Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted 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 in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Prior to the Merger, we had been a private company with limited accounting personnel and other resources with which to address our internal control over financial reporting. In connection with our preparation and the audit of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified a material weakness, as defined under the Exchange Act and by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), in our internal control over financial reporting. The material weakness related to a lack of sufficient and adequate resources in the finance and accounting function that resulted in a lack of formalized risk assessment process, lack of segregation of duties, and ineffective process level control activities over the management review of journal entries, account reconciliations and non-routine transactions. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial
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reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
We have taken a number of remediation actions during the year ended December 31, 2022, and are continuing with our efforts. Remediation actions taken during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and that continue include:
• hiring personnel with appropriate levels of experience in accounting, technology, and internal controls;
• engaging a professional accounting services firm to help us commence the documentation and assessment of our internal controls for complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
• implementing a risk assessment over financial reporting controls; and
• implementing new software tools.
While significant progress has been made to enhance our internal control over financial reporting, we are still in the process of building and enhancing our processes, procedures, and controls. Additional time is required to complete the remediation of these material weaknesses and the assessment to ensure the sustainability of these remediation actions. We believe the above actions, when complete, will be effective in the remediation of the material weakness described above.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
During the most recently completed fiscal quarter, there has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures
In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
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PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
The Company currently is not aware of any legal proceedings or claims that management believes will have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.