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 , 2023
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 $ 176,373,385
based on the closing price as reported on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC as of June 30, 2023, the last business day of the registrant’s
most recently completed second fiscal quarter.
As
of March 21, 2024, the registrant had 96,870,902 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
15
Item
1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
43
Item
1C.
Cybersecurity
43
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
5 2
Item
8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
5 2
Item
9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
52
Item
9A.
Controls and Procedures
5 2
Item
9B.
Other Information
53
Item
9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
53
PART III
Item
10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
54
Item
11.
Executive Compensation
61
Item
12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
77
Item
13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
80
Item
14.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
82
PART
IV
Item
15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
83
Item
16.
Form 10-K Summary
85
SIGNATURES
86
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 successfully manage and grow the operations of Belami, Inc. (“Belami”) with our business;
●
our
ability to expand 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 and continue our operations as needed;
●
our
ability to comply with the terms of, and timely repay, our current debt financing;
●
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, 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 taxes;
●
our
ability to successfully sell and distribute our products and technologies and our estimated total addressable market;
●
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 the Israel-Hamas war and potentially deteriorating relationships
with China, inflation, labor shortages, supply chain constraints and shortages, including availability of affordable electronic microchips,
instability in the global banking system and the possibility of an economic recession;
●
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 because 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.
●
We
cannot ascertain that there are no substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going
concern, and accordingly, we will not be able to achieve our objectives and continue our operations
if we cannot adequately fund our operations.
●
If
we are unable to successfully launch our smart products and technologies as planned, 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 manage and grow Belami’s e-commerce operations, or if global economic conditions and the effect
of economic pressures and other business factors negatively impact discretionary consumer spending, 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, and 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.
●
We
depend on a limited number of third-party manufacturers and suppliers.
●
We
face substantial risks relating to the intellectual property we rely upon, 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, including the
Israel-Hamas war, 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 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 96 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. In addition, during 2023, we expanded our operations by acquiring an online retailer and
e-commerce provider specializing in home lighting, ceiling fans, and other home furnishings.
Our first- and second-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, Bluetooth Low Energy (“BLE”) and voice control connections. The SkyHome App allows
scheduling, energy saving-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 third-generation technology 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 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 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
We
previously sold 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 Gen-1: The Weight Bearing
Power-Plug”. We wound 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
Sky Smart Gen-3 All-in-One Smart Home Platform. Additional information regarding our new line of products is described below under
“Products—Advanced Products” and “—Smart Products- Gen-2.” We shifted to smart products because 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 All advanced and smart products, other than
our Smart Sky Platform, were available during 2023 and we expect our Smart SKY Platform will be available during 2024.
E-Commerce
On
April 28, 2023, we completed our acquisition (the “Closing”) of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Belami, an
online retailer and e-commerce provider specializing in home lighting, ceiling fans, and other home furnishings. We expect these 60
websites will serve as a marketing and growth platform for our smart products and should provide several distribution channels,
including to retail customers, builders, and professionals.
The
acquisition was completed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Stock Purchase Agreement, dated February 6, 2023, between
the Company and the stockholders of Belami (the “Sellers”) (as amended, the “Stock Purchase Agreement). The purchase
price paid at the Closing consisted of $7,000,000 in cash (which excluded, among other things, $1.0 million released to the Sellers from
escrow) and an aggregate of 1,923,285 shares of the Company’s common stock. At the Closing, $750,000 of the purchase price was
deposited into an escrow account, which will be held for 12 months following the Closing as a source of recourse for claims the Company
may have against the Sellers under the Stock Purchase Agreement. Prior to the Closing, Belami issued the following promissory notes to
the Sellers, which remain in place following the Closing and are guaranteed by the Company: (i) promissory notes in an aggregate amount
of $1.0 million, which were paid in July 2023, which have a 90-day term and an interest rate of 4.86% per annum (the “Closing Notes”); and (ii) promissory
notes in the aggregate amount of $239,266 (the “Retained Earnings Notes”), which was equal to the difference between retained
earnings, on the one hand, and the cash and Closing Notes distributed to the Sellers prior to the Closing, on the other hand, and which
amount is subject to adjustment, which have a one-year term[and an interest rate of 4.86% per annum.
The
Company agreed to pay to the Sellers on the first anniversary of the Closing, or April 28, 2024, (i) $3,117,408 in cash and (ii) a
number of shares of common stock equal to $5,560,262 divided by $3.00 per share. 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.
On
March 29, 2024, the Company and the Sellers entered into a letter agreement modifying certain obligations under the Stock Purchase
Agreement. In connection with the letter agreement, the Company issued convertible promissory notes to each of the Sellers (the
“Seller Note(s)”) in substitution of an aggregate of $3,117,408 in cash due to the Sellers on the first anniversary of
the Closing. Each Seller received a Seller Note in an amount of $1,039,303 on the same date. In addition to other customary terms,
the Seller Notes bear annual interest at 10%, with interest and principal becoming due on May 16, 2025, and can be converted by the
Sellers at any time at $3.00 per share of our common stock. The Seller Notes include customary events of default accelerating
maturity, including a breach of the Company’s covenants, representations and warranties under the Stock Purchase Agreement and
a change of control of Belami. The letter agreement further provides that the Company will perform all other obligations arising on
the first anniversary of the Closing, including issuance of shares of common stock due to Sellers, and that on such date the
non-fundamental representations and warranties will expire, and the Company will release $750,000 held in escrow.
4
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, incorporate our “plug and play” technology, which eliminates the need to
touch wires during the later plug-in installation, replacement and maintenance, and cleaning and, accordingly, could result in reduced
incidents of electrical shocks and fires resulting from faulty wiring. While the installation of our products and retrofitting of electrical
services does not require the services of a licensed electrician, it 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. We are continuing to refine our products and began
manufacturing certain advanced and smart products during 2023 and expect to manufacture and make commercially available our Smart Sky
Platform during 2024.
Our
First Product Gen-1: The Weight Bearing Power-Plug
Our
first patented technology was the Gen-1 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”.
We
previously sold products with the Sky Plug & Receptacle built in, including ceiling fans and light fixtures. We wound 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.
5
Advanced
Gen-1 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
Our
Gen-2 Smart Products have advanced smart and safety technologies, have unique modern designs and are controlled by our proprietary SkyHome
App or through voice control. All these products can be linked to the SkyHome application that works with both iPhones and Android phones
to control features and specifications of connected devices, such as scheduling and eco/energy-saving mode. Gen-2 products also integrate
with AI home assistants Siri, Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and more. Our SkyHome App and Gen-2 products are an open system
that can integrate with other smart home devices and systems.
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, safety features, security features, lifestyle features, sound, lights, dimming,
emergency back-up battery and much more.
Sky
Smart Gen-2 – Universal Power-Plug & Receptacle : Our Sky Smart Universal Power-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 Power-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 Gen2 for 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 Gen-2 for 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, secure, 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 safer, and 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 other buildings and can be easily implemented and installed to the ceiling receptacle
in both existing and new homes and other buildings within minutes. Our Smart Sky Platform includes 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 will
enable 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, and a 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, as well as the performance of sensors and alarms.
The
Smart Sky Platform is inconspicuous to the décor. It is designed to install in only minutes 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 our products
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 Gen-3 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 is intended to
eliminate the need for installation of numerous stand-alone devices and their integration into a single working unit.
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.
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.
Cybersecurity
We
have implemented measures and protocols to ensure that our users’ information is safe and protected. We use high level of cybersecurity
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 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
National Electrical Code (“NEC”) 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.
8
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 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.
In
addition, we filed an application with the NEC seeking mandatory safety standardization for our ceiling outlet receptacle platform in
September 2023. The filing of the Company’s application for a mandatory safety standardization with the NEC does not guarantee
approval within any specific timeframe or at all.
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 compete
could be adversely impacted.
We
protect our intellectual property through various aspects and strategies including broad and particular intellectual property
claims. We have over 96 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, 2023, in the U.S., we owned 10 issued
patents, which expire from 2036 to 2038, and four pending or published but not yet issued patents, and outside of the U.S., we owned
29 issued patents, which expire from 2026 to 2039, and 53 pending or published but not yet issued patents. We intend to
diligently maintain and vigorously defend our intellectual property and to enhance our patent protections actively and continuously
in the U.S. and globally.
The
issued patents are directed to various aspects of 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.
9
General
Electric Agreement
In
December 2023, the Company renewed its five-year Licensing Master Services Agreement for U.S. and global licensing services of its standard
and smart products (the “GE MSA”) with GE Technology Development, Inc. (“GE”), while sunsetting its original
License Trademark Agreement with GE Trademark Licensing, Inc. (“GE-TL”). The term of the GE MSA runs for an initial five-year
term, includes automatic one-year renewal provisions, and replaces the Company’s Master Services Agreement for global licensing
services with GE dated June 14, 2019. Pursuant to the GE MSA, GE’s licensing team will license certain of the Company’s standard
and smart products in the U.S. and worldwide. For each licensing program the Company engages GE to conduct, GE’s licensing team
will provide certain licensing services, including seeking and arranging for licensee partners, negotiating agreement terms, administering
contracts, auditing partners, assisting with monetization and patent protection strategy, and providing mutually agreed support to defend
the Company’s intellectual property. The Company will pay a percentage of earned revenue to GE collected pursuant to license agreements
established in connection with a program commercialized by GE’s licensing team, or with certain licensees introduced by GE to the
Company.
In
connection with the sunsetting of the License Trademark Agreement, the Company and a subsidiary of the Company has entered into a letter
agreement with GE-TL restructuring the aggregate amount of $2.7 million in royalty payments owed to GE-TL to be paid over thirteen quarterly
installments, with the first two payments of $200,000 each being made in December 2023 and March 2024, respectively. The final payment
is scheduled for December 2026. The Company also agreed to pay an amount of $1.4 million to GE-TL, payable in 2027, in addition to the then agreed royalty payments.
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, 2023, we had 60 employees all of which are full-time employees. 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 and operate our
e-commerce websites.
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
We
believe that our advanced-safe-smart platform technologies will disrupt and positively influence various industries, both in the U.S.
and globally, and that, due to ease of 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:
●
Lighting
Industry : 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 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 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 All-In-One 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 All-In-One
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 2023 and expect to launch our Smart Sky Platform during 2024.
Bringing our products to market will require us to take certain steps, including, but not limited to, the following:
●
Manufacturing :
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. It typically takes less than 60 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.
●
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 intend to sell our products on our e-commence websites. We
currently rely, and plan to rely primarily, on product distribution arrangements with third parties. We also 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”),
Underwriters 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 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.
11
Expected
Revenue Stream
We
believe our products will enable us to access a global market with multiple revenue streams, including the following:
●
Royalties
from the Sky Plug & Receptacle. Management has agreed to license products in the U.S. and globally through the efforts
of its GE agreement. 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
and E-Commerce Sales. We currently primarily generate revenue from our e-commerce sales. Management will strive to achieve strong
market penetration worldwide for our advanced and smart Sky Technologies products. We have previously sold our standard
products in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and began selling our new smart products in the United States 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 Sky 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 2024 but cannot provide any assurance that
we will be able to do so.
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. We 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. In addition, in April 2023, we acquired Belami, an online retailer and e-commerce provider specializing
in home lighting, ceiling fans, and other home furnishings.
12
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. 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. 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 for our Sky Technologies
products vary based on our products, market, and industry.
●
Competitors
for our Universal Power-Plug & Receptacle product: We believe we do not have significant direct competition at this point to
our Universal Power-Plug & Receptacle product, although all lighting and ceiling fan manufacturers are potential competitors.
●
Competitors
for our Smart Universal Power-Plug & Receptacle product: We believe we do not have significant direct competition at this point
to Smart Universal Power-Plug and & Receptacle product, although all lighting and ceiling fan manufacturers are potential competitors.
●
Competitors
for our Smart Plug and Play Light Fixture products: We believe 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, Minka,
Hampton Bay and others. 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.
●
Competitors
for our Smart Plug and Play Ceiling Fan Products: We believe 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, Fanimation, Modern Fan
Co., Hampton Bay and others.
●
Competitors
for our Smart Sky Platform product: We believe we do not have direct competition at this
point to our Smart Sky Platform product, although there are many smart home companies that
can be our competitors, including companies such as Control4, Vivint, Apple, Google, Microsoft,
Amazon, ADT, Blue by ADT, Cove Security 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.
Our
competitors for our e-commerce websites, some of which have substantially greater resources than us, range from other online-only
retailers specializing in lighting and other home décor items, such as Wayfair and Overstock.com, to
retailers with both online and physical presences specializing in home décor, such as Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel, to
retailers that sell home décor items as part of a much larger assortment of items, such as Amazon, Target, Home Depot and
Lowe’s.
13
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 U.S. 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, Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (cUL), Conformité
Européenne (CE) and International Electrotechnical Commission for Electrical Equipment Certification Body (the IECEE 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.
14
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 have shifted our business strategy to transition developing
and manufacturing smart products and technologies and further evolved our strategy by acquiring an online retailer and e-commerce provider
specializing in home lighting, ceiling fans, and other home furnishings during 2023. 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 integrating additional operations, as well as the following risks, among others:
●
unanticipated
problems, delays and expenses relating to (i) 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 certifications for new product configurations, or (ii) our e-commerce
operations, such as the potential for reduced discretionary consumer spending, shipping disruptions or delays, or our products not
meeting consumer expectations;
●
operational
difficulties, including continuing to integrate our retail operations with our Sky Technologies product and technologies operations;
15
●
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.
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 $37.4 million and $26.6
million during 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $145.4
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, including our retail operations, maintain cost control discipline
while balancing development of our enhanced “all-in-one” Smart Sky Platform, costs relating to our retail operations 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, our recently acquired retail business, 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, expand our operations, 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 and from our expansion into retail operations, an inability to timely and cost-effectively introduce and sell successful
smart products and other products and technologies, a security incident or our failure, for any reason, 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
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
cannot ascertain that there are no substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. We will not be able to achieve
our objectives and will not be able to continue our operations if we cannot adequately fund our operations.
There
is substantial doubt that the Company can continue as an ongoing business for the next 12 months. If we are unable to continue as a going
concern, we might have to liquidate our assets and the values we receive for our assets in liquidation or dissolution could be significantly
lower than the values reflected in our financial statements. In addition, the inclusion of an explanatory paragraph regarding substantial
doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern and our lack of sufficient liquidity resources may materially adversely affect
our share price and our ability to raise new capital or to enter into critical contractual relations with third parties. There is no
assurance that we will be able to adequately fund our operations in the future.
We
expect to derive a substantial portion of our future 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 a substantial portion of our future 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 and market an all-in-one Smart Sky Platform would result
in the loss of a substantial amount of investment dollars. Furthermore, developing and marketing 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.
16
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.
Even
if we can bring our smart products and technologies to market as planned 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. While we have accepted preorders for
certain products, 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. 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 smart products. If demand declines for any of these or other reasons, our business could be adversely affected.
Global
economic conditions and the effect of economic pressures and other business factors on discretionary consumer spending and consumer preferences
may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Uncertainties
in global economic conditions that are beyond our control could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial
condition, and stock price. These adverse economic conditions include inflation, slower growth or recession, new or increased tariffs
and other changes to fiscal and monetary policy, higher interest rates, high unemployment, decreased consumer confidence in the economy,
armed hostilities, such as the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, foreign currency exchange
rate fluctuations, conditions affecting the retail environment for products we sell, and other matters that influence consumer spending
and preferences. In addition, consumer confidence and spending can be materially adversely affected in response to financial market volatility,
negative financial news, conditions in the real estate and mortgage markets, including home equity loans and consumer credit, changes
in net worth based on market changes and uncertainty, energy shortages and cost increases, labor and healthcare costs, government actions
and general uncertainty regarding the overall future economic environment.
Consumers
may view a substantial portion of the products we offer as discretionary items rather than necessities. As a result, our operating results
are sensitive to changes in macroeconomic conditions that impact consumer spending, including discretionary spending. Declines in consumer
spending have resulted in, and could in the future result in, decreased demand for our products and services, which has adversely affected
the results of our operations in the past and may do so in the future.
17
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. 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 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 Sky Technologies platform business may fail.
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 from our products and technologies depends in part on our ability to enhance and improve
such 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.
18
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.
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.
19
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.
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 and market products and technologies popular with customers and consumers, effectively manufacture
our products, and successfully manage our operations, including our retail business, 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;
20
●
the
continued development of our business, both producing and marketing our smart products and technologies and operating our retail
websites;
●
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 and production of an enhanced Smart Sky Platform and integration of our retail operations,
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;
●
improving
our distribution sales channels, including our retail websites; and
●
integrating
and operating our retail websites.
We
also may identify and pursue strategic acquisition candidates that would help support these initiatives, such as the 2023 acquisition
of Belami, operates a collection of online stores carrying a variety of home décor items, including lighting, and is expected
to provide us with direct distribution sales channels for our smart products and technologies.
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 and retail websites, 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, as well as to profitably operate our retail websites. We are currently focused on producing smart products and technologies
using our “plug and play” technologies, which 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 cannot provide any assurance that the operation of our retail websites will offset such reduced profitability. 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
from such products and technologies 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
primarily from the e-commerce platform that we acquired in 2023. We expect that the release of our new smart products and technologies
will require working capital to finish product development and manufacturing, and to 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 (the “board” or “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 high inflation and interest rates, ongoing supply
chain disruptions and shortages, labor shortages and geopolitical conditions, any disruptions to, or volatility in, the credit and
financial markets in the United States and worldwide, and a potential economic downturn or recession.
22
As
of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $22.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash. 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 aggregate net
proceeds from private placements of subordinated secured convertible promissory notes and at the market offerings (sometimes
referred as “ATM”) of our common stock during 2023 of $19.6 million during 2023. 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 outstanding secured debt, the applicable creditor could proceed against any or all the
collateral securing our indebtedness to it.
Our
marketing efforts to help grow our retail business may not be effective, and failure to effectively develop and expand our sales and
marketing capabilities could harm our ability to increase our customer base and achieve broader market acceptance of our e-commerce channel.
If
the online market for home goods does not continue to gain acceptance, a sizable portion of our business may suffer. Our success will
depend, in part, on our ability to attract consumers who have historically purchased home goods through traditional retailers. Furthermore,
we may have to incur significantly higher and more sustained advertising and promotional expenditures to attract additional online consumers
to our sites and convert them into purchasing customers online. Specific factors that could impact consumers’ willingness to purchase
home goods from us online include concerns about buying products without a physical storefront, face-to-face interaction with sales personnel
and the inability to physically handle, examine and compare products; delivery time associated with online orders; actual or perceived
lack of security of online transactions and concerns regarding the privacy or protection of personal information; delayed shipments or
shipments of incorrect or damaged products; inconvenience associated with returning or exchanging items purchased online; usability,
functionality and features of our sites; and our reputation and brand strength. In addition, if we do not have a clear and relevant promotional
calendar to engage our customers, especially in the current macroeconomic environment, our customers may purchase fewer goods from us,
or we may have to increase our promotional activities. If the shopping experience we provide does not appeal to consumers or meet the
expectations of existing customers, we may not acquire new customers at sustainable rates, acquired customers may not become repeat customers
and existing customers’ buying patterns and levels may decrease. In addition, we may experience surges in online traffic and orders
associated with promotional activities and seasonal trends, which could cause fluctuations in our results of operations from quarter
to quarter.
23
We
operate in a highly competitive industry, and if we are unable to compete successfully, our business may be adversely affected.
Both
our products and technologies and our e-commerce platform operate in competitive industries. 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. In addition, our e-commerce
channel faces competition from other online retailers, as well as traditional retailers, many of which have larger platforms and greater
resources than us, and some of which sell a wider array of products, which could attract a wider array of customers. 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. 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. 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.
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 product strategy will rely upon our ability to successfully rationalize and improve the efficiency of our
operations. In particular, our product 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 2023, we had less than 10 major vendors that accounted for a majority of our 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.
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.
25
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, we acquired Belami in 2023. 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. 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 connection with the acquisition
of Belami, during 2023, we sold convertible notes and warrants and issued common stock as consideration for the Belami 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.
Our
products business may become substantially dependent on contracts that are awarded through competitive bidding processes.
We
may obtain a significant portion of our products 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;
26
●
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.
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.
27
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.
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 the intellectual
property we rely upon 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 intellectual property upon which we rely, our future revenues and operating
income will be reduced.
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.
Our
products 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 U.S. 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, Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (cUL), Conformité Européenne (CE) and
International Electrotechnical Commission for Electrical Equipment Certification Body (the IECEE 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.
28
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.
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 and our e-commerce sales. 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, e-commerce sales, 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 for our Sky Technologies products 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, both for our Sky Technologies products and products distributed through our e-commerce websites. We have limited product
distribution experience for our Sky Technologies products and currently rely, and plan to rely primarily, on product distribution arrangements
with third parties. We also rely on product distribution arrangements for sales of products sold on our e-commerce websites. As a result,
our future revenues 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 relating to our Sky Technologies products. 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.
29
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.
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 Sky Technologies 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.
30
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.
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.
31
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.
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; 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.
32
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.
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 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 adopted rules requiring
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.
33
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.
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.
34
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.
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, 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. 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 could go out of
business, including as a result of difficult economic conditions, 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, 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 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, 2023, our cash and cash equivalents were approximately $22.4 million, including restricted cash. 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, 2023, 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 did 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.
35
Conditions
in Israel, including Israel-Hamas war, may adversely affect our operations, which could negatively impact our revenues and cash flows.
With
a number of our individuals working on the development of our product offerings located in Israel, our business and operations are directly
affected by economic, political, geopolitical, and military conditions affecting Israel.
In
October 2023, Israel declared war against Hamas. The intensity and duration of Israel’s current war against Hamas is difficult
to predict, as are such war’s economic implications on the Company’s business and operations and on Israel’s economy
in general. In addition, clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have increased. These conflicts, as well as actions that could
be taken in the future by NATO, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union or Israel’s neighboring states and other
countries, have created global security concerns that may result in a greater or lasting regional conflict. To date, our operations have
not been adversely affected by this situation. However, the individuals working on developing and improving our product offerings are
not only within the range of rockets from the Gaza Strip, but also within the range of rockets that can be fired from Lebanon, Syria
or elsewhere in the Middle East. If hostile action or hostilities otherwise disrupt our Israeli operations, our ability to improve timely
our product offerings could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, several hundred thousand Israeli reservists were drafted
to perform immediate military service. If individuals working on improving our product offerings are called for service in the current
war with Hamas, we expect such persons would be absent for an extended period. As a result, our operations may be disrupted by such absences,
which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. In addition, shifting economic and political conditions
in the United States and in other countries may result in changes in how the United States and other countries conduct business and other
relations with Israel, which may have an adverse impact on our Israeli operations and our business.
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, vendors and consultants upon which we rely, experience from time to time, and are vulnerable to damage from computer
viruses, criminal cyberattacks, security incidents due to employee or service provider error, insider attacks, natural disasters,
terrorism, war, telecommunication and electrical failures, phishing or denial-of-service attacks, ransomware or other malware,
social engineering, malfeasance, other unauthorized physical or electronic access, or other vulnerabilities. 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.
36
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, the techniques
used by criminals to obtain unauthorized access to sensitive data continue to evolve and become more sophisticated change frequently
and often are not recognized until launched against a target; accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement
adequate preventative measures, and future cyberattacks could go undetected and persist for an extended period of time. Furthermore,
to the extent artificial intelligence capabilities improve and are increasingly adopted, they may be used to identify vulnerabilities
and craft increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity attacks, and vulnerabilities may be introduced from the use of artificial intelligence
by us, our financial services providers and other vendors and third-party providers. 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.
Our
consultants, vendors and others to whom we entrust confidential data, and on whom we rely to provide products and services, face similar
threats and growing requirements. We depend on such parties to implement adequate controls and safeguards to protect against and report
cyber incidents. If such parties fail to deter, detect, or report cyber incidents in a timely manner, we may suffer from financial and
other harm, including to our information, operations, performance, employees, and reputation.
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.
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.
37
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, such as
fires, floods, severe storms, or earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, terrorist or other attacks, public health
crises 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.
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.
38
We
also incur costs in order to comply with cybersecurity or data privacy regulations or with requirements imposed by business
partners. Data privacy and cybersecurity laws in the United States and internationally are constantly changing, and the
implementation of these laws has become more complex. 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. These laws may
impose stringent data protection requirements and provide for penalties for noncompliance. To comply with current or newly enacted
laws, we may be subject to increased costs as a result of continually evaluating and modifying our policies and processes and
adapting to new requirements that are or become applicable to us. For instance, many jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring
companies to notify individuals of data security breaches involving their personal data. These mandatory disclosures regarding a
security breach often lead to widespread negative publicity, which may cause our customers to lose confidence in the effectiveness of
our data security measures.
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.
Natural
disasters, geopolitical events, and other highly disruptive events 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, geopolitical conditions, acts or threats of war or terrorism, international conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine
war and Israel-Hamas war, 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. For example,
the SEC recently adopted new disclosure requirements relating to climate change. In addition, California recently passed a series of
climate disclosure bills, which may lead to other states proposing climate-related regulations that require additional climate-related
disclosures. 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.
39
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;
●
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, home décor and smart home sectors;
●
conditions
in the financial markets in general or changes in general economic conditions; and
●
novel
and unforeseen market forces and trading strategies.
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.
40
The
conversion of outstanding convertible notes or exercise of outstanding warrants into shares of common stock could materially dilute our
stockholders.
As
of March 21, 2024, we had $1.1 million and $10.35 million aggregate principal amount of convertible notes outstanding, convertible
into shares of our common stock at $15.00 and $2,70 per share, respectively, and warrants to purchase 2,063,522 shares of our common
stock outstanding at an exercise price ranging from $2,70 to $18.00 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
3,916,671 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 we issue any or all of 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 39% of our outstanding
common stock, as of March 21, 2024. 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;
●
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.
41
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 on our business, financial condition and share price.
Concerns
over inflation, high 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. 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 the sole source of gain for our stockholders in 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 designate
and issue shares of preferred stock, including 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.
42
ITEM
1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not
applicable.
ITEM
1C. CYBERSECURITY
Organizations
in our industry are frequently confronted with a broad range of cybersecurity threats, ranging from uncoordinated, individual attempts
to gain unauthorized access to an organization’s information technology (“IT”) environment to sophisticated and targeted
cyberattacks sponsored by foreign governments and criminal enterprises. Although we employ comprehensive measures to prevent, detect,
address, and mitigate these threats, a cybersecurity incident could potentially result in the misappropriation, destruction, corruption,
or unavailability of critical data, personal identifiable information, and other confidential or proprietary data (our own or that of
third parties) and the disruption of business operations. The potential consequences of a material cybersecurity incident include remediation
and restoration costs, reputational damage, litigation with third parties, and diminution in the value of our investment in research
and development, which in turn could adversely affect our competitiveness and results of operations. Accordingly, cybersecurity is an
important part of our Enterprise Risk Management (“ERM”) program, and the Company seeks to address cybersecurity risks through
a comprehensive, cross-functional approach.
The
Company’s cybersecurity policies, standards, processes, and practices for assessing, identifying, and managing material risks from
cybersecurity threats and responding to cybersecurity incidents are integrated into the Company’s risk management program and are
based on recognized frameworks established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The Company has established controls and procedures, including an Incident
Response Plan, that provide for the identification, analysis, notification, escalation, communication, and remediation of data security
incidents at appropriate levels so that so that decisions regarding the public disclosure and reporting of such incidents can be made
by management in a timely manner. In particular, the Company’s Incident Response Plan (i) is designed to identify and detect information
security threats through various mechanisms, such as through security controls and third-party disclosures, and (ii) sets forth a process
to (a) analyze any such threats detected within the Company’s IT environment or within a third-party’s IT environment, (b)
contain cybersecurity threats under various circumstances, and (c) better ensure the Company can recover from cybersecurity incidents
to a normal state of business operations. The Company has established and maintains other incident response and recovery plans that
address the Company’s response to a cybersecurity incident.
As
part of its cybersecurity program, the Company deploys measures to deter, prevent, detect, respond to and mitigate cybersecurity threats,
including firewalls, anti-malware, intrusion prevention and detection systems, identity and access controls, software patching protocols,
and physical security measures. The Company periodically assesses and tests the Company’s policies, standards,
processes, and practices that are designed to address cybersecurity threats and incidents, including by assessing current threat intelligence,
conducting tabletop exercises, and vulnerability and security testing,. The Company has a process to report material
results of such testing and assessments to the board, and periodically adjusts the Company’s cybersecurity program
based on these exercises. The Company engages third parties to conduct part of such testing The Company identifies and oversees cybersecurity risks presented by third parties and their systems from a risk-based
perspective The Company also conducts cybersecurity
training for employees (including mandatory training programs for system users).
Many
of the Company’s IT systems operate with a hosted architecture or by third-party service providers, and if these third-party IT
environments fail to operate properly, our systems could stop functioning for a period of time, which could put our users at risk. Accordingly,
our ability to keep our business operating is highly dependent on the proper and efficient operation of IT service providers, and our
vendor management process is an important part of our risk mitigation strategy. In particular, we obtain reports from our vendors handling sensitive data as to their efficacy and efficiency in managing cybersecurity
issues and follow-up with them on any potential or actual issues.
Notwithstanding, if there is a catastrophic event, such as an adverse weather condition, natural disaster, terrorist attack, security
breach, or other extraordinary event, the Company, and our service providers, may be unable to provide our products or services for the
duration of the event and/or a time thereafter.
Considering
the pervasive and increasing threat from cyberattacks, the board and the audit committee, with input from management, assess the Company’s
cybersecurity threats and the measures implemented by the Company to mitigate and prevent cyberattacks. The audit committee consults
with management regarding ongoing cybersecurity initiatives, and requests management to report to the audit committee or the full board
regularly on their assessment of the Company’s cybersecurity program and risks. Both the audit committee and the full board will
receive regular reports from its senior management on cybersecurity risks, timely reports regarding any cybersecurity incident that meets
established reporting thresholds, as well as ongoing updates regarding any such incident until it has been addressed. Our board has risk
management experience. We hire consultant and third parties to conduct our threat assessments and supplement the monitoring of such threats
by utilizing online data tools.
43
In
addition, the Company’s information security and/cybersecurity program is managed by our Chief Technology Officer
(“CTO”) a, whose team is responsible for leading enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategy, policy, standards,
architecture, and processes. The CTO provides periodic reports to our audit committee as well as our Co-Chief Executive Officers and
Chief Financial Officer and other members of our senior management as appropriate. We have also established cross-functional teams
to collaborate and communicate on cybersecurity-related issues. The reports to management include updates on the Company’s
cyber risks and threats, the status of projects to strengthen our information security systems, assessments of the information
security program, and the emerging threat landscape. Our CTO, Mr. Eliran Ben-Zikri served in the one of the most elite computer units of the Israeli Defense Force and has
over 10 years of experience in the cloud technology, previously holding senior positions in leading Israeli technology companies, including
eToro and SimilarWeb.
As
of the date of this report, the Company is not aware of risks from cybersecurity threats that have materially
affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations, or
financial condition.
ITEM
2. PROPERTIES
We
lease office space in Sacramento, California, 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 2024. 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
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. Legal proceedings are inherently uncertain and, 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 21, 2024, there were approximately 197 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. 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
The following is a summary of issuances of unregistered securities during the fourth quarter of 2023,
to the extent not previously disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company: 53,764 shares of restricted shares of common
stock were granted pursuant to agreements regarding services provided to the Company.
During
the first quarter of 2024, 393,703 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.
Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
During
the quarter ended December 31, 2023, the Company withheld 3,785 shares of common stock, at a price per share of $1.72, to satisfy tax
withholding obligations due upon the vesting of a restricted stock grant. We did not pay cash to repurchase these shares, nor was this
repurchase part of a publicly announced plan or program.
Period
Total Number of Shares Purchased (1)
Average Price Paid per Share
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs
Maximum Number of Shares That May Yet be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
October 1, 2023 – October 31, 2023 —
—
$ —
—
—
November 1, 2023 – November 30, 2023
3,785
1.72
—
—
December 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
—
—
—
—
Total
3,785
$ 1.72
—
—
(1)
Includes shares repurchased to satisfy tax withholding obligations due upon the vesting of restricted stock held by certain employees.
We did not pay cash to repurchase these shares, nor were these repurchases 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-and second-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 third-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. We are continuing to refine our products and began manufacturing certain advanced and
smart products in 2023, and expect additional products, including the Sky Smart Platform, to be available in 2024. We hold over 96 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 differ materially 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.
Inflation
continued to increase during 2023 and is expected to continue to increase during 2024. 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 continue to work toward commercial
manufacturing and sale 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 because of supply chain constraints, consequences associated with government
regulations, ongoing and potential geopolitical conflicts, employee availability and wage increases. In addition, the Israel-Hamas war may adversely impact our operations in the near future. We have a number of developers working in Israel. If such individuals are called for service or this war escalates regionally, it may create work interruptions leading to longer periods between releases of offering improvements and increased costs.
On
April 28, 2023, we completed our acquisition (the “Closing”) of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Belami, an
online retailer and e-commerce provider specializing in home lighting, ceiling fans, and other home furnishings. We expect these 60
websites will serve as a marketing and growth platform for our smart products and should provide several distribution channels,
including to retail customers, builders, and professionals. For additional information regarding the Acquisition, see “Item 1.
Business—Overview-E-Commerce.”
46
Results
of Operations
Years
Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
For the year ended December 31,
Increase/
Increase/
2023
2022
(Decrease) $
(Decrease) %
Revenue
$ 58,785,762
$ 32,022
58,753,740
NM
Cost of revenues
40,749,913
18,913
40,731,000
NM
Gross profit
18,035,849
13,109
18,022,740
NM
Selling and marketing expenses
18,805,069
7,991,487
10,813,582
135 %
General and administrative expenses
37,055,986
18,646,804
18,409,182
99 %
Total expenses
55,861,055
26,638,291
29,222,764
108 %
Operating loss
(37,825,206 )
(26,625,182 )
11,200,024
42 %
Other income / (expense)
Interest expense, net
(3,109,307 )
(589,009 )
2,520,298
NM
Gain on extinguishment of debt
1,201,857
178,250
(1,023,607 )
NM
Total other income (expense), net
(1,907,450 )
(410,759 )
1,496,691
NM
Net loss
(39,732,656 )
(27,035,941 )
12,696,715
47 %
NM:
Not meaningful
Revenue
The
increase in revenues during 2023, when compared to 2022, is primarily due to revenues from products marketed by Belami which was acquired
on April 28, 2023.
We
believe that revenues will be higher in 2024 than in 2023, primarily resulting from revenues from Belami, which was acquired in April
2023, and the sale of our advanced and smart products.
Cost
of Revenues
The
cost of revenues consists primarily of costs associated with selling the products marketed by Belami. The increase in cost of revenues
during 2023 when compared to 2022, is primarily due to costs associated with revenues from products marketed by Belami which was acquired
on April 28, 2023.
We
believe that cost of revenues will increase in 2024 compared to 2023, commensurate with an anticipated increase in revenues.
47
Selling
and Marketing Expenses
Selling
and marketing expenses consist primarily of sales and marketing compensation as well as sales and marketing programs.
The
increase in selling and marketing expenses during 2023 when compared to 2022 is primarily due to such expenses following the acquisition
of Belami aggregating $11.1 million during 2023.
We
believe that our selling and marketing expenses will be higher during 2024 when compared to 2023 as we continue to invest to support
our anticipated growth and now includes such expenses related to Belami’s operations following its acquisition.
General
and Administrative Expenses
General
and administrative expenses consist primarily of an allocation of product development, finance, legal, human resources, including salaries,
wages, and benefits, and depreciation and amortization, including share-based payments.
The
increase in general, and administrative expenses during 2023 when compared to 2022 was primarily due to the following:
●
Increase
in general and administrative expenses following the acquisition of Belami aggregating $8 million
●
Increase
of depreciation and amortization expenses of $2.0 million primarily related to increase in intangibles acquired during the second
quarter of 2023 and right-of-use assets acquired during the third quarter of 2022.
●
Increase in consideration due to General Electric of $1.4 million, pursuant to agreements negotiated in November 2023.
●
Loss from subsequent measurement of inventory of $1.3 million recognized during 2023.
We
believe that our operating expenses may be higher during 2024 when compared to 2023 as we continue to invest to support our
anticipated growth and now includes such expenses related to Belami’s operations following its acquisition.
Other
Income (Expense)
The
increase in interest expense during 2023 when compared to 2022 is primarily due to interest imputed pursuant to operating lease liabilities
and debt which were entered into the latter part of 2022 and convertible debt (including amortization of debt discount, which were entered
into the first quarter of 2023. The debt discount is related to inducements the Company granted to holders of convertible debt.
The
variations in gain on extinguishment debt is due to two separate non-recurring transactions: the forgiveness of the PPP loan recognized
during 2022 and a gain on forgiveness of debt in April 2023 as the debt forgiven to a lender exceeded the consideration we paid.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As
of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had $22.4 million and $16.8 million in cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, and investments
in debt securities, respectively.
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 engaging in
private placements and offerings during, 2023 of a combination of convertible notes payable and shares of our common stock
aggregating $19.6 million.
These
offerings included shares sold pursuant to our ATM offering program which provides us with additional access to capital, as needed, subject
to market conditions. During the three months ended December 31, 2023, we issued 783,374 shares of common stock under such program for
net proceeds of $1,228,000, net of brokerage fees and legal expenses of approximately $25,000. In aggregate, from the start of the ATM
offering program through December 31, 2023, we sold 4,359,832 shares of common stock, generating approximately $9.4 million of proceeds,
net of brokerage fees and legal expenses of $604,000. As of March 21, 2024, we had the remaining capacity to issue shares of common stock
with a consideration of up to $6.5 million under the offering program.
48
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including the Belami acquisition
and integration of operations, our revenue growth rate, expenditures related to our headcount growth and manufacturing, 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 arrangements to acquire or invest in complementary businesses,
products, and technologies. We may, because of those arrangements, 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
April and May 2023, the Company repaid in full approximately $6.2 million due to a lender by issuing 574,713 shares of the Company’s
common stock and paying $2.0 million in cash. The Company also obtained an aggregate $6.5 million in revolving lines of credits and a
term loan with two financial institutions during 2023. The lines of credit mature in 2024 and the term loan matures in 2026.
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.
On
February 10, 2023, we entered into a Managed Client Agreement and, as subsequently amended (as amended, the “Office Management
Agreement”) with RGN-MCA Miami II, LLC (“Spaces”), having a term commensurate with the Miami lease, pursuant to which
Spaces will manage one floor of the Miami office for the Company, renting co-working office spaces and providing support services, following
completion of the office construction. The Office Management Agreement is subject to final approval by the landlord under the Miami lease.
The Company will receive net revenues from the rentals, after deducting up to 16% in platform and management fees and certain operating
expenses. The Company projects to receive net revenues to offset a significant portion of the costs of the Miami lease.
We
owe approximately $11.5 million under fixed rate obligations as of December 31, 2023. In addition, we owe GE certain minimum royalty
payments under a license agreement which amounted to $3.9 million as of December 31, 2023.
49
2023
During
2023, we used $13.0 million in our operating activities, which consisted of our net loss of $38.0 million adjusted for non-cash equity
compensation of $18.0 million as well as an increase of accounts payable and accrued expenses
of $5.5 million. We are managing our accounts payable based on vendor terms.
Our
net cash provided by investing activities amounted to $3.2 million and consisted primarily of disposition of debt securities of $7.6
million offset by cash used to acquire Belami, net of acquired cash of $4.2 million.
We
generated $22.7 million in financing activities, of which $19.6 million was generated from a combination of issuance of convertible
notes and proceeds from issuance of shares of common stock at the market.and $6.5 million proceeds from lines of credit lines term
loan and offsetting term loan repayment of debt of $3.4 million.
2022
During
2022, we used $13.8 million in our operating activities, which consisted of our net loss of $527.0 million adjusted for non-cash equity
compensation of $13.9 million.
We
used $8.1 million in our investing activities, which primarily consisted of purchase of debt securities of $7.4 million.
We
generated $20.9 million in financing activities, which consisted primarily of proceeds from the issuance of our shares of common
stock of $23.1 million.
Going
Concern
The
Company’s liquidity’s sources include $22.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and $3.1 million of working capital. However,
the Company has a history of recurring operating losses and its net cash used in operating activities amounted to $13.0 million and $13.8
million during 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company has also generated net cash provided by financing activities of $22.7 million
and $20.9 million during 2023 and 2022, respectively. Accordingly, the Company’s management cannot ascertain that there is no substantial
doubt that it will be able to meet its obligations as they become due within one year after the date that its financial statements are
issued.
Management
intends to mitigate such conditions by continuing to support its continued growth by decreasing its cash used in operating
activities through increased revenues and increased margins from products sold to large retailers and its internet portals, and to
the extent necessary, generating cash provided by financing activities through it’s at the market offering or other equity or
debt financing means.
Non-GAAP
Financial Measures
Management
considers earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, as adjusted, an important indicator in evaluating
our business on a consistent basis across various periods. Due to the significance of non-recurring items, EBITDA, as adjusted, enables
our management to monitor and evaluate our business on a consistent basis. We use EBITDA, as adjusted, as a primary measure, among others,
to analyze and evaluate financial and strategic planning decisions regarding future operating investments and potential acquisitions.
We believe that EBITDA, as adjusted, eliminates items that are not part of our core operations, such as interest expense and amortization
expense associated with intangible assets, or items that do not involve a cash outlay, such as share-based payments and non-recurring
items, such as transaction costs. EBITDA, as adjusted, should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, pre-tax
income (loss), net income (loss) and cash flows used in operating activities. 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,
2023
2022
Net loss
$ (39,732,656 )
$ (27,035,941 )
Share-based payments
17,977,252
13,959,795
Interest expense
3,109,307
589,009
Depreciation, amortization
2,885,856
883,231
Transaction costs
516,601
-
EBITDA, as adjusted
$ (15,283,640 )
$ (11,603,906 )
Off
Balance Sheet Arrangements
We
do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
50
Critical
Accounting Policies
Our
significant accounting policies are disclosed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023,
contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. The following is a summary of those accounting policies
that involve significant estimates and judgment of management.
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 recognized in the balance sheet,
where it is practicable to estimate that value. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we believe the amounts reported for cash,
prepaid expenses, accounts payable and 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.
51
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 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. 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.
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 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 Rule 13a-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.
As
of the end of the period covered by this report, management, including our Principal Executive Officers and Principal Financial Officer,
evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon the evaluation, our Principal Executive Officers and
Principal Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2023.
52
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 Officers 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 Officers
and Principal Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023.
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, 2023.
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, 2023 that materially affected,
or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM
9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Rule
10b5-1 Trading Plans
During
the quarter ended December 31, 2023, none of the Company’s directors or executive officers adopted ,
modified or terminated
any contract, instruction or written plan for
the purchase or sale of Company securities that was intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) of the Exchange
Act or any “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” (as defined in Item 408(c) of Regulation S-K).
2024
Annual Meeting of Stockholders
The
Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is scheduled to be held on July 10 2024. Stockholders of record as of May 15, 2024
will be entitled to receive notice of, and vote at, the annual meeting.
Note Extensions
On
March 31, 2024, the Company entered into an amendment to three of its previously issued subordinated convertible balloon promissory notes
(the “promissory notes”) aggregating $575,000 with certain holders of such promissory notes. The amendment extends the maturity
date of each respective promissory note to May 16, 2025, increases the interest rate to ten percent (10%) per year starting January 1,
2024 and adjusts the conversion price to $3.00 per share. No other terms of the promissory notes were changed. Each of Leonard J. Sokolow,
Co-Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company, John P. Campi, Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and an investor entered
into an amendment to his or its respective promissory note. The amendment is effective as of the original maturity date of the respective
note. The Company’s Board of Directors approved the amendment. The issuance of the notes was deemed to be exempt from registration
pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, including Regulation D and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, as transactions by the
Company not involving a public offering.
Convertible
Notes Issued to Belami Sellers
On
March 29, 2024, the Company and the Sellers entered into a letter agreement modifying certain obligations under the Stock Purchase
Agreement, dated February 6, 2023, between the Company and the Sellers of Belami. In connection with the letter agreement, the
Company issued convertible promissory notes to each of the Sellers (the “Seller Note(s)”) in substitution of an
aggregate of $3,117,408 in cash due to the Sellers on the first anniversary of the Closing, or April 28, 2024. Each Seller received
a Seller Note in an amount of $1,039,303 on the same date. In addition to other customary terms, the Seller Notes bear annual
interest at 10%, with interest and principal becoming due on May 16, 2025, and can be converted by the Sellers at any time at $3.00
per share of our common stock. The Seller Notes include customary events of default accelerating maturity, including a breach of the
Company’s covenants, representations and warranties under the Stock Purchase Agreement and a change of control of Belami. The
letter agreement further provides that the Company will perform all other obligations arising on the first anniversary of the
Closing, including issuance of shares of common stock due to Sellers, and that on such date the non-fundamental representations and
warranties expire, and the Company will release $750,000 held in escrow. The issuance of the notes was deemed to be exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities
Act, including Regulation D and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, as transactions by the Company not involving a public offering.
Commission Termination Agreement
On
March 29, 2024, Mr. Campi and Ms. Barron each entered into a commission termination agreement with the Company, terminating the incentive
compensation-related provisions in their employment agreements and agreeing no amounts would be paid pursuant to such provisions for
prior periods.
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 21, 2024.
Name
Age
Position(s)
Rani
R. Kohen
58
Executive
Chairman, Director
John
P. Campi
79
Co-Chief
Executive Officer
Leonard
J. Sokolow
67
Co-Chief
Executive Officer, Director
Marc-Andre
Boisseau
59
Chief
Financial Officer
Steven
M. Schmidt
70
President
Patricia
Barron
63
Chief
Operations Officer
Nancy
DiMattia
63
Director
Gary
N. Golden
69
Director
Efrat
L. Greenstein Brayer
61
Director
Thomas
J. Ridge
78
Director
Dov
Shiff
76
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 Co-Chief Executive Officer since September 2023. He previously served as our Chief Executive Officer
from November 2014 to September 2023 and 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
Leonard
J. Sokolow has served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Company since September 2023 and as a director of the Company since
November 2015. Mr. Sokolow previously served in various roles at Newbridge Financial, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including as Chief Executive
Officer and President of Newbridge Financial, Inc. from January 2015 through August 2023; as Chief Executive Officer of Newbridge Financial
Inc.’s broker-dealer subsidiary, Newbridge Securities Corporation, and Chief Executive Officer of Newbridge Financial, Inc.’s
registered investment adviser subsidiary, Newbridge Financial Services Group, Inc., from July 2022 through August 2023; and as Chairman
of Newbridge Securities Corporation from January 2015 through July 2022. 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 January 2007 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., a publicly traded 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., a publicly traded medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative diagnostic
and treatment methods for patients suffering from breathing and sleep issues arising from certain dentofacial abnormalities, since June
2020, where he currently serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee,
and on the board of directors of Agrify Corporation, a publicly traded provider of innovative cultivation and extraction solutions for
the cannabis industry, 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.), a then publicly traded 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.
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 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., an office supply retailer, 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, a marketing research firm,
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.
55
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.
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, a provider of ceramic,
porcelain, glass and natural stone tiles, most recently serving 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.
Gary
N. Golden has served as a director of the Company since February 2022. Since June 2023, Mr. Golden has served as the Chief Financial
Officer of Media Culture, a brand response media agency. Mr. Golden was previously employed at vcfo, which offers fractional CFO and
human resources services to clients who require advisors they could trust to guide them through major changes, from April 2022 through
May 2023. 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, LLC 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 LLP 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 LLP) from 1993
through 1996, and as an associate at Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens (later acquired by Holland & Knight LLP) 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 her experience with customer service and technology innovation.
56
Governor
Thomas J. Ridge has served as a director of the Company since June 2013. Mr. Ridge founded and has served at Ridge Global, LLC,
a global strategic consulting company and provider of insurance and risk transfer solutions, since July 2006, where he currently serves
as Chairman of the board and Chief Executive Officer 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 of 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
Company, a global confectionery leader, from November 2007 to May 2018, Advaxis, Inc., a then publicly traded clinical-stage biotechnology
company, from August 2015 to March 2018, and LifeLock, Inc., a then publicly traded 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 Emeritus 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 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.
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 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.
57
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;
●
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 periodically meet privately with our audit committee.
58
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 and overseeing the application of the Company’s policy for clawback, or recoupment, of incentive
compensation;
●
reviewing
our strategies related to human capital management, including talent acquisition, development and retention, diversity and inclusion
and corporate culture; and
●
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.
Each member of our nominating and governance committee is a non-employee director, as defined in Rule 16b-3 promulgated
under the Exchange Act.
59
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, 2023, except as follows: a Form 4 filed by Patricia Barron on August 9,
2023, reporting the August 4, 2023 grant of restricted stock units, and related withholding of shares for taxes, and grant of stock
options; a Form 4 filed by Dov Shiff on October 10, 2023, reporting the September 30, 2023 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; and a Form 4 to
be filed by Thomas J. Ridge reporting the conversion of preferred stock into common stock on May 1, 2023 and the June 30, 2023,
September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2023 issuances of restricted stock paid in lieu of the cash retainer payable for his service on
the Board, pursuant to the non-employee director compensation program.
60
ITEM
11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
Compensation
Overview
Our
“named executive officers” for the year ended December 31, 2023 were:
●
John
P. Campi, Co-Chief Executive Officer (since September 12, 2023; previously, Chief Executive Officer);
●
Leonard
J. Sokolow, Co-Chief Executive Officer (since September 12, 2023; previously a non-employe director of the Company)
●
Rani
R. Kohen, Executive Chairman;
●
Marc-Andre
Boisseau, Chief Financial Officer;
●
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 contributions 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 2023. Pursuant to the employment agreement that the Company entered into with Mr. Sokolow at the time of his appointment
as Co-Chief Executive Officer on September 12, 2023, Mr. Sokolow receives a base salary of $160,000 per year. For his services on the
board of directors during the portion of 2023 prior to his appointment as Co-Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sokolow was paid pursuant to
the Company’s non-employee Director Compensation Program (defined below), which is described below under the heading “Director
Compensation.”
61
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. Sokolow will receive a minimum bonus every six months during the term of his employment agreement equal to $40,000 in
cash or stock, as elected by Mr. Sokolow, and is eligible to receive a performance-based bonus, payable in equity and/or cash, subject
to the achievement of performance metrics and other criteria as determined by the Executive Chairman and approved by the compensation
committee. 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.”. 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,
restricted share units (“RSUs”) 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.
Pursuant
to his employment agreement, on September 12, 2023, Mr. Sokolow received (i) 450,000 RSUs, 120,000 of which vested on the date of grant,
300,000 of which will vest in six semi-annual installments of 50,000, beginning on March 12, 2024, and 30,000 of which will vest on March
12, 2027; and (ii) five-year stock options to purchase up to 450,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price
of $1.58 per share, 120,000 of which vested on the date of grant, 300,000 of which will vest in six semi-annual installments of 50,000,
beginning on March 12, 2024, and 30,000 of which will vest on March 12, 2027, in each case subject to continuous employment through the
applicable vesting date.
During
2023, the compensation committee granted certain equity awards and a cash bonus award to Mr. Boisseau. On April 5, 2023, Mr. Boisseau
received 120,000 RSUs and five-year stock options to purchase up to 120,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise
price of $3.28 per share, in each case vesting in three equal annual installments beginning on the grant date, subject to continued employment
through the applicable vesting date. In addition, on October 19, 2023, Mr. Boisseau received 7,993 RSUs that vested in full on November
15, 2023, and 25,000 RSUs that vest in two equal installments on February 15, 2024 and May 15, 2024, subject to Mr. Boisseau’s
continuous employment through the applicable vesting date. In October 2023, the compensation committee also approved the payment of a
discretionary cash bonus of $50,000 to Mr. Boisseau, of which $25,000 was immediately payable and $12,500 will be payable on each of
February 15, 2024 and May 15, 2024. Mr. Boisseau additionally elected to receive certain equity awards in cash, resulting in an additional
$25,000 cash bonus payment to Mr. Boisseau, which was paid in November 2023.
62
On
August 4, 2023, the compensation committee granted to Ms. Barron 100,000 RSUs and five-year stock options to purchase up to 100,000 shares
of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $2.08 per share, in each case vesting in four equal annual installments beginning
on the grant date, subject to continued employment through the applicable vesting date.
In
addition to the equity incentive and supplemental bonus awards granted during fiscal 2023 as 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. 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. Those options have an exercise price of $12.34 per share.
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
$1,000 per month vehicle allowance, pursuant to the Chairman Agreement. On occasion, the Company pays travel expenses for family members
and guests of named executive officers, to accompany named executive officers on trips for business purposes such as trade shows and
other events.
63
Summary
Compensation Table
The
following table sets forth summary compensation information for the named executive officers and includes all compensation earned by
the named executive officers for the respective period, regardless of whether such amounts were actually paid during the period.
Name and Principal Position
Year
Salary
($)
Bonus
($)
Stock
Awards
($) (1)(2)
Option
Awards
($) (1)(2)
Non-
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
($) (3)
All
Other
Compensation
($) (4)
Total
($)
John P. Campi
2023
150,000
—
—
—
—
—
150,000
Co-Chief Executive Officer
2022
150,000
—
—
—
90
—
150,090
Leonard J. Sokolow
2023
49,129
—
269,170
22,396
—
112,126
452,821
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Rani R. Kohen
2023
300,000
—
—
293,962
62,436
656,398
Executive Chairman
2022
300,000
—
—
2,419,539
90
28,496
2,748,125
Marc-Andre Boisseau
2023
144,000
50,000
249,117
81,706
—
—
524,823
Chief Financial Officer
2022
144,000
—
123,400
6,611
—
—
274,011
Patricia Barron
2023
150,000
—
73,429
23,617
—
11,633
258,679
Chief Operations Officer
2022
150,000
—
—
—
90
17,409
167,499
Steven M. Schmidt (5)
2023
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
President
2022
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(1) 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, 2023.
(2) During
2023: (i) Mr. Boisseau received 152,993 RSUs and options to purchase 120,000 shares of common
stock at an exercise price of $3.28 per share; (ii) Ms. Barron received 100,000 RSUs and
options to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.08 per share;
and (iii) Mr. Sokolow received 450,000 RSUs and a stock option to purchase 450,000 shares
common stock at an exercise price of $1.58 per share, in addition to 26,615 shares of common
stock and stock options to purchase up to 17,500 shares of common stock at an exercise price
of $3.28 per share, granted pursuant to our Director Compensation Program for his service
as a non-employee director prior to his appointment as our Co-Chief Executive Officer, which
are also reported in this table. For more information regarding equity awards granted to
our named executive officers during fiscal 2023 and 2022, see “Executive Compensation
Program Components—Other Equity Compensation and Awards” above.
(3) 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.”
In March 2024, Mr. Campi and Ms. Barron each entered into a commission termination agreement, terminating the incentive
compensation-related provisions in their employment agreements and agreeing no amounts would be paid pursuant to such provisions for prior
periods.
(4) 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 Summary Compensation Table.
(5) Pursuant
to the Schmidt Agreement (as defined below), Mr. Schmidt’s receives equity compensation
for his services to the Company and is eligible to receive additional bonus compensation
as determined by the Company, as described below under “Agreements with Named Executive
Officers.”
64
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, 2023:
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
—
—
—
—
Leonard Sokolow
150,000
—
—
$ 0.60
11/15/2025
—
—
—
—
150,000
—
—
$ 3.00
4/19/2027
—
—
—
—
150,000
—
—
$ 4.00
4/19/2027
—
—
—
—
100,000
—
—
$ 3.00
1/1/2024
—
—
—
—
100,000
—
—
$ 12.00
1/1/2025
—
—
—
—
100,000
—
—
$ 12.00
12/31/2025
—
—
—
—
100,000
—
—
$ 12.00
12/31/2026
—
—
—
—
17,500
—
—
$ 12.34
3/11/2027
—
—
—
—
13,124
4,376 (1)
—
$ 3.28
4/5/2028
—
—
—
—
120,000
330,000 (2)
—
$ 1.58
9/12/2028
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
10,084 (3)
$ 16,134
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
330,000 (2)
$ 528,000
—
—
Rani R. Kohen (5)
1,000,000 (4)
—
—
$ 0.60
11/15/2025
—
—
—
—
1,140,000 (4)
—
—
$ 6.00
9/1/2024
—
—
—
—
1,500,000 (4)(5)
—
—
$ 3.00 (5)
11/21/2024
—
—
—
—
500,000 (4)(5)
—
—
$ 4.00 (5)
11/21/2024
—
—
—
—
1,000,000 (4)(5)
—
—
$
6.00 (5)
11/21/2024
—
—
—
—
460,000 (4)(6)
680,000 (6)
—
$ 12.00 (6)
1/1/2027
—
—
—
—
Marc-Andre Boisseau
10,000
—
—
$ 12.34
3/11/2025
—
—
—
—
40,000
80,000 (7)
—
$ 3.28
4/5/2028
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
105,000 (8)
$ 168,000
—
—
Patricia Barron
200,000
—
—
$ 0.60
11/15/2025
—
—
—
—
150,000
—
—
$ 1.20
11/15/2025
—
—
—
—
150,000
—
—
$ 1.80
11/15/2025
—
—
—
—
50,000
—
—
$ 3.00
4/19/2027
—
—
—
—
50,000
—
—
$ 4.00
4/19/2027
—
—
—
—
100,000
—
—
$ 6.00
9/1/2024
—
—
—
—
25,000
75,000 (9)
—
$ 2.08
8/4/2028
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
75,000 (9)
$ 120,000
—
—
Steven M. Schmidt
60,000
—
$0.10
(10)
10/1/2024
—
—
—
—
60,000
—
—
$ 6.00 (10)
10/1/2024
—
—
—
—
75,000
25,000 (11)
—
$ 12.00 (11)
6/1/2026
25,000 (12)
$ 40,000
—
—
*
Based on the closing stock price of our common stock of $1.60 on December 29, 2023, the last trading day of the 2023 fiscal year.
65
(1)
These
options were granted pursuant to the Director Compensation Program and vest in twelve equal monthly installments beginning on April
30, 2023.
(2)
These
options and RSUs vest as follows: 300,000 will vest in six semi-annual installments of 50,000, beginning on March 12, 2024, and 30,000
will vest on March 12, 2027.
(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 to the Company. 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 vest on the following schedule: 50,000 shares 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 10,084 were unvested as of December 31, 2023 and will vest on May 9, 2024. 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.
(4)
These
options were granted pursuant to executive chairman agreements entered into with Mr. Kohen.
(5)
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. Mr. Kohen also received 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.
(6)
These
options vest as follows: 460,000 vested on January 1, 2023 and 340,000 will vest on each of January 1, 2024 and 2025.
(7)
These
options vest in equal annual installments on each of April 5, 2024 and 2025.
(8)
Of
these RSUs, 80,000 vest in in equal annual installments on each of April 5, 2024 and 2025 and 25,000 vest in equal installments on
February 15, 2024 and May 15, 2024.
(9)
These
options and RSUs vest in three equal annual installments on each of August 4, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
(10)
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.
(11)
These
options vest on June 1, 2024 and have an exercise price of $12.00 per share.
(12)
Mr.
Schmidt’s employment agreement provides for an annual grant of 25,000 shares of common stock with the last installment vesting on June 1, 2024.
66
Agreements
with Named Executive Officers
John P. Campi (Co-Chief Executive
Officer)
Effective
September 1, 2019, the Company entered into an Executive Employment Agreement with John Campi, then its Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer (the “Campi Agreement”), which superseded Mr. Campi’s previous employment agreement
effective September 1, 2016. Effective September 2023, Mr. Campi began serving under the Campi Agreement as Co-Chief Executive
Officer. 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; and (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;. Mr. Campi was previously eligible to receive an
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. In March 2024, Mr. Campi entered into a commission
termination agreement, terminating the incentive compensation-related provisions in his employment agreements and agreeing no
amounts would be paid pursuant to such provisions for prior periods 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.
Leonard
J. Sokolow (Co-Chief Executive Officer)
In
connection with his employment as Co-Chief Executive Officer, the Company and Mr. Sokolow entered into an employment agreement, effective
as of September 12, 2023 (the “Sokolow Agreement”). Pursuant to the Sokolow Agreement, Mr. Sokolow will receive a base salary
of $160,000 per year, subject to annual review and adjustment by the compensation committee, and a minimum bonus every six months during
the term of the Sokolow Agreement equal to $40,000 in cash or stock, as elected by Mr. Sokolow. In addition, Mr. Sokolow will be eligible
to receive a performance-based bonus, payable in equity and/or cash, subject to the achievement of performance metrics and other criteria
as determined by the Executive Chairman and approved by the compensation committee. Subject to the compensation committee’s approval,
the Company and Mr. Sokolow may agree on an annual bonus structure (in addition to the minimum bonus described above) based on performance
metrics and other criteria, and such bonus payments could be a combination of stock, stock options, and cash.
Pursuant
to the Sokolow Agreement, on September 12, 2023, the compensation committee granted to Mr. Sokolow (i) 450,000 RSUs, 120,000 of which
vested on the date of grant, 300,000 of which will vest in six semi-annual installments of 50,000, beginning on March 12, 2024, and 30,000
of which will vest on March 12, 2027; and (ii) five-year stock options to purchase up to 450,000 shares of the Company’s common
stock at an exercise price of $1.58 per share, 120,000 of which vested on the date of grant, 300,000 of which will vest in six semi-annual
installments of 50,000, beginning on March 12, 2024, and 30,000 of which will vest on March 12, 2027, in each case subject to continuous
employment through the applicable vesting date. The awards were granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of the 2021 Plan and applicable
equity award agreements.
67
Mr.
Sokolow is also entitled to receive expense reimbursement for reasonable expenses, approved in writing by the Company, incurred in the
performance of his duties. He is entitled up to four weeks of vacation per year and to participate in the Company’s benefit programs
for executive employees. The Sokolow Agreement also contains non-competition and non-solicitation covenants and provides for severance
under certain circumstances as described in the Sokolow Agreement. In particular, in the event the Company terminates Mr. Sokolow’s
employment for any reason other than for Disability or Cause (as such terms are defined in the Sokolow Agreement), the Company gives
notice of nonrenewal of the Sokolow Agreement, or if Mr. Sokolow terminates his employment for Good Reason (as defined in the Sokolow
Agreement), the Company will provide the following benefits: (i) severance pay equal to six months of Mr. Sokolow’s ending annual
base salary, minus withholdings, (ii) a gross amount equal to six months of the cost of Mr. Sokolow’s monthly health insurance
premium for him and his eligible dependents (if any), conditioned on Mr. Sokolow electing to continue health insurance coverage through
COBRA, and (iii) the portions of Mr. Sokolow’s RSU and stock option awards that are due to vest during six months following his
termination date will vest on their respective vesting dates.
The
Sokolow Agreement has a three-year term, with automatic renewal annually following the initial three-year term for an additional one
year unless terminated by either party by providing at least 30-days’ written notice prior to the end of the then term.
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 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 vested 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 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.
68
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. Of these, as of December 31, 2023, the
following 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. Ms Barron was previously eligible to receive cash incentive compensation equal to 0.25% of the Company’s net revenue, payable on an annual or quarterly basis. In March 2024, Ms. Barron entered into a commission termination agreement, terminating the incentive compensation-related
provisions in her employment agreements and agreeing no amounts would be paid pursuant to such provisions for prior periods.
Ms. Barron is also entitled to receive expense reimbursement for reasonable expenses, including travel and entertainment, incurred in
the performance of her duties.
69
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.
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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.
Stock
Incentive Plans
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 2021 Plan is the successor to the Company’s 2018 Stock Incentive Plan
(as amended and restated, the “2018 Plan”), and no further awards may be granted under the 2018 Plan after 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, RSUs, 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.
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.
71
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.
Restricted
Share Units
The
compensation committee may grant or sell RSUs to participants under the 2021 Plan. RSUs 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. RSUs are not common shares and do not entitle the recipients to any of the rights of a stockholder. RSUs will be settled
in cash, shares or a combination of cash and shares. Each RSU 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.
72
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, RSUs 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.
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.
T he
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.
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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 are subject to forfeiture or recoupment pursuant to the Company’s Compensation Recovery Policy.
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.
2018
Stock Incentive Plan (as Amended and Restated)
The
board of directors initially approved 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. Prior to the effectiveness of the 2021 Plan, the Company, acting through the
board, or the applicable committee, was authorized to grant stock options, restricted stock awards, deferred bonus awards, deferred stock
awards and performance share awards. In connection with the effectiveness of our 2021 Plan, no further awards will be granted under the
2018 Plan. However, all outstanding awards under the 2018 Plan will continue to be governed by their existing terms.
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.
74
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.
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.
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.
Compensation
Recovery Policy
During
2023, the board of directors adopted the Company’s Compensation Recovery Policy to comply with SEC and Nasdaq Stock Market rules
for the clawback of certain executive compensation in the event that we are required to prepare a restatement of our financial statements
due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws. In the event of such a restatement,
the Compensation Recovery Policy provides that the compensation committee will cause the Company to promptly recover any erroneously
awarded incentive-based compensation received by any covered executive officer during the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding
the date on which the Company is required to prepare the accounting restatement. Covered executive officers include both current and
former executive officers, and incentive-based compensation includes any compensation that is granted, earned, or vested based wholly
or in part on the attainment of a financial reporting measure. Financial reporting measures are those that are determined and presented
in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing our financial statements, and any measures that are derived wholly or
in part from such measures. The amount required to be recovered under the Compensation Recovery Policy in the event of an accounting
restatement generally will equal the amount of incentive-based compensation received by the covered executive officer that exceeds the
amount of such compensation that otherwise would have been received had it been determined based on the restated amounts, computed without
regard to any taxes paid. The Compensation Recovery Policy is effective with respect to covered incentive-based compensation received
by a covered executive officer on or after October 2, 2023. The full text of the Compensation Recovery Policy is attached to this Annual
Report as Exhibit 97.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
Director
Compensation
Our
board of directors approved a program for non-employee director compensation (the “Director Compensation Program”) in
March 2022, and the board of directors amended the Director Compensation Program in March 2023. Under the Director Compensation
Program, for service on our board, non-employee directors receive an annual cash retainer of $30,000, paid in quarterly
installments. Directors may elect to have the cash retainer paid in the form of shares of common stock.,. For 2023, shares were
granted on the last day of each quarter, with the number of shares granted determined based on the opening price per share of common
stock on Nasdaq on the last day of the quarter. For 2024, all shares will be granted on December 31, 2024, with the number of shares
granted to be determined based on the opening price per share of common stock on Nasdaq on such date.
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.
75
For
service as a member of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and/or Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, non-employee
directors each receive an additional annual grant of (i) 3,000 shares of restricted stock, which vest immediately on the Program Grant
Date, and (ii) options to purchase up to 3,000 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) 2,000 shares of restricted stock, which vest immediately on the Program Grant
Date, and (ii) options to purchase up to 2,000 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 also receive reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for attending meetings and carrying out duties as board members.
Director
Compensation Table
The
following table summarizes the compensation paid to each non-employee director who served during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
All compensation earned by Messrs. Kohen and Sokolow during 2023 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
—
116,531
25,902
—
—
—
142,433
Gary N. Golden
30,000
59,040
19,572
—
—
—
108,612
Efrat L. Greenstein Brayer
30,000
52,480
17,443
—
—
—
99,923
Thomas J. Ridge
—
46,010
6,400
—
—
—
52,410
Dov Shiff
—
46,010
6,400
—
—
—
52,410
(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 2023. 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 2023 fiscal year. All stock options reported in the table above were granted with an exercise
price of $3.28 per share and vest in twelve equal monthly installments beginning on April 30, 2023.
There
were no unvested stock awards held by non-employee directors as of December 31, 2023. The total number of unexercised option awards
(vested and unvested) held by our non-employee directors as of December 31, 2023 was as follows: Ms. DiMattia, 34,500 options; Mr.
Golden, 28,000 options; Ms. Greenstein Brayer, 25,000 options; Mr. Ridge, 610,000 options; and Mr. Shiff, 110,000 options.
76
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 21, 2024 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, vesting of RSUs or conversion of convertible notes, within 60 days of March 21, 2024. 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
96,870,902 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of March 21, 2024. Shares of our common stock that are subject to options
or warrants exercisable, RSUs vesting, or notes convertible within 60 days of March 21, 2024 are deemed to be outstanding for computing
the percentage ownership of the person holding such options, warrants, RSUs and/or notes and the percentage ownership of any group in
which the holder is a member, but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage of any other person.
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)
15,133,859
15.6 %
Rani R. Kohen, Executive Chairman and Director (2)
15,199,970
14.8 %
Motek 7 SQL LLC (3)
6,118,004
6.3 %
Strul Associates Limited Partnership (4)
6,023,534
6.1 %
Directors and Named Executive Officers (not otherwise included above)
John P. Campi, Co-Chief Executive Officer (5)
924,352
*
Leonard J. Sokolow, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Director (6)
1,475,177
1.5 %
Marc-Andre Boisseau (7)
182,970
*
Steven M. Schmidt, President (8)
298,843
*
Patricia Barron, Chief Operations Officer (9)
837,841
*
Nancy DiMattia, Director (10)
92,770
*
Gary N. Golden, Director (11)
56,000
*
Efrat L. Greenstein Brayer, Director (12)
50,000
*
Thomas J. Ridge, Director (136)
1,598,770
1.6 %
All directors and current executive officers as a group (11 persons) (15)
35,850,552
33.8 %
*
Represents
beneficial ownership of less than one percent.
77
(1) Based
on a Form 4 and Schedule 13D/A filed by Mr. Shiff on January 3, 2024 and October 10, 2023,
respectively. Includes 13,274,618 shares of common stock held by DZDLUX s.a.r.l., of which
Mr. Shiff is a controlling person; 235,712 shares of common stock held by Shiff Group Assets
Ltd., of which Mr. Shiff is a controlling person; 1,458,529 shares of common stock held directly
by Mr. Shiff; and 40,000 shares held by Mr. Shiff’s spouse. Also includes 85,000 shares
of common stock underlying stock options that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21,
2024 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., of which Mr. Shiff
is the President and Chief Executive Officer. As a result of his positions at DZDLUX s.a.r.l,
Shiff Group Assets Ltd. and Shiff Group Investments 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/A filed by Mr. Kohen on June 13, 2022 and July 7, 2023, 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 5,940,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that are
exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024. 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,
Florida 33394.
(4) Includes
4,855,015 shares of common stock, 125,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of
an outstanding warrant, 1,018,519 shares of common stock underlying convertible promissory
notes that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024 held by Strul Associates Limited Partnership., and 25,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that are
exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024 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 business address of Strul Associates
Limited Partnership is 20320 Fairway Oaks Drive, #362, Boca Raton, Florida 33434.
(5) Includes
797,685 shares of common stock, 120,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that
are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024 and 6,667 shares of common stock issuable
upon conversion of the principal amount of an outstanding convertible note held by Mr. Campi.
(6) Includes
469,136 shares of common stock held by Mr. Sokolow, 10,084 shares of unvested restricted
stock, 955,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options held by Mr. Sokolow that are
exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024, 16,667 shares of common stock issuable upon
conversion of the principal amount of an outstanding convertible note held by Mr. Sokolow,
and 24,290 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants held by Mr. Sokolow.
(7) Includes
40,470 shares of common stock, 90,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that
are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024 and 52,500 RSUs that vest within 60 days
of March 21, 2024 held by Mr. Boisseau.
(8) Includes
103,843 shares of common stock, including, and
195,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options that are exercisable within 60 days
of March 21, 2024 held by Mr. Schmidt.
(9) Includes
112,841 shares of common stock and 725,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options
that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024 held by Ms. Barron.
(10) Includes
58,270 shares of common stock and 34,500 shares of common stock underlying stock options
that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024 held by Ms. DiMattia.
(11) Includes
28,000 shares of common stock and 28,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options
that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024 held by Mr. Golden.
(12) Includes
25,000 shares of common stock and 25,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options
that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024 held by Ms. Greenstein Brayer.
(13) Includes
1,013,770 shares of common stock and 585,000 shares of common stock underlying stock options
that are exercisable within 60 days of March 21, 2024 held by Mr. Ridge.
(14) Includes
26,917,844 shares of common stock,;
8,782,500 shares of common stock underlying stock options that are exercisable within 60
days of March 21, 2024; 62,584 shares of restricted stock that vest within 60 days of March 21, 2024; 24,290 shares
of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants; and 63,334 shares of common stock
issuable upon the conversion of the principal amount of outstanding convertible notes.
78
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, 2023:
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 (3)
(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)
40,654,237
$ 6.45
7,494,553
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
71,441
—
Total
40,725,678
$ 6.45
7,494,553
(1)
Includes 40,654,237 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options and RSUs 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 $6.45 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) 5,725,500 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock
options granted under the 2018 Plan; (c) 366,000 shares of common stock issuable upon vesting of restricted stock granted under the
2018 Plan; (d) 5,750,476 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options granted under the 2021 Plan; (d) 4,482,261 shares of
common stock issuable upon vesting of RSUs granted under the 2021 Plan; and (f) 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, 2023.
(2) The
2015 Stock Incentive Plan and 2018 Plan were previously replaced and terminated by the 2018 Plan and the 2021 Plan, respectively, and,
as such, no securities remained available for issuance under such plans as of December 31, 2023 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 Plan.
(3) Excludes
the RSUs referred to in footnote 1 because they have no exercise price.
(4)
Includes 71,441 shares of common stock issuable vesting of shares of restricted stock granted by the Company’s board of directors
in connection with services agreements.
79
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 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, 2022, 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. In March 2024, certain of these related parties entered into an amendment to the note, effective as of
the original maturity date of the respective note, which, among other things, extended the maturity date of the note to May 16,
2025. Subject to other customary terms, the note accrues interest at a rate of 6% per annum, or, as amended, 10% per annum effective
as of January 1, 2024, 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, or, as amended, $3.00 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, except for $125,000 in principal paid in December 2023 to Sky
Technology Partners, LLC .
Name of Related
Party
Principal
Amount Purchased
Maturity Date
Leonard J. Sokolow
– Co-Chief Executive Officer and director of the Company
$ 250,000
May 16, 2025
Sky Technology Partners, LLC
– Steven Siegelaub, a former greater than 5% holder with his affiliates, is the managing member
$ 300,000
May 16, 2025
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 – Co-Chief
Executive Officer of the Company
$ 100,000
May 16, 2025
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 of the Company, 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 notes is 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 adjusted conversion price of $2.70 per share,. Interest on the notes accrues at a rate of 10% per annum. 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 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 adjusted exercise price of $2.70 per share. In addition, the 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.
80
Newbridge
Securities Corporation
Leonard
J. Sokolow, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and director, previously served in various executive roles at Newbridge Financial, Inc. and
its subsidiaries, including Newbridge Securities Corporation, until September 2023.
In
January 2022, the Company and Newbridge Securities Corporation entered into a termination agreement, pursuant to which three investment
banking agreements previously entered into during October 2018, May 2021, and May 2021, respectively, 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.
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 issued to affiliates of Newbridge Securities Corporation an aggregate
of 200,000 restricted shares of the Company’s common stock, which 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, our Co-Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors, previously served as Chief Executive
Officer and President, entered into stock purchase agreements during 2021, pursuant to which the Company issued an aggregate of 317,656
shares of common stock (including shares issued pursuant to anti-dilution provisions) and warrants to purchase 231,624 shares of common
stock to Bridge Line Ventures. 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.
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.
81
ITEM
14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The
following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed to us for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 by our independent
auditors, M&K CPAs, PLLC:
2023
2022
Audit Fees (1)
$ 96,000
$ 72,500
Audit-Related Fees
-
—
Tax Fees
-
—
All Other Fees
-
—
Total Fees
$ 96,000
$ 72,500
(1)
Audit
fees represent amounts billed for professional services rendered for the audit and/or review of our consolidated financial statements.
For 2023, includes fees related to professional services rendered in connection with the issuance of consents related to Registration
Statements on Form S-3 and the audit of the financial statements of Belami, Inc. For 2022, 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 and 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 2023, all services performed by our independent auditors
were pre-approved by the audit committee.
82
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, 2023 and December 31, 2022
F-3
Audited Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss for the Years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
F-4
Audited Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) for the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
F-5
Audited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
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).
2.2
First
Amendment to Stock Purchase Agreement, dated April 28, 2023, by and among SKYX Platforms Corp. and Mihran Berejikian, Nancy Berejikian,
and Michael Lack (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 2.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
SEC on May 1, 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
Articles
of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (effective May 2, 2023) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 5, 2023).
3.6
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 (filed herewith).
10.1+
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).
10.2*
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).
10.3*
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).
10.4*
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).
10.5*
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).
10.6*
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).
10.7*
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).
10.8*
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).
10.9*
Consultant
Agreement, dated August 20, 2019, between the Company and Steven M. Schmidt (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.23 to
the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.10*
First
Amendment to Consulting Agreement, dated June 1, 2021, between the Company and Steven M. Schmidt (incorporated herein by reference
to Exhibit 10.24 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22,
2021).
10.11*
Executive
Employment Agreement, dated September 1, 2019, between the Company and Patricia Barron (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
10.25 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.12
Form
of Placement Agent Warrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.29 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 Purchase Agreement between the Company and Bridge Line Ventures, LLC Series ST-1 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
10.32 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 Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued by the Company to Bridge Line Ventures, LLC Series ST-1 (incorporated herein by reference
to Exhibit 10.33 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22,
2021).
10.15
Form
of Securities Purchase Agreement related to Purchase of Subordinated Convertible Balloon Promissory Note, including form of Subordinated
Convertible Balloon Promissory Note (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.34 to the Company’s Registration Statement
on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.16+
Paycheck
Protection Program Term Note, entered into by the Company, as Borrower, for the benefit of PNC Bank, National Association, as Lender,
as of April 13, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.35 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1
(File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.17
Amendment
to the Paycheck Protection Term Note, effective June 5, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.36 to the Company’s
Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
83
10.18+
Second
Draw Paycheck Protection Program Term Note, entered into by the Company, as Borrower, for the benefit of PNC Bank, National Association,
as Lender, as of February 3, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.37 to the Company’s Registration Statement
on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.19+
Loan
Authorization and Agreement (Economic Injury Disaster Loan), dated June 24, 2020, between the U.S. Small Business Administration
and the Company (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.38 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File
No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.20
Note
(Secured Disaster Loans), entered into by the Company, as Borrower, for the benefit of the U.S. Small Business Administration, as
of June 24, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.39 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File
No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.21
Security
Agreement, dated June 24, 2020, between the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Company (incorporated herein by reference
to Exhibit 10.40 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22,
2021).
10.22*
2021
Stock Incentive Plan (effective February 9, 2022) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report
on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 14, 2022).
10.23*
Form
of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement (2021 Plan) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report
on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 14, 2022).
10.24*
Form
of Incentive Stock Option Agreement (2021 Plan) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report
on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 14, 2022).
10.25*
Form
of Restricted Shares Award Agreement (2021 Plan) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Current Report
on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 14, 2022).
10.26*
Form
of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement (2021 Plan) (August 2022) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 5, 2022).
10.27*
Form
of Incentive Stock Option Agreement (2021 Plan) (August 2022) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 5, 2022).
10.28*
Form
of Restricted Shares Award Agreement (2021 Plan) (August 2022) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 5, 2022).
10.29*
Form
of Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement (2021 Plan) (August 2022) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 5, 2022).
10.30*
Form
of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement (2021 Plan) (April 2023) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Company’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023).
10.31*
Form
of Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement (three-year vesting) (2021 Plan) (April 2023) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
10.13 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023).
10.32*
Form
of Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement (one year vesting) (2021 Plan) (April 2023) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
10.14 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023).
10.33*
Form
of Restricted Shares Award Agreement (2021 Plan) (April 2023) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to the Company’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023).
10.34*
Form
of Cash Retention Incentive Agreement (April 2023) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Company’s Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023).
10.35*
Executive
Chairman Agreement, effective as of January 1, 2022, between the Company and Rani R. Kohen (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
10.45 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-261829) filed with the SEC on December 22, 2021).
10.36*
Chief
Financial Officer Agreement, effective as of January 1, 2022, between the Company and Marc-Andre Boisseau (incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit 10.46 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).
10.37
Representative’s
Warrant, dated February 9, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed
with the SEC on February 14, 2022).
10.38+†
Sublease
Agreement, executed as of April 28, 2022, by and between the Company and Sicart Associates LLC (incorporated herein by reference
to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 4, 2022).
10.39+
Lease
Agreement, by and between 400 Biscayne Commercial Owner, L.P., as Landlord and the Company, as Tenant (incorporated herein by reference
to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 29, 2022).
10.40
Corporate
Advisory Engagement Agreement, dated November 9, 2022, between the Company and Newbridge Securities Corporation (incorporated herein
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 10, 2022).
84
10.41+
Form
of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated February 6, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 7, 2023).
10.42
Form
of Subordinated Secured Convertible Promissory Note, dated February 6, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 7, 2023).
10.43
Form
of Common Stock Purchase Warrant, dated February 6, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 7, 2023).
10.44+
Form
of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated March 29, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.49 to the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022).
10.45
Form
of Subordinated Secured Convertible Promissory Note, dated March 29, 2023 (filed herewith) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
10.50 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022).
10.46
Form
of Common Stock Purchase Warrant, dated March 29, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.51 to the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022).
10.47
Letter Agreement, effective as of April 27, 2023, between SKYX Platforms Corp. and Nielsen & Bainbridge, LLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 28, 2023).
10.48
Form of Closing Promissory Note, dated April 26, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 1, 2023).
10.49
Form of Retained Earnings Promissory Note, dated April 26, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 1, 2023).
10.50+
Promissory Note and Business Loan Agreement, dated May 1, 2023, between SKYX Platforms Corp. and First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 5, 2023).
10.51
Sales Agreement by and between SKYX Platforms Corp. and The Benchmark Company, LLC, dated May 26, 2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 26, 2023).
10.52*
Executive Employment Agreement, dated September 12, 2023, by and between SKYX Platforms Corp. and Leonard J. Sokolow (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 13, 2023).
10.53+
Line of Credit Promissory Note, Business Loan Agreement (Asset Based), and Commercial Security Agreement, signed September 18, 2023, by and between Belami, Inc., as borrower and grantor, and Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California, as lender (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 22, 2023).
10.54+
Term Loan Promissory Note and Business Loan Agreement, signed September 18, 2023, by and between Belami, Inc., as borrower, and Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California, as lender (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 22, 2023).
10.55
Commercial Guaranty, signed September 18, 2023, by and among Belami, Inc., as borrower, SKYX Platforms Corp., as guarantor, and Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California, as lender (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 22, 2023).
10.56†
Licensing Master Services Agreement, signed December 4, 2023, between SKYX Platforms Corp. and GE Technology Development, Inc., and Letter Agreement relating to Trademark License Agreement, between SQL Lighting & Fans, LLC and GE Trademark Licensing, Inc (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 8, 2023.
10.57*
Commission Termination Agreement, dated March 29, 2024, by and between SKYX Platforms Corp and John Campi ( filed herewith)
10.58*
Commission Termination Agreement, dated March 29, 2024, by and between SKYX Platforms Corp and Patricia Baron ( filed herewith)
10.59
Form of Amendment No. 1 to Subordinated Convertible Balloon Promissory Note, dated March 29, 2024 (filed herewith).
10.6
Letter Agreement to the Stock Purchase Agreement, as amended, dated March 29, 2024, by and among SKYX Platforms Corp., Mihran Berejikian, Nancy Berejikian and Michael Lack, and form of Convertible Promissory Note (filed herewith).
18.1
Preferability Letter from M&K CPAS, PLLC (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 18.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023).
19.1
SKYX Platforms Corp. Insider Trading Policy (last revised March 2023) (filed herewith).
21.1
List of Subsidiaries (filed herewith).
23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (filed herewith).
24.1
Power of Attorney (included on signature page).
31.1
Certification by Co-Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).
31.2
Certification by Co-Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).
31.3
Certification by Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).
32.1
Certification by Co-Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (furnished herewith).
32.2
Certification by Co-Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (furnished herewith).
32.3
Certification by Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (furnished herewith).
97
SKYX Platforms Corp. Compensation Recovery Policy (adopted August 2023) (filed herewith).
101
The
following financial statements from the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 are formatted in iXBRL (Inline
eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive
Loss, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit), (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (v)
the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (filed herewith).
104
Cover
Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101) (filed herewith).
*
Indicates management contract or any compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.
+
Certain of the exhibits and schedules to this exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601(a)(5). The Company
agrees to furnish a copy of all omitted exhibits and schedules to the SEC upon its request.
†
Portions of this exhibit (indicated by bracketed asterisks) are omitted in accordance with the rules of the SEC because they are both
not material and the Company customarily and actually treats such information as private or confidential.
ITEM
16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.
85
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
SKYX
PLATFORMS CORP.
By:
/s/
John P. Campi
John
P. Campi, Co-Chief Executive Officer
Date:
April
1, 2024
By:
/s/
Leonard J. Sokolow
Leonard
J. Sokolow, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director
Date:
April
1, 2024
POWER
OF ATTORNEY
Each
individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints John P. Campi, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Leonard J. Sokolow, Co-Chief
Executive Officer, and Marc-Andre Boisseau, Chief Financial Officer, and each of them singly, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact
and agents with full power of substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign
any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power
and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to
all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all the said attorneys-in-fact and
agents or any of them or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/
John P. Campi
Co-Chief
Executive Officer
April
1, 2024
John
P. Campi
(Principal
Executive Officer)
/s/
Leonard J. Sokolow
Co-Chief
Executive Officer and Director
April
1, 2024
Leonard
J. Sokolow
(Principal
Executive Officer)
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