
Business
Strategy
Our
business strategy is to enhance safety and advance smart living lifestyle in homes and other buildings.
Following
commercial launch of our advanced and smart products, we plan to educate retail and commercial consumers about our products through a
coordinated public relation campaign that will cover the safety aspects of our products and all the related hazardous incidents and property
damage that our products can prevent, including ladder falls, electric shock/electrocutions, fires, carbon monoxide poisonings, injuries,
deaths and more.
We
will also educate on all our advanced smart technology features.
We
believe our total addressable market in the United States exceeds $500 billion, based on the Company’s internal calculations derived
from the estimation of the total target user pool, projected average selling price, and projected units per household. We believe there
are billions of installations of light and other electrical fixtures globally. Our estimates of the addressable market for our products
may prove to be incorrect. The projected demand for our products could materially differ from actual demand. Even if the total addressable
market for our products is as large as we have estimated and even if we are able to gain market awareness and acceptance, we may not
be able to penetrate the existing market to capture additional market share.
Lead
and Seed Strategy : We expect to lead by selling our highly disruptive line of products through a variety of channels as well
as seed our products through licensing to various industries.
● Lead
Through Direct Sales : We expect to sell our products through various representatives
to online customers, builders, rental properties, hotels, big box retail, OEM customers and
more. We expect to sell our products to personal consumers primarily through direct sales
via our website, to large retailers, distributors and dealers, and through warehouse programs.
We plan to rely primarily on product distribution arrangements with third parties and expect
that our multi-channel sales strategy will evolve and expand in the future. We expect our
primary customers to be retail consumers, retail showrooms, builders residential/commercial,
hotels, OEM and licensing.
● Seed
Through Licensing : After our public relation campaign and our official product launch,
we expect to license a variety of our standard and smart products to companies in various
industries, including electrical companies, lighting and ceiling fan companies, as well as
smart home companies. We intend to expand our sales and marketing operations and activities
and intend to build strong customer relationships and expand our brand awareness.
As
part of our sales campaign, we intend to use online channels and may also utilize social media influencers. As part of the launch
of certain products, we have allowed, and may in the future allow customers to pre-order prior to general availability. Our future revenue
streams may also include data aggregation and subscriptions. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to successfully expand
our operations or activities, gain market awareness or acceptance of our products, or achieve our expectations described above.
Product
Usage
Our
products and technologies can be used in new and existing homes and buildings, including by builders, rental properties, hotels, cruise
ships, elder living facilities, schools, hospitals, offices, commercial, and retail. We provide a one-year full performance warranty
on all our products, as well as part replacements. We intend to provide extended warranty coverage plans in the future.
11
Our
Opportunity
Based
on the significance of the safety aspects and lifestyle features of our products, we believe that our products are a necessity in most
rooms, homes, and other buildings, both in the U.S. and globally, and that they can help prevent most related hazardous incidents in
homes and buildings, including ladder falls, electric shock/electrocutions, fires, carbon monoxide poisonings, injuries, and deaths.
Therefore, we believe our product is a necessity in rooms, homes and other buildings.
We
believe that our series of highly disruptive advanced-safe-smart platform technologies are a necessity as they are expected to disrupt
and positively influence various industries, both in the U.S. and globally.
● Lighting
Industry : We believe that due to ease of the installation, time savings, cost savings
on installations and the safety aspect of our product, our product provides a competitive
advantage within the light fixture, ceiling fan and smart home industries.
We
believe that all light fixtures should become plug and play, smart and controlled by an app as a standard, and that light fixtures should
be installed to the ceiling within seconds, safely and without the need to touch dangerous electrical wires. Our product is intended
to help prevent most of related ladder falls, electric shock/electrocutions, fires, carbon monoxide poisonings, injuries, and deaths.
● Ceiling
Fan Industry : We believe that due to the ease of installation, time savings, cost savings
on installations and the safety aspect of our product, our product is a necessity for the
ceiling fan industry.
We
believe that all ceiling fans should become plug and play, smart and controlled by an app as a standard, and that ceiling fans should
be installed to the ceiling within seconds, safely and without the need to touch dangerous electrical wires. Our product is intended
to help prevent most of related ladder falls, electric shock/electrocutions, fires, carbon monoxide poisonings, injuries, and deaths.
● Smart
Home Industry : We believe that due to ease of the installation, time savings, cost savings
on installations and the safety aspect of our product, our product is a necessity for the
smart home industry.
We
believe that homes and buildings should become safe and smart as a standard. Our Advanced All-In-One Safe Smart Sky Platform enables
rooms, homes, and buildings to become safe and smart.
Our
Advanced Smart Sky Platform significantly enhances smart home products’ performance, including the speed and range of both WIFI
and Bluetooth, as well as the performance of sensors and alarms. We believe that widespread adoption of the Smart Sky Platform should
contribute to the elimination of most related hazardous incidents in homes and buildings including ladder falls, electric shock/electrocutions,
fires, carbon monoxide poisonings, injuries, and deaths. Therefore, we believe our product is a necessity in rooms, homes, and buildings.
Our
Advanced All-In-One Safe Smart Sky Platform can be used in existing homes and buildings, by builders, rental properties, hotels, cruise
ships, elder living facilities, schools, hospitals, offices, commercial, retail and other.
We
launched our new universal power plug, our SkyHome App, and our smart universal plug, as well as the smart ceiling fans and lighting
fixtures containing such plug, in December 2022. Bringing our products to market will require us to take certain steps, including, but
not limited to, the following:
Manufacturing : While we have manufactured and sold
our prior products and intend to continue to use the third-party manufacturers with which we have an ongoing relationship, we have
not yet begun manufacturing our new advanced or smart products. We expect it may take approximately 90 days to complete manufacturing
of our new universal power plug and/or our smart universal plug after we place an order. However, it may take longer than expected
due to, among other things, difficulties finding suppliers, shipping delays resulting in late deliveries of necessary supplies and
materials, chip shortages and geopolitical matters.
12
● Marketing
and Public Relations : We will need to gain brand awareness and attract customers. In
connection with our product launch, we plan to educate retail and commercial consumers about
our products through a coordinated public relation campaign that will cover the safety aspects
of our products and all the related hazardous incidents and property damage that our products
can contribute to preventing, as well as our advanced smart technology features. We currently
rely, and plan to rely primarily, on product distribution arrangements with third parties.
We expect to enter in additional sales, distribution and/or licensing agreements in the
future, and we may not be able to enter into these agreements on terms that are favorable
to us, if at all. We may also need to hire additional sales personnel.
● Government
Approval : While we have received a variety of final electrical code approvals, including
Underwriters Laboratories (“UL”), United Laboratories of Canada (cUL) and Conformité
Européenne (CE), and 2017 and 2020 inclusion in the NEC Code Book, we may need or
desire to obtain additional UL, cUL or CE certifications for new product configurations,
which may increase the time and costs to complete our product launches. In addition, we may
be unable to obtain new certifications or NEC mandatory status for our product offerings
within a reasonable time, or at all.
Expected
Revenue Stream
We
believe our products will enable us to access a global market with multiple revenue streams, including:
● Global
market with numerous potential product applications
● Product
sales
● Royalties/Licensing
● Subscription
model
● Monitoring
services
● Sale
of product and licensing rights to additional countries
Royalties
from the Sky Plug & Receptacle. Management has agreed to license products in the U.S. and globally through the efforts of
its GE licensing and trademark agreements. We anticipate we will also license our smart technologies products currently in development.
Selling/Licensing
Country Rights. Management is considering selling and licensing marketing rights to certain countries in exchange for payment
and on-going royalties.
Product
Sales. We currently generate revenue from our product sales, and management will strive to achieve strong market penetration
worldwide for our current products and products in development. We have previously sold our standard products in the United States, Canada
and Mexico, and expect to begin selling our new smart products in these markets in 2023. We intend to expand our sales footprint in certain
countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia. We may be unable to gain market acceptance in such markets and cannot provide any assurance
that we will be successful in our efforts to expand our market reach.
Subscription
& Monitoring Services. Our future plans include offering subscription services as part of our Smart Sky Platform, including,
among other services, communications, fire alarms, home intrusion alerts, emergency response services and monitoring services. Our smart
platform will include, among other features, a smart smoke detector, a smart carbon monoxide detector, and a WIFI extender. We intend
to expand our operations to enable us to provide services relating to these functions, including high-speed internet services, monitoring
systems designed to sense movement, smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, temperature, and other environmental conditions and hazards, monitor
home access and visitors and address personal emergencies such as injuries and other medical emergencies. We intend to market such services
to homeowners and other types of facilities, including rental properties, hotels, cruise ships, elder living facilities, schools, hospitals,
offices, commercial, and retail. Our ability to provide such services will depend on a variety of factors, including, but not limited
to, subscriber interest and financial resources, any applicable licensing and regulatory compliance, our ability to manage our anticipated
expansion and to hire, train and retain personnel, and general economic conditions. We may partner with other businesses to provide such
services. We expect to begin providing such services in 2023 but cannot provide any assurance that we will be able to do so.
13
Our
History
We
began in 2004 and started developing the Sky Plug & Receptacle technology in 2007 for installation of light fixtures and ceiling
fans during manufacturing and as a Retrofit Kit for installing the Sky Technology in existing light fixtures and ceiling fans. Historically,
we have sold hundreds of thousands of units of the Sky Plug & Receptacle technology through original equipment manufacturing and
through other channels to lighting manufacturers and retailers who installed the Sky Plug & Receptacle technology into their lighting
fixtures for sale at retail stores. We also sold, directly to retailers, approximately hundreds of thousands of Sky Plugs & Receptacles
embedded with ceiling fans.
Since
our inception, we have sold hundreds of thousands of units of our standard Sky Plug & Receptacle. Since 2015 we generated over $29
million in sales. We have wound down our standard product sales by discontinuing production of light fixtures and ceiling fans that include
the older version of our standard Sky Plug & Receptacle, in favor of licensing our product and developing our Smart Power-Plug and
Smart Sky Platform technologies.
We
hold over 60 U.S. and global patents and patent applications and have received a variety of final electrical code approvals, including
UL, United Laboratories for Canada (cUL) and Conformité Européenne (CE), and 2017 and 2020 inclusion in the NEC Code Book.
Third-Party
Manufacturing and Suppliers
Our
business model entails the use of third-party manufacturers to produce the Sky Technology product. The manufacturers currently used by
us are in China and, with respect to products that bear the GE logo, as required by the Licensing Agreement with GE, such manufacturers
must be approved by GE to ensure certain quality standards are met. To further ensure that quality specifications are maintained, we
maintain an office in the Guangdong province in China that is staffed with GE trained auditors who regularly inspect the products that
are being produced by third-party manufacturers.
Raw
materials used in our products include copper, aluminum, zinc, steel, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic and wood. We also
purchase integrated circuit chip sets or other electronic components from third-party suppliers or rely on third-party independent contractors,
some of which are customized or custom made for us. While we have experienced shortages in obtaining necessary materials, including zinc,
copper and steel, as well as integrated circuit chips to be used in our products, we have been able to make other arrangements and find
additional suppliers as necessary. With respect to circuit chips, we believe we have obtained enough to manufacture our
products by the anticipated launch date. Going forward, we believe we can obtain more chips and other materials as needed within a reasonable
time period and may be able to replace components with different products or modify our design if necessary. Geopolitical
matters may also impact our manufacturing.
Our
principal suppliers are Mei Pin Metal & Electrical Co., Ltd (Guangdong, China), Siterwell Electronics Co., Ltd (Zhejiang, China),
Zhongshan Paragon Source Lighting Co., Ltd. (Noble) (Zhongshan, Guangdong, China), Artisan Industrial Co., Ltd. (Jiangmen, Guangdong,
China) and Youngo Limited (Aircool) (Huizhou City, Guangdong, China).
Competition
We
believe our technologies are highly disruptive and with an edge compared to other market technologies. Our competitors vary based on
our products, market, and industry.
● Our
main competitors for our Universal Power Plug and Play, Sky Plug & Receptacle product
are: we do not have significant direct competition at this point to Universal Power Plug
and Play, Sky Plug & Receptacle product, although all lighting and ceiling fan manufacturers
are potential competitors.
● Our
main competitors for our Smart Universal Power Plug and Play Sky Plug & Receptacle product
are: we do not have significant direct competition at this point to Smart Universal Power
Plug and Play Sky Plug & Receptacle product, although all lighting and ceiling fan manufacturers
are potential competitors.
14
● Our
main competitors for our Smart Plug and Play Light Fixture products are: we do not have significant
direct competition at this point to our Smart Plug and Play Light Fixtures, although there
are lighting manufacturers that have smart lights that are controlled through smart wall
switches/app or other, including companies such as Casainc, Global Electric, Designers, Fountain,
Enbrighten, NBG, Minka, Hampton Bay and other. To the best of our knowledge there are no
other light fixtures that have an all-in-one combination of light fixtures that have both
plug and play and smart.
● Our
main competitors for our Smart Plug and Play Ceiling Fan Products: we do not have significant
direct competition at this point to our Smart Plug and Play Ceiling Fan products, although
there are ceiling fan manufacturers that have smart fans that are controlled through smart
wall switches/app or other, including companies such as Hunter, Minka, Home Decorators, Fanomation,
Modern Homes, Hampton Bay and others.
● Our
main competitors for our Plug and Play All-In-One Safe-Smart Platform product: we do not
have direct competition at this point to our Plug and Play All-In-One Safe-Smart Platform
product, although there are many smart home companies that can be our competitors, including
companies such as Control 4, Vivint, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, ADT, Blue, Cove and
many others and many other smart home companies that have a variety of smart home products.
To the best of our knowledge there are no other Plug and Play All-In-One Safe-Smart Platform
products.
Government
and Environmental Regulation
Although
not legally required to do so, we strive to obtain certifications for substantially all our products, both in the United States, and,
where appropriate, in jurisdictions outside the United States. Products certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (“NRTL”),
such as UL, Intertek Testing Lab (ETL) or Canadian Standards (CSA), bear a certification mark signifying that the product complies with
the requirements of the product safety standard. UL Standards are used for evaluation of USA products, CSA Standards for Canada and IEC
(International Electrotechnical Commission) Standards for European countries. We use UL as our main third-party NRTL safety laboratory.
While we have received a variety of safety certifications on our products, including UL, United Laboratories for Canada (cUL), Conformité
Européenne (CE) and IECEE Certification Body (CB) scheme, we may need or desire to obtain additional certifications for new product
configurations, which will increase the time and costs to complete our product launches and which we may be unable to obtain within a
reasonable time, or at all. In addition, certain electronic products require Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) certification,
and we have obtained FCC certification on applicable products to ensure electromagnetic interference compliance. Although we believe
that our broad knowledge and experience with electrical codes and safety standards have facilitated certification approvals, we cannot
provide any assurance that we will be able to obtain any such certifications for our new products or that, if certification standards
are amended, we will be able to maintain such certifications for our existing products.
Our
facilities and operations are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection and human
health and safety. Some of these laws and regulations may impose strict, joint and several liabilities on certain persons for the cost
of investigation or remediation of contaminated properties. These persons may include former, current or future owners or operators of
properties and persons who arranged for the disposal of hazardous substances. Our leased real property may give rise to such investigation,
remediation and monitoring liabilities under environmental laws. In addition, anyone disposing of certain products we distribute, such
as fluorescent lighting, must comply with environmental laws that regulate certain materials in these products. We believe that we are
in compliance, in all material respects, with applicable environmental laws. As a result, we do not anticipate making significant capital
expenditures for environmental control matters either in the current year or in the near future.
Corporate
History and Information
We
were originally organized in May 2004 as a Florida limited liability company under the name of Safety Quick Light, LLC. We converted
to a Florida corporation on November 6, 2012. Effective August 12, 2016, we changed our name from “Safety Quick Lighting &
Fans Corp.” to “SQL Technologies Corp.,” and, effective June 14, 2022, we changed our name to “SKYX Platforms
Corp.” We currently do business as “Sky Technologies.” Our principal executive offices are located at 2855 W. McNab
Road, Pompano Beach, Florida 33069, and our telephone number is (855) 759-7584. Our website can be found at www.skyplug.com. The information
contained in or accessible from our website is not incorporated into this Form 10-K, and you should not consider it part of this Form
10-K. We have included our website address in this Form 10-K solely as an inactive textual reference.
15
Available
Information
We
are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The Exchange
Act requires us to file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file
electronically with the SEC. These materials may be obtained electronically by accessing the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
We
maintain a website at www.skyplug.com , and we make our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current
reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports available on our website, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after
such reports have been filed with or furnished to the SEC. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of,
and is not incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any other report or document we file with the SEC. Our
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, as well as any waivers from and amendments to the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, is also posted
on our website.
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
You
should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all of the other information included in this Form 10-K, including
our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-K, before making an investment decision. Our
business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as the trading price of our common stock, could be materially and adversely
affected by any of these risks or uncertainties. There may be additional risks that are not presently material or known. You should not
interpret the disclosure of any risk factor to imply that the risk has not already materialized.
Risks
Related to Our Business
We
have incurred net losses since inception, and we cannot assure you that we will ever generate sustainable revenue; in addition, our business
has evolved, which makes it difficult to predict our future operating results.
We
have incurred net losses since inception. In addition, in recent years, we shifted our business strategy to transition to smart products
and technologies; accordingly, our revenue has decreased since 2018 as we sell through our existing inventory of discontinued products
to facilitate our business transition. As a result of these recent changes to our business strategy, our ability to forecast our future
operating results is limited and subject to a number of uncertainties, including our ability to plan for and model our future growth.
It is difficult to predict our future revenues and appropriate budget for our expenses, and we may have limited insight into trends
that may emerge and affect our business. Rather than relying on historical information, financial or otherwise, to evaluate us, you should
evaluate us in light of your assessment of the growth potential of our business and the expenses, delays, uncertainties and complications
typically encountered by businesses in the early stage of their product development and launch, many of which will be beyond our control.
We are subject to the substantial risk of failure facing businesses seeking to develop and commercialize new products and technologies,
as well as the following risks, among others:
● unanticipated
problems, delays and expenses relating to the development and implementation of our business
plans, such as potential manufacturing delays resulting from, among other things, difficulties
finding suppliers, shipping disruptions and delays resulting in late deliveries of necessary
supplies and materials, chip shortages, increases in expected costs due to inflationary pressures
and material shortages, or delays resulting from a need or desire to obtain additional UL,
cUL or CE certifications for new product configurations;
● operational
difficulties;
● lack
of sufficient capital;
● competition
from more advanced enterprises, including our need to gain brand awareness and attract customers,
areas where our competitors may have an advantage; and
● uncertain
revenue generation.
16
If
our assumptions regarding these risks and uncertainties are incorrect or change due to changes in our industry, or if we do not address
these risks successfully, our operating and financial results could differ materially from our expectations and our business could suffer.
We
have a history of operating losses and will likely incur losses in the future as we continue our efforts to transition our product lines,
achieve our strategic initiatives, grow our business and streamline our operations at a profitable level.
We
have incurred substantial losses in the past and reported net losses from operations of approximately $26.6 million and $5.2 million
during 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $106.1 million.
We
cannot assure you that we can achieve or sustain profitability in the future. For us to operate our business profitably, we
need to successfully launch and market our new products and technologies, grow our sales, maintain cost control discipline while balancing
development of our enhanced “all-in-one” Smart Sky Platform and potential long-term revenue growth, continue our efforts
to reduce product cost, drive operating efficiencies and develop and execute our key strategic initiatives. Our planned expense levels
are, and will continue to be, based in part on our expectations, which are difficult to forecast accurately based on our stage of development
and factors outside of our control. Developing and marketing our products and technologies is costly, and we anticipate our costs will
increase in the future as we continue to invest in our research and development efforts and make additional expenditures to develop and
market our products and technologies, including new features, integrations, capabilities, and enhancements. Our expenditures may not result
in improved business results or profitability over the long term, and our expenses may be greater than we anticipate, including due to,
among other things, an increase in legal risk from the use of our products and technologies due to evolving laws, regulations or standards,
an inability to timely and cost-effectively introduce successful smart products and other products and technologies, a security incident
or our failure, for any reason, to continue to capitalize on growth opportunities. In addition, we may be unable to adjust spending in
a timely manner to compensate for any unexpected developments. There is a risk that our strategy to operate profitably may not be as
successful as we envision or occur as quickly as we expect. We may not achieve our business objectives, and the failure to achieve such
goals would have an adverse impact on us. To the extent that our revenues do not increase commensurate with our costs, our business,
operating results and financial condition will be materially and adversely affected.
We
anticipate that we will require additional financing in the near-term, and if our operations do not achieve, or we experience an unanticipated
delay in achieving, our intended level and pace of profitability, we will continue to need additional funding, which may not be available
on favorable terms, or at all, and could require us to sell certain assets or discontinue or curtail our operations.
We
expect to derive much of our revenue from a portfolio of related products and technologies; if we cannot successfully launch our products
or further develop them to include additional features, or our products and technologies fail to satisfy customer demands or achieve
widespread market acceptance, our business, operating results, financial condition, and growth prospects would be adversely affected.
We
expect to derive much of our revenue from smart products incorporating our “plug and play” technologies. Our ability to launch
our smart products and obtain market acceptance of, and grow market demand for, our products and technologies is critical to our success.
We may not be able to launch or manufacture our products and technologies in a timely manner, within budget or in a manner that gains
market acceptance. The failure to successfully produce an all-in-one Smart Sky Platform would result in the loss of a substantial amount
of investment dollars. Furthermore, developing our enhanced Smart Sky Platform takes management’s time and attention away from
other opportunities. A failure to successfully develop and market our Smart Sky Platform could result in a material adverse impact on
our business.
In
addition, we have no experience in manufacturing our smart products. We may be unable to develop efficient, cost-efficient manufacturing
capability and processes or obtain reliable sources of component supplies that will enable us to meet our quality, price, design, and
production standards, as well as the production volumes, required to successfully mass market our products and technologies. These are
complex processes that may be subject to delays, cost overruns and other unforeseen issues. Any failure to develop such manufacturing
capabilities and processes within our projected costs and timelines could stunt our growth and impair our ability to produce, market,
service and sell our products and technologies successfully.
17
Even
if we can bring our smart products and technologies to market on our projected timeline and on budget, there can be no assurance
that consumers will embrace our smart products and technologies in significant numbers. Our success depends on attracting many potential customers to purchase our products and, in the future, the associated services we intend to provide to our customers. We
began accepting preorders in late 2022. Preorders are not commitments to purchase our products and are subject to cancellation by customers.
If our existing preorder and prospective customers do not perceive our products to be of sufficiently high value and quality, cost competitive
and appealing in aesthetics or performance, we may not be able to retain our current preorder customers or attract new customers, and
our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows would suffer as a result. In addition, we may incur
significantly higher and more sustained advertising and promotional expenditures than we have previously incurred to attract customers.
Until the time that the smart products are commercially available for purchase and we are able to scale up our marketing function to
support sales, there will be significant uncertainty as to customer demand for our smart products and technologies and the sales that
we will be able to achieve. Further, demand for our products and technologies will be affected by a number of factors, many of which
are beyond our control, such as our ability to obtain market acceptance; declines in consumer discretionary spending; the development
and acceptance of new features, integrations and capabilities for our products and technologies; the timing of development and release
of competing new products and technologies; consumer preferences; the perception of ease of use, reliability and security of our products
and technologies; price or product changes by us or our competitors; technological changes and developments within the markets we serve;
developments in data privacy regulations; growth, contraction and rapid evolution of our market; and general economic conditions and
trends.
If
we are unable to successfully release our smart products and technologies, enhance their capabilities, meet demands of our customers
or trends in preferences or achieve widespread market acceptance of our products and technologies, our business, results of operations
and financial condition could be harmed. Changes in preferences of users may have a disproportionately greater impact on us than if we
offered a wider variety of products. In addition, competitors may develop or acquire their own products or technologies, and people may
continue to rely on traditional products and technologies or existing smart home products, which would reduce or eliminate the demand
for our products. If demand declines for any of these or other reasons, our business could be adversely affected.
We
invest significantly in research and development, and to the extent our research and development investments are not directed efficiently
or do not result in material enhancements to our products and technologies, our business and results of operations would be harmed.
A
key element of our strategy is to invest significantly in our research and development efforts to enhance the features, functionality,
performance and ease of use of our products and technologies to address additional applications that will broaden the appeal of our products
and technologies and facilitate their broad use. Our ability to conduct research and development activities as planned may also be negatively
impacted if we return to a remote work environment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or other factors. Moreover, research and development
projects can be technically challenging and expensive. As a result of the nature of research and development cycles, there will be delays
between the time we incur expenses associated with research and development activities and the time we are able to offer compelling enhancements
to our products and technologies and generate revenue, if any, from those activities.
Our
research and development efforts remain subject to all of the risks associated with the development of new products and technologies
based on emerging and innovative technologies, including, for example, unexpected technical problems or the possible insufficiency of
funds for completing development. If we expend a significant number of resources on research and development efforts that do not lead
to the successful introduction of new products, functionality or improvements that are competitive in our current or future markets,
our business and results of operations will suffer. If technical problems or delays arise, further improvements in our products and technologies
and the introduction of future products or technologies could be adversely impacted, we could incur significant additional expenses,
and the business may fail.
18
If
we are unable to introduce new features or services successfully or make enhancements to our products and technologies or fail to integrate
our products and technologies with a variety of third-party technologies, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our
ability to attract customers and increase revenue depends in part on our ability to enhance and improve our products and technologies
and to introduce new features and services. To grow our business and remain competitive, we must continue to enhance our products and
technologies with features that reflect the constantly evolving nature of technology and our customers’ evolving needs. The success
of new products, technologies, enhancements and developments depends on several factors, including, but not limited to: our anticipation
of market changes and demands for product features, adequate quality testing, integration of our products and technologies with existing
technologies and applications and updates to integrate new technologies and applications, sufficient customer demand, cost effectiveness
in our product development efforts and the proliferation of new technologies that are able to deliver competitive products, technologies
and services at lower prices, more efficiently, more conveniently or more securely.
In
addition, because we intend for our smart products to operate with a variety of systems, applications, data and devices, we will need
to continuously modify and further upgrade our products and technologies to keep pace with changes in such systems. We may not be successful
in developing these modifications and enhancements. Furthermore, the addition of features and solutions to our products and technologies
will increase our research and development expenses. Any new features that we develop may not be introduced in a timely or cost-effective
manner or may not achieve the market acceptance necessary to generate sufficient revenue to justify the related expenses. It is difficult
to predict customer adoption of new features. Such uncertainty limits our ability to forecast our future results of operations and subjects
us to a number of challenges, including our ability to plan for and model future growth. If we cannot address such uncertainties and
successfully develop new features, enhance our products and technologies, or otherwise overcome technological challenges and competing
technologies, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We
have experienced, and may in the future experience, delays in the planned release dates of our products and technologies and enhancements
to our products and technologies. Delays could result in adverse publicity, loss of sales or delay in market acceptance of our products
and technologies, any of which could cause us to lose existing customers or impair our ability to attract new customers. In addition,
the introduction of new products and services by competitors or the development of entirely new technologies to replace existing offerings
could make our products and technologies obsolete or adversely affect our ability to compete. Any delay or failure in the introduction
of enhancements, functionality or infrastructure developments could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Some
of our products and technologies are intended to be integrated with a variety of third-party technologies and applications, and we will
need to continuously modify and improve such products and technologies to adapt to changes in such integrated technologies and applications.
Third-party services and products are constantly evolving, and we may not be able to modify our products and technologies to be compatible
with that of other third parties. In addition, some of our competitors may be able to disrupt the operations or compatibility of our
products and technologies with their products or services. Should any of our competitors modify their products, technologies or standards
in a manner that degrades the functionality of our products and technologies or gives preferential treatment to competitive products,
technologies or services, whether to enhance their competitive position or for any other reason, the interoperability of our products
and technologies with these products and/or technologies could decrease, and our business, results of operations and financial condition
would be harmed. If we are not permitted or able to integrate with these and other third-party products, technologies and applications
in the future, our business, results of operations and financial condition would be harmed. Further, any undetected errors or defects
in third-party technologies or applications, or cybersecurity threats or attacks related to such technologies or applications, could
impair the functionality of our products and technologies, result in increased costs and injure our reputation. Any failure of our products
and technologies to operate effectively with existing or future technologies, or any failure of a third-party cloud infrastructure partner
to support one or more of the features of our products and technologies, could cause customer dissatisfaction and reduce the demand for
our products and technologies, resulting in harm to our business. In addition, because some of our products and technologies will be
cloud-based, we need to continually enhance and improve our products and technologies to keep pace with changes in internet-related hardware,
software, communications and database technologies and standards. Any failure of our products and technologies to operate effectively
with future hardware or software technologies, or to comply with new industry standards, could reduce the demand for our products and
technologies and harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
19
Our
smart products and technologies will depend in part on access to third-party platforms or technologies, and if any such access is withdrawn,
denied, or is not available on acceptable terms, or if the platforms or technologies change without notice, our business and operating
results could be adversely affected.
With
the growth of mobile devices and personal voice assistants, cloud services and artificial intelligence, the number of supporting platforms
has grown, and with it the complexity and increased need for us to have business and contractual relationships with the platform owners to produce products and technologies compatible with these platforms and enable access to and use of these platforms with our
products and technologies. Our products strategy includes the sale of smart products and technologies controlled by a mobile application
and designed for use with third-party platforms or software, such as iPhone, Android phones, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The SkyHome
mobile application is compatible with, and has been granted full access by, each of the foregoing platforms. Our ability to market such
products and technologies will rely on our access to the platforms of third parties, some of which may be our competitors. Platform owners
that are competitors may limit or decline access to their platforms, and in any case have a competitive advantage in designing products
and technologies for their own platforms and may produce products and technologies that work better, or are perceived to work better,
than our products and technologies in connection with those platforms. As we expand the number of platforms and software applications
with which our products and technologies are compatible, we may not be successful in fully integrating the capabilities of those platforms
or software applications and/or we may not be successful in establishing strong relationships with the new platform or software owners,
which could negatively impact our ability to develop and produce our products and technologies. We may otherwise fail to navigate various
new relationships, which could adversely affect our relationships with existing platform or software owners.
Any
access to third-party platforms may also require paying a royalty or licensing fee, which would lower our product margins, or may otherwise
be on terms that are not acceptable to us. In addition, the third-party platforms or technologies used to interact with our products
and technologies can be delayed in production or can change without prior notice to us, which could result in our having bugs or defects
in our products and technologies.
If
we are unable to access third-party platforms or technologies, or if our access is withdrawn, denied or is not available on terms acceptable
to us, or if the platforms or technologies are delayed or change without notice to us, our business and operating results could be adversely
affected.
If
we fail to maintain and improve our methods and technologies, or anticipate new methods or technologies, for data collection, organization,
and cleansing, competing products and services could surpass ours in depth, breadth or accuracy of our insights or in other respects.
Current
or future competitors may seek to develop new methods and technologies for more efficiently gathering, cataloging, or updating business
information, which could allow a competitor to create a product comparable or superior to ours, or that takes substantial market share
from us or that creates or maintains databases to produce insights at a lower cost than we experience. We can expect continuous improvements
in computer hardware, network operating systems, programming tools, programming languages, operating systems, data matching, data filtering,
data analysis tools and other technologies and the use of the internet. These improvements, as well as changes in customer preferences
or regulatory requirements, may require changes in the technology used to gather and process our data. Our future success will depend,
in part, upon our ability to:
● internally
develop and implement new and competitive technologies;
● use
leading third-party technologies effectively; and
● respond
to advances in data collection and cataloging and creating insights.
If
we fail to respond to changes in data technology and analysis to create insights, competitors may be able to develop solutions that will
take market share from us, and the demand for our solutions, the delivery of our solutions or our market reputation could be adversely
affected.
20
If
our smart products and technologies are not compatible with some or all leading third-party internet of things (“IoT”) products
and protocols, we could be materially adversely affected.
A
core part of our product strategy is the creation of products and technologies with interoperability with third-party IoT products and
protocols. Our products and technologies are intended to seamlessly integrate with third-party IoT products and protocols. If these third
parties were to alter their products, we could be adversely impacted if we fail to timely create compatible versions of our products
and technologies, and such incompatibility could negatively impact the adoption of our products and technologies. A lack of interoperability
could also result in significant redesign costs, and harm relations with our customers. Further, the mere announcement of an incompatibility
problem relating to our products and technologies could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
In
addition, to the extent our competitors supply products and technologies that compete with our own, it is possible these competitors
could design their technologies to be closed or proprietary systems that are incompatible with our products and technologies or work
less effectively with our products and technologies than their own. As a result, end-users may have an incentive to purchase products
that are compatible with the products and technologies of our competitors over our products and technologies.
The
success of our business, and our ability to achieve our desired revenue and profitability goals, depends on our ability to develop, expand
and successfully manage our operations and effectively and timely develop and implement our strategic business initiatives.
Our
success depends on our ability to design products and technologies popular with customers and consumers, effectively market our products
and technologies, effectively manufacture our products, and successfully manage our operations, as well as our ability to develop and
execute our strategic business initiatives. Our ability to successfully accomplish these objectives will depend upon a number of factors,
including the following:
● signing
with strategic distribution partners with established retail and wholesale relationships;
● the
continued development of our business;
● the
hiring, training and retention of competent personnel;
● the
ability to generate customer demand;
● the
ability to enhance our operational, financial and management systems;
● the
availability of adequate financing;
● competitive
factors; and
● general
economic and business conditions.
In
addition, our ability to achieve our desired revenue and profitability goals depends on how effectively and timely we execute on our
key strategic initiatives, including development of an enhanced Smart Sky Platform, and develop and implement new strategic business
initiatives. Our current key strategic initiatives include the following:
● successfully
launching our smart products and technologies;
● executing
and marketing our products and technologies to both industry and retail customers, such as
real estate developers and individuals who desire safer lighting fixtures and smart home
capabilities;
● continuing
our product innovation;
● leveraging
our products and technologies to support IoT applications, including integrations with third-party
applications; and
● improving
our distribution sales channels.
We
also may identify and pursue strategic acquisition candidates that would help support these initiatives, including the Acquisition, which
is expected to provide us with direct distribution sales channels.
Developing
and implementing various strategic business initiatives requires us to incur additional expenses and capital expenditures and also requires
management to divert a portion of its time from day-to-day operations. These expenses and diversions could have a significant impact
on our operations and profitability and could lead to weaknesses in our infrastructure, operational mistakes, loss of business opportunities,
loss of employees and reduced productivity among remaining employees. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully
implement these or future initiatives or, even if implemented, that they will result in the anticipated benefits to our business. Moreover,
if we are unable to implement an initiative in a timely manner, or if any initiatives are ineffective or are executed improperly, our
business and operating results would be adversely affected.
21
As
we evolve our business strategy to focus on our smart products and technologies, our results of operations, financial condition and cash
flows may be materially adversely affected.
Our
future growth and profitability are tied in part to our ability to successfully bring to market new and innovative smart products and
technologies. We have evolved our business strategy to focus on producing smart products and technologies using our “plug and play”
technologies. This expansion of our products and technologies also includes pursuing projects to develop recurring revenue streams, such
as subscription services. We have invested, and plan to continue to invest, significant time, resources, and capital into expanding our
products and technologies with no expectation that they will provide material revenue in the near term and without any assurance they
will succeed or be profitable. In fact, these efforts have reduced our profitability, and will likely continue to do so, at least in
the near term. We may also be unable to launch or manufacture our products and technologies or develop recurring revenue streams, such
as anticipated subscription services, in a timely manner, which would further negatively impact our ability to become profitable. Moreover,
as we continue to explore, develop and refine our smart products and technologies, we expect that market preferences will continue to
evolve, and, accordingly, our products and technologies may not generate sufficient interest by end-user customers, and we may be unable
to compete effectively with existing or new competitors, generate significant revenues or achieve or maintain acceptable levels of profitability.
Additionally,
our experience providing smart technology is limited. If we do not successfully execute our strategy or anticipate the needs of our customers,
our credibility as a provider of smart home solutions could be questioned, and our prospects for future revenue growth and profitability
may never materialize.
If
we fail to successfully launch our smart products and technologies or manage and maintain our evolving business strategy, our future
revenue growth and profitability would likely be limited and our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows would likely
be materially adversely affected.
We
will need to raise additional financing to support our operations, but we cannot provide any assurance that we will be able to obtain
additional financing on terms favorable to us, or at all. If we are unable to obtain additional financing to meet our needs, our operations
may be adversely affected or terminated.
We
have limited financial resources, and we expect that our evolving strategy and expansion of business activities will require additional
working capital, as we anticipate we will not generate sufficient cash flows from our operations to sustain our operations or to allow
us to effectively develop our smart products and technologies or pursue our strategic initiatives. We are currently generating revenue
partially from sales of our discontinued inventory; we expect to have additional sources of revenues from the e-commerce platform that
will be acquired as part of the pending Acquisition. We expect that the release of our new smart products and technologies will require
working capital to finish product development and manufacturing, and support market release and provide technical customer support upon
its commercial release.
In
the future, we will need to seek additional equity or debt financing to provide for our working capital needs. There can be no assurance
that we will obtain funding on acceptable terms, in a timely fashion or at all. Obtaining additional financing contains risks, including:
● additional
equity financing may not be available to us on satisfactory terms, and any equity we are
able to issue could lead to dilution for current stockholders and have rights, preferences
and privileges senior to our common stock;
● loans
or other debt instruments may have terms and/or conditions, such as interest rates, restrictive
covenants and control or revocation provisions, that are not acceptable to management or
our board of directors;
● debt
financing increases expenses, and we must repay the debt regardless of our operating results;
and
● our
ability to obtain additional capital may be adversely impacted by factors beyond our control,
such as the market demand for our securities, the state of financial markets generally and
other relevant factors, including potential worsening global economic conditions resulting
from increasing inflation and interest rates, ongoing supply chain disruptions and shortages,
labor shortages and geopolitical conditions, and any disruptions to, or volatility in, the
credit and financial markets in the United States and worldwide that arise from any economic
downturn or recession.
22
As
of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $6.7 million in cash and cash equivalents and $7.4 million in investments,
available-for-sale. As we develop our revenue base, we have raised additional funds through the sale of our common stock and
warrants and issuance of debt, including receiving approximately $20.5 million in net proceeds from our initial public offering
completed in February 2022 and a private placement subordinated secured convertible promissory notes in an aggregate principal
amount of $10.35 million in February and March 2023. We believe that our sources of liquidity and capital will be sufficient to
finance our continued operations for at least the next 12 months. For additional information regarding our financing arrangements,
see the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” heading in the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis”
section of this Form 10-K.
If
we fail to obtain required additional financing to sustain our business before we are able to produce levels of revenue to meet our financial
needs, we may be unable to continue to develop our business activities to achieve our objectives or may need to delay, scale back or
eliminate our business plan and further reduce our operating costs, each of which would have a material adverse effect on our business,
future prospects and financial condition. A lack of additional financing could also result in our inability to continue as a going concern
and force us to sell certain assets or discontinue or curtail our operations and, as a result, our investors could lose their entire
investment.
We
face risks associated with financing our operations related to our debt financing.
We
are subject to the normal risks associated with debt financing, including the risk that our cash flow will be insufficient to meet required
payments of principal and interest and the risk that we will not be able to renew, repay or refinance our debt when it matures or that
the terms of any renewal or refinancing will not be as favorable as the existing terms of that debt. In addition, to the extent that
we are unable to pay our obligations under our secured promissory notes with Nielsen & Bainbridge, LLC (“NBG”), the holders
of certain outstanding convertible promissory notes, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (the “SBA”), or any other
outstanding secured debt, the creditor could proceed against any or all of the collateral securing our indebtedness to it.
We
also have received loan proceeds under the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”), a substantial portion of which has been
forgiven. The SBA may audit our loan forgiveness applications and further examine our eligibility for forgiveness, including the facts
and circumstances existing at the time the loans were made. We can provide no assurances that any loan forgiven will not require repayment
following an audit by the SBA.
The
success of our business depends on the market acceptance of products with our proprietary technology and our ability to respond to rapidly
changing technology and customer demands.
Our
future success depends on the market acceptance of our proprietary safe and smart products and technologies. If we are unable to convince
current and potential customers of the advantages of our products and technologies, or we are unable to adapt to technological advances,
anticipate customer demands and develop new capabilities for our products and technologies, then our ability to market and sell our products
and technologies will be limited. If the market for our products and technologies does not develop, if we are unable to adapt new or
enhanced products and technologies to emerging industry standards, or if the market does not accept our products and technologies, then
our ability to grow our business could be limited. In addition, we may experience technical or other difficulties that could delay or
prevent the development, introduction or marketing of our products and technologies.
We
are subject to risks related to health epidemics and pandemics, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which could adversely affect
our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations.
We
face various risks related to public health issues, including epidemics, pandemics, and other outbreaks, such as the lingering effects
of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects and potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to, its impact on general
economic conditions, trade and financing markets, changes in customer behavior and continuity in business operations, creates significant
uncertainty. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic may cause an increase in costs resulting from our efforts to mitigate the effects The
extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to affect our business will depend on continued developments, including the duration
of the pandemic and the extent of any further resurgences in cases across the United States or shutdowns of manufacturing facilities
in China, the emergence of new variants, some of which have been, and may be in the future, more transmissible or virulent than the initial
strain, the timing, availability and acceptance of effective medical treatments and vaccines, the impact on capital and financial markets
and the related impact on consumer confidence and spending, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. Even if the COVID-19
pandemic subsides, we may continue to suffer an adverse impact on our business due to the global economic effect of the pandemic, including
any economic recession that has occurred or may occur in the future. Additionally, many of the risk factors disclosed in this Form 10-K
have been, and we anticipate will continue to be further, heightened or exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
23
We
operate in a highly competitive industry, and if we are unable to compete successfully, our business may be adversely affected.
Our
products and technologies face strong competition from manufacturers and distributors of lighting and ceiling fan manufacturers, and,
with respect to our smart products and technologies, from manufacturers and distributors of products addressing certain smart technologies,
features or markets for the home and office worldwide. To remain competitive, we need to invest in research and development
and marketing. Many of our competitors have stronger capitalization than we do, strong existing customer relationships and more extensive
engineering, manufacturing, sales, and marketing capabilities. Competitors’ products and technologies may be more effective, more
effectively marketed or sold or have lower prices or superior performance features than our products and technologies. Competitors could
focus their substantial resources on developing competing products and technologies that may be potentially more attractive to customers
than our products and technologies or offer competitive products and technologies at reduced prices to improve their competitive
positions. We may also face competition from other products with existing technologies and from other smart home devices, and consumers
may prefer individual device solutions that provide more narrowly targeted functionality instead of a more comprehensive integrated smart
home solution. Any of these competitive factors could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain customers, require us to lower
our prices to remain competitive or reduce our revenue and profitability, any of which could have a material adverse effect
on our results of operations and financial condition. We may not have available sufficient financial or other resources to continue to
make the investments necessary to maintain our competitive position.
We
depend on third parties to provide integrated circuit chip sets and other critical components for use in our products.
We
do not manufacture the integrated circuit chip sets or other electronic components used in our products. Instead, we purchase them from
third-party suppliers or rely on third-party independent contractors for these integrated circuit chip sets and other critical components,
some of which are customized or custom made for us. We also use third parties to assemble all or portions of our products. Some of these
third-party contractors and suppliers are small companies with limited financial resources. If any of these third-party contractors or
suppliers were unable or unwilling to supply these components, our ability to manufacture our products may decrease. As the availability
of components decreases, the cost of acquiring those components ordinarily increases. High growth product categories such as the consumer
electronics and mobile phone markets have experienced chronic shortages of components during periods of exceptionally high demand. COVID-19
and geopolitical conditions have also negatively impacted the availability of certain electronic components. While we experienced shortages
in obtaining necessary integrated circuit chips to be used in our products, we have been able to find additional suppliers for such components
and we believe we have obtained enough to manufacture our products by the anticipated launch date. Going forward, we believe
we can obtain more chips as needed within a reasonable time and may be able to replace difficult to acquire components with different
products or modify our design if necessary. If we do not properly anticipate the need for or procure critical components, we may pay
higher prices for those components, our gross margins may decrease and we may be unable to meet the demands of our customers, which could
reduce our competitiveness, cause a decline in our market share and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
We
rely on a limited number of third-party manufacturers to produce our products. We may be unable to achieve our growth and profitability
objectives if we cannot secure acceptable third-party manufacturers or existing third-party manufacturer relationships dissolve. In addition,
our financial results could be adversely affected if we fail to successfully reduce our current or future production costs.
We
depend on certain key manufacturers for our current products and plan to continue to rely on such manufacturers as we transition to sales
of our smart products. If these relationships become strained, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially
adversely affected. We also cannot predict whether our current or future manufacturing arrangements will be able to develop efficient,
low-cost manufacturing capabilities and processes that will enable us to meet the quality, price, engineering, design and production
standards or production volumes required to successfully mass market our products. Even if we are successful in developing manufacturing
capabilities and processes, we cannot provide any assurance that we will do so in time to meet market demand. Our failure to develop
such manufacturing processes and capabilities, if necessary, in a timely manner could prevent us from achieving our growth and profitability
objectives. In addition, our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be materially adversely affected if our
third-party manufacturers were to experience problems with product quality, credit or liquidity issues, labor or materials shortages,
or disruptions or delays in their manufacturing process or delivery of the finished products and components or the raw materials used
to make such products and components. For instance, outbreaks of COVID-19 in China have led to manufacturing lockdowns and slowdowns
in the past and may continue to do so going forward, which may impact us.
24
We
may also need to hire and train a significant number of employees to engage in full-scale commercial manufacturing operations. There
are various risks and challenges associated with hiring, training and managing a large workforce in time for us to commence our planned
commercial production and sale of our smart products and technologies, including that the workforce will not have experience with manufacturing
our smart products and therefore will require significant training.
Additionally,
a significant portion of our strategy will rely upon our ability to successfully rationalize and improve the efficiency of our operations.
In particular, our strategy relies on our ability to reduce our production costs in order to remain competitive. As there is no historical
basis for estimating the demand for our smart products and technologies, or our ability to develop, manufacture and deliver our smart
products, we may be unable to accurately estimate our inventory and production requirements, which would affect our ability to successfully
implement cost reduction measures. If we overestimate our requirements, we may have excess inventory, which would increase our costs.
If we underestimate our requirements, our suppliers may have inadequate inventory, which could interrupt the manufacture of the smart
products and result in delays in shipments and revenues. We may also rely on a limited number of suppliers; during the years ended December
31, 2022 and 2021, we had two major vendors that accounted for 100% of cost of sales. For additional information regarding our suppliers,
see “Item 1. Business – Third-Party Manufacturing and Suppliers.” In addition, lead times for materials and components
may vary significantly and depend on factors such as the specific supplier, contract terms and demand for each component at a given time.
If we are unable to successfully implement cost reduction measures, if these efforts do not generate the level of cost savings that we
expect going forward or result in higher-than-expected costs, or if we fail to order sufficient quantities of components in a timely
manner, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
Our
third-party manufacturers and many of our suppliers are located in China, which exposes us to additional risks.
Our
third-party manufacturers are in China, which exposes us to additional risks that could negatively impact our business and operations.
We are subject to risks associated with shipping products across borders, including shipping delays, customs duties, export quotas and
other trade restrictions that could have a significant impact on our revenue and profitability. The U.S. administration has imposed tariffs
on certain products imported into the United States with China as the country of origin. While these tariffs have not had a significant
impact on the shipment of our products to international markets to date, as we are transitioning our business, we cannot predict the
impact of future tariffs on our products and technologies, and the costs of supplies and manufacturing may increase. If we cannot deliver
our products on a competitive and timely basis, our relationships with customers will be damaged and our financial condition could also
be harmed. The future imposition of, or significant increases in, the level of tariffs, custom duties, export quotas and other barriers
and restrictions by the U.S. on China or other countries could disrupt our supply chain, increase the cost of our raw materials and therefore
our pricing, and impose the burdens of compliance with foreign trade laws, any of which could potentially affect our bottom line and
sales. We cannot assure you that we will not be adversely affected by changes in the trade laws of foreign jurisdictions where we sell
and seek to sell our products.
In
addition, the prosecution of intellectual property infringement and trade secret theft in China is more difficult than in the United
States. Although we take precautions to protect our intellectual property, using Chinese manufacturers could subject us to an increased
risk that unauthorized parties will be able to copy or otherwise obtain or use our intellectual property, and we may be unsuccessful
in monitoring and enforcing our intellectual property rights against them, which could harm our business. We may also have limited legal
recourse in the event we encounter patent or trademark infringers, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations,
and financial condition.
25
Further,
such manufacturers may be subject to disruption by natural disasters, public health crises, and political, social or economic instability,
including geopolitical conditions. The temporary or permanent loss of the services of any of our contract manufacturers could cause a
significant disruption in our product supply chain and operations and delays in product shipments. For example, the continued impact
of the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantines and work and travel restrictions in China have led to manufacturing lockdowns and slowdowns
and could disrupt production and impair our ability to manufacture and launch our products and technologies on our anticipated timelines.
Certain
goods that we import are sourced from third-party suppliers in China. Our ability to successfully import such materials may be adversely
affected by changes in U.S. laws. For example, in December 2021, the U.S. Congress passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”),
which imposed a presumptive ban on the import of goods to the U.S. that are made, wholly or in part, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous
Region of China (“XUAR”) or by persons that participate in certain programs in XUAR that entail the use of forced labor.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) has published both a list of entities that are known to utilize forced labor,
and a list of commodities that are most at risk, such as cotton, tomatoes and silica-based products. Although none of our Chinese suppliers
are in the XUAR, we do not currently have full visibility to the entirety of each supplier’s separate supply chains to
be able to ensure that the raw materials or other inputs they use to manufacture their goods are not produced in XUAR. As a result
of the UFLPA, products and materials we import into the U.S. could be held by the CBP based on a suspicion that inputs used in such materials
originated from the XUAR or that they may have been produced by Chinese suppliers accused of participating in forced labor, pending our
providing satisfactory evidence to the contrary. Among other consequences, such an outcome could result in negative publicity that harms
our brand and reputation and could result in a delay or complete inability to import such materials, which could result in inventory
shortages and greater supply chain compliance costs.
Additional
risks may include, but are not limited to, the potential impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, the increased global
focus on environmental and social issues and China’s potential adoption of more stringent standards in these areas, other rules
and regulations adopted by the Chinese government or provincial or local governments, and the potential impact of global market and economic
conditions on the financial stability of our manufacturers.
We
may acquire other businesses, license rights to technologies or products, form alliances, or dispose of assets or operations, which could
cause us to incur significant expenses and could negatively affect profitability.
We
may pursue acquisitions, technology-licensing arrangements and strategic alliances, or dispose of some of our assets or operations as
part of our business strategy. For instance, in February 2023, we entered into the Stock Purchase Agreement to acquire Belami. We may
not complete these transactions in a timely manner, on a cost-effective basis, or at all, and if such transactions are completed, we
may not realize the expected benefits. If we are successful in completing an acquisition, the products and technologies that are acquired
may not be successful or may require significantly greater resources and investments than originally anticipated. We may not be able
to integrate acquisitions successfully into our existing business and could incur or assume significant debt and unknown or contingent
liabilities; for example, we agreed to assume Belami’s loan agreement with PNC Bank, National Association, consisting of a $2.0
million unused revolving line of credit and a term loan of approximately $2.5 million. In addition, we may experience diversion of our
management’s attention from our existing business and initiatives in pursuing such a strategic transaction and could also experience
negative effects on our reported results of operations from acquisition or disposition-related charges, amortization of expenses related
to intangibles and charges for impairment of long-term assets.
In
addition, if we undertake acquisitions, we may issue dilutive securities, assume or incur debt obligations, incur large one-time
expenses and acquire intangible assets that could result in significant future amortization expense; for instance, in February and
March 2023, we entered into the Private Placements, pursuant to which we issued convertible notes and warrants, and we agreed to
issue common stock as consideration for the Acquisition. Moreover, we may not be able to locate suitable acquisition opportunities,
and this inability could impair our ability to grow or obtain access to technologies or products that may be important to the
development of our business. We may also be subject to transaction-related litigation in connection with proposed acquisitions. Any
of the foregoing may materially harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, stock price and prospects.
26
We
cannot provide any assurance that the Acquisition will successfully be completed or, if completed, that we will be able to realize the
expected benefits of the Acquisition.
There
can be no assurance that the proposed Acquisition of Belami will occur. Consummation of the Acquisition is subject to certain customary
conditions, and there can be no assurance that the conditions to closing will be satisfied at all or satisfied on the proposed terms
and schedules as contemplated by the parties. Satisfaction of the closing conditions may delay the consummation of the Acquisition, and
if certain closing conditions are not satisfied prior to the end date specified in the Stock Purchase Agreement, the parties will not
be obligated to complete the Acquisition. If the Acquisition is not completed
for any reason, we will have incurred substantial expenses. We have incurred substantial legal and accounting fees that are payable by
us whether the Acquisition is completed, and our management has devoted considerable time and effort in connection with the pending
Acquisition. In particular, the Stock Purchase Agreement contains specified termination rights for each of the parties; among other things,
the Company is obligated to pay the Sellers a $1.0 million termination fee if the Stock Purchase Agreement is terminated under certain
circumstances. A failed acquisition could materially adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition. In addition,
the trading price of our securities could be adversely affected to the extent that the current price reflects an assumption that the
Acquisition will be completed.
In
addition, our success following the announcement of the Acquisition depends in part upon our and Belami’s ability to maintain our
respective business relationships. Uncertainty about the effect of the Acquisition on customers, suppliers, employees, and other constituencies
may have a material adverse effect on us and Belami. In connection with the pendency of the Acquisition, some persons with whom we have
a business relationship may delay business decisions or decide to seek to terminate or modify their relationships with us or Belami,
which could negatively affect our revenues, earnings and cash flows, as well as the market price of our common stock, regardless of whether
the Acquisition is completed. Such risks may be exacerbated by delays or other adverse developments with respect to the completion of
the Acquisition.
If
the Acquisition is successfully completed, we may not realize the expected benefits of the Acquisition. We and Belami have operated and,
until completion of the Acquisition, will continue to operate, independently, and there can be no assurances that our businesses can
be combined in a manner that allows for the achievement of substantial benefits. Any integration process may require significant time
and resources, and we may not be able to manage the process successfully as our ability to acquire and integrate larger or more complex
companies, products or technologies in a successful manner is unproven. If we are not able to successfully integrate Belami’s businesses
with ours or pursue our customer and product strategy successfully, the anticipated benefits of the Acquisition may not be realized fully
or may take longer than expected to be realized. Further, it is possible that there could be a loss of our and/or Belami’s key
employees and customers, disruption of either company’s or both companies’ ongoing businesses or unexpected issues, higher
than expected costs and an overall post-completion process that takes longer than originally anticipated. Specifically, the following
issues, among others, must be addressed in combining Belami’s operations with ours to realize the anticipated benefits
of the Acquisition so the combined company performs as the parties hope:
● combining
the companies’ corporate functions;
● combining
Belami’s business with our business in a manner that permits us to achieve the synergies
anticipated to result from the Acquisition, the failure of which would result in the anticipated
benefits of the Acquisition not being realized in the timeframe currently anticipated or
at all;
● maintaining
existing agreements with customers, distributors, providers, talent, and vendors and avoiding
delays in entering into new agreements with prospective customers, distributors, providers,
talent and vendors;
● determining
whether and how to address possible differences in corporate cultures and management philosophies;
● integrating
the companies’ administrative and information technology infrastructure; and
● evaluating
and forecasting the financial impact of the Acquisition transaction, including accounting
charges.
27
In
addition, at times, the attention of certain members of our management and resources may be focused on completion of the Acquisition
and integration planning of the businesses of the two companies and diverted from day-to-day business operations, which may disrupt our
ongoing business and the business of the combined company.
We
may incur significant, non-recurring costs in connection with the Acquisition and integrating the operations of the Company and Belami,
including costs to maintain employee morale and to retain key employees. Management cannot ensure that the elimination of duplicative
costs or the realization of other efficiencies will offset the transaction and integration costs in the long term or at all.
Also,
Belami may have liabilities that were not discovered during our due diligence investigations. Any such liabilities, individually or in
the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We
may depend upon a limited number of customers in any given period to generate a substantial portion of our revenue.
Our
industry does not lend to long-term customer contracts, and our dependence on individual key customers can vary from period to period
as a result of consumer demands, among other variables. As a result, we may experience more customer concentration in any given future
period. The loss of, or substantial reduction in sales to, any of our significant customers could have a material adverse effect on our
results of operations in any given future period.
Our
business may become substantially dependent on contracts that are awarded through competitive bidding processes.
We
may obtain a significant portion of our revenues pursuant to contracts that are subject to competitive bidding, including contracts with
municipal authorities. Competition for, and negotiation and award of, contracts present varied risks, including, but not limited to:
● investment
of substantial time and resources by management for the preparation of bids and proposals
with no assurance that a contract will be awarded to us;
● the
requirement to certify as to compliance with numerous laws (for example, socio-economic,
small business and domestic preference) for which a false or incorrect certification can
lead to civil and criminal penalties;
● the
need to estimate accurately the resources and cost structure required to service a contract;
and
● the
expenses and delays that we might suffer if our competitors protest a contract awarded to
us, including the potential that the contract may be terminated and a new bid competition
may be conducted.
If
we are unable to win contracts awarded through the competitive bidding process, we may not be able to operate in the market for products
and services that are provided under those contracts for several years. If we are unable to consistently win new contract awards
over any extended period, or if we fail to anticipate all of the costs and resources that will be required to secure and perform such
contract awards, our growth strategy and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely
affected.
If
we fail to develop our brand, our business may suffer.
We
believe that developing and maintaining awareness of our brand is critical to achieving widespread acceptance of our products and technologies
and is an important element in attracting and retaining customers. Efforts to build our brand may involve significant expense and may
not generate customer awareness or increase revenue at all, or in an amount sufficient to offset expenses we incur in building our brand.
Promotion and enhancement of our brand will depend largely on our success in being able to provide high quality, reliable and cost-effective
products and technologies. If customers do not perceive our products and technologies as meeting their needs, or if we fail to market
our products and technologies effectively, we will likely be unsuccessful in creating the brand awareness that is critical for broad
customer adoption of our products and technologies.
28
We
sell, or will sell, products and technologies to companies in industries that tend to be extremely cyclical; downturns in those industries
would adversely affect our results of operations.
The
growth and profitability of our business will depend on sales to industries that are subject to cyclical downturns, such as the construction
and housing industries. Slowdowns in these industries may adversely affect our sales, which in turn would adversely affect our revenues
and results of operations.
Our
inability to protect our intellectual property, or our involvement in damaging and disruptive intellectual property litigation, could
adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition or result in the loss of use of the related product or service.
We
attempt to protect our intellectual property rights through a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, as well
as third-party nondisclosure and assignment agreements. Our failure to obtain or maintain adequate protection of our intellectual property
rights for any reason could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Some
of our products, systems, business methods and technologies are covered by United States and international patents and patent applications.
At this time, we do not own all of the intellectual property and proprietary information used in our products and technologies, and we
do not have any contracts or agreements pending to acquire such intellectual property and proprietary information. If our relationship
with the owner of the intellectual property and proprietary knowledge we use is impaired or we otherwise lose our ability to incorporate
such intellectual property and proprietary knowledge in our products and technologies, our ability to manufacture and sell our products
and technologies would be materially adversely affected. We offer no assurance about the degree of protection which existing or future
patents may afford us. Likewise, we offer no assurance that our patent applications will result in issued patents, that our patents will
be upheld if challenged, that competitors will not develop similar or superior business methods or products outside the protection of
our patents, that competitors will not infringe our patents, or that we will have adequate resources to enforce our patents. Effective
protection of our United States patents may be unavailable or limited in jurisdictions outside the United States, as the intellectual
property laws of foreign countries sometimes offer less protection or have onerous filing requirements. In addition, because some patent
applications are maintained in secrecy for a period of time, we could adopt a technology without knowledge of a pending patent application,
and such technology could infringe a third party’s patent.
We
also rely on unpatented proprietary technology. It is possible that others will independently develop the same or similar technology
or otherwise learn of our unpatented technology. To protect our trade secrets and other proprietary information, we generally require
employees, consultants, advisors and collaborators to enter into confidentiality agreements. We cannot provide any assurance that these
agreements will provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information in the event of any unauthorized
use, misappropriation or disclosure of such trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information. If we are unable to maintain the
proprietary nature of our technologies, our business could be materially adversely affected.
We
rely on our trademarks, trade names, and brand names to distinguish us and our products and services from our competitors. Some of
our trademarks may conflict with the trademarks of other companies. Failure to obtain trademark registrations could limit our
ability to protect our trademarks and impede our sales and marketing efforts. Further, competitors may infringe on our trademarks, and
we may not have adequate resources to enforce our trademarks.
In
addition, third parties may bring infringement and other claims that could be time-consuming and expensive to defend. Parties making
infringement and other claims against us may be able to obtain injunctive or other equitable relief that could effectively block our
ability to provide our products, technologies, services or business methods and could cause us to pay substantial damages. In the event
of a successful claim of infringement, we may need to obtain one or more licenses from third parties, which may not be available at a
reasonable cost, or at all. It is possible that our intellectual property rights may not be valid or that we may infringe existing or
future proprietary rights of others. Any successful infringement claims could subject us to significant liabilities, require us to seek
licenses on unfavorable terms, prevent us from manufacturing or selling products, technologies, services and business methods and require
us to redesign or, in the case of trademark claims, rebrand our business or products, any of which could have a material adverse effect
on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
29
The
expiration or loss of patent protection and licenses may affect our future revenues and operating income.
Much
of our business relies on patent and trademark and other intellectual property protection. Although most of the challenges to our intellectual
property would likely come from other businesses, governments may also challenge intellectual property protections. To the extent intellectual
property we rely upon is successfully challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or to the extent it does not allow us to compete effectively,
our business will suffer. To the extent that countries do not enforce our intellectual property rights or to the extent that countries
require compulsory licensing of our intellectual property, our future revenues and operating income will be reduced.
The
loss of our license arrangements with GE could negatively affect our results of operations.
We
currently have two U.S. and global agreements with GE, whereby we may use the GE brand logo on some of our products and GE’s licensing
team may license some of our products to both U.S. and global manufacturers. The loss or termination of our arrangements with GE could,
among other things: limit our ability to secure additional customers and thereby could have a material adverse effect on our profitability
and financial condition; negatively impact our manufacturing capabilities, as our products are produced by third-party manufacturers,
mainly in the People’s Republic of China, under the strict guidance of GE, and the loss of GE’s supervision might adversely
affect our relationship with the third-party manufacturers and/or require us to increase our quality control staff in China to assume
the guidance role administered by GE, if we are to maintain a similarly high level of quality for our products; cause us to materially
revise our marketing plans for new and existing products, which could delay product introductions and have a negative impact on our revenue;
and impact relationships with third-party suppliers of electronics and/or services currently or planned to be incorporated in our products
and technologies, which could delay or forestall such collaborations and, as a result, negatively impact our products and technologies
and potential revenue from such products and technologies.
We
are, or in the future may be, subject to substantial regulation related to quality and safety standards applicable to our products and
technologies. Our failure to comply with applicable quality or safety standards could have an adverse effect on our business, financial
condition or results of operations.
We
are subject to regulation related to quality and safety standards, including safety certification and evaluation to specific safety standards
depending on the product type, region and country. Products certified by a NRTL, such as UL, Intertek Testing Lab (ETL) or Canadian Standards
(CSA), bear a certification mark signifying that the product complies with the requirements of the product safety standard. UL Standards
are used for evaluation of USA products, CSA Standards for Canada and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) Standards for European
countries. We use UL as our main third-party NRTL safety laboratory. While we have received a variety of safety certifications on our
products, including UL, United Laboratories for Canada (cUL), Conformité Européenne (CE) and International Electrotechnical
Commission for Electrical Equipment (IECEE) Certification Body (CB) scheme, we may need or desire to obtain additional certifications
for new product configurations, which will increase the time and costs to complete our product launches and which we may be unable to
obtain within a reasonable time, or at all. In addition, certain electronic products require FCC certification, and we have obtained
FCC certification on applicable products to ensure electromagnetic interference compliance. Compliance with applicable regulatory requirements
is subject to continual review and is monitored through periodic inspections and other review and reporting mechanisms. Although we believe
that our broad knowledge and experience with electrical codes and safety standards have facilitated certification approvals, we cannot
provide any assurance that we will be able to obtain any such certifications for our new products or that, if certification standards
are amended, we will be able to maintain such certifications for our existing products.
While
we endeavor to take all the steps necessary to comply with applicable laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that we can maintain
compliance on a continuing basis. Failure by us or our partners to comply with current or future governmental regulations and quality
and safety assurance guidelines could lead to product recalls or related field actions, or product shortages. Efficacy or safety concerns
with respect to our products or those of our partners could lead to product recalls, fines, withdrawals, declining sales and/or our failure
to successfully commercialize new products or otherwise achieve revenue growth.
30
We
could face significant liabilities in connection with our products, technologies and business operations, which, if incurred beyond any
insurance limits, would adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We
are subject to a variety of potential liabilities connected to our product and technology development and business operations, such as
potential liabilities related to environmental risks. As a business that markets products for use by consumers and institutions, we may
become liable for any damage caused by our products, whether used in the manner intended or not. Any such claim of liability, whether
meritorious or not, could be time-consuming and/or result in costly litigation. Although we have obtained insurance against certain of
these risks, no assurance can be given that such insurance will be adequate to cover related liabilities or will be available in the
future or, if available, that premiums will be commercially justifiable. If we were to incur any substantial liability and related damages
were not covered by our insurance or exceeded policy limits, or if we were to incur such liability at a time when we are not able to
obtain liability insurance, our business, financial conditions, and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
We
may be subject to legal claims against us or claims by us that could have a significant impact on our resulting financial performance.
At
any given time, we may be subject to litigation or claims related to our products and technologies, intellectual property, customers,
employees, stockholders, distributors and sales of our assets, among other things, the disposition of which may have an adverse effect
upon our business, financial condition or results of operations. The outcome of litigation is difficult to assess or quantify. Lawsuits
can result in the payment of substantial damages by defendants. If we are required to pay substantial damages and expenses as a result
of these or other types of lawsuits, our business and results of operations would be adversely affected. Regardless of whether any claims
against us are valid or whether we are liable, claims may be expensive to defend and may divert time and money away from our operations.
We may not have adequate resources in the event of a successful claim against us, and insurance may not be available in sufficient amounts
or at all to cover any liabilities with respect to these or other matters. A judgment or other liability in excess of our insurance coverage
for any claims could adversely affect our business and the results of our operations.
We
have limited product distribution experience and we expect to rely on third parties, who may not successfully sell our products and technologies.
Our
ability to increase our customer base, achieve broader market acceptance of our products and technologies, grow our revenue and achieve
and sustain profitability will depend, to a significant extent, on our ability to effectively expand our sales and marketing operations
and activities. We have limited product distribution experience and currently rely, and plan to rely primarily, on product distribution
arrangements with third parties. As a result, our future revenues from sales of our products and technologies, if any, will depend on
the success of the efforts of these third parties. We may also license our technology to certain third parties for commercialization
of certain applications. We expect to enter into additional distribution agreements and/or licensing agreements in the future, and we
may not be able to enter into these agreements on terms that are favorable to us, if at all. In addition, we may have limited or no control
over the distribution activities of these third parties. These third parties could sell competing products and technologies and may devote
insufficient sales efforts to our products and technologies. We are also subject to the risks of distributors and resellers encountering
financial difficulties, which could impede their effectiveness and also expose us to financial risk, for example, if they are unable
to pay for their purchases, or ongoing disruptions in business, such as from natural disasters or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We
will rely on third parties maintaining open marketplaces to distribute our mobile application. If such third parties interfere with the
distribution of our application, our business would be adversely affected.
We
will rely on third parties maintaining open marketplaces, including the Apple App Store and Google Play, to make the mobile application
controlling our products and technologies available for download. We cannot assure you that the marketplaces through which we distribute
our mobile application will maintain their current structures or that such marketplaces will not charge us fees to list our application
for download. We will also depend on these third-party marketplaces to enable us and our users to update our mobile application timely,
and to incorporate new features, integrations and capabilities. We will be subject to requirements imposed by such marketplaces, which
may change their technical requirements or policies in a manner that adversely impacts the way in which we or third parties collect,
use and share data from users through our mobile application. If we do not comply with these requirements, we could lose access to the
mobile application marketplace and users, and our business, results of operations, and financial condition may be harmed.
31
In
addition, Apple, and Google, among others, for competitive or other reasons, could stop allowing or supporting access to our mobile application
through their products, could allow access for us only at an unsustainable cost, or could make changes to the terms of access in order
to make our mobile application less desirable or harder to access. If it becomes more difficult for our users to access and use the mobile
application controlling our smart products on their mobile devices, if our users choose not to access or use the application on their
mobile devices, or if our users choose to use mobile products that do not offer access to the application, our user growth, retention
and engagement could be seriously harmed.
Our
net sales, and ability to market and sell our new products and technologies, might be adversely impacted if our products and technologies
do not meet certain certification and compliance standards.
Although
not legally required to do so, we strive to obtain certifications for substantially all our products, both in the United States, and,
where appropriate, in jurisdictions outside the United States. For instance, we may seek certification of our products from UL, United
Laboratories for Canada (cUL) and Conformité Européenne (CE). Although we believe that our broad knowledge and experience
with electrical codes and safety standards have facilitated certification approvals, we cannot ensure that we will be able to obtain
any such certifications for our new products and technologies or that, if certification standards are amended, we will be able to maintain
such certifications for our existing products. Moreover, although we are not aware of any effort to amend any existing certification
standard or implement a new certification standard in a manner that would render us unable to maintain certification for our existing
products or obtain ratification for new products and technologies, our net sales might be adversely affected if such an amendment or
implementation were to occur.
Defects
in our mobile application and the technology powering it may adversely affect our business.
Tools,
code, subroutines, and processes contained within our mobile application may contain defects not yet discovered or contained in updates
and new versions. Our introduction of updates and new versions with defects or quality problems may result in adverse publicity, reduced
downloads and use, product redevelopment costs, loss of or delay in market acceptance of our products and technologies or claims by customers
or others against us. Such problems or claims may have a material and adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition
and results of operations.
Changes
to tax laws or exposure to additional tax liabilities may have a negative impact on our operating results.
Continued
developments in U.S. tax reform and changes to tax laws and rates in other jurisdictions where we may do business could adversely affect
our results of operations and cash flows. It is also possible that provisions of U.S. tax reform could be subsequently amended in a way
that is adverse to the Company.
In
addition, we may undergo tax audits in the jurisdictions in which we operate. Although we believe that our income tax provisions and
accruals are reasonable and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), and
that we prepare our tax filings in accordance with all applicable tax laws, the final determination with respect to any tax audits and
any related litigation could be materially different from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. The results of any tax audit
or litigation could materially affect our operating results and cash flows in the periods for which that determination is made. In addition,
future period net income may be adversely impacted by litigation costs, settlements, penalties and interest assessments.
Finally,
on August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (the “IRA”) was signed into law. Among other things, the IRA includes a new
corporate alternative minimum tax of 15% for certain large companies and a 1% excise tax on corporate stock repurchases applicable to
repurchases after December 31, 2022. We are in the process of evaluating the potential impacts of the IRA. While we do not currently
expect the IRA to have a material impact on our effective tax rate, our analysis is ongoing and incomplete, and it is possible that the
IRA could have a material adverse effect on our tax liability.
32
Certain
U.S. state and local tax authorities may assert that the Company has a nexus with such states or localities and may seek to impose state
and local income taxes on its income allocated to such state and localities .
There
is a risk that certain state tax authorities where the Company does not currently file a state income tax return could assert that the
Company is liable for state and local income taxes based upon income or gross receipts allocable to such states or localities. States
and localities are becoming increasingly aggressive in asserting nexus for state and local income tax purposes. The Company could be
subject to additional state and local income taxation, including penalties and interest attributable to prior periods, if a state or
local tax authority in a state or locality where the Company does not currently file an income tax return successfully asserts that the
Company’s activities give rise to nexus for state income tax purposes. Such tax assessments, penalties and interest may adversely
affect the Company’s cash tax liabilities, results of operations and financial condition.
Taxing
authorities may successfully assert that the Company should have collected or in the future should collect sales and use or similar taxes
for its services, which could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.
State
taxing authorities may assert that the Company had an economic nexus with their state and were required to collect sales and use or similar
taxes with respect to past or future products and technologies that the Company has sold or will sell, which could result in tax assessments,
penalties, and interest. The assertion of such taxes against the Company for past sales, or any requirement that the Company collect sales
taxes on future sales, could have a material adverse effect on its business, cash tax liabilities, results of operations and financial
condition.
Our
ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
We
have significant U.S. net operating loss (“NOL”) and tax credit carryforwards. Under Section 382 and Section 383 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” the corporation’s
ability to use its pre-change NOLs and certain other tax attributes to offset its post-change income may be limited. In general, an “ownership
change” will occur if there is a cumulative change in our ownership by “five percent stockholders” that exceeds 50
percentage points over a rolling three-year period. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. Our ability to use NOLs and other tax
attributes to reduce future taxable income and liabilities may be subject to annual limitations as a result of prior ownership changes
and ownership changes that may occur in the future.
Under
the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “TCJA”), as amended by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES
Act”), NOLs arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2021 may be carried back to each of
the five taxable years preceding the tax year of such loss, but NOLs arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020 may not
be carried back. Additionally, under the TCJA, as modified by the CARES Act, NOLs from tax years that began after December 31, 2017 may
offset no more than 80% of current taxable income annually for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020, but the 80% limitation
on the use of NOLs from tax years that began after December 31, 2017 does not apply for taxable income in tax years beginning before
January 1, 2021. NOLs arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 can be carried forward indefinitely, but NOLs generated
in tax years beginning before January 1, 2018 will continue to have a two-year carryback and twenty-year carryforward period. In addition,
for state income tax purposes, the extent to which states will conform to the federal laws is uncertain and there may be periods during
which the use of NOL carryforwards is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed.
The
elimination of monetary liability against our directors, officers, and employees under Florida law and the existence of indemnification
rights to our directors, officers and employees may result in substantial expenditures by us and may discourage lawsuits against our
directors, officers and employees.
Our
articles of incorporation, as amended (the “articles of incorporation”), contain a provision permitting us to eliminate the
personal liability of our directors and officers to our Company and stockholders for damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director
or officer to the extent provided by Florida law. Our second amended and restated bylaws (the “bylaws”) also contain provisions
regarding indemnification of our directors, officers and employees, including, under certain circumstances, against attorneys’
fees and other expenses incurred by them in any litigation to which they become a party arising from their association with or activities
on our behalf. We will also bear the expenses of such litigation for any of our directors, officers, employees or agents, upon such person’s
promise to repay us therefore if it is ultimately determined that any such person shall not have been entitled to indemnification. The
foregoing obligations could result in our incurring substantial expenditures to cover the cost of settlement or damage awards against
directors and officers, which we may be unable to recoup. These provisions and resultant costs may also discourage us from bringing a
lawsuit against directors and officers for breaches of their fiduciary duties and may similarly discourage the filing of derivative litigation
by our stockholders against our directors and officers even though such actions, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and stockholders.
33
Other
factors could have a material adverse effect on our future profitability and financial condition.
Many
other factors can affect our profitability and financial condition, including:
● changes
in, or interpretations of, laws and regulations, including changes in accounting standards
and taxation requirements;
● changes
in the rate of inflation, interest rates and the performance of investments held by us;
● changes
in the creditworthiness of counterparties that transact business with us;
● changes
in business, economic and political conditions, including: war, political instability, terrorist
attacks in the U.S. and other parts of the world, the threat of future terrorist activity
in the U.S. and other parts of the world and related military action; natural disasters;
public health crises, including epidemics and pandemics, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic;
the cost and availability of insurance due to any of the foregoing events or other unforeseen
events; labor disputes, strikes, slow-downs or other forms of labor or union activity; and
pressure from third-party interest groups;
● changes
in our business and investments and changes in the relative and absolute contribution of
each to earnings and cash flow resulting from evolving business strategies, changing product
mix, changes in tax rates and opportunities existing now or in the future;
● difficulties
related to our information technology systems, any of which could adversely affect business
operations, including any significant breakdown, invasion, destruction, or interruption of
these systems;
● changes
in credit markets impacting our ability to obtain financing for our business operations;
or
● legal
difficulties, any of which could preclude or delay commercialization of products or technologies
or adversely affect profitability, including claims asserting statutory or regulatory violations,
adverse litigation decisions and issues regarding compliance with any governmental consent
decree.
Risks
Related to Our Operations
Our
actual operating results may differ significantly from guidance provided by our management.
From
time to time, the Company may release guidance in its earnings releases, earnings conference calls, or otherwise, regarding its future
performance that represent management’s estimates as of the date of release. This guidance, if released, would include forward-looking
statements and would be based on projections prepared by the Company’s management. The Company’s guidance will not be prepared
with a view toward compliance with published accounting and reporting guidelines, and neither its registered public accountants nor any
other independent expert or outside party will compile or examine the projections and, accordingly, no such person will express any opinion
or any other form of assurance with respect thereto. Guidance will be based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while presented
with numerical specificity, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies,
many of which are beyond the Company’s control and are based upon specific assumptions with respect to future business decisions,
some of which will change. The Company will generally state possible outcomes as high and low ranges which are intended to provide a
sensitivity analysis as variables are changed but are not intended to represent that actual results could not fall outside of the suggested
ranges. The principal reason that the Company would release guidance would be to provide a basis for the Company’s management to
discuss its business outlook with analysts and investors. The Company will not accept any responsibility for any projections or reports
published by analysts. Guidance is necessarily speculative in nature, and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions of the
guidance furnished by the Company will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results. Accordingly, the Company’s
guidance will only be an estimate of what management believes is realizable as of the date of release. Actual results will vary from
the Company’s guidance and the variations may be material. In light of the foregoing, investors are urged to put the guidance in
context and not to place undue reliance on any such guidance. Any failure to successfully implement the Company’s operating strategy
or the occurrence of any of the events or circumstances discussed therein could result in the actual operating results being different
from its guidance, and such differences may be adverse and material.
34
We
have incurred, and will continue to incur, increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management is required
to devote substantial time to compliance initiatives.
As
a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. We are subject
to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, which require, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly and current reports
with respect to our business and financial condition with the SEC. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the “Sarbanes-Oxley
Act”), as well as rules adopted by the SEC and The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) to implement provisions of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act, impose significant requirements on public companies, including requiring establishment and maintenance of effective
disclosure and financial controls and changes in corporate governance practices. Further, in July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform
and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), was enacted. There are significant corporate governance and executive
compensation related provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act that required the SEC to adopt additional rules and regulations in these areas,
such as “say on pay” and proxy access. Stockholder activism, the current political and economic environment and the high
levels of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations, which may
lead to additional compliance costs and impact the way we operate our business in ways we cannot currently anticipate.
The
rules and regulations applicable to public companies substantially increase our legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities
more time-consuming and costly. If and when these requirements divert the attention of our management and personnel from other business
concerns, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. The increased costs have
increased our expenses and may require us to reduce costs in other areas of our business. We cannot currently predict or estimate the
amount or timing of additional costs we may incur to respond to these requirements. The impact of these requirements could also make
it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. This could
be compounded in the event these rules and regulations make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance,
which, in the future, could require us to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage.
In
addition, there has been increased focus from regulatory authorities, investors and other stakeholders on companies’ environmental,
social and governance (“ESG”) policies and practices, including corporate citizenship and sustainability. Public interest
and legislative pressure related to public companies’ ESG practices continues to grow; for example, the SEC has proposed rules
regarding climate-related disclosures and included in its regulatory agenda potential rulemaking on corporate diversity. Furthermore,
there exists certain “anti-ESG” sentiment among some individuals and governments, and several states have enacted or proposed
“anti-ESG” policies or legislation, which may conflict with other laws and regulations. Compliance with ESG-related rules
and regulations could increase compliance burdens and associated regulatory costs, as well as enhance the risk of claims and regulatory
actions, which could adversely impact our reputation and our efforts to raise capital, including as a result of public regulatory sanctions.
Our
future success depends on our ability to retain key employees and to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel.
Our
success depends substantially on the efforts and abilities of our officers and other key employees and agents. Although we have entered
into employment agreements with our executive officers, each of them may terminate their employment with us at any time. If we are unable
to continue to attract and retain high quality personnel, our ability to pursue our growth strategy will be limited.
Recruiting
and retaining qualified personnel will also be critical to our success. The loss of the services of our executive officers or other key
employees or contractors could impede the achievement of our research and development objectives and seriously harm our ability to successfully
implement our business strategy. Furthermore, replacing executive officers and key personnel may be difficult and may take an extended
period of time, as competition for experienced personnel in our industry is substantial and we could be impacted by labor shortages.
In addition, if any of our officers or other key personnel join a competitor or form a competing company, we may lose some of our customers.
35
Our
culture has contributed to our success, and if we cannot maintain this culture as we grow, we could lose the innovation, creativity and
teamwork fostered by our culture, and our business may be harmed.
We
believe that our culture has been and will continue to be a key contributor to our success. We expect to continue to hire additional
personnel as we expand our business. If we do not continue to develop our company culture or maintain our core values as we grow and
evolve, we may be unable to foster the innovation, creativity and teamwork we believe we need to support our growth.
As
a result of being a public company, we are obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting,
and any failure to maintain the adequacy of these internal controls may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result,
the value of our common stock.
As
a public company, we are required to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other rules that govern public companies. In particular,
we are required to certify our compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires us to furnish annually a report
by management on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, should we no longer qualify as
non-accelerated filer, our independent registered public accounting firm will be required to report on the effectiveness of our
internal control over financial reporting. We are also required to design our disclosure controls and procedures to reasonably
assure that information required to be disclosed in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC and that such information is accumulated
and communicated to management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
We
may identify control deficiencies of varying degrees of severity under applicable SEC and PCAOB rules and regulations that remain unremedied.
As a public company, we are required to report, among other things, control deficiencies that constitute a “material weakness”
or changes in internal controls that, or that are reasonably likely to, materially affect internal controls over financial reporting.
A “material weakness” is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such
that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented
or detected on a timely basis. A “significant deficiency” is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal
control over financial reporting that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those responsible
for oversight of our financial reporting.
If
we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, if our independent registered
public accounting firm determines that we have a material weakness or a significant deficiency in our internal control over financial
reporting, or if we are unable to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to produce
timely and accurate financial statements. As a result, our investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, the
market price of our stock could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
We
believe that any internal controls and procedures, no matter how well-conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute,
assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. We may discover weaknesses in our system of internal financial and accounting
controls and procedures that could result in a material misstatement of our financial statements. Our internal control over financial
reporting will not prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation
of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances
of fraud will be detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that
breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. For example, our directors or executive officers could inadvertently fail to
disclose a new relationship or arrangement, causing us to fail to disclose a required related party transaction. Additionally, controls
can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the
controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not
be detected.
36
Unstable
market and economic conditions may have serious adverse consequences on our business, financial condition and stock price.
Global
financial markets have recently experienced, because of, among other factors, the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conditions, increasing
inflation and interest rates, currency exchange rates, labor shortages and supply chain disruptions and constraints, and have in the
past experienced, extreme volatility and disruptions, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in unemployment
rates and uncertainty about economic stability. There can be no assurance that further deterioration in credit and financial markets
and confidence in economic conditions will not occur. In addition, inflationary factors, such as increases in interest rates, government
regulations, supply and overhead costs and transportation costs, may adversely affect our operating results, and we may not be able to
offset increased costs with increased sales price per unit, particularly as we work toward commercial manufacturing of our products.
Although we do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our financial position or results of operations to date, we may
experience some effect in the foreseeable future (especially if inflation rates continue to rise) due to supply chain constraints, consequences
associated with government regulations, and ongoing and potential geopolitical conflicts, employee availability and wage increases. Our
general business strategy and ability to raise capital may be adversely affected by any economic downturn or recession, volatile business
environment or continued unpredictable and unstable market conditions. Deterioration in the equity and credit markets may make any necessary
debt or equity financing more difficult, more costly and more dilutive. Failure to secure any necessary financing in a timely manner
and on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our growth strategy, financial performance and stock price and could require
us to delay or abandon our strategic plans. In addition, there is a risk that one or more of our current service providers and other
partners may not survive these difficult economic times, which could directly affect our ability to attain our operating goals on schedule
and on budget.
In
addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market
prices of equity securities of many companies, including in connection with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in decreased
or volatile stock prices for many companies, notwithstanding the lack of a fundamental change in their underlying business models or
prospects. These fluctuations have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Broad market
and industry factors, including potentially worsening economic conditions and other adverse effects or developments relating to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conditions and other political, regulatory and market conditions, may negatively affect the market price
of shares of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.
As
of December 31, 2022, our cash and cash equivalents were approximately $6.7 million, and we held approximately $7.4 million of investments,
available-for-sale. While we are not aware of any downgrades, material losses, or other significant deterioration in the fair value of
our cash equivalents or investments since December 31, 2022, no assurance can be given that further deterioration of the global credit
and financial markets would not negatively impact our current portfolio of cash equivalents or our ability to meet our financing objectives.
For instance, in March 2023, the FDIC took control and was appointed receiver of Silicon Valley Bank and New York Signature Bank. While
the Company does not have any direct exposure to these banks if other banks and financial institutions enter receivership or become insolvent
in the future in response to financial conditions affecting the banking system and financial markets, our operations may be negatively
impacted, including any inability on our part, or on our customers’ parts, to access cash, cash equivalents or investments. Furthermore,
our stock price has declined, and may decline in the future, as a result of the volatility of the stock market and any general economic
downturn.
In
addition, any failure by the U.S. federal government to increase the debt ceiling or any government shutdown could adversely affect the
U.S. and global economy and our liquidity, financial condition, and earnings. U.S. debt ceiling and budget deficit concerns have increased
the possibility of credit-rating downgrades and economic slowdowns, or a recession in the United States or globally. The U.S. federal
government hit its borrowing limit, or debt ceiling, on January 19, 2023. If the government fails to increase the debt limit, the U.S.
government’s sovereign credit rating may be downgraded and the U.S. government could default on its debts, which could adversely
affect the U.S. and global financial markets and economic conditions. Absent quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve, these developments
could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to further increase, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets
on favorable terms. In addition, disagreement over the federal budget has previously caused the U.S. federal government to shut down
for periods of time. If appropriations are delayed or a government shutdown was to occur and was to continue for an extended period of
time, we could be at risk of program or contract cancellations and other disruptions and non-payment. Continued adverse political and
economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
37
Our
internal computer systems, or those of our third-party manufacturers or other contractors or consultants, may fail or suffer security
breaches. If our information technology systems security measures are breached or fail, our products and technologies may be perceived
as not being secure, customers may curtail or stop buying our products and technologies, we may incur significant legal and financial
exposure, and our reputation, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
The
efficient operation of our business is dependent on our information technology systems, some of which may need enhancement,
updating and replacement. We rely on these systems generally to manage day-to-day operations, manage relationships with our customers
and maintain our research and development data and our financial and accounting records. Despite our implementation of security measures,
our internal computer systems, and those of our third-party manufacturers, information technology suppliers and other contractors and
consultants are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, cyberattacks and other unauthorized access, natural disasters, terrorism,
war and telecommunication and electrical failures. The failure of our information technology systems, our inability to successfully maintain,
enhance and/or replace our information technology systems as needed, or any compromise of the integrity or security of the data we generate
from our information technology systems could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, disrupt our business and product
and technology development and make us unable, or severely limit our ability, to respond to customer demands. Any interruption of our
information technology systems could result in decreased revenue, increased expenses, increased capital expenditures, customer dissatisfaction
and potential lawsuits, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, and cash
flows.
Our
information technology systems involve the storage of our confidential information and trade secrets, as well as our customers’
personal and proprietary information, in our equipment, networks and corporate systems. Security breaches expose us to the risk of loss
of this information, litigation and increased costs for security measures, loss of revenue, damage to our reputation and potential liability.
Security breaches or unauthorized access may result in a combination of significant legal and financial exposure, increased remediation
and other costs, theft and/or unauthorized use or publication of our trade secrets and other confidential business information, loss
of funds, damage to our reputation and a loss of confidence in the security of our products, technologies, services and networks that
could have an adverse effect upon our business. While we take steps to prevent unauthorized access to our corporate systems, because
the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable, or sabotage systems change frequently or may be designed to remain dormant
until a triggering event, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. Further, the risk
of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyberattacks or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments,
and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as cyberattacks have become more prevalent and harder to detect and fight against. In addition,
hardware, software or applications we procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that
could unexpectedly compromise network and data security. Any breach or failure of our information technology systems could result in
decreased revenue, increased expenses, increased capital expenditures, customer dissatisfaction and potential lawsuits, any of which
could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
If
we are unable to prevent or mitigate the impact of security or data privacy breaches, we could be exposed to litigation and governmental
investigations, which could lead to a potential disruption to our business. In addition, we may not have adequate insurance coverage
for security incidents or breaches. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceeds our available insurance
coverage, or results in changes to our insurance policies (including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance
requirements), could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, we cannot be sure that our existing insurance coverage and
coverage for errors and omissions will continue to be available on acceptable terms or that our insurers will not deny coverage as to
any future claim.
Further,
if a high-profile security breach occurs with respect to another provider of smart home solutions, the public may lose trust in the security
of our smart products and technologies or in the smart home space generally, which could adversely impact our ability to sell such products
and technologies. Even in the absence of any security breach, concerns about security, privacy or data protection may deter consumers
from using our smart products and technologies.
38
Intentional
or accidental actions or inactions by employees or other third parties with authorized access to our networks may result in the exposure
of vulnerabilities that may be exploited or expose us to liability. Third parties may also conduct attacks designed to temporarily deny
customers access to our cloud services.
Because
there are many different security breach techniques and such techniques continue to evolve, we may be unable to anticipate attempted
security breaches, react in a timely manner or implement adequate preventative measures. Third parties may also conduct attacks designed
to temporarily deny users access to our cloud services. Any security breach or other security incident, or the perception that one has
occurred, could result in a loss of user confidence in the security of our platform and damage to our brand, reduce the demand for our
solutions, disrupt normal business operations, require us to spend material resources to investigate or correct the breach and to prevent
future security breaches and incidents, expose us to legal liabilities, including litigation, regulatory enforcement and indemnity obligations,
and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
use third-party technology and systems in a variety of contexts, including, without limitation, employee email, content delivery to customers,
back-office support, credit card processing, and other functions. Although we have developed systems and processes that are designed
to protect customer data and prevent data loss and other security breaches, including systems and processes designed to reduce the impact
of a security breach at a third-party service provider, such measures cannot provide absolute security.
We
rely upon third-party providers of cloud-based infrastructure to host our solutions. Any disruption in the operations of these third-party
providers, limitations on capacity or interference with our use could adversely affect our business, financial condition, revenues, results
of operations or cash flows.
We
outsource substantially all of the infrastructure relating to our cloud solution to third-party hosting services, such as Amazon Web
Services (“AWS”). Customers of our cloud-based solutions need to be able to access our platform at any time, without interruption
or degradation of performance, and, in some cases, we need to provide them with service-level commitments with respect to uptime. Our
cloud-based solutions depend on protecting the virtual cloud infrastructure hosted by third-party hosting services by maintaining its
configuration, architecture, features and interconnection specifications, as well as the information stored in these virtual data centers,
which is transmitted by third-party internet service providers. Any limitation on the capacity of our third-party hosting services could
impede our ability to onboard new customers or expand the usage of our existing customers, which could adversely affect our business,
financial condition, revenues, results of operations or cash flows. In addition, any incident affecting our third-party hosting services’
infrastructure that may be caused by cyberattacks, natural disasters, fire, flood, severe storm, earthquake, power loss, telecommunications
failures, terrorist or other attacks, regional epidemics, or global pandemics such as COVID-19 and other similar events beyond our control
could negatively affect our cloud-based solutions. A prolonged service disruption affecting our cloud-based solution for any of the foregoing
reasons would negatively impact our ability to serve our customers and could damage our reputation with current and potential customers,
expose us to liability, cause us to lose customers or otherwise harm our business. We may also incur significant costs for using alternative
equipment or taking other actions in preparation for, or in reaction to, events that damage the third-party hosting services we use.
AWS
provides the cloud computing infrastructure that we use to host our platform, manage data, mobile application and many of the internal
tools we use to operate our business. Our platform, mobile application and internal tools use computing, storage capabilities, bandwidth
and other services provided by AWS. Any significant disruption of, limitation of our access to or other interference with our use of
AWS would negatively impact our operations and could seriously harm our business. In addition, any transition of the cloud services currently
provided by AWS to another cloud services provider would require significant time and expense and could disrupt or degrade delivery of
our platform. Our business relies on the availability of our platform for our customers, and we may lose customers if they are not able
to access our platform or encounter difficulties in doing so. The level of service provided by AWS could affect the availability or speed
of our platform, which may also impact the usage of, and our customers’ satisfaction with, our platform and could seriously harm
our business and reputation. If AWS increases pricing terms, terminates or seeks to terminate our contractual relationship, establishes
more favorable relationships with our competitors or changes or interprets its terms of service or policies in a manner that is unfavorable
with respect to us, our business, financial condition, revenues, results of operations or cash flows may be harmed.
39
We
may collect, store, process and use our customers’ personally identifiable information and other data, which subjects us to governmental
regulation and other legal obligations related to data privacy, information security and data protection. Any cybersecurity breaches
or actual or perceived failure to comply with such legal obligations by us, or by our third-party service providers or partners, could
harm our business.
We
may collect, store, process and use our customers’ personally identifiable information and other data in our transactions with
them, and we may rely on third parties that are not directly under our control to do so as well. While we take reasonable measures intended
to protect the security, integrity and confidentiality of the personal information and other sensitive information we collect, store
or transmit, we cannot guarantee that inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure will not occur, or that third parties will not gain
unauthorized access to this information. If we or our third-party service providers were to experience a breach, disruption or failure
of systems compromising our customers’ data, or if one of our third-party service providers or partners were to access our customers’
personal data without our authorization, our brand and reputation could be adversely affected, use of our products and technologies could
decrease and we could be exposed to a risk of loss, litigation and regulatory proceedings.
Regulatory
scrutiny of privacy, data collection, use of data and data protection is intensifying globally, and the personal information and other
data we collect, store, process and use is increasingly subject to legislation and regulations in numerous jurisdictions around the world,
especially in Europe. These laws often develop in ways we cannot predict and may materially increase our cost of doing business, particularly
as we expand the nature and types of products and technologies we offer. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”),
which came into effect in the European Union in May 2018 and superseded prior European Union data protection legislation, imposes more
stringent data protection requirements and provides for greater penalties for noncompliance.
Further,
data protection legislation is also becoming increasingly common in the United States at both the federal and state level. For example,
in June 2018, the State of California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the “CCPA”), which went into effect
on January 1, 2020. The CCPA requires companies that process information on California residents to make new disclosures to consumers
about their data collection, use and sharing practices, allows consumers to opt out of certain data sharing with third parties and provides
a new cause of action for data breaches. In November 2020, California voters passed the California Privacy Rights and Enforcement Act
of 2020, which generally becomes effective in 2023 and amended and expanded the CCPA with additional data privacy compliance requirements
and established a regulatory agency dedicated to enforcing these requirements. Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission and many state
attorneys general are interpreting federal and state consumer protection laws to impose standards for the online collection, use, dissemination
and security of data. The burdens imposed by the CCPA and other similar laws that may be enacted at the federal and state level may require
us to modify our data processing practices and policies and/or to incur substantial expenditures in order to comply.
Despite
our compliance efforts, we may fail to achieve compliance with applicable privacy or data protection laws and regulations as they evolve,
or adhere to contractual obligations regarding the collection, processing, storage and transfer of data (including data from our customers,
prospective customers, partners and employees), either due to internal or external factors such as resource limitations or a lack of
vendor cooperation. Any actual or perceived failure to comply with these laws or obligations could result in enforcement action against
us, including fines, claims for damages by customers and other affected individuals, damage to our reputation and loss of goodwill (both
in relation to any existing customers and prospective customers), any of which could harm our business, results of operations, and financial
condition. Further, privacy concerns may inhibit market adoption of our smart products and technologies, particularly in certain industries
and foreign countries.
40
Natural
disasters, geopolitical events, and other highly disruptive events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, could materially and adversely affect
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Natural
disasters and other extreme weather events, the nature, frequency and severity of which may be negatively impacted by climate change,
public health crises, such as epidemics and pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic), geopolitical conditions, acts or threats of
war or terrorism, international conflicts, power outages, fires, explosions, equipment failures, sabotage, political instability and
the actions taken by governments could cause damage to or disrupt our business operations, or those of our manufacturers or our customers,
and could create economic instability. Disruptions to our information technology infrastructure from system failures, shutdowns, power
outages, telecommunication or utility failures, and other events, including disruptions at third party information technology and other
service providers, could also interfere with or disrupt our operations. Although it is not possible to predict such events or their consequences,
these events could increase our costs, result in physical damage to or destruction or disruption of properties used in connection with
the manufacture of our products, the lack of an adequate workforce in part or all of our operations, supply chain disruptions and data,
utility and communications disruptions. In addition, these events could indirectly result in increases in the costs of our insurance
if they result in significant loss of property or other insurable damage. Furthermore, the insurance we maintain may not be adequate
to cover our losses resulting from any business interruption, including those resulting from a natural disaster or other severe weather
event, and recurring extreme weather events or other adverse events could reduce the availability or increase the cost of insurance.
Any of these developments could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
may be exposed to certain regulatory and financial risks related to climate change.
Growing
concerns about climate change may result in the imposition of new regulations or restrictions to which we may become subject. A number
of governments or governmental bodies have introduced or are contemplating regulatory changes in response to climate change. The outcome
of new legislation or regulation in the U.S. and other jurisdictions in which we operate may result in new or additional requirements,
fees or restrictions on certain activities for us our manufacturers, our suppliers or our customers. Compliance with these climate change
initiatives may also result in additional costs to us, including, among other things, increased production costs, additional taxes, and
reduced emission allowances or additional restrictions on production or operations, as well as increased indirect costs resulting from
our manufacturers, suppliers or customers that get passed on to us. Any adopted future climate change regulations could also negatively
impact our ability to compete with companies situated in areas not subject to such limitations. We may not be able to recover the cost
of compliance with new or more stringent laws and regulations, which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flow or financial
condition.
Risks
Related to Our Common Stock
We
may not be able to maintain our Nasdaq listing and may incur additional costs as a result of our Nasdaq listing.
We
are subject to certain Nasdaq continued listing requirements and standards, including, without limitation, minimum market capitalization
and other requirements. We cannot provide any assurance that we will be able to continue to satisfy the requirements of Nasdaq’s
continued listing standards, and failure to maintain our listing, or delisting from Nasdaq, would make it more difficult for stockholders
to dispose of our securities and more difficult to obtain accurate price quotations on our securities. This could have an adverse effect
on the price of our common stock. Our ability to issue additional securities for financing or other purposes, or otherwise to arrange
for any financing we may need in the future, may also be materially and adversely affected if our common stock and/or other securities
are not traded on a national securities exchange.
The
price of our common stock may be volatile and fluctuate substantially.
Our
stock price has been, and is likely to continue to be, volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some
of which we cannot control. The stock market has experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance
of companies. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by many factors, including, in addition to the factors
discussed in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Form 10-K, the following:
● our
ability to successfully launch, and gain market acceptance of, our smart products and technologies;
● developments
or disputes concerning patent applications, issued patents or other proprietary rights;
● the
recruitment or departure of key personnel;
● the
level of expenses related to our research and development, marketing efforts, strategic initiatives
or other areas;
41
● actual
or anticipated changes in governmental regulation, including taxation and tariff policies;
● actual
or anticipated changes in estimates as to financial results or recommendations by securities
analysts;
● variations
in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us;
● market
conditions in the lighting and smart home sectors;
● conditions
in the financial markets in general or changes in general economic conditions, including
government efforts to mitigate any economic downturn or recession resulting from ongoing
economic conditions, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other geopolitical
conditions;
● novel
and unforeseen market forces and trading strategies, such as the massive short squeeze rally
caused by retail investors and social media activity affecting companies such as GameStop
Corp.; and
● the
other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section.
In
addition, due to one or more of the foregoing factors in one or more future quarters, our results of operations may fall below the expectations
of securities analysts and investors. In the event any of the foregoing occur, the market price of our common stock could be highly volatile
and may materially decline. Further, in the past, when the market price of a stock has been volatile, holders of that stock have sometimes
instituted securities class action litigation against the company that issued the stock. If any of our stockholders brought a lawsuit
against us, we could incur substantial costs defending the lawsuit. Such a lawsuit could also divert the time and attention of our management
from our business, which could significantly harm our profitability and reputation.
The
conversion of outstanding convertible notes or Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, no par value (“Series A Preferred Stock”)
or exercise of outstanding warrants into shares of common stock could materially dilute our stockholders.
As
of March 29, 2023, we had $1.3 million and $10.35 million aggregate principal amount of convertible notes outstanding, convertible into
shares of our common stock at $15.00 and $3.00 per share, respectively, 880,400 shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding and warrants
to purchase 2,063,522 shares of our common stock outstanding at an exercise price ranging from $3.00 to $12.00 per share. The conversion
price of the notes or exercise price of the warrants may be less than the market price of our common stock at the time of conversion
or exercise and may be subject to future adjustment due to certain events, including our issuance of common stock or common stock equivalents
at an effective price per share lower than the conversion rate or exercise rate then in effect. If the entire principal amount of all
the outstanding convertible notes is converted into shares of common stock, we would be required to issue an aggregate of no less than
approximately 3,536,669 shares of common stock. If all the outstanding warrants are exercised for shares of common stock, we would be
required to issue an aggregate of 2,063,522 shares of common stock. If all of the Series A Preferred Stock outstanding are converted
into shares of common stock, we would be required to issue an aggregate of 880,400 shares of common stock. If we issue any or all these
shares, the ownership of our stockholders will be diluted.
If
securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they publish negative evaluations of our stock, the
price of our stock could decline.
The
trading market for our common stock relies in part on the research and reports that industry or financial analysts publish about us or
our business. If no or few analysts commence coverage of us, the trading price of our stock would likely decrease. Even if we do obtain
analyst coverage, if one or more of the analysts covering our business downgrade their evaluations of our stock, the price of our stock
could decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover our stock, we could lose visibility in the market for our stock, which
in turn could cause our stock price to decline.
Our
executive officers, directors, principal stockholders and their affiliates exercise significant influence over us, which will limit your
ability to influence corporate matters and could delay or prevent a change in corporate control.
Our
executive officers, directors, 5% holders and their affiliates beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately 51% of our outstanding
common stock, as of March 20, 2023. As a result, these stockholders, if they act together, will be able to influence our management and
affairs and the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors and any merger, consolidation
or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. These stockholders may have interests, with respect to their common stock, that are
different from those of other investors, and the concentration of voting power among these stockholders may have an adverse effect on
the price of our common stock. In addition, this concentration of ownership might adversely affect the market price of our common stock
by:
● delaying,
deferring or preventing a change of control of us;
42
● impeding
a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us; or
● discouraging
a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control
of us.
Sales
of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market by our stockholders could cause our share price to fall.
Sales
of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress
the market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities.
We are unable to predict the effect that sales may have on the prevailing market price of our common stock.
We
are a smaller reporting company, and the reduced reporting requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies may make our common
stock less attractive to investors.
We
currently qualify as a “smaller reporting company,” which allows us to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting
requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies, including reduced disclosure obligations
regarding executive compensation in this Form 10-K and our periodic reports and proxy statements. Decreased disclosures in our SEC filings
due to our status as a smaller reporting company may make it harder for investors to analyze the results of operations and financial
prospects. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some
investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and our
stock price may be more volatile.
Market
and economic conditions may negatively impact our business, financial condition and share price.
Concerns
over inflation, increasing interest rates, energy costs, geopolitical issues, the U.S. mortgage market and a declining real estate market,
unstable global credit markets and financial conditions, and labor and supply shortages have led to periods of significant economic instability,
diminished liquidity and credit availability, declines in consumer confidence and discretionary spending, diminished expectations for
the global economy and expectations of slower global economic growth going forward, increased unemployment rates, and increased credit
defaults in recent years. Our general business strategy may be adversely affected by any such economic downturns or recessions, volatile
business environments and continued unstable or unpredictable economic and market conditions. If these conditions continue to deteriorate
or do not improve, it may make any necessary debt or equity financing more difficult to complete, more costly, and more dilutive. Failure
to secure any necessary financing in a timely manner and on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our growth strategy,
financial performance, and share price and could require us to delay or abandon development or commercialization plans.
Because
we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be your
sole source of gain.
We
have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock. Holders of our Series A Preferred Stock receive interest payments quarterly,
at a rate of 6% per year, and rank senior with respect to interest on junior securities, dividends, distributions, or liquidation preference.
We currently anticipate that we will retain all of our future earnings, if any, to support operations and to finance the growth and development
of our business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable
future.
Anti-takeover
provisions in our charter documents and under Florida law could discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of us and may affect
the trading price of our common stock.
As
a Florida corporation, we are subject to certain provisions of the Florida Business Corporation Act that have anti-takeover effects and
may inhibit a non-negotiated merger or other business combination. Our articles of incorporation and bylaws also contain other provisions
which could have anti-takeover effects. These provisions include, without limitation, the authority of our board of directors to issue
additional shares of preferred stock and, to the extent there is any undesignated preferred stock, to fix the relative rights and preferences
of the preferred stock without the need for any stockholder vote or approval; the requirement of a majority stockholder vote to remove
directors from office or, if for cause, by a majority of the board of directors; and limitations on who may call special meetings of
stockholders.
43
ITEM
1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not
applicable.
ITEM
2. PROPERTIES
We
lease office space in Johns Creek, Georgia, Miami, Florida, Pompano Beach, Florida, New York, New York, and Guangdong Province, China.
We anticipate moving our principal executive offices from Pompano Beach, Florida to Miami, Florida during 2023. We believe that our facilities
are adequate to meet our current needs and that suitable additional or substitute space at commercially reasonable terms will be available
as needed to accommodate any future expansion of our operations.
ITEM
3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
There
are no legal proceedings or arbitration proceedings currently pending against our Company. From time to time, we may become involved
in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business. As of the date of this Form 10-K, we were not a party to any material
legal matters or claims. In the future, we may become party to legal matters and claims in the ordinary course of business, the resolution
of which we do not anticipate would have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However,
legal proceedings are inherently uncertain. As a result, the outcome of a particular matter or a combination of matters may be material
to our results of operations for a particular period, depending upon the size of the loss or our income for that particular period.
We
assess our liabilities and contingencies in connection with outstanding legal proceedings utilizing the latest information available.
Where it is probable that we will incur a loss and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, we record a liability in our consolidated
financial statements. These legal accruals may be increased or decreased to reflect any relevant developments on a quarterly basis. Where
a loss is not probable or the amount of the loss is not estimable, we do not record an accrual, consistent with applicable accounting
guidance.
ITEM
4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not
applicable.
PART
II
ITEM
5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market
Information
Our
common stock trades on Nasdaq under the symbol “SKYX”.
Holders
As
of March 20, 2023, there were approximately 178 holders of record of our common stock. This number does not include beneficial owners
whose shares may be held in the names of various security brokers, dealers, and registered clearing agencies.
44
Dividend
Policy
We
have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. Holders of our Series A Preferred Stock receive interest payments
quarterly, at a rate of 6% per year, and rank senior with respect to interest on junior securities, dividends, distributions or liquidation
preference. We anticipate that we will retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, for use in the operation of our business
and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, future debt instruments may materially restrict our
ability to pay dividends on our common stock. Payment of future cash dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of the board of directors
after taking into account various factors, including our financial condition, operating results, current and anticipated cash needs,
the requirements of then-existing senior equity and debt instruments and other factors the board of directors deems relevant.
Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities; Use of Proceeds from Registered Securities
The
following is a summary of issuances of unregistered securities during the fourth quarter of 2022, to the extent not previously disclosed
in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company: 59,000 shares of restricted shares of common stock were granted pursuant to agreements
regarding services provided to the Company.
The
sales or issuances of the securities described above were deemed to be exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), including Regulation D and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, as transactions
by the Company not involving a public offering.
Use
of Proceeds
On
February 14, 2022, we completed our initial public offering. We received approximately $20.5 million in net proceeds after deducting
underwriting discounts and commissions of $1.8 million and offering expenses of approximately $700,000. There has been no material change
in the use of proceeds from our initial public offering as described in our final prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b)
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and other periodic reports previously filed with the SEC, which are used for general corporate
purposes.
Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
On
December 31, 2022, the Company withheld 862 shares of common stock, at a price per share of $2.52, to satisfy tax withholding obligations
due upon the vesting of a restricted stock grant held by Mr. Boisseau. We did not pay cash to repurchase these shares, nor was this repurchase
part of a publicly announced plan or program.
ITEM
6. [RESERVED]
ITEM
7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You
should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements
and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-K. This discussion and other parts of this Form 10-K contain forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements regarding our plans, objectives, strategy, expectations, outlook,
intentions and projections. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the “Risk Factors”
section of this Form 10-K. Please also see the section entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” contained
in this Form 10-K.
45
Overview
We
have a series of advanced-safe-smart platform technologies. Our first-generation technologies enable light fixtures, ceiling fans
and other electrically wired products to be installed safely and plugged in to a ceiling’s electrical outlet box within
seconds, and without the need to touch hazardous wires. The plug and play technology method is a universal power-plug device that
has a matching receptacle that is simply connected to the electrical outlet box on the ceiling, enabling a safe and quick plug and
play installation of light fixtures and ceiling fans in just seconds. The plug and play power-plug technology eliminates the need of
touching hazardous electrical wires while installing light fixtures, ceiling fans and other hard wired electrical products. In
recent years, we have expanded the capabilities of our power-plug product to include advanced-safe and quick universal installation
methods, as well as advanced-smart capabilities. The smart features include control of light fixtures and ceiling fans by the
SkyHome App, through WIFI, BLE and voice control. It allows scheduling, energy savings eco mode, dimming, back-up emergency light,
night light, light color changing and much more. Our second-generation technology is an all-in-one safe and smart-advanced platform
that is designed to enhance all-around safety and lifestyle of homes and other buildings. Our products are designed to improve all
around home and building safety and lifestyle. While we have developed and created working prototypes of our advanced and smart
products, we are continuing to refine the product prototypes and expect to begin manufacturing during 2023 for the advanced
products and the smart universal power-plug, ceiling fans and lighting products and for the Smart Sky Platform. We hold over 60 U.S.
and global patents and patent applications and have received a variety of final electrical code approvals, including UL, United
Laboratories of Canada (cUL) and Conformité Européenne (CE), and 2017 and 2020 inclusion in the NEC Code
Book.
We
believe our total addressable market in the United States exceeds $500 billion, based on the Company’s internal calculations derived
from the estimation of the total target user pool, projected average selling price, and projected units per household. We believe there
are billions of installations of light and other electrical fixtures globally. Our estimates of the addressable market for our products
may prove to be incorrect. The projected demand for our products could materially differ from actual demand. Even if the total addressable
market for our products is as large as we have estimated and even if we are able to gain market awareness and acceptance, we may not
be able to penetrate the existing market to capture additional market share.
During
April 2022, we entered into a sublease agreement, pursuant to which we agreed to sublease approximately 3,400 square feet of office space
located on the 54th floor of Carnegie Hall Tower, located at 152 West 57th Street, New York, New York, at a fixed monthly base rent starting
at $26,893 for the first year of the sublease. The New York office space supports our general and administrative functions, sales and
marketing, and business development.
During
September 2022, we entered into a lease agreement, pursuant to which we agreed to lease approximately 32,200 square feet located at 400
Biscayne Boulevard, Miami Florida. The fixed minimum monthly base rent amounts to $214,480 during the first full year. The lease provides
for rent abatements of a minimum of 10 months. The lease also provides for the lessor’s leasehold improvements of up to $2.3 million.
The Miami office space will support our headquarters, general and administrative functions, sales and marketing, and business development.
Inflation
and related risk of recession has increased during 2022 and is expected to continue to increase during 2023. Inflationary factors, such
as increases in interest rates, supply and overhead costs and transportation costs, may adversely affect our operating results and we
may not be able to offset increased costs with increased sales price per unit, particularly as we work toward commercial manufacturing
of our products. Although we do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our financial position or results of operations
to date, we may experience some effect in the foreseeable future (especially if inflation rates continue to rise). In addition, we may
be negatively impacted as a result of supply chain constraints, consequences associated with government regulations, ongoing and
potential geopolitical conflicts, employee availability and wage increases.
During
February 2023, we announced the Acquisition, pursuant to which we agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Belami,
a strategic e-commerce lighting and home décor conglomerate. The Company will pay both cash and common stock as consideration
for the Acquisition. The Acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter of 2023. The Company expects that Belami will serve
as a marketing and growth platform and will provide several distribution channels, including to retail customers, builders and professionals.
For additional information regarding the Acquisition, see “Item 1. Business—Recent Developments.”
46
In
connection with the Acquisition, the Company closed the Private Placements, pursuant to which the Company issued and sold (i) subordinated
secured convertible promissory notes in the aggregate principal amount of $10.35 million and (ii) warrants to purchase an aggregate of
up to 1,391,667 shares of the Company’s common stock for investors. The proceeds will be used for the cash component of the Acquisition consideration and to pay certain
transaction expenses in connection with the Acquisition and the Private Placements.
In
addition, in March 2023, the Company acquired 50% of the equity of a strategic e-commerce private label lighting website, for $225,000.
The other 50% of the equity is owned by Belami. The Company expects that this acquisition will serve as another marketing and growth
platform for the Company and will provide additional distribution to both professional and retail channels for the Company’s products.
Results
of Operations
Years
Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
2022
2021
Increase
/ (Decrease) ($)
Increase
/ (Decrease) (%)
Revenue
$ 32,022
$ 43,109
$ (11,087 )
(26 )%
Cost of revenues
(18,913 )
(88,461 )
(69,548 )
(79 )%
Gross profit
13,109
(45,352 )
58,461
NM
Selling, general and
administrative expenses
26,638,291
5,142,731
21,495,560
NM
Operating loss
(26,625,182 )
(5,188,083 )
21,437,099
NM
Other income / (expense)
Interest expense, net
(589,009 )
(560,382 )
28,627
5 %
Other income - loan forgiveness
178,250
—
178,250
NM
Other
income
—
18,051
(18,051 )
NM
Total other income (expense), net
(410,759 )
(542,331 )
(131,572 )
(24 )%
Net loss
$ (27,035,941 )
$ (5,730,414 )
$ 21,305,527
NM
NM:
Not meaningful
Revenue
The
decrease in revenues was directly related to the planned reduction of discontinued inventory as we continued to shift our focus to the
development of our new patented “Smart” platforms and technologies. During 2022 and 2021, we opted to sell through our existing
inventory of discontinued products to facilitate our planned transition into our new product lines.
We
believe that revenues will be higher in 2023 than in 2022, since we launched the marketing of our advanced and smart products in late
2022 and expect to begin commercial sales in 2023. We also expect the pending Acquisition to increase our revenues, assuming the Company
successfully consummates the Acquisition.
Cost
of Revenues
During
2022 and 2021, revenues were mostly derived from the sale of a small number of replacement parts and standard canopy kits. The inventory
and related costs of such products are not significant and are not reflected on our balance sheet nor in the cost of revenues. The reduction
in cost of revenues was related to the decrease in sales, which resulted from our decision to discontinue our old products and transition
to our patented “Smart” platforms and technologies.
We
believe that cost of revenues will increase in 2023 compared to in 2022, commensurate with an anticipated increase in revenues.
47
Selling,
General and Administrative Expenses
Selling,
general and administrative expenses consist primarily of an allocation of product development, sales, finance, legal, human resources,
including salaries, wages, and benefits, and depreciation and amortization, including non-cash equity-based compensation.
The
increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses during 2022 when compared to the prior year was primarily due to the following:
● Increase
of $12.5 million related to share-based payments during 2022 when compared to 2021, which
was primarily due to a greater number of shares of common stock issued and options granted
for services during 2022;
● Increased
investments in marketing programs and product development of approximately $2.4 and $1.9 million,
respectively, in anticipation of the launch of our product offerings during 2022 compared
to 2021; and
● Increase
in other spending amounting to $3.8 million related to support of planned increase in scope
of operations.
We
believe that our selling, general, and administrative expenses will be higher during 2023 when compared to 2022 as we continue to invest
to support our anticipated growth.
Other
Income (Expense)
The
increase in interest expense in 2022 when compared to the prior year was primarily due to higher weighted-average interest-bearing obligations
during 2022, resulting from the compounding of accrued interest.
The
increase in other income - loan forgiveness during 2022 when compared to the prior year was due the forgiveness of a PPP loan during
the first quarter of fiscal 2022, which did not occur during 2021.
We
believe that interest expenses will increase during fiscal 2023 when compared to 2022, primarily as a result of increased operating lease
liabilities.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As
of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had $16.8 million and $10.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, and investments
in debt securities, respectively. As we develop our revenue base, we have raised additional funds through the sale of our common
stock and securities convertible into our common stock and issuance of debt, including completing our initial public offering in
February 2022 for gross proceeds of $23.1 million and the Private Placements in February and March 2023 for gross proceeds of $10.35
million, pursuant to which we issued convertible notes and warrants. We believe that our existing cash and debt securities will be
sufficient to support our working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months. Our future capital
requirements will depend on many factors, including consummation of the Acquisition, our revenue growth rate, expenditures related
to our headcount growth, the timing and the amount of cash received from customers, the expansion of sales and marketing activities,
the timing and extent of spending to support development efforts, the price at which we are able to purchase parts to incorporate in
our product offerings, the introduction of platform enhancements, and the market adoption of our platforms. We may continue to enter
in arrangements to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, products, and technologies. We may, because of those arrangements,
including the pending Acquisition, or the general expansion of our business, be required to seek additional equity or debt
financing. If we require additional financing, we may not be able to raise such financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we
are unable to raise additional capital or generate cash flows necessary to expand our operations and invest in continued innovation,
we may not be able to compete successfully, which would harm our business, results of operations, and financial
condition.
During
2022, we entered into certain lease and sublease agreements, including (i) a sublease agreement entered into during April 2022, pursuant
to which we agreed to sublease approximately 3,400 square feet of office space located on the 54th floor of Carnegie Hall Tower, located
at 152 West 57th Street, New York, New York, at a fixed monthly base rent starting at $26,893 for the first year of the sublease, and
(ii) a lease agreement entered into during September 2022, pursuant to which we agreed to lease approximately 32,200 square feet located
at 400 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida, at a fixed minimum monthly base rent of $214,480 during the first full year of the lease.
The Miami, Florida lease provides for rent abatements of a minimum of 10 months, as well as for the lessor’s leasehold improvements
of up to $2.3 million. We also issued a letter of credit of $2.7 million to one of the lessors as collateral for certain obligations
related to the lease.
48
We
owe approximately $5.5 million under fixed rate obligations and $1.3 million under convertible notes as of December 31, 2022. We issued
an additional $8.1 million in convertible notes during the first quarter of 2023. In addition, we owe GE certain minimum royalty payments
under the License Agreement which amounted to $2.6 million as of December 31, 2022.
2022
During
2022, we used $13.8 million in our operating activities, which consisted of our net loss of $27.0 million adjusted for non-cash equity
compensation of $14.0 million and an increase of inventory of $1.0 million. We have recently increased our inventory in preparation for
the anticipated launch of commercial sales of our advanced and smart products during 2023.
Our
net cash used in investing activities amounted to $8.1 million and consisted primarily of purchases of debt securities of $7.4 million.
We
generated $20.9 million in financing activities, of which $20.6 million was generated from our initial public offering.
2021
During
2021, we used $4.6 million in our operating activities, which consisted of our net loss of $5.7 million adjusted for non-cash equity
compensation of $1.5 million.
We
generated $12.9 million in financing activities, which consisted primarily of proceeds from issuance of our shares of common stock of
$13.0 million.
Non-GAAP
Financial Measures
Management
considers selling, general, and administrative expenses, adjusted for non-cash stock compensation, an important indicator in consistently
evaluating our business operations and the use of cash in our operating activities. We use such measure to analyze and evaluate our liquidity
and capital resources and intend to continue using such measure until we generate revenues. Such measure eliminates significant items
that do not involve cash outlay. This measure should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute, for selling, general
and administrative expenses. This non-GAAP financial measure excludes significant expenses that are required by GAAP to be recorded in
our financial statements and is subject to inherent limitations. Investors should review the reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial
measure to the comparable GAAP financial measure included below. Investors should not rely on any single financial measure to evaluate
our business.
For
the year ended December 31,
2022
2021
Sales, general, and administrative
expenses, as reported
$ 26,638,291
$ 5,142,731
Non-cash share-based
payments
(13,959,796 )
(1,463,033 )
Non-cash, sales, general,
and administrative expenses, as adjusted
$ 12,678,495
$ 3,679,698
Off
Balance Sheet Arrangements
We
do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Critical
Accounting Policies
Our
significant accounting policies are disclosed in Note 2 to our 2022 consolidated financial statements. The following is a summary of
those accounting policies that involve significant estimates and judgment of management.
49
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts
reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes.
Such
estimates and assumptions impact both assets and liabilities, including but not limited to: net realizable value of accounts receivable
and inventory, estimated useful lives and potential impairment of property and equipment, the valuation of intangible assets, estimate
of fair value of share based payments and derivative liabilities, estimates of fair value of warrants issued and recorded as debt discount,
estimates of tax liabilities and estimates of the probability and potential magnitude of contingent liabilities.
Making
estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of
a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating
its estimate could change in the near term due to one or more future non-conforming events. Accordingly, actual results could differ
significantly from estimates.
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
Disclosures
about fair value of financial instruments require disclosure of the fair value information, whether or not recognized in the balance
sheet, where it is practicable to estimate that value. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we believe the amounts reported for cash, prepaid
expenses, accounts payable, accounts payable – related party, accrued expenses and other current liabilities, accrued interest,
notes payable and convertible note payable approximate fair value because of their short maturities.
Fair
value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between
market participants at the measurement date. ASC Topic 820 established a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs
used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets
or liabilities (level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (level 3 measurements). These tiers include:
● Level
1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical instruments in active
markets;
● Level
2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly
or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets
or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and
● Level
3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring
an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques
in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable.
Stock-Based
Compensation
Stock-based
compensation is accounted for based on the requirements of ASC 718 – “Compensation–Stock Compensation ”,
which requires recognition in the financial statements of the cost of employee, non-employee and director services received in exchange
for an award of equity instruments over the period the employee or director is required to perform the services in exchange for the award
(presumptively, the vesting period). The ASC also requires measurement of the cost of employee and director services received in exchange
for an award based on the grant-date fair value of the award.
Stock-based
compensation is measured at the grant date of options based on the value of the award granted using the Black- Scholes option pricing
model based on projections of various potential future outcomes and recognized over the period in which the award vests. Expected volatility
is the assumption having the greatest impact on the fair value of options. Our expected volatility is based on the historical volatility
of comparable companies. For stock awards no longer expected to vest, any previously recognized stock compensation expense is reversed
in the period of termination. The stock-based compensation expense is included in general and administrative expenses.
50
Revenue
Recognition
We
account for revenues in accordance with Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”
(Topic 606).
Under
Topic 606, revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects
the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.
We
determine revenue recognition through the following steps:
● identification
of the contract, or contracts, with a customer;
● identification
of the performance obligations in the contract;
● determination
of the transaction price;
● allocation
of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and
● recognition
of revenue when, or as, we satisfy a performance obligation.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
Although
there are several new accounting pronouncements issued or proposed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, which we have adopted
or will adopt, as applicable, we do not believe any of these accounting pronouncements has had or will have a material impact on our
financial position or results of operations.
ITEM
7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
As
a “smaller reporting company”, we are not required to provide the information required by this Item.
ITEM
8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The
financial statements required to be included in this report appear as indexed in the appendix to this report beginning on page F-1.
ITEM
9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM
9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining a system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e)
or 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we
file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s
rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information
required to be disclosed by an issuer in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated
to the issuer’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or persons performing similar
functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that there are inherent limitations
to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures and any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed
and operated, can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving their control objectives.
51
As
of the end of the period covered by this report, management, including our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer,
evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon the evaluation, our Principal Executive Officer and
Principal Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2022.
Management’s
Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f)
promulgated under the Exchange Act. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of,
our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer and effected by our Board of Directors, management and other personnel,
to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for
external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Internal control over financial reporting includes policies and procedures that: (i) pertain
to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of an issuer’s
assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
accordance with GAAP, and that an issuer’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of its
management and directors; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition,
use or disposition of an issuer’s assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements. A material
weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable
possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely
basis. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also,
the application of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods is subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because
of changes in conditions, or that compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
As
required by Rule 13a-15(c) promulgated under the Exchange Act, our management, with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer
and Principal Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022.
Management’s assessment was based on criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission
in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013 Framework) (the COSO Framework). Based on management’s assessment, management
has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2022.
This
Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over
financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our independent registered public accounting firm pursuant
to the rules of the SEC that permit us to provide only management’s report in this Form 10-K.
Changes
in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
There
were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2022 that materially affected,
or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM
9B. OTHER INFORMATION
2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
The Company’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
is scheduled to be held on June 28, 2023. Stockholders of record as of May 9, 2023 will be entitled to receive notice of, and vote at,
the annual meeting.
Private Placement
On March 29, 2023 (the “Closing Date”),
the Company closed a private placement offering (the “March 2023 Private Placement”) pursuant to a securities purchase agreement
(the “Private Placement Agreement”) with certain existing Company investors, providing for the issuance and sale by the Company
to such investors of (i) subordinated secured convertible promissory notes in the aggregate principal amount of $2.25 million (the “Notes”)
and (ii) warrants to purchase an aggregate of up to 375,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Warrants”). The
proceeds will be used for the cash component of consideration for the Acquisition and to pay certain transaction expenses in connection
with the Acquisition and the March 2023 Private Placement. Pursuant to the Private Placement Agreement, the proceeds cannot be used to
satisfy any portion of the Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of the Company’s business
and prior practices), for the redemption of any common stock or certain securities that may be converted or exercised into common stock
or for the settlement of any outstanding litigation.
52
The terms of the March 2023 Private Placement are
substantially the same as the private placement offering of convertible notes and warrants completed by the Company on February 6, 2023,
as described in the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 7, 2023.
The Private Placement Agreement contains customary
representations and warranties and provides the investors with certain registration rights. The Notes mature on the fourth anniversary
of the Closing Date and contain customary acceleration events. The principal amount of the Notes is convertible at any time after the
Closing Date, in whole or in part, at the option of the respective holder, into shares of common stock at an initial conversion price
of $3.00 per share, subject to adjustment and a minimum conversion price of $2.70 per share. Interest on the Notes accrues at a rate of
10% per annum, all of which is payable quarterly in arrears in cash or in shares of the Company’s common stock at the Note conversion
price on the date the principal balance of the Note is paid in full or fully converted, at the holder’s election. The Notes are
secured by substantially all of the Company’s accounts, instruments, and tangible and intangible property, which secured interest
is subordinated to interests held by other parties in such collateral as of the Closing Date and certain future debt. The Company may
prepay the entire then-outstanding principal amount of a Note at any time, plus a prepayment premium; if the Company exercises such right,
the Note holder may instead elect to convert the Note. After the third anniversary of the Closing Date, holders may require the Company
to repay the outstanding principal balance and accrued interest on the Notes with 30 days’ prior written notice. The Warrants are
exercisable for five years after the Closing Date and are exercisable immediately after their issuance, in whole or in part. The Warrants
have an initial exercise price of $3.00 per share, subject to adjustment and a minimum exercise price of $2.70 per share. Investors may
demand the Company repay their Notes in the event the Acquisition does not close by June 30, 2023, or earlier upon notice from the Company.
The Notes and the Warrants contain conversion limitations
providing that a holder thereof may not convert the Notes or exercise the Warrants to the extent that, if after giving effect to such
conversion or exercise, the holder or any of its affiliates would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% or 9.99%, as elected by the holder,
or such other percentage as the holder may select, of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect
to such conversion or exercise. A holder may increase or decrease its beneficial ownership limitation upon notice to the Company, provided
that in no event such limitation exceeds 9.99%, and that any increase shall not be effective until the 61st day after such notice. In
no event will the aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to the Acquisition and the Private Placements,
including the number of shares of common stock issued or issuable upon conversion of the Notes and exercise of the Warrants, plus the
number of shares of common stock issued or issuable in connection with the Acquisition, exceed 19.99% of the common stock outstanding
on the Closing Date prior to closing the February 2023 private placement, unless the Company obtains stockholder approval.
The issuance of the Notes and Warrants in the March
2023 Private Placement were deemed to be exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
including Regulation D and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, as transactions by the Company not involving a public offering.
ITEM
9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
Not
applicable.
53
PART
III
ITEM
10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The
following table sets forth the name and position of each of our executive officers and directors, and each such person’s age as
of March 20, 2023.
Name
Age
Position(s)
Rani
R. Kohen
57
Director,
Executive Chairman
John
P. Campi
78
Chief
Executive Officer
Marc-Andre
Boisseau
58
Chief
Financial Officer
Steven
M. Schmidt
69
President
Patricia
Barron
62
Chief
Operations Officer
Thomas
J. Ridge
77
Director
Dov
Shiff
75
Director
Leonard
J. Sokolow
66
Director
Gary
N. Golden
68
Director
Efrat
L. Greenstein Brayer
60
Director
Nancy
DiMattia
62
Director
The
following information provides a brief description of the business experience of each executive officer and director.
Rani
R. Kohen founded the Company and invented our technologies. He has served as Executive Chairman of the Board since 2016 and as
Chairman of our Board of Directors since November 2012. Mr. Kohen also previously served as our Chief Executive Officer from 2004 through
2012. Mr. Kohen is a businessman, entrepreneur and inventor of our technologies. He brings strategic acumen with over 20 years of experience
in business, as well as in advanced smart home technologies, product design, lighting, and other related businesses. Since founding the
Company, he has succeeded in attracting and engaging accomplished Board members, talented management and leading executives from various
industries. He has led every major milestone achieved by the Company to date, including securing substantial financing to support the
Company’s growth. The Board of Directors believes that with Mr. Kohen’s leadership and qualifications, and the continuity
that he brings with his advanced business strategies, he will continue to move us forward towards achieving our goals.
John
P. Campi has served as our Chief Executive Officer since November 2014 and served as our Chief Financial Officer through December
31, 2021. Mr. Campi founded Genesis Management, LLC in 2009, and retired in 2014 upon accepting the role of our Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Campi has extensive experience in the field of cost management, is recognized as a founder of the strategic cost-management discipline
known as Activity-Based Cost Management and has extensive experience in the field of supply chain management. From December 2007 to December
2008, Mr. Campi served as the Chief Procurement Officer and an Executive Vice President for Chrysler, where he was responsible for all
worldwide purchasing and supplier quality activities. From September 2003 to January 2007, Mr. Campi served as the Senior Vice President
of Sourcing and Vendor Management for The Home Depot, Inc., where he led the drive for standardization and optimization of The Home Depot,
Inc.’s global supply chain. From April 2002 to September 2003, Mr. Campi served as the Chief Procurement Officer and Vice President
for DuPont Global Sourcing and Logistics. Prior to 2002, Mr. Campi led the Global Sourcing activities for GE Power Energy and held a
variety of positions with Federal Mogul, Parker-Hannifin Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Campi previously served on the board
of Trustees of Case Western Reserve University and has been appointed an Emeriti Trustee. Mr. Campi also has served as a member of the
advisory board of directors for three startup companies and has served as a Member of the Financial Executives Institute and the Institute
of Management Accountants. Mr. Campi received his MBA from Case Western Reserve University. Mr. Campi has extensive executive and advisory
experience with established and startup companies, as well as in cost-management and supply chain management.
54
Marc-Andre
Boisseau has served as our Chief Financial Officer and as our principal financial officer and principal accounting officer since
January 1, 2022. Mr. Boisseau is a partner of Boisseau, Felicione & Associates Inc., which provides assurance, advisory and tax services
for public and private companies in a variety of industries and which he founded in February 2002. Among other positions, Mr. Boisseau
served at Citrix Systems, Inc., a publicly-traded software development company, as Corporate Controller from 1995 to December 1999 and
as Principal Accounting Officer from March 1997 to December 1999, and as a senior auditor at Ernst & Young. Mr. Boisseau is a Certified
Public Accountant.
Steven
M. Schmidt has served as our President since June 2021 and has served as a consultant to the Company since August 2019. Mr. Schmidt
formed Schmidt Family Investments LLC, which invests in early stage companies, in May 2017, of which he is the sole principal. Mr. Schmidt
previously served in a variety of roles at Office Depot, Inc. from July 2007 through May 2016, including as Executive Vice President
and President, International from November 2011 to May 2016, Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy and New Business Development
from July 2011 until November 2011 and President, North American Business Solutions from July 2007 until November 2011. Prior to joining
Office Depot, Inc., Mr. Schmidt spent 11 years with the ACNielsen Corporation, most recently serving as President and Chief Executive
Officer. Prior to joining ACNielsen, Mr. Schmidt spent eight years at the Pillsbury Food Company, serving as President of its Canadian
and Southeast Asian operations. He has also held management positions at PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble.
Patricia
Barron has served as our Chief Operations Officer since June 2007. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Barron was the President and
owner of LTG Services, Inc., which focused on safety consulting services, specializing in the review and compliance of electrical products
requiring UL, CSA, and CE certifications, since 1989. Prior to that, Ms. Barron worked as a consultant and engineer in the lighting,
safety and approval industry and, from June 1977 to August 1984, worked as an engineering assistant for Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
(n/k/a UL) in the ceiling fan category. Ms. Barron received her MBA from Georgia State University. Ms. Barron has extensive industry
and executive experience.
Governor
Thomas J. Ridge has served as a director of the Company since June 2013. Mr. Ridge has served as Chief Executive Officer of Ridge
Global, LLC, a global strategic consulting company and provider of insurance and risk transfer solutions, since July 2006, where he also
currently serves as Chairman of the board and previously served as President. In 2014, Mr. Ridge co-founded Ridge Schmidt Cyber, an executive
services firm addressing the increasing demands of cybersecurity. In April 2010, Mr. Ridge became a partner in Ridge Policy Group, a
bipartisan, full-service government affairs and issue management group. From January 2003 to January 2005, Mr. Ridge served as the Secretary
of the United States Department of Homeland Security, and from September 2001 through January 2003, Mr. Ridge served as the Special Assistant
to the President for Homeland Security.
Mr.
Ridge served two terms as Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, from 1995 to 2001, and served as a member of the U.S. House of
Representatives from January 1983 until January 1995. Mr. Ridge previously served as a member of the board of directors of The Hershey
Inc. (NYSE: HSY), a global confectionery leader, from November 2007 to May 2018, Advaxis, Inc. (then Nasdaq: ADXS), a clinical-stage
biotechnology company, from August 2015 to March 2018, and LifeLock, Inc. (then NYSE: LOCK), a provider of identity theft protection,
from March 2010 to February 2017, until its merger with a subsidiary of Symantec Corporation, as well as several other public companies.
Mr. Ridge serves as Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, as Chairman of the board of the National Organization on Disability,
and as a member of board of trustees of the Center for the Study of the Presidency, among other private organizations. Our Board believes
Mr. Ridge’s qualifications to serve as a member of our Board include his vast experience in both government and industry, his service
on other public and private company boards and his expertise in retail, risk management and cybersecurity.
Dov
Shiff has served as a director of the Company since February 2014. Mr. Shiff is presently President and Chief Executive Officer
of the Shiff Group of Companies. The Shiff Group owns and operates hotels and other real estate in Israel, including Hayozem Resorts
& Hotels Ltd., Marina Hotel Tel Aviv Ltd. and Zvidan Investments Ltd. Our Board believes Mr. Shiff’s qualifications to serve
as a member of our Board include his experience in developing and operating new businesses.
55
Leonard
J. Sokolow has served as a director of the Company since November 2015. Mr. Sokolow has served as Chief Executive Officer and
President of Newbridge Financial, Inc. and Chairman of its broker dealer subsidiary, Newbridge Securities Corporation, since January
2015. Mr. Sokolow previously served in a variety of roles at vFinance, Inc., a publicly traded financial services company, including
as Chairman of the board of directors from January 2007, a member of the board of directors from November 1997 and Chief Executive Officer
from November 1999 through July 2008, when it merged into National Holdings Corporation, a publicly traded financial services company.
Mr. Sokolow also served as President of vFinance, Inc. from January 2001 through December 2006. From July 2008 until July 2012, Mr. Sokolow
was President of National Holdings Corporation, and from July 2008 until July 2014, he was Vice Chairman of the board of directors of
National Holdings Corporation. From July 2012 until December 2014, Mr. Sokolow was a consultant and partner at Caribou LLC, a strategic
advisory services firm. Mr. Sokolow was Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Americas Growth Fund Inc., a closed-end
management investment company, from 1994 to 1998. From 1988 until 1993, Mr. Sokolow was an Executive Vice President and the General Counsel
of Applica Inc., a publicly traded appliance marketing and distribution company. From 1982 until 1988, Mr. Sokolow practiced corporate,
securities and tax law and was one of the founding attorneys and a partner of an international boutique law firm. From 1980 until 1982,
he worked as a Certified Public Accountant for Ernst & Young and KPMG Peat Marwick.
Mr.
Sokolow has served on the board of directors of Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: CWCO), a developer and operator of advanced
water supply and treatment plants and water distribution systems, since June 2006, where he currently serves as Chairman of the
Audit Committee and as a member of the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee. In addition, Mr. Sokolow has served on the
board of directors of Vivos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VVOS), a medical technology company focused on developing and
commercializing innovative treatments for adult patients suffering from sleep-disordered breathing, since June 2020, where he
currently serves as Chair of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and on the board
of directors of Agrify Corporation (Nasdaq: AGFY), a developer of precision hardware and software grow solutions for the indoor
agriculture marketplace, as well as providing associated consulting, engineering, and construction services, since December 2021,
where he currently serves as a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee. Mr. Sokolow previously served on the board of
directors of, and as Chairman of the Audit Committee for, Marquee Energy Ltd. (formerly Alberta Oilsands Inc.) (then TSXV: MQX), an
energy company. Our Board believes Mr. Sokolow’s qualifications to serve as a member of our Board include his extensive
experience in the financial industry and in strategic planning, mergers, acquisitions, securities, and corporate development advisory services, his service on other public company boards and his history of executive leadership in
developing and operating businesses.
Gary
N. Golden has served as a director of the Company since February 2022. Since April 2022, Mr. Golden has been with vcfo, which
offers fractional CFO and HR services to clients who require advisors they could trust to guide them through major changes. During 2021,
Mr. Golden served as interim Chief Financial Officer of ADB Companies, which provides strategy, design, execution and program management
services for the communication, utility, and technology industries. Prior to that, during 2021, Mr. Golden served as a project manager
and professional services contractor for MMC Group, Inc., which offers full-service workforce solutions, and as interim controller at
SportClips Haircuts. During 2020, he served as a special project auditor for WebsterRogers LLP, a South Carolina-based accounting and
consulting firm that provides a broad spectrum of assurance, tax and advisory services. From 2013 to 2019, Mr. Golden served as Chief
Financial Officer at NBG Home, an affiliate of Nielsen & Bainbridge and one of the largest home decor manufacturing companies and
importers globally. From 2008 to 2013, Mr. Golden served as Chief Financial Officer and Professional Services Contractor for MMC Group,
Inc. Mr. Golden has served in a variety of other financial and operational roles, including as Vice President, Controller of Kinko’s
Inc., Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller of Blockbuster, Inc., and in controller and internal audit roles at Fuqua Industries
and Qualex, Inc. Mr. Golden is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and began his career at Arthur Andersen & Inc. Our Board believes
Mr. Golden’s qualifications to serve as a member of our Board include his financial expertise, including his status as an “audit
committee financial expert,” and his experience in the home goods and lighting industry.
Efrat
L. Greenstein Brayer has served as a director of the Company since February 2022. Ms. Greenstein Brayer currently serves as
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Merkavah Inc. (d/b/a Ezzree), which provides online emotional and spiritual support care services,
and has been principal attorney of the law office of Laura Greenstein since 2000, where she provides services as a corporate finance
attorney. Ms. Greenstein Brayer previously served as a contract attorney with Holland & Knight from 2006 through 2012, as associate
counsel at Bank Hapoalim B.M. from 1996 through 2000, as an associate at Rogers & Wells (later acquired by Clifford Chance) from
1993 through 1996, and as an associate at Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens (later acquired by Holland & Knight) from 1988 through
1993. Ms. Greenstein Brayer has also served as an officer or director of several private companies. Our Board believes Ms. Greenstein
Brayer’s qualifications to serve as a member of our Board include her corporate law expertise and her experience founding and serving
as Chief Executive Officer of a private company, including in customer service and technology innovation.
56
Nancy
DiMattia has served as a director of the Company since February 2022. Ms. DiMattia has served as Chief Financial Officer of Island
Stone North America, a manufacturer and supplier of natural stone and man-made tiles, since October 2022. Ms. DiMattia previously served
as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Tile Shop Holdings, Inc., a publicly traded specialty retailer of natural stone
and man-made tiles, setting and maintenance materials, and related accessories, from September 2019 until January 2022, where she continued
to serve in an advisory capacity through March 2022. She also previously provided consulting services to Tile Shop Holdings, Inc. from
July 2019 until September 2019. Before joining Tile Shop Holdings, Inc., Ms. DiMattia gained over twenty-five years of experience in
financial reporting and accounting processes in positions of increasing responsibility at Virginia Tile Company. She most recently served
as the Corporate Controller from 2005 until March 2019. During her tenure at Virginia Tile Company, she was responsible for establishing
sound financial management, promoting effective internal accounting controls, developing and leading highly competent accounting teams,
and maintaining a documented system of accounting policies and procedures. Our Board believes Ms. DiMattia’s qualifications to
serve as a member of our Board include her retail industry experience, including her experience overseeing retail-related information
technology measures and working with a customer base that includes architects and designers, and financial expertise, including managing
audits, internal controls and mergers and acquisitions.
Family
Relationships
There
are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.
Composition
of our Board of Directors
Our
business and affairs are managed under the direction of our board of directors, which currently consists of seven directors. The number
of directors is determined by our board of directors or our stockholders, but will not be less than five persons, subject to the terms
of our articles of incorporation and our bylaws. Each director is elected to a one-year term and holds office until his or her successor
is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. Vacancies and newly created directorships on
the board of directors may be filled at any time by the remaining directors.
Board
Committees
Our
board of directors has three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance
committee. Each member of each standing committee of our board of directors qualifies as an independent director in accordance with the
listing standards of Nasdaq. Our board of directors may from time to time establish other committees; for example, the board of directors
has established a business strategy and development committee, which consists of Rani R. Kohen, Leonard J. Sokolow, and, as of March 2023, Nancy DiMattia.
Each
standing committee operates pursuant to a charter adopted by our board of directors. The full text of our audit committee charter, compensation
committee charter and nominating and corporate governance committee charter are posted on the investor relations section of our website
at www.skyplug.com.
Audit
Committee
Our
audit committee consists of Ms. Greenstein Brayer, Ms. DiMattia and Mr. Golden, who is the chair of the audit committee. The functions
of the audit committee include:
● appointing,
approving the compensation of and assessing the independence of our independent registered
public accounting firm;
● pre-approving
audit and permissible non-audit services, and the terms of such services, to be provided
by our independent registered public accounting firm;
● reviewing
the overall audit plan with our independent registered public accounting firm and members
of management responsible for preparing our financial statements;
57
● reviewing
and discussing with management and our independent registered public accounting firm our
annual and quarterly financial statements and related disclosures;
● reviewing
our disclosure controls and procedures, as well as reviewing disclosures regarding our internal
control over financial reporting;
● establishing
policies and procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of accounting-related complaints
and concerns;
● recommending
to the board of directors, based upon the audit committee’s review and discussions
with management and our independent registered public accounting firm, whether our audited
financial statements will be included in our annual reports on Form 10-K;
● discussing
with management our policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management and our
significant financial risk exposures, as well as information security and technology risks
(including cybersecurity);
● preparing
the audit committee report required by SEC rules to be included in our annual proxy statement;
● reviewing
and overseeing all related person transactions for potential conflict of interest situations,
as well as annually reviewing the related party transactions policy;
● overseeing
compliance with, and annually reviewing, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics; and
● reviewing
quarterly earnings releases.
All
members of our audit committee meet the requirements for financial literacy under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and
Nasdaq listing rules. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Golden qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert”
within the meaning of applicable SEC regulations and meets the financial sophistication requirements of Nasdaq listing standards. In
making this determination, our board of directors considered Mr. Golden’s prior experience, business acumen and independence. Both
our independent registered public accounting firm and management will periodically meet privately with our audit committee.
Compensation
Committee
Our
compensation committee consists of Ms. Greenstein Brayer, Ms. DiMattia, and Mr. Golden, who is the chair of the compensation committee.
The functions of the compensation committee include:
● annually
reviewing our overall compensation policy as it applies to our employees generally, and the
corporate goals and objectives relevant to compensation of the Executive Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer and our other executive officers;
● reviewing
and approving or recommending to the board of directors the compensation of our executive
officers;
● reviewing
and approving or recommending to the board of directors our incentive compensation plans
and equity-based plans;
● reviewing
and recommending to the board of directors the compensation of our non-management directors;
● reviewing
the executive compensation disclosures and, if and when required, preparing the compensation
committee report required by SEC rules to be included in our annual proxy statement or Form
10-K, as applicable;
● overseeing
risks relating to our compensation policies, practices and procedures;
● reviewing
our strategies related to human capital management; and
58
● reviewing
and approving the retention, termination or compensation of any consulting firm or outside
advisor to assist in the evaluation of compensation matters.
Each
member of our compensation committee is a non-employee director, as defined in Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee
Our
nominating and corporate governance committee consists of Ms. DiMattia, Mr. Golden and Ms. Greenstein Brayer, who is the chair of the
nominating and corporate governance committee. The functions of the nominating and corporate governance committee include:
● identifying
and evaluating individuals qualified to become members of the board of directors;
● recommending
to the board of directors the persons to be nominated for election as directors and to each
of the board’s committees;
● considering,
developing and recommending to the board of directors policies and procedures with respect
to the nomination of directors or other corporate governance matters;
● reviewing
disclosures relating to our corporate governance practices to be included in our annual proxy
statement or Form 10-K, as applicable;
● reviewing
our policies and practices regarding corporate social responsibility and ESG matters and
related risks;
● reviewing
proposals submitted by stockholders for inclusion in our proxy materials; and
● overseeing
the evaluation of our board of directors and board committees.
Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics
Our
board of directors has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which applies to all of our directors, employees, and officers
(including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing
similar functions). The full text of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is posted on the investor relations section of our website
at www.skyplug.com. We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding an amendment to, or waiver
from, a provision of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics by posting such information on our website within four business days following
the date of the amendment or waiver.
Involvement
in Certain Legal Proceedings
To
the best of our knowledge, none of our directors or executive officers were involved in any legal proceedings described in Item 401(f)
of Regulation S-K in the past 10 years.
Delinquent
Section 16(a) Reports
Section
16(a) of the Exchange Act requires all persons subject to such reporting requirements to file initial reports of ownership and reports
of changes in ownership of our common stock and other equity securities with the SEC. To our knowledge, based solely on a review of these
reports filed with the SEC and certain written representations furnished to us that no other reports were required, we believe that all
Section 16 filing requirements applicable to our executive officers, directors and greater than 10% shareholders were complied with during
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, except as follows: an inadvertently omitted holding of a subordinated convertible promissory
note on the initial Form 3 for Leonard J. Sokolow filed February 9, 2022; inadvertently omitted restricted shares on the initial Form
3 for Steven M. Schmidt filed February 9, 2022; a Form 4 filed by Thomas J. Ridge on March 16, 2022, reporting the March 11, 2022 grant
of shares of restricted stock and options pursuant to the non-employee director compensation program; Forms 4 filed by Mr. Ridge on April
6, 2022 and July 6, 2022, reporting the March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2022, respectively, issuances of restricted stock paid in lieu of
the cash retainer payable for service on the Board, pursuant to the non-employee director compensation program; and a Form 4 filed by
Dov Shiff on July 6, 2022, reporting the June 30, 2022 issuance of restricted stock paid in lieu of the cash retainer payable for service
on the Board, pursuant to the non-employee director compensation program.
59
ITEM
11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
Compensation
Overview
Our
“named executive officers” for the year ended December 31, 2022 were:
● John
P. Campi, Chief Executive Officer (and former Chief Financial Officer through December 31,
2021);
● Rani
R. Kohen, Executive Chairman;
● Marc-Andre
Boisseau, Chief Financial Officer (since January 1, 2022);
● Steven
M. Schmidt, President; and
● Patricia
Barron, Chief Operations Officer.
Our
executive compensation program reflects our continued growth and development-oriented focus. We recognize that our ability to excel depends
on the knowledge, skill and teamwork of our employees. To this end, we strive to create an environment of mutual respect, encouragement
and teamwork that rewards commitment and performance and is responsive to the needs of our employees. The principles and objectives of
our compensation and benefits programs for our employees generally, and for our named executive officers specifically, include to align
our compensation program with our corporate strategies, financial objectives and the long-term interests of our stockholders; retain
and reward executives whose knowledge, skills and performance ensure our continued success; and ensure that total compensation is fair,
reasonable and competitive. The compensation received by our named executive officers is based primarily on their experience and knowledge
as well as their responsibilities and individual contributions to the Company.
The
compensation committee of our board of directors evaluates our executive compensation values and philosophy and executive compensation
plans and arrangements as circumstances require. As part of this review process, we expect the compensation committee to apply our values
and philosophy, while considering the compensation levels needed to ensure our executive compensation program remains competitive. We
will also review whether we are meeting our retention objectives and the potential cost of replacing a key employee.
Executive
Compensation Program Components
Base
Salary
Executive
officer base salaries are based on job responsibilities and individual contribution and are designed to attract and retain employees
over time. Each of our named executive officers (other than Mr. Schmidt) receives a base salary set forth in an employment agreement
entered into with the Company, and the board has the discretion to review and adjust each applicable named executive officer’s
base salary. Mr. Campi, Mr. Kohen, Ms. Barron and Mr. Boisseau received an annual base salary of $150,000, $300,000, $150,000, and $144,000,
respectively, during 2022.
60
Incentive
and Bonus Compensation
Each
named executive officer’s employment agreement also provides for the receipt of incentive and/or bonus compensation, which may
be paid annually in cash and/or stock. These incentive compensation and bonus awards are designed to focus our executive officers on
our business objectives of growing our business, including increasing our revenue and income.
Mr.
Campi is eligible to receive annual incentive compensation consisting of both a cash component, based on our annual gross revenue and
annual net income, and an equity component, consisting of a number of options to purchase common stock determined based on our quarterly
net income. Mr. Kohen is eligible to receive annual incentive compensation based on our annual gross revenue, which may be paid in cash,
stock and/or options, as well as supplemental bonus compensation of performance-based stock options to purchase up to 17,000,000 shares
of common stock at an exercise price ranging between $4.00 and $12.00 per share, determined based on the achievement of specified market
capitalizations of the Company, and the potential to receive further options based on the achievement of additional specific market capitalizations
of the Company, as described further below under “Agreements with Named Executive Officers.” Ms. Barron is eligible to receive
annual incentive compensation consisting of a cash payment based on our net revenues. Mr. Schmidt is eligible to receive a stock bonus
of 20,000 shares that will be payable upon achievement of certain sales program goals, and he may be eligible to receive additional bonus
compensation as determined by the Company. Mr. Boisseau is eligible to receive performance-based compensation in the form of a bonus,
payable in equity and/or cash, as determined by the compensation committee, subject to the achievement of performance metrics and other
criteria as determined by the Executive Chairman and approved by the compensation committee. The actual incentive and/or bonus compensation
earned by each of our named executive officers during our most recent fiscal year is set forth in the “Summary Compensation Table”
below.
Other
Equity Compensation and Awards
Our
executive officers may also receive equity awards under our 2021 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”). We use equity awards
to align the interests of our named executive officers with those of our stockholders. We believe that equity awards, such as stock options
and non-vested restricted stock, encourage our named executive officers to focus on our long-term success as reflected in increases to
our stock prices over a period of several years, growth in our profitability and other elements.
In
addition to the equity incentive and supplemental bonus awards described above, pursuant to the Chairman Agreement (as defined below),
effective January 1, 2022, Mr. Kohen was granted five-year options to purchase 1,020,000 shares of common stock, which have an exercise
price of $12.00 per share, vest as to 340,000 shares on each of January 1, 2023, 2024 and 2025, and expire January 1, 2027.
Pursuant
to his employment agreement, Mr. Schmidt received the following equity grants: a five-year option to purchase 60,000 shares of common
stock at an exercise price of $0.10 per share, which vested in three equal annual installments on each of October 1, 2020, 2021 and 2022;
a five-year option to purchase 60,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per share, which vested in three equal annual
installments on each of October 1, 2020, 2021 and 2022; and a five-year option to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock at an exercise
price of $12.00 per share, which vests in four equal annual installments on each of June 1, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 (which includes
a signing bonus of options to purchase 25,000 shares). Mr. Schmidt’s employment agreement also provides for an annual grant of
25,000 shares of common stock on each of June 1, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
We
also grant equity-based sign-on bonuses when necessary and appropriate to advance our and our stockholders’ interests, including
to attract or retain top executive-level talent. Each of Mr. Campi’s, Mr. Kohen’s and Ms. Barron’s 2019 agreement provided
for a sign-on bonus of a stock option to purchase 120,000, 120,000 and 100,000 shares of common stock, respectively, at an exercise price
of $6.00 per share, which vested in full on December 31, 2020, January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Mr. Schmidt’s
agreement provided for a signing bonus of 25,000 shares of common stock and options to purchase 25,000 shares of common stock at an exercise
price of $12.00 per share, which vested in full on June 1, 2021. Mr. Kohen’s Chairman Agreement provided for a sign-on bonus of
a stock option to purchase 120,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $12.00 per share, which was granted effective January
1, 2022 and vested in full on January 1, 2023. Mr. Boisseau’s agreement provided for a signing bonus consisting of (1) 10,000 shares
of restricted common stock, which vested in four equal installments as of the end of each quarter in 2022, and (2) a three-year stock
option to purchase 10,000 shares of common stock, which vested in four equal installments at the end of each quarter in 2022, and which
were both granted effective March 11, 2022. The options have an exercise price of $12.34 per share.
61
Benefits
and Perquisites
We
offer health insurance to our full-time employees, including our named executive officers. We generally do not provide perquisites or
personal benefits to our named executive officers, except in limited circumstances. For instance, Mr. Kohen is eligible to receive a
$1,000 per month vehicle allowance, pursuant to the Chairman Agreement; Mr. Kohen did not receive this allowance during 2021. On occasion,
the Company pays travel expenses for family members and guests of named executive officers, to accompany named executive officers on trips for business purposes
such as road shows and other events.
Summary
Compensation Table
The
following table sets forth summary compensation information for the named executive officers and includes all compensation earned by
the named executive officers for the respective period, regardless of whether such amounts were actually paid during the period.
Name
and Principal Position (1)
Year
Salary
($) (2)
Bonus
($)
Stock
Awards ($) (3)(4)
Option
Awards ($) (3)(4)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan Compensation ($) (5)
Non-Qualified
Deferred Compensation Earnings ($)
All
Other Compensation
($) (6)
Total
($)
John P. Campi
2022
150,000
—
—
—
90
—
—
150,090
Chief Executive Officer
(and former Chief Financial Officer through December 31, 2021)
2021
150,000
—
—
—
99
—
—
150,099
Rani R. Kohen
2022
300,000
—
—
2,419,539
90
—
28,496
2,748,125
Executive Chairman
2021
250,000
—
—
—
198
—
—
250,198
Marc-Andre Boisseau
2022
144,000
—
123,400
6,611
—
—
—
274,011
Chief Financial Officer
(since January 1, 2022)
Patricia Barron
2022
150,000
—
—
—
90
—
17,409
167,499
Chief Operations Officer
2021
150,000
—
—
—
99
—
—
150,099
Steven M. Schmidt
2022
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
President
2021
—
—
75,000
64,962
—
—
—
139,962
(1)
Mr.
Schmidt has served as a consultant to the Company since August 2019 and has served as our President since June 2021.
(2)
During
2021, each of Mr. Campi and Mr. Kohen deferred a portion of their salary due to circumstances resulting from the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic and preparation for our initial public offering, including $150,000 deferred by Mr. Campi and $67,500 deferred by Mr. Kohen.
These deferred amounts are included in this table.
62
(3)
The
value of stock awards and options in this table represents the fair value of such awards granted or modified during the fiscal year,
as computed in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (“Topic 718”).
The assumptions used to determine the valuation of the awards are discussed in Note 2 and Note 12 to our consolidated financial statements
for the year ended December 31, 2022.
(4)
Pursuant
to his amended employment agreement Mr. Schmidt received: (i) during 2021, 25,000 shares of common stock and options to purchase
100,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $12.00 per share, and (ii) during 2022, 25,000 shares of common stock. Pursuant
to his employment agreement, during 2022, Mr. Boisseau received 10,000 shares of common stock and options to purchase 10,000 shares
of common stock at an exercise price of $12.34 per share. For more information regarding stock awards and option awards granted to
Messrs. Kohen, Boisseau and Schmidt during fiscal 2022 and 2021, see “Agreements with Named Executive Officers” below.
(5)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan Compensation reflects incentive compensation and commission payable pursuant to each individual’s respective
employment agreement, typically as a percent of the Company’s net revenue or sales earned, and in each case as described below
under “Agreements with Named Executive Officers.”
(6)
On
occasion, the Company pays travel and lodging expenses for family members and guests of named executive officers, to accompany named
executive officers on trips for business purposes such as road shows and other events. There was no incremental cost associated with
family member travel that required disclosure in the aforementioned compensation table
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
The
following table sets forth certain information regarding outstanding equity awards held by the named executive officers as of December
31, 2022:
Option
Awards
Stock
Awards
Name
Number
of securities underlying unexercised options
(#)
exercisable
Number
of securities underlying unexercised options
(#)
Not
exercisable
Equity
incentive plan awards: Number of securities underlying unexercised unearned options
(#)
Option
exercise price
($)
Option
expiration date
Number
of shares or units of stock that have not vested
(#)
Market
value of shares or units of stock that have not vested
($)*
Equity
incentive plan awards: Number of unearned shares, units or other rights that have not vested
(#)
Equity
incentive plan awards: Market or payout value of unearned shares, units or other rights that
have not vested
($)
John
P. Campi
120,000
—
—
$ 6.00
9/1/2024
—
—
—
—
Rani
R. Kohen (1)
1,000,000
—
—
$ 0.60
11/15/2025
—
—
—
—
Rani
R. Kohen (1)
1,140,000
—
—
$ 6.00
9/1/2024
—
—
—
—
Rani
R. Kohen (1)(2)
1,500,000
—
—
$ 3.00 (2)
11/21/2024
—
—
—
—
Rani
R. Kohen (1)(2)
500,000
—
—
$ 4.00 (2)
11/21/2024
—
—
—
—
Rani
R. Kohen (1)(2)
1,000,000
—
—
$ 6.00 (2)
11/21/2024
—
—
—
—
Rani
R. Kohen (1)(3)
—
1,140,000 (3)
—
$ 12.00 (3)
1/1/2027
—
—
—
—
Marc-Andre
Boisseau
10,000
—
—
$ 12.34
3/11/2025
—
—
—
—
Patricia
Barron
500,000
—
—
$0.60
– $1.80 (4)
11/15/2025
—
—
—
—
Patricia
Barron
100,000
—
—
$3.00
– $4.00 (5)
4/19/2027
—
—
—
—
Patricia
Barron
100,000
—
—
$ 6.00
9/1/2024
—
—
—
—
Steven
M. Schmidt
60,000
—
—
(6)
10/1/2024
—
—
—
—
Steven
M. Schmidt
60,000
—
—
$ 6.00 (6)
10/1/2024
—
—
—
—
Steven
M. Schmidt (8)
50,000
50,000 (7)
—
$ 12.00 (7)
6/1/2026
50,000 (8)
126,000
—
—
*
Based on the closing stock price of our common stock of $2.52 on December 30, 2022, the last trading day of the 2022 fiscal year.
63
(1)
These
options were granted pursuant to executive chairman agreements entered into with Mr. Kohen.
(2)
Pursuant
to Mr. Kohen’s chairman agreement, Mr. Kohen was granted the following supplemental bonus options as it was determined that
the applicable performance conditions had been satisfied: (i) options to purchase 1,500,000 shares of common stock at an exercise
price of $3.00 per share; (ii) options to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $4.00 per share; and (iii)
options to purchase 1,000,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per share. These options were exercisable as of
the date of grant and expire November 21, 2024. Pursuant to the Chairman Agreement, Mr. Kohen has the following options as supplemental
bonus compensation, subject to the Company achieving the specified market capitalization: (i) options to purchase 500,000 shares
of common stock at $4.00 per share, upon the Company achieving each of the following market capitalizations: $1.5 billion and $2.0
billion; (ii) options to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at $5.00 per share, upon the Company achieving each of the following
market capitalizations: $2.5 billion and $3.0 billion; (iii) options to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price
of $6.00 per share, upon the Company achieving each of the following market capitalizations: $1.5 billion and $2.0 billion; (iv)
options to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $7.00 per share, upon the Company achieving each of the
following market capitalizations: $3.0 billion, $4.0 billion, $5.0 billion and $6.0 billion; and (v) options to purchase 500,000
shares of common stock at an exercise price of $8.00 per share, upon the Company achieving each of the following market capitalizations:
$7.0 billion, $8.0 billion, $9.0 billion and $10.0 billion.
(3)
These
options become exercisable as follows: 460,000 vested on January 1, 2023 and 340,000 will vest on each of January 1, 2024 and 2025.
(4)
Represents
the range of exercise prices – options to purchase 200,000 shares have an exercise price of $0.60 per share, 150,000 have an
exercise price of $1.20 per share and 150,000 have an exercise price of $1.80 per share.
(5)
Represents
the range of exercise prices – options to purchase 50,000 shares have an exercise price of $3.00 per share and 50,000 have
an exercise price of $4.00 per share.
(6)
Options
to purchase 60,000 shares have an exercise price of $0.10 per share and options to purchase an additional 60,000 shares have an exercise
price of $6.00 per share.
(7)
These
options become exercisable in two equal installments on each of June 1, 2023 and 2024 and have an exercise price of $12.00 per share.
(8)
Mr.
Schmidt’s employment agreement provides for an annual grant of 25,000 shares of common stock on each of June 1, 2023 and 2024.
64
Agreements
with Named Executive Officers
John
P. Campi (Chief Executive Officer)
Effective
September 1, 2019, the Company entered into an Executive Employment Agreement with John Campi, its Chief Executive Officer and then-Chief
Financial Officer (the “Campi Agreement”), which superseded Mr. Campi’s previous employment agreement effective September
1, 2016. The Campi Agreement provided for an initial term of one year, which expired August 31, 2020. The term may be, and has been,
renewed by the mutual agreement of Mr. Campi and the Company. Subject to other customary terms and conditions of such agreements, the
Campi Agreement provides that Mr. Campi will receive: (i) a base salary of $150,000 per year, which may be adjusted each year at the
discretion of the board; (ii) a sign-on bonus of a stock option to purchase 120,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00
per share, which vested in its entirety on December 31, 2020; and (iii) incentive compensation consisting of (a) a cash component, paid
on an annual basis, equal to (x) 0.25% of the Company’s annual gross revenue and (y) 3.0% of the Company’s annual net income,
and (b) a stock option component, consisting of five-year options to purchase shares of common stock in an amount equal to 0.5% of the
Company’s quarterly net income, the exercise price of which will be determined at the time such options are granted. Mr. Campi
is also entitled to receive expense reimbursement for reasonable expenses, including travel and entertainment, incurred in the performance
of his duties.
Pursuant
to the Campi Agreement, Mr. Campi may be terminated for “cause,” which is defined as an act of fraud, embezzlement, theft
or neglect of or refusal to substantially perform the duties of his employment that is materially injurious to the financial condition
or business reputation of the Company; a material violation of the Campi Agreement by Mr. Campi that is not cured within 30 days of written
notice; and Mr. Campi’s death, disability or incapacity. Following the expiration of the initial term, the Campi Agreement may
be terminated by the board of directors at its discretion, in which case Mr. Campi will receive a payment equal to 50% of his then-applicable
annual base salary. In addition, Mr. Campi may terminate the Campi Agreement at his discretion by providing at least 30 days’ prior
written notice to the Company.
In
the event the Company is acquired, is the non-surviving entity in a merger or sells all or substantially all of its assets, the Campi
Agreement will survive, and the Company will use its best efforts to ensure that the transferee or surviving company is bound by the
provisions of the Campi Agreement. All shares granted will vest immediately.
Rani
R. Kohen (Executive Chairman)
Effective
September 1, 2019, the Company entered into an Executive Chairman Agreement with Rani R. Kohen (as amended, the “2019 Chairman
Agreement”) to serve as the Company’s Executive Chairman and Chairman of the board of directors, which superseded Mr. Kohen’s
previous chairman agreement effective September 1, 2016. Effective as of January 1, 2022, the Company entered into a new Executive Chairman
Agreement with Mr. Kohen (the “Chairman Agreement”), which superseded the 2019 Chairman Agreement and contains substantially
the same terms. The Chairman Agreement provides that Mr. Kohen will serve for an initial term of three years and that the Chairman Agreement
will automatically renew unless Mr. Kohen or the board of directors decide otherwise.
Subject
to other customary terms and conditions of such agreements, the Chairman Agreement provides that Mr. Kohen will receive: (i) a base salary
of $300,000 per year commencing January 1, 2022 (an increase from $250,000 per year under the 2019 Chairman Agreement), which will be
increased by the Company in the event the Company has a significant cash raise; (ii) annual equity compensation consisting of options
to purchase 1,020,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $12.00 per share, which vest in three equal annual installments
on each of January 1, 2023, 2024 and 2025 (subject to certain exceptions) and will have a five-year term; (iii) a sign-on bonus stock
option to purchase 120,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $12.00 per share, which will vest in its entirety on January
1, 2023 and has a five-year term; (iv) supplemental bonus compensation of stock options to purchase up to 6,000,000 shares of common
stock at an exercise price ranging between $6.00 and $8.00 per share, determined based on the achievement of specified market capitalizations
of the Company, as described further below, which will have a five-year term; (v) supplemental bonus compensation such that, in the event
the Company achieves a $10.0 billion valuation, for each valuation increase of $1.0 billion up to $30.0 billion Company valuation, Mr.
Kohen will receive an option to purchase 500,000 shares at an exercise price of $12.00 per share; (vi) supplemental bonus compensation
of stock options to purchase up to 4,000,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price ranging between $3.00 and $5.00 per share, determined
based on the achievement of specified market capitalizations of the Company, as provided by the previous chairman agreement and described
further below; and (vii) incentive compensation equal to 0.5% of the Company’s gross revenue, which will be paid in cash, stock
and/or options on an annual basis. In the event the Company exceeds a $30.0 billion valuation, the Company and Mr. Kohen will negotiate
a mutually acceptable amendment to the Chairman Agreement.
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Mr.
Kohen is eligible for the following supplemental bonus compensation under the Chairman Agreement (in addition to the supplemental bonus
compensation described in clause (v) above): (i) options to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per
share, upon the Company achieving each of the following market capitalizations: $500.0 million, $1.0 billion, $1.5 billion and $2.0 billion;
(ii) options to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $7.00 per share, upon the Company achieving each of the
following market capitalizations: $3.0 billion, $4.0 billion, $5.0 billion and $6.0 billion; and (iii) options to purchase 500,000 shares
of common stock at an exercise price of $8.00 per share, upon the Company achieving each of the following market capitalizations: $7.0
billion, $8.0 billion, $9.0 billion and $10.0 billion. Mr. Kohen additionally remains eligible to receive the following supplemental
bonus compensation, pursuant to the prior chairman agreement: (i) options to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at $3.00 per share,
upon the Company achieving each of the following market capitalizations: $300.0 million, $500.0 million and $750.0 million; (ii) options
to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at $4.00 per share, upon the Company achieving each of the following market capitalizations:
$1.0 billion, $1.5 billion and $2.0 billion; and (iii) options to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock at $5.00 per share, upon the
Company achieving each of the following market capitalizations: $2.5 billion and $3.0 billion. As of December 31, 2021, the following
options have vested: (i) options to purchase 1.5 million shares at an exercise price of $3.00 per share, (ii) options to purchase 500,000
shares at an exercise price of $4.00 per share; and (iii) options to purchase 1.0 million shares at an exercise price of $6.00 per share.
Mr.
Kohen is also entitled to receive a car allowance of $1,000 per month, reimbursement for cell phone costs and expense reimbursement for
reasonable expenses, including travel and entertainment, incurred in the performance of his duties. In addition, in the event Mr. Kohen
invents additional new products and applications for the Company, including products based on the Company’s existing intellectual
property, Mr. Kohen will be entitled to receive additional compensation, which will be determined by the board of directors.
Pursuant
to the Chairman Agreement, Mr. Kohen may be terminated for “cause,” which is defined as an act of fraud, embezzlement or
theft; a material violation of the Chairman Agreement by Mr. Kohen that is not cured within 60 days of written notice; and Mr. Kohen’s
death, disability or incapacity. During the initial term of the Chairman Agreement, if Mr. Kohen is terminated without cause, (i) the
Company will pay Mr. Kohen an amount calculated by multiplying Mr. Kohen’s monthly salary at the time of such termination by the
number of months remaining in the initial term; (ii) Mr. Kohen’s annual equity compensation will vest on a pro rata basis; and
(iii) Mr. Kohen will receive full payment of all unpaid incentive compensation. Following the expiration of the initial term, the Chairman
Agreement may be terminated by the board of directors at its discretion, in which case Mr. Kohen will receive full payment for all incentives
and will be entitled to compensation for his invented products. Mr. Kohen may terminate the Chairman Agreement at his discretion by providing
at least 90 days’ prior written notice to the Company. In the event Mr. Kohen’s employment is terminated by reason of his
death, the Company will pay Mr. Kohen’s beneficiaries 12 months of Mr. Kohen’s base salary or Mr. Kohen’s base salary
through the remainder of the year in which Mr. Kohen’s death occurs, whichever is greater, and all annual stock compensation, incentive
compensation and supplemental bonus compensation due to Mr. Kohen will be bequeathed to his beneficiaries.
In
the event the Company is acquired, is the non-surviving party in a merger or sells all or substantially all of its assets, the Chairman
Agreement will not be terminated, and the Company will ensure that the transferee or surviving company is bound by the provisions of
the Chairman Agreement. All shares granted and any other compensation will vest and be paid immediately.
Patricia
Barron (Chief Operations Officer)
Effective
September 1, 2019, the Company entered into an Executive Employment Agreement with Patricia Barron, its Chief Operations Officer (the
“Barron Agreement”), which superseded Ms. Barron’s previous employment agreement effective July 1, 2016. The Barron
Agreement provided for an initial term of one year, which term may be, and has been, renewed by the mutual agreement of Ms. Barron and
the Company. Subject to other customary terms and conditions of such agreements, the Barron Agreement provides that Ms. Barron will receive:
(i) a base salary of $150,000 per year, which may be adjusted each year at the discretion of the board; (ii) a sign-on bonus of a stock
option to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per share, which vested in its entirety on December 31,
2020; and (iii) cash incentive compensation equal to 0.25% of the Company’s net revenue, payable on an annual or quarterly basis.
Ms. Barron is also entitled to receive expense reimbursement for reasonable expenses, including travel and entertainment, incurred in
the performance of her duties.
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Pursuant
to the Barron Agreement, Ms. Barron may be terminated for “cause,” which is defined as an act of fraud, embezzlement, theft
or neglect of or refusal to substantially perform the duties of her employment that is materially injurious to the financial condition
or business reputation of the Company; a material violation of the Barron Agreement by Ms. Barron that is not cured within 30 days of
written notice; and Ms. Barron’s death, disability or incapacity. Following the expiration of the initial term, the Barron Agreement
may be terminated by the board of directors at its discretion, in which case Ms. Barron will receive one month of her then-applicable
annual base salary for every year of employment by the Company, as well as any unpaid incentive compensation. In addition, Ms. Barron
may terminate the Barron Agreement at her discretion by providing at least 30 days’ prior written notice to the Company.
In
the event the Company is acquired, is the non-surviving entity in a merger or sells all or substantially all of its assets, the Barron
Agreement will survive, and the Company will use its best efforts to ensure that the transferee or surviving company is bound by the
provisions of the Barron Agreement. All shares granted will vest immediately.
Steven
M. Schmidt (President)
The
Company initially entered into a consultant agreement with Steven M. Schmidt on August 20, 2019, as amended June 1, 2021 (as amended,
the “Schmidt Agreement”), pursuant to which amendment Mr. Schmidt agreed to serve as the Company’s President. The Schmidt
Agreement provides for a three-year term, which may be renewed upon the signed written consent of the Company and Mr. Schmidt. Subject
to other customary terms and conditions of such agreement, the Schmidt Agreement provides that Mr. Schmidt will receive: (i) a five-year
option to purchase 60,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.10 per share, which vested in three equal annual installments
on each of October 1, 2020, 2021 and 2022; (ii) a five-year option to purchase 60,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of
$6.00 per share, which vested in three equal annual installments on each of October 1, 2020, 2021 and 2022; (iii) a stock bonus of 20,000
shares, payable upon achievement of certain sales program goals; (iv) a signing bonus of 25,000 shares of common stock; (v) a five-year
option to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $12.00 per share, which vests in four equal annual installments
on each of June 1, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 (which includes a signing bonus of options to purchase 25,000 shares); and (vi) an annual
grant of 25,000 shares of common stock on each of June 1, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Mr. Schmidt may be eligible to receive additional bonus
compensation as determined by the Company.
Pursuant
to the Schmidt Agreement, Mr. Schmidt may be terminated for “cause,” which is defined as an act of fraud, embezzlement, theft
or neglect of or refusal to substantially perform his duties that is materially injurious to the financial condition or business reputation
of the Company; a material violation of the Schmidt Agreement by Mr. Schmidt that is not cured within 30 days of written notice; Mr.
Schmidt’s death, disability or incapacity; willful misconduct that damages the Company, its reputation, products, services or customers;
and being charged with a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. The Company may terminate the Schmidt Agreement at any time,
in which case Mr. Schmidt will immediately receive all shares of common stock provided for under the Schmidt Agreement and all options
provided for will immediately vest. Mr. Schmidt may terminate the Schmidt Agreement at his discretion by providing at least 30 days’
prior written notice to the Company.
In
the event the Company is acquired, is the non-surviving entity in a merger or sells all or substantially all of its assets, the provisions
and rights provided for in the Schmidt Agreement will survive, and the Company will use its best efforts to ensure that the transferee
or surviving company is bound by the provisions of the Schmidt Agreement. All shares granted will vest immediately.
Marc-Andre
Boisseau (Chief Financial Officer)
Effective
January 1, 2022, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Marc-Andre Boisseau, pursuant to which Mr. Boisseau agreed to
serve as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (the “Boisseau Agreement”). Subject to other customary terms and conditions
of such agreement, the Boisseau Agreement provides that Mr. Boisseau will: (i) receive a base salary of $144,000 per year, subject to
annual review and adjustment; (ii) receive a signing bonus consisting of (1) 10,000 shares of common stock, which vested in four equal
installments at the end of each quarter in 2022 and (2) a three-year stock option to purchase 10,000 shares of common stock, which vested
in four equal installments at the end of each quarter in 2022; and (iii) be eligible to receive performance-based compensation in the
form of a bonus, payable in equity and/or cash, as determined by the compensation committee, subject to the achievement of performance
metrics and other criteria as determined by the Executive Chairman and approved by the compensation committee. Mr. Boisseau is also entitled
to receive expense reimbursement for reasonable expenses, approved in writing by the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
incurred in the performance of his duties. The Boisseau Agreement also contains customary non-competition and non-solicitation covenants
and does not provide for any specified severance benefits. The Boisseau Agreement provides that Mr. Boisseau’s employment is “at
will,” and either party may terminate his employment at any time and for any reason, without cause, upon 90 days’ advance
written notice.
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Stock
Incentive Plans
2018
Stock Incentive Plan (as Amended and Restated)
The
board of directors initially approved the 2018 Stock Incentive Plan (as amended and restated, the “2018 Plan”) on April 26,
2018, and in each of August 2019 and November 2021, the board of directors approved the amendment and restatement of the 2018 Plan. In
connection with the effectiveness of our 2021 Plan, no further awards will be granted under the 2018 Plan. However, all outstanding awards
will continue to be governed by their existing terms.
Stock
Options
The
board, or the appointed committee, shall have sole and absolute discretionary authority (i) to determine, authorize and designate those
persons pursuant to the 2018 Plan who are to receive options under the 2018 Plan, (ii) to determine the number of shares of common stock
to be covered by such options and the terms thereof, (iii) to determine the type of option granted, and (iv) to determine other such
details concerning the vesting, termination, exercise, transferability and payment of such options. Options will be granted in accordance
with such determinations as evidenced by a written option agreement.
Bonus
and Restricted Stock Awards
The
board, or the applicable committee, may, in its sole discretion, grant awards of common stock in the form of bonus awards and restricted
stock awards. The terms and conditions of each stock award agreement may change from time to time and need not be uniform with respect
to Eligible Persons (as defined in the 2018 Plan), and the terms and conditions of separate stock award agreements need not be identical.
Deferred
Stock Awards
The
board, or the committee, may authorize grants of shares of common stock to be received at a future date upon such terms and conditions
as the board, or the committee, may determine. Such awards will be conferred upon the Eligible Person as consideration for the performance
of services and subject to the fulfillment of specified conditions during the deferral period. The terms and conditions of each deferred
stock award agreement may change from time to time and need not be uniform with respect to Eligible Persons, and the terms and conditions
of separate deferred stock award agreements need not be identical.
Performance
Share Awards
The
board, or the committee, may authorize grants of shares of common stock, which will become payable upon the achievement of specified
performance objectives, upon such terms and conditions as the board, or the committee, may determine. Such awards shall be conferred
upon the Eligible Person upon the achievement of specified performance objectives during a specified performance period, such objectives
and period being set forth in the grant. Such grants may include a minimum acceptable level of achievement and/or a formula for measuring
and determining the number of performance shares to be issued if performance exceeds the threshold level but does not meet a maximum
achievement level. The terms and conditions of each performance share award may change from time to time and need not be uniform with
respect to Eligible Persons, and the terms and conditions of separate performance share award agreements need not be identical.
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Adjustments
If
the Company effects a subdivision or consolidation of its shares or other capital readjustment, the payment of a stock dividend or other
increase or reduction of the number of shares of common stock outstanding, without receiving consideration therefore in money, services
or property, then (i) the number, class and per share price of shares of common stock subject to outstanding options and other awards
under the 2018 Plan and (ii) the number of and class of shares then reserved for issuance under the 2018 Plan and the maximum number
of shares for which awards may be granted to an Eligible Person during a specified time period will be appropriately and proportionately
adjusted. The board, or a committee, will make such adjustments, and its determinations will be final, binding and conclusive.
Change
in Control
If
the Company is merged or consolidated with another entity or sells or otherwise disposes of substantially all of its assets to another
company while options or stock awards remain outstanding under the 2018 Plan, unless provisions are made in connection with such transaction
for the continuance of the 2018 Plan and/or the assumption or substitution of such options or stock awards with new options or stock
awards covering the stock of the successor company, or parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and
kind of shares and prices, then all outstanding options and stock awards that have not been continued or assumed, or for which a substituted
award has not been granted, will, whether or not vested or then exercisable, unless otherwise specified in the stock option or stock
award agreement, terminate immediately as of the effective date of any such merger, consolidation or sale.
Federal
Income Tax Consequences
Subject
to other customary terms, the Company may, prior to certificating any common stock, deduct or withhold from any payment pursuant to a
stock option or stock award agreement an amount that is necessary to satisfy any withholding requirement of the Company that the Company
believes, in good faith, is necessary in connection with U.S. federal, state or local taxes as a consequence of the issuance or lapse
of restrictions on such common stock.
2015
Stock Incentive Plan
The
Company previously granted equity awards under the 2015 Plan, which contained substantially the same terms as the 2018 Plan, described
above. The Company no longer grants awards under the 2015 Plan as it was replaced by the 2018 Plan.
2021
Stock Incentive Plan
The
2021 Plan was adopted by our board of directors in December 2021 and approved by our stockholders in February 2022 and became effective
February 9, 2022 (the “Effective Date”). The following provides a summary of the 2021 Plan.
Eligibility
and Types of Awards
The
2021 Plan authorizes the grant of equity-based compensation awards to those employees of, and consultants to, the Company and its subsidiaries
who are selected by the compensation committee, and the 2021 Plan also authorizes the compensation committee to grant awards to non-employee
directors of the Company. Awards under the 2021 Plan may be granted in the form of stock options, stock appreciation rights (sometimes
referred to as “SARs”), restricted shares, restricted share units, and other share-based awards.
Administration
The
compensation committee, which is comprised of non-employee directors, will administer awards granted under the 2021 Plan. To the extent
permitted by applicable law, the compensation committee may delegate its authority to one or more officers or directors of the Company.
Further, the board of directors may reserve to itself any of the compensation committee’s authority and may act as the administrator
of the 2021 Plan.
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Shares
Available
Subject
to adjustments as described below, the total number of shares that may be delivered under the 2021 Plan will not exceed 20,000,000 shares
(all of which potentially may be issued pursuant to awards of incentive stock options). Shares tendered or withheld to pay the exercise
price of a stock option or to cover tax withholding, and shares repurchased by the Company with stock option proceeds, will not be added
back to the number of shares available under the 2021 Plan. Upon exercise of any stock appreciation right that may be settled in shares,
the full number of shares subject to that award will be counted against the number of shares available under the 2021 Plan, regardless
of the number of shares used to settle the stock appreciation right upon exercise. To the extent that any award under the 2021 Plan or
any award granted under the 2018 Plan prior to the effectiveness of the 2021 Plan is forfeited, canceled, surrendered, or terminated
without the issuance of shares or an award is settled only in cash, the shares subject to such awards granted but not delivered will
be added to the number of shares available for awards under the 2021 Plan. Shares available for awards under the 2021 Plan may consist
of authorized and unissued shares, treasury shares (including shares purchased by the Company in the open market) or a combination of
the foregoing.
Stock
Options
Subject
to the terms and provisions of the 2021 Plan, options to purchase shares may be granted to eligible individuals at any time and from
time to time as determined by the compensation committee. Options may be granted as incentive stock options (to employees only) or as
nonqualified stock options. The compensation committee will determine the number of options granted to each recipient. Each option grant
will be evidenced by an award agreement that specifies whether the options are intended to be incentive stock options or nonqualified
stock options and such additional limitations, terms and conditions as the compensation committee may determine, consistent with the
provisions of the 2021 Plan.
The
exercise price for each stock option may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of a share of common stock on the date of grant,
and each stock option shall have a term no longer than 10 years. Stock options granted under the 2021 Plan may be exercised by such methods
and procedures as determined by the compensation committee from time to time.
Stock
Appreciation Rights
The
compensation committee in its discretion may grant SARs under the 2021 Plan. A SAR entitles the holder to receive from the Company upon
exercise an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the aggregate fair market value of a specified number of shares that are the subject
of such SAR over the aggregate exercise price for the underlying shares. The exercise price for each SAR may not be less than 100% of
the fair market value of a share on the date of grant, and each SAR shall have a term no longer than 10 years.
The
Company may make payment in settlement of the exercise of a SAR by delivering shares, cash or a combination of shares and cash as set
forth in the applicable award agreement. Each SAR will be evidenced by an award agreement that specifies the date and terms of the award
and such additional limitations, terms and conditions as the compensation committee may determine, consistent with the provisions of
the 2021 Plan.
Restricted
Shares
Under
the 2021 Plan, the compensation committee may grant or sell restricted shares to participants ( i.e. , shares that are subject to
a substantial risk of forfeiture based on continued service and/or the achievement of performance objectives and that are subject to
restrictions on transferability) under the 2021 Plan. Except for these restrictions and any others imposed by the compensation committee,
upon the grant of restricted shares, the recipient generally will have rights of a stockholder with respect to the restricted shares,
including the right to vote the restricted stock and to receive dividends and other distributions paid or made with respect to the restricted
shares. However, any dividends payable with respect to unvested restricted shares will be accumulated or reinvested in additional restricted
shares until the vesting of the award. During the applicable restriction period, the recipient may not sell, transfer, pledge, exchange
or otherwise encumber the restricted shares. Each award of restricted shares will be evidenced by an award agreement that specifies the
terms of the award and such additional limitations, terms and conditions, which may include restrictions based upon the achievement of
performance objectives, as the compensation committee may determine.
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Restricted
Share Units
The
compensation committee may grant or sell restricted share units to participants under the 2021 Plan. Restricted share units constitute
an agreement to deliver shares (or an equivalent value in cash) to the participant at the end of a specified restriction period and/or
upon the achievement of specified performance objectives, subject to such other terms and conditions as the compensation committee may
specify, consistent with the provisions of the 2021 Plan. Restricted share units are not common shares and do not entitle the recipients
to any of the rights of a stockholder. Restricted share units will be settled in cash, shares or a combination of cash and shares. Each
restricted share unit award will be evidenced by an award agreement that specifies the terms of the award and such additional limitations,
terms and conditions as the compensation committee may determine, which may include restrictions based upon the achievement of performance
objectives.
Other
Share-Based Awards
The
compensation committee may grant other share-based awards to participants under the 2021 Plan. Other share-based awards are awards that
are valued in whole or in part by reference to shares of common stock, or are otherwise based on the value of the common stock, such
as unrestricted shares or time-based or performance-based units that are settled in shares and/or cash. Each other share-based award
will be evidenced by an award agreement that specifies the terms of the award and such additional limitations, terms and conditions as
the compensation committee may determine, consistent with the provisions of the 2021 Plan.
Dividend
Equivalents
As
determined by the compensation committee in its discretion, restricted share units and other share-based awards may provide the participant
with a deferred and contingent right to receive dividend equivalents, either in cash or in additional shares. Any such dividend equivalents
will be accumulated or deemed reinvested until such time as the underlying award becomes vested (including, where applicable, vesting
based on the achievement of performance objectives). No dividend equivalents may be granted with respect to shares underlying any stock
option or SAR.
Change
in Control
If
a participant is a party to an employment, retention, change in control, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a subsidiary
that addresses the effect of a change in control on the participant’s awards, then that agreement will control the treatment of
the participant’s awards under the 2021 Plan in the event of a change in control. In all other cases, the compensation committee
retains the discretion to determine the treatment of awards granted under the 2021 Plan in the event of a change in control. For example,
the compensation committee may determine (without the consent of any participant) to accelerate the vesting of any award (in whole or
in part), to make cash payments in cancellation of vested awards, or to cancel any stock options or SARs without consideration if the
price per share in the change of control transaction does not exceed the exercise price per share of the applicable award.
The
2021 Plan generally defines a change in control to include the acquisition of more than 50% of the Company’s then-outstanding common
stock, other than acquisitions directly from, or by, the Company or by any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Company,
and the consummation of a reorganization, merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s
assets, unless, following such transaction, the Company’s stockholders own more than 50% of the common stock of the resulting entity
in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Company’s common stock prior to the transaction, no stockholder
beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the outstanding common stock of the entity resulting from such transaction
(except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the transaction), and at least a majority of the members of the board of directors
of the resulting entity were members of the Company’s board of directors at the time of the transaction. The 2021 Plan contains
the complete, detailed definition of change in control.
71
Adjustments
In
the event of any equity restructuring, such as a stock dividend, stock split, spin-off, rights offering or recapitalization through a
large, nonrecurring cash dividend, the compensation committee will adjust the number and kind of shares that may be delivered under the
2021 Plan, the number and kind of shares subject to outstanding awards and the exercise price or other price of shares subject to outstanding
awards, to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights. In the event of any other change in corporate capitalization, or in the event of
a merger, consolidation, liquidation or similar transaction, the compensation committee may, in its discretion, make such an equitable
adjustment, to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights. However, unless otherwise determined by the compensation committee, the number
of shares subject to any award will always be rounded down to a whole number. Moreover, in the event of any such transaction or event,
the compensation committee, in its discretion, may provide in substitution for any or all outstanding awards such alternative consideration
(including cash) as it, in good faith, may determine to be equitable in the circumstances and may require in connection therewith the
surrender of all awards so replaced.
The
compensation committee, in its sole discretion, may also provide at any time for the exercisability of outstanding stock options and
SARs, the lapse of time-based vesting restrictions and the satisfaction of performance objectives applicable to outstanding awards, or
the waiver of any other limitation or requirement under any awards.
Transferability
Except
as the compensation committee otherwise determines, awards granted under the 2021 Plan will not be transferable by a participant other
than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Except as otherwise determined by the compensation committee, stock options and
SARs will be exercisable during a participant’s lifetime only by him or her or, in the event of the participant’s incapacity,
by his or her guardian or legal representative. Any award made under the 2021 Plan may provide that any shares issued as a result of
the award will be subject to further restrictions on transfer.
No
Repricing of Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights
Except
in connection with an adjustment involving a change in capitalization or other corporate transaction or event as provided for in the
2021 Plan, the compensation committee may not authorize the amendment of any outstanding stock option or stock appreciation right to
reduce the exercise price, and no outstanding stock option or stock appreciation right may be cancelled in exchange for stock options
or stock appreciation rights having a lower exercise price, or for another award or for cash, without the approval of the Company’s
stockholders.
Compensation
Recovery Policy
Awards
granted under the 2021 Plan shall be subject to forfeiture or recoupment pursuant to any compensation recovery policy that the Company
may adopt in the future, including a policy adopted to comply with applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules.
Term
of the 2021 Plan; Amendment and Termination
No
awards may be granted under the 2021 Plan after the date that is 10 years from the Effective Date, or such earlier date as the 2021 Plan
may be terminated by the board of directors. The board of directors may, without stockholder approval, amend or terminate the 2021 Plan,
except in any respect as to which stockholder approval is required by the 2021 Plan, by law, regulation or the rules of an applicable
stock exchange.
Termination
or Change in Control Benefits
Our
named executive officers may become entitled to certain benefits or enhanced benefits in connection with a qualifying termination and/or
a change in control of our Company. Our named executive officers’ employment agreements entitle them to certain benefits upon certain
terminations or in connection with a change in control of the Company. For additional discussion, see “Agreements with Named Executive
Officers” above.
72
Each
of our named executive officers holds equity awards that were granted subject to the general terms and termination and change in control
provisions of our stock incentive plans. The forms of agreements governing outstanding awards granted under the plans contain additional
such provisions. For additional discussion, please see “2018 Stock Incentive Plan (as Amended and Restated)” and “2021
Stock Incentive Plan” above.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
Director
Compensation
Prior
to March 2022, we did not pay cash compensation to our non-employee directors for service on our board. Our non-employee directors were
reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings and carrying out duties as board members. Directors who are employed
by us do not receive compensation for service on our board of directors.
As
compensation for service on our board during 2021, each non-employee director received, effective December 31, 2021, 20,000 shares of
common stock and five-year options to purchase 25,000 shares of common stock, which vested on the effective date of grant, have an exercise
price of $12.00 per share and expire December 31, 2026. As compensation for his former role as chairman of the audit committee and for
his service on the corporate development committee, Mr. Sokolow additionally received 4,000 shares of common stock and five-year options
to purchase 75,000 shares of common stock, which vested on the effective date of grant, have an exercise price of $12.00 and expire December
31, 2026.
Our
board of directors approved a program for non-employee director compensation (the “Director Compensation Program”) on March
7, 2022. For service on our board, non-employee directors receive an annual cash retainer of $30,000, paid in quarterly installments
(which began as of February 14, 2022 and is pro-rated as applicable). Directors may elect to have the cash retainer paid in the form
of shares of common stock, determined based on the closing price per share of common stock on Nasdaq on the last day of the quarter.
In
addition, on the third trading day after the earlier of the date of the earnings release or the date the annual report is filed on
Form 10-K (the “Program Grant Date”), non-employee directors receive an annual grant of (i) 5,000 shares of restricted
stock, which vest immediately on the Program Grant Date, and (ii) options to purchase up to 5,000 shares of common stock with an
exercise price equal to the closing price of common stock on Nasdaq on Program Grant Date, which will vest in twelve equal monthly
installments beginning on the last day of the month in which the options were granted and expire five years from the Program Grant
Date.
For
service as a member of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and/or Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee,
non-employee directors each receive an annual grant of (i) 1,000 shares of restricted stock, which vest immediately on the Program
Grant Date, and (ii) options to purchase up to 1,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price equal to the closing price of
common stock on Nasdaq on the Program Grant Date, which will vest in twelve equal monthly installments beginning on the last day of
the month in which the options were granted and expire five years from the Program Grant Date.
For
service as the Chair of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and/or Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee,
non-employee directors each receive an additional annual grant of (i) 1,000 shares of restricted stock, which vest immediately on
the Program Grant Date, and (ii) options to purchase up to 1,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price equal to the closing
price of common stock on Nasdaq on the Program Grant Date, which will vest in twelve equal monthly installments beginning on the
last day of the month in which the options were granted and expire five years from the Program Grant Date.
For
non-employee members of the Business Strategy and Development Committee of the Board, non-employee directors each receive an
additional annual grant of (i) 12,500 shares of restricted stock, which vest immediately on the Program Grant Date, and (ii) options
to purchase up to 12,500 shares of common stock with an exercise price equal to the closing price of common stock on Nasdaq on the
Program Grant Date, which will vest in twelve equal monthly installments beginning on the last day of the month in which the options
were granted and expire five years from the Program Grant Date.
Non-employee
directors will also receive reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for attending meetings and carrying out duties as board
members.
73
As
compensation for service on our board during 2022, each non-employee director received, effective March 11, 2022, 5,000 shares of common
stock, which vested on the effective date of grant, and five-year options to purchase up to 5,000 shares of common stock, which vest
in twelve equal installments on the last day of each month following date of grant, have an exercise price of $12.34 per share and expire
March 11, 2027.
As
compensation for their service on our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, on
March 11, 2022, Ms. Greenstein Brayer, Mr. Golden and Ms. DiMattia were each granted (i) 3,000 shares of common stock, which vested
on the effective date of grant, and (ii) five-year options to purchase up to 3,000 shares of common stock, which vest in twelve
equal installments on the last day of each month following date of grant, have an exercise price of $12.34 per share and expire
March 11, 2027.
As
compensation for his service as the Chair of our Audit Committee and Compensation Committee, on March 11, 2022, Mr. Golden was granted
(i) 2,000 shares of common stock, which vested on the effective date of grant, and (ii) five-year options to purchase up to 2,000 shares
of common stock, which vest in twelve equal installments on the last day of each month following date of grant, have an exercise price
of $12.34 per share and expire March 11, 2027.
As
compensation for her service as the Chair of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, on March 11, 2022, Ms. Greenstein Brayer
was granted (i) 1,000 shares of common stock, which vested on the effective date of grant, and (ii) five-year options to purchase up
to 1,000 shares of common stock, which vest in twelve equal installments on the last day of each month following date of grant, have
an exercise price of $12.34 per share and expire March 11, 2027.
As
compensation for his service on our Business Strategy and Development Committee, on March 11, 2022, Mr. Sokolow was granted (i)
12,500 shares of common stock, which vested on the effective date of grant, and (ii) five-year options to purchase up to 12,500
shares of common stock, which vest in twelve equal installments on the last day of each month following date of grant, have an
exercise price of $12.34 per share and expire March 11, 2027.
Five
non-employee directors elected to receive their annual cash retainer in shares of common stock, of which four each received 285 shares
on March 31, 2022, 3,750 shares on June 30, 2022, 2,032 shares on September 30, 2022 and 2,976 shares on December 31, 2022. One non-employee
director receiving shares of common stock instead of cash resigned on June 28, 2022, and therefore received 285 shares on March 31, 2022
and 3,668 shares on June 30, 2022.
As
compensation for service on our board during 2021, each non-employee director was entitled to receive, effective December 31, 2021, 20,000
shares of common stock and five-year options to purchase 25,000 shares of common stock, which vest on the effective date of grant, have
an exercise price of $12.00 per share and expire December 31, 2026. As compensation for his former role as chairman of the audit committee
and for his service on the corporate development committee, Mr. Sokolow was additionally eligible to receive 4,000 shares of common stock
and five-year options to purchase 75,000 shares of common stock, which vest on the effective date of grant, have an exercise price of
$12.00 and expire December 31, 2026.
2023 Director Compensation
In March 2023, the Compensation Committee recommended, and the Board of Directors approved, certain changes to the
Director Compensation Program, such that (i) the Chair of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and/or Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee will each receive 2,000 shares of restricted common stock and options to purchase 2,000 shares and (ii) the members
of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will each receive 3,000 shares
of restricted common stock and options to purchase 3,000 shares. All other terms of the Director Compensation Program, including grant
dates and vesting terms, remain the same.
74
Director
Compensation Table
The
following table summarizes the compensation paid to each non-employee director who served during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
All compensation earned by Mr. Kohen during 2022 has been reported in the “Summary Compensation Table” above under “Executive
Compensation.”
Name
Fees
earned or paid in cash
($)
Stock
awards
($) (1)
Option
awards
($) (1)
Non-equity
incentive plan compensation
($)
Nonqualified
deferred compensation earnings
($)
All
other compensation
($)
Total
($)
Nancy DiMattia
—
124,880
39,918
—
—
—
164,798
Gary N. Golden
26,162
123,400
49,900
—
—
—
199,062
Efrat L. Greenstein Brayer
26,162
111,060
44,912
—
—
—
187,135
Phillips S. Peter (2)
—
72,698
7,462
—
—
—
80,168
Thomas J. Ridge
—
87,860
24,948
—
—
—
112,808
Dov Shiff
—
87,860
24,948
—
—
—
112,808
Leonard J. Sokolow
—
242,110
87,328
—
—
112,126 (3)
441,564
(1)
The
table reflects the grant date fair value, as computed in accordance with Topic 718, of the
restricted share awards and options granted to directors in 2022. The assumptions used to
determine the valuation of the awards are discussed in Note 2 and Note 12 to our consolidated
financial statements for the applicable fiscal year.
There were no unvested stock awards held by non-employee directors as of December 31, 2022, other than
Mr. Sokolow, as described in footnote 3. The total number of unexercised option awards (vested and unvested) held by our non-employee
directors as of December 31, 2022 was as follows: Ms. DiMattia, 8,000 options; Mr. Golden, 10,000 options; Ms. Greenstein Brayer,
9,000 options; Mr. Peter, 426,250 options; Mr. Ridge, 630,000 options; Mr. Shiff, 130,000 options; and Mr. Sokolow, 967,500 options.
(2)
Mr.
Peter resigned from the board of directors effective June 28, 2022.
(3)
On
November 9, 2022, the Company entered into the Advisory Agreement (as defined below) with Newbridge Securities Corporation, pursuant
to which Newbridge Securities Corporation agreed to provide financial and general corporate advisory services. Pursuant to the Advisory
Agreement, the Company agreed to issue to affiliates of Newbridge Securities Corporation an aggregate of 200,000 restricted shares
of the Company’s common stock, which will vest on the following schedule: 50,000 shares of common stock on November 9, 2022
and 50,000 shares on each of the six-, 12- and 18-month anniversaries of such date. Mr. Sokolow received 40,333 of the restricted
shares, of which 30,250 were unvested as of December 31, 2022. In the event the Advisory Agreement is terminated prior to its expiration,
any shares that have not vested as of such date will be forfeited. For additional information, see “Item 13. Certain Relationships
and Related Party Transactions, and Director Independence” of this Form 10-K.
75
ITEM
12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The
following table sets forth certain information known to us regarding beneficial ownership of our issued and outstanding common stock
as of March 30, 2023 for:
● each
of our named executive officers;
● each
of our directors;
● all
of our executive officers and directors as a group; and
● each
person or group of affiliated persons known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than
5% of our common stock.
Beneficial
ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities.
Under those rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares as to which the individual or entity has sole or shared voting power or investment
power, and includes securities that the individual or entity has the right to acquire, such as through the exercise of issued stock options
or warrants or conversion of convertible notes or preferred stock, within 60 days of March 20, 2023. Except as noted by footnote, and
subject to community property laws where applicable, we believe, based on the information provided to us, that the persons and entities
named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all common stock shown as beneficially owned by them.
The
percentage of beneficial ownership is based on 83,119,862 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of March 30, 2023.
Except
as otherwise indicated below, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o SKYX Platforms Corp., 2855 W. McNab Road, Pompano Beach, Florida
33069.
Common
Stock Beneficially Owned
Name
and Address of Beneficial Owner
Number
of Shares and Nature of Beneficial Ownership
Percentage
of Total Common Stock
Greater than 5% Stockholders
Dov
Shiff, Director (1)
15,134,132
18.2 %
Rani R.
Kohen, Executive Chairman and Director (2)
14,859,970
16.7 %
Motek
7 SQL LLC (3)
6,118,004
7.4 %
Strul
Associates Limited Partnership (4)
6,556,658
7.8 %
Steven Siegelaub (5)
4,317,025
5.2 %
Directors and Named Executive
Officers (not otherwise included above)
Thomas
J. Ridge, Director (6)
1,599,043
1.9 %
Leonard
J. Sokolow, Director (7)
1,315,101
1.6 %
Gary N.
Golden, Director (8)
20,000
*
Efrat
L. Greenstein Brayer, Director (9)
18,000
*
Nancy
DiMattia, Director (10)
25,043
*
John P.
Campi, Chief Executive Officer (11)
1,324,352
1.6 %
Marc-Andre Boisseau (12)
16,223
*
Steven
M. Schmidt, President (13)
307,755
*
Patricia
Barron, Chief Operations Officer (14)
800,000
1.0 %
All
directors and current executive officers as a group (11 persons) (15)
35,419,619
38.6 %
*
Represents beneficial ownership
of less than one percent.
76
(1) Based
on a Form 4 and Schedule 13D/A filed by Mr. Shiff on January 4, 2023 and January 5, 2023,
respectively. Includes 10,817,072 shares of common stock held by Shiff Group Investments
Ltd., 235,712 shares of common stock held by Shiff Group Assets Ltd., 3,896,348 shares of
common stock held directly by Mr. Shiff and 40,000 shares held by Mr. Shiff’s spouse,
as well as 105,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that are currently exercisable
and 40,000 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the principal amount of an
outstanding convertible note held by Shiff Group Investments Ltd. As the President and Chief
Executive Officer of Shiff Group Investments Ltd. and a controlling person of Shiff Group
Assets Ltd., Mr. Shiff may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the shares held by such
entities and have voting and dispositive power over such shares.
(2) Based
on a Form 4 and Schedule 13D filed by Mr. Kohen on June 13, 2022 and February 15, 2022, respectively.
Includes 16,001 shares of common stock held directly by Mr. Kohen, 9,143,969 shares of common
stock held by KRNB Holdings LLC and 100,000 shares of common stock held by Mr. Kohen’s
family member, as well 5,600,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that are
currently exercisable. As manager of KRNB Holdings LLC, Mr. Kohen may be deemed to be the
beneficial owner of the shares held by KRNB Holdings LLC and have voting and dispositive
power over such shares.
(3) Based
on a Schedule 13G filed by Motek 7 SQL LLC on February 16, 2022. As manager of Motek 7 SQL
LLC, Hillel Bronstein may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the shares held by Motek
7 SQL LLC and have voting and dispositive power over such shares. The business address of
Motek 7 SQL LLC is c/o Mansfield Bronstein, PA, 500 Broward Blvd., Suite 1450, Fort Lauderdale,
FL 33394.
(4) Includes
5,514,991 shares of common stock, 125,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of an outstanding
warrant, and 916,667 shares of common stock underlying convertible
promissory notes that are currently exercisable held by Strul Associates Limited Partnership.
As President of Strul Associates Limited Partnership, Aubrey Strul may be deemed to be the
beneficial owner of the shares held by Strul Associates Limited Partnership and have voting
and dispositive power over such shares. The address for Strul Associates Limited Partnership
is 20320 Fairway Oaks Drive, #362, Boca Raton, Florida 33434.
(5) Based
on a Schedule 13G filed by Mr. Siegelaub on February 16, 2022. Includes the following shares
of common stock: (i) 1,667,316 shares held by Safety Investors 2014 LLC; (ii) 1,189,971 shares
held by Investment 2013, LLC; (iii) 184,622 shares held by 301 Office Ventures, LLC; (iv)
87,424 shares held by Enterprises 2013, LLC; (v) 731,021 shares held by Investment 2018,
LLC; (vi) 42,857 shares held by DRS Real Estate Ventures LLC; (vii) 83,333 shares held jointly
by Mr. Siegelaub and his spouse; and (viii) 68,814 shares held by Mr. Siegelaub. This also
includes: (i) 20,000 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the principal amount
of an outstanding convertible note held by Sky Technology Partners, LLC; (ii) 200,000 shares
of common stock underlying stock options held jointly by Mr. Siegelaub and his spouse that
are currently exercisable; and (iii) 41,667 shares issuable upon exercise of warrants held
by Investment 2018 LLC. As the managing member of each of 301 Office Ventures, LLC, Enterprises
2013, LLC, Investment 2013 LLC, Safety Investors 2014 LLC, Investment 2018 LLC, DRS Real
Estate Ventures LLC and Sky Technology Partners, LLC, Mr. Siegelaub may be deemed to the
beneficial owner of the shares held by such entities and have voting and dispositive power
over such shares. The address for Mr. Siegelaub and his affiliated entities is 361 E. Hillsboro
Blvd., Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441.
(6) Includes
794,043 shares of common stock, 605,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that
are currently exercisable and 200,000 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of
Series A Preferred Stock held by Mr. Ridge.
(7) Includes
356,543 shares of common stock held by Mr. Sokolow, including 20,167 shares of unvested restricted
stock, and 3,600 shares of common stock held by Newbridge Securities Corporation. This also
includes: (i) 867,500 shares of common stock underlying stock options held by Mr. Sokolow
that are currently exercisable; (ii) 16,667 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion
of the principal amount of an outstanding convertible note held by Mr. Sokolow; and (iii)
the following shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants: 28,759
shares issuable upon exercise of Newbridge Warrants (as defined below) held by Mr. Sokolow
and 21,865 shares issuable upon exercise of Newbridge Warrants held by Newbridge Securities
Corporation. Mr. Sokolow is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Newbridge Financial,
Inc. and Chairman of Newbridge Securities Corporation, its broker dealer subsidiary, and,
accordingly, may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the shares held by Newbridge Securities
Corporation and have voting and dispositive power over such shares.
77
(8) Includes
10,000 shares of common stock and 10,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options
that are currently exercisable held by Mr. Golden.
(9) Includes
9,000 shares of common stock and 9,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that
are currently exercisable held by Ms. Greenstein Brayer.
(10) Includes
17,043 shares of common stock and 8,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that
are currently exercisable held by Ms. DiMattia.
(11) Includes
1,197,685 shares of common stock, 120,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options
that are currently exercisable and 6,667 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion
of the principal amount of an outstanding convertible note held by Mr. Campi.
(12) Includes
6,223 shares of common stock and 10,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that
are currently exercisable held by Mr. Boisseau.
(13) Includes
137,755 shares of common stock, including 50,000 shares of unvested restricted stock, and
170,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that are currently exercisable held
by Mr. Schmidt.
(14) Includes
100,000 shares of common stock and 700,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options
that are currently exercisable held by Ms. Barron.
(15) Includes
26,901,161 shares of common stock, including 70,167 shares of unvested restricted stock, as
well as 8,204,500 shares of common stock underlying stock options that are currently exercisable,
50,624 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants, 63,334 shares of common
stock issuable upon the conversion of the principal amount of outstanding convertible notes
and 200,000 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A Preferred Stock.
Changes
in Control
We
are unaware of any contract, or other arrangement or provision, the operation of which may at any subsequent date result in a change
in control of our Company.
Stock
Incentive Plan Information
The
following table sets forth equity compensation plan information as of December 31, 2022:
Plan
category
(a)
Number
of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights
(b)
Weighted-average
exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights
(c)
Number
of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a))
Equity compensation
plans approved by security holders (1)(2)
35,480,211
$
$7.18
15,564,627
Equity compensation plans not approved
by security holders
275,000
0
1,111,000
Total
35,755,711
$
$7.18
16,675,627
78
(1) Includes
35,113,190 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options granted pursuant to
our stock incentive plans and to our Executive Chairman under his employment agreement, all
of which were approved by our security holders, at a weighted average exercise price of $7.31
per share, which includes: (a) 4,330,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock
options granted under the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan; (b) 6,760,500 shares of common stock issuable
upon exercise of stock options granted under the 2018 Stock Incentive Plan; (c) 3,764,690 shares
of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options granted under the 2021 Stock Incentive
Plan; and (d) 20,000,000 shares of common stock issuable to our Executive Chairman upon vesting
and exercise of performance-based stock options granted to our Executive Chairman pursuant
to his employment agreement, of which 3,000,000 had vested as of December 31, 2022.
(2) The
2015 Stock Incentive Plan and 2018 Stock Incentive Plan were previously replaced and terminated
by the 2018 Stock Incentive Plan and the 2021 Stock Incentive Plan, respectively, and, as
such, no securities remained available for issuance under such plans as of December 31, 2022
and no further awards will be granted under such plans. However, all outstanding awards will
continue to be governed by their existing terms. All shares available for future issuance
are under the 2021 Stock Incentive Plan.
Item
13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS, and Director Independence
Director
Independence
As
required under Nasdaq rules and regulations, a majority of the members of a listed company’s board of directors must qualify as
“independent,” as affirmatively determined by the board of directors. Based upon information requested from and provided
by each director concerning his or her background, employment, and affiliations, including family relationships, our board of directors
has determined that all members of the board of directors, except Rani R. Kohen, Dov Shiff and Leonard J. Sokolow, are “independent”
as that term is defined under applicable SEC rules and regulations and Nasdaq listing requirements and rules. In addition, Phillips S.
Peter, who served as a director during 2022, was independent under such criteria. In making such independence determinations, our board
of directors considered the relationships that each non-employee director has with us and all other facts and circumstances that our
board of directors deemed relevant in determining their independence, including the transactions described below under “Certain
Relationships and Related Party Transactions” and beneficial ownership of our capital stock by each non-employee director. The
composition of our board of directors and each of our committees complies with all applicable requirements of Nasdaq and the rules and
regulations of the SEC.
Certain
Relationships and Related Party Transactions
The
following is a description of transactions or series of transactions since January 1, 2021, to which we were or will be a party, in which:
● the
amount involved in the transaction exceeds the lesser of (i) $120,000 or (ii) 1% of the average
of our total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years; and
● in
which any of our executive officers, directors, director nominees or holders of 5% or more
of any class of our voting capital stock, or any immediate family member of any of the foregoing,
had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.
Notes
Payable
During
2020, certain related parties entered into securities purchase agreements with the Company, pursuant to which each agreed to purchase
a three-year subordinated convertible promissory note. Subject to other customary terms, the note accrues interest at a rate of 6% per
annum, which is payable annually in cash or common stock, at the holder’s discretion. At any time after issuance and prior to or
on the maturity date, the note is convertible at the option of the holder into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $15.00
per share. Upon notice to the holder, the Company may prepay, in whole or in part, the outstanding balance of the note at any time prior
to the maturity date; provided, that the holder has the right to convert the note into shares of common stock in lieu of prepayment.
Upon the occurrence of certain events of default and written notice from the holder, the note will become immediately due and payable
and, until paid in full, will bear interest at a rate of 12% per annum. The following table lists the related parties, the principal
amount of the note purchased, and the maturity date of the note. The Company has not paid any of the principal on the notes.
79
Name
of Related Party
Principal
Amount Purchased
Maturity
Date
Leonard J. Sokolow – director
of the Company
$ 250,000
September
22, 2023
Sky Technology Partners, LLC – Steven
Siegelaub, a greater than 5% holder with his affiliates, is the managing member
$ 300,000
October
30, 2023
Shiff Group Investments Ltd. – Dov
Shiff, a director and greater than 5% holder, is the President and Chief Executive Officer
$ 600,000
November
3, 2023
John P. Campi – Chief Executive Officer
of the Company
$ 100,000
November
10, 2023
On each of February 6, 2023 and March 29, 2023, the Company closed the
Private Placements, pursuant to which the Company issued and sold subordinated secured convertible promissory notes and warrants to purchase
shares of the Company’s common stock to certain investors. Strul Associates Limited Partnership, a greater than 5% holder, purchased
notes in the principal amount of $2.0 million and $750,000, respectively, and was issued warrants to purchase 125,000 shares of common
stock, dated March 29, 2023. The investors in the private placement have certain registration rights. The notes mature on the fourth anniversary
of the closing date and contain customary acceleration events. The principal amount of the note are convertible at any time after the
closing date, in whole or in part, at the option of the holder, into shares of common stock at an initial conversion price of $3.00 per
share, subject to adjustment and a minimum conversion price of $2.70 per share. Interest on the notes accrues at a rate of 10% per annum,
of which. For the February 2023 note, 7% of the interest is payable quarterly in arrears in cash and 3% is payable quarterly in arrears
in cash or in shares of the Company’s common stock at the note conversion price on the date the principal balance of the note is
paid in full or fully converted, at the holder’s election. For the March 2023 note, all of the interest is payable quarterly in
arrears in cash or in shares of the Company’s common stock at the note conversion price on the date the principal balance of the
note is paid in full or fully converted, at the holder’s election. The notes are secured by substantially all of the Company’s
accounts, instruments, and tangible and intangible property, which secured interest is subordinated to interests held by other parties
in such collateral as of the closing date and certain future debt. The Company may prepay the entire then-outstanding principal amount
of the notes at any time, plus a prepayment premium; if the Company exercises such right, the note holder may instead elect to convert
the note. After the third anniversary of the closing date, the holder may require the Company to repay the outstanding principal balance
and accrued interest on the notes with 30 days’ prior written notice. The holder may demand the Company repay the notes in the event
the Acquisition does not close by June 30, 2023, or earlier upon notice from the Company. The warrants are exercisable for five years
after the closing date and are exercisable immediately after their issuance, in whole or in part. The warrants have an initial exercise
price of $3.00 per share, subject to adjustment and a minimum exercise price of $2.70 per share. In addition, the note notes and warrants
contain conversion limitations providing that a holder thereof may not convert the note or exercise the warrant to the extent that, if
after giving effect to such conversion or exercise, the holder or any of its affiliates would beneficially own in excess of 9.99%, as
elected by the holder. The holder may increase or decrease its beneficial ownership limitation upon notice to the Company, provided that
in no event such limitation exceeds 9.99%, and that any increase shall not be effective until the 61st day after such notice.
Newbridge
Securities Corporation
In
October 2018, the Company entered into an investment banking agreement with Newbridge Securities Corporation, pursuant to which Newbridge
Securities Corporation agreed to provide business development, consulting and advisory services, including capital raising and placement
agency services, to the Company. This agreement was renewed periodically prior to its termination. Leonard J. Sokolow, a member of the
Company’s board of directors, is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Newbridge Financial, Inc. and Chairman of Newbridge
Securities Corporation, its broker dealer subsidiary. In connection with entering into the agreement, the Company paid Newbridge Securities
Corporation a $25,000 fee and agreed to issue shares of common stock equal to $50,000, which were paid as of December 31, 2020.
Pursuant
to the agreement, the Company agreed to pay placement agent fees equal to 8.0% of the gross purchase price upon closing of sales of the
Company’s equity securities and 4.0% upon closing of any line of credit, secured or unsecured term loan or other non-convertible
debt facility arranged by Newbridge Securities Corporation for the Company. Upon the closing of any such equity or debt transaction,
the Company agreed to issue to Newbridge Securities Corporation, or its permitted assigns, warrants to purchase: (i) in an equity transaction,
10% of the sum of (A) the number of shares of common stock issued by the Company and (B) the number of shares of common stock issuable
by the Company upon the exercise or conversion of convertible securities issued; and (ii) in a debt transaction, 10% of the facility
amount, divided by a per share price equal to the last equity, warrants or options issued by the Company at the time of closing. The
agreement further provided, among other things, that such warrants would contain provisions providing for cashless exercise, price protection
and piggyback registration rights and would not be callable or redeemable by the Company.
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The
agreement also provided for sales commission with respect to certain agreements, including territorial licenses, marketing agreements
and commercial contracts. If the transaction were with an organization located, identified or introduced by Newbridge Securities Corporation,
the Company was required to pay Newbridge Securities Corporation a $75,000 fee at closing, plus 1% of the net revenues received by the
Company, payable quarterly during the contract’s term. If the Company requested Newbridge Securities Corporation assist with closing
the transaction, the Company was required to pay Newbridge Securities Corporation a $50,000 fee at closing, plus 0.25% of the net revenues
received by the Company, payable quarterly for the lesser of five years or the contract’s term.
For
investors introduced by the Company, the compensation payable to Newbridge Securities Corporation was 50% of the then-applicable fees
for an investor introduced by Newbridge Securities Corporation. For investors introduced by a third party, the fee payable to Newbridge
Securities Corporation was mutually agreed upon by the Company and Newbridge Securities Corporation.
Pursuant
to the agreement, as of December 31, 2022, the Company had paid Newbridge Securities Corporation an aggregate of $609,472 in
placement agent fees (not including expenses). In March 2021, effective as of December 31, 2020, the Company issued 10,000 shares to
Newbridge Securities Corporation and its affiliates pursuant to the agreement, of which Newbridge Securities Corporation received
3,600 shares and Mr. Sokolow received 4,500 shares. In addition, on December 31, 2020, the Company issued three-year warrants to
purchase an aggregate of up to 14,375 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $12.00 per share (subject to adjustment,
including in the event of certain subsequent equity sales by the Company) (the “2020 Newbridge Warrants”), including
warrants to purchase up to 5,674 shares and 4,469 shares issued to Newbridge Securities Corporation and Mr. Sokolow, respectively.
In addition, during 2021, the Company issued the following three-year warrants with an exercise price of $12.00 per share (subject
to adjustment, including in the event of certain subsequent equity sales by the Company): (i) warrants dated October 26, 2021 to
purchase an aggregate of up to 3,750 shares of common stock, including warrants to purchase up to 725 shares and 1,088 shares issued
to Newbridge Securities Corporation and Mr. Sokolow, respectively, (ii) warrants dated November 29, 2021 to purchase an aggregate of
up to 12,501 shares of common stock, including warrants to purchase up to 2,250 shares and 3,375 shares issued to Newbridge
Securities Corporation and Mr. Sokolow, respectively, and (iii) warrants dated December 22, 2021 to purchase an aggregate of up to
73,434 shares, including warrants to purchase up to 13,216 shares and 19,827 shares issued to Newbridge Securities Corporation and
Mr. Sokolow, respectively (collectively, the “2021 Newbridge Warrants” and, together with the 2020 Newbridge Warrants,
the “Newbridge Warrants”). The initial exercise price of $12.00 per share of the 2021 Newbridge Warrants was adjusted to
$9.80 per share pursuant to applicable anti-dilution provisions in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial
public offering. The Newbridge Warrants may be exercised, in whole or in part, at any time on or prior to the third anniversary of
the effective date of the applicable warrant. Among other terms, the Newbridge Warrants provide for cashless exercise if, one year
following the effective date of the warrant, there is no effective registration statement registering the shares of common stock
issuable upon exercise of the Newbridge Warrants, as well as certain anti-dilution rights. The Newbridge Warrants also provide for
certain piggyback registration rights, subject to certain exceptions.
The
Company entered into two investment banking engagement agreements with Newbridge Securities Corporation in May 2021, pursuant to which
Newbridge Securities Corporation agreed to provide certain corporate advisory services and merger and acquisition services, respectively.
In January 2022, the Company and Newbridge Securities Corporation entered into a termination agreement, pursuant to which the three investment
banking agreements described above were terminated, and the parties agreed that there are no continuing rights or obligations under such
agreements, and that Newbridge Securities Corporation is not entitled to any fees or payments, in cash or otherwise, pursuant to such
agreements.
81
On
November 9, 2022, the Company entered into a corporate advisory engagement agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) with Newbridge
Securities Corporation, pursuant to which Newbridge Securities Corporation agreed to provide financial and general corporate advisory
services to the Company in connection with certain investment banking matters, such as assisting with investor presentations and investor
conferences, providing advice related to capital structures, capital market opportunities and asset allocation or exit strategies, and
assisting with the preparation of a due diligence package for use in potential merger and acquisition, joint venture and capital raising
transactions. The Advisory Agreement has a 24-month term and may be terminated by either party, at any time, upon 15 days’ prior
written notice. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Company agreed to issue to affiliates of Newbridge Securities Corporation an
aggregate of 200,000 restricted shares of the Company’s common stock, which will vest on the following schedule: 50,000 shares
of common stock on November 9, 2022 and 50,000 shares on each of the six-, 12- and 18-month anniversaries of such date. Mr. Sokolow received
40,333 of the restricted shares. In the event the Advisory Agreement is terminated prior to its expiration, any shares that have not
vested as of such date will be forfeited. The common stock is subject to a six-month lock up restriction from the date the shares vest.
Bridge
Line Ventures
The
Company and Bridge Line Ventures, LLC Series ST-1 (“Bridge Line Ventures”), the manager of which is Bridge Line Advisors,
LLC, of which Leonard J. Sokolow, a member of our board of directors, is Chief Executive Officer and President, entered into the following
stock purchase agreements with the Company (collectively, the “Bridge Line SPAs”):
● Stock
Purchase Agreement, dated February 26, 2021, as amended March 30, 2021, June 30, 2021 and
August 31, 2021, pursuant to which Bridge Line Ventures purchased 25,373 shares of common
stock at a purchase price per share of $12.00.
● Stock
Purchase Agreement, dated March 30, 2021, as amended April 30, 2021, June 30, 2021 and August
31, 2021, pursuant to which Bridge Line Ventures purchased 37,500 shares of common stock
at a purchase price per share of $12.00.
● Stock
Purchase Agreement, dated April 30, 2021, as amended June 30, 2021 and August 31, 2021, pursuant
to which Bridge Line Ventures purchased 2,084 shares of common stock at a purchase price
per share of $12.00.
● Stock
Purchase Agreement, dated June 30, 2021, as amended August 31, 2021, pursuant to which Bridge
Line Ventures purchased 150,000 shares of common stock at a purchase price per share of $12.00.
● Stock
Purchase Agreement, dated August 31, 2021, pursuant to which Bridge Line Ventures purchased
16,667 shares of common stock at a purchase price per share of $12.00.
Each
of the Bridge Line SPAs contains substantially the same terms. Among other things, the Bridge Line SPAs contain anti-dilutive price protection
measures, which apply for 24 months following the date of closing of the Bridge Line SPAs, subject to certain exceptions, which anti-dilution
provisions were triggered by the Company’s initial public offering. As such, on February 14, 2022, the Company issued 86,032 shares
of common stock to Bridge Line Ventures.
In
addition, on each of June 30, 2021 and August 31, 2021, pursuant to the Bridge Line SPAs, Bridge Line Ventures received a three-year
warrant to purchase up to 214,957 and 16,667 shares of the Company’s common stock, respectively, at an initial exercise price of
$12.00 per share (subject to adjustment, including in the event of certain subsequent equity sales by the Company) (the “Bridge
Line Ventures Warrants”). The initial exercise price of $12.00 per share was automatically adjusted to $9.80 per share pursuant
to applicable anti-dilution provisions in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial public offering. The Bridge Line
Ventures Warrants may be exercised, in whole or in part, at any time on or prior to June 30, 2024 or August 31, 2024, respectively. Among
other terms, the Bridge Line Ventures Warrants provide for cashless exercise of the Bridge Line Ventures Warrants if, after June 30,
2022 or August 31, 2022, respectively, there is no effective registration statement registering the shares of common stock issuable upon
exercise of the Bridge Line Ventures Warrants.
On
September 12, 2022, Bridge Line Ventures distributed its shares of common stock and warrants to purchase common stock to its investors,
pursuant to a pro rata distribution for no consideration.
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Other
Options and Warrants
In
November 2021, Investment 2018, LLC purchased 41,667 shares and three-year warrants to purchase up to 41,667 shares of common stock at
an initial exercise price of $12.00 per share (subject to adjustment, including in the event of certain subsequent equity sales by the
Company), for an aggregate purchase price of $500,000. In connection with the completion of the Company’s initial public offering,
applicable anti-dilution provisions were automatically triggered, and, accordingly, Investment 2018, LLC received 9,354 shares of common
stock on February 14, 2022 and the initial exercise price of the warrants of $12.00 per share was automatically adjusted to $9.80 per
share. As the managing member of Investment 2018 LLC, Mr. Siegelaub may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the shares held by such
entity.
In
December 2021, Mr. Sokolow exercised an option to purchase 75,000 shares, dated January 1, 2017, with an exercise price of $2.60 per
share, and Mr. Shiff exercised an option to purchase 25,000 shares, dated January 1, 2017, with an exercise price of $2.60 per share.
Initial
Public Offering
In
the initial public offering completed in February 2022, 455,353 shares were purchased by our directors, officers and greater than 5%
stockholders at the public offering price.
Policies
and Procedures for Related Party Transactions
Our
board of directors has adopted a written related party transactions policy, which sets forth the policies and procedures for the review
and approval or ratification of related person transactions. Pursuant to this policy, the audit committee has the primary responsibility
for reviewing and approving or disapproving “related party transactions,” which are transactions, arrangements or relationships
between us and related persons in which the aggregate amount involved in any fiscal year exceeds or may be expected to exceed the lesser
of $120,000 or 1% of the average of our total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years and in which a related person
has or will have a direct or indirect material interest. For purposes of this policy, a related person is defined as an executive officer,
director, nominee for director or greater than 5% beneficial owner of our common stock, in each case since the beginning of the most
recently completed fiscal year, and their immediate family members.
ITEM
14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The
following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed to us for the years ended December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 by our independent
auditors, M&K CPAs, PLLC:
2022
2021
Audit Fees (1)
$ 72,500
$ 48,000
Audit-Related Fees
-
—
Tax Fees
-
—
All Other Fees
-
—
Total
Fees
$ 72,500
$ 48,000
(1) Audit
fees represent amounts billed for professional services rendered for the audit and/or review
of our consolidated financial statements. For 2022 and 2021, includes audit fees for professional
services rendered in relation to the review of our registration statement and other documents
filed with the SEC in connection with our initial public offering. For 2022, includes fees
related to professional services rendered in connection with the issuance of a consent related
to a Registration Statement on Form S-8.
Pre-Approval
Policy
Pursuant
to the Audit Committee Charter, the audit committee is required to pre-approve the audit and non-audit services performed by our independent
auditors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, separate audit committee pre-approval is not required (a) if the engagement for services is
entered into pursuant to pre-approval policies and procedures established by the audit committee regarding our engagement of the independent
auditor (the “Pre-Approval Policy”) as to matters within the scope of the Pre-Approval Policy or (b) for de minimis non-audit
services that are approved in accordance with applicable SEC rules. For fiscal year 2022, all services performed by our independent auditors
were pre-approved by the audit committee.
83
PART
IV
ITEM
15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a)(1)
Financial Statements
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
F-2
Audited Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
F-3
Audited Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss for the Years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-4
Audited Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) for the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-5
Audited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
F-6
Notes to Audited Financial Statements
F-7
(a)(2)
Financial Statement Schedules
Schedules
have been omitted because the information required to be set forth therein is not applicable or is shown in the financial statements
or notes thereto.
(a)(3)
Exhibit Index
Exhibit
No.
Description
of Exhibit
2.1+
Stock Purchase Agreement, dated February 6, 2023, by and among the Company and Mihran Berejikian, Nancy Berejikian, and Michael Lack (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 7, 2023).
3.1
Articles of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
3.2
Articles of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation, including the Certificate of Designation of Rights, Preferences and Privileges of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (effective August 12, 2016) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
3.3
Articles of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (effective February 7, 2022) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 14, 2022).
3.4
Articles of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (effective June 14, 2022) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 14, 2022).
3.5
Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (effective June 14, 2022) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 14, 2022).
4.1
Description of the Company’s Registered Securities (filed herewith).
4.2
Specimen Common Stock Certificate (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.1+
GE Trademark License Agreement, dated as of June 15, 2011, by and between SQL Lighting & Fans, LLC and GE Trademark Licensing, Inc. (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.2
First Amendment to Trademark License Agreement, dated April 17, 2013, by and between SQL Lighting & Fans, LLC and GE Trademark Licensing, Inc (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.3
Second Amendment to Trademark License Agreement, dated August 13, 2014, by and between SQL Lighting & Fans, LLC and GE Trademark Licensing, Inc (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
84
10.4
Third Amendment to Trademark License Agreement, dated September 25, 2018, by and between SQL Lighting & Fans, LLC and GE Trademark Licensing, Inc (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.5
Fourth Amendment to Trademark License Agreement, dated May 2019, by and between SQL Lighting & Fans, LLC and GE Trademark Licensing, Inc (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.6
Letter Agreement relating to Trademark License Agreement, dated December 1, 2020, between SQL Lighting & Fans, LLC and GE Trademark Licensing, Inc (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.7†+
Master Services Agreement, dated June 14, 2019, between GE Technology Development, Inc. and SKY Technology, LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.8+
Pledge and Security Agreement, dated April 13, 2016, by Safety Quick Lighting & Fans Corp., in favor of Nielsen & Bainbridge, LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.9†
Memorandum of Understanding, dated January 31, 2018, between Safety Quick Lighting & Fans Corp. and Nielsen & Bainbridge, LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.10+
Promissory Note, dated December 14, 2021, by the Company, in favor of Nielsen & Bainbridge, LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.11+
Form of Securities Subscription Agreement and Warrant used in 2021 Private Placements (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on January 10, 2022).
10.12*
2015 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.13*
Form of Stock Option Agreement (2015 Plan) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.14*
Form of Stock Award Agreement (2015 Plan) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.15*
2018 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.17 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.16*
Form of Stock Option Agreement (2018 Plan) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.17*
Form of Stock Award Agreement (2018 Plan) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.18*
Executive Employment Agreement, dated September 1, 2019, between the Company and John P. Campi (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.19*
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