Azio Ai Holdings, Inc.: Form 10-Q for the period ended Sep 30, 2023

The following discussion of our financial condition and the results of operations should be read in conjunction with the unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Quarterly Report”). This discussion contains forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, among others, those identified under the “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above, and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, particularly in Part II, Item 1A “Risk Factors,” below.

Overview

We are a provider of purpose-built zero-emission electric vehicles focused on reducing the total cost of vehicle ownership and helping fleet operators unlock the benefits of green technology. We serve commercial and last-mile fleets, school districts, public and private transportation service companies and colleges and universities to meet the increasing demand for light to heavy-duty electric vehicles. Our vehicles address the challenges of traditional fuel price instability and local, state and federal regulatory compliance.

For the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 , we generated sales revenue of $100,024 and $1,029,280, respectively, and our net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 was $5,988,423 and $1,323,768, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 , we generated sales revenue of $2,756,103 and $2,625,090, respectively, and our net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $9,510,360 and $5,437,212, respectively.

Factors Affecting Our Performance

We believe that the growth and future success of our business depend on various opportunities, challenges and other factors, including the following:

COVID-19 pandemic. Global health concerns related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in social, economic and labor instability in the countries in which we or the third parties with whom we engage operate, and resulted in unexpected legal and regulatory changes, such as travel, social distancing and quarantine policies, boycotts, curtailment of trade, and other business restrictions that have negatively impacted our ability to procure and sell our products and provide our services. Accordingly, our future performance will depend in part upon our ability to successfully respond and adapt to these challenges. We have developed, and continue to develop, plans to address the ongoing effects and help mitigate the potential negative impact of the pandemic on our business.

Availability of government subsidies, rebates and economic incentives. We believe that the availability of government subsidies, rebates, and economic incentives is currently a critical factor considered by our customers when purchasing our zero-emission systems or converting their existing vehicles to zero-emission-electric or hybrids, and that our growth depends in large part on the availability and amounts of these subsidies and economic incentives. As an alternative to being dependent on such funding, however, we are exploring the possibility of leasing our vehicles to our customers as well.

New customers. We are competing with other companies and technologies to help fleet managers and their districts/companies more efficiently and cost-effectively manage their fleet operations. Once these fleet managers have decided they want to buy from us, we still face challenges helping them obtain financing options to reduce the cost barriers to purchasing. We may also encounter customers with inadequate electrical services at their facilities that may delay their ability to purchase from us.

Dependence on external sources of financing of our operations. We have historically depended on external sources of capital to finance our operations. Accordingly, our future performance will depend in part upon our ability to achieve independence from external sources for the financing of our operations.

Investment in growth. We plan to continue to invest for long-term growth. We anticipate that our operating expenses will increase in the foreseeable future as we invest in research and development to enhance our zero-emission electric vehicles and systems; design, develop and manufacture our commercial fleet vehicles and their components; increase our sales and marketing to acquire new customers; and increase our general and administrative functions to support our growing operations. We believe that these investments will contribute to our long-term growth, although they will adversely affect our results of operations in the near term. In addition, the timing of these investments can result in fluctuations in our annual and quarterly operating results.

Zero-emission electric vehicle experience. Our dealer and service network is not currently completely established, although we do have certain agreements in place. One issue they may have, and we may encounter, is finding appropriately trained technicians with zero-emission electric fleet vehicle experience. Our performance will depend on having a robust dealer and service network, which will require appropriately trained technicians to be successful. Because vehicles that utilize our technology are based on a different technology platform than traditional internal combustion engines, individuals with sufficient training in zero-emission electric vehicles may not be available to hire, and we may need to expend significant time and expense training the employees we do hire. If we are not able to attract, assimilate, train or retain additional highly qualified personnel in the future, or do so cost-effectively, our performance would be significantly and adversely affected.

Market growth. We believe the market for all-electric solutions for alternative fuel technology, specifically all-electric vehicles, will continue to grow as more purchases of new zero-emission vehicles and as more conversions of existing fleet vehicles to zero-emission vehicles are made. However, unless the costs to produce such vehicles decrease dramatically, purchasers of our products will continue to depend in large part on financing subsidies from government agencies. We cannot be assured of the continued availability, the amounts of such assistance to our customers, or our ability to access such funds.

Sales revenue growth from additional products. We seek to add to our product offerings additional zero-emission vehicles of all sizes to be marketed, sold, warrantied and serviced through our developing distribution and service network, as well as add other ancillary products discussed elsewhere in this report.

Third-party contractors, suppliers and manufacturers. We rely upon third parties to supply us with raw materials, parts, components and services in adequate quantity in a timely manner and at reasonable prices, quality levels, and volumes acceptable to us.

Components of Results of Operations

Sales

Sales are recognized from the sales of new, purpose-built zero-emission electric vehicles and from providing vehicle maintenance and safety inspection services. Sales are recognized in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, as discussed in Note 2 to our unaudited consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales includes those costs related to the development, manufacture, and distribution of our products. Specifically, we include in cost of sales each of the following: material costs (including commodity costs); freight costs; labor and other costs related to the development and manufacture of our products; and other associated costs. Cost of sales also includes costs related to the valuation of inventory due to impairment, obsolescence, or shrinkage.

General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses include all corporate and administrative functions that support our company, including personnel-related expense and stock-based compensation costs; costs related to investor relations activities; including product recall and customer satisfaction program costs; consulting costs; marketing-related expenses; and other expenses that cannot be included in cost of sales.

Consulting and Research and Development Costs

These expenses are related to our consulting and research and development activity.

Other Income/Expenses, Net

Other income/expenses include non-operating income and expenses, including interest income and expense.

Provision for Income Taxes

We account for income taxes in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC 740 “Income Taxes,” which requires the recognition of deferred income tax assets and liabilities for the 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. Under FASB ASC 740, the effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period the enactment occurs. A valuation allowance is provided for certain deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that we will not realize tax assets through future operations. Because we have incurred only losses to this point, no provision for income taxes has been made in 2023.

Results of Operations

The following discussion compares operating data for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 to the corresponding periods ended September 30, 2022:

Sales

Sales for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 were $100,024 and $1,029,280, respectively. Sales for both the three months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 consisted of logistics cargo vans. The decrease in sales was primarily due to delays in certain administrative processes due to state policy changes beyond our control.

Sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 were $2,756,103 and $2,625,090, respectively. The slight increase in sales was primarily due to an increase in the number of units sold as a result of favorable market conditions. A significant number of these sales were primarily to customers in New Jersey who utilized a voucher from the NJ ZIP program.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 were $80,283 and $677,855, respectively. Cost of sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 were $1,739,005 and $1,599,290, respectively. These costs consisted of the costs related to the sale of the vehicles sold as described above.

General and Administrative ("G&A") Expenses

G&A expenses were $2,578,727 and $1,584,973 for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. G&A expenses increased by $993,754 primarily due to an increase of $1,105,074 in stock-compensation expense due to equity awarded during the third quarter of 2023 that vested immediately, an increase of $59,760 in payroll costs in anticipation of business growth, an increase of $92,384 in accounting and compliance costs as a public company and an increase of $6,821 in overall G&A expenses for costs incurred with running the business, partially offset by a decrease of $143,813 in advertising and marketing costs as we focus on certain marketing priorities, a decrease in travel expenses of $41,145 as we reduced expenses as a cost saving initiative during the third quarter of 2023, a decrease in legal fees of $47,569 due to lower litigation costs, and a decrease of $37,758 in investor relations expenses as a result of our cost cutting measures noted above.

G&A expenses were $6,785,405 and $6,113,957 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. G&A expenses increased by $674,448 primarily due toan increase in contract labor costs of $240,833 to assist in our operations, an increase in payroll costs of $158,330 in anticipation of business growth, an increase in travel expenses of $200,151 as we explore business markets globally, an increase of $117,962 in investor relations expenses as we explore incentives by the federal and state governments across the United States, an increase of $126,470 in accounting and compliance costs as a public company, and an overall increase of $371,564 in G&A expenses for costs incurred with running the operations, partially offset by a decrease of $174,459 in legal costs due to lower litigation costs, a decrease in advertising and marketing expenses of $48,942 as we focus on certain marketing priorities and a decrease of $317,461 related to stock-based compensation costs due to lower fair valuations of equity awards.

Consulting Expenses

Consulting expenses were ($13,312) and $94,187 for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The decrease in consulting expenses was due to a reduction in public affairs activities (which also included a credit for certain expenses) in 2023 versus 2022. Consulting expenses were $207,930 and $264,505 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The decrease in consulting expenses was primarily due to a decrease in costs related to public affairs consulting, partially offset by increased search costs for key employees.

Research and Development ("R&D") Expenses

R&D expenses were $46,734 and $25,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase was primarily due to an increase in R&D activities related to the development of new product lines during the three months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. R&D expenses were $175,546 and $112,412 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase in R&D expenses was primarily due to activities pertaining to the development of new product lines.

Goodwill Impairment Charge

Due to our declining stock price, we conducted an impairment test related to our goodwill. As a result of this test, we recorded an impairment charge of $3,392,129 related to our goodwill for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023. No impairment charges were recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022.

Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022:

Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $4,039,576, primarily due to a net loss of $9,510,360, partially offset by changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of $677,631 and non-cash operating charges of $4,793,153, of which $3,392,192 was related to a non-cash goodwill impairment charge and $1,297,384 was related to non-cash stock-based compensation expense. The changes in operating assets and liabilities, net was due to a decrease in accounts receivable of $449,322 as cash collections outpaced sales, a decrease of $1,696,180 in inventory deposits, a decrease in prepaid expenses of $3,190, an increase in accounts payable of $90,272, partially offset by an increase in inventory of $1,210,921, an increase in other assets of $112,382 and decrease in accrued liabilities of $238,030.

Net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $8,271,750, primarily due to a net loss of $5,437,212 and changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of $4,500,050, partially offset by non-cash operating charges of $1,665,512, of which $1,614,845 was related to stock-based compensation expense. The changes in operating assets and liabilities, net was due to an increase in inventory of $2,103,834, an increase in accounts receivable of $1,956,906, a decrease in accrued liabilities of $194,907 and in increase in inventory deposits of $351,970, a decrease in accounts payable of $76,919 and an increase in prepaid expenses of $377,107, partially offset by a decrease in other assets of $158,265, a decrease in prepaid expenses of $60,246 and an increase in other liabilities of $403,328.

We expect cash used in operating activities to fluctuate significantly in future periods as a result of a number of factors, some of which are outside of our control, including, among others: the success we achieve in generating revenue; the success we have in helping our customers obtain financing and government incentives to subsidize their purchases of our products; our ability to efficiently develop our dealer and service network; the costs of batteries and other materials utilized to make our products; the extent to which we need to invest additional funds in research and development; and the amount of expenses we incur to satisfy future warranty claims.

Investing Activities

Net cash provided by investing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $2,306,312, primarily due to the sale of our marketable securities of $2,342,643, partially offset by $36,331 of capital expenditures. Net cash provided by investing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $5,942,221, primarily due to the net sale of our marketable securities of $6,032,425, partially offset by $90,204 of capital expenditures.

Financing Activities

Net cash used in financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $213,161 as a result of repayment of certain notes payable. Net cash provided by financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $106,234, primarily from the issuance of common stock of $120,000, partially offset by payments on notes payable of $13,766.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of September 30, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $879,042 and working capital of approximately $12.0 million. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our operations during the next twelve months and beyond. However, we may not successfully execute our business plan, and if we do not, we may need additional capital to continue our operations and support the increased working capital requirements associated with the fulfillment of purchase orders.

On February 2022, we announced Osceola, Arkansas as the site of our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and new corporate offices. We moved into an approximately 580,000 square foot facility and are currently in final stages of due diligence and contract negotiation with the City of Osceola and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. However, additional debt and/or equity capital will be required in order to purchase related equipment and set up production lines and is expected to require up to $80 million of additional investment through 2027. Investments and employee hiring requirements over the next 10 years will provide an opportunity for us to obtain local tax incentives of up to $27 million, provided that the qualifying expenditures are made. We are not currently contractually obligated to make the expenditures.

Line of Credit

Effective August 4, 2022, we secured a line of credit from Centennial Bank. Borrowings under the line of credit bear interest at 2.75% annually. There is no maturity date for the line, but Centennial Bank may at any time, in its sole discretion and without cause, demand us to immediately repay any and all outstanding obligations under the line of credit in whole or in part. The line is secured by the cash and cash equivalents maintained by us in our Centennial Bank accounts. Borrowings under the line may not exceed cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances up to $1,000,000. This line was closed during the third quarter of 2023 and there was no principal amount outstanding at the time of closing.

Capital Expenditures

We do not have any contractual obligations for ongoing capital expenditures at this time. We do, however, purchase equipment necessary to conduct our operations on an as needed basis and will begin increasing those expenditures as we transfer assembly and corporate functions to the Osceola Arkansas facility.

Contractual Obligations

Other than as disclosed in the unaudited consolidated financial statements in Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2023, we have no contractual obligations.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, costs and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our financial statements. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

We define our critical accounting policies as those accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America that require us to make subjective estimates and judgments about matters that are uncertain and are likely to have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations as well as the specific manner in which we apply those principles.

Smaller Reporting Company Status

We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company if either (i) the market value of our shares held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue is less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our shares held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter. We may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies, including reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements.

We are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business. We do not currently face material market risks such as interest rate fluctuation risk and foreign currency exchange risk. Our cash and cash equivalents include cash in readily available checking and money market accounts. These investments are not dependent on interest rate fluctuations that may cause the principal amount of these investments to fluctuate, and we do not expect such fluctuation will have a material impact on our financial conditions. If we issue additional debt in the future, we will be subject to interest rate risk. The majority of our expenses are denominated in the U.S. dollar.

We may face risks associated with the costs of raw materials, primarily batteries, as we go into production. To the extent these and other risks materialize, they could have a material effect on our operating results or financial condition. We currently anticipate that our international selling, marketing and administrative costs related to foreign sales, if any, will be largely denominated in United States dollars, which may create foreign currency exchange risk exposure.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) as of September 30, 2023. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (a) were not effective to ensure that information that we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and (b) include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Due to the staff reductions and voluntary resignations, we experienced beginning in the fourth quarter of 2020 and continuing through the date of this filing, we have been unable to maintain the levels of segregation of duties during such periods at the levels of prior periods, and such changes to our disclosure controls and procedures have significantly affected our internal control over financial reporting during the period ended September 30, 2023. We have yet to fully resolve such deficiencies as of the date of this filing. We have engaged, and continue to seek additional, experienced accounting professionals with relevant expertise to provide additional accounting services intended to supplement our efforts and mitigate the negative effects of such recent changes to our disclosure controls and procedures.

Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures

In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, cannot provide absolute assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and that management is required to apply judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs. Similarly, an evaluation of controls cannot provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected.

There were no material changes during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 from the risk factors previously disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.