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 , 2025
or
☐
TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the transition period from to
Commission
file number: 001-41323
SOLIDION
TECHNOLOGY, INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 87-1993879
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization) (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
13355 Noel Rd , Suite 1100
Dallas , TX
75240
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (972) 918-5120
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share STI 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 Exchange Act.
Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required 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 Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
At June 30, 2025, the last business day of the
registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the common stock of the registrant held
by non-affiliates of the registrant was $ 5,261,123 .
As of April 15, 2026, there were 7,745,683 shares
of common stock of the Company issued and outstanding.
EXPLANATORY
NOTE
On
February 2, 2024 (the “Closing Date”), Nubia Brand International Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Nubia” and after
the Transactions described herein, the “Combined Company” or “Solidion Technology, Inc.”), consummated the previously
announced business combination (the “Closing”) pursuant to a Merger Agreement (as amended on August 25, 2023, the “Merger
Agreement”), by and among Nubia, Honeycomb Battery Company, an Ohio corporation (“HBC”), and Nubia Merger Sub, Inc.,
an Ohio corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Nubia (“Merger Sub”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged
with and into HBC (the “Merger,” and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Transactions”),
with HBC surviving such merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nubia, which was renamed “Solidion Technology, Inc.” upon
Closing.
Unless the context otherwise
requires, the “registrant” and the “Company” refer to Nubia prior to the Closing and to the Combined Company
and its subsidiaries following the Closing and “HBC” and “Honeycomb” refers to Honeycomb Battery Company and
its subsidiaries prior to the Closing and the business of the Combined Company and its subsidiaries following the Closing.
The Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the
“Common Stock”), is now listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ Capital”) under the symbol “STI”.
The Company’s Public Warrants to purchase Common Stock at an exercise price of $575.00 per share, previously listed under ticker
“NUBIW”, were delisted from the Nasdaq and pending listing on The OTC Markets under the symbol “STIWW”. Until
the Merger, Nubia neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenue, and based on its business activities, Nubia was a “shell
company” as defined under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
SOLIDION
TECHNOLOGY, INC.
ANNUAL
REPORT ON FORM 10-K
FOR
THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025
Page
PART I
1
Item
1.
Business
1
Item
1A.
Risk Factors
10
Item
1B.
Unresolved
Staff Comments
29
Item
1C.
Cybersecurity
30
Item
2.
Properties
30
Item
3.
Legal
Proceedings
30
Item
4.
Mine
Safety Disclosures
30
PART
II
31
Item
5.
Market
for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
31
Item
6.
[RESERVED]
31
Item
7.
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
31
Item
7A.
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
38
Item
8.
Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data
38
Item
9.
Changes
in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosures
38
Item
9A.
Controls
and Procedures
38
Item
9B.
Other
Information
39
Item
9C.
Disclosure
Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
39
PART
III
40
Item
10.
Directors,
Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
40
Item
11.
Executive
Compensation
45
Item
12.
Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
53
Item
13.
Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
55
Item
14.
Principal
Accounting Fees and Services
57
PART
IV
58
Item
15.
Exhibits,
Financial Statement Schedules
58
Item
16.
Form
10-K Summary
60
i
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
AND RISK FACTOR SUMMARY
This
Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933,
or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act. The statements contained in
this report that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited
to, statements regarding our or our management’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In
addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including
any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipates,” “believe,” “continue,”
“could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,”
“possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would”
and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not
forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this report may include, for example, statements about our:
● our
financial and business performance, including financial and business metrics;
● changes
in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected
costs, prospects and plans;
● our
ability to develop a high-volume manufacturing line and otherwise scale in a cost-effective
manner;
● our
ability to add manufacturing capacity and the costs and timing to add such capacity;
● the
expected addressable market for our products;
● developments
relating to our competitors and industry;
● our
expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection
and not infringe on the rights of others;
● our
future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash;
● our
ability to obtain funding for our operations;
● our
business, expansion plans and opportunities; and
● the
outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings.
The
forward-looking statements contained in this report are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments
and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated.
These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions
that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.”
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may
vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable
laws.
As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties,
our actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some
factors that could cause actual results to differ include the risks and uncertainties described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, discussed
in Part I, Item 1A under the Heading, “Risk Factors,” a summary of which appears below.
ii
Risks Related to Development and Commercialization
●
If our batteries fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market and sell our batteries would be adversely affected.
●
OEMs may elect to pursue other battery cell technologies.
●
We have only conducted preliminary safety testing on our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology, and our technology will require additional and extensive safety testing prior to being installed in electric vehicles.
●
We rely on complex equipment for our operations, and production involves a significant degree of risk and uncertainty in terms of operational performance and costs.
●
We may obtain licenses on technology that has not been commercialized or has been commercialized only to a limited extent.
●
Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials and components, some of which are obtained from a limited number of sources where demand may exceed supply.
●
We may be unable to adequately control the costs associated with our operations and the components necessary to build our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state batteries.
●
If we are unable to attract and retain key employees and qualified personnel, our ability to compete could be harmed.
●
Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to protect us from all business risks.
●
Our facilities or operations could be damaged or adversely affected as a result of natural disasters and other catastrophic events, including fire and explosions.
Risks Related to Industry and Market Trends
●
The battery cell market continues to evolve and is highly competitive.
●
Our future growth and success are dependent upon consumers’ willingness to adopt electric vehicles.
●
The unavailability, reduction or elimination of, or uncertainty regarding, government and economic incentives or subsidies available to us, end-users or OEMs.
Risks Related to Limited Operating History
●
Our business model has yet to be tested.
●
We are an early-stage company with a history of financial losses and expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future.
●
Our history of recurring losses and anticipated expenditures raise substantial doubts about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our ability to continue as a going concern requires that we obtain sufficient funding to finance our operations.
●
We may require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
●
We may have potential business conflicts of interest with G3 with respect to our past and ongoing relationships.
●
If we fail to effectively manage our future growth, we may not be able to market and license the technology and know-how to manufacture or sell our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology successfully.
iii
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
●
We rely heavily on owned intellectual property, which includes patent rights, trade secrets, copyright, trademarks, and know-how.
●
Our patent applications may not result in issued patents, which would result in the disclosures in those applications being available to the public. Also, our patent rights may be contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope.
●
We have not performed exhaustive searches or analyses of the intellectual property landscape of the battery industry.
Risks Related to Finance and Accounting
●
Our expectations and targets regarding the times when we will achieve various technical, pre-production and production-level performance objectives depend in large part upon assumptions, estimates, measurements, testing, analyses and data developed and performed by us.
●
Incorrect estimates or assumptions by management in connection with the preparation of our financial statements.
●
We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting.
Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Compliance
●
We are subject to regulations regarding the storage and handling of various products.
●
From time to time, we may be involved in litigation, regulatory actions or government investigations and inquiries.
●
We are subject to substantial regulation.
●
Our technology and our website, systems, and data we maintain may be subject to intentional disruption, security breaches and other security incidents, or alleged violations of laws, regulations, or other obligations relating to data handling.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
●
A significant portion of Solidion’s Common Stock is restricted from immediate resale, but may be sold into the market in the future pursuant to registration rights granted to the holders thereof.
●
Solidion is a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq listing standards and, as a result, qualifies for, and may rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.
●
We may issue additional shares of Solidion’s Common Stock or other equity securities without your approval, which would dilute your ownership interests and may depress the market price of your shares.
●
A market for Solidion’s securities may not continue.
●
There can be no assurance that the Public Warrants will be in the money during their exercise period, and they may expire worthless.
●
Solidion may redeem unexpired warrants, in accordance with their terms, prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to holders of warrants.
iv
PART
I
ITEM
1. BUSINESS
In
this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”), references to the “Company” and to “Solidion”
“we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Solidion Technology, Inc.
Corporate
History and Background
We were originally incorporated in Delaware on
June 14, 2021 under the name “Nubia Brand International Corp.” as a special purpose acquisition company, formed for the purpose
of effecting an initial business combination with one or more target businesses. On March 14, 2022 (the “IPO Closing Date”),
we consummated our initial public offering (the “IPO”). On February 2, 2024, we consummated the previously announced business
combination (the “Closing”) pursuant to a Merger Agreement, dated February 16, 2023 (as amended on August 25, 2023, the “Merger
Agreement”), by and among Nubia, Honeycomb Battery Company, an Ohio corporation (“HBC”), and Nubia Merger Sub, Inc.,
an Ohio corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Nubia (“Merger Sub”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged
with and into HBC (the “Merger,” and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Transactions”),
with HBC surviving such merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nubia, which was renamed “Solidion Technology, Inc.” upon
Closing and we became the owner, directly or indirectly, of all of the equity interests of Honeycomb Battery Company and its subsidiaries.
Overview
Solidion Technology, Inc. is an advanced battery
technology company focused on the development and commercialization of next-generation battery materials, components, and energy storage
solutions. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with research and development (R&D) and manufacturing operations in Dayton, Ohio, Solidion
is dedicated to transforming the energy storage landscape by addressing key limitations in current lithium-ion and emerging battery technologies.
The Company specializes in high-performance silicon-rich anode materials,
solid-state battery technology, and fire-retardant electrolytes, aiming to enhance the energy density, safety, and cost-effectiveness
of lithium-ion batteries. Solidion’s proprietary innovations include graphene-enabled batteries, elastomer-protected electrodes,
quasi-solid and solid-state electrolytes, and biochar-derived anode materials, providing sustainable and scalable solutions for the electric
vehicle (EV), energy storage system (ESS), and consumer electronics markets.
Solidion holds an extensive intellectual property (IP) portfolio with
over 345 active patents (pending and granted) globally, positioning the Company as a leader in silicon anode and solid-state battery technology.
Its innovative silane-free production processes for silicon-based anode materials allow for lower manufacturing costs and improved scalability.
Additionally, its fire-retardant and polymer-based electrolytes enable safer, high-energy-density batteries compatible with existing lithium-ion
cell production infrastructure.
A key milestone in Solidion’s technological
advancements is the successful development of a high-energy cylindrical cell, which achieves an exceptional energy density of 305 Wh/kg,
significantly higher than conventional lithium-ion batteries, which typically range between 240-260 Wh/kg. This innovation not only enhances
the range and performance of EVs but also underscores Solidion’s ability to deliver cutting-edge solutions for high-energy and high-power
applications.
The Company has established strategic partnerships with leading industry
players, including Giga Solar Materials Corp. and Bluestar Materials Company, to advance the production and commercialization of silicon
oxide (SiOx) anode materials in the U.S. These collaborations, along with Solidion’s ongoing engagement with EV original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) and toll-manufacturing partners, position the Company to accelerate the adoption of its next-generation battery solutions.
On November 14, 2024, we adopted a strategic Bitcoin allocation policy
for our Corporate Treasury. As part of this strategy, Solidion is committed to leveraging Bitcoin as a long-term store of value. The Company
will allocate excess cash from operations toward Bitcoin purchases, subject to board approval. Additionally, interest earnings from cash
held in money market accounts will be converted into Bitcoin. The Company also plans to allocate a portion of future capital raises to
Bitcoin acquisitions, demonstrating a sustained commitment to integrating Bitcoin into its financial strategy.
For fiscal years 2025 and 2024, the Company
did not identify excess cash from operations available for Bitcoin purchases. Additionally, the Company generated interest income of
$19,094 and $13,806 during fiscal year 2025 and 2024, respectively. These amounts have been designated for
Bitcoin purchases in fiscal year 2026 as part of the ongoing treasury strategy. The Company did not conduct any capital raise
activities between the date of its announcement and the end of the reporting period and, as a result, did not allocate any proceeds
toward Bitcoin purchases. Looking ahead, during fiscal year 2026, Solidion may consider capital raises that will include allocation
of a portion of proceeds to Bitcoin acquisitions.
Solidion is committed to advancing battery technology through continuous
R&D efforts, expanding manufacturing capabilities, and optimizing supply chain sustainability. By integrating cutting-edge materials
and scalable production methods, Solidion aims to deliver high-performance, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable battery solutions
that address the increasing demand for electrified mobility and renewable energy storage.
Limitations of Current Battery Technology
Li-Ion Batteries Lithium-ion batteries
(LIBs) are pivotal in climate change mitigation as they play a key role in electrifying the transport sector and enabling the integration
of renewables. They are widely used in portable electronics and electric vehicles due to their high potential for providing efficient
energy storage and environmental sustainability. NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt oxides) and LFP (lithium iron phosphate) are common LIB
cathode chemistries for electric vehicle applications. Graphite is typically used as the battery anode material (BAM).
1
Despite their importance, current LIB technology
has limitations:
● Anode
Energy Density The use of graphite anodes restricts the battery’s capacity because graphite
has a low theoretical gravimetric capacity of just 372 mAh g−1. Silicon (Si) is being
explored as an alternative anode material because it has a higher theoretical specific capacity
of 4,200 mAh g −1 . However, silicon anodes have issues including volume expansion
during lithium insertion and extraction, unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) formation,
low electrical conductivity, and poor lithium-ion diffusivity.
● CO 2
Emissions During Production of Synthetic Graphite Anode Materials The carbon footprint
is often underestimated due to a lack of industrial data and the use of non-representative
process routes in modeling. A more accurate life cycle inventory reveals a substantially
higher carbon footprint (CF) value of 42.2 t CO 2 eq./t of SG BAM, which is 2 to
10 times greater than previously reported values. The graphitization process, which accounts
for 46% of the total CF due to high electricity consumption, and the use of graphite crucibles,
responsible for 28% of the CF, contribute most to the carbon footprint.
● Electrolyte
Safety Issues Lithium-ion batteries are susceptible to thermal runaway if abusive conditions
destabilize the electrochemical system. If certain abusive conditions break the stability
boundaries of the electrochemical system, an LIB is more susceptible to thermal runaway (TR),
leading to fire accidents. Traditional liquid organic carbonate-based electrolytes are flammable
and can be highly combustible or even explosive when exposed to air. Lithium plating can
occur in the anode, caused by electrical and thermal abuse, which can lead to dendrite formation
and short circuits. In contrast, various types of solid-state electrolytes, comprising less
or no volatile chemical species, are being developed for both lithium-ion and lithium-metal
battery types. Further, solid-state electrolytes, when used as a separator, could significantly
reduce or eliminate the lithium dendrite issues. However, solid-state electrolytes bring
along other types of challenges to a battery designer, including a higher internal impedance
(hence, lower power), lower anode or cathode active material proportion (hence, lower-than-expected
energy density), and a higher manufacturing cost. The latter challenge is largely a result
of the need to develop a new process and new equipment for producing the solid-state separator
and for assembling the required components into a battery cell.
Our Technology
● Graphene or elastomer enhanced silicon and
SiOx
Solidion is leading the development
of low-cost, high-performance silicon-rich (Si-rich) anode materials, pioneering multiple approaches to enhance the efficiency, scalability,
and sustainability of next-generation lithium-ion batteries. One of Solidion’s most transformative innovations is its elastomer
protection technology, which utilizes a flexible polymer to encapsulate silicon particles and protect the entire electrode. This design
effectively addresses the mechanical stresses caused by silicon expansion during charge-discharge cycles, significantly improving battery
longevity and stability. Unlike common silicon anode production methods that rely on silane gas and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes,
Solidion’s approach is silane-free and CVD-free, utilizing low-cost metallurgical-grade or reclaimed silicon as a feedstock. This
cost-effective and environmentally friendly method makes silicon anode technology more viable for mass adoption of suitable applications.
Solidion has also pioneered a method to produce high-capacity silicon
anodes via CVD but without the use of toxic and explosive silane gas, thereby enhancing both the safety and sustainability of battery
manufacturing. This breakthrough is part of Solidion’s extensive intellectual property portfolio, which encompasses over 345 active
patents. By eliminating the need for silane gas in silicon anode production, the overall cost is expected to decrease, making the product
more competitive, market-friendly, and potentially preventing the painful silane supply chain issue. These advancements are set to benefit
a wide range of applications, including energy storage systems and electric vehicles across land, air, and sea. Beyond silicon anode innovation,
Solidion is also advancing its graphene technology platform to enhance the electrical conductivity of Si-based anode materials. Integrating
graphene into Si/C composite anodes has demonstrated a 17% increase in electrical conductivity, addressing the common challenge of poor
power capability in Si/C or SiOx anode materials. This enhancement is achieved with minimal additional cost, making it a practical and
scalable solution for improving battery performance.
● Biochar-based
anode to reduce CO 2 emissions
Solidion
is pioneering the introduction of biochar-derived anode materials to the battery industry, offering a sustainable solution to reduce
CO₂ emissions while enhancing the battery industry value chain. Unlike conventional graphite anodes, which rely on petroleum coke
and contribute significantly to carbon emissions, biochar provides an eco-friendly alternative. By utilizing biochar as a feedstock,
atmospheric CO₂ can be partially offset, establishing a closed-loop carbon cycle. Additionally, CO₂ emissions per unit weight
of product are projected to be 30% lower compared to petroleum-derived graphite. Solidion has successfully demonstrated a 200 mAh battery
cell incorporating an NMC cathode and biochar-derived anode materials, achieving approximately 1,000 cycles at a 0.3C charge/discharge
rate. While further optimization is required to enhance electrochemical performance and scalability, biochar-based anodes represent a
low-carbon solution for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, accelerating the transition toward more sustainable energy storage technologies.
2
● Electrolytes
(flame-retardant polymer or hybrid electrolytes for solid-state batteries)
Solidion
has developed a range of fire-retardant, quasi-solid, and hybrid solid electrolytes designed for scalability and compatibility with existing
lithium-ion battery manufacturing processes and facilities. Our solvent-in-salt and solvent-in-polymer electrolytes address the common
limitations of conventional fire-retardant formulations, such as high viscosity, poor wettability, and low ionic conductivity, which
can hinder electrode infiltration, increase internal resistance, and reduce power capability. Compatibility issues with electrodes and
separators, along with narrow electrochemical stability windows, have traditionally limited the adoption of fire-retardant electrolytes
in high-voltage lithium-ion batteries.
Solidion’s FireShield™ electrolytes
overcome these challenges with a process-friendly formulation that enables manufacturers to integrate solid-state or quasi-solid electrolyte-based
lithium batteries without requiring significant changes to existing production lines. Unlike conventional fire-retardant electrolytes,
which typically have a viscosity exceeding 47 mPa●s, Solidion’s formulations achieve approximately 3.7 mPa●s, an order
of magnitude lower, ensuring efficient electrode wetting. Additionally, while traditional fire-retardant electrolytes exhibit ionic conductivity
as low as 0.63 mS/cm, Solidion’s electrolytes demonstrate 1.74–1.98 mS/cm, significantly enhancing charge transport and overall
battery performance.
These electrolytes have been successfully
tested in 100 mAh pouch cells utilizing NMC811 cathodes and SiOx/graphite anodes, delivering 800–900 cycles, proving their compatibility
and long-term stability. Additionally, Solidion has developed small prototype cells with quasi-solid electrolytes, derived from our fire-retardant
formulations. These prototype cells demonstrate rate capabilities comparable to conventional carbonate-based electrolytes, while offering
superior safety performance, significantly reducing thermal runaway risks.
Solidion’s next-generation battery
technology is poised to deliver higher capacity, longer cycle life, enhanced safety, and fast-charging capability—all while minimizing
costs. With graphene- and elastomer-protected lithium-metal anodes, Solidion is driving the transition toward a quasi-solid and solid-state
battery industry, solidifying its leadership in safer, more efficient, and scalable energy storage solutions.
Our Competitive Strengths
Differentiated Battery Technology
Solidion stands apart in next-generation battery technology by offering silicon anodes, biochar-based anodes, and innovative electrolytes
that deliver higher energy density, lower costs, and greater sustainability than conventional solutions. Unlike most silicon anode manufacturers
that rely on silane gas and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), Solidion has developed silane-free, CVD-free production methods using low-cost
metallurgical-grade or reclaimed silicon, reducing both manufacturing costs and supply chain dependency. Our elastomer protection technology
is a breakthrough in mitigating negative effects resulted from silicon expansion—a challenge that has hindered widespread adoption
of silicon anodes. Solidion has also pioneered a silane-free CVD process to produce Si/C at a lower cost per our projection. Additionally,
our graphene-enhanced Si-based anodes provide a 17% increase in electrical conductivity, a key differentiator that improves power output
with minimal cost, addressing a common limitation in Si/C and SiOx composite anodes used by other manufacturers.
Beyond silicon anodes, Solidion is among the few
companies pioneering biochar-derived anodes, providing a 30% lower CO₂ footprint compared to petroleum-based graphite, aligning
with the industry’s push for low-carbon battery materials. While competitors focus on graphite from fossil-fuel sources, Solidion’s
biochar-based approach establishes a closed-loop carbon cycle, reducing environmental impact while maintaining high electrochemical performance.
Our 200 mAh prototype cell, integrating biochar anodes and an NMC cathode, has achieved 1,000 cycles at 0.3C, demonstrating its viability
as a scalable, sustainable alternative to conventional anodes.
In battery safety and manufacturability, Solidion
differentiates itself with its FireShield™ electrolyte technology, including solvent-in-salt and solvent-in-polymer electrolytes,
designed for seamless integration into existing lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines. While many competitors require entirely new processes
and equipment for solid-state battery production, Solidion’s electrolytes enable a cost-effective transition to quasi-solid and
solid-state batteries without major infrastructure changes. Additionally, our graphene- and elastomer-protected lithium-metal anode technology
is a key enabler for the widespread commercialization of lithium-metal batteries, offering both higher energy density and improved cycle
life. By integrating breakthrough materials with scalable, production-friendly solutions, Solidion is setting a new industry standard,
driving the battery sector toward safer, longer-lasting, and more environmentally responsible energy storage technologies.
Strong intellectual property and expertise
in silicon, graphite, and safe electrolyte domains Solidion Technology boasts a robust IP portfolio of over 345 active
patents, crucial for next-generation EV batteries. As a pioneer in disruptive battery innovations, including graphene-enabled, polymer-protected,
and solid-state technologies, Solidion holds over 100 key U.S. patents for enhanced silicon materials, 35+ for fire-resistant electrolytes,
and 70+ for advanced solid-state and lithium metal batteries. This IP enables cutting-edge solutions like high-performance silicon anodes,
cobalt-free cathodes, and protected lithium metal anodes.
Solidion Technology has a robust and expansive intellectual property
(IP) portfolio, comprising over 345 active and high-value patents, many of which are central to the next generation of electric vehicle
(EV) battery technologies. The Company is a pioneer in disruptive battery innovations, including graphene-enabled batteries, elastic polymer-protected
batteries, quasi-solid and solid-state electrolytes, as well as advanced hybrid electrolytes. Solidion’s portfolio includes over 100 key
U.S. patents related to graphene- and polymer-enhanced silicon-based materials, more than 35 patents for fire-resistant electrolytes,
and over 70 patents focused on next-generation solid-state and lithium metal battery technologies. This vast IP foundation provides the
EV industry with cutting-edge solutions, such as silicon-rich anodes with superior performance-to-cost ratios, cobalt-free sulfur cathodes,
process-friendly solid-state electrolytes, and protected lithium metal anodes. Additionally, Solidion’s innovations extend to advanced
current collectors that enhance battery cycle life and performance under extreme conditions. With patent expirations ranging from 2028
to 2040, Solidion’s IP offers a long-term competitive advantage, with most of the patents owned outright by the Company, ensuring strategic
flexibility and ongoing leadership in the battery technology sector.
3
Strategic Partnerships In November
2024, Solidion entered into strategic partnership with Taiwan-based Giga Solar Materials Corp. and Bluestar Materials Company, marking
a significant step toward the advancement of SiOx anode materials production in the United States. This collaboration aims to develop
high-quality SiOx anode solutions for lithium-ion batteries. With Bluestar’s design expertise, Giga Solar’s manufacturing
experience, and Solidion’s cutting-edge technologies, the partnership is set to strengthen North America’s lithium battery materials
supply chain, meeting the increasing demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and energy storage systems.
The alliance leverages Solidion’s expansive
patent portfolio and R&D capabilities to optimize SiOx anode production, which offers a fivefold increase in specific capacity over
traditional graphite. This innovation is key to enhancing battery energy density, thus improving EV range and durability. Solidion and
Giga Solar, with a combined 100 Metric Tons per Annum (MTA) capacity in Taiwan, are exploring U.S.-based manufacturing opportunities to
further their market share in the rapidly expanding EV and energy storage sectors.
Our Products
Anode Materials Our product portfolio includes graphite-based
anode materials, distinguished by our commitment to utilizing raw materials from sustainable sources. As part of our efforts to contribute
to the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, we are scrutinizing our entire supply chain to identify opportunities for reducing
environmental impacts. Graphite, a critical component in rechargeable batteries due to its longevity and cost-efficiency, is traditionally
derived from petroleum coke and pitch. Solidion’s innovative approach introduces biochar produced from waste biomass as an alternative
feedstock. This sustainable process not only sequesters carbon but may also result in carbon-negative production. By leveraging biochar,
Solidion aims to produce anode-grade graphite with exceptional performance. By the end of 2024, Solidion’s anode materials containing
biochar-derived materials have achieved a capacity of over 340 mAh/g and comparable cycle life to conventional graphite anodes, marking
a significant step towards more environmentally responsible battery manufacturing. Solidion has also developed a series of silicon and
SiOx anode materials that enable a significantly higher energy density (for example, an expected 20-30% increase in the EV driving range)
likely at a reduction in the cell cost in terms of U.S. dollars per kilowatt hour (“kWh”) when production in scale occurs.
The specific capacity of these products range from 1,300 to 2,800 mAh/g aiming to suit different applications including EV, energy storage
stations, drones, and consumer electronics.
Battery Cells To rigorously validate the performance
of its innovative anode materials, Solidion is actively engaged in the development and testing of a diverse portfolio of battery cells.
By the close of 2024, Solidion, in collaboration with strategic partners, has successfully constructed and evaluated over three distinct
types of cylindrical cells, each featuring either our advanced silicon (Si) or graphite-based anodes. These cells showcase a wide range
of capabilities, with capacities spanning from 4.6 to an impressive 5.5Ah.
Notably, our high-energy 5.5Ah 21700 cylindrical cell represents a
significant leap forward in battery technology. This cell not only achieves an exceptional energy density of 305 Wh/kg, surpassing the
typical 240-260 Wh/kg offered by established Asian manufacturers in the same high-energy category, but also delivers superior power performance.
It boasts a continuous charging and discharging capability exceeding 2C, a substantial improvement over the performance less than 1C typically
seen in competitor products. This combination of high energy density and robust power handling makes our 5.5Ah cell ideally suited for
applications demanding both sustained energy delivery and moderate to high power output, such as advanced electric vehicles and high-performance
portable electronics.
Furthermore, Solidion is actively developing cell variants tailored
for applications requiring even higher power capabilities. These cells have already demonstrated impressive fast-charging capabilities,
exceeding 3C, enabling rapid replenishment of energy and minimizing downtime. This focus on high-power cells underscores our commitment
to addressing the diverse needs of the evolving energy storage market.
Beyond anode advancements, Solidion is also pioneering the development
of next-generation electrolytes. As previously mentioned, we have successfully formulated fire-retardant and quasi-solid electrolytes,
demonstrating their performance through the construction of small prototype cells. These electrolytes represent a significant step towards
enhancing battery safety, a critical consideration in today’s demanding applications. Looking ahead, Solidion intends to scale up production
of these electrolyte-based cells, manufacturing larger format cells in common practical sizes. This initiative will not only validate
the performance of our advanced electrolytes in real-world scenarios but also pave the way for the development of safer and more reliable
energy storage solutions. By integrating our innovative anode materials with these advanced electrolytes, Solidion is poised to deliver
a new generation of high-performance, safe, and sustainable batteries.
4
Our Growth Strategy
Battery Development for Customers Solidion’s core strategy
revolves around the meticulous design and rigorous testing of advanced battery cells, tailored to meet the specific needs of our customers
and the broader market. We are dedicated to developing a diverse array of cell types, encompassing both cylindrical and pouch formats,
with varying dimensions to accommodate a wide range of applications. Our approach is deeply rooted in materials innovation, leveraging
our proprietary silicon and graphite-based anodes, alongside our fire-retardant and quasi-solid electrolytes. This allows us to precisely
engineer cell performance characteristics, focusing on achieving optimal energy density, power output, and safety. Each cell design undergoes
exhaustive testing protocols, including cycle life analysis, rate capability assessments, and safety evaluations, to ensure it meets the
highest standards of performance and reliability. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of battery technology, exploring novel electrode
configurations and electrolyte formulations to unlock new levels of performance. Through close collaboration with our customers, we meticulously
refine our designs, incorporating feedback and tailoring solutions to address unique application requirements. Whether a client seeks
a high-energy cell for an extended runtime, a high-power cell for rapid discharge, or a cell with enhanced safety features, Solidion’s
dedicated team of engineers and scientists is focused on delivering innovative and reliable battery solutions.
Leverage existing global toll manufacturing capacity to produce
batteries Solidion’s growth strategy is strategically designed to capitalize on existing global toll manufacturing capabilities,
enabling us to efficiently and cost-effectively meet the burgeoning demand for our advanced battery cells. Recognizing the critical need
to provide customers with sample cells in larger, application-relevant formats, we are leveraging partnerships with established manufacturing
facilities worldwide, including those within the United States. While Solidion’s current infrastructure for cell fabrication focuses on
research and development, these collaborative relationships allow us to rapidly scale production and deliver customized cell prototypes
without significant capital expenditure. By partnering with experienced toll manufacturers, we gain access to established production lines,
quality control systems, and logistical expertise, ensuring consistent product quality and timely delivery. This approach not only facilitates
the efficient production of sample cells for customer evaluation but also provides a robust pathway for Solidion to explore and penetrate
the broader battery cell market. As we receive customer orders, we will continue to collaborate with our global network of toll manufacturing
partners, ensuring seamless and scalable production. This strategic approach allows us to embrace the inherent low-cost advantages of
toll manufacturing at mass-production scales, optimizing our operational efficiency and enabling us to offer competitive pricing. Furthermore,
this model allows Solidion to remain agile, adapting quickly to market fluctuations and customer demands without the constraints of owning
and operating large-scale manufacturing facilities. By fostering strong relationships with our toll manufacturing partners, we are building
a resilient and adaptable supply chain, positioning Solidion for sustained growth and success in the rapidly evolving battery industry.
Partnership Development and Expansion Solidion remains committed
to strengthening its strategic partnerships with Giga Solar and Bluestar to advance the development and commercialization of SiOx anode
materials and innovative production processes. By leveraging the combined expertise and resources of these partnerships, Solidion aims
to optimize manufacturing efficiency and accelerate market adoption. Additionally, the Company intends to collaborate closely with EV
OEMs and toll-manufacturing partners to develop and scale the production of advanced battery materials and cells. The long-term objective
is to integrate these next-generation energy storage solutions into EVs, drones, and other high-performance applications, supporting
the broader transition to sustainable transportation and energy systems.
5
Advancing Battery Technologies Solidion is dedicated
to advancing battery technologies to maintain its leadership in the dynamic energy storage sector. We understand that significant progress
demands a comprehensive strategy, encompassing both material and cell-level innovations. Our persistent research efforts concentrate on
refining and optimizing essential components, including anodes, cathodes, and electrolytes, to create integrated systems that achieve
exceptional performance. We strive to seamlessly incorporate these advancements into battery cells designed to meet the diverse and evolving
needs of our customers across various applications. Utilizing our extensive expertise, Solidion is committed to developing future products
that not only feature cutting-edge technology but also emphasize manufacturability, ensuring efficient scalability and cost-effectiveness.
To reinforce our position as a technological pioneer, we sustain a substantial investment in research and development, focusing on pivotal
areas such as cell chemistry and architecture, next-generation battery materials, and advanced manufacturing techniques. This continuous
investment enables us to expand and strengthen our intellectual property portfolio, securing our ability to deliver transformative battery
solutions that address the energy storage demands of the future.
Expanding our end markets and applications Solidion’s
strategy for growth includes a deliberate expansion of our end markets and applications. While our core focus remains on strengthening
our battery material production capabilities, we recognize the significant opportunity presented by the cell business. By leveraging
our established partnerships with global toll manufacturers, we plan to integrate our advanced material products and technologies into
a diverse range of battery cells, tailored to meet the specific requirements of various end users. This strategic move allows us to extend
our reach beyond material supply and directly address the needs of growing markets. Our target applications include, but are not limited
to, EV vehicles, where foreign manufacturers are seeking U.S. partnerships to mitigate potential tariffs, production of silicon-based
alloys, where domestic sourcing requirements demand U.S. entity control, consumer electronics, where demand for high-performance, compact
batteries is increasing, residential energy storage systems, which require reliable and long-lasting solutions, and the rapidly expanding
drone market, where lightweight, high-energy-density cells are crucial. By diversifying our offerings and entering these dynamic sectors,
Solidion aims to solidify its position as a comprehensive provider of innovative energy storage solutions.
Our Research and Development
Solidion is continuously advancing energy storage technologies, refining
innovations for commercial applications while expanding research and development initiatives. Our focus is on enhancing key performance
characteristics and broadening the applications of our battery technologies, including anode materials, electrolytes, and next-generation
energy storage solutions beyond lithium-ion. Our ongoing R&D efforts include:
Advancing Material Structures and Manufacturing Processes:
We are refining biochar-based, silicon-based, and SiOx-based anode materials by optimizing their structure and composition. Efforts include
surface modifications, such as graphene and elastomer coatings, and production process enhancements. A key focus is the development of
a silane-free production process for Si/C materials, which has the potential to significantly reduce manufacturing costs.
Enhancing Battery Life: We are working on a range of
electrolyte additives and binders designed to improve the cycle life of silicon-based battery cells while maintaining critical performance
characteristics, such as energy density.
Increasing Energy Density and Power Capability: We are
actively exploring alternative cell designs and cathode materials to enhance energy storage capacity and power output.
Developing Larger Cell Form Factors: Currently, we produce
5Ah 21700 cylindrical cells and pouch cells up to approximately 1Ah. As we expand our customer base, we are developing larger-format batteries
to support broader energy storage applications, including electric vehicles, drones, and consumer electronics. We also are working on
building larger cells that incorporate our fire-retardant and quasi-solid electrolytes to provide safer battery cells to the market.
6
Supply
Solidion plans to become a supplier of solid-state
cells (for the EV, energy storage systems and portable electronics markets) and certain battery components/materials (for example,
graphite-, Si oxide-, and Si-rich anode materials and electrolytes) to select customers or strategic partners.
Our business is not raw-material-limited. As an
example, 100,000 tons of graphite requires about 400,000 tons of biomass, which is just 0.015% of the total available source of 2,700 million
tons available per year. 900 million tons of forest residues and wood processing residues combined are available, and an additional
1,800 million tons of biomass feedstock are available from the following species: distillers grains, orchard waste, almond shells,
mixed paper, corn waste, saw dust, switch-grass, cane bagasse, wheat straw, timber, acacia wood waste, fruit bunch, cassava waste and
palm kernel shell.
We plan to begin with the toll manufacturing/joint
venture (“TM/JV”) model for commercializing the solid-state battery technologies. At a later stage, we may consider building
our own facilities for producing certain specialty cells (such as bipolar or high-voltage cells) responsive to market demands. We expect
the TM/JV partners to acquire silicon-rich anode materials and electrolyte formulations from us as part of the TM/JV agreement. We will
also supply both graphite-dominant and silicon-rich anode materials to customers that choose to use liquid electrolytes in their lithium-ion
cells.
Intellectual Property
Solidion has a portfolio of over 345 high-value
active patents. This portfolio contains many key patents for next generation EV batteries. Solidion is the inventor of graphene-enabled
batteries, elastic polymer-protected batteries, quasi-solid electrolytes, elastomeric solid-state electrolytes, advanced polymer/inorganic
hybrid electrolytes, and numerous other disruptive battery technologies. This massive intellectual portfolio provides the EV industry
with what we believe to be several key enabling battery technologies, such as silicon-rich anode having the highest performance/cost ratio,
the highest-capacity sulfur cathode materials (free of cobalt, nickel and manganese), the most process-friendly solid-state electrolytes,
protected lithium metal anode, fast chargeability, aluminum-ion cells and sodium-ion cells. Solidion holds more than 100 key U.S. patents
on graphene- or polymer-enhanced silicon-based materials. It holds more than 35 key U.S. patents on fire-resistant electrolytes for
lithium batteries. It holds more than 70 U.S. patents on key technologies for next-generation all-solid state or lithium metal batteries.
It also holds advanced current collector patents; these technologies are capable of extending cycle life and improving operating temperatures
and voltages. The year of expiration of these key U.S. patents generally ranges from as early as 2028 to as late as 2040. Most of the
intellectual property utilized by Solidion is intellectual property that is owned by Solidion (having been transferred from G3 to
Solidion via the Patent Assignment, dated as of February 8, 2023 (the “Patent Assignment”)). Solidion licenses a relatively
small number of patents relating to graphene and graphite production from G3 pursuant to the Supply and License Agreement, under which
there are no significant limitations. These patent rights are licensed on an irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free basis.
The strong IP portfolio enables Solidion to become a market and technology
leader in the battery space for decades to come.
Competition
We compete directly and indirectly with current
battery manufacturers and with an increasing number of companies that are developing new battery technologies and chemistries to address
the growing market for electrified mobility solutions. The EV battery industry is fast-growing and highly competitive. We primarily compete
with other silicon anode materials companies globally, such as Sila Nanotechnologies Inc., Group 14 Technologies, Inc., Enovix Corporation,
Enevate Corporation, Nexeon Ltd., Storedot Ltd., BTR New Energy Material Ltd., Shanshan Corporation, and Berzelius. Some competitors produce
silicon anode materials via CVD, which is believed to be expensive and challenging to scale up, and require explosive gaseous raw materials.
In contrast, our patented technologies are expected to allow us to produce highly scalable low-cost silicon-rich products that could be
compatible with solid-state and liquid-state electrolytes and have greater energy density and lower cost per kilowatt hour.
We also compete with graphite anode materials
companies globally, such as BTR New Energy Material Ltd., Shanshan Corporation, Kaijin New Energy Technology Co. Ltd., Zichen New Materials
Technology Co., Ltd., XFH Technology Co., Ltd., Zhongke Shinzoom Technology Co., Ltd., POSCO Future M Co., Ltd., Resonac Holdings Corporation,
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Sinuo Industrial Development Co., NOVONIX Limited, Anovion Technologies, etc. While the competitors produce
synthetic graphite by using petroleum coke as a raw material, Solidion’s products contain biochar-derived anode materials which
offset CO 2 from the atmosphere and reduce the overall CO 2 emissions considering raw materials.
Additionally, Solidion may be perceived to compete with certain other
solid-state or lithium metal battery companies, such as QuantumScape, Solid Power and SES. However, we view these companies as potential
strategic partners, not competitors. For instance, Solidion has complementary IP that can help each of these companies accelerate the
commercialization of their lithium metal batteries (for example, by providing graphene/elastomer-protected Li metal anode technologies).
Our lithium metal protection technologies are capable of addressing certain known issues associated with rigid inorganic solid electrolytes,
such as large electrode/electrode interfacial impedance and the typically high stack-holding pressure. Solidion’s solid state batteries
are expected to be produced at scale and cost-effectively using current lithium-ion cell production process and equipment, thus enabling
fast time-to-market compared to all-solid-state batteries. This versatile platform technology could potentially transform the lithium-ion
battery industry into producers of safe, solid-state batteries for EV, ESS, consumer electronics, and other power storage applications.
As Solidion plans to extend its business to battery cells, Solidion competes with leading tier-one battery manufacturers, including Amperex
Technology Limited (ATL), Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), LG Chem Ltd., Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Panasonic
Industry Co., Ltd., and Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. These companies possess significant financial resources, well-established supply chains,
and strong relationships with automotive and electronics manufacturers.
7
Human
Capital
We believe that our success is driven by our team of technology innovators
and experienced business leaders. We seek to hire and develop employees who are dedicated to our strategic mission. As of December 31, 2025,
we employed 22 full time employees.
We
are committed to maintaining equitable compensation programs including equity participation. We offer market-competitive salaries and
strong equity compensation aimed at attracting and retaining team members capable of making exceptional contributions to our success.
Our compensation decisions are guided by the external market, role criticality, and the contributions of each team member.
Facilities
Our
corporate headquarters are located at 13355 Noel Rd., Suite 1100, Dallas, Texas, and our telephone number is (972) 918-5120.
Our
Research and development and manufacturing operations are located in Dayton, Ohio, where we own a building of approximately 27,646 square
feet and lease a building of approximately 7,097 square feet.
For more information, please visit www.solidiontech.com
or contact Investor Relations.
Government
Regulation and Compliance
There
are government regulations pertaining to battery safety, transportation of batteries, use of batteries in vehicles, factory safety and
disposal of hazardous materials. We will ultimately have to comply with these regulations to sell our battery products into market.
For
example, we expect to become subject to federal and state environmental laws and regulations regarding the handling and disposal of hazardous
substances and solid waste, to include electronic waste and battery cells. These laws regulate the generation, storage, treatment, transportation,
and disposal of solid and hazardous waste and may impose strict, joint and several liability for the investigation and remediation of
areas where hazardous substances may have been released or disposed. In the course of ordinary operations, we, through third parties
and contractors, might in the future handle hazardous substances within the meaning of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) and similar state statutes and, as a result, may be jointly and severally liable for all or
part of the costs required to clean up sites at which these hazardous substances have been released into the environment. We might also
become subject to the strict requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and comparable state statutes
for the generation or disposal of solid waste, which may include hazardous waste.
Solidion
expects to use existing factories to produce solid-state batteries. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”), and
comparable laws in other jurisdictions, regulate the protection of the health and safety of workers in such factories. In addition, the
OSHA hazard communication standard requires that information be maintained about any hazardous materials used or produced in operations
and that this information be provided to employees, state and local government authorities, and the public.
The
use, storage and disposal of battery packs is regulated under federal law. We expect any batteries we produce will be required to conform
to mandatory regulations governing the transport of “dangerous goods” that may present a risk in transportation, which includes
lithium-ion batteries, and are subject to regulations issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”).
These regulations are based on the UN Recommendations on the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods Model Regulations and related UN Manual
Tests and Criteria. The regulations vary by mode of transportation when these items are shipped, such as by ocean vessel, rail, truck
or air.
8
We
expect that the EVs that would use our battery technology would be subject to numerous regulatory requirements established by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), including applicable U.S. federal motor vehicle safety standards (“FMVSS”).
EV manufacturers must self-certify that the vehicles meet or are exempt from all applicable FMVSSs before a vehicle can be imported into
or sold in the U.S. There are numerous FMVSSs that we expect would apply to vehicles that would use our battery technology. Examples
of these requirements include:
● Electric
Vehicle Safety — limitations on electrolyte spillage, battery retention and avoidance
of electric shock following specified crash tests;
● Crash
Tests for High-Voltage System Integrity — preventing electric shock from high voltage
systems and fires that result from fuel spillage during and after motor vehicle crashes.
These
standards and regulations cover various aspects of battery safety, including electrical safety, mechanical safety, thermal safety, and
environmental safety. They are developed by organizations such as the Society of Automotive Engineers (also known as SAE), Underwriters
Laboratories (“UL”), and regulatory bodies such as NHTSA to ensure that batteries used in EVs meet specific safety requirements
before being installed in a vehicle. There are significant similarities among these standards; different EV makers require the battery
suppliers to follow different standards. We will work with UL and select EV makers to determine the required tests and to obtain the
necessary safety certifications.
The
United States Advanced Battery Consortium (also known as USABC) provides the Battery Abuse Testing Manual for Electric and Hybrid Vehicle
Applications, which defines abuse tests for rechargeable energy storage systems (“RESSs”) used in electric vehicle applications.
These tests evaluate the response of RESS technologies to conditions or events that are outside of normal use. The manual recommends
tests such as controlled crush, penetration, thermal ramp, overcharge, and external short circuit tests across the cell, module, and
pack levels (except for thermal ramp testing at the pack level due to practical limitations). We plan to conduct internal safety tests
at the cell levels, including nail penetration, overcharging, and over-discharging at elevated temperatures, during the final research
and development and prototyping stages. For the remaining safety tests at the cell level, we will rely on third parties, such as UL,
for safety certification purposes. We will also collaborate with EV manufacturers to perform safety tests at the module and pack levels.
The
timeline for conducting safety tests on batteries for EVs will vary depending on factors such as the battery type, required testing standards,
and the availability of testing facilities. Typically, it takes several weeks to months to complete all the necessary safety tests at
each level. Additionally, if any issues or failures are identified during the testing process, additional time may be required to address
these issues and retest the battery.
For more information, see “Risk Factors — Risks Related
to Legal and Regulatory Compliance” discussing regulations and regulatory risks related to product liability, tax, employment, export
controls, trade, data collection, privacy, environmental, health and safety, anti-corruption and anti-bribery compliance.
Legal
Proceedings
There
is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team
in their capacity as such.
9
ITEM 1A.
RISK FACTORS
Investing
in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties
described below, together with all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the section titled “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related
notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects
could also be harmed by risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently do not believe are material. If any of
the risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected. In that
event, the market price of our securities could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.
Risks
Related to Solidion’s Business and Operations
Risks
Related to Development and Commercialization
If
our batteries fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market and sell our batteries would be adversely affected.
Our
batteries may contain defects in design and manufacture that may cause them to not perform as expected or that may require repairs, recalls
and design changes. Our batteries are inherently complex and incorporate technology and components that have not been used for certain
applications and that may contain defects and errors, particularly when first introduced to such applications. Although our batteries
undergo quality control testing prior to release for shipment, there can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix all defects
prior to shipment, and nonconformances, defects or errors could occur or be present in batteries that we release for shipment to customers.
If our batteries fail to perform as expected, our customers may delay deliveries, our customer may terminate orders or we may initiate
product recalls, each of which could adversely affect our sales and brand and could adversely affect our business, financial condition,
prospects and results of operations.
Our
battery architecture is different from our peers’ and may behave differently in customer use applications, certain applications
of which we have not yet evaluated. This could limit our ability to deliver to certain applications. In addition, our historical data
on the performance and reliability of our batteries is limited, and therefore our batteries could fail unexpectedly in the field resulting
in significant warranty costs or brand damage in the market. Further, the structure of our battery is different from traditional lithium-ion
batteries and therefore our batteries could be susceptible to different and unknown failure modes leading our batteries to fail and cause
a safety event in the field. Such an event could result in the failure of our end customers’ product as well as the loss of life
or property, resulting in severe financial penalties for us, including the loss of revenue, cancelation of supply contracts and the inability
to win new business due to reputational damage in the market. In addition, consistent with industry norms, we would anticipate that when
we enter into agreements to supply our battery products to end product manufacturers, that the terms of these agreements may require
us to bear certain costs relating to recalls and replacements of end products when such recalls and replacements are due to defects of
our battery products that are incorporated in such end products.
OEMs
may elect to pursue other battery cell technologies, which likely would impair our revenue generating ability.
OEMs
are motivated to develop and commercialize improved battery cell technologies. To that end, OEMs partners have invested, and are likely
to continue to invest in the future, in their own development efforts and, in certain cases, in joint development agreements with our
current and future competitors. If other technology is developed more rapidly than our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state
battery technology, or if such competing technologies are determined to be more efficient or effective than our high-capacity anode
and high-energy solid-state battery technology, our partners may elect to adopt and install a competitor’s technology or products
over ours, which could materially impact our business, financial results, and prospects .
We
have only conducted preliminary safety testing on our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology, and our technology
will require additional and extensive safety testing prior to being installed in electric vehicles.
To
achieve acceptance by automotive OEMs, our anticipated commercial-sized our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state
battery technology will have to undergo extensive safety testing. We cannot assure you such tests will be successful, and we may identify
different or new safety issues in our development or the commercial cells that have not been present in our prototype cells. If we have
to make design changes to address any safety issues, we may have to delay or suspend commercialization, which could materially damage
our business, prospects, financial condition, operating results and brand.
10
We
rely on complex equipment for our operations, and production involves a significant degree of risk and uncertainty in terms of operational
performance and costs.
We
rely heavily on complex equipment for our operations and the production of our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery
technology. The work required to integrate this equipment into the production of our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state
battery technology is time intensive and requires us to work closely with the equipment providers to ensure that it works properly with
our proprietary technology. This integration involves a degree of uncertainty and risk and may result in the delay in the scaling up
of production or result in additional cost to our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology.
Our
current manufacturing facilities require large-scale machinery and equipment.
Such machinery and equipment may unexpectedly malfunction and require repairs and spare parts to resume operations, which may not be
available when needed. In addition, because this equipment has historically not been used to build our high-capacity anode
and high-energy solid-state batteries, the operational performance and costs associated with this equipment is difficult to predict and
may be influenced by factors outside of our control, such as, but not limited to, failures by suppliers to deliver necessary components
of our products in a timely manner and at prices and volumes acceptable to us, environmental hazards and associated costs of remediation,
difficulty or delays in obtaining governmental permits, damages or defects in systems, industrial accidents, fires, seismic activity
and other natural disasters.
Problems
with our manufacturing equipment could result in the personal injury to or death of workers, the loss of production equipment, damage
to manufacturing facilities, monetary losses, delays and unanticipated fluctuations in production. In addition, in some cases operational
problems may result in environmental damage, administrative fines, increased insurance costs and potential legal liabilities. Any of
these operational problems, or a combination of them could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash
flows, financial condition or prospects.
We
may obtain licenses on technology that has not been commercialized or has been commercialized only to a limited extent, and the success
of our business may be adversely affected if such technology does not perform as expected.
From
time to time, we may license from third parties technologies that have not been commercialized or which have been commercialized only
to a limited extent. These technologies may not perform as expected within our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state batteries
and related products. If the cost, performance characteristics, manufacturing process or other specifications of these licensed technologies
fall short of our targets, our projected sales, costs, time to market, competitive advantage, future product pricing and potential operating
margins may be adversely affected.
Substantial
increases in the prices for our raw materials and components, some of which are obtained from a limited number of sources where demand
may exceed supply, could materially and adversely affect our business.
We
rely on third-party suppliers for components and equipment necessary to develop our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state
battery technology. We face risks relating to the availability of these materials and components, including that we will be subject to
demand shortages and supply chain challenges and generally may not have sufficient purchasing power to eliminate the risk of price increases
for the raw materials and tools we need. To the extent that we are unable to enter into commercial agreements with our current suppliers
or our replacement suppliers on favorable terms, or these suppliers experience difficulties meeting our requirements, the development
and commercial progression of our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology and related technologies may
be delayed.
Separately,
we may become subject to various supply chain requirements regarding, among other things, conflict minerals and labor practices. We may
be required to incur substantial costs to comply with these requirements, which may include locating new suppliers if certain issues
are discovered. We may not be able to find any new suppliers for certain raw materials or components required for our operations, or
such suppliers may be unwilling or unable to provide us with products.
11
Any
disruption in the supply of components, equipment or materials could temporarily disrupt research and development activities or production
of our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology until an alternative supplier is able to supply the required
material. Changes in business conditions, unforeseen circumstances, governmental changes, and other factors beyond our control or which
we do not presently anticipate, could also affect our suppliers’ ability to deliver components or equipment to us on a timely basis.
Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Currency
fluctuations, trade barriers, tariffs or shortages and other general economic or political conditions may limit our ability to obtain
key components or equipment for our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology or significantly increase
freight charges, raw material costs and other expenses associated with our business, which could further materially and adversely affect
our results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
We
may be unable to adequately control the costs associated with our operations and the components necessary to build our high-capacity
anode and high-energy solid-state batteries, and, if we are unable to control these costs and achieve cost advantages in our production
of our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state batteries at scale, our business will be adversely affected.
We
require significant capital to develop our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology and expect to incur
significant expenses, including those relating to research and development, raw material procurement, leases, sales and distribution
as we build our brand and market our technologies, and general and administrative costs as we scale our operations. Our ability to become
profitable in the future will not only depend on our ability to successfully develop and market our high-capacity anode and high-energy
solid-state battery technology, but also to control our costs. If we are unable to efficiently design, appropriately price, sell and
distribute our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology, our anticipated margins, profitability and prospects
would be materially and adversely affected.
If
we are unable to attract and retain key employees and qualified personnel, our ability to compete could be harmed.
Our
success depends on our ability to attract and retain our executive officers, key employees and other qualified personnel, and our operations
may be severely disrupted if we lost their services. As we build our brand and become more well known, there is increased risk that competitors
or other companies will seek to hire our personnel. Our success also depends on our continuing ability to identify, hire, attract, train
and develop other highly qualified personnel. Competition for these employees can be intense, and our ability to hire, attract and retain
them depends on our ability to provide competitive compensation. We may not be able to attract, assimilate, develop or retain qualified
personnel in the future, and our failure to do so could seriously harm our business and prospects.
In addition, we are highly dependent on the services of our senior
technical and management personnel, including our executive officers, who would be difficult to replace. Further, our Executive Chairman
and Chief Science Officer continues to be employed by G3 following the closing of the business combination, and his time and attention
may be diverted from Solidion’s business, which may have an impact on our business. If we do not succeed in attracting, hiring,
and integrating excellent personnel, or retaining and motivating existing personnel, we may be unable to grow effectively and our business,
financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.
Our
insurance coverage may not be adequate to protect us from all business risks.
We
may be subject, in the ordinary course of business, to losses resulting from products liability, accidents, acts of God, and other claims
against us, for which we may have no insurance coverage. As a general matter, the policies that we do have may include significant deductibles,
and we cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover all future losses or claims against us. A loss that
is uninsured or which exceeds policy limits may require us to pay substantial amounts, which could adversely affect our financial condition
and operating results. Furthermore, although we plan to obtain and maintain insurance for damage to our property and the disruption of
our business, this insurance may be challenging to obtain and maintain on terms acceptable to us and may not be sufficient to cover all
of our potential losses.
Our
facilities or operations could be damaged or adversely affected as a result of natural disasters and other catastrophic events, including
fire and explosions.
We
currently conduct our operations in two facilities in Dayton, Ohio. Our current and future development and manufacturing facilities or
operations could be adversely affected by events outside of our control, such as natural disasters, wars, health pandemics and epidemics
such as potential virus pandemics, and other calamities. We cannot assure you that any backup systems will be adequate
to protect us from the effects of fire, explosions, floods, cyber-attacks (including ransomware attacks), typhoons, earthquakes, power
loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks or similar events. Any of the foregoing events
may give rise to interruptions, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures or internet failures, which could cause the
loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our ability to conduct our research and
development activities as and on the timeline currently contemplated.
12
Risks
Related to Industry and Market Trends
The
battery cell market continues to evolve and is highly competitive, and we may not be successful in competing in this market or establishing
and maintaining confidence in our long-term business prospects among current and future partners and customers.
The
battery cell market in which we compete continues to evolve and is highly competitive. To date, we have focused our efforts on our high-capacity
anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology, a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion battery cell technology.
However, lithium-ion battery cell technology has been widely adopted and our current competitors have, and future competitors
may have, greater resources than we do and may also be able to devote greater resources to the development of their current and future
technologies. These competitors also may have greater access to customers and may be able to establish cooperative or strategic relationships
amongst themselves or with third parties that may further enhance their resources and competitive positioning. In addition, traditional lithium-ion battery
cell manufacturers may continue to reduce cost and expand supply of conventional batteries and, therefore, reduce the prospects for our
business or negatively impact the ability for us to sell our products at a market-competitive price and yet at sufficient margins.
Many
automotive OEMs are researching and investing in solid-state battery cell efforts and, in some cases, in battery cell development and
production. We do not have exclusive relationships with any OEM to provide their future battery cell technologies, and it is possible
that the investments made by these OEMs might result in technological advances earlier than, or superior in certain respect to, the high-capacity
anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology we are developing. There are a number of companies seeking to develop alternative
approaches to high-capacity anodes and solid-state battery cells. We expect competition in battery cell technology and electric vehicles
to intensify due to increased demand for these vehicles and a regulatory push for electric vehicles, continuing globalization, and consolidation
in the worldwide automotive industry. As new companies and larger, existing vehicle and battery cell manufacturers enter the high-capacity
anode and solid-state battery cell space, we may lose any perceived or actual technological advantage we may have in the marketplace
and suffer a decline in our position in the market.
Furthermore,
the battery cell industry also competes with other emerging or evolving technologies, such as natural gas, advanced diesel and hydrogen-based
fuel cell powered vehicles. Developments in alternative technologies or improvements in batteries technology made by competitors may
materially adversely affect the sales, pricing and gross margins of our products. As technologies change, we will attempt to upgrade
or adapt our products to continue to provide products with the latest technology. However, our products may become obsolete, or our research
and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in or to create the necessary technology to effectively compete. If
we are unable to keep up with competitive developments, including if such technologies achieve lower prices or enjoy greater policy support
than the lithium-ion battery cell industry, our competitive position and growth prospects may be harmed. Similarly, if we fail
to accurately predict and ensure that our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology can address customers’
changing needs or emerging technological trends, or if our customers fail to achieve the benefits expected from our high-capacity
anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology, our business will be harmed.
We
must continue to commit significant resources to develop our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology
in order to establish a competitive position, and these commitments must be made without knowing whether our investments will result
in products potential customers will accept. There is no assurance we will successfully identify new customer requirements, develop and
bring our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology to market on a timely basis, or that products and technologies
developed by others will not render our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology obsolete or noncompetitive,
any of which would adversely affect our business and operating results.
We expect that automotive OEMs and top tier battery cell suppliers
will be less likely to license our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology if they are not convinced that
our business will succeed in the long term. Similarly, suppliers and other third parties will be less likely to invest time and resources
in developing business relationships with us if they are not convinced that our business will succeed in the long term. Accordingly,
in order to build and maintain our business, we must instill and maintain confidence among current and future partners, customers, suppliers,
analysts, ratings agencies and other parties in our long-term financial viability and business prospects. Maintaining such confidence
may be particularly complicated by certain factors including those that are largely outside of our control, such as:
● our
limited operating history;
● market
unfamiliarity with our products;
● delays
in or impediments to completing or achieving our research and development goals;
13
● unexpected
costs that automotive OEM and top tier cell partners may be required to incur to scale manufacturing,
delivery and service operations to meet demand for electric vehicles containing our technologies
or products;
● competition
and uncertainty regarding the future of electric vehicles;
● the
development and adoption of competing technologies that are less expensive and/or more effective
than our products; and
● our
eventual production and sales performance compared with market expectations.
Our
future growth and success are dependent upon consumers’ willingness to adopt electric vehicles.
Our
growth and future demand for our products is highly dependent upon the adoption by consumers of alternative fuel vehicles in general
and electric vehicles in particular. The market for new energy vehicles is still rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing
technologies, competitive pricing and factors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, and changing consumer demands and
behaviors. If the market for electric vehicles in general does not develop as expected, or develops more slowly than expected, our business,
prospects, financial condition and operating results could be harmed.
The unavailability, reduction or elimination of, or uncertainty
regarding, government and economic incentives or subsidies available to us, end-users or OEMs could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
The availability of government incentives and subsidies available to
end-users and OEMs is an important factor considered by customers when purchasing EVs, and growth in the battery market will depend in
part on the availability and amounts of these subsidies and incentives for EVs. Currently, government programs, including in China and
Europe, favor the purchase of EVs, including through disincentives that discourage the use of gasoline-powered vehicles. In the United
States, the Inflation Reduction Act provides tax credits for the purchase of electric vehicles, and many U.S. states have banned the sale
of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Other states may follow. Given the current political climate in the United States, the future of
these incentives and subsidies for end-users and OEMs remains uncertain, including with respect to federal programs. Since taking office,
President Trump and certain Republican members of Congress have criticized the Inflation Reduction Act and clean energy initiatives, and
President Trump has stated that he supports revising current federal agency rules that incentivize the EV market and ending state emissions
waivers that limit gas-powered vehicle sales. If government laws or programs incentivizing the growth of the EV market are reduced or
eliminated, or the available benefits are exhausted earlier than anticipated, demand for EVs may decrease and our anticipated sales of
EV battery products could be adversely affected, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects.
Any reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives or subsidies may result in the diminished competitiveness of the alternative
fuel vehicle industry generally.
We
may not succeed in attracting customers during the development stage or for high volume commercial production, and our future growth
and success depend on our ability to attract customers.
We
may not succeed in attracting customers during our development stage or for high volume commercial production. Customers may be wary
of unproven products or not be inclined to work with less established businesses. In addition, if we are unable to attract new customers
in need of high-volume commercial production of our products, our business will be harmed.
Automotive
OEMs are often large enterprises. Therefore, our future success will depend on our or our partners’ ability to effectively sell
our products to such large customers. Sales to these end-customers involve risks that may not be present (or that are present
to a lesser extent) with sales to smaller customers. These risks include, but are not limited to, (i) increased purchasing power
and leverage held by large customers in negotiating contractual arrangements with us and (ii) longer sales cycles and the associated
risk that substantial time and resources may be spent on a potential end-customer that elects not to purchase our products.
Automotive
OEMs that are large organizations often undertake a significant evaluation process that results in a lengthy sales cycle. In addition,
product purchases by large organizations are frequently subject to budget constraints, multiple approvals and unanticipated administrative,
processing and other delays. Finally, large organizations typically have longer implementation cycles, require greater product functionality
and scalability, require a broader range of services, demand that vendors take on a larger share of risks, require acceptance provisions
that can lead to a delay in revenue recognition and expect greater payment flexibility. All of these factors can add further risk to
business conducted with these potential customers.
14
We
may not be able to accurately estimate the future supply and demand for our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery
technology, which could result in a variety of inefficiencies in our business and hinder our ability to generate revenue. If we fail
to accurately predict our manufacturing requirements, we could incur additional costs or experience delays.
It
is difficult to predict our future revenues and appropriately budget for our expenses, and we may have limited insight into trends that
may emerge and affect our business. We anticipate being required to provide forecasts of our demand to our current and future suppliers
prior to the scheduled delivery of products to potential customers. Currently, there is no historical basis for making judgments on the
demand for our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology or our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver
such products, or our profitability in the future. If we overestimate our requirements, our suppliers may have excess inventory, which
indirectly would increase our costs. If we underestimate our requirements, our suppliers may have inadequate inventory, which could interrupt
manufacturing of our products and result in delays in shipments and revenues. In addition, lead times for materials and components that
our suppliers order 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 fail to order sufficient quantities of product components in a timely manner, the delivery of our high-capacity
anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology to our potential customers could be delayed, which would harm our business, financial
condition and operating results.
Risks
Related to Limited Operating History
Our
business model has yet to be tested and any failure to commercialize our strategic plans would have an adverse effect on our operating
results and business, harm our reputation and could result in substantial liabilities that exceed our resources.
Investors should be aware of the difficulties normally
encountered by a new enterprise, many of which are beyond our control, including substantial risks and expenses in the course of establishing
or entering new markets, organizing operations and undertaking marketing activities. The likelihood of our success must be considered
in light of these risks, expenses, complications, delays and the competitive environment in which we operate. There is, therefore, nothing
at this time upon which to base an assumption that our business plan will prove successful, and we may not be able to generate significant
revenue, raise additional capital or operate profitably. We will continue to encounter risks and difficulties frequently experienced
by early commercial stage companies, including scaling up our infrastructure and headcount, and may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties
or delays in connection with our growth. In addition, as a result of the capital requirements of our business, we can be expected to
continue to sustain substantial operating expenses without generating sufficient revenue to cover expenditures. Any investment in our
Company is therefore highly speculative and could result in the loss of your entire investment.
It
is difficult to predict our future revenues and appropriately budget for our expenses, and we have limited insight into trends that may
emerge and affect our business. In the event that actual results differ from our estimates or we adjust our estimates in future periods,
our operating results, prospects and financial position could be materially affected. The projected financial information appearing elsewhere
in these materials was prepared by management and reflects current estimates of future performance. The projected results depend on the
successful implementation of management’s growth strategies and are based on assumptions and events over which we have only partial
or no control. The assumptions underlying such projected information require the exercise of judgment and may not occur, and the projections
are subject to uncertainty due to the effects of economic, business, competitive, regulatory, legislative, and political or other changes.
15
We
are an early-stage company with a history of financial losses and expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the
foreseeable future.
We incurred a net loss of approximately $32.4 million for the year
ended December 31, 2024 and approximately $41.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2025. We believe that we will continue to incur
operating and net losses each quarter until the time significant production of our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state
battery technology begins.
We
expect the rate at which we will incur losses to be significantly higher in future periods as we, among other things, continue to incur
significant expenses in connection with the design, development and manufacturing of our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state
battery technology; expand our research and development activities; invest in additional research and development and manufacturing capabilities;
build up inventories of raw materials and other components; commence sales and marketing activities; develop our distribution infrastructure;
and increase our general and administrative functions to support our growing operations. We may find that these efforts are more expensive
than we currently anticipate or that these efforts may not result in revenues, which would further increase our losses.
Our
history of recurring losses and anticipated expenditures raise substantial doubts about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our
ability to continue as a going concern requires that we obtain sufficient funding to finance our operations.
We
have incurred operating losses to-date and it is possible we will never generate profit. Our ability to continue as a going concern depends
on generating cash from operations, and the potential of obtaining additional debt or equity financing. There can be no assurance that
we will be successful in these efforts. The financial statements include in this Annual Report do not include any adjustments relating
to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might result
from the outcome of these uncertainties related to our ability to operate on a going concern basis.
If
we are unable to raise sufficient capital when needed, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be materially
and adversely affected, and we will need to significantly modify our operational plans to continue as a going concern. 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. Our lack of cash resources and our potential inability
to continue as a going concern may materially adversely affect our share price and our ability to raise new capital or to enter into
critical contractual relations with third parties due to concerns about our ability to meet our contractual obligations.
We
may require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available on commercially reasonable terms or
at all. There is substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern.
We
may need additional capital before we commence generating revenues, and it may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. For example,
our capital budget assumes, among other things, that our development timeline progresses as planned and our corresponding expenditures
are consistent with current expectations, both of which are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described herein.
16
In
addition, as discussed above, we have experienced recurring losses from operations and negative cash flows from operations that raise
substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, which has also been cited in our independent auditors’ reports.
Our ability to continue as a going concern depends on generating cash from operations, and the potential of obtaining additional debt
or equity financing; however, there can be no assurance we will be successful in these efforts.
More
specifically, we expect our capital expenditures and working capital requirements to increase materially in the near future, as we accelerate
our research and development efforts and scale up production operations with our partners. As we approach commercialization, we expect
our operating expenses will increase substantially on account of increased headcount and other general and administrative expenses necessary
to support a rapidly growing company.
As
a result, we may need to access the debt and equity capital markets to obtain additional financing in the future. However, these sources
of financing may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Our ability to obtain additional financing will be subject to a number
of factors, including:
● market
conditions;
● the
level of success we have experienced with our research and development programs;
● our
operating performance;
● investor
sentiment; and
● our
ability to incur additional debt in compliance with any agreements governing our then-outstanding
debt.
These
factors may make the timing, amount, terms or conditions of additional financings unattractive to us. If we raise additional funds by
issuing equity, equity-linked or debt securities, those securities may have rights, references or privileges senior to the rights of
our currently issued and outstanding equity or debt, and our existing stockholders may experience dilution. If we are unable to generate
sufficient funds from operations or raise additional capital, we may be forced to take actions to reduce our capital or operating expenditures,
including by not seeking potential acquisition opportunities, eliminating redundancies, or reducing or delaying our production facility
expansions, which may adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.
We
may have potential business conflicts of interest with G3 with respect to our past and ongoing relationships. We may not be able to resolve
any potential conflicts, and, even if we do so, the resolution may be less favorable to us than if we were dealing with an unaffiliated
party.
Conflicts
of interest may arise with G3 in a number of areas relating to our past and ongoing relationships, including labor, tax, employee benefit,
indemnification and other matters arising from the Restructuring; intellectual property matters, including the Patent Assignment (as
defined above); and employee recruiting and retention, including matters related to the dual employment arrangement of our Executive
Chairman and Chief Science Officer with Solidion and G3. In addition, certain of our directors and employees may have actual or potential
conflicts of interest because of their financial interests in G3. Because of their current or former positions with G3, certain of our
executive officers and directors, including our Executive Chairman and Chief Science Officer, own equity interests in G3. Continuing
ownership of equity interests in G3 could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest if Solidion and G3 face decisions
that could have implications for both Solidion and G3.
17
If
we fail to effectively manage our future growth, we may not be able to market and license the technology and know-how to manufacture
or sell our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology successfully.
We intend
to expand our operations significantly, with a view toward accelerating our research and development activities and positioning our Company
for potential commercialization of our technologies. In connection with these efforts, we anticipate hiring, retaining and training personnel,
acquiring and installing equipment to support the commercialization process of our products, and implementing administrative infrastructure,
systems and processes. That said, our management team will have considerable discretion in the application of the funds available to
us following completion of the business combination. We may use these funds for purposes that do not yield a significant return or any
return at all for our stockholders. In addition, pending their use, we may invest the cash held at closing of the business combination
in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value. If we cannot manage our growth effectively, including by controlling our
expenditures for these initiatives to the greatest extent possible, our business could be harmed.
Most
of our management does not have experience in operating a public company.
Most
of our executive officers do not have experience in the management of a publicly traded company. Our management team may not successfully
or effectively manage our transition to a public company that will be subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations
under federal securities laws. We may not have adequate personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge, experience, and training in
the policies, practices or internal controls over financial reporting required of public companies in the United States. As a result,
we may be required to pay higher outside legal, accounting or consulting costs than our competitors, and our management team members
may have to devote a higher proportion of their time to issues relating to compliance with the laws applicable to public companies, both
of which might put us at a disadvantage relative to competitors.
We
may not succeed in establishing, maintaining and strengthening our brand, which would materially and adversely affect customer acceptance
of our technologies and our business, revenues and prospects.
Our
business and prospects depend on our ability to develop, maintain and strengthen our brand. If we are not able to establish, maintain
and strengthen our brand, we may lose the opportunity to build a critical mass of customers. The automobile industry is intensely competitive,
and we may not be successful in building, maintaining and strengthening our brand. Our current and potential competitors, including many
battery cell manufacturers and automotive OEMs around the world, have greater name recognition, broader customer relationships and substantially
greater marketing resources than we do. If we do not develop and maintain a strong brand, our business, prospects, financial condition
and operating results will be materially and adversely impacted.
18
Risks
Related to Intellectual Property
We
rely heavily on owned intellectual property, which includes patent rights, trade secrets, copyright, trademarks, and know-how. If
we are unable to protect and maintain access to these intellectual property rights, our business and competitive position would be harmed.
We
may not be able to prevent unauthorized use of our owned intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position.
We rely on a combination of the intellectual property protections afforded by patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws in the
United States and other jurisdictions, as well as contractual protections, to establish, maintain and enforce rights and competitive
advantage in our proprietary technologies. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, third parties, including our business
partners, may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property without our consent or may decline to license necessary
intellectual property rights from us on terms favorable to our business. Monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is
difficult and costly, and the steps we have taken or will take to prevent misappropriation may not be sufficient. Any enforcement efforts
we undertake, including litigation, could require involvement of the licensor, be time-consuming and expensive, and could divert management’s
attention, all of which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, existing intellectual property
laws and contractual remedies may afford less protection than needed to safeguard our proprietary technologies.
Patent,
copyright, trademark and trade secret laws vary significantly throughout the world. A number of foreign countries do not protect intellectual
property rights to the same extent as the United States. Therefore, our intellectual property rights may not be as strong or as
easily enforced outside of the United States and efforts to protect against the unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights,
technology and other proprietary rights may be impossible outside of the United States. Failure to adequately protect our owned
intellectual property rights could result in our competitors using our intellectual property to offer products, potentially resulting
in the loss of some of our competitive advantage, a decrease in our revenue and reputational harm caused by inferior products offered
by third parties, which would adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
Our
patent applications may not result in issued patents, which would result in the disclosures in those applications being available to
the public. Also, our patent rights may be contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope, any of which could have a material
adverse effect on our ability to prevent others from interfering with commercialization of our products.
Our
patent portfolio includes many patent applications. Our patent applications may not result in issued patents, which may have a material
adverse effect on our ability to prevent others from commercially exploiting products similar to our products to our disadvantage. The
status of patents involves complex legal and factual questions and the breadth of claims allowed is uncertain. As a result, we cannot
be certain that the patent applications that we file will result in patents being issued, or that our patents and any patents that may
be issued to us will afford protection against competitors with similar technology. Numerous patents and pending patent applications
owned by others exist in the fields in which we have developed and are developing our technology, any number of which could be considered
prior art and prevent us from obtaining a patent. Any of our future or existing patents or pending patent applications may also be challenged
by others on the basis that they are otherwise invalid or unenforceable. Furthermore, patent applications filed in foreign countries
may be subject to laws, rules and procedures that differ from those of the United States, and thus we cannot be certain that foreign
patent applications related to issued U.S. patents will be issued.
We
have not performed exhaustive searches or analyses of the intellectual property landscape of the battery industry; therefore, we are
unable to guarantee that our technology, or its ultimate integration into electric vehicle battery packs, does not infringe intellectual
property rights of third parties. We may need to defend ourselves against intellectual property infringement claims, which may be time-consuming
and could cause us to incur substantial costs.
Companies,
organizations or individuals, including our current and future competitors, may hold or obtain patents, trademarks or other proprietary
rights that would prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use, develop, sell, license, lease or market our products or
technologies, which could make it more difficult for us to operate our business. From time to time, we may receive inquiries from third
parties relating to whether we are infringing their intellectual property rights and/or seek court declarations that they do not infringe
upon our intellectual property rights. Companies holding patents or other intellectual property rights relating to batteries may bring
suits alleging infringement of such rights or otherwise asserting their rights and seeking licenses. In addition, if we are determined
to have infringed upon a third party’s intellectual property rights, we may be required to do one or more of the following:
● cease
selling, leasing, incorporating or using products that incorporate the challenged intellectual
property;
● pay
substantial damages;
19
● materially
alter our research and development activities and proposed production processes;
● obtain
a license from the holder of the infringed intellectual property right, which may not be
available on reasonable terms or at all; or
● redesign
our battery cells at significant expense.
In
the event of a successful claim of infringement against us and our failure or inability to obtain a license to continue to use the technology
on reasonable terms, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. In addition,
any litigation or claims, whether or not well-founded, could result in substantial costs, negative publicity, reputational harm and diversion
of resources and management’s attention.
Risks
Related to Finance and Accounting
Our
expectations and targets regarding the times when we will achieve various technical, pre-production and production-level performance
objectives depend in large part upon assumptions, estimates, measurements, testing, analyses and data developed and performed by us,
which if incorrect or flawed, could have a material adverse effect on our actual operating results and performance.
Our
expectations and targets regarding the times when we will achieve various technical, pre-production and production objectives
reflect our current expectations and estimates. Whether we will achieve these objectives when we expect depends on a number of factors,
many of which are outside our control, including, but not limited to:
● success
and timing of our development activity and ability to develop our high-capacity anode
and high-energy solid-state batteries that achieves our desired performance metrics and achieves
the requisite automotive industry validations before our competitors;
● unanticipated
technical or manufacturing challenges or delays;
● technological
developments relating to lithium-ion, lithium-metal all-solid-state or
other batteries that could adversely affect the commercial potential of our technologies;
● the
extent of consumer acceptance of electric vehicles generally, and those deploying our products,
in particular;
● competition,
including from established and future competitors in the battery cell industry or from competing
technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells that may be used to power electric vehicles;
● whether
we can obtain sufficient capital when required to sustain and grow our business, including
through the acquisition and installation of equipment to support the commercialization process
of our products and the operation and maintenance of our facilities;
● our
ability to manage our growth;
● whether
we can manage relationships with key suppliers and the availability of the raw materials
we need to procure from them;
● our
ability to retain existing key management, integrate recent hires and attract, retain and
motivate qualified personnel; and
● the
overall strength and stability of domestic and international economies.
20
Unfavorable
changes in any of these or other factors, most of which are beyond our control, could materially and adversely affect our ability to
achieve our objectives when planned and our business, results of operations and financial results.
Incorrect
estimates or assumptions by management in connection with the preparation of our financial statements could adversely affect our reported
assets, liabilities, income, revenue or expenses.
The
preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires management to make critical accounting estimates and assumptions that affect
the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income, revenue or expenses during the reporting periods. Incorrect estimates and assumptions
by management could adversely affect our reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income, revenue and expenses during the reporting periods.
If we make incorrect assumptions or estimates, our reported financial results may be over or understated, which could materially and
adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our
disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
We
are subject to certain reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to reasonably
assure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated
to management, recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We
believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or 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. 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. 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 or insufficient disclosures due
to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
We have identified material weaknesses
in our internal control over financial reporting. If our remediation of these material weaknesses is not effective, or if we experience
additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, we
may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence
in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
Prior to the Closing of our business combination, we were a private
company with limited accounting personnel and other resources with which to address our internal control over financial reporting. In
connection with the audits of our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2024 and 2025, and for the years ended December
31, 2024 and 2025, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting: control environment, risk
assessment, control activities, information and communication and monitoring. For more information, see “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures—Management’s
Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting—Material Weaknesses.”
We cannot assure you that additional significant deficiencies or material
weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting will not be identified in the future. Any failure to maintain or implement
required new or improved controls, or to implement our remediation plans or any difficulties we encounter in our implementation thereof,
could result in additional significant deficiencies or material weaknesses or result in material misstatements in our financial statements.
If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting
firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, lenders and investors may
lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and we may face restricted access to various sources of financing
in the future.
These material weaknesses, if not remediated, could result in misstatements
of accounts or disclosures that would result in a material misstatement to the annual or interim consolidated financial statements that
would not be prevented or detected.
Our management anticipates that our internal control over financial
reporting will not be effective until the above material weaknesses are remediated. If our remediation of these material weaknesses is
not effective, or we experience additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal
control over financial reporting in the future, the accuracy and timing of our financial reporting may be adversely affected, we may be
unable to maintain compliance with securities law requirements regarding timely filing of periodic reports in addition to the Nasdaq listing
requirements, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting, and the price of our common stock may decline as a result. As
further discussed in “Item 9A, Controls and Procedures—Remediation Plans and Status,” we have implemented a remediation
plan and, while progress has been made to remediate the material weaknesses, they will not be considered remediated until the applicable
remedial processes and procedures have been in place for a sufficient period of time and management has concluded, through testing, that
associated controls are effective. Therefore, there is no guarantee that our remediation plan will be successful or that our remediation
efforts will be completed in future periods.
21
We have incurred and will incur significant increased expenses
and administrative burdens as a public company, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
We face increased legal, accounting, administrative and other costs and expenses as a public company that we did not incur as a private
company prior to our merger with Nubia. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including the requirements of Section 404, as well as rules and
regulations subsequently implemented by the SEC, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and
the rules and regulations promulgated and to be promulgated thereunder, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States)
(“PCAOB”) and the securities exchanges, impose additional reporting and other obligations on public companies. The development
and implementation of the standards and controls necessary for us to achieve the level of accounting standards required of a public company
in the United States may require costs greater than expected. It is possible that we will be required to expand our employee base
and hire additional employees to support our operations as a public company, which will increase our operating costs in future periods.
Compliance
with public company requirements has increased and will continue to increase costs and make certain activities more time-consuming.
A number of those requirements require us to carry out activities we have not done previously. For example, we have created new
Board committees and adopted new internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. In addition, we have incurred and will
incur expenses associated with SEC reporting requirements. Furthermore, if any issues in complying with those requirements are
identified (for example, if the auditors identify additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the internal control
over financial reporting), we could incur additional costs rectifying those issues, and the existence of those issues could
adversely affect our reputation or investor perceptions of it. It will also be more expensive to obtain director and officer
liability insurance. The additional reporting and other obligations imposed by these rules and regulations have increased and will
increase legal and financial compliance costs and the costs of related legal, accounting and administrative activities. These
increased costs have required us and will require us to spend money that could otherwise be used on our research and development
programs and to achieve strategic objectives. Advocacy efforts by stockholders and third parties may also prompt additional changes
in governance and reporting requirements, which could further increase costs.
The
unavailability, reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives could have a material adverse effect on our business,
prospects, financial condition and operating results.
We
currently, and expect to continue to, benefit from certain government subsidies and economic incentives including tax credits, rebates
and other incentives that support the development and adoption of clean energy technology. We cannot assure you that these subsidies
and incentive programs will be available to us at the same or comparable levels in the future. Any reduction, elimination or discriminatory
application of government subsidies and economic incentives because of policy changes, or the reduced need for such subsidies and incentives
due to the perceived success of clean and renewable energy products or other reasons, may require us to seek additional financing, which
may not be obtainable on commercially attractive terms or at all, and may result in the diminished competitiveness of the battery cell
industry generally or our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology in particular. Any change in the level
of subsidies and incentives from which we benefit could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition
and operating results.
Risks
Related to Legal and Regulatory Compliance
We
are subject to regulations regarding the storage and handling of various products. We may become subject to product liability claims,
which could harm our financial condition and liquidity if we are not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims.
We
may become subject to product liability claims which could harm our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition.
We face inherent risk of exposure to claims in the event our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology
does not perform as expected or malfunction resulting in personal injury or death. Our risks in this area are particularly pronounced
given our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology is still in the development stage and have not yet
been commercially tested or mass produced. A successful product liability claim against us could require us to pay a substantial monetary
award. Moreover, a product liability claim could generate substantial negative publicity about our technology and business and inhibit
or prevent commercialization of our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology and future product candidates,
which would have a material adverse effect on our brand, business, prospects and operating results. Any insurance coverage might not
be sufficient to cover all potential product liability claims. Any lawsuit seeking significant monetary damages either in excess of our
coverage, or outside of our coverage, may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business and financial condition. We may
not be able to secure additional product liability insurance coverage on commercially acceptable terms or at reasonable costs when needed,
particularly if we do face liability for our products and are forced to make a claim under then-existing policies.
22
From
time to time, we may be involved in litigation, regulatory actions or government investigations and inquiries, which could have an adverse
impact on our profitability and consolidated financial position.
We
may be involved in a variety of litigation, other claims, suits, regulatory actions or government investigations and inquiries and commercial
or contractual disputes that, from time to time, are significant. In addition, from time to time, we may also be involved in legal proceedings
and investigations arising in the normal course of business including, without limitation, commercial or contractual disputes, including
warranty claims and other disputes with potential customers, former employees and suppliers, intellectual property matters, personal
injury claims, environmental issues, tax matters, and employment matters. It is difficult to predict the outcome or ultimate financial
exposure, if any, represented by these matters, and there can be no assurance that any such exposure will not be material. Such claims
may also negatively affect our reputation.
We
are subject to substantial regulation, and unfavorable changes to, or failure by us to comply with, these regulations could substantially
harm our business and operating results.
The
sale of electric vehicles, and motor vehicles in general, is subject to substantial regulation under international, federal, state and
local laws, including export control laws and other international trade regulations, which are continuously evolving as technology develops
and becomes more widely adopted. We anticipate that our high-capacity anode and high-energy solid-state battery technology also
would be subject to these regulations, and we expect to incur significant costs in complying with these regulations.
The
U.S. government has made and continues to make significant changes in U.S. trade policy and has taken certain actions that
could negatively impact U.S. trade, including imposing tariffs on certain goods imported into the United States, increasing
scrutiny on foreign direct investment, and modifying export control laws applicable to certain technologies. In retaliation, other countries
have implemented, and continue to evaluate, imposing additional trade controls on a wide range of American products and companies. The
U.S. or foreign governments may take additional administrative, legislative, or regulatory action that could materially interfere
with our ability to source and procure the raw materials we need for our research and development activities and, in the future, to sell
products in certain countries. Sustained uncertainty about, or worsening of, current global economic conditions and further escalation
of trade tensions between the United States and its trading partners could result in a global economic slowdown and long-term changes
to global trade. Any alterations to our business strategy or operations made in order to adapt to or comply with any such changes could
be time-consuming and expensive, and certain of our competitors may be better suited to withstand or react to these changes.
To
the extent the laws change, our products may not comply with applicable international, federal, state or local laws, which would have
an adverse effect on our business. Compliance with changing regulations could be burdensome, time consuming, and expensive. To the extent
compliance with new regulations is cost prohibitive, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results would be adversely
affected.
Internationally,
there may be laws in jurisdictions we have not yet entered or laws we are unaware of in jurisdictions we have entered that may restrict
our sales or other business practices. The laws in this area can be complex, difficult to interpret and may change over time. Continued
regulatory limitations and other obstacles that may interfere with our ability to commercialize our products could have a negative and
material impact on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
23
Our
technology and our website, systems, and data we maintain may be subject to intentional disruption, security breaches and other security
incidents, or alleged violations of laws, regulations, or other obligations relating to data handling that could result in liability
and adversely impact our reputation and future sales. We may be required to expend significant resources to continue to modify or enhance
our protective measures to detect, investigate and remediate vulnerabilities to security breaches and incidents. Any actual or alleged
failure to comply with applicable cybersecurity or data privacy legislation or regulation could have a material adverse effect on our
business, reputation, results of operations or financial condition.
We
expect to face significant challenges with respect to information security and maintaining the security and integrity of our systems
and other systems used in our business, as well as with respect to the data stored on or processed by these systems. We also anticipate
receiving and storing confidential business information of our partners and customers. Advances in technology, an increased level of
sophistication and expertise of hackers, and new discoveries in the field of cryptography can result in a compromise or breach of the
systems used in our business or of security measures used in our business to protect confidential information, personal information,
and other data. We may be a target for attacks designed to disrupt our operations or to attempt to gain access to our systems or to data
that we possess, including proprietary information that we obtain from our partners pursuant to our agreements with them. We also are
at risk for interruptions, outages and breaches of our and our outsourced service providers’ operational systems and security systems,
our integrated software and technology, and data that we or our third-party service providers process or possess. These may be caused
by, among other causes, physical theft, viruses, or other malicious code, denial or degradation of service attacks, ransomware, social
engineering schemes, and insider theft or misuse. The security risks we and our outsourced service providers face could also be elevated
in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as we and our outsourced service providers are vulnerable to a heightened risk of
cyberattacks from or affiliated with nation-state actors, including retaliatory attacks from Chinese or Russian actors against U.S.-based
companies.
The
availability and effectiveness of our technology and our ability to conduct our business and operations depend on the continued operation
of information technology and communications systems, some of which we have yet to develop or otherwise obtain the ability to use. Systems
we currently use or may use in the future in conducting our business, including data centers and other information technology systems,
will be vulnerable to damage or interruption. Such systems could also be subject to break-ins, sabotage and intentional acts
of vandalism, as well as disruptions and security breaches and security incidents as a result of non-technical issues, including
intentional or inadvertent acts or omissions by employees, service providers, or others. We currently use, and may use in the future,
outsourced service providers to help provide certain services, and any such outsourced service providers face similar security and system
disruption risks as us. Our ability to monitor our outsourced service providers’ security measures is limited, and, in any event,
third parties may be able to circumvent those security measures, resulting in the unauthorized access to, misuse, acquisition, disclosure,
loss, alteration, or destruction of personal, confidential, or other data, including data relating to individuals. Some of the systems
used in our business will not be fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. Any data security
incidents or other disruptions to any data centers or other systems used in our business could result in lengthy interruptions in our
service and may adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Significant
capital and other resources may be required in efforts to protect against information security breaches, security incidents, and system
disruptions, or to alleviate problems caused by actual or suspected information security breaches and other data security incidents and
system disruptions. The resources required may increase over time as the methods used by hackers and others engaged in online criminal
activities and otherwise seeking to obtain unauthorized access to systems or data, and to disrupt systems, are increasingly sophisticated
and constantly evolving. In particular, ransomware attacks have become more prevalent in the industrial sector, which could materially
and adversely affect our ability to operate and may result in significant expense.
In
addition, we may face increased compliance burdens regarding such requirements with regulators and customers regarding our battery products
and also incur additional costs for oversight and monitoring of our supply chain. These additional compliance and logistical burdens
are attenuated through our international partnerships. We also cannot be certain that these systems, networks, and other infrastructure
or technology upon which we rely, including those of our third-party suppliers or service providers, will be effectively implemented,
maintained or expanded as planned, or will be free from bugs, defects, errors, vulnerabilities, viruses, ransomware, or other malicious
code. We may be required to expend significant resources to make corrections or to remediate issues that are identified or to find alternative
sources.
24
Any
failure or perceived failure by us or our service providers to prevent information security breaches or other security incidents or system
disruptions, or any compromise of security that results in or is perceived or reported to result in unauthorized access to, or loss,
theft, alteration, release or transfer of, our information, or any personal information, confidential information, or other data could
result in loss or theft of proprietary or sensitive data and intellectual property, could harm our reputation and competitive position
and could expose us to legal claims, regulatory investigations and proceedings, and fines, penalties, and other liability. Any such actual
or perceived security breach, security incident or disruption could also divert the efforts of our technical and management personnel
and could require us to incur significant costs and operational consequences in connection with investigating, remediating, eliminating
and putting in place additional tools, devices, policies, and other measures designed to prevent actual or perceived security breaches
and other incidents and system disruptions. Moreover, we could be required or otherwise find it appropriate to expend significant capital
and other resources to respond to, notify third parties of, and otherwise address the incident or breach and its root cause, and most
jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals, regulatory authorities and others of security breaches involving
certain types of data.
Further,
we cannot assure that any limitations of liability provisions in our current or future contracts that may be applicable would be enforceable
or adequate or would otherwise protect us from any liabilities or damages with respect to any particular claim relating to a security
breach or other security-related matter. We also cannot be sure that our existing insurance coverage will continue to be available on
acceptable terms or will be available in sufficient amounts to cover claims related to a security breach or incident, or that the insurer
will not deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of claims against us that exceed available insurance coverage,
or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements,
could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our reputation, financial condition, and results of operations.
Additionally,
laws, regulations, and other actual and potential obligations relating to privacy, data hosting and other processing of data, data protection,
and data security are evolving rapidly, and we expect to potentially be subject to new laws and regulations, or new interpretations of
laws and regulations, in the future in various jurisdictions. These laws, regulations, and other obligations, and changes in their interpretation,
could require us to modify our operations and practices, restrict our activities, and increase our costs. Further, these laws, regulations,
and other obligations are complex and evolving rapidly, and we cannot provide assurance that we will not be subject to claims, allegations,
or other proceedings related to actual or alleged obligations relating to privacy, data protection, or data security. It is possible
that these laws, regulations, and other obligations may be inconsistent with one another or be interpreted or asserted to be inconsistent
with our business or practices. We anticipate needing to dedicate substantial resources to comply with laws, regulations, and other obligations
relating to privacy and data security in order to comply. Any failure or alleged or perceived failure to comply with any applicable laws,
regulations, or other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, or data security could also result in regulatory investigations
and proceedings, and misuse of or failure to secure data relating to individuals could also result in claims and proceedings against
us by governmental entities or others, penalties and other liability, and damage to our reputation and credibility, and could have a
negative impact on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
We
are subject to various existing and future environmental health and safety laws, which may result in increased compliance costs or additional
operating costs and restrictions. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations may result in substantial fines or other limitations
that could adversely impact our financial results or operations.
Our Company and our operations, as well as our contractors, suppliers,
and customers, are subject to numerous federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations governing, among other things,
the generation, storage, transportation, and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. We are also subject to a variety of product
stewardship and manufacturer responsibility laws and regulations, primarily relating to the collection, reuse and recycling of electronic
waste, as well as regulations regarding the hazardous material contents of electronic product components and product packaging, and non-hazardous wastes.
We or others in our supply chain may be required to obtain permits and comply with procedures that impose various restrictions and operations
that could have adverse effects on our operations. If key permits and approvals cannot be obtained on acceptable terms, or if other operations
requirements cannot be met in a manner satisfactory for our operations or on a timeline that meets our commercial obligations, it may
adversely impact our business. There are also significant capital, operating and other costs associated with compliance with these environmental
laws and regulations.
25
Environmental
and health and safety laws and regulations are subject to change and may become more stringent in the future, such as through new regulations
enacted at the supranational, national, sub-national, and/or local level or new or modified regulations that may be implemented
under existing law. The nature and extent of any changes in these laws, rules, regulations, and permits may be unpredictable and may
have material effects on our business. Future legislation and regulations or changes in existing legislation and regulations, or interpretations
thereof, could cause additional expenditures, restrictions, and delays in connection with our operations as well as our other future
projects, or may require us to manufacture with alternative technologies and materials.
Our manufacturing
process creates regulated air emissions which are typically managed within established permit limits by available emissions control technology.
Should permitted limits or other requirements change in the future, the Company may be required to install additional, more costly control
technology. If we were to violate any such permit or related permit conditions, we may incur significant fines and penalties.
We
rely on third parties to ensure compliance with certain environmental laws, including those relating to the disposal of wastes. Any failure
to properly handle or dispose of wastes, regardless of whether such failure is ours or our contractors, may result in liability under
environmental laws, as well as liability for any impacts to human health or natural resources. The costs of liability with respect to
contamination could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Additionally, we may
not be able to secure contracts with third parties and contractors to continue their key supply chain and disposal services for our business,
which may result in increased costs for compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
Our
research and development activities expose our employees to potential occupational hazards such as, but not limited to, the presence
of hazardous materials, machines with moving parts, and high voltage and/or high current electrical systems typical of large manufacturing
equipment and related safety incidents. There may be safety incidents that damage machinery or product, slow or stop production, or harm
employees. Employees may be exposed to toxic hydrogen sulfide as a result of the components we use being exposed to moisture. If released
in an uncontrolled manner, this hydrogen sulfide can create hazardous working conditions. Consequences may include litigation, fines,
increased insurance premiums, mandates to temporarily halt production, workers’ compensation claims, or other actions that impact
our brand, finances, or ability to operate.
Some
of our operations involve the manufacture and/or handling of a variety of explosive and flammable materials. We might experience incidents
such as leaks and ruptures, explosions, fires, transportation accidents involving our chemical products, chemical spills and other discharges
or releases of toxic or hazardous substances or gases and environmental hazards in the future or that these incidents will not result
in production delays or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations, for which
we may not be adequately insured.
We
are or will be subject to anti-corruption and anti-bribery and anti-money laundering and similar laws, and non-compliance with
such laws can subject us to administrative, civil and criminal fines and penalties, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal
expenses, all of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation.
We
are subject to the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, and possibly
other anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and anti-money laundering laws in various jurisdictions in which we conduct, or in the future
may conduct, activities. Anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws have been enforced aggressively in recent years and are interpreted
broadly to generally prohibit us and our officers, directors, employees, business partners agents, representatives and third-party intermediaries
from corruptly offering, promising, authorizing or providing, directly or indirectly anything of value to recipients in the public or
private sector.
26
We
may leverage third parties to sell our battery products and conduct our business abroad. We, our officers, directors, employees, business
partners agents, representatives and third-party intermediaries may have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees
of government agencies or state-owned or affiliated entities and we may be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of
these employees, agents, representatives, business partners or third-party intermediaries even if we do not explicitly authorize such
activities. We cannot assure you that all of our officers, directors, employees, business partners agents, representatives and third-party
intermediaries will not take actions in violation of applicable law, for which we may be ultimately held responsible. As our international
activities and sales expand, our risks under these laws may increase.
These
laws also require companies to make and keep books, records and accounts that accurately reflect transactions and dispositions of assets
and to maintain a system of adequate internal accounting controls and compliance procedures designed to prevent any such actions. While
we have certain policies and procedures to address compliance with such laws, we cannot assure you that none of our officers, directors,
employees, business partners agents, representatives and third-party intermediaries will take actions in violation of our policies and
applicable law, for which we may be ultimately held responsible.
Any
allegations or violation of the FCPA or other applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and anti-money laundering laws could subject
us to whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, settlements, prosecutions, enforcement actions, fines, damages,
loss of export privileges, and severe administrative, civil and criminal sanctions, suspension or debarment from government contracts,
collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could materially and adversely affect our reputation, business,
financial condition, prospects and results of operations. Responding to any investigation or action will likely result in a materially
significant diversion of management’s attention and resources and significant defense costs and other professional fees.
Recent
and potential tariffs imposed by the U.S. government or a global trade war could increase the cost of our products, which could
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The
U.S. government has and continues to make significant changes in U.S. trade policy and has taken certain actions that could
negatively impact U.S. trade, including imposing tariffs on certain goods imported into the United States. In retaliation,
China has implemented, and continues to evaluate imposing additional tariffs on a wide range of American products. There is also a concern
that the imposition of additional tariffs by the United States could result in the adoption of tariffs by other countries as well,
leading to a global trade war. More specifically, the U.S. government has from time to time imposed significant tariffs on certain
product categories imported from China. Such tariffs, if expanded to other categories, could have a significant impact on our business,
particularly the importation of parts of our batteries and certain production equipment that are manufactured in China. If we attempt
to renegotiate prices with suppliers or diversify our supply chain in response to tariffs, such efforts may not yield immediate results
or may be ineffective. We might also consider increasing prices to the end consumer; however, this could reduce the competitiveness of
our products and adversely affect net sales. If we fail to manage these dynamics successfully, gross margins and profitability could
be adversely affected. As of the date of this report, tariffs have not had a material impact on our business, but increased tariffs or
trade restrictions implemented by the United States or other countries in connection with a global trade war could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We cannot predict what actions may ultimately be taken
with respect to tariffs or trade relations between the United States and China or other countries, what products may be subject
to such actions, or what actions may be taken by the other countries in retaliation. Any further deterioration in the relations between
the United States and China could exacerbate these actions and other governmental intervention. For example, a future event that
created additional U.S.-China tensions could potentially increase the risks associated with the business and operations of U.S.-based
technology companies in China.
The
U.S. or foreign governments may take additional administrative, legislative, or regulatory action that could materially interfere
with our ability to sell products in certain countries. Sustained uncertainty about, or worsening of, current global economic conditions
and further escalation of trade tensions between the United States and its trading partners, especially China, could result in a
global economic slowdown and long-term changes to global trade, including retaliatory trade restrictions that restrict our ability to
operate in China. Any alterations to our business strategy or operations made in order to adapt to or comply with any such changes would
be time-consuming and expensive, and certain of our competitors may be better suited to withstand or react to these changes.
27
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
We
may issue additional shares of Solidion’s Common Stock or other equity securities without your approval, which would dilute your
ownership interests and may depress the market price of your shares.
We
may issue additional shares of Solidion’s Common Stock or other equity securities of equal or senior rank in the future in connection
with, among other things, future acquisitions, repayment of outstanding indebtedness or under our Incentive Plan, without stockholder
approval, in a number of circumstances.
Our
issuance of additional shares of Solidion’s Common Stock or other equity securities of equal or senior rank could have the following
effects:
● your
proportionate ownership interest in Solidion will decrease;
● the
relative voting strength of each previously outstanding share of common stock may be diminished;
or
● the
market price of our shares of Solidion stock may decline.
A
market for Solidion’s securities may not continue, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of Solidion’s securities.
The
price of Solidion’s securities may fluctuate significantly due to general market and economic conditions. An active trading market
for Solidion’s securities may not be sustained. In addition, the price of Solidion’s securities can vary due to general economic
conditions and forecasts, Solidion’s general business condition and the release of Solidion’s financial reports. Additionally,
if Solidion’s securities become delisted from Nasdaq for any reason, and are quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board, an inter-dealer
automated quotation system for equity securities that is not a national securities exchange, the liquidity and price of Solidion’s
securities may be more limited than if Solidion was quoted or listed on Nasdaq or another national securities exchange. You may be unable
to sell your securities unless a market can be established or sustained.
There
can be no assurance that the Public Warrants will be in the money during their exercise period, and they may expire worthless.
The
exercise price for our Public Warrants is $575.00 per share. There can be no assurance that the Public Warrants will be in the money prior
to their expiration and, as such, the warrants may expire worthless. The terms of Public Warrants may be amended in a manner that may
be adverse to the holders. The warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us,
dated March 10, 2022, provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity
or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of a majority of the then-outstanding Public Warrants to
make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the warrants in
a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least a majority of the then-outstanding Public Warrants approve of such amendment. Our
ability to amend the terms of the Public Warrants with the consent of a majority of the then-outstanding Public Warrants is unlimited.
Examples of such amendments could be amendments to, among other things, increase the exercise price of the Public Warrants, shorten the
exercise period or decrease the number of shares of Solidion Common Stock purchasable upon exercise of a Public Warrant.
Solidion
may redeem unexpired warrants, in accordance with their terms, prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to holders of
warrants.
We
have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of
$0.50 per Warrant, provided that the last sale price of Solidion Common Stock equals or exceeds $900.00 per share (as adjusted for share
splits, share capitalizations, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any twenty (20) trading days within a thirty
(30) trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to proper notice of such redemption and provided that certain
other conditions are met. We will not redeem the warrants unless an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering
the Solidion Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those Solidion Common
Stock is available throughout the thirty (30-) day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis
and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we
may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable
state securities laws. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force holders thereof to (i) exercise warrants and pay the exercise
price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for such holder to do so, (ii) sell warrants at the then-current market
price when such holder might otherwise wish to hold warrants or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the
outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of such warrants.
If
securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about Solidion, its business, or its market, or
if they change their recommendations regarding Solidion’s Common Stock adversely, then the price and trading volume of Solidion’s
Common Stock could decline.
The
trading market for Solidion’s Common Stock is influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish
about us, Solidion’s business and operations, Solidion’s market, or Solidion’s competitors. Securities and industry
analysts do not currently, and may never, publish research on Solidion. If no securities or industry analysts commence coverage of Solidion,
Solidion’s stock price and trading volume would likely be negatively impacted. If any of the analysts who may cover Solidion change
their recommendation regarding Solidion’s stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about Solidion’s
competitors, the price of Solidion’s Common Stock would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover Solidion were to cease coverage
of Solidion or fail to regularly publish reports on it, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause Solidion’s
stock price or trading volume to decline.
28
Changes
in laws, regulations or rules, or a failure to comply with any laws, regulations or rules, may adversely affect Solidion’s business,
investments and results of operations.
Solidion
will be subject to laws, regulations and rules enacted by national, regional and local governments and Nasdaq. In particular, Solidion
will be required to comply with certain SEC, Nasdaq and other legal or regulatory requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable
laws, regulations and rules may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws, regulations or rules and their interpretation and
application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on Solidion’s business, investments
and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations or rules, as interpreted and applied, could
have a material adverse effect on Solidion’s business and results of operations.
The
JOBS Act permits “emerging growth companies” like us to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements
applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
We
currently qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Securities Act, as modified
by the JOBS Act. As such, we take and will continue to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable
to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies for as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, including:
(i) the exemption from the auditor attestation requirements with respect to internal control over financial reporting under Section 404
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; (ii) the exemptions from say-on-pay, say-on-frequency and say-on-golden parachute voting requirements;
and (iii) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statement. As a result,
our stockholders may not have access to certain information they deem important. We will remain an emerging growth company until the
earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year: (a) following March 15, 2027, the fifth anniversary of our IPO;
(b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion; or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large
accelerated filer, which means the market value of Solidion’s common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million
as of the last business day of our prior second fiscal quarter, and (ii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion
in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period.
In
addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the exemption from complying
with new or revised accounting standards provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act as long as we are an emerging
growth company. An emerging growth company can therefore delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would
otherwise apply to private companies. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and
comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies, but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected
to avail ourselves of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application
dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies
adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company that is neither an
emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible
because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
We
cannot predict if investors will find Solidion’s common stock less attractive because we rely on these exemptions. If some investors
find Solidion’s common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for Solidion’s common
stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
ITEM 1B.
UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
29
ITEM 1C.
CYBERSECURITY
Cybersecurity
Risk Management
Our management oversees the assessment and management of cybersecurity
threats and regularly considers cybersecurity risks in the context of other material risks to the Company. In the event of any reportable
cybersecurity incident, our management shall promptly notify our board of directors, including determining the necessary actions such
as disclosure, mitigation, or other appropriate responses. We obtain input, as appropriate, for our cybersecurity risk management program
on the security industry and threat trends from external experts. During the reporting period, we have not experienced any material cybersecurity
incidents, which would require disclosure.
In the course of our business operations, we collect,
store, and process data, including information related to our employees, partners, collaborators, and vendors. To effectively manage cybersecurity
risks, we have established a range of policies and procedures designed to prevent, detect, and respond to potential threats. Our Chief
Executive Officer manages our external IT and cybersecurity experts. Under the CEO’s direction, we work with trusted third-party
information technology “IT” professionals who employ a variety of software tools to ensure the security of our systems. Additionally,
we rely on reputable cybersecurity software vendors to further enhance our protection.
The Company takes steps to manage cybersecurity risks by identifying,
assessing, and addressing potential threats to our data and systems, ensuring our security measures are effective. We continuously monitor
for cybersecurity risks using automated tools, test for potential threats, and maintain standards, policies, and procedures to guide our
security practices. We use a variety of security tools across our systems, require multifactor authentication for access to critical systems,
and enforce access control policies to help protect the data within those systems.
We consult with outside counsel as appropriate, including on materiality
analysis and disclosure matters, and our senior management makes the final materiality determinations and disclosure and other compliance
decisions. Our management apprises our independent public accounting firm of matters and any relevant developments.
Our business strategy, results of operations and financial condition
have not been materially affected by risks from cybersecurity threats, but we cannot provide assurance that they will not be materially
affected in the future by such risks or any future material incidents. For more information on our cybersecurity related risks, see Item
1A Risk Factors of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Governance
The Audit Committee has oversight responsibility
for risks and incidents relating to cybersecurity threats, including compliance with disclosure requirements, cooperation with law enforcement,
and related effects on financial and other risks, and it reports any findings and recommendations, as appropriate, to the full Board
for consideration.
ITEM 2.
PROPERTIES
We
maintain our corporate headquarters located at 13355 Noel Rd., Suite 1100, Dallas, Texas, and our telephone number is (972) 918-5120.
We
maintain our research and development and manufacturing operations located in Dayton, Ohio, where we own a building of approximately
27,646 square feet and lease a building of approximately 7,097 square feet.
ITEM 3.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From
time to time, a public company can become involved in litigation or other legal proceedings. We are not currently a party to any litigation
or legal proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on our business. Regardless of outcome, litigation can have an
adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
ITEM 4.
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
30
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S
COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Our Common Stock have traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq,
under the symbol “STI” since February 5, 2024. Prior to that date, Nubia’s Class A Common Stock and Public Warrants
were listed on the Nasdaq Global under the symbols “NUBI” and “NUBIW” respectively.
Holders of Record
As of March 31, 2026, there were 22 holders of
record of our common stock. The actual number of stockholders of our common stock is greater than this number of record holders and includes
stockholders who are beneficial owners but whose shares of common stock are held in street name by banks, brokers and other nominees.
Dividends
We have not declared or paid any dividends, or
authorized or made any distribution upon or with respect to any class or series of our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all
available funds and any future earnings for use in the operation of our business and do not anticipate paying any dividends on our capital
stock in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors,
subject to applicable laws, and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions
and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity
Compensation Plans
None.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer
and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
ITEM 6. [RESERVED]
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION
AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
References in this
report (the “Annual Report”) to “we,” “us” or the “Company” refer to Solidion Technology,
Inc. References to our “management” or our “management team” refer to our officers and directors. The following
discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial
statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Annual Report. Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis
set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
Cautionary Note
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. We have based
these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are
subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance
or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied
by such forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,”
“should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,”
“estimate,” “continue,” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Factors that might cause or
contribute to such a discrepancy include, but are not limited to, those described in our other SEC filings.
Overview
Solidion Technology, Inc. is a Dallas, TX, USA-based
advanced battery technology company focused on the development and commercialization of battery materials, components, cells, and selected
module/pack technologies. Solidion holds a portfolio of over 550 patents, covering innovations such as high-capacity, non-silane gas
and graphene-enabled silicon anodes, biomass-based graphite, advanced lithium-sulfur and lithium-metal technologies. Solidion offers
two lines of battery products: (i) advanced anode materials (ready for production expansion); and (ii) three classes of solid-state batteries,
including Silicon-rich all-solid-state lithium-ion cells (Gen 1), anode less lithium metal cells (Gen 2), and lithium-sulfur cells (Gen
3), all featuring an advanced polymer- or polymer/inorganic composite-based solid electrolyte that is process-friendly.
31
Business Combination
On February 2, 2024, Nubia Brand International
Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Nubia” and after the Transactions described herein, “Solidion” or “Solidion
Technology, Inc.”), consummated a merger (the “Closing”) pursuant to a Merger Agreement, dated February 16, 2023 (as
amended on August 25, 2023, the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Nubia, Honeycomb Battery Company, an Ohio corporation (“HBC”),
and Nubia Merger Sub, Inc., an Ohio corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Nubia (“Merger Sub”). Pursuant to the Merger
Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into HBC (the “Merger,” and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the
“Transactions”), with HBC surviving such merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nubia, which was renamed “Solidion Technology,
Inc.” upon Closing.
We received net proceeds from the Merger totaling
$17,555. The Company is applying the proceeds from the Merger toward its corporate growth strategy related to the commercialization of
our battery technology and the scaling of its manufacturing operations.
Recent Developments
Memorandum of Understanding
On February 10, 2026, we entered into a non-binding
memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) with an entity that manufactures and distributes energy storage systems for the Company
to supply pouch cells for use in energy storage systems. While the MOU is non-binding in nature and may result in no actual sales, a definitive
agreement could potentially add an estimated $4 to $6 million in revenue over the next 12 months.
Grants from the U.S. Government
During the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first
quarter of 2026, the Company was notified that it had received three grants from various departments of the U.S. government. The
U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) provided the first grant (the “First Grant”), which was to advance research
and development of Electrochemical Manufacturing of High-Performance Graphite based on Biomass-Derived Carbon. The Company had received
the prestigious 2025 R&D 100 Award in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory for innovation in Electrochemical Graphitization
in Molten Salts, and the First Grant was for research to be conducted jointly with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to reduce imports of
critical energy materials from foreign sources, improve American energy independence, and ensure that the U.S. maintains a technological
lead in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.
The DOE provided the second grant (the “Second
Grant”) to scale up the synthesis of a carbon-nanosphere material that will be used as an anti-corrosive additive in molten-salts-based
heat transfer fluids for advanced molten salt nuclear reactors. The Second Grant was also for research to be conducted jointly with Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, this time to develop a nanofluids-based energy material, engineered colloidal suspension of hollow carbon nanoparticles
in conventional molten salts, to enhance heat transfer and reduce corrosion in nuclear reactors, which is critical for reducing costs,
increasing safety, and accelerating the commercialization of small modular nuclear reactors such as advanced molten salt reactors.
The U.S. Army provided the third grant (the
“Third Grant”) to develop an advanced fiber-based electronic battery system built on a coaxial carbon nanotube (“CNT”)
yarn architecture. The Third Grant was for research to be conducted jointly with The University of Texas at Dallas to develop a flexible,
rechargeable lithium-ion battery in fiber form: a CNT yarn serves as both the structural core and current collector of the anode, integrated
with Solidion’s silicon (Si) as the high-capacity anode material.
Reverse Stock Split
On May 12, 2025, the Company effected a 1-for-50
reverse stock split of its common stock (the “Reverse Stock Split”). As a result, each 50 shares of common stock issued and
outstanding immediately prior to the reverse split were converted into one share of common stock. Additionally, this transaction resulted
in a reclassification of $13,311 from common stock to additional paid-in capital during the period ended March 31, 2025. The reverse
stock split did not change the total number of authorized shares or the par value of the common stock. During the three-month period ended
June 30, 2025, the Company paid cash of approximately $460 to shareholders in lieu of issuing fractional shares.
Warrant Conversion
On October 8, 2025 (the “Purchase Date”),
Madison Bond LLC and Bayside Project LLC (together, the “Purchasers”) announced the purchase of all of the outstanding Series C
and Series D Warrants (together, the “Warrants”) previously issued by the Company pursuant to the Securities Purchase
Agreement, dated as of August 30, 2024 (the “Original Purchase Agreement”). Immediately thereafter, the Company determined
to invoke certain provisions in the Warrants and the Original Purchase Agreement in order to convert (the “Conversion”) all
remaining unexercised portions of the Series C and Series D Warrants into shares of the Company’s common stock, at a ratio
of 1 to 1, such that each outstanding Series C and Series D warrant was converted into one share of common stock. The Purchasers
received 3,447,957 shares (the “Conversion Shares”) of the Company’s common stock in the Conversion and the Company
cancelled all outstanding Series C and Series D Warrants.
32
Purchase Agreement Amendment
In connection with the Conversion, the Purchasers
and the Company amended the Original Purchase Agreement to remove or modify certain financing restrictions, including limitations on future
equity issuances and participation rights, subject to agreed-upon dilution protections.
Lock-up
In connection with the Conversion, the Purchasers
have agreed, subject to certain customary exceptions, not to (i) sell, offer to sell, agree to offer or sell, solicit offers to purchase,
convert, contract or agree to sell, pledge, encumber, assign, borrow, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of common
stock held by them (such shares, together with any securities convertible into or exchangeable for or representing the rights to receive
shares of common stock if any, acquired during the Lock-Up Period (as defined below), the “Lock-Up Shares”), (ii) enter
into a transaction that would have the same effect, (iii) enter into any swap, hedge or other arrangement that transfers to another,
in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Lock-Up Shares or otherwise, or engage in any short sales or
other arrangement with respect to the Lock-Up Shares or (iv) publicly announce any intention to effect any transaction specified
in clause (i) or (ii) until the date that is 12 months after the October 21, 2025 (the “Lock-up Date,”
and the period from the Lock-up Date until such date, the “Lock-Up Period”). The exceptions also generally include transfers
(A) of no more than five percent (5%) of the total Lock-Up Shares in the aggregate taking into account all transfers during the Lock-Up
Period (provided that total transfers during any period of five consecutive trading days shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the
daily average trading volume of the common stock over the immediately preceding five trading days and (B) in connection with
the pledge, hypothecation or other grant of a security interest in any Lock-Up Shares to one or more lending institutions as collateral
or security for any loan, advance or extension of credit and any transfer upon foreclosure upon such Lock-Up Shares.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
On the Purchase Date, the Company issued the Conversion
Shares pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. No underwriting discounts
or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.
On October 9, 2025, the Company issued 40,000
bonus shares of common stock to each of its non-executive directors, John Davis and Karin-Joyce Tjon, and its former non-executive director
Cynthia Ekberg Tsai. The issuances were in consideration of their prior board service from the closing of the Company’s business
combination on February 2, 2024 until one year thereafter. The issuances were pursuant to the exemption from registration contained
in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such issuances.
On October 9, 2025, the Company issued 120,000
bonus shares of common stock to certain of its employees that are not executive officers. The issuances were in consideration of their
prior service to the Company from the closing of the Company’s business combination on February 2, 2024 until one year thereafter.
The issuances were pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. No underwriting
discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such issuances.
On October 9, 2025, the Company issued 450,000
shares of common stock to G3, pursuant to an “earn-out” provision in the Merger Agreement following the approval by the board
of directors of the Company to deem the earn-out conditions satisfied in full in light of, among other things, the Company’s capital
structure and the ongoing Shared Services Agreement, dated as of February 2, 2024 (the “SSA”), between the Company and
G3. Dr. Bor Jang is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Science Officer of the Company, as well as the Chairman of the
Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of G3. The issuance was pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of
the Securities Act. No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such issuance.
On October 29, 2025, the Company entered
into a Promissory Note with Great Point Capital, LLC in the principal amount of $1,000,000. The Note bears interest at 8.0% per annum,
payable quarterly, and matures on October 25, 2026. The proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital
needs. See Note 10 to the consolidated and combined financial statements for more details. In addition, the Company entered in to
the Investor Agreement, which provided for the issuance of 345,000 shares of common stock to Great Point Capital, LLC. The issuances
were pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. No underwriting discounts or
commissions were paid with respect to such issuances.
On December 8, 2025, the Company entered
into an agreement with Anson Investments Master Fund LP (“Anson”), pursuant to which it issued 240,400 shares of common stock
to Anson in exchange for the termination of all warrants and other obligations of the Company under the Securities Purchase Agreement,
dated as of August 30, 2024. Further, Anson agreed to limit sales of common stock to no more than 10% of the daily trading volume
on the Nasdaq Stock Market of all of the Company’s common stock. On February 5, 2026, the Company issued the 240,400 shares of its
common stock to Anson pursuant to this agreement. The issuance was made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of
the Securities Act. No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to the issuance. See Note 14 – Subsequent Events
for additional information.
Change of Control
As of the Purchase Date, the Conversion was effected,
which resulted in a change in control of the Company by virtue of the Purchasers holding approximately 47.5% of the Company’s issued
and outstanding common stock and being the largest stockholder of the Company.
33
To the Company’s knowledge, there are no arrangements or understandings
among members of both the former and new control persons and their respective associates with respect to the election of directors or
other matters. Additionally, there are no arrangements, known to the Company, including any pledge by any person of securities of the
Company, the operation of which may at a subsequent date result in a change in control of the Company. See “Beneficial Ownership
of Securities.”
Change to Board of Directors
On September 3, 2025 (the “Resignation Date”), Cynthia
Ekberg Tsai notified the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company of her resignation as a member of the Board, including
all committees on which she serves, effective as of the Resignation Date. Ms. Ekberg Tsai’s resignation did not result from any
disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.
As a result of Ms. Ekberg Tsai’s resignation,
the Company’s Audit Committee is composed of two members. On September 8, 2025, the Company notified The Nasdaq Stock Market,
LLC of its non-compliance with Nasdaq Rule 5605(c)(2)(A), which requires that the Audit Committee be composed of three directors.
Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(c)(4), the Company has a cure period to regain compliance by appointing a new independent director
to the Audit Committee. The cure period extends until the earlier of the Company’s next annual shareholders’ meeting or September 3,
2026; provided, however, that if the annual shareholders’ meeting occurs no later than March 2, 2026, the Company has until
March 2, 2026, to regain compliance. The Company intends to appoint a new independent director to the Audit Committee as soon as
practicable within the cure period.
On March 24, 2026, the company announced an annual meeting scheduled
for June 11, 2026. As a result, the Company’s cure period to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(c)(2)(A) extends until
the date of the annual meeting. The Company is actively evaluating potential candidates to fill the vacancy on its Audit Committee and
intends to regain compliance within the applicable cure period.
Components of Results of Operations
Revenue
The Company is focused on commercializing and
manufacturing battery materials and next-generation battery cells. Historically, and during the periods presented, we have generated minimal
revenue from product samples. We do not expect to begin generating significant revenue until we complete the commercialization process
and build out manufacturing capacity. Future capacity may come from joint ventures with strategic partners, sourcing third-party manufacturing
from our network, or pursuing mergers and acquisitions.
Operating Expenses
Research and Development
Research and development expenses consist primarily
of personnel expenses, including salaries, benefits, third party technology validation testing, equipment, engineering, maintenance of
facilities, data analysis, and materials.
Selling, general and administrative
Selling, general and administrative expenses primarily
consist of personnel expenses, including salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation related to executive management, finance, legal,
and human resource functions. Other costs include business development, contractor and professional services fees, audit and compliance
expenses, insurance costs and general corporate expenses, such rent, office supplies and information technology costs.
Other Income (Expense)
Change in fair value of Derivative Liabilities
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
consists of fluctuations in the fair value of the Company’s Forward Purchase Agreement and warrant liabilities. The fair value of
these instruments is estimated using valuation models, including Monte Carlo simulation for the Forward Purchase Agreement and certain
warrant liabilities, and the Black-Scholes option pricing model for other warrant liabilities.
Interest Income
Interest income is derived from the Company’s
operating cash account, which is periodically invested in short-term money market funds.
Interest Expense
Interest expense consists primarily of the interest
on the Company’s short-term notes and D&O insurance premium financing arrangement.
Results of Operations
This data
should be read in conjunction with Solidion’s financial statements and accompanying notes. These results of operations are not necessarily
indicative of future performance.
34
Summary of Statements of Operations for the
Years Ended December 31, 2025 and 2024
Years Ended
December 31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
Net sales
$ 13,350
$ -
Cost of goods sold
6,648
-
Operating expenses
12,927,608
13,299,537
Total other income (expense)
(28,083,094 )
(19,117,496 )
Net loss
$ (41,004,000 )
$ (32,417,033 )
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses decreased
by $371,929 for the year ended December 31, 2025. This decrease was primarily driven by lower general and administrative costs, including
reduced personnel and professional services expenses. The decrease was partially offset by higher research and development costs, including
increased personnel expenses associated with the commercialization of our battery cell products and third-party validation testing of
our proprietary silicon anode.
Other Income (Expense)
Other expense increased by $8,965,598 for the
year ended December 31, 2025. This increase was largely driven by a non-cash loss of $28,250,727 due to a change in the fair value of
derivative liabilities related to the Forward Purchase Agreement, and warrants related to the March and August private placement financing.
Additionally, during 2025, the Company significantly reduced its derivative liabilities, primarily through the conversion and cancellation
of the Series C and Series D warrants in connection with the Madison Bond and Bayside Project transaction. As a result of this transaction,
all remaining unexercised warrants were converted into shares of the Company’s common stock, eliminating the associated derivative
liabilities. The reduction of these liabilities, together with the required fair value remeasurement prior to settlement, contributed
to the non-cash loss recognized during the period.
Summary of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December
31, 2025 and 2024
Years Ended
December 31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating Activities
$
(4,536,702
)
$
(7,377,807
)
Investing Activities
(240,742
)
(246,074
)
Financing Activities
1,628,437
10,976,833
Net increase (decrease) in cash
$
(3,149,007
)
$
3,352,952
Net Cash
used in Operating Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2025, cash used in operating activities
was $4,536,702. This primarily resulted from a net loss of $41,004,000, driven by a non-cash loss of $28,250,727 due to a change in the
fair value of derivative liabilities related to the Forward Purchase Agreement and private placement warrants. These non-cash losses were
added back to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities, as part non-cash adjustments that also included depreciation
and amortization, stock-based compensation and equity compensation expense for services, totaling $35,058,699. Additionally, changes in
operating assets and liabilities provided $1,408,599 of cash from operating activities, driven primarily by a $1,404,127 increase in accounts
payable and accrued expenses. The increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses was mainly due to higher accrued expenses.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash used
in operating activities was $7,377,807. This primarily resulted from a net loss of $32,417,033, which included non-cash gains and losses,
driven by a gain of $12,275,217 due to a change in the fair value of derivative liabilities related to the Forward Purchase Agreement
and private placement warrants, and a loss of $31,033,622 from the issuance of common stock and warrants related to the convertible note
and private placement financing activity. These non-cash losses were added back to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities,
as part non-cash adjustments that also included depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation and equity compensation expense
for services, totaling $23,754,989. Additionally, changes in operating assets and liabilities provided $1,284,237 of cash from operating
activities, driven primarily by a $1,344,669 increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses. The increase in accounts payable and accrued
expenses was mainly due to higher accrual expense associated with the Company operating as a public entity as of February 2, 2024.
Net Cash
used in Investing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company
used cash of $240,742 in investing activities consisting of purchases of Silicon Oxide (SiOx) manufacturing equipment and capitalized
patent costs.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company
used cash of $246,074 in investing activities consisting of capitalized patent costs.
35
Net Cash
provided by Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company
generated cash of $1,628,437 from financing activities. The Company received proceeds from short term notes of $1,000,000. These increases
were offset by repayment of short-term notes of $42,671. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company converted
$527,500 of convertible notes into shares of its common stock. This transaction was a non-cash financing activity and is reflected in
the supplemental schedule of non-cash financing activities in the consolidated and combined statements of cash flows.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company
generated cash of $10,976,833 from financing activities. This primarily resulted from proceeds from private placement financing, and warrant
exercises of $7,850,000 and $4,259,241, respectively. These increases were offset by repayment of short-term notes and related party advances
of $1,389,146 and $1,026,091, respectively.
Going Concern Considerations, Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Since Solidion’s inception, the Company
has experienced recurring net losses and has generated minimal sales. This raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability
to continue as a going concern. Management’s ability to fund our operations and capital expenditures depends on our ability to raise
additional external capital. This is subject to our future operating performance and general economic, financial, competitive, legislative,
regulatory, and other conditions, some of which are beyond our control. We are currently engaged in discussions with various financing
counterparties to secure sufficient capital to meet our business needs for the foreseeable future. The Company plans to finance its operations
with proceeds from the sale of equity securities, government grants and loans, or debt; however, there is no assurance that management’s
plans to obtain additional debt, grants or equity financing will be successfully implemented or implemented on terms favorable to the
Company.
As of December 31, 2025, we had an accumulated
deficit of $163,372,539. Additionally, $1,114,594 in NUBI transaction costs incurred at the Closing Date in connection with the Merger
remain outstanding and are due within the next twelve months. For the year ended December 31, 2025, we
incurred losses from operations totaling $41,004,000 and net cash used in operating activities of $4,536,702. During 2025, the
Company significantly reduced its derivative liabilities, primarily through the conversion and cancellation of the Series C and Series
D warrants associated with the Madison Bond and Bayside Project warrant conversion transaction. As part of this transaction, all remaining
unexercised warrants were converted into shares of the Company’s common stock, eliminating the related derivative liabilities. Management
does not currently expect to utilize financing arrangements that would require derivative accounting, which is expected to reduce non-cash
volatility in future results. However, these improvements do not eliminate the need for additional capital to fund operations.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
At December 31, 2025 and 2024, we have no
obligations, assets or liabilities which would be considered off-balance sheet arrangements. We do not participate in transactions
that create relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, often referred to as variable interest entities,
which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements.
We have not entered into any off-balance sheet
financing arrangements, established any special purpose entities, guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities, or entered into
any non-financial agreements involving assets.
Critical Accounting Estimates
We prepare our financial statements in accordance
with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, which require our management to make estimates that affect the reported amounts of
assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the balance sheet dates, as well as the reported amounts
of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. To the extent that there are material differences between these estimates and actual
results, our financial condition or results of operations would be affected. We base our estimates on our own historical experience and
other assumptions that we believe are reasonable after taking account of our circumstances and expectations for the future based on available
information. We evaluate these estimates on an ongoing basis.
We consider an accounting
estimate to be critical if: (i) the accounting estimate requires us to make assumptions about matters that were highly uncertain at the
time the accounting estimate was made, and (ii) changes in the estimate that are reasonably likely to occur from period to period or use
of different estimates that we reasonably could have used in the current period, would have a material impact on our financial condition
or results of operations. There are items within our financial statement that require estimation but are not deemed critical, as defined
above. There were no changes to the Company’s critical accounting estimates from those disclosed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Forward Purchase Agreement
The Company accounts for the forward purchase
agreement as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the Forward Purchase Agreement (“FPA”)
specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance under FASB ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”).
The assessment considers whether the FPA meets all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the
FPA is indexed to the Company’s own common shares and whether the FPA holders could potentially require “net cash settlement”
in a circumstance outside of the Company’s control, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment is conducted
at the time of FPA issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the FPA is outstanding.
The Company has determined that the FPA does not
meet all of the criteria for equity classification under ASC 815, as the FPA fails the fixed-for-fixed test under ASC 815-40 due to the
bi-weekly Reset Price mechanism, the Dilutive Offering Reset provision, and the VWAP Trigger Event, each of which creates variability
in the settlement amount that is not purely a function of the Company’s own stock price. Accordingly, the FPA is classified as a liability-classified
derivative instrument, recorded at fair value on the date of issuance and remeasured at fair value at each balance sheet date thereafter.
The Company utilizes a Monte Carlo simulation model to determine the fair value of the FPA. The resulting fair value is recorded as a
derivative liability on the consolidated and combined balance sheets. The Company records changes in the fair value of the FPA as a non-cash
other income (expense) within change in fair value of derivative liabilities account on the Company’s consolidated and combined
statements of operations.
36
Upon the issuance of shares in connection with the FPA, the Company
recognizes (i) an increase to APIC measured at the fair value of the FPA at the time of share issuance, (ii) a corresponding stock subscription
receivable of equal amount as a contra-equity component within stockholders’ equity (deficit), representing the present value of the consideration
receivable for the shares issued, and (iii) a loss on issuance of common stock within Other Income (Expense) representing the difference
between the face value of the stock subscription receivable and its present value at the issuance date. The discount between the face
value and present value of the stock subscription receivable is accreted using the effective interest method over the remaining term of
the FPA, with each period’s accretion recorded as an increase to both the stock subscription receivable and APIC within stockholders’
equity (deficit). The stock subscription receivable is presented as a reduction to total stockholders’ equity (deficit) and is relieved
as Optional Early Termination proceeds are received from the Forward Purchase Investor.
For issued or modified FPA that meet all of the criteria for
equity classification, the FPA is required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the time of issuance. For issued
or modified FPAs that do not meet all of the criteria for equity classification, the FPA are required to be recorded at their initial
fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. The Company accounts for outstanding FPA as liability-classified
instrument.
The fair value of the FPA is Level 3. The determination
of the fair value requires significant estimates and judgments. See Note 13 – Fair
Value Measurements to the financial statements for the significant assumptions and estimates.
Changes in the significant assumptions and estimates
could materially impact the valuation and the amounts recorded in the financial statements.
Warrants
The Company evaluates warrants issued in connection
with financing transactions to determine whether the instruments should be classified as equity or liabilities in accordance with the
applicable guidance in ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. This assessment considers
whether the warrants meet the criteria for equity classification, including whether the warrants are indexed to the Company’s own
common stock and whether the settlement provisions could require net cash settlement or contain adjustment features that would preclude
equity classification. This assessment is performed at the time of issuance and reassessed at each reporting date while the warrants remain
outstanding.
For issued or modified warrants that meet all
of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the time of issuance.
For warrants that do not meet the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are recorded at fair value as derivative liabilities
on the consolidated and combined balance sheets at the date of issuance and remeasured at fair value at each subsequent reporting date.
The Company accounts for the outstanding Series A, Series B, Series
C, and Series D warrants issued in connection with the March and August 2024 private placement financings (the “PIPE Warrants”)
as liability-classified instruments. The fair value of the Series A and Series B warrants is determined using the Black-Scholes option
pricing model, while the fair value of the Series C and Series D warrants is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation model due to their
more complex features. These valuation models require significant estimates and judgments, including assumptions related to the Company’s
stock price volatility, expected term, risk-free interest rates, and other market-based inputs. As these warrants are classified as derivative
liabilities, changes in their fair value are recognized as non-cash gains or losses within change in fair value of derivative liabilities
in the consolidated and combined statements of operations.
The fair value of the PIPE Warrants is classified
as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy. The determination of the fair value requires significant estimates and judgments. See Note
13 – Fair Value Measurements to the financial statements for the significant assumptions and estimates used in the valuation. Changes
in these assumptions could materially impact the valuation and the amounts recorded in the Company’s financial statements.
Because the valuation of these instruments requires significant estimates
and assumptions, changes in these assumptions could materially affect the reported fair value of the derivative liabilities and the resulting
non-cash gains or losses recorded in the Company’s results of operations.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
In November
2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment
Disclosures,” to enhance disclosures for significant segment expenses for all public entities required to report segment information
in accordance with ASC 280. The standard did not change the definition of a segment, the method for determining segments or the criteria
for aggregating operating segments into reportable segments. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15,
2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Retrospective adoption is required for all prior periods
presented in the financial statements. The Company adopted the amendment effective January 1, 2024 for annual reporting purposes. The
adoption did not have a material impact to the Company’s financial statements or disclosures.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09,
Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (ASU 2023-09), which requires disclosures of incremental income tax information
within the rate reconciliation and expanded disclosures of income taxes paid, among other disclosure requirements. ASU 2023-09 is effective
for the fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2024. Effective January 1, 2025, the Company adopted ASU 2023-09. The adoption of ASU
2023-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated and combined financial statements. The adoption affected disclosures,
such as expanded income tax disclosures, and did not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
See Note 11 – Income Taxes to the consolidated and combined financial statements for additional information.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03,
“Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income
Statement Expenses” to improve disclosures by providing more detailed information about the types of expenses in commonly presented
expense captions. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within
fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect this standard
will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
37
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE
DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
As a smaller reporting company, we are not required
to make disclosures under this Item.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY
DATA
Our financial statements and the notes thereto
begin on page F-1 of this Annual Report.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH
ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Change of Auditor
On November 26, 2025, following the approval
of its Audit Committee, the Company engaged CBIZ CPAs P.C. (“CBIZ CPAs”) as the Company’s independent registered public
accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, effective immediately.
During the Company’s two most recent fiscal years
ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 and the subsequent interim period through November 26, 2025, neither the Company nor anyone
on its behalf consulted with CBIZ CPAs regarding: (i) the application of accounting principles to a specific transaction, either
completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and
neither a written report or oral advice was provided to the Company that CBIZ CPAs concluded was an important factor considered by the
Company in reaching a decision as to any accounting, auditing, or financial reporting issue, (ii) any matter that was the subject
of a “disagreement” within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions,
or (iii) any reportable event within the meaning of Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions.
On October 21, 2025, the Audit Committee
of the Company approved the dismissal of Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”) as its independent registered public
accounting firm, effective immediately following the filing of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended September 30, 2025 (the “2025Q3 Quarterly Report”). On November 20, 2025, the Company filed its 2025Q3 Quarterly
Report. Accordingly, the dismissal was effective November 20, 2025 (the “Effective Date”).
The audit report of Deloitte on the Company’s
consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, did not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer
of opinion, and was not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles.
During the Company’s most recent fiscal
year ended December 31, 2024 and during the subsequent interim period from January 1, 2025 through the Effective Date, (i) there
were no disagreements with Deloitte on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope
or procedures that, if not resolved to Deloitte’s satisfaction, would have caused Deloitte to make reference to the subject matter
of the disagreement in connection with its report, and (ii) there were no “reportable events” as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of
Regulation S-K, other than the previously disclosed material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting
related to our control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication and monitoring.
The Company provided Deloitte with a copy of the
disclosures above prior to filing with the SEC. A copy of Deloitte’s letter, dated November 25, 2025, to the SEC, stating
whether it agrees with the statements made above, is filed as Exhibit 16.1 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Based on an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as
defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December
31, 2025, because of certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, as further described below. These material
weaknesses relate primarily to controls over the accounting for complex financial instruments, including the valuation and remeasurement
of derivative warrant liabilities.
Notwithstanding these material weaknesses, management concluded that
the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K fairly present, in all material respects, our financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows as of and for the periods presented in conformity with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). This conclusion is based on additional procedures performed by management to
ensure that the financial statements are free of material misstatement.
38
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The management of Solidion Technology, Inc.is
responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)
under the Exchange Act. Under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we
conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of Solidion’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025. In
making this assessment, we used the criteria set forth in the framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by
the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on our evaluation under these criteria,
management determined, based upon the existence of the material weaknesses described below, that we did not maintain effective internal
control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025.
Material Weaknesses
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 our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Management identified deficiencies in the principles
associated with the control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information & communication, and monitoring components
of internal control, based on the criteria established by the COSO framework, that constitute material weaknesses, either individually
or in the aggregate as described below.
Control Environment : Solidion does not
maintain a sufficient complement of qualified technical accounting and financial reporting personnel to perform control activities, including
those related to complex and/or non-routine transactions. Additionally, Solidion did not implement sufficient segregation of duties within
its financial reporting function in order to demonstrate independence and proper oversight. This material weakness contributed to the
additional material weaknesses further described below.
Risk Assessment : Solidion did not design
and implement an effective risk assessment based on the criteria established in the COSO framework. A material weakness, either individually
or in the aggregate, was identified pertaining to (i) identifying, assessing, and communicating appropriate objectives; (ii) identifying
and analyzing risks to achieve these objectives; and (iii) implementing an effective risk assessment to identify and assess changes in
the business if such changes were to occur.
Control Activities : Solidion did not effectively
design and implement control activities to support the operating effectiveness of controls to prevent and detect potential material errors
based on the criteria established in the COSO framework. As a result, the following control deficiencies constitute material weaknesses,
individually or in the aggregate: (i) ineffective controls related to the review and approval of journal entries and reconciliations,
and (ii) a lack of appropriate accounting policies and procedures.
Information and Communication: We identified
control deficiencies that constitute material weaknesses, either individually or in the aggregate, related to (i) internal communication
of information, including objectives and responsibilities for internal control, necessary to support the functioning of internal control;
and (ii) communicating relevant information to external parties timely.
Monitoring: Solidion did not maintain effective
monitoring activities to determine whether the components of internal control over financial reporting were present and functioning based
on the criteria established in the COSO framework.
Remediation Plans and Status
We
are committed to maintaining a strong internal control environment and implementing measures designed to ensure that control deficiencies
contributing to the material weaknesses are remediated as soon as practicable. We plan to engage a third party to assist in our remediation
efforts. We will design and implement a risk assessment process and establish processes and controls to support an effective control
environment. These actions are intended to enable Solidion to enhance our monitoring of our internal controls over financial reporting
as well as enhance required communication. In addition, we will design and implement controls to address material weaknesses in control
activities including the proper review and approval of journal entries and reconciliations.
As
Solidion continues to evaluate its internal controls, it may take additional remediation actions. The material weaknesses will be considered
remediated when Solidion’s management designs and implements effective controls that operate for a sufficient period of time and
management has concluded, through testing, that these controls are effective. Solidion’s management will monitor the effectiveness
of its remediation plans and will make changes management determines to be appropriate.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial
Reporting
There were no changes during the fourth quarter of the year ended December
31, 2025 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None .
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN
JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
None.
39
PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Information about our Executive Officers and
Directors
The following table sets forth information concerning
our executive officers and directors, including their ages, as of February 12, 2026:
Name
Age
Title
Dr. Bor Jang
73
Executive Chairman and Chief Science Officer
Jaymes Winters
62
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Vlad Prantsevich
35
Chief Financial Officer
Dr. Songhai Chai
48
Chief Technology Officer
John Davis
66
Director
Karin-Joyce (KJ) Tjon
61
Director
Information about our Executive Officers
and Directors
Executive Officers
Dr. Bor Jang — Executive
Chairman and Chief Science Officer
Dr. Bor Jang serves as Executive Chairman of our
Board of Directors and Chief Science Officer. Dr. Jang co-founded Honeycomb Battery Company (HBC) in 2015 and has since served as its
President. Dr. Jang co-founded AEC in 2012 and has since served as its President. AEC is engaged in the development and commercialization
of anode active materials for lithium-ion batteries. Dr. Jang co-founded Angstron Materials, Inc. (“AMI”) in 2007 and has
since served as its Chairman. AMI is engaged in the development and commercialization of graphene processes and application technologies.
Dr. Jang cofounded G3 in 2016 and has since served as its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors, and G3 is the
parent of several subsidiaries engaged in the development and commercialization of graphene and battery technologies, including HBC, AEC
and AMI. Dr. Jang received his Master’s & Ph.D degrees in Materials Science from MIT. Dr. Jang was the former Dean of the College
of Engineering and Computer Science at Wright State University. He was a Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Professor (and an Overseas Fellow
of the Churchill College) with the University of Cambridge (1991 – 1992) in the UK. Dr. Jang was elected as a member of the U.S.
National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in 2019. Dr. Jang has more than 800 patents to his credit. Most notably, Dr. Jang filed the world’s
first patent application on graphene in 2002. This patent was later recognized by Popular Mechanics magazine as one of the “15 Patents
That Changed The World”.
We believe Dr. Jang is qualified to serve
on Solidion Board because of his extensive executive experience with Honeycomb and his background in sciences and academia. Following
the closing of the business combination, Dr. Jang continues in his roles as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of
Directors of G3. Dr. Jang will have a dual employment arrangement with Honeycomb and G3, with his time and attention split between
the entities approximately 70% and 30%, respectively, and the parties will ensure an overall coordinated approach between Dr. Jang,
Honeycomb and G3. In addition, 70% of his compensation and related costs at G3 will be reimbursed to G3 by Honeycomb under the SSA.
Jaymes Winters — Chief Executive
Officer and Director
With over 15 years’ experience as a Chief
Executive Officer in the oil and gas, telecommunications and retail spaces with extensive M&A experience, Jaymes Winters has been
Chief Executive Officer at Solidion Technology since 2022, which includes its predecessor, Nubia Brand International Inc., a Special Purpose
Acquisition Company traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol NUBI. Previously, Mr. Winters was CEO of Mach FM Corp. beginning in 2015
and oversaw 600 MHz spectrum acquisition via an auction conducted by the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC. He designed a Simultaneous
Multiple Round (SMR) analysis using historical data from previous FCC auctions to predict the total amount bid by other participants within
5%. Prior to that, he was founder and Chief Executive Officer of United Energy Inc., which for seven consecutive years was one of the
largest African American owned businesses on the West Coast with annual revenues of nearly $100 million and 1,000 employees. Mr. Winters
has directed and negotiated four M&A transactions utilizing private equity firms. For over nine years, he was an adjunct professor
in the School of Business at Portland State University teaching business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and is the
author of a college textbook titled “Chronicles of an Urban CEO” (Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, August 2021). Mr. Winters
holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Economics from Oregon State University.
40
We believe Mr. Winters is qualified to serve
on Solidion Board because of his extensive executive experience with Nubia and as a Chief Executive Officer in the oil and gas, telecommunications
and retail spaces with extensive mergers and acquisitions experience.
Vlad Prantsevich — Chief
Financial Officer
Vlad Prantsevich has served as Solidion’s Chief Financial Officer
since February 2024. Mr. Prantsevich brings experience across public company finance, capital markets, and technically complex product
companies. Previously, Mr. Prantsevich served as Chief Financial Officer and Board Member of Nubia Brand International Corp. (NASDAQ:
NUBI), a special purpose acquisition company, where he directed the business combination with Honeycomb Battery Company that resulted
in Solidion’s listing on NASDAQ. In that role, he oversaw SEC reporting, and financial diligence across more than 100 acquisition targets
spanning 20 industries prior to executing the Honeycomb transaction. Additionally, Mr. Prantsevich served as Executive Vice President
of Operations at Mach FM Corp. a wireless technology and spectrum investment company, where he supported transaction strategy, acquisition
evaluation, and financial modeling for spectrum investments and strategic partnerships. Mr. Prantsevich has more than 8 years of executive
management level experience in charge of corporate finance at 64 Audio, a global pro audio and consumer electronics brand, where he built
and led the corporate finance function through a period of significant growth. Mr. Prantsevich holds a B.S. in Business Administration
from Portland State University.
Dr. Songhai Chai — Chief
Technology Officer
Dr. Songhai Chai serves as our Chief Technology
Officer. Since September 2021, Dr. Chai has served as the Deputy Chief Technology Officer of G3, where he leads a group of scientists
and engineers to develop high-capacity silicon anode and renewable biochar anode materials, provides scientific and technical guidance
to research and development activities, supervises the pilot-scale production of silicon-anode materials and oversees a group of battery
engineers and technicians to improve electrode formulation and preparation. From 2015 through September 2021, Dr. Chai served as Senior
Battery Scientist of G3, where he developed a variety of novel energy-storage materials for different applications, such as lithium-ion
batteries, electrochemical and hybrid capacitors. From 2010 to 2015, Dr. Chai was a Research Associate, working on carbon and energy storage
materials, at Oak Ridge National Lab. Dr. Chai has co-authored seven issued U.S. patents, one book chapter, and 45 peer-reviewed research
articles and has published in 30 internationally renowned scientific journals, including Nature Communications and the Journal of the
American Chemical Society. Dr. Chai received a Ph.D in Chemistry from Tsinghua University and completed his post-doctoral training at
the University of California at Berkeley.
Following the closing of the business combination,
Dr. Chai left his role at G3 and entered into a formal employment arrangement with Solidion on February 10, 2025.
Non-Executive Directors
John Davis — Director
John Davis serves as our director. Since 2022,
Mr. Davis has served as President of BTECH, Inc., a battery monitoring technology company. Prior to that role, from 2021 to 2022, Mr.
Davis served as Chief Operating Officer of Primet Precision Materials, a nanoscission technology company producing lithium battery cathode.
Prior to that role, from 2019 to 2020, Mr. Davis served as Chief Operating Officer of G3, which is the parent of HBC and the holder of
approximately 97.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of HBC common stock prior to the Effective Time. Prior to that role, from 2015
to 2018, Mr. Davis served as Senior Vice President of Operations for BrightVolt, a solid state lithium battery technology company. Mr.
Davis received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and M.B.A. from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
We believe Mr. Davis is qualified to serve
on Solidion Board because of his extensive experience performing at the executive level of companies that included international business
profit and loss and operations responsibilities, including in the energy storage industry with a heavy focus on lithium batteries.
41
Karin-Joyce (KJ) Tjon — Director
Karin-Joyce (KJ) Tjon serves as our director.
Ms. Tjon has served as a director of Nubia since the closing of its IPO. Ms. Tjon is also a Director at LivePerson, Inc (NASDAQ, “LPSN”).
Prior to Ms. Tjon’s retirement in 2020, from July 2018 until May 2020 she served as Chief Financial Officer for Alorica, Inc.
a multi-billion dollar customer service provider with over 100,000 employees worldwide. From February 2017 until August 2017, Ms. Tjon
was President and Chief Operating Officer for Scientific Games, Inc., responsible for their Gaming and Lottery divisions. Ms. Tjon has
more than 25 years of executive management level experience as an executive officer for publicly listed as well as privately held companies.
From July 2014 until September 2016 Ms. Tjon served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Epiq Systems (NASDAQ:
“EPIQ”) where she was responsible for legal, governance and risk compliance as well as all areas of international corporate
finance, including financial planning and analysis, accounting, SEC filings, tax planning, investor relations, and SAP support. As a part
of the executive team, she worked through a strategic review process which culminated in the sale of the company to a strategic buyer,
backed by private equity. At Alvarez & Marsal LLC, a leading global professional services firm, Ms. Tjon served in several interim
C-level posts guiding global clients through operational restructurings, business planning and execution, complex negotiations, financial
audit and regulatory compliance issues, and technology issues. Ms. Tjon holds a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University’s
Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in specialized studies in Organizational Behavior from Ohio University.
We believe Ms. Tjon is qualified to serve on Solidion
Board because of her extensive executive experience in financial, risk and compliance matters, as well as her experience as a public company
director.
Corporate Governance
The size of Solidion’s board of directors
is five (5). Class I consists of Mr. Winters and Ms. Tjon, whose terms will expire at Solidion’s first annual meeting
following the effectiveness of its Certificate of Incorporation. Class II consists of Mr. Davis, whose term expires at Solidion’s
second annual meeting following the effectiveness of its Certificate of Incorporation. Class III consists of Dr. Jang, whose
terms will expire at Solidion’s third annual meeting following the effectiveness of its Certificate of Incorporation.
Dr. Jang serves as Executive Chairman of
our board of directors. The primary responsibilities of the board of directors of Solidion is to provide oversight, strategic guidance,
counseling and direction to management. The board of directors of Solidion meets on a regular basis and additionally as necessary.
Director Independence
Nasdaq rules generally require that independent
directors must comprise a majority of listed company’s board of directors. The board of directors of Solidion has determined that
each of the directors on the board of directors of Solidion other than Dr. Jang and Mr. Winters is qualified as an independent
director, as defined under the listing rules of Nasdaq, and the board of directors of Solidion consists of a majority of independent directors,
as defined under the rules of the SEC and the listing rules of Nasdaq relating to director independence requirements.
Family Relationships
There are no family relationships among any of
the individuals who shall serve as directors or executive officers of Solidion following the consummation of the business combination.
Role of Board in Risk Oversight
The board of directors of Solidion has extensive
involvement in the oversight of risk management related to Solidion and its business and accomplishes this oversight through the regular
reporting to the board of directors by the audit committee. The audit committee represents the board of directors by periodically reviewing
Solidion’s accounting, reporting and financial practices, including the integrity of its financial statements, the surveillance
of administrative and financial controls and its compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Through its regular meetings with
management, including the finance, legal, internal audit and information technology functions, the audit committee reviews and discusses
all significant areas of Solidion’s business and summarize for the board of directors all areas of risk and the appropriate mitigating
factors. In addition, the board of directors receives periodic detailed operating performance reviews from management.
42
Committees of the Board of Directors
The board of directors of Solidion has an audit
committee, a compensation committee, a nominating and corporate governance committee and an executive committee, each of which has the
composition and responsibilities described below. Members serve on these committees until their resignation or until otherwise determined
by the board of directors.
Audit Committee
The audit committee consists of Mr. Davis
and Ms. Tjon. The board of Solidion is expected to determine (i) that each of Mr. Davis and Ms. Tjon satisfies the requirements
for independence and financial literacy under the rules and regulations of Nasdaq and the SEC and (ii) that Ms. Tjon qualify as an
“audit committee financial expert” as defined in the SEC rules and regulations and satisfies the financial sophistication
requirements of Nasdaq. The audit committee of Solidion is responsible for, among other things:
● selecting and hiring Solidion’s registered public accounting
firm;
● evaluating the performance and independence of Solidion’s
registered public accounting firm;
● approving the audit and pre-approving any non-audit services
to be performed by Solidion’s registered public accounting firm;
● reviewing the integrity of Solidion’s financial statements
and related disclosures and reviewing Solidion’s critical accounting policies and practices;
● reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of Solidion’s
internal control policies and procedures and Solidion’s disclosure controls and procedures;
● overseeing procedures for the treatment of complaints relating
to accounting, internal accounting controls or audit matters;
● reviewing and discussing with management and the registered
public accounting firm the results of the annual audit, Solidion’s quarterly financial statements and Solidion’s publicly
filed reports;
● establishing procedures for employees to anonymously submit
concerns about questionable accounting or audit matters;
● reviewing and approving in advance any proposed related-person
transactions; and
● preparing the audit committee report that the SEC requires
in Solidion’s annual proxy statement.
Compensation Committee
The compensation committee consists of Mr. Davis
and Ms. Tjon, with Ms. Tjon serving as chairperson. The board of Solidion has determined that each member of the compensation committee
satisfies the requirements for independence under the rules and regulations of Nasdaq and the SEC. The compensation committee of
Solidion is responsible for, among other things:
● determining, or recommending to the board of directors for
determination, the compensation of Solidion’s executive officers, including the chief executive officer;
● overseeing and setting compensation for the members of the
board of directors;
● administering Solidion’s equity compensation plans;
● overseeing Solidion’s overall compensation policies
and practices, compensation plans, and benefits programs; and
● preparing the compensation committee report that the SEC
will require in Solidion’s annual proxy statement.
43
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The nominating and corporate governance committee
consists of Mr. Davis and Ms. Tjon, with Ms. Tjon serving as chairperson. The board of Solidion has determine that each member of
the nominating and corporate governance committee satisfies the requirements for independence under the rules and regulations of Nasdaq
and the SEC. The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for, among other things:
● evaluating and making recommendations regarding the composition,
organization and governance of the board of directors and its committees;
● reviewing and making recommendations with regard to Solidion’s
corporate governance guidelines and compliance with laws and regulations;
● reviewing conflicts of interest of Solidion’s directors
and officers and proposed waivers of Solidion’s corporate governance guidelines and code of business conducts and ethics; and
● evaluating the performance of the board of directors and
its committees.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider
Participation
None of Solidion’s executive officers currently
serves, or has served during the last year, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one
or more executive officers serving as a member of the board of directors.
Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings
On August 3, 2017, Jaymes W. Winters II,
our Chief Executive Officer, filed a petition for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code (the “Chapter 7 Case”)
in the United States Bankruptcy Court Western District of Washington (Tacoma) (the “Court”) (Case No. 17-42965)
to avoid a $2,480,000 judicial lien against his personal residence obtained by Sterling Savings Bank (the “Sterling Savings Lien”),
which was held by Umpqua Bank, the successor to Sterling Savings Bank. On November 9, 2018, the Court partially granted Mr. Winters’s
motion to avoid the judgment lien of Umpqua Bank and all but $160,725 of Umpqua Bank’s judicial lien was avoided. On May 14,
2018, while the Chapter 7 Case was still open, Mr. Winters filed another petition for bankruptcy under Chapter 13 of the
Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court Western District of Washington (Tacoma) (Case Number: 3:17-BK-42965) to further
protect his rights in relation to the Sterling Savings Lien. The Court granted a voluntary dismissal of the Chapter 13 Case on November 27,
2018. As of the date of this prospectus, both the Chapter 7 Case and the Chapter 13 Case are closed.
Stockholder Communications
We do not have a formal policy regarding stockholder
communications with our Board. A shareholder who wishes to communicate with our Board may do so by directing a written request addressed
to our Chief Executive Officer, at the address appearing on the first page of this filing.
Stockholder Communications
We do not have a formal policy regarding stockholder
communications with our Board. A shareholder who wishes to communicate with our Board may do so by directing a written request addressed
to our Chief Executive Officer, at the address appearing on the first page of this filing.
Code of Ethics
The Board has established a formal code of
business conduct and ethics that applies to our officers, directors and employees. The full text is available on our website at
https://ir.solidiontech.com/governance. Any amendment or waiver disclosed on our website will be made available on our website to
the extent required by applicable rules or regulations or listing requirements of Nasdaq. Any waiver of the code of business conduct
and ethics for our executive officers or directors must be approved by the Board, and any such waiver shall be promptly disclosed to
the stockholders.
Insider Trading Policy
We maintain a Policy on Insider Trading and
Insider Information that prohibits our officers, directors and employees from purchasing or selling any type of security while in
possession of material, non-public information relating to the security, whether the issuer of such security is the Company or any
other company. Additionally, no officer, director or employee shall purchase or sell any security of the Company during the period
beginning on the 15 th calendar day of the last month of each fiscal quarter of the Company and ending upon
completion of the second full trading day after the public release of earnings data for
such fiscal quarter or during any other trading suspension period declared by the Company. It prohibits officers, directors, or employees
from pledging our stock as collateral to secure loans and from engaging in hedging transactions, including zero-cost collars and forward
sale contracts. It further prohibits margin purchases of our stock, short sales of our stock, and any transactions in puts, calls or other
derivative securities involving our stock.
44
Availability of Corporate Governance Materials
Stockholders may view our corporate governance
materials, including the charters of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and
our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, on our website at www.solidiontech.com under “Governance” on the “Investors”
page, and these documents are available in print to any stockholder who sends a written request to such effect to Solidion Technology,
Inc., 13355 Noel Rd, Suite 1100, Dallas, TX 75240, Attention: Corporate Secretary. Information on or accessible from our website
is not and should not be considered a part of this Registration Statement.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following table sets forth information concerning
the compensation earned for services rendered to us for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 of our named executive
officers as determined in accordance with SEC rules.
Name and Principal Position
Year
Salary
($)
Bonus
($)
Stock
Awards
($)
Option
Awards
($)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
Total
($)
Dr. Bor Jang
2025
200,900
63,936
—
—
—
264,836
Board Chairman and Chief Science Officer
2024
140,000
—
—
—
—
140,000
Jaymes Winters
2025
300,000
—
—
—
—
300,000
Chief Executive Officer
2024
300,000
40,000
—
—
—
340,000
Songhai Chai
2025
225,000
99,041
—
—
—
324,041
Chief Technology Officer
2024
130,000
—
—
—
—
130,000
Vlad Prantsevich
2025
225,000
—
—
—
—
225,000
Chief Financial Officer
2024
225,000
40,000
—
—
—
265,000
Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation
Table
Our compensation committee has historically determined
the compensation of our named executive officers. Our compensation committee typically reviews and discusses management’s proposed
compensation with the Chief Executive Officer for all executives other than the Chief Executive Officer. Based on those discussions and
its discretion, the compensation committee then approves the compensation of each executive officer after discussions without members
of management present.
Base Salary
Base salaries for our named executive officers
are initially established through arm’s-length negotiations at the time of the executive officer’s hiring, taking into account
such executive officer’s qualifications, experience, the scope of his or her responsibilities and competitive market compensation
paid by other companies for similar positions within the industry and geography. Annual base salaries are intended to provide a fixed
component of compensation to our named executive officers, reflecting their skill sets, experience, roles and responsibilities. Base salaries
are reviewed, determined, and approved periodically, typically in connection with our annual performance review process, and adjusted
from time to time to realign salaries with market levels after taking into account individual responsibilities, performance and experience.
Annual Performance-Based Compensation
In addition to base salaries, our named executive
officers are eligible to receive annual performance-based bonuses, which are designed to provide appropriate incentives to our executive
officers to achieve annual performance goals and to reward them for achievement towards these goals. Performance based milestones are
approved by the board at the beginning of the year and executive officers are assessed against these performance-based milestones subsequent
to year end.
45
Executive Compensation Arrangements
Mr. Winters and Mr. Prantsevich
We entered into employment agreements (the “Executive
Employment Agreements”) with Jaymes Winters and Vlad Prantsevich, effective as of the Closing Date (the “Start Date”).
Mr. Winters’ Executive Employment Agreement provides for an initial base salary of $300,000, and Mr. Prantsevich’s
Executive Employment Agreement provides for an initial base salary of $225,000. Both Executive Employment Agreements include an employment
term that expires on the sixth anniversary of the Start Date (the “Initial Term”). The Initial Term is automatically extended
thereafter from year to year, unless terminated in accordance with the terms of the agreement (with any extension beyond the Initial Term
referred to as a “Renewal Term”). The Executive Employment Agreements may be terminated by either party at any time and for
any reason upon 30 days’ notice, subject to the severance obligations described below.
The Executive Employment Agreements provide that
each executive is eligible to receive (i) two transition bonuses in the amount of $20,000 each, (ii) an annual incentive bonus,
determined by the Company on a discretionary basis in an amount up to 80% of annual base salary, and (iii) an additional bonus based
on certain stock price targets for the Company. The Executive Employment Agreements also provide that each executive shall be entitled
to certain cash incentive payments in connection with the Company achieving certain capital raise targets within 18 months of the
Closing.
The Executive Employment Agreements provide that
each executive is eligible to receive a cash bonus in the event of an Applicable Sale of the Company (as defined in the Executive Employment
Agreements), which sale bonus shall equal 2.5% of the Equity Value of the Company (as defined in the Executive Employment Agreements).
Mr. Winters’ Executive Employment Agreement
provides that he shall be issued warrants to purchase at least 12,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and shall be granted
4,000 shares of unrestricted stock in an initial grant, and annually thereafter an additional 4,000 shares of restricted stock. Mr. Prantsevich’s
Executive Employment Agreement provides that he shall be issued warrants to purchase at least 4,000 shares of the Company’s common
stock and shall be granted 2,000 shares of unrestricted stock in an initial grant, and annually thereafter an additional 2,000 shares
of restricted stock.
The Executive Employment Agreements also provide
that if either executive is terminated for any reason, the executive shall receive the following: (i) Executive’s Base Salary
through and including the effective date of termination; (ii) payment for accrued unused vacation time, subject to the Company’s
then current vacation policy; (iii) payment of any vested benefit; (iv) payment of Executive’s Incentive Bonus for the
prior Fiscal Year, to the extent such Incentive Bonus had not yet been paid as of the Termination Date; (iv) payment of a prorated
Incentive Bonus based on the number of days Executive was employed during the Fiscal Year, which shall be paid within sixty (60) days
of the end of the Fiscal Year; and (v) payment for unreimbursed business expenses.
The Executive Employment Agreements further provide
that if either executive is terminated by the Company without Cause (as defined in the Executive Employment Agreements), by the Company
by Notice of Non-Renewal, or by Executive pursuant to Good Reason (as defined in the Executive Employment Agreements), in addition to
the payments set forth above, and provided the executive execute a release in the form attached to the Executive Employment Agreement,
the executive shall be entitled to receive severance benefits that consist of: (i) 12 months of Executive’s Base Salary
immediately prior to the termination date, in the form of salary continuation; (ii) an amount equal to the Incentive Bonus paid for
the previous Fiscal Year; (iii) a lump-sum cash amount equal to the First Transition Bonus (as defined above) to the extent the First
Transition Bonus has not yet been paid to Executive; and (iv) 12 months of benefits continuation, or the Company will pay or
reimburse Executive for the portion of the COBRA premium that is equal to the insurance premium the Company would pay if Executive was
then an active employee of the Company.
Each executive is also subject to confidentiality
and assignment of intellectual property provisions and certain restrictive covenants, including non-disparagement and twelve months
post-employment non-competition and non-solicitation of employees and customer provisions.
46
Dr. Jang and Dr. Chai
On February 10, 2025 (the “Signing
Date”), the Company entered into employment agreements with each of Dr. Jang (the “Jang Employment Agreement”)
and Dr. Chai (the “Chai Employment Agreement” and, together with the Jang Employment Agreement, the “Employment
Agreements”). The Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”), which is made up entirely of independent
directors in accordance with Nasdaq listing rules, approved the Company’s entry into the Employment Agreements.
The Jang Employment Agreement provides for a starting
annual base salary of $200,900 and an annual incentive opportunity discretionary bonus with a target set at 40% of base salary, and such
bonus may be paid in cash, shares of stock, or a combination, although at least twenty-five percent must be paid in cash. Under the Jang
Employment Agreement, the parties acknowledge that Dr. Jang, with the Company’s consent, is employed in an executive capacity
by Global Graphene Group, Inc. (“G3”) and also serves on G3’s board of directors. Dr. Jang represents and warrants
that he will devote approximately seventy percent (70%) of his business time and efforts to the performance of duties assigned to him
under the Jang Employment Agreement. Dr. Jang agrees he will not engage in any other paid work, other than his simultaneous employment
by G3, unless he notifies the Board or its designee in advance of his intent to engage in other paid work and receives the express written
consent of the Board or its designee to do so. G3 beneficially owns approximately 51.4% of the outstanding shares of common stock of the
Company as of the date of this filing.
The Chai Employment Agreement provides for a starting
annual base salary of $225,000 and an annual incentive opportunity discretionary bonus with a target set at 40% of base salary, and such
bonus may be paid in cash, shares of stock, or a combination, although at least twenty-five percent must be paid in cash.
The Employment Agreements provide for an initial
term of two years commencing on the Closing Date, subject to annual renewal for additional, successive one-year terms. The Employment
Agreements provide for a one-time transition bonus to Dr. Jang and Dr. Chai in the amount of $63,936 and $99,041, respectively,
less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid in a lump sum on the Signing Date.
The Employment Agreements generally provide for
(i) the initial one-time grants to Dr. Jang and Dr. Chai of at-the-money warrants to purchase at least 8,000 and 4,000,
respectively, shares of the Company’s common stock with an expiration on the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date; (ii) the
initial one-time grants of 4,000 and 2,000, respectively, shares of unrestricted stock (“Unrestricted Stock”); and (iii) annually
thereafter, the grant of 4,000 and, 2,000 shares of restricted stock (“Restricted Stock”) of the Company each year. The awards
(i) will be subject to vesting on three equal installments on each of the first three anniversaries of the Closing Date, (ii) will
be made pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Company’s 2023 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) and (iii) will
be evidenced by an award agreement between the Company and the Executive, pursuant to the terms of the Plan.
The Employment Agreements generally provide for
the right to receive or participate in all employee benefit programs and perquisites established from time to time by the Company on a
basis that is no less favorable than such programs and perquisites are provided by the Company to the Company’s other senior executives.
The Employment Agreements further provide that
if either executive is terminated for any reason, the executive shall receive the following: (i) Executive’s Base Salary through
and including the effective date of termination; (ii) payment for accrued unused vacation time, subject to the Company’s then
current vacation policy; (iii) payment of any vested benefit; (iv) payment of Executive’s discretionary bonus for the
prior fiscal year, to the extent not yet paid as of the termination date; (v) payment of a prorated discretionary bonus based on
the number of days employed during the fiscal year, which shall be paid within sixty (60) days of the end of the Fiscal Year;
and (vi) payment for unreimbursed business expenses.
The Employment Agreements further provide that
if either executive is terminated by the Company without Cause (as defined in the Employment Agreements), by the Company by notice of
non-renewal, or by the executive for Good Reason (as defined in the Employment Agreements), in addition to the payments set forth above,
and provided the executive execute a release in the form attached to the Employment Agreements, the executive will be entitled to receive
severance benefits that consist of: (i) 12 months of base salary immediately prior to the termination date, in the form of salary
continuation; and (ii) 12 months of health insurance benefits continuation, or the Company will pay or reimburse Executive for
the portion of the COBRA premium that is equal to the insurance premium the Company would pay if the executive were then an active employee
of the Company.
Each executive is also subject to confidentiality
and assignment of intellectual property provisions and certain restrictive covenants, including non-disparagement and twelve months
post-employment non-competition and non-solicitation of employees and customer provisions.
47
Non-Employee Director Compensation
For fiscal year 2024, Solidion provided $5,000 of cash compensation
to each of its non-employee directors. All of the directors were reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses related to their services
as a member of the Solidion board of directors.
For fiscal year 2025, Solidion provided cash compensation
described below and issued 40,000 bonus shares of common stock to each of its non-employee directors for prior service. All of the directors
are reimbursed for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses related to their services as a member of the Solidion board of directors.
We intend to approve and implement a non-employee
director compensation policy. The following table sets forth all information concerning all cash and non-cash compensation awarded to,
earned by or paid to our non-employee directors during fiscal year 2025.
Non-Employee Director
Fees Earned
or Paid in
Cash (2)
($)
Stock
Awards
($)
Option
Awards
($)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
($)
Total
($)
John Davis
55,616
215,600
—
—
—
271,216
Karin-Joyce Tjon
55,616
215,600
—
—
—
271,216
Cynthia Ekberg Tsai (1)
36,051
215,600
—
—
—
251,651
(1) Cynthia Ekberg Tsai resigned from the Board of Directors on
September 3, 2025.
(2) Of the fees earned during fiscal year 2025, a portion remains unpaid
as of the date of this filing.
Summary of the Incentive Plan
In connection with the Business Combination, we
adopted the Solidion Technology, Inc. 2023 Equity Incentive Plan. The summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete
text of the incentive plan.
Eligibility
Solidion’s employees, consultants and directors,
and employees and consultants of its affiliates, may be eligible to receive awards under the incentive plan. Following the closing, Solidion
has approximately 20 employees and five non-employee directors who may be eligible to receive awards under the incentive plan.
Award Types
The incentive plan provides for the grant of incentive
stock options (“ISOs”) to employees and for the grant of non-statutory stock options (“NSOs”), stock appreciation
rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, performance awards and other forms of stock awards to employees, directors
and consultants.
Share Reserve
The number of shares of common stock initially
reserved for issuance under the incentive plan was 190,000. Shares subject to stock awards granted under the incentive plan that expire
or terminate without being exercised in full, or that are paid out in cash rather than in shares, will not reduce the number of shares
available for issuance under the incentive plan. The incentive plan also includes an evergreen provision that provides for an automatic
annual increase to the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the incentive plan on the first day of each
fiscal year beginning with the 2024 fiscal year, equal to the least of (i) 190,000 shares of common stock, (ii) 5% of the total
number of shares of common stock outstanding as of the last day of our immediately preceding fiscal year, or (iii) such lesser
amount determined by the plan administrator.
48
Plan Administration
The board of directors of Solidion, or a duly
authorized committee thereof, will have the authority to administer the incentive plan. The board of directors of Solidion may also delegate
to one or more officers the authority to (i) designate employees other than officers to receive specified stock awards and (ii) determine
the number of shares to be subject to such stock awards. Subject to the terms of the incentive plan, the plan administrator has the authority
to determine the terms of awards, including recipients, the exercise price or strike price of stock awards, if any, the number of shares
subject to each stock award, the fair market value of a share, the vesting schedule applicable to the awards, together with any vesting
acceleration, the form of consideration, if any, payable upon exercise or settlement of the stock award and the terms and conditions of
the award agreements for use under the incentive plan. The plan administrator has the power to modify outstanding awards under the incentive
plan. Subject to the terms of the incentive plan, the plan administrator also has the authority to reprice any outstanding option or stock
award, cancel and re-grant any outstanding option or stock award in exchange for new stock awards, cash or other consideration, or take
any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles, with the consent of any materially adversely
affected participant.
Stock Options
ISOs and NSOs are granted under stock option agreements
adopted by the plan administrator. The plan administrator determines the exercise price for stock options, within the terms and conditions
of the incentive plan, provided that the exercise price of a stock option generally cannot be less than 100% of the fair market value
of a share of common stock on the date of grant (however, a stock option may be granted with an exercise or strike price lower than 100%
of the fair market value on the date of grant of such award if such award is granted pursuant to an assumption of or substitution for
another option pursuant to a corporate transaction, as such term is defined in the incentive plan, and in a manner consistent with the
provisions of Sections 409A and, if applicable, 424(a) of the Code). Options granted under the incentive plan vest at the rate specified
in the stock option agreement as determined by the plan administrator. The plan administrator determines the term of stock options granted
under the incentive plan, up to a maximum of ten years. Unless the terms of an optionholder’s stock option agreement provide
otherwise, if an optionholder’s service relationship ceases for any reason other than cause, the optionholder may generally exercise
any vested options for a period of three (3) months following the cessation of service, but only within three (3) months following
such termination, unless another period of time is provided in the applicable award agreement or other agreement, subject to the limitations
in the incentive plan. The option term may be extended in the event that the exercise of the option following such a termination of service
is prohibited by applicable securities laws or Solidion’s insider trading policy. Options generally terminate immediately upon the
termination of an optionholder’s service for cause. In no event may an option be exercised beyond the expiration of its term. Acceptable
consideration for the purchase of common stock issued upon the exercise of a stock option will be determined by the plan administrator
and may include (i) cash, check, bank draft, or money order, (ii) a broker-assisted cashless exercise, (iii) the tender
of shares of common stock previously owned by the optionholder, (iv) a net exercise of the option if it is an NSO and (v) other
legal consideration approved by the plan administrator.
Tax Limitations on ISOs
The aggregate fair market value, determined at
the time of grant, of common stock with respect to ISOs that are exercisable for the first time by an optionholder during any calendar
year under all stock plans maintained by Solidion may not exceed $100,000. Options or portions thereof that exceed such limit generally
will be treated as NSOs. No ISO may be granted to any person who, at the time of the grant, owns or is deemed to own stock possessing
more than 10% of Solidion’s total combined voting power or that of any of Solidion’s affiliates unless (1) the option
exercise price is at least 110% of the fair market value of the stock subject to the option on the date of grant, and (2) the option
is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the date of grant.
Restricted Stock Awards
Restricted stock awards are granted under restricted
stock award agreements adopted by the plan administrator. A restricted stock award may be awarded in consideration for cash, check, bank
draft or money order, past services, or any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the plan administrator and permissible
under applicable law. The plan administrator determines the terms and conditions of restricted stock awards, including vesting and forfeiture
terms. Except as provided otherwise in the applicable award agreement, if a participant’s service relationship ends for any reason, Solidion may receive through
a forfeiture condition or a repurchase right any or all of the shares held by the participant under his or her restricted stock award
that have not vested as of the date the participant terminates service.
49
Restricted Stock Unit Awards
Restricted stock units are granted under restricted
stock unit award agreements adopted by the plan administrator. Restricted stock units may be granted in consideration for any form of
legal consideration that may be acceptable to the plan administrator and permissible under applicable law. A restricted stock unit may
be settled by cash, delivery of stock, a combination of cash and stock as deemed appropriate by the plan administrator, or in any other
form of consideration set forth in the restricted stock unit agreement. Additionally, dividend equivalents may be credited in respect
of shares covered by a restricted stock unit. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement, restricted stock units that
have not vested will be forfeited once the participant’s continuous service ends for any reason.
Stock Appreciation Rights
Stock appreciation rights are granted under stock
appreciation grant agreements adopted by the plan administrator. The plan administrator determines the purchase price or strike price
for a stock appreciation right, which generally cannot be less than 100% of the fair market value of common stock on the date of grant
(however, a stock appreciation right may be granted with an exercise or strike price lower than 100% of the fair market value on the date
of grant of such award if such award is granted pursuant to an assumption of or substitution for another option pursuant to a corporate
transaction, as such term is defined in the incentive plan, and in a manner consistent with the provisions of Sections 409A). A stock
appreciation right granted under the incentive plan vests at the rate specified in the stock appreciation right agreement as determined
by the plan administrator.
Performance Awards
The incentive plan permits the grant of performance-based
stock and cash awards. The plan administrator may structure awards so that the shares of common stock, cash, or other property will be
issued or paid only following the achievement of certain pre-established performance goals during a designated performance period. The
performance criteria that will be used to establish such performance goals may be based on any measure of performance selected by the
plan administrator. The performance goals may be based on a company-wide basis, with respect to one or more business units, divisions,
affiliates, or business segments, and in either absolute terms or relative to the performance of one or more comparable companies or the
performance of one or more relevant indices. Unless specified otherwise (i) in the award agreement at the time the award is granted
or (ii) in such other document setting forth the performance goals at the time the goals are established, the plan administrator
will appropriately make adjustments in the method of calculating the attainment of performance goals as follows: (1) to exclude restructuring
and/or other nonrecurring charges; (2) to exclude exchange rate effects; (3) to exclude the effects of changes to generally
accepted accounting principles; (4) to exclude the effects of any statutory adjustments to corporate tax rates; (5) to exclude
the effects of items that are “unusual” in nature or occur “infrequently” as determined under generally accepted
accounting principles; (6) to exclude the dilutive effects of acquisitions or joint ventures; (7) to assume that any business
divested by Solidion achieved performance objectives at targeted levels during the balance of a performance period following such divestiture;
(8) to exclude the effect of any change in the outstanding shares of common stock by reason of any stock dividend or split, stock
repurchase, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination or exchange of shares or other similar corporate
change, or any distributions to shareholders other than regular cash dividends; (9) to exclude the effects of stock based compensation
and the award of bonuses under Solidion’s bonus plans; (10) to exclude costs incurred in connection with potential acquisitions
or divestitures that are required to expense under generally accepted accounting principles; and (11) to exclude the goodwill and
intangible asset impairment charges that are required to be recorded under generally accepted accounting principles. In addition, the
plan administrator retains the discretion to reduce or eliminate the compensation or economic benefit due upon attainment of the performance
goals. Partial achievement of the specified criteria may result in the payment or vesting corresponding to the degree of achievement as
specified in the applicable award agreement or the written terms of a performance cash award. The performance goals may differ from participant
to participant and from award to award.
50
Other Stock Awards
The plan administrator may grant other awards
based in whole or in part by reference to common stock. The plan administrator will set the number of shares under the stock award and
all other terms and conditions of such awards.
Non-Employee Director Compensation Limit
The aggregate value of all compensation granted
or paid by Solidion to any individual for service as a non-employee director with respect to any calendar year (such period, the “annual
period”), including stock awards and cash fees paid by Solidion to such non-employee director, will not exceed (i) $500,000
in total value or (ii) in the event such non-employee director is first appointed or elected to the board of directors of Solidion
during such annual period, $750,000 in total value. For purposes of these limitations, the value of any such stock awards is calculated
based on the grant date fair value of such stock awards for financial reporting purposes.
Changes to Capital Structure
In the event there is a specified type of change
in Solidion’s capital structure, such as a merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, reincorporation, stock dividend,
dividend in property other than cash, large nonrecurring cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, liquidating dividend, combination
of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure or any similar equity restructuring transaction, appropriate adjustments
will be made to (i) the class(es) and maximum number of shares of common stock subject to the incentive plan and the maximum number
of shares by which the share reserve may annually increase; (ii) the class(es) and maximum number of shares that may be issued pursuant
to the exercise of ISOs; and (iii) the class(es) and number of securities and exercise price, strike price or purchase price of common
stock subject to outstanding awards.
Corporate Transactions
The following applies to stock awards under the
incentive plan in the event of a corporate transaction, as defined in the incentive plan, unless otherwise provided in a participant’s
stock award agreement or other written agreement with Solidion or unless otherwise expressly provided by the plan administrator at the
time of grant. In the event of a corporate transaction, any stock awards outstanding under the incentive plan may be assumed, continued
or substituted by any surviving or acquiring corporation (or its parent company), and any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by Solidion
with respect to the stock award may be assigned to the successor (or its parent company). If the surviving or acquiring corporation (or
its parent company) does not assume, continue or substitute such stock awards, then with respect to any such stock awards that are held
by participants whose continuous service has not terminated prior to the effective time of the transaction, or current participants, the
vesting (and exercisability, if applicable) of such stock awards will be accelerated in full to a date prior to the effective time of
the transaction (contingent upon the effectiveness of the transaction), and such stock awards will terminate for no consideration if not
exercised (if applicable) at or prior to the effective time of the transaction, and any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by Solidion
with respect to such stock awards will lapse (contingent upon the effectiveness of the transaction). With respect to performance awards
with multiple vesting levels depending on performance level, unless otherwise provided by an award agreement or by the plan administrator,
the award will accelerate at 100% of target. If the surviving or acquiring corporation (or its parent company) does not assume, continue
or substitute such stock awards, then with respect to any such stock awards that are held by persons other than current participants,
such awards will terminate for no consideration if not exercised (if applicable) prior to the effective time of the transaction, except
that any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by Solidion with respect to such stock awards will not terminate and may continue to
be exercised notwithstanding the transaction. The plan administrator is not obligated to treat all stock awards or portions of stock awards
in the same manner and is not obligated to take the same actions with respect to all participants. In the event a stock award will terminate
if not exercised prior to the effective time of a transaction, the plan administrator may provide, in its sole discretion, that the holder
of such stock award may not exercise such stock award but instead will receive a payment equal in value, at the effective time, to the
excess (if any) of (1) the value of the property the participant would have received upon the exercise of the stock award over (2) any
exercise price payable by such holder in connection with such exercise.
51
Change in Control
In the event of a change in control, as defined
under the incentive plan, awards granted under the incentive plan will not receive automatic acceleration of vesting and exercisability,
although this treatment may be provided for in an award agreement.
Plan Amendment or Termination
The board of directors of Solidion will have the
authority to amend, suspend, or terminate the incentive plan, provided that such action does not materially impair the existing rights
of any participant without such participant’s written consent. No ISOs may be granted after the tenth anniversary of the date the
Nubia Board adopts the incentive plan.
Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Aspects
of Awards Under the Incentive Plan
This is a brief summary of the federal income
tax aspects of awards that may be made under the incentive plan based on existing U.S. federal income tax laws. This summary provides
only the basic tax rules. Except as otherwise specifically set forth below, it does not describe a number of special tax rules, including
the alternative minimum tax and various elections that may be applicable under certain circumstances. It also does not reflect provisions
of the income tax laws of any municipality, state or foreign country in which a holder may reside, nor does it reflect the tax consequences
of a holder’s death. The tax consequences of awards under the incentive plan depend upon the type of award.
Incentive Stock Options. The
recipient of an ISO generally will not be taxed upon grant of the option. Federal income taxes are generally imposed only when the shares
of Solidion’s common stock from exercised ISOs are disposed of, by sale or otherwise (although the excess of the fair market value
of the common stock on the date of exercise over the exercise price is a tax preference for alternative minimum tax purposes, which could
result in an alternative minimum tax liability). If the ISO recipient does not sell or dispose of the shares of Solidion’s common
stock until more than one year after the receipt of the shares (i.e., exercise of the ISO) and two years after the option was granted
(i.e., the minimum required time), then, upon sale or disposition of the shares, the difference between the exercise price and the fair
market value of the shares of Solidion’s common stock as of the date of exercise will be treated as a long-term capital gain, and
not ordinary income. If a recipient fails to hold the shares for the minimum required time the recipient will recognize ordinary income
in the year of disposition generally in an amount equal to any excess of the fair market value of the common stock purchased on the date
of exercise (or, if less, the amount realized on disposition of the shares) over the exercise price paid for the shares. Any further gain
(or loss) realized by the recipient generally will be taxed as short-term or long-term gain (or loss) depending on the holding period.
Solidion, subject to Section 162(m) of the Code, generally will be entitled to a tax deduction at the same time and in the same
amount as ordinary income is recognized by the option recipient.
Non-statutory Stock Options. The
recipient of an NSO generally will not be taxed upon the grant of the option. Federal income taxes are generally due from a recipient
of NSOs when the options are exercised. The excess of the fair market value of the common stock purchased on such date over the exercise
price of the option is taxed as ordinary income. Thereafter, the tax basis for the acquired shares is equal to the amount paid for the
shares plus the amount of ordinary income recognized by the recipient. Solidion, subject to Section 162(m) of the Code, generally
will be entitled to a tax deduction at the same time and in the same amount as ordinary income is recognized by the option recipient by
reason of the exercise of the option. Any gain that the recipient realizes when he or she later sells or disposes of the acquired shares
will be short-term or long-term capital gain, depending on how long the shares were held.
Restricted Stock Awards. Recipients
who receive awards of restricted shares subject to a vesting requirement (i.e., the restricted shares are nontransferable and is subject
to a substantial risk of forfeiture) generally will recognize ordinary income at the time vesting occurs in an amount equal to the fair
market value of the shares at that time minus the amount, if any, paid for the shares. However, a recipient who receives restricted shares
subject to a vesting requirement (i.e., the restricted shares are nontransferable and is subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture)
may, within 30 days of the date the shares are granted, elect in accordance with Section 83(b) of the Code to recognize
ordinary compensation income at the time of transfer of the shares rather than upon the vesting dates. Solidion, subject to Section 162(m) of
the Code, generally will be entitled to a tax deduction at the same time and in the same amount as ordinary income is recognized by the
recipient.
Restricted Stock Unit Awards. Recipients
will not recognize income, and the Company will not be allowed a tax deduction, at the time of a restricted stock unit award is granted.
Recipients who receive restricted stock unit awards generally will recognize ordinary income when they receive shares upon settlement
of the awards in an amount equal to the fair market value of the shares at that time (less any amount the recipients paid for the stock
or property). Solidion, subject to Section 162(m) of the Code, generally will be entitled to a tax deduction at the same time
and in the same amount as ordinary income is recognized by the recipient.
Stock Appreciation Rights. Recipients
who receive stock appreciation rights generally will recognize ordinary income upon exercise in an amount equal to the excess of the
fair market value of the underlying shares of common stock on the exercise date over the exercise price. Solidion, subject to Section 162(m) of
the Code, generally will be entitled to a tax deduction at the same time and in the same amount as ordinary income is recognized by the
recipient.
52
Deductions. Section 162(m) of
the Code may limit Solidion’s ability to take a tax deduction with respect to awards made to recipients that are covered employees
to the extent that the compensation to such recipient for a taxable year exceeds $1,000,000.
Section 409A of the Code. The
incentive plan permits the grant of various types of incentive awards, which may or may not be exempt from Section 409A of the Code.
If an award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, and if the requirements of Section 409A of the Code are not met, the taxable
events as described above could apply earlier than described, and could result in the imposition of additional taxes and penalties.
Tax Withholding. The
Company Group has the right to deduct or withhold, or require a participant to remit to the Company Group, an amount sufficient to satisfy
federal, state, and local taxes (including employment taxes) required by law to be withheld with respect to any exercise, lapse of restriction
or other taxable event arising as a result of the incentive plan.
Incentive Plan Benefits
Grants of awards under the incentive plan are
subject to the discretion of the plan administrator. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the future benefits that will be received
by participants under the incentive plan.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL
OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity
Compensation Plans.
The following table provides information as of
December 31, 2025 with respect to securities that may be issued under our equity compensation plans:
Plan Category
Number of
Securities to
be Issued upon
Exercise of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and
Rights
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and
Rights
Number of
Securities
Remaining
Available for
Future Issuance
Under Equity
Compensation
Plans
(Excluding
Securities
Reflected in the
First Column)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
—
$ —
—
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
—
—
—
Total
—
$ —
$ —
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
and Management
The following table sets forth certain information
with respect to beneficial ownership of our common stock as of February 9, 2026, by:
● each person known to be the beneficial owner of 5% or more
of our outstanding common stock;
● each executive officer;
● each director; and
● all of the executive officers and directors as a group.
Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance
with Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act. Under this rule, certain shares may be deemed to be beneficially owned by more than
one person (if, for example, persons share the power to vote or the power to dispose of the shares). In addition, shares are deemed to
be beneficially owned by a person if the person has the right to acquire shares (for example, upon exercise of an option or warrant or
vesting of an RSU) within 60 days of the date as of which the information is provided. In computing the percentage ownership of any
person, the amount of shares is deemed to include the amount of shares beneficially owned by such person by reason of such acquisition
rights. As a result, the percentage of outstanding shares of any person as shown in the following table does not necessarily reflect the
person’s actual voting power at any particular date.
53
The information set forth in the table below is
based on 7,745,683 shares of common stock outstanding as of February 9, 2026.
To our knowledge, except as indicated in the footnotes
to this table and pursuant to applicable community property laws, the persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power
with respect to all shares of common stock shown as beneficially owned by them. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial
owner listed below is 13355 Noel Rd, Suite 1100, Dallas, TX 75240.
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
Beneficial
Ownership
Percent of
Class
More than 5% Beneficial Owners
Henry Ikezi (1)
3,447,957
44.5
Global Graphene Group, Inc. (2)
1,744,695
22.5
Named Executive Officers and Directors
Dr. Bor Jang (2)
—
—
Jaymes Winters
3,745
*
Vlad Prantsevich
2,425
*
Karin-Joyce (KJ) Tjon
40,200
*
John Davis
40,000
*
Dr. Songhai Chai
—
—
All executive officers and directors as a group (6 persons)
86,370
1.1
* Denotes beneficial ownership of less than 1% of our outstanding
shares of common stock.
(1) Based on a Schedule 13D/A filed by Henry Ikezi, Madison
Bond LLC and Bayside Project LLC on November 4, 2025. Includes 2,758,366 shares of common stock held of record by Madison Bond LLC
and 689,591 shares of common stock held of record by Bayside Project LLC. Mr. Ikezi is the Manager of FUN Investment Homes,
LLC, which is the Manager of Madison Bond LLC. Mr. Ikezi is the Manager of Bayside Project LLC. The principal business
address is 2 Penn Plaza 31 st Floor, New York, NY, 10121.
(2) Based on a Schedule 13D/A filed by Global Graphene Group,
Inc. (“G3”) on December 15, 2025. G3 is managed by a board of directors consisting of Dr. Jang, Dr. Zhamu, Henry
Wang, Max Wu, Wei Hsu, Edson Chang, and Hyun Yeo. Any action by G3 with respect to the shares of Solidion, including voting and dispositive
decisions, requires a majority vote of the members of the board of managers of G3. Under the so-called “rule of three,” because
voting and dispositive decisions are made by a majority of G3’s directors, none of the directors is deemed to be a beneficial owner
of shares of Solidion, even those in which any director holds a pecuniary interest. Dr. Jang is Chairman of our Board of Directors
and our Chief Science Officer. The principal business address is 1240 McCook Ave, Dayton, OH 45404.
Changes in Control
Our management is not aware of any arrangements
which may result in “changes in control” as that term is defined by the provisions of Item 403(c) of Regulation S-K.
54
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR
INDEPENDENCE
In addition to the compensation arrangements,
including employment, termination of employment and change in control arrangements, with Solidion’s directors and executive officers,
including those discussed in the sections entitled “Executive Compensation” and “Director Compensation,” the following
sets forth transactions and series of similar transactions, since January 1, 2023, in which Solidion participated or will participate,
in which (i) the amounts involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000, and (ii) any of Solidion’s then directors, executive
officers, or holders of more than 5% of its capital stock at the time of such transaction, or any member of the immediate family of the
foregoing persons, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.
The following summarizes the terms of certain
material agreements Solidion entered into with G3 in connection with the closing of the Business Combination pursuant to the Merger Agreement.
Each such summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the relevant agreement, the forms of which will be filed as annexes to
the proxy statement.
Contribution Agreement. HBC
and G3 entered into the Contribution Agreement, dated as of February 2. 2024 (the “Contribution Agreement”), pursuant
to which, among other things, G3 will contribute and transfer to HBC all its right, title and interest in, to and under certain battery-related
assets and HBC will assume certain related liabilities, as more specifically set forth thereunder. The parties intend that such contribution
will qualify as a transaction described in Section 351(a) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder. The
Contribution Agreement is attached to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part as Exhibit 10.10.
Supply and License Agreement. HBC
and G3 entered into the Supply and License Agreement, dated as of February 2, 2024 (the “SLA”), pursuant to which, among
other things, G3 will sell to and supply from time to time HBC certain graphene and graphite products and G3 will provide to HBC a non-exclusive
license to certain G3 patents, technology and know-how relating to graphene production to make and have made graphene materials for HBC’s
own needs, as more specifically set forth thereunder. The SLA is attached to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms
a part as Exhibit 10.11.
Shared Services Agreement. HBC
and G3 entered into the Shared Services Agreement, dated as of February 2, 2024 (the “SSA”), pursuant to which, among
other things, G3 will continue to provide Solidion with certain operational and other support services, including assigning certain employees
to work for Solidion to provide support to Solidion’s operations and sending its employees to Solidion on a short-term basis to
provide support, and sharing the use of certain equipment, administrative office space, production space, laboratory space and loading
space. In exchange for receipt of such services and uses, the SSA contemplates that the parties will pay fees to each other, as more specifically
set forth thereunder. The SSA is attached to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part as Exhibit 10.12.
In addition, the following related party transactions
have occurred since January 1, 2023.
Executive Officer and Director Compensation
Arrangements
See “ Executive Compensation ”
for information regarding compensation arrangements with the executive officers and directors of Solidion, which include, among other
things, employment, termination of employment and change in control arrangements, stock awards and certain other benefits.
Director and Executive Officer Indemnification
Solidion’s organizational documents provide,
and Solidion’s second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated Bylaws provide, for indemnification
for its directors and executive officers to the fullest extent permitted by law. Solidion has entered into indemnification agreements
with each of its directors and executive officers. Such agreements provide among other things, the officers and directors of Solidion
with contractual rights to indemnification, expense advancement and reimbursement, to the fullest extent permitted by law, including to
the extent they serve at Solidion’s request as directors, officers, employees or other agents of any other affiliated entity, to
the fullest extent permitted by law.
55
Warrant Conversion
See “ — Warrant Conversion ,”
“ — Purchase Agreement Amendment ” and “ — Lock-up ” under “ Prospectus
Summary — Recent Developments ” for information regarding certain transactions the Company entered into with
Madison Bond LLC and Bayside Project LLC and their manager, Henry Ikezi.
Share Issuances
See “— Unregistered Sales of Equity
Securities ” under “ Prospectus Summary — Recent Developments ” for information regarding certain
share issuances to its non-executive directors and G3.
Review, Approval and Ratification of Related
Party Transactions
It is the Company’s policy that all related
party transactions must be approved by directors independent of the parties involved. All of the transactions described above were approved
and ratified by the independent members of our Board. In connection with the approval of the transactions described above, our Board took
into account several factors, including their fiduciary duties to the Company, the relationships of the related parties described above
to the Company, the material facts underlying each transaction, the anticipated benefits to the Company and related costs associated with
such benefits, whether comparable products or services were available, and the terms we could receive from an unrelated third party.
Conflicts Related to Other Business Activities
The persons serving as our officers and directors
have existing responsibilities and, in the future, may have additional responsibilities, to provide management and services to other entities
in addition to us. As a result, conflicts of interest between us and the other activities of those persons may occur from time to time.
We will attempt to resolve any such conflicts
of interest in our favor. Our officers and directors are accountable to our shareholders and us as fiduciaries, which requires that such
officers and directors exercise good faith and integrity in handling our affairs. A shareholder may be able to institute legal action
on our behalf or on behalf of that shareholder and all other similarly situated shareholders to recover damages or for other relief in
cases of the resolution of conflicts in any manner prejudicial to us.
Director Independence
We have determined that each of the directors
on the board of directors of Solidion other than Dr. Jang and Mr. Winters qualify as an independent director, as that term is
defined in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules.
Meetings of The Board and Its Committees
The Board met 14 times during the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2025. The Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met
six times, three times and one time, respectively, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. Each director attended 75% or
more of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and of the committees on which he or she served, held during the portion of the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 for which he or she was a director or committee member.
56
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
Public Accounting
Fees
The firms of CBIZ CPAs
P.C. (“CBIZ”) and Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”) act as our independent registered public accounting firms.
The following is a summary of fees billed by CBIZ and Deloitte for services rendered.
Audit Fees. For the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, fees billed by our
independent registered public accounting firms for audit services were as follows: CBIZ billed approximately $275,000 for the year ended
December 31, 2025, and Deloitte billed approximately $554,581 and $775,985 for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
CBIZ served as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2025. Deloitte, the Company’s
former independent registered public accounting firm, performed review services and provided audit-related services in connection with
certain registration statements. Audit services for the year ended December 31, 2024 were performed by Deloitte.
Audit-Related Fees. For
the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, CBIZ and Deloitte, respectively did not render audit-related services.
Tax Fees. For the years
ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, CBIZ and Deloitte, respectively did not render tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning services.
All Other Fees. For the year ended December
31, 2025 and 2024, there were no fees billed for products and services provided by CBIZ and Deloitte other than those set forth above.
57
PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT
SCHEDULES
(a) Financial Statements:
(1)
The financial statements required to be included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are included in Item 8 therein.
(2)
All supplemental schedules have been omitted since the information is either included in the financial statements or the notes thereto or they are not required or are not applicable.
(3)
See attached Exhibit Index of this Annual Report on Form 10-K
58
SOLIDION TECHNOLOGY, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB Firm # 199 ) F-2
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB Firm #34) F-3
Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements:
Balance Sheets F-4
Statements of Operations F-5
Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) F-6
Statements of Cash Flows F-7
Notes to Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements F-8
F- 1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of
Solidion
Technology, Inc.
Opinion
on the Financial Statements
We
have audited the accompanying consolidated and combined balance sheet of Solidion Technology, Inc. (the “Company”) as of
December 31, 2025, the related consolidated and combined statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ (deficit) equity and
cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2025, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”).
In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December
31, 2025, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2025, in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America.
Explanatory
Paragraph – Going Concern
The
accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As more fully described
in Note 1, the Company has a significant working capital deficiency, has incurred significant losses and needs to raise additional funds
to meet its obligations and sustain its operations. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue
as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not
include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis
for Opinion
These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s
financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal
securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company
is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit
we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion
on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our
audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or
fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant
estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides
a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/
CBIZ CPAs P.C.
CBIZ
CPAs P.C.
We
have served as the Company’s auditor since 2025
Hartford,
CT
April 15, 2026
F- 2
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
To the shareholders and the Board of Directors
of
Solidion Technology, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated and combined balance
sheet of Solidion Technology, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2024, the related consolidated
and combined statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ (deficit) equity, and cash flows, for the year ended December 31,
2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements
present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2024, and the results of its operations
and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of America (“US GAAP”).
Restatement of the 2024 Financial Statements
As discussed in Note 2 to the December 31, 2025 financial statements,
the accompanying 2024 financial statements have been restated to correct misstatements.
Substantial Doubt About the Entity’s Ability to Continue as
a Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements for the year ended December 31,
2024 have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As of the date of issuance of the Company’s
2024 financial statements, the Company had experienced recurring net losses and net cash used in operating activities, had generated minimal
sales, and was not in compliance with Nasdaq listing rules, which raised substantial doubt about its ability to continue as going concern.
Management’s plans in regards to these matters were also described in the 2024 financial statements. The 2024 financial statements
did not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s
management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public
accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent
with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities
and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of
material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of
its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over
financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material
misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures
included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included
evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation
of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Dayton, Ohio
April 15, 2025 (December 8, 2025, as to the effects of the reverse
stock split described in Note 3, and April 15, 2026, as to the effects of the restatement discussed in Note 2)
We began serving as the Company’s auditor in 2024. In 2025 we
became the predecessor auditor.
F- 3
SOLIDION TECHNOLOGY, INC.
CONSOLIDATED AND COMBINED BALANCE SHEETS
December 31,
2025
December 31,
2024
(Restated)
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash
$ 204,725
$ 3,353,732
Accounts receivable
5,110
999
Other receivable
302,500
302,500
Inventory
24,430
24,430
Prepaid expenses
170,257
206,784
Other current assets
76,166
-
Total Current Assets
783,188
3,888,445
Property and Equipment, net of depreciation
2,022,043
2,094,536
Patents, net of amortization
1,991,623
1,972,830
Total Assets
$ 4,796,854
$ 7,955,811
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
$ 3,509,936
$ 2,135,586
Income taxes payable
-
6,369
Excise tax payable
964,463
909,871
Derivative liabilities
4,772,600
25,272,650
Due to related party
87,873
87,873
Convertible notes
-
527,500
Short-term notes payable
2,647,556
1,917,962
Total Liabilities
11,982,428
30,857,811
Commitments and contingencies (Note 6)
Stockholders’ Deficit:
Preferred stock, $ 0.0001 par value; 2,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
-
-
Common stock, $ 0.0001 par value, 300,000,000 shares authorized, 7,465,283 and 2,633,956 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively
746
13,169
Additional paid-in capital
159,027,646
101,998,956
Stock subscription receivable
( 2,841,427 )
( 2,545,586 )
Accumulated deficit
( 163,372,539 )
( 122,368,539 )
Total Stockholders’ Deficit
( 7,185,574 )
( 22,902,000 )
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Deficit
$ 4,796,854
$ 7,955,811
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated and
combined financial statements.
F- 4
SOLIDION TECHNOLOGY, INC.
CONSOLIDATED AND COMBINED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended December 31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
Net sales
$ 13,350
$ -
Cost of goods sold
6,648
-
Gross profit
6,702
-
Operating Expenses
Research and development
3,422,897
2,375,163
Selling, general and administrative
9,504,711
10,924,374
Total operating expenses
12,927,608
13,299,537
Operating loss
( 12,920,906 )
( 13,299,537 )
Other Income (Expense)
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
( 28,250,727 )
12,275,217
Loss on issuance of common stock and warrants
-
( 31,033,622 )
Interest income
19,094
13,806
Interest expense
( 108,971 )
( 366,963 )
Other income (expense)
257,510
( 5,934 )
Total other expense
( 28,083,094 )
( 19,117,496 )
Net loss before provision for income taxes
( 41,004,000 )
( 32,417,033 )
Provision for income taxes
-
-
Net loss
$ ( 41,004,000 )
$ ( 32,417,033 )
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding – basic and diluted
3,946,294
2,051,708
Basic and diluted net loss per share of common stock
$ ( 10.39 )
$ ( 15.80 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated and
combined financial statements.
F- 5
SOLIDION TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Consolidated
AND COMBINED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERs’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025 AND DECEMBER
31, 2024
(RESTATED)
Common Stock
Additional
Paid-in
Accumulated
Stock
Subscription
Stockholders’
Equity
Shares
Amount
Capital
Deficit
Receivable
(Deficit)
Balance at December 31, 2023
—
$ —
$ 28,857,965
$ ( 25,445,506 )
$ —
$ 3,412,459
Retroactive application of recapitalization to December 31, 2023
1,396,000
6,980
( 6,980 )
—
—
—
Adjusted beginning balance
1,396,000
6,980
28,850,985
( 25,445,506 )
—
3,412,459
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
1,396,000
6,980
28,850,985
( 25,445,506 )
—
3,412,459
Capital contributions from related party
—
—
487,273
—
—
487,273
Issuance of common stock upon consummation of the Merger
120,093
600
( 27,888,519 )
—
—
( 27,887,919 )
Conversion of convertible notes into common stock upon consummation of the Merger
119,245
596
3,174,404
—
—
3,175,000
Stock subscription receivable
—
—
—
—
( 80,241 )
( 80,241 )
Earnout Arrangement
—
—
63,600,000
( 63,600,000 )
—
—
Contingent consideration
—
—
906,000
( 906,000 )
—
—
Convertible note – stock issuance loss
—
—
2,805,678
—
—
2,805,678
Private Placements
347,016
1,735
12,930,262
—
—
12,931,997
Issuance costs in connection with the Private Placements
—
—
( 419,499 )
—
—
( 419,499 )
Shares issued from exercise of Series A Warrants
274,858
1,375
7,321,820
—
—
7,323,195
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
114,992
575
2,671,354
—
—
2,671,929
Issuance of common stock for Forward Purchase Agreement
190,860
954
3,123,425
—
( 2,372,232 )
752,147
Issuance of common stock for Forward Purchase Agreement Compensation
57,000
285
1,025,715
—
—
1,026,000
Forward Purchase Agreement – subscription receivable discount
—
—
93,113
—
( 93,113 )
—
Stock-based compensation to consultant
—
—
700,000
—
—
700,000
Shares issued to consultant
13,892
69
249,931
—
—
250,000
Stock-based compensation
—
—
2,367,014
—
—
2,367,014
Net Loss
—
—
—
( 32,417,033 )
—
( 32,417,033 )
Balance at December 31, 2024
2,633,956
13,169
101,998,956
( 122,368,539 )
( 2,545,586 )
( 22,902,000 )
Shares issued from exercise of Series A Warrants
280,287
101
4,475,753
—
—
4,475,854
Conversion of convertible notes into common stock
68,095
339
527,161
—
—
527,500
Reverse stock split
( 112 )
( 13,311 )
12,851
—
—
( 460 )
Shares issued from Earnout Arrangement
450,000
45
( 45 )
—
—
—
Shares issued from Series C and D Warrant Conversion
3,447,957
343
43,030,159
—
—
43,030,502
Shares issuable upon settlement of warrants
—
—
1,915,988
—
—
1,915,988
Forward Purchase Agreement – subscription receivable discount
—
—
295,841
—
( 295,841 )
—
Stock-based compensation to consultants
345,100
36
3,821,086
—
—
3,821,122
Stock-based compensation
240,000
24
2,949,896
—
—
2,949,920
Net Loss
—
—
—
( 41,004,000 )
—
( 41,004,000 )
Balance at December 31, 2025
7,465,283
$ 746
$ 159,027,646
$ ( 163,372,539 )
$ ( 2,841,427 )
$ ( 7,185,574 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated and
combined financial statements.
F- 6
SOLIDION TECHNOLOGY, INC.
CONSOLIDATED
AND COMBINED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the Year Ended
December 31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net loss
$ ( 41,004,000 )
$ ( 32,417,033 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
294,442
350,509
Stock based compensation
2,949,920
2,367,014
Equity compensation expense
3,821,122
1,976,000
Non-cash interest expense
—
303,061
Non-cash gain related to adjustment of note payable balance
( 257,512 )
—
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
28,250,727
( 12,275,217 )
Loss on issuance of common stock and warrants
—
31,033,622
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
( 4,111 )
1,165
Inventory
—
( 1,700 )
Prepaid expenses
36,527
3,515
Other current assets
( 76,166 )
—
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
1,404,126
1,344,669
Income taxes payable
( 6,369 )
( 82,898 )
Excise taxes
54,592
19,486
Net Cash Used In Operating Activities
( 4,536,702 )
( 7,377,807 )
Cash Flows From Investing Activities:
Purchases of property and equipment
( 117,812 )
—
Capitalized patent costs
( 122,930 )
( 246,074 )
Net Cash Used In Investing Activities
( 240,742 )
( 246,074 )
Cash Flows From Financing Activities:
Capital contributions from Global Graphene Group
—
487,273
Cash received from NUBI Trust
—
25,160,047
Discount payment related to Non Redemption Agreement
—
( 13,937,997 )
Reimbursement of consideration shares related to the Forward Purchase Agreement
—
( 2,193,800 )
Reimbursement of Recycled Shares related to Forward Purchase Agreement
—
( 80,241 )
Transaction expenses in connection with the Merger
—
( 8,948,009 )
Inflow from Merger
—
17,555
Proceeds from convertible notes
—
527,500
Proceeds from short-term notes
1,000,000
670,000
Repayment of short-term notes
( 42,671 )
( 1,389,146 )
Proceeds from issuance of common stock and warrants in connection with Private Placement
—
7,850,000
Proceeds from issuance of common stock from exercise of warrants
671,568
4,259,241
Issuance costs in connection with Private Placement
—
( 419,499 )
Repayment of related party payable
—
( 1,026,091 )
Cash used to settle fractional shares
( 460 )
—
Net Cash Provided By Financing Activities
1,628,437
10,976,833
Net change in cash
( 3,149,007 )
3,352,952
Cash at beginning of period
3,353,732
780
Cash at end of period
$ 204,725
$ 3,353,732
Supplemental disclosure
Cash paid for interest expense
$ 16,627
$ 169,911
Cash paid for federal income taxes
$ 6,369
$ 89,959
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities:
Issuance of Common Stock upon the closing of the Merger
$ —
$ 4,993
Issuance of Common Stock for Forward Purchase Agreement
$ —
$ 3,124,379
Issuance of Common Stock upon cashless exercise of warrants
$ 11
$ —
Stock subscription receivable, net of discount
$ —
$ 2,372,232
FPA discount accretion
$ 295,841
$ 93,113
Convertible notes converted to common shares
$ 527,500
$ —
Reclassification of warrant derivative liability to additional paid-in capital upon exercise of Series A warrants
$ 3,804,286
$ —
Conversion of Series C and Series D warrant derivative liabilities into common stock
$ 43,030,502
$ —
Reverse stock split — reclassification from common stock to additional paid-in capital
$ 13,311
$ —
Capitalized interest to principal balance of short-term note payable
$ 29,777
$ 24,061
Shares issuable upon settlement of warrants
$ 1,915,988
$ —
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated and
combined financial statements.
F- 7
SOLIDION TECHNOLOGY, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED AND COMBINED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
NOTE 1 — DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS OPERATIONS
AND GOING CONCERN
Solidion Technology, Inc (the “Company”,
“Solidion” or “Solidion Technology”), formerly known as Nubia Brand International Corp. prior to February 2, 2024,
was incorporated in Delaware on June 14, 2021 and is an advanced battery technology company focused on the development and commercialization
of next-generation battery materials, components, and energy storage solutions. Solidion is headquartered in Dallas, TX, with research
and development and manufacturing operations located in Dayton, OH.
On February 2, 2024, Nubia Brand International
Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Nubia” and after the Transactions described herein, the “Company”, “Solidion”
or “Solidion Technology, Inc.”), consummated the merger (the “Closing”) pursuant to a Merger Agreement, dated
February 16, 2023 (as amended on August 25, 2023, the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Nubia, Honeycomb Battery Company,
an Ohio corporation (“HBC”), and Nubia Merger Sub, Inc., an Ohio corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Nubia (“Merger
Sub”). HBC was formerly the energy solutions division of Global Graphene Group, Inc. (“G3”). Pursuant to the Merger
Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into HBC (the “Merger,” and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the
“Transactions”), with HBC surviving such merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nubia, which was renamed “Solidion Technology,
Inc.” upon Closing.
In accordance with the Merger Agreement the Company
issued to the HBC stockholders aggregate consideration of 1,400,000 shares of Solidion’s common stock, minus up to 4,000 Holdback
Shares, subject to adjustment for any additional interest or penalties related to the G3 Tax Lien (the “Closing Merger Consideration
Shares”) at the effective time of the Merger Agreement (the “Effective Time”), plus up to an additional 450,000 shares
of Solidion’s common stock (the “Earnout Shares”) upon the occurrence of the following events (or earlier upon a change
of control of Solidion but subject to (and only to the extent that) the valuation of Solidion’s common stock implied by such change
of control transaction meeting the respective volume weighted average price (“VWAP”), as defined in the Merger Agreement,
thresholds set forth below) (the “Earnout Arrangement”):
(i) 100,000 Earnout Shares if, over any ten (10) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period from and after the date that is thirty (30) days following the closing date of the Transactions (the “Closing Date”) until the second anniversary of the Closing Date, the VWAP of the shares of Solidion’s Class A common stock is greater than or equal to $625.00 per share (subject to any adjustment pursuant to the Merger Agreement);
(ii)
150,000 Earnout Shares if, over any ten (10) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period from and after the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days following the Closing Date until the date that is forty-two (42) months following the Closing Date, the VWAP of the shares of Solidion’s Class A common stock is greater than or equal to $750.00 per share (subject to any adjustment pursuant to the Merger Agreement); and
(iii)
200,000 Earnout Shares if over any ten (10) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period from and after the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days following the Closing Date until the fourth anniversary of the Closing Date, the VWAP of the shares of Solidion’s Class A common stock is greater than or equal to $1,250.00 per share (subject to any adjustment pursuant to the Merger Agreement).
If, prior to the expiration of the earn out periods
set forth in (i)-(iii) above, there occurs any transaction resulting in a change in control, and the corresponding valuation of Solidion’s
Class A common stock, calculated inclusive of the Earnout Shares to be issued under the Earnout Arrangement, is greater than or equal
to the amount set forth in (i)-(iii), as applicable, then, immediately prior to the consummation of such change in control, the event
set forth in (i)-(iii), as applicable, if not previously satisfied, shall be deemed to have occurred, subject to the terms provided in
the Merger Agreement.
On October 9, 2025, the Company issued 450,000
shares of its common stock to G3 pursuant to the earnout provisions of the Merger Agreement. These shares represent the full amount of
the Earnout Shares described above.
The issuance followed the approval of the Company’s
Board of Directors to deem all earnout milestones satisfied in full, after considering the Company’s post-merger capital structure
and ongoing shared-services arrangements with G3. Accordingly, the Company has completed its obligations related to the Earnout Arrangement
under the Merger Agreement.
F- 8
The Merger was accounted for as a common control transaction with
respect to HBC which is akin to a reverse recapitalization. This conclusion was based on the fact that G3 had a controlling financial
interest in HBC prior to the Merger and has a controlling financial interest in Solidion (which includes HBC as a wholly owned subsidiary).
Net assets of Nubia were stated at their historical carrying amounts with no goodwill or intangible assets recognized in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Merger with respect to HBC was
not treated as a change in control due primarily to G3 receiving the controlling voting stake in Solidion and G3’s ability to nominate
a majority of the board of directors of Solidion. Under the guidance in ASC 805 for transactions between entities under common control,
the assets and liabilities of HBC and Nubia are recognized at their carrying amounts on the date of the Merger.
Under a reverse recapitalization, Nubia was treated
as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the Merger was treated as
the equivalent of HBC issuing stock for the net liabilities of Nubia, accompanied by a recapitalization.
Going Concern
The Company’s financial statements have
been prepared under the assumption that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and
satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business for the foreseeable future.
Since the Company’s inception, it has experienced recurring net
losses and net cash used in operating activities and has generated minimal sales. For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recorded
a net loss of $ 41,004,000 , which included a non-cash, non-operating loss of $ 28,250,727 due to the change in the fair value of derivative
liabilities, net cash used in operating activities of $ 4,536,702 and as of December 31, 2025, had cash and cash equivalents of $ 204,725 .
For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recorded a net loss of $ 32,417,033 , which included a gain of $ 12,275,217 due to the
change in the fair value of derivative liabilities and a $ 31,033,622 loss due to the issuance of common stock and warrants, net cash used
in operating activities of $ 7,377,807 and as of December 31, 2024, had cash and cash equivalents of $ 3,353,732 .
The Company expects to continue to incur net losses
and net cash used in operating activities in accordance with its operating plan and expects that expenditures will increase significantly
in connection with its ongoing activities. As of the balance sheet date and up to the date that the financial statements were issued,
the Company does not have availability under any debt agreements. Additionally, the Company is currently in default of an outstanding
Promissory Note due to non-payment of scheduled installments. Given the Company’s projected operating requirements and its existing
cash and cash equivalents, the Company is projecting insufficient liquidity to sustain its operations and meet its obligations through
one year following the date that the financial statements were issued. This raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability
to continue as a going concern.
In addition, the Company has received a notice
from the Nasdaq related to their failure to maintain the minimum bid price requirement of $ 1 per share. In response, on May 12, 2025,
the Company effectuated a 1-for-50 reverse split of its Common Stock in order to reach the Nasdaq minimum. The primary objective of the
reverse stock split is to increase the per-share market price of the Company’s common stock to enable the Company to regain compliance
with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq. Additionally, on April, 16, 2025, the Company received notice
from the Nasdaq due to the Company’s noncompliance with Nasdaq’s minimum Market Value of Listed Securities (“MVLS”)
requirement and minimum Market Value of Publicly Held Shares (“MVPHS”) requirement. The Company has a compliance period of
180 calendar days, or until October 13, 2025, to regain compliance with the MVPHS requirement.
F- 9
On July 7, 2025, the Company received notice from
Nasdaq that it has regained compliance with Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) (the “Bid Price Rule”).
Prior to the expiration of the 180-day compliance
periods related to Nasdaq’s MVLS and MVPHS requirements, the Company applied for a transfer of the listing of its securities to
The Nasdaq Capital Market. On October 29, 2025 the Company was notified by Nasdaq staff that Company’s application to list its Common
Stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market was approved. The Company’s securities were transferred to the Capital Market at the opening
of business on October 31, 2025. As a result, all matters pertaining to MVLS and MVPHS requirements are now closed.
On September 8, 2025, the Company notified Nasdaq
that, following the resignation of a director on September 3, 2025, its Audit Committee was no longer in compliance with Nasdaq Listing
Rule 5605(c)(2)(A), which requires listed companies to maintain an audit committee consisting of at least three independent directors.
In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(c)(4), the Company is entitled to a cure period to regain compliance, which extends until
the earlier of (i) the Company’s next annual meeting of shareholders or (ii) September 3, 2026; provided, however, that if the annual
meeting occurs on or before March 2, 2026, the cure period will extend only until March 2, 2026.
On March 24, 2026, the company announced an annual meeting scheduled
for June 11, 2026. As a result, the Company’s cure period to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(c)(2)(A) extends until
the date of the annual meeting. The Company is actively evaluating potential candidates to fill the vacancy on its Audit Committee and
intends to regain compliance within the applicable cure period.
As an early-stage growth company, the Company’s
ability to access capital is critical. The Company plans to finance its operations with proceeds from the sale of equity securities or
debt; however, there is no assurance that management’s plans to obtain additional debt or equity financing will be successfully
implemented or implemented on terms favorable to the Company.
The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might
result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Risks and Uncertainties
The Company’s current business activities
consist of development and commercialization of battery materials, components, cells, and selected module/pack technologies. The Company
faces inherent risks associated with its operations, such as the ongoing development of its technology, marketing, and distribution channels,
as well as the enhancement of its supply chain and manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, the need to recruit additional management
and key personnel is vital. The success of the Company’s development initiatives and the achievement of profitability hinge on various
factors, including its ability to enter potential markets and secure sustainable financing in the future.
The Company’s future results of operations
involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results and cause actual results
to vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, rapid technological change, competition from substitute products
and larger companies, protection of proprietary technology, ability to maintain distributor relationships and dependence on key individuals.
NOTE 2 — RESTATEMENT AND CORRECTION
OF ERRORS IN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Restatement of Fiscal Year 2024 Financial
Statements
During the preparation and audit of the Company’s
consolidated and combined financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company identified errors related to (i) the
accounting for the fair value remeasurement of the Series A and Series B derivative warrant liabilities issued in connection with the
March 2024 private placement financing, (ii) the accounting for the issuance of shares and recognition of a discounted stock subscription
receivable in connection with the Forward Purchase Agreement (“FPA”), and (iii) calculation of basic and diluted income (loss)
per share.
Specifically, with respect to (i), the Company determined that the
valuation methodologies and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the derivative warrant liabilities were appropriate,
however, the fair value of the warrant liabilities should have been remeasured and settled in equity at each exercise date with the fair
value remeasurement recognized in the consolidated and combined statements of operations during fiscal year 2024, as required by ASC 815.
As a result of the warrant remeasurement error, the Company determined that the previously reported non-cash, non-operating Change in
fair value of derivative liabilities for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024 was misstated by approximately
$ 0.1 million and $ 2.3 million, respectively, and for the year ended December 31, 2024 was misstated by approximately $ 5.7 million, with
a corresponding understatement of additional paid-in capital (“APIC”) within stockholders’ equity (deficit).
With respect to (ii), the Company determined that the issuance of 190,860
shares in connection with the FPA should have been recorded at the fair value of approximately $ 3.1 million upon issuance on August 29,
2024, with a corresponding credit to APIC and a reduction to stockholders’ equity through a stock subscription receivable. The Company
further determined that the stock subscription receivable should have been recorded at its present value on the issuance date. The discount
should be accreted over the remaining term of the FPA through February 2, 2027 on an effective yield basis, with accretion recorded as
an increase to both the stock subscription receivable and APIC, with no impact to the statements of operations.
F- 10
As a result of the FPA corrections, the Company determined that APIC
within stockholders’ equity was understated by approximately $ 3.2 million as of December 31, 2024, stock subscription receivable
within stockholders’ equity was understated by approximately $ 2.5 million as of December 31, 2024, and loss on issuance of common
stock within other expense was understated by approximately $ 0.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and year
ended December 31, 2024. Additionally, for the period August 29, 2024 through December 31, 2024, accretion of the subscription receivable
discount of approximately $ 0.1 million should have been recorded. The net impact on total stockholders’ equity (deficit) was zero.
With respect to (iii), the Company identified
errors in the calculation of basic and diluted income (loss) per share for each of the interim periods and the full year ended December
31, 2024. Specifically, the basic income (loss) per share calculation was corrected to include shares that had been omitted from the weighted
average share count, and to reflect the proper commencement date for certain shares. Additionally, the diluted income per share calculation
for the three months ended June 30, 2024 was corrected to apply the treasury stock method to the Series A warrants, which were dilutive
for that period and had been excluded from the original calculation. These corrections had no impact on the Company’s previously reported
net income (loss), total assets, or stockholders’ equity.
Accordingly, the Company has restated its previously issued financial
statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, and the year ended December
31, 2024 to correct for (i) the fair value remeasurement of the Company’s derivative warrant liabilities immediately prior to exercise
and the related settlement of those liabilities in equity, (ii) the recognition of the FPA share issuance at fair value with a increase
to APIC and stock subscription receivable, (iii) the recognition of the loss on issuance of common stock representing the discount on
the stock subscription receivable, and (iv) the accretion of the stock subscription receivable discount through December 31, 2024. The
correction of the warrant remeasurement error resulted in adjustments to Change in fair value of derivative liabilities within Other income
(expense) and corresponding adjustments to APIC within stockholders’ equity, as well as the related impacts to earnings per share
previously reported.
The warrant remeasurement adjustment represents a non-cash change and
had no impact on the Company’s cash flows, but increased net income (loss), basic and diluted income (loss) per share, and accumulated
deficit in the affected periods. The FPA correction resulted in corresponding increases to both APIC and stock subscription receivable
within stockholders’ equity (deficit), a loss on issuance of common stock within Other income (expense), and accretion of the subscription
receivable discount increasing both APIC and stock subscription receivable through December 31, 2024. The loss on issuance of common stock
is a non-cash charge and is reflected as an addback within operating activities on the statement of cash flows for the nine months ended
September 30, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2024.
In addition, the Company previously recorded a
revision in its consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024 to correct an error related to the accounting for
issuance costs associated with convertible notes totaling approximately $ 2.8 million, which affected the previously reported results as
of and for the three months ended March 31, 2024, as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2024, and as of and for the nine months
ended September 30, 2024. The revision was reflected in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2024.
The restatement adjustments described above do not impact the Company's
net operating loss or deferred tax assets because the additional expenses are not tax-deductible. Accordingly, there was no impact on
the income tax provision for any restated period. The effective tax rate reconciliation has been updated to reflect the impact of the
restatement on the pre-tax income (loss) for the affected periods, see Note 11 – Income Taxes to the financial statements.
The restatement tables below present the cumulative
impact of both the previously recorded revision and the correction of the errors described above. The “As Reported” column
reflects amounts as originally reported in the Company’s prior filings before the revision described above. The “Adjustment”
column reflects the combined impact of (i) the previously recorded revision, (ii) the correction of the warrant accounting error, (iii)
the correction of the FPA share issuance error, (iv) the recognition of FPA stock subscription receivable discount, and (v) the correction
of the basic and diluted income (loss) per share calculation, as described above.
F- 11
The impact
of the restatement on the previously reported condensed consolidated and combined balance sheet as of March 31, 2024, is as follows:
March 31, 2024
(Unaudited)
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit):
Preferred stock, $ 0.0001 par value; 2,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
$ -
$ -
$ -
Common stock; $ 0.0001 par value; 300,000,000 shares authorized; 1,738,005
issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2024
8,689
-
8,689
Additional paid-in capital
79,158,563
2,769,719
81,928,282
Stock subscription receivable
( 80,241 )
-
( 80,241 )
Accumulated Deficit
( 119,717,769 )
( 2,769,719 )
( 122,487,488 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)
$ ( 40,630,758 )
$ -
$ ( 40,630,758 )
The impact of the restatement
on the previously reported condensed consolidated and combined balance sheet as of June 30, 2024, is as follows:
June 30, 2024
(Unaudited)
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit):
Preferred stock; $ 0.0001 par value; 2,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
$ -
$ -
$ -
Common stock; $ 0.0001 par value; 300,000,000 shares authorized; 1,742,004
issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024
8,709
-
8,709
Additional paid-in capital
79,610,239
2,873,709
82,483,948
Stock subscription receivable
( 80,241 )
-
( 80,241 )
Accumulated Deficit
( 97,699,353 )
( 2,873,709 )
( 100,573,062 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)
$ ( 18,160,646 )
$ -
$ ( 18,160,646 )
The impact of the restatement
on the previously reported condensed consolidated and combined balance sheet as of September 30, 2024, is as follows:
September 30, 2024
(Unaudited)
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit):
Preferred stock; $ 0.0001 par value; 2,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
$ -
$ -
$ -
Common stock; $ 0.0001 par value; 300,000,000 shares authorized; 2,346,815
issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024
11,733
-
11,733
Additional paid-in capital
85,617,896
8,350,845
93,968,741
Stock subscription receivable
( 80,241 )
( 2,395,919 )
( 2,476,160 )
Accumulated Deficit
( 104,336,032 )
( 5,954,926 )
( 110,290,958 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)
$ ( 18,786,644 )
$ -
$ ( 18,786,644 )
The impact of the restatement
on the consolidated and combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2024, is as follows:
December 31, 2024
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit):
Preferred stock; $ 0.0001 par value; 2,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
$ -
$ -
$ -
Common stock; $ 0.0001 par value; 300,000,000 shares authorized; 2,633,956
issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024
13,169
-
13,169
Additional paid-in capital
93,045,581
8,953,375
101,998,956
Stock subscription receivable
( 80,241 )
( 2,465,345 )
( 2,545,586 )
Accumulated Deficit
( 115,880,509 )
( 6,488,030 )
( 122,368,539 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)
$ ( 22,902,000 )
$ -
$ ( 22,902,000 )
F- 12
The impact
of the restatement on the previously reported condensed consolidated and combined statement of operations for the three months ended March
31, 2024, is as follows:
March 31, 2024
(Unaudited)
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
$ ( 8,182,500 )
$ -
$ ( 8,182,500 )
Loss on issuance of Common Stock and Warrants
( 17,820,998 )
( 2,769,719 )
( 20,590,717 )
Interest income
311
-
311
Interest expense
( 3,739 )
-
( 3,739 )
Other income (expense)
( 1 )
-
( 1 )
Total other expense
( 26,006,927 )
( 2,769,719 )
( 28,776,646 )
Net loss before income tax provision
( 29,766,263 )
( 2,769,719 )
( 32,535,982 )
Income tax provision
-
-
-
Net loss
$ ( 29,766,263 )
$ ( 2,769,719 )
$ ( 32,535,982 )
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted
1,563,968
24,839
1,588,807
Basic and diluted net loss per share
$ ( 19.03 )
$ -
$ ( 20.48 )
The impact of the restatement
on the previously reported condensed consolidated and combined statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2024, is as
follows:
For the Six Months Ended
June 30, 2024
(Unaudited)
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
$ 16,784,200
$ ( 103,990 )
$ 16,680,210
Loss on issuance of Common Stock and Warrants
( 17,820,998 )
( 2,769,719 )
( 20,590,717 )
Interest income
482
-
482
Interest expense
( 22,923 )
-
( 22,923 )
Other income (expense)
4,037
-
4,037
Total other income (expense)
( 1,055,202 )
( 2,873,709 )
( 3,928,911 )
Net income (loss) before income tax provision
( 7,747,847 )
( 2,873,709 )
( 10,621,556 )
Income tax provision
-
-
-
Net Income (loss)
$ ( 7,747,847 )
$ ( 2,873,709 )
$ ( 10,621,556 )
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, basic
1,651,120
62,547
1,713,667
Basic net income (loss) per share of common stock
$ ( 4.69 )
$ -
$ ( 6.20 )
F- 13
The impact
of the restatement on the condensed consolidated and combined statement of operations for the three months ended June 30, 2024 is as
follows:
For the Three Months Ended
June 30, 2024
(Unaudited)
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
$ 24,966,700
$ ( 103,990 )
$ 24,862,710
Loss on issuance of Common Stock and Warrants
-
-
-
Interest income
171
-
171
Interest expense
( 19,184 )
-
( 19,184 )
Other income (expense)
4,038
-
4,038
Total other income (expense)
24,951,725
( 103,990 )
24,847,735
Net income (loss) before income tax provision
22,018,416
( 103,990 )
21,914,426
Income tax provision
-
-
-
Net Income (loss)
$ 22,018,416
$ ( 103,990 )
$ 21,914,426
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, basic
1,738,272
100,255
1,838,527
Basic net income (loss) per share of common stock
$ 12.67
$ -
$ 11.92
Diluted net income (loss)
$ 22,018,416
$ ( 12,029,950 )
$ 9,884,476
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, diluted
1,923,190
50,191
1,973,381
Diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock
$ 11.45
$ -
$ 5.01
The impact of the restatement on the previously reported condensed
consolidated and combined statement of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, is as follows:
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2024
(Unaudited)
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
$ 24,017,035
$ ( 2,433,060 )
$ 21,583,975
Loss on issuance of Common Stock and Warrants
( 27,475,797 )
( 3,521,866 )
( 30,997,663 )
Interest income
2,055
-
2,055
Interest expense
( 45,833 )
-
( 45,833 )
Other income (expense)
3,665
-
3,665
Total other income (expense)
( 3,498,875 )
( 5,954,926 )
( 9,453,801 )
Net income (loss) before income tax provision
( 14,384,526 )
( 5,954,926 )
( 20,339,452 )
Income tax provision
-
-
-
Net Income (loss)
$ ( 14,384,526 )
$ ( 5,954,926 )
$ ( 20,339,452 )
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, basic
1,764,630
113,833
1,878,463
Basic net income (loss) per share of common stock
$ ( 8.15 )
$ -
$ ( 10.83 )
F- 14
The impact
of the restatement on the condensed consolidated and combined statement of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2024 is
as follows:
For the Three Months Ended
September 30, 2024
(Unaudited)
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
$ 7,232,835
$ ( 2,329,070 )
$ 4,903,765
Loss on issuance of Common Stock and Warrants
( 9,654,799 )
( 752,147 )
( 10,406,946 )
Interest income
1,573
-
1,573
Interest expense
( 22,910 )
-
( 22,910 )
Other income (expense)
( 372 )
-
( 372 )
Total other income (expense)
( 2,443,673 )
( 3,081,217 )
( 5,524,890 )
Net income (loss) before income tax provision
( 6,636,679 )
( 3,081,217 )
( 9,717,896 )
Income tax provision
-
-
-
Net Income (loss)
$ ( 6,636,679 )
$ ( 3,081,217 )
$ ( 9,717,896 )
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, basic and diluted
1,989,183
215,289
2,204,472
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock
$ ( 3.34 )
$ -
$ ( 4.41 )
The impact of the restatement
on the consolidated and combined statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 is as follows:
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2024
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
$ 18,011,100
$ ( 5,735,883 )
$ 12,275,217
Los on issuance of Common Stock and Warrants
( 30,281,475 )
( 752,147 )
( 31,033,622 )
Interest income
13,806
-
13,806
Interest expense
( 366,963 )
-
( 366,963 )
Other income (expense)
( 5,934 )
-
( 5,934 )
Total other income (expense)
( 12,629,466 )
( 6,488,030 )
( 19,117,496 )
Net income (loss) before income tax provision
( 25,929,003 )
( 6,488,030 )
( 32,417,033 )
Income tax provision
-
-
-
Net Income (loss)
$ ( 25,929,003 )
$ ( 6,488,030 )
$ ( 32,417,033 )
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, basic and diluted
1,993,662
58,046
2,051,708
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock
$ ( 13.01 )
$ -
$ ( 15.80 )
F- 15
The impact of the restatement on the previously reported condensed
consolidated and combined statement of changes in stockholders’ (deficit) equity
for the three months ended March 31, 2024, is as follows:
Three Months Ended
March 31, 2024
(Unaudited)
Additional
Total Stockholders’
Paid-in
Accumulated
Equity
Capital
Deficit
(Deficit)
As Reported
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
28,850,985
( 25,445,506
)
3,412,459
Convertible note – stock issuance loss
—
—
—
Net loss
—
( 29,766,263
)
( 29,766,263
)
Balance at March 31, 2024
$
79,158,563
$
( 119,717,769
)
$
( 40,630,758
)
Adjustments
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
—
—
—
Convertible note – stock issuance loss
2,769,719
—
2,769,719
Net loss
—
( 2,769,719
)
( 2,769,719
)
Balance at March 31, 2024
$
2,769,719
$
( 2,769,719
)
$
—
As Restated
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
28,850,985
( 25,445,506
)
3,412,459
Convertible note – stock issuance loss
2,769,719
—
2,769,719
Net loss
—
( 32,535,982
)
( 32,535,982
)
Balance at March 31, 2024
$
81,928,282
$
( 122,487,488
)
$
( 40,630,758
)
The impact of the restatement on the previously reported condensed
consolidated and combined statement of changes in stockholders’ (deficit) equity
for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, is as follows:
For the Three and Six Months Ended
June 30, 2024
(Unaudited)
Additional
Stockholders’
Paid-in
Accumulated
Equity
Capital
Deficit
(Deficit)
As Reported
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
28,850,985
( 25,445,506 )
3,412,459
Convertible note – stock issuance loss
—
—
—
Net Loss
—
( 29,766,263 )
( 29,766,263 )
Balance at March 31, 2024
79,158,563
$ ( 119,717,769 )
( 40,630,758 )
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
14
—
34
Net Income
—
22,018,416
22,018,416
Balance at June 30, 2024
$ 79,610,239
$ ( 97,699,353 )
$ ( 18,160,646 )
Adjustments
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
—
—
—
Convertible note – stock issuance loss
2,769,719
—
2,769,719
Net Loss
—
( 2,769,719 )
( 2,769,719 )
Balance at March 31, 2024
2,769,719
( 2,769,719 )
—
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
103,990
—
103,990
Net Loss
—
( 103,990 )
( 103,990 )
Balance at June 30, 2024
$ 103,990
$ ( 103,990 )
$ —
As Restated
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
28,850,985
( 25,445,506 )
3,412,459
Convertible note – stock issuance loss
2,769,719
—
2,769,719
Net Loss
—
( 32,535,982 )
( 32,535,982 )
Balance at March 31, 2024
81,928,282
( 122,487,488 )
( 40,630,758 )
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
104,004
—
104,024
Net Income
—
21,914,426
21,914,426
Balance at June 30, 2024
$ 82,483,948
$ ( 100,573,062 )
$ ( 18,160,646 )
F- 16
The impact of the restatement on the previously reported condensed
consolidated and combined statement of changes in stockholders’ (deficit) equity
for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, is as follows:
For the Three and Nine Months
Ended September 30, 2024
(Unaudited)
Additional
Stock
Stockholders’
Paid-in
Accumulated
Subscription
Equity
Capital
Deficit
Receivable
(Deficit)
As Reported
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
28,850,985
( 25,445,506 )
—
3,412,459
Convertible note – stock issuance loss
—
—
—
—
Net Loss
—
( 29,766,263 )
—
( 29,766,263 )
Balance at March 31, 2024
79,158,563
( 119,717,769 )
( 80,241 )
( 40,630,758 )
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
14
—
—
34
Net Income
—
22,018,416
—
22,018,416
Balance at June 30, 2024
79,610,239
( 97,699,353 )
( 80,241 )
( 18,160,646 )
Shares issued from exercise of Series A Warrants
162,007
—
—
162,054
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
1,370
—
—
1,886
Issuance of common stock for Forward Purchase Agreement
( 954 )
—
—
—
Forward Purchase Agreement – subscription receivable discount
—
—
—
—
Net Loss
—
( 6,636,679 )
—
( 6,636,679 )
Balance at September 30, 2024
$ 85,617,896
$ ( 104,336,032 )
$ ( 80,241 )
$ ( 18,786,644 )
Adjustments
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
—
—
—
—
Convertible note – stock issuance loss
2,769,719
—
—
2,769,719
Net Loss
—
( 2,769,719 )
—
( 2,769,719 )
Balance at March 31, 2024
2,769,719
( 2,769,719 )
—
—
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
103,990
—
—
103,990
Net Loss
—
( 103,990 )
—
( 103,990 )
Balance at June 30, 2024
103,990
( 103,990 )
—
—
Shares issued from exercise of Series A Warrants
31,703
—
—
31,703
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
2,297,367
—
—
2,297,367
Issuance of common stock for Forward Purchase Agreement
3,124,379
—
( 2,372,232 )
752,147
Forward Purchase Agreement – subscription receivable discount
23,687
—
( 23,687 )
—
Net Loss
—
( 3,081,217 )
—
( 3,081,217 )
Balance at September 30, 2024
$ 5,477,136
$ ( 3,081,217 )
$ ( 2,395,919 )
$ —
As Restated
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
28,850,985
( 25,445,506 )
—
3,412,459
Convertible note – stock issuance loss
2,769,719
—
—
2,769,719
Net Loss
—
( 32,535,982 )
—
( 32,535,982 )
Balance at March 31, 2024
81,928,282
( 122,487,488 )
( 80,241 )
( 40,630,758 )
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
104,004
—
—
104,024
Net Income
—
21,914,426
—
21,914,426
Balance at June 30, 2024
82,483,948
( 100,573,062 )
( 80,241 )
( 18,160,646 )
Shares issued from exercise of Series A Warrants
193,710
—
—
193,757
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
2,298,737
—
—
2,299,253
Issuance of common stock for Forward Purchase Agreement
3,123,425
—
( 2,372,232 )
752,147
Forward Purchase Agreement – subscription receivable discount
23,687
—
( 23,687 )
—
Net Loss
—
( 9,717,896 )
—
( 9,717,896 )
Balance at September 30, 2024
$ 93,968,741
$ ( 110,290,958 )
$ ( 2,476,160 )
$ ( 18,786,644 )
F- 17
The impact of the restatement
on the consolidated and combined statement of changes in stockholders’ (deficit) equity for
the year ended December 31, 2024 is as follows:
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2024
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
Accumulated
Deficit
Stock
Subscription
Receivable
Total Stockholders’
Equity
(Deficit)
As Previously Reported
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
28,850,985
( 25,445,506 )
—
3,412,459
Shares issued from exercise of Series A Warrants
4,255,907
—
—
4,257,282
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
1,384
—
—
1,959
Issuance of common stock for Forward Purchase Agreement
( 954 )
—
—
—
Forward Purchase Agreement – subscription receivable discount
—
—
—
—
Net Loss
—
( 25,929,003 )
—
( 25,929,003 )
Balance at December 31, 2024
$ 93,045,581
$ ( 115,880,509 )
$ ( 80,241 )
$ ( 22,902,000 )
Adjustments
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
—
—
—
—
Shares issued from exercise of Series A Warrants
3,065,913
—
—
3,065,913
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
2,669,970
—
—
2,669,970
Issuance of common stock for Forward Purchase Agreement
3,124,379
—
( 2,372,232 )
752,147
Forward Purchase Agreement – subscription receivable discount
93,113
( 93,113 )
Net Loss
—
( 6,488,030 )
—
( 6,488,030 )
Balance at December 31, 2024
$ 8,953,375
$ ( 6,488,030 )
$ ( 2,465,345 )
$ —
As Restated
Balance at January 1, 2024, after retroactive application of recapitalization
28,850,985
( 25,445,506 )
—
3,412,459
Shares issued from exercise of Series A Warrants
7,321,820
—
—
7,323,195
Shares issued from exercise of Series B Warrants
2,671,354
—
—
2,671,929
Issuance of common stock for Forward Purchase Agreement
3,123,425
—
( 2,372,232 )
752,147
Forward Purchase Agreement – subscription receivable discount
93,113
—
( 93,113 )
—
Net Loss
—
( 32,417,033 )
—
( 32,417,033 )
Balance at December 31, 2024
$ 101,998,956
$ ( 122,368,539 )
$ ( 2,545,586 )
$ ( 22,902,000 )
The impact of the restatement on the previously
reported condensed consolidated and combined statement
of cash flows for the three months ended March 30, 2024, is as follows:
March
31, 2024
(Unaudited)
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net loss
$ ( 29,766,263 )
$ ( 2,769,719 )
$ ( 32,535,982 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and Amortization expense
94,392
-
94,392
Stock-based compensation
1,359,000
-
1,359,000
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
8,182,500
-
8,182,500
Loss on issuance of common stock and warrants
17,820,998
2,769,719
20,590,717
There was no impact on net cash used in operating activities or within
any line items within investing and financing activities.
F- 18
The impact of the restatement on the previously reported condensed
consolidated and combined statement of cash flows for the six months ended June 30,
2024, is as follows:
For the Six Months Ended
June 30, 2024
(Unaudited)
As
Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net loss
$ ( 7,747,847 )
$ ( 2,873,709 )
$ ( 10,621,556 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and Amortization expense
197,303
-
197,303
Stock-based compensation
1,810,662
-
1,810,662
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
( 16,784,200 )
103,990
( 16,680,210 )
Loss on issuance of common stock and warrants
17,820,998
2,769,719
20,590,717
There was no impact on net cash used in operating activities or within
any line items within investing and financing activities.
The impact of the restatement on the previously reported condensed
consolidated and combined statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30,
2024, is as follows:
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2024
(Unaudited)
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net loss
$ ( 14,384,526 )
$ ( 5,954,926 )
$ ( 20,339,452 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and Amortization expense
298,805
-
298,805
Stock-based compensation
2,088,838
-
2,088,838
Equity compensation expense
1,726,000
-
1,726,000
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
( 24,017,035 )
2,433,060
( 21,583,975 )
Loss on issuance of common stock and warrants
27,475,797
3,521,866
30,997,663
There was no impact on net cash used in operating activities or within
any line items within investing and financing activities.
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities:
As a result of the restatement, the Company has disclosed the following
non-cash financing activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2024:
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities:
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
Issuance of Common Stock upon the closing of the Merger
$ 2,435
$ —
$ 2,435
Issuance of Common Stock for Forward Purchase Agreement
$ —
$ 3,124,379
$ 3,124,379
Stock subscription receivable, net of discount
$ —
$ 2,372,232
$ 2,372,232
FPA discount accretion
$ —
$ 23,687
$ 23,687
F- 19
T he impact
of the restatement on the consolidated and combined statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2024 is as follows:
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2024
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
Cash Flows From Operating Activities:
Net loss
$ ( 25,929,003 )
$ ( 6,488,030 )
$ ( 32,417,033 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and Amortization expense
350,509
-
350,509
Stock-based compensation
2,367,014
-
2,367,014
Equity compensation expense
1,976,000
-
1,976,000
Non-cash interest expense
303,061
-
303,061
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities
( 18,011,100 )
5,735,883
( 12,275,217 )
Loss on issuance of common stock and warrants
30,281,475
752,147
31,033,622
There was no impact on net cash used in operating activities or within
any line items within investing and financing activities.
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities:
As a result of the restatement, the Company has disclosed the following
non-cash financing activity for the year ended December 31, 2024:
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities:
As Reported
Adjustments
As Restated
Issuance of Common Stock upon the closing of the Merger
$ 4,993
$ —
$ 4,993
Issuance of Common Stock for Forward Purchase Agreement
$ —
$ 3,124,379
$ 3,124,379
Stock subscription receivable, net of discount
$ —
2,372,232
$ 2,372,232
FPA discount accretion
$ —
$ 93,113
$ 93,113
Capitalized interest to principal balance of short-term note payable
$ 24,061
$ —
$ 24,061
Impact of the Restatement on Previously
Issued Unaudited 2025 Interim Financial Statements
The restatement of the Company’s 2024 financial
statements resulted in adjustments to the Company’s opening stockholders’ equity as of January 1, 2025. The adjustments had
no impact on the Company’s previously issued statements of operations or cash flows for the quarters ended March 31, 2025, June
30, 2025, and September 30, 2025.
The adjustments reflect (i) a reclassification within stockholders’
equity between additional paid-in capital and accumulated deficit related to the fair value remeasurement of the Company’s derivative
warrant liabilities immediately prior to exercise, which did not impact total stockholders’ equity (deficit), net income (loss), or cash
flows for those periods, and (ii) the recognition of APIC and a corresponding stock subscription receivable associated with the issuance
of FPA shares, recorded at the fair value of the shares on the issuance date net of a discount reflecting the present value of the subscription
receivable, which resulted in a loss on issuance of common stock, with no impact total stockholders’ equity (deficit), or cash flows,
and (iii) the recognition of FPA stock subscription receivable discount representing accretion from August 29, 2024 through December 31,
2024, which did not impact total stockholders’ equity (deficit), net income (loss), or cash flows.
Because the restatement only affected the Company’s
opening balances as of January 1, 2025, the Company has presented the impact on the previously issued interim balance sheets for 2025.
Accordingly, the Company has restated the
previously issued interim balance sheets included in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March
31, 2025 and September 30, 2025 and Form 10-Q/A for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 to reflect the corrected opening equity
balances.
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
Accumulated
Deficit
Stock
Subscription
Receivable
Total Stockholders’
Equity
(Deficit)
Balance at January 1, 2025 (as previously reported)
$ 93,045,581
$ ( 115,880,509 )
$ ( 80,241 )
$ ( 22,902,000 )
Correction of prior-period error – warrant remeasurement
5,735,883
( 5,735,883 )
—
—
Correction of prior-period error – Issuance of FPA shares
3,124,379
( 752,147 )
( 2,372,232 )
—
Correction of prior-period error – FPA subscription receivable discount
93,113
—
( 93,113 )
—
Balance at January 1, 2025 (as restated)
101,998,956
( 122,368,539 )
( 2,545,586 )
( 22,902,000 )
Net income
—
9,194,630
—
9,194,630
Balance at March 31, 2025
103,535,931
( 113,173,909 )
( 2,545,586 )
( 12,183,292 )
Net loss
—
( 2,113,859 )
—
( 2,113,859 )
Balance at June 30, 2025
103,738,980
( 115,287,768 )
( 2,545,586 )
( 14,094,102 )
Net loss
—
( 4,092,145 )
—
( 4,092,145 )
Balance at September 30, 2025
104,518,211
( 119,379,913 )
( 2,545,586 )
( 17,407,000 )
F- 20
Additionally, the diluted net income (loss) per
share included in certain periods of the 2025 interim financial information was corrected to apply the treasury stock method to outstanding
warrants. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the six months ended June 30, 2025, and the nine months ended September 30, 2025,
the previously reported diluted net income (loss) per share of $ 3.04 , $ 1.33 , and $ 0.60 should have been $( 0.30 ), $( 0.53 ), and $( 1.12 ),
respectively.
NOTE 3 — SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation and Principles of
Consolidation
The accompanying audited consolidated
and combined financial statements (the “financial statements”) are presented in conformity with US GAAP and pursuant to the
rules and regulations of the SEC.
During the periods prior to the Closing date of
the Merger, the Company operated as part of G3. Consequently, stand-alone financial statements have not historically been prepared for
the Company. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared from G3’s historical accounting records and are presented
on a stand-alone basis as if the Company’s operations had been conducted independently from G3. Therefore, the financial statements
included herein may not be indicative of the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of the Company in the future or
if the Company had been a separate, stand-alone entity during the periods presented.
The Company’s financial statements have
been prepared under the assumption that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and
discharge of liabilities in the normal course of business for the foreseeable future.
The financial
statements include the Company entities. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated for consolidation purposes.
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,”
as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart
Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various
reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited
to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and
exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden
parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts
emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that
is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered
under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company
can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but
any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that
when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging
growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison
of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth
company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting
standards used.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity
with US GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses
during the reporting period.
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 balance sheet which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due
to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
F- 21
Segment Reporting
The Company has determined that the Chief Executive
Officer is its Chief Operating Decision Maker (the “CODM”). Operating segments are defined as components of an entity for
which separate financial information is available and that is regularly reviewed by the CODM in deciding how to allocate resources to
an individual segment and in assessing performance. The Company has determined that it operates in one operating segment and one reportable
segment, as the CODM reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of making operating decisions, allocating
resources, and evaluating financial performance.
The CODM uses consolidated net (loss) as
the measure of segment profit or loss. Expense information is also reviewed only at the consolidated level, as presented in the Company’s
consolidated statement of operations. Research and development expense has been identified as a significant segment expense, with all
other expense lines being considered part of ‘Other segment items.’ Additionally, the CODM evaluates assets on a consolidated
basis. As such, the Company reports segment profit or loss, segment expenses, and segment assets on a consolidated and combined basis.
Cash and cash equivalents
The Company considers all short-term investments
with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company did not have any cash equivalents
as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
Accounts Receivable, net of Allowance for
Credit Losses
Accounts receivables are stated at the
amount the Company expects to collect. The Company recognizes an allowance for credit losses to ensure accounts receivables are not
overstated due to un-collectability. Reserves are maintained as warranted for various customers based on a variety of
factors, including the length of time the receivables are past due, significant one-time events and historical experience. An
additional reserve for individual accounts is recorded when the Company becomes aware of a customer’s inability to meet its
financial obligation, such as in the case of bankruptcy filings, or deterioration in such customer’s operating results or
financial position. If circumstances related to a customer change, estimates of the recoverability of receivables would be further
adjusted. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company determined that no allowance was required.
Other Receivable
During the first quarter of 2024, the Company
advanced $ 302,500 to G3 for transaction costs incurred during the Merger. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the outstanding
balance of other receivables amounted to $ 302,500 .
Inventory
Inventories are stated at the lower of first-in,
first-out cost or net realizable value. The Company writes-down its inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable inventory equal
to the difference between the cost of inventory and the estimated market value based upon assumptions about future demand and market conditions.
The Company writes off obsolete inventories when the Company deems the value to be impaired. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company determined that no write off was required.
Property and Equipment, net
Property and equipment are recorded at cost less
accumulated depreciation. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs, which do not extend the economic useful life of the related assets,
are charged to operations as incurred, and expenditures, which extend the economic life, are capitalized. When assets are retired, or
otherwise disposed of, the costs and related accumulated depreciation or amortization are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss
on disposal is recognized. The Company reviews long-lived assets, including property and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets, for impairment
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. Indicators of impairment
may include significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results, changes in the manner or duration
of use of the asset, adverse changes in business climate, or plans for disposal or restructuring.
When
an impairment indicator is identified, the Company performs a recoverability test by comparing the carrying amount of the asset group
to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the assets. If the carrying amount exceeds the undiscounted
cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized equal to the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset group.
The impairment loss is included in operating results in the period it is determined.
Based on its assessments, the Company did not incur any impairment
charges for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
F- 22
The Company depreciates its property and equipment
for financial reporting purposes using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The estimated useful lives
are as follows:
Building 40 years
Building improvements 15 years
Land improvements 15 years
Machinery & equipment 5 years
Property and equipment consisted of the following
as of December 31, 2025 and 2024:
2025
2024
Land improvements
$ 60,137
$ 60,137
Buildings
1,302,401
1,302,401
Building improvements
2,275,583
2,275,583
Machinery and equipment
2,204,815
2,087,003
Total property and equipment
5,842,936
5,725,124
Less: accumulated depreciation
( 3,820,893 )
( 3,630,588 )
Property and equipment, net
$ 2,022,043
$ 2,094,536
Depreciation expense of property and equipment
was $ 190,305 and $ 224,616 for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Patents
The Company capitalizes external costs, such as
filing fees and associated attorney fees, incurred to obtain issued patents. The Company’s intangible assets consist of capitalized
costs for unissued patents and issued patents. Issued patents are carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Successful patent efforts
are amortized over the life of the patent, and unsuccessful efforts are expensed. The issued patents are being amortized over a useful
life of 20 years. Amortization of the patent costs commences upon patent issuance.
Net unissued and issued patents were $ 1,155,195
and $ 836,428 as of December 31, 2025, respectively; and $ 1,110,815 and $862,014 as of December 31, 2024, respectively. The Company assesses
the carrying value of its intangible assets for impairment each year and when indicators exist that there could be an impairment.
Based on its assessments, the Company did not incur any impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. Intangible
assets consisted of the following as of December 31, 2025 and 2024:
December 31,
2025
December 31,
2024
Issued patents
Gross carrying amount
$ 1,585,894
$ 1,507,352
Less: accumulated amortization
( 749,467 )
( 645,337 )
Issued patents, net
836,427
862,015
Patents pending (not amortized)
1,155,196
1,110,815
Total intangible assets, net
$ 1,991,623
$ 1,972,830
Amortization expense for the patents included
in the consolidated and combined statements of operations was $ 104,137 and $ 125,893 for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
Future amortization expense for the patents over the next five years is anticipated to be approximately $ 105,000 per year.
Leases
The Company determines whether an arrangement
is a lease at inception. For leases where the Company is the lessee, right-of-use assets are recognized as the lease liability, adjusted
for lease incentives received and prepayments made. Lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of remaining lease payments over
the lease term. When the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses an estimated incremental borrowing rate
based on the information available at lease commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. Operating lease
expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Leases with an initial lease term of 12 months or less are not recorded
on the consolidated and combined balance sheet.
The Company has elected the short-term lease practical
expedient under ASC 842, applying it consistently to all leases with an initial term of 12 months or less, which are excluded from the
consolidated and combined balance sheet. Lease expense for these leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease
term. The Company had no right-of-use assets or lease liabilities recorded on its consolidated and combined balance sheets as of December
31, 2025, and 2024.
F- 23
Foreign Operations
The functional currency of Solidion’s Taiwan
subsidiary is the New Taiwan Dollar. In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification
(ASC) 830, Foreign Currency Matters , the financial statements of the Company’s Taiwan subsidiary are translated to U.S. dollars
using the exchange rates at the balance sheet dates for assets and liabilities, the historical exchange rate for stockholders’ equity
accounts and a weighted average exchange rate for revenue, expenses and gains or losses. Foreign currency translation adjustments are
accumulated in a separate component of stockholders’ deficit until the foreign business is sold or substantially liquidated. Foreign
currency translation adjustments for the periods presented in these financial statements were not material.
During prior reporting periods, the Company’s
research and development facility in Taiwan, operating as an extension of the Dayton, Ohio R&D team and focused on silicon anode technology
advancement.
During the three months ended March 31, 2025,
the Company ceased research and development operations at its Taiwan location. The results of operations for this location were immaterial
to the Company’s consolidated and combined financial statements for all periods presented. No material exit or disposal
costs were incurred in connection with the shutdown.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized when a performance obligation
has been satisfied by transferring control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration
the Company expects to receive in exchange for those products. Revenues are recognized at a point in time when control transfers to customers,
which is generally determined when title, ownership and risk of loss pass to the customer.
Research and Development
All research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research
and development expenses consist primarily of personnel expenses, including salaries, benefits, third party technology validation testing,
equipment, engineering, maintenance of facilities, data analysis, and materials.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses represent
costs incurred by the Company in managing the business, including salary, benefits, stock-based compensation, sales, insurance, professional
fees and other operating costs associated with the Company’s non-research and development activities.
F- 24
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company has an incentive equity plan, (“2023
Equity Incentive Plan”). Under the terms of the plan, Solidion’s employees, consultants and directors, and employees and consultants
of its affiliates, may be eligible to receive awards in the form of incentive stock options (“ISOs”) to employees and for
the grant of non-statutory stock options (“NSOs”), stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock
unit awards, performance awards and other forms of stock awards to employees, directors and consultants.
The number of shares of common stock initially
reserved for issuance under the incentive plan is 190,000 . Shares subject to stock awards granted under the incentive plan that expire
or terminate without being exercised in full, or that are paid out in cash rather than in shares, will not reduce the number of shares
available for issuance under the incentive plan. The incentive plan also includes an evergreen provision that provides for an automatic
annual increase to the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the incentive plan on the first day of each
fiscal year beginning with the 2024 fiscal year, equal to the least of (i) 190,000 shares of common stock, (ii) 5 % of the
total number of shares of common stock outstanding as of the last day of our immediately preceding fiscal year, or (iii) such
lesser amount determined by the plan administrator.
The Company measures stock options and restricted
stock unit awards granted to employees, non-employees, and directors based on the fair value on the date of the grant and recognizes compensation
expense of those awards, over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award. Options granted
under the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan vest at the rate specified in the stock option agreement as determined by the plan administrator.
The plan administrator determines the term of stock options granted under the incentive plan, up to a maximum of ten years. Forfeitures
are accounted for as they occur.
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation
in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation. Stock-based compensation expense for restricted stock units is measured
based on the grant-date fair value of the awards and recognized as expense over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting
period. The Company has elected to use the accelerated attribution method, under which each vesting tranche of an award is treated as
a separate award and expensed over its respective vesting period. Compensation expense is recognized only for those awards expected to
vest, with forfeitures estimated at the grant date and adjusted prospectively, if necessary.
The fair value of each stock option grant is estimated
on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company lacks a sufficient history of company-specific historical
and implied volatility information for its common stock. The Company therefore estimates its expected stock price volatility based on
the historical volatility of publicly traded peer companies and expects to continue to do so until such time as it has adequate historical
data regarding the volatility of its own traded stock price.
The expected term of all of the Company’s
stock options has been determined utilizing the “simplified” method. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference
to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term
of the award. Expected dividend yield is based on the fact that the Company has never paid cash dividends on its common stock and does
not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Income Taxes
The Company follows the asset and liability method
of accounting for income taxes under ASC 740, “ Income Taxes .” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for
the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets
and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply
to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax
assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances
are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold
and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken
in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination
by taxing authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax
expense. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company recognized an uncertain tax position of approximately $ 0.4 million and $ 0.2 million, respectively,
reflected as a reduction of the Company’s gross deferred tax asset. The Company is currently not aware of any issues
under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company is subject to
income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.
F- 25
The Company files income
and franchise tax returns with the United States, Texas, and Ohio. Examinations by the United States and state tax authorities may include
questioning the timing and amount of deductions, the nexus of income among various state and local tax jurisdictions and compliance with
federal and state tax laws. As of December 31, 2025, all tax years since the 2021 inception year are subject to examination for U.S.
federal and state purposes. The Company’s management does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially
change over the next twelve months.
In July 2025, the One
Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21) was enacted. The Company recognized the income tax effects of the legislation in the period
of enactment in accordance with ASC 740. The legislation did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated and combined
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025. The Company will continue to evaluate the impact of the legislation on future
periods.
Net (Loss) per Common Stock
The Company complies with accounting and disclosure
requirements of FASB ASC Topic 260, “ Earnings Per Share. ” Net (loss) per share of common stock is computed by dividing
net (loss) by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period.
The calculation of diluted (loss) per share
of common stock does not include potentially dilutive common stock equivalents if their inclusion would be anti-dilutive as of December
31, 2025 and 2024. As such, net (loss) per common stock is the same for basic and diluted loss per share for the year ended December
31, 2025 and 2024.
The following table presents potentially dilutive
common stock equivalents that have been excluded from the calculation of dilutive loss per share as their inclusion would be anti-dilutive
at December 31, 2025:
December 31,
2025
HBC Holdback Shares
4,000
Warrants - Public
123,500
Warrants - Private
108,100
Warrants - Series A
508,857
Stock-based compensation - equity awards
19,333
Stock-based compensation - warrants
12,000
Total common stock equivalents excluded from dilutive loss per share
775,790
The following table presents potentially dilutive
common stock equivalents that have been excluded from the calculation of dilutive loss per share as their inclusion would be anti-dilutive
at December 31, 2024:
December 31,
2024
HBC Holdback Shares
4,000
Warrants – Public
123,500
Warrants – Private
108,100
Warrants - Series A
167,976
Warrants - Series C
488,699
Warrants - Series D
244,349
HBC Earnout Shares
450,000
Total common stock equivalents excluded from dilutive loss per share
1,586,624
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject
the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in financial institutions, which, at times, may exceed the Federal
Depository Insurance Coverage of $ 250,000 . The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts.
F- 26
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Fair value is defined as the price that would
be received for sale of an asset or paid to transfer of a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement
date. US GAAP establishes 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 measurement
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