Bonk, Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2024
Filed with the SEC on Mar 28, 2025 and accepted by EDGAR at Mar 28, 2025, 17:00 ET.
Business
As filed, 57,011 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Overview
Safety Shot Inc. (NASDAQ: SHOT) was formerly known as Jupiter Wellness Inc. In August 2023, the Company successfully completed the asset purchase of the Safety Shot Dietary Supplement from GBB Drink Lab, Inc. (“GBB”), thereby gaining ownership of various assets, including the intellectual property, trade secrets, and trademarks associated with its dietary supplement (the “Safety Shot Dietary Supplement”). Concurrently with the asset purchase, the Company changed its name to Safety Shot, Inc. and changed its NASDAQ trading symbol to SHOT. The Company launched its e-commerce sale of the Safety Shot Dietary Supplement in December 2023. On October 9, 2024, the Company renamed the Safety Shot Dietary Supplement as the “Sure Shot Dietary Supplement.”
The Sure Shot Dietary Supplement has been formulated to reduce the accumulation of blood alcohol. Noteworthy is the fact that the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement comprises 28 active ingredients, all falling under the Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) category. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a dietary supplement, that is subject to premarket review and approval by the FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excepted from the definition of a dietary supplement.
It’s crucial to note that the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement is currently manufactured in a facility adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), ensuring the highest standards of quality and safety throughout its production process. The Company currently maintains a workforce comprising eight full-time employees of its own.
Specializing in Consumer Packaged Goods, our focus centers on the commercialization of a 12-ounce product positioned as a dietary supplement. Beyond our existing product, we have introduced new product lines, including a convenient powdered stick pack version and a 4-ounce version of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement.
The Company has discontinued the historical product lines of Jupiter Wellness which included a diverse range of products, such as hair loss treatments, vitiligo solutions, and sexual wellness products, that catered to different health and wellness needs and our commitment to supporting health and wellness by developing innovative solutions to a range of conditions. In connection therewith, on September 24, 2024, the Company entered into a Separation and Exchange Agreement with its subsidiary Caring Brands, Inc. whereby Caring Brands will seek to commercialize this product line. Caring Brands will be responsible for all costs associated with the operation of that line of business. The Company will focus its efforts on the commercialization of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement. The Company will retain ownership of 3,000,000 shares of Caring Brands, Inc.
The Company entered into a stock exchange agreement (the “Exchange Agreement”) with SRM Entertainment, Inc. (“SRM”) to govern the separation of SRM and the Company. On May 26, 2023, we amended and restated the Exchange Agreement (the “Amended and Restated Exchange Agreement”) to include additional information regarding the distribution and the separation of SRM and the Company. The separation as set forth in the Amended and Restated Exchange Agreement with the Company closed August 14, 2023. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Exchange Agreement, on May 31, 2023, SRM issued to the Company 6,500,000 shares of SRM Common Stock (representing 79.3% of SRM’s outstanding shares of Common Stock) in exchange for 2 ordinary shares of SRM Ltd owned by the Company (representing all of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of SRM) (the “Share Exchange”). On August 14, 2023, SRM consummated its Initial Public Offering (“IPO”), pursuant to which it sold 1,250,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $5.00 per share. In connection with the Share Exchange and SRM’s IPO, the Company distributed 2,000,000 shares of SRM’s common stock to the Company’s stockholders and certain warrant holders (out of the 6.5 million shares issued in May 2023) which occurred on the effective date of the Registration Statement but prior to the closing of the IPO. Following such distribution, the Company owns 4.0 million of the 9,450,000 shares of common stock outstanding and SRM is now a minority owned subsidiary of the Company.
To achieve our mission, we rely on our team of highly skilled and experienced professionals who are committed to advancing our vision of health and wellness. Our team includes individuals with scientific backgrounds, an experienced researcher, product developers, and business experts who collaborate to create new products and enhance existing ones. We also seek to partner with industry leaders and organizations to gain access to the latest technologies and expand our reach.
The Sure Shot Dietary Supplement is currently sold through e-commerce and in retail stores. In addition, we are seeking to collaborate with other companies to license our intellectual property, to create additional revenue streams and expand our global presence. At present, we do not experience concentration risk or dependence on major customers.
We maintain a diverse network of raw material suppliers integral to our production processes. Acquisition strategies encompass both direct procurement and collaborative efforts with our co-packers. The selection of suppliers is contingent upon various factors, including ingredient specificity, availability, and other essential considerations. Notably, these suppliers coincide with those currently providing materials to other facilities engaged in the manufacturing of drinks, powders, tablets, and capsules. Our roster of suppliers comprises reputable entities such as Jiaherb, Compound Solutions, Kyowa-Hakko, Mitsubishi Ingredients, Nura, Sensapure Flavors, Brenntag, E3 Ingredients, Ingredients Online, among others. This strategic alliance with established industry players underscores our commitment to sourcing high-quality raw materials essential for the production of our innovative product line. Furthermore, our approach to supplier relationships reflects a dedication to maintaining a seamless and reliable supply chain. We believe that this not only ensures the consistency of our current offerings but also positions us favorably for future developments. The Management believes that as we continue to expand our product portfolio, we believe that these partnerships with trusted suppliers play a pivotal role in upholding the standards that we expect of our brand.
Products Roadmap
The Sure Shot Dietary Supplement was launched on our own website and through Amazon in December 2023 and with several Big Box stores. The Company is advancing several product formats and formulations to continue to offer a wide array of products that can be purchased at various locations that coincide with consumer shopping habits. In particular, the Company plans to develop new flavors for each of its current SKUs (12oz., 4 oz. and “Stick Pack”. In addition, the current formula will be offered at various dosages and the Company plans to conduct additional research studies as follows: assessing varying dosages of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement against body weight, gender and age, examining several current and proposed ingredients with respect to their specific role in reducing BAC and how they affect the enzymatic activity associated with the metabolism of alcohol, and finally, examining additional markers with respect to improving post-alcohol consumption symptoms and feelings.
The Company intends to perform the additional research studies in Q2 and Q3 of 2025. The Company will continue to sponsor the studies and intends to work with the Center for Applied Health Sciences (“CAHS”) in Canfield, OH. The participants will be selected based upon the parameters of the individual studies and the Company will follow the same protocols employed in the clinical trials at the CAHS described in more detail below in “Research and Development.”
Research and Development
Our research and development team in continually looking to develop new therapeutic products, while continually improving and enhancing our existing products and product candidates to address customer demands and emerging trends.
We have conducted extensive informal research and experimentation involving a substantial number of volunteers under the influence of alcohol. Our findings indicate that the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement can reduce a person’s Blood Alcohol Content, as measured by the premier Breathalyzer on the market. We have recently completed our clinical trials of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement which have shown a statistically significant reduction in the Blood Alcohol Content (“BAC”) of the participants. The observable enhancements in cognitive abilities among the test subjects have been carefully documented.
The clinical trials took place from January 29, 2024, through June 10, 2024, at the CAHS located at 6570 Seville Drive, Canfield, OH 44406. The clinical trials were sponsored and paid for by the Company and consisted of 36 participants with a mean age of 36.3 years that were selected through advertising of the study. The Company did not inquire about the participants typical level of alcohol consumption but each participant had to qualify based upon a complete medical history questionnaire, release from physicians and submitting to a standard bloodwork panel. Each participant consumed exactly 100 mL of alcohol and the BAC of the participants ranged from 0.047 % to 0.068 %. The participants were not employees of the Company nor affiliated with the Company in any way. The clinical trials were a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study that found that within 30 minutes of the consumption of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement, the monitored participants saw a statistically significant drop of p=.002 in BAC and continued to see measurable drops in successive 30-minute increments. The results were measured by using a DOT-approved BACtrack S80 Breathalyzer on the participants to determine their BAC after ingesting several alcoholic beverages, followed by drinking 12 ounces of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement and then measuring the participants’ BAC 30 minutes later. In addition, cognitive responses were measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (“VAS”) and physical function assessed at the same intervals as the blood draws and breathalyzer assessments to correlate to function. The VAS consisted of a 10 cm, straight line with end points that measured from low-to-high for a number of physical feelings and sensations. The participants were asked to mark a point on the line that corresponded with their experience. The distance from the end to the point marked by the participant was then measured in millimeters to quantify their level of sensation. On each visit, participants were asked to perform the VAS tests and the VAS assessed subjective ratings for head discomfort (headache), nausea, fatigue, energy, tiredness, thirst and ability to concentrate. The Company also conducted further physical assessment by monitoring biometric measurements such as blood pressure and heart rate at various intervals. The key assumptions in the study were that the participants would demonstrate a marked decrease in BAC following the consumption of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement versus that of the placebo. In addition, the study assumed that the participants would feel better and demonstrate marked improvement in cognitive skills and physical function following the consumption of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement versus that of the placebo. The Company had previously observed in our numerous, pre-clinical tests that participants who consumed significant amounts of alcohol (more than two drinks) experienced marked and rapid reductions in their BAC when measured by BACTrack S80 breathalyzers after consumption of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement. In addition, the Company observed in the pre-clinical tests that the participants showed significant improvement in motor function and reduction in slurred speech and other markers commonly associated with alcohol consumption. These findings led the Company to continue to develop the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement and commission a clinical study to prove our hypothesis. There were five adverse events amongst the participants in the study. Four of the adverse events were associated with the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement (three felt nauseous and one developed a rash) and none of the adverse events were serious. The final adverse event was associated with congestion of the placebo.
Since approximately 2010, the Company has performed 100s of pre-clinical tests in an effort to develop and perfect the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement. These informal, pre-clinical tests included friends, family and other volunteers who consumed alcohol at varying levels and then were tested prior to the consumption of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement. The pre-clinical tests were neither peer reviewed nor were the subjects screened prior to their participation. In addition, the VAS was not used nor were there any placebos or other control measures taken in the pre-clinical tests and as such these tests are considered informal and non-clinical. The participants’ BAC was measured by using the BacTrack S80 after the consumption of various amounts of alcohol and prior to the consumption of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement and then at 30 minutes, 45 minutes and one-hour intervals after consumption of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement so we could assess the efficacy of the Company’s R&D efforts at that point in time. The Company also observed motor function skills such as walking, balancing and speech at the same intervals following the consumption of 12 ounces of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement. The Company defined and noted the significant improvement in each area by observing participants’ walk and whether a participant’s gait was unsteady, or whether their balance was off while standing and whether their speech was clear or slurred. The Company incurred research and development expenses of $100,591 and $1,637,117 for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2023, respectively.
Sales and Marketing
We primarily sell our products through e-commerce websites including Amazon and through retail stores. To drive loyalty, word-of-mouth marketing, and sustainable growth, we invest in customer experience and customer relationship management. Our marketing investments are directed towards driving profitable growth through advertising, public relations, and brand promotion activities, including digital platforms, sponsorships, collaborations, brand activations, and channel marketing. Additionally, we continue to invest in our marketing and brand development efforts by investing capital expenditures on product displays to support our channel marketing via our retail partners. We launched the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement in stores such as BevMo! in the second quarter of 2024.
Manufacturing, Logistics and Fulfillment
We outsource the manufacturing of our products to contract manufacturers, who produce them according to our formulation specifications. Our products are manufactured by contract manufacturers in India and the US. The majority of our products will then be shipped to third-party warehouses and to our corporate offices, which can either transport them to our distributors, retailers, or directly to our customers. Our third-party warehouses are located in the US. We use a limited number of logistics providers to deliver our products to both distributors and retailers, which allows us to lessen order fulfillment time, cut shipping costs, and improve inventory flexibility.
Our Competitive Strengths
We are committed to driving continuous improvement through innovation. Since our inception, we have made significant investments in research and development and have acquired a substantial portfolio of intellectual property, which continues to grow each year. Our commitment to innovation has allowed us to create unique products that address unmet needs in the market, all backed by rigorous clinical research. We believe that our focus on research and development is designed to enable us to stay ahead of the curve and provide our customers with products that are not only effective but also innovative. We take pride in our patent portfolio and the continuous growth we have achieved, as we believe that it showcases our dedication to creating new and unique solutions for our customers. By staying committed to innovation, we are confident in our ability to meet the ever-changing needs of the health and wellness market. We believe that the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement stands as a unique product in the liquid dietary supplement market. Nevertheless, our competitive landscape includes many companies involved in the production of health and welfare products, including beverages.
Recent Developments
Settlement Agreement with Bigger Capital
On January 20, 2025, the Company entered into the Bigger Settlement Agreement. In exchange for a resolution to all issues and claims that relate to the previously filed action against the Company in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, Index No. 65018/2024. Pursuant to the Bigger Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to pay or issue to Bigger Capital the following: (i) pay Bigger Capital $375,000; (ii) issue a secured convertible note in the principal amount of $1.75 million maturing on December 31, 2026 (the “Secured Convertible Bigger Note”); (iii) a convertible note in the principal amount of $3.5 million maturing June 30, 2025 (the “Convertible Bigger Note,” and, together with the Secured Convertible Bigger Note, the “Bigger Notes”); and (iv) 5,332,889 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of common stock purchase warrants to purchase shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $0.4348 per share (the “Bigger Warrants”). A significant shareholder of the Company and Bigger Capital entered into a voting agreement in favor of Bigger Capital in addition to the Bigger Settlement Agreement. The Bigger Settlement Agreement is filed herein as Exhibit 10.32. The Secured Convertible Bigger Note is filed herein as Exhibit 4.5 and the Convertible Bigger Note is filed herein as Exhibit 4.6.
The Secured Convertible Bigger Note
The Secured Convertible Bigger Note accrues interest on the unpaid principal amount therein at the rate of nine percent (9%) per annum from January 20, 2025 until the earlier to occur of (i) the date such unpaid principal amount is paid in full, or (ii) the date such unpaid principal amount is converted into shares of the Company’s common stock, in accordance with the terms hereof, and shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year for the actual number of days elapsed. Interest accruing hereunder shall be paid either in cash or in shares of the common stock.
At the option of its holder, the holder of the Secured Convertible Bigger Note may convert all or any portion of the outstanding principal amount of the Secured Convertible Bigger Note plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, for a number of shares of common stock of the Company equal to the quotient obtained by dividing the dollar amount of such outstanding principal amount of the Secured Convertible Bigger Note plus the accrued and unpaid interest thereon being converted by the Secured Convertible Bigger Note Conversion Price (as defined below) as of the applicable conversion date.
“Secured Convertible Bigger Note Conversion Price” means the lesser of (i) $0.5435 per share and (ii) the closing price of the Company’s common stock, as reflected on Nasdaq.com, immediately preceding the date of Stockholder Approval (as defined below), subject to adjustment as provided in the Secured Convertible Bigger Note.
“Stockholder Approval” means such approval as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market (or any successor entity) from the stockholders of the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated under the Secured Convertible Bigger Note and the other Transaction Documents (as defined in the Secured Convertible Bigger Note), including, without limitation, the issuance of all of the shares of common stock issuable thereunder, including in an amount that would, when aggregated with (i) the number of shares issued upon any prior conversions of the Convertible Bigger Note, and (ii) the number of shares issued upon any prior exercises of the Bigger Warrant, exceed 19.99% of the issued and outstanding Common Stock on January 20, 2025, at a price less than the market value of the Company’s common stock on January 20, 2025.
The Convertible Bigger Note
Interest shall accrue on the unpaid principal amount of the Convertible Bigger Note at the rate of nine percent (9%) per annum from January 20, 2025 until the earlier to occur of (i) the date such unpaid principal amount is paid in full, (ii) the date such unpaid principal amount is converted into shares of the Company’s common stock, in accordance with the terms of the Convertible Bigger Note, or (iii) the date the Company otherwise satisfies its Repayment Obligation (as defined in Convertible Bigger Note) in respect of such outstanding principal amount via an Alternative Payment Method (as defined in Convertible Bigger Note).
Upon the maturity date of the Convertible Bigger Note, at the Company’s discretion, the Company will have the option to either (i) repay the Convertible Bigger Note in full including any accrued interest, (ii) issue a $2,000,000 SAFE Note, or (iii) a $4.5 million convertible note bearing a 9% interest rate, maturing on December 31, 2027 (the “Replacement Bigger Note”). The form of the Replacement Bigger Note is filed herein as Exhibit 4.8.
At the option of its holder, the holder of the Convertible Bigger Note may convert all or any portion of the outstanding principal amount of the Convertible Bigger Note plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, for a number of shares of common stock of the Company equal to the quotient obtained by dividing the dollar amount of such outstanding principal amount of the Convertible Bigger Note plus the accrued and unpaid interest thereon being converted by the Convertible Bigger Note Conversion Price (as defined below) as of the applicable conversion date.
“Convertible Bigger Note Conversion Price” means $0.5435 per share, subject to adjustment as provided under the Convertible Bigger Note.
The Bigger Warrants
Pursuant to the Bigger Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to exchange the 1,650,050 warrants held by Bigger Capital for a total of 5,332,889 warrants exercisable for $0.43 (the latter warrants, the “Bigger Warrants”). The Bigger Warrants contain customary adjustment provisions and representation and warranties. The Bigger Warrants are exercisable for a five year period following their issuance date. The Bigger Warrants are filed herein as Exhibit 4.7.
Registration Rights
Pursuant to the Bigger Settlement Agreement, the Company shall promptly file a registration statement for shares of the Company’s Common Stock equal to 150% of the shares initially issuable upon exercise of the Bigger Notes (the “Registrable Bigger Securities”), which filing shall be no later than ten (10) business days after the execution of the Settlement Agreement. The Company shall diligently take all steps necessary for the registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable and shall thereafter maintain the registration statement until the Registrable Bigger Securities are sold. Upon receiving notification from the SEC that either the registration statement relating to the Registrable Bigger Securities have received a “no review” from the SEC or that the SEC has no additional comments to the registration statement, the Company will take all action necessary to ensure that the registration statement has been declared effective within two business days of either such notification.
Settlement Agreement with Intracoastal Capital, LLC
On January 14, 2025, the Company entered into the Intracoastal Settlement Agreement with Intracoastal Capital. In exchange for a resolution to all issues and claims that relate to the previously filed action against the Company in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, Index No. 655967/2023. Pursuant to the Intracoastal Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to issue to Intracoastal Capital the following: (i) shares of the Company’s common stock with a value of $875,000, as set forth below (the “Intracoastal Settlement Shares”) and (ii) a settlement payment of $175,000. The number of Intracoastal Settlement Shares shall be the greater of the Initial Share Amount (as defined below) or the Adjusted Share Amount (as defined below).
“Adjusted Share Price” means the lesser of (i) the volume weighted average price of the Company on the five trading days prior to the day that the registration statement registering the Intracoastal Settlement Shares becomes effective or (ii) the closing price for the Company on the day prior to such registration statement becomes effective. In such event, the Company shall deliver within two (2) business days additional shares of common stock so that Intracoastal Capital receives, in total, an amount equal to 875,000 divided by the Adjusted Share Price.
“Initial Share Amount” means an amount equal to 875,000 divided by the Initial Share Price. The Initial Share Amount shall be subject to adjustment if the Adjusted Share Price is lower than the Initial Share Price.
“Initial Share Price” means the lesser of the volume weighted average price for the Company, as reported on the Nasdaq, on the five trading days prior to the execution of the Intracoastal Settlement Agreement, or (ii) the closing price of the Company, as reported on the Nasdaq on the day prior to the execution of the Intracoastal Settlement Agreement.
The Intracoastal Settlement Agreement is filed herein as Exhibit 10.33.
Settlement with Alta Partners, LLC
On or about January 18, 2024, Alta Partners, LLC, (“Alta”) filed a lawsuit against the Company in the federal district court for the Southern District of New York, case captioned, Alta Partners, LLC v. Safety Shot, Inc. No. 24-cv-373 (S.D.N.Y.) (the “Litigation”). The Litigation stems from the Company’s warrants to purchase shares of Company common stock and asserted causes of action for Breach of Contract, Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing and violation of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933. The Litigation sought compensatory, general and liquated damages in an amount to be proven at trial. On or about January 29, 2025, the Company settled this litigation by agreeing to pay $350,000 in exchange for a release of all claims by Alta.
Consulting Agreement with Blue Capital S.A., LLC
On January 18, 2025, the Company entered into a Consulting Agreement with Blue Capital S.A., LLC., a United Arab Emirates limited company (“Blue Capital”) pursuant to which Blue Capital shall provide the Company with services as stated therein, for a period of five (5) year term commencing on February 1, 2025. The Company shall issue to Blue Capital 4,545,454 options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 (the “Common Stock”) at $0.44 per shares (the “Blue Capital Options”). The Blue Capital Options shall vest in equal quarterly installments such that 2,272,727 Options shall vest on August 1, 2025, and 2,272,727 Blue Capital Options shall vest on February 1, 2026. The Consulting Agreement with Blue Capital is filed as Exhibit 10.34.
January 2025 PIPE Investment
On January 17, 2025, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with one accredited investor for the purchase of 2,277,389 shares for gross proceeds of $1,000,000 at a price of $0.4391 per share, which reflects a 20% discount from the closing price of the common stock on January 14, 2025. The Securities Purchase Agreement is filed herein as Exhibit 10.35.
Notice of Nasdaq Listing Deficiency
On January 2, 2025, the Company received a notice from The Nasdaq Stock Exchange (“Nasdaq”) that the closing bid price for our common stock had been below $1.00 per share for the previous 30 consecutive days, and that we are therefore not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued inclusion on The Nasdaq Capital Market under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (“Rule 5550(a)(2)”). Nasdaq’s notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
The notice indicates that we will have 180 calendar days, until July 1, 2025, to regain compliance with this requirement. We can regain compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid listing requirement if the closing bid price of our common stock is at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten (10) consecutive business days during the 180-day compliance period.
If the Company does not regain compliance during the initial compliance period, we may be eligible for an additional 180 day period to regain compliance. To qualify, we would be required to meet the continued listing requirement for market value of our publicly held shares and all other Nasdaq initial listing standards, with the exception of the minimum bid price requirement under Rule 5550(a)(2), and we would need to provide written notice to Nasdaq of our intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period. If it appears to Nasdaq that we will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if we are otherwise not eligible, we expect that Nasdaq will notify us that our common stock will be subject to delisting. We will have the right to appeal a determination to delist our common stock, and our common stock would remain listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market until the completion of the appeal process.
We intend to actively monitor the minimum bid price of our common stock and may, as appropriate, consider available options to regain compliance with Rule 5550(a)(2), including undertaking a reverse stock split. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with Rule 5550(a)(2).
Arrangement Agreement with Yerbae Brands Corp.
On January 7, 2025, the Company entered into a definitive Arrangement Agreement (the “Arrangement Agreement”) with Yerbaé Brands Corp., (“Yerbaé”), a corporation organized under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, pursuant to which, among other things, the Company will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Yerbaé (the “Arrangement”). The Arrangement will be implemented by way of a plan of arrangement (the “Plan of Arrangement”) in accordance with the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and is subject to approval by the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the “Court”), the stockholders of the Company and the shareholders of Yerbaé, among other customary closing conditions for a transaction of this nature and size.
Consideration
On the terms and subject to the conditions of the Arrangement Agreement and the Plan of Arrangement, at the effective time of the Arrangement (the “Effective Time”) all of the common shares of Yerbaé then issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (including the common shares of Yerbaé to be issued on the settlement of all of the performance share units and restricted share units of Yerbaé, which will be settled immediately prior to the Effective Time) will be acquired by the Company in consideration for the right to receive an aggregate of 20,000,000 shares of common stock of the Company (collectively, the “Consideration Shares”). Each option (each a “Replaced Option”) to purchase common shares of Yerbaé outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (whether or not vested) will be deemed to be exchanged for an option (“Replacement Option”) entitling the holder to purchase shares of common stock of the Company. The number of shares of common stock of the Company underlying each Replacement Option will equal the number of common shares of Yerbaé underlying the corresponding Replaced Option multiplied by the exchange ratio. The exercise price of each Replacement Option will equal the exercise price of the corresponding Replaced Option divided by the exchange ratio and each Replacement Option will be fully vested. In accordance with the respective terms of Yerbaé’s outstanding warrants and debentures, the terms of each warrant and debenture of Yerbaé will entitle the holder thereof to receive, upon exercise or conversion, as applicable, in substitution for the number of Yerbaé common shares subject to such warrant or debenture, a number of shares of Company common stock. In addition, if the Arrangement is consummated, the Company will pay up to $500,000 of Yerbaé’s transaction expenses.
Representations and Warranties; Covenants
Pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement, each of the Company and Yerbaé made customary representations and warranties for transactions of this type. All of the representations and warranties of the Company and Yerbaé will expire and be terminated at the Effective Time. Each of the Company and Yerbaé have also agreed to be bound by certain covenants that are customary for transactions of this type, including obligations of the parties during the period between the date of the execution of the Arrangement Agreement and the Effective Time (the “Interim Period”) to, in all material respects, conduct their respective businesses in the ordinary course consistent with past practice, and to refrain from taking certain specified actions without the prior written consent of the other party, in each case, subject to certain exceptions and qualifications. The covenants and agreements of the Company and Yerbaé that by their terms are to be performed at or after the Effective Time shall, in each case, survive until fully performed.
Closing Conditions
The respective obligations of each party to consummate the Arrangement are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary mutual closing conditions, including (i) the issuance of the interim and final orders by the Court with respect to the Arrangement; (ii) the adoption by the requisite Yerbaé shareholders of a resolution approving the Arrangement (the “Yerbaé Shareholder Approval”); (iii) the approval by the requisite Company stockholders of the issuance of the Consideration Shares and an amended and restated equity incentive plan reserving a number of shares of Company common stock equal to no less than 10% of the fully diluted shares of Company common stock issued and outstanding immediately following the Effective Time (the “Company Stockholder Approval”); (iv) the absence of any law or order prohibiting, rendering illegal or permanently enjoining the consummation of the Arrangement; (v) the obtainment of any regulatory approvals required in connection with the Plan of Arrangement, except for such approvals the failure of which to obtain would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the parties or would not materially impede or delay the completion of the Arrangement; (vi) the approval by the TSX Venture Exchange;
the approval of the listing of the Consideration Shares by Nasdaq; (viii) the exemption of the issuance of the Consideration Shares from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, pursuant to Section 3(a)(10) thereof; (ix) that the representations of the other party in the Arrangement Agreement are true and correct as of the date of the Arrangement Agreement and the Effective Time (subject to certain materiality qualifiers) and (x) that the other party will have complied in all material respects with its covenants in the Arrangement Agreement.
Additionally, the obligation of the Company to consummate the Arrangement is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the following conditions, among others: (i) that there will not have occurred during the Interim Period any material adverse effect with respect to Yerbaé; (ii) that the Company shall have received Support Agreements (as defined below) from certain shareholders of Yerbaé representing not less than 40.1% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Yerbaé (collectively, the “Supporting Yerbaé Shareholders”) no later than 30 days following the date of the Arrangement Agreement (and such shareholders shall not have breached their obligations or covenants thereunder in any material respect as of the Effective Time); and (iii) that the Yerbaé shareholders shall have not validly exercised and not withdrawn dissent rights with respect to more than 5% of the common shares of Yerbaé then outstanding.
The obligation of Yerbaé to consummate the Arrangement is also conditioned upon (i) the Company appointing Todd Gibson to the board of directors of the Company as of the Effective Time and (ii) that there will not have occurred during the Interim Period any material adverse effect with respect to the Company.
The Arrangement Agreement is filed herein as Exhibit 10.36.
Equity Disbursement Agreement with Maxim Group LLC
On December 6, 2024, the Company entered into an Equity Disbursement Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Maxim Group LLC (the “Sales Agent”) pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time, in its sole discretion, shares of its common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $5,000,000, subject to certain limitations on the amount of common stock that may be offered and sold by the Company set forth in the Sales Agreement. The Company is not obligated to make any sales of common stock under the Sales Agreement and any determination by the Company to do so will be dependent, among other things, on market conditions and the Company’s capital raising needs.
Any shares offered and sold in the at-the-market offering will be issued pursuant to the registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-267644), initially filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act on September 28, 2022, and declared effective on November 9, 2022, and the prospectus supplement relating to the at-the-market offering filed with the SEC on December 6, 2024, and any applicable additional prospectus supplements related to the at-the-market offering that form a part of the registration statement.
The Sales Agent may sell the shares of common stock by any method deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act, including sales made through Nasdaq, or any other trading market for the common stock, sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange or through an electronic communications network, or in negotiated transactions pursuant to terms set forth in a placement notice delivered by the Company to the Sales Agent under the Sales Agreement. Upon delivery of a placement notice and subject to the terms and conditions of the Sales Agreement, the Sales Agent will use commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, applicable state and federal law, rules and regulations, and the rules of Nasdaq, to sell the shares from time to time based upon the Company’s instructions, including any price, time or size limits specified by the Company. The Sales Agent is not obligated to purchase any shares of common stock on a principal basis pursuant to the Sales Agreement.
The Company will pay the Sales Agent a commission equal to 3.0% of the gross sales proceeds of any shares sold through the Sales Agent under the Sales Agreement, and also has provided the Sales Agent with customary indemnification and contribution rights. The Sales Agreement contains customary representations and warranties and conditions to the placements of the shares pursuant thereto, obligations to sell shares under the Sales Agreement are subject to satisfaction of certain conditions, including customary closing conditions.
The Sales Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.37.
Separation and Exchange Agreement with Caring Brands, Inc.
On September 24, 2024, the Company entered into a Separation and Exchange Agreement (the “Separation Agreement”) with Caring Brands, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“CB Nevada”), Caring Brands, Inc, a Florida corporation (“CB Florida”) and Brian S. John, as the representative of the shareholders of CB Florida (the “Representative”). The Company, along with the other shareholders of CB, exchanged 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of CB Florida (the “Exchange”) for the CB Nevada shares of common stock, including the 3,000,000 shares of CB Nevada common stock received by the Company. Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, the Company’s business segment that creates and sells innovative wellness consumer products industries (the “CB Business”) along with the assets, intellectual property and liabilities related thereto were transferred to CB Nevada.
The Separation Agreement is filed herein as Exhibit 10.38.
Consulting Agreement with Core 4 Capital Corp.
On September 23, 2024, the Company entered into a Consulting Agreement with Core 4 Capital Corp. (“Core 4 Consulting Agreement”), a New York corporation (“Core 4 Capital Corp.”), pursuant to which Core 4 shall provide the Company with services as stated therein, for a period of six (6) month term commencing on October 1, 2024. The Company shall issue 1,250,000 shares of the Company’s restricted stock. This stock will vest in equal quarterly installments such that 625,000 shares shall vest on December 31, 2024, and 625,000 shares shall vest on March 31, 2025.
The Company’s President, Jordan Schur is a 15% owner of Core 4 Capital Corp. but is not an officer or director of this entity. Other shareholders of Core 4 are also members of Mr. Schur’s immediate family (but not dependents).
The Core 4 Consulting Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.39.
Core 4 Capital Corp. Stock Purchases
On August 30, 2024, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with Core 4 Capital Corp. for the purchase of (i) 3,370,787 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $0.89 per share which was the closing price on August 29, 2024; and (ii) 3,370,787 warrants to purchase shares of common stock at a price of $0.125 per warrant. These warrants are exercisable for a period of five years from the date of issuance and have an exercise price of $0.89. The Company’s President, Jordan Schur, is a 15% owner of the Investor, but is not an officer or director of such Investor. Other shareholders of the Investor are also members of Mr. Schur’s immediate family (but not dependents). The Company did not pay any commissions in connection with this offering and expects net proceeds of approximately $3,421,348 from the offering. This Securities Purchase Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.40. These warrants are filed as Exhibit 10.41.
On June 27, 2024, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with Core 4 Capital Corp. for the purchase of 943,396 shares of common stock of the Company at a price of $1.06 per share, which was the closing price on June 27, 2024). The Company paid no commissions in connection with this securities purchase and the net proceeds were approximately $1,000,000. This Securities Purchase Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.42.
On April 4, 2024, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with Core 4 Capital Corp. for the purchase of 2,369,668 shares of the Company’s common stock to Core 4 Capital Corp. at a price of $2.11 per share, which was the closing price on April 4, 2024. The Company paid no commissions in connection with this securities purchase and net proceeds thereto were approximately $4,975,000. This Securities Purchase Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.43.
Management Employment Agreements
John Gulyas Employment Agreement
On December 16, 2024, the Company entered into an employment agreement (“Gulyas Agreement”) with John Gulyas, pursuant to which Mr. Gulyas will serve as the Company’s Executive Chairman of the board of directors. The Agreement provides for (A) a $300,000 annual base salary paid in equal installments on the Company’s regular pay dates no less frequently than bi-monthly, (B) a restricted stock award of 1,000,000 shares of Company’s common stock fully vested as of the date therein, an incentive bonus of $100,000 and 500,000 restricted shares of Company’s common stock if the Company achieves a combined revenue of $500,000 for Q1 and Q2 of 2025, (D) an incentive bonus of $100,000 and 500,000 restricted shares of Company’s common stock if the Company achieves a combined revenue of $1,000,000 for Q3 and Q4 of 2025, and (E) other customary employee benefits. On or about March 3, 2025, the Company amended the Gulyas Agreement by changing Section 5. b. to read, Restricted Stock. As part of his employment, Employee shall receive a grant of 1,000,000 shares of Company restricted common stock (the “RSUs”) as compensation for work performed in 2025 and 2026. The 1,000,000 RSUs will start vesting on April 1, 2025, in quarterly increments over the following year as follows: 250,000 will vest on July 1, 2025; 250,000 will vest on October 1, 2025; 250,000 will vest on January 1, 2026, and 250,000 will vest on April 1, 2026.
The Gulyas Agreement is filed herein as Exhibit 10.44.
Jordon Schur Employment Agreement
On December 16, 2024, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Jordon Schur (the “Schur Agreement”), pursuant to which Mr. Schur will serve as the Company’s President. The Agreement provides for (A) a $300,000 annual base salary paid in equal installments on the Company’s regular pay dates no less frequently than bi-monthly, (B) a restricted stock award of 1,000,000 shares of Company’s common stock fully vested as of the date therein, (C) an incentive bonus of $100,000 and 500,000 restricted shares of Company’s common stock if the Company achieves a combined revenue of $500,000 for Q1 and Q2 of 2025, (D) an incentive bonus of $100,000 and 500,000 restricted shares of Company’s common stock if the Company achieves a combined revenue of $1,000,000 for Q3 and Q4 of 2025, and (E) other customary employee benefits. On or about March 3, 2025, the Company amended the Schur Agreement by changing Section 5. b. to read, Restricted Stock. As part of his employment, Employee shall receive a grant of 1,000,000 shares of Company restricted common stock (the “RSUs”) as compensation for work performed in 2025 and 2026. The 1,000,000 RSUs will start vesting on April 1, 2025, in quarterly increments over the following year as follows: 250,000 will vest on July 1, 2025; 250,000 will vest on October 1, 2025; 250,000 will vest on January 1, 2026, and 250,000 will vest on April 1, 2026.
The Schur Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.45.
Jarrett Boon Employment Agreement
On December 16, 2024, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Jarrett Boon (the “Boon Agreement”), pursuant to which Mr. Boon will serve as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. The Boon Agreement provides for (A) a $300,000 annual base salary paid in equal installments on the Company’s regular pay dates no less frequently than bi-monthly, (B) a restricted stock award of 1,000,000 shares of Company’s common stock fully vested as of the date therein, (C) an incentive bonus of $100,000 and 500,000 restricted shares of Company’s common stock if the Company achieves a combined revenue of $500,000 for Q1 and Q2 of 2025, (D) an incentive bonus of $100,000 and 500,000 restricted shares of Company’s common stock if the Company achieves a combined revenue of $1,000,000 for Q3 and Q4 of 2025, and (E) other customary employee benefits. On or about March 3, 2025, the Company amended the Boon Agreement by changing Section 5. b. to read, Restricted Stock. As part of his employment, Employee shall receive a grant of 1,000,000 shares of Company restricted common stock (the “RSUs”) as compensation for work performed in 2025 and 2026. The 1,000,000 RSUs will start vesting on April 1, 2025, in quarterly increments over the following year as follows: 250,000 will vest on July 1, 2025; 250,000 will vest on October 1, 2025; 250,000 will vest on January 1, 2026, and 250,000 will vest on April 1, 2026.
The Boon Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.46.
Danielle De Rosa Employment Agreement
On April 22, 2024, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Danielle De Rosa (the “De Rosa Employment Agreement”), pursuant to which Ms. Rosa will serve as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. As consideration for her services, the Company will pay Ms. Rosa a salary of $250,000 per annum, which salary is payable bi-monthly. Subject to suitable business conditions, Ms. Rosa may receive a 5% pay increase payable to her at each one-year anniversary from the commencement of the De Rosa Employment Agreement. The Company will also award 200,000 stock options to Ms. Rosa, granted at a strike price equal to the closing market price on the date that Ms. De Rosa first starts to work for the Company as an independent consultant. These stock options will vest on a quarterly basis, in equal installments over three years. The stock options will terminate on the fifth year anniversary of their date of issuance.
The De Rosa Employment Agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.47.
Intellectual Property
As of the date hereof, the Company owns five patents, including the patent (US 9,186,350 B2) and patent (US 10,028,991 B2) for the composition of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement used for minimizing the harmful effects associated with alcohol consumption by supporting the metabolism of alcohol. US 9,186,350 B2 (the “350 Patent”), relates to an early version of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement and is owned by the Company. The 350 Patent is a utility patent that covers the United States jurisdiction and expired on December 25, 2023. US 10,028,991 B2 (the “991 Patent”) is a continuation of the 350 Patent and relates to the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement and is owned by the Company. The 991 Patent is a utility patent that covers the United States jurisdiction and expires on November 5, 2035. In and around September of 2024, the Company received a Notice of Allowance for a new patent U.S. Patent Application No. 18/395,565 that relates to current version of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement. On December 3, 2024, U.S. Patent No. 12,156,878 (formerly U.S. Patent Application No. 18/395,656) was granted. This patent is a utility patent and covers the United States jurisdiction. The Company owns three additional patents that relate to legacy products that the Company neither currently sells nor has any plans to sell in the future.
Government Regulation
The Sure Shot Dietary Supplement:
The production, distribution and sale in the United States of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement is subject to various U.S. federal, state and local regulations, including but not limited to: the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FD&C Act”); the Occupational Safety and Health Act and various state laws and regulations governing workplace health and safety; various environmental statutes; the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (“California Proposition 65”); data privacy and personal data protection laws and regulations, including the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (as modified by the California Privacy Rights Act) and a number of other federal, state and local statutes and regulations applicable to the production, transportation, sale, safety, advertising, marketing, labeling, packaging, and ingredients of the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement.
We also may in the future be affected by other existing, proposed and potential future regulations or regulatory actions, including those described below, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Furthermore, legislation and regulation may be introduced in the United States at the federal, state, municipal and supranational level in respect of each of the subject areas discussed below. Public health officials and health advocates are increasingly focused on the public health consequences associated with obesity and alcohol consumption, especially as they may affect children, and are seeking legislative change to reduce the consumption of sweetened and alcohol beverages.
We are subject to a number of regulations applicable to the formulation, labeling, packaging, and advertising (including promotional campaigns) of our products. In California, we are subject to California Proposition 65, a law which requires that a specified warning be provided before exposing California consumers to any product that contains in excess of threshold amounts of a substance listed by California as having been found to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. California Proposition 65 does not require a warning if the manufacturer of a product can demonstrate that the use of the product in question exposes consumers to an average daily quantity of a listed substance that is below that threshold amount, which is determined either by scientific criteria set forth in applicable regulations or via a “safe harbor” threshold that may be established by the state, or the substance is naturally occurring, or is subject to another applicable exception. As of the date of this registration statement, we are not required to put a warning label on our product and our products are perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) free. We are unable to predict whether a component found in our product might be added to the California list in the future. Furthermore, we are also unable to predict when or whether the increasing sensitivity of detection methodology may become applicable under this law and related regulations as they currently exist, or as they may be amended. If we are required to add warning labels to any of our products or place warnings in certain locations where our products are sold, it will be difficult to predict whether, or to what extent, such a warning would have an adverse impact on sales of our products in those locations or elsewhere. In addition, there has been increasing regulatory activity globally regarding constituents in packaging materials, including PFAS. Regardless of whether perceived health consequences of these constituents are justified, such regulatory activity could result in additional government regulations that impact the packaging of our beverages.
In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) has regulations with respect to serving size information and nutrition labeling on food and beverage products, including a requirement to disclose the amount of added sugars in such products and regulations about whether a product qualifies as a drug. Further, the U.S. Department of Agriculture promulgated regulations requiring that, by January 1, 2022, the labels of certain bioengineered foods include a disclosure that the food is bioengineered. These regulations may impact, reduce and/or otherwise affect the purchase and consumption of our products by consumers.
All ingredients in the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement are deemed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) and align with FDA standards, permitting their inclusion in supplements. In the event that the FDA or any governmental agency identifies an ingredient or aspect of our product as unsafe, we commit to promptly withdrawing that component in accordance with regulatory directives. From a product and sales perspective, there are no impediments or concerns raised by any governmental agency. It is essential to note that the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement is classified as a dietary supplement, exempt from the approval or filing requirements mandated for pharmaceutical drugs by the FDA or other regulatory authorities.
Employees
As of this prospectus, we had eight full-time employees. We believe our relations with our employees to be good.
Properties
Currently, we do not own any real property. We rent office space at 1061 E. Indiantown Rd., Ste. 110, Jupiter, FL 33477 for $15,038 per month. The Company entered into the office lease effective July 1, 2021, which has a primary term of the lease of five years with one renewal option for an additional three years. As part of the Separation Agreement, Caring Brands, Inc. has agreed to assume to lease obligations upon it reaching certain milestones.
Risk factors
As filed, 73,431 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Risks Related to Our Business
If we are unable to keep up with rapid technological changes, our products may become obsolete.
The market for our products is characterized by significant and rapid change. Although we will continue to expand our product line capabilities to remain competitive, research and discoveries by others may make our processes, products, or brands less attractive or even obsolete.
Competition could adversely affect our business.
Our industry in general is competitive. It is possible that future competitors could enter our market, thereby causing us to lose market share and revenues. In addition, some of our current or future competitors may have significantly greater financial, technical, marketing, and other resources than we do or may have more experience or advantages in the markets in which we will compete that will allow them to offer lower prices or higher quality products. If we do not successfully compete with these competitors, we could fail to develop market share and our future business prospects could be adversely affected.
If we are unable to develop and maintain our brand and reputation for our product offerings, our business and prospects could be materially harmed.
Our business and prospects depend, in part, on developing and then maintaining and strengthening our brand and reputation in the markets we serve. If problems with our products cause our customers to have a negative experience or failure or delay in the delivery of our products to our customers, our brand and reputation could be diminished. If we fail to develop, promote and maintain our brand and reputation successfully, our business and prospects could be materially harmed.
We are subject to government regulation, and unfavorable changes could substantially harm our business and results of operations.
We are subject to general business regulations and laws as well as regulations and laws specifically governing our industries in the U.S. and other countries in which we operate. Uncertainty surrounding existing and future laws and regulations may impede our services and increase the cost of providing such services. These regulations and laws may cover taxation, tariffs, user pricing, distribution, consumer protection and the characteristics and quality of services.
We depend heavily on key personnel, and turnover of key senior management could harm our business.
Our future business and results of operations depend in significant part upon the continued contributions of our senior management personnel. If we lose their services or if they fail to perform in their current positions, or if we are not able to attract and retain skilled personnel as needed, our business could suffer. Significant turnover in our senior management could significantly deplete our institutional knowledge held by our existing senior management team. We depend on the skills and abilities of these key personnel in managing the product acquisition, marketing and sales aspects of our business, any part of which could be harmed by turnover in the future. We may not have written employment agreements with all of our senior management. We do not have any key person insurance.
Our products may not meet health and safety standards or could become contaminated.
We do not have control over all of the third parties involved in the manufacturing of our products and their compliance with government health and safety standards. Even if our products meet these standards, they could otherwise become contaminated. A failure to meet these standards or contamination could occur in our operations or those of our manufacturers, distributors or suppliers. This could result in expensive production interruptions, recalls and liability claims. Moreover, negative publicity could be generated from false, unfounded or nominal liability claims or limited recalls. Any of these failures or occurrences could negatively affect our business and financial performance.
The sale of our products involves product liability and related risks that could expose us to significant insurance and loss expenses.
We face an inherent risk of exposure to product liability claims if the use of our products results in, or is believed to have resulted in, illness or injury. Our products contain combinations of ingredients, and there is little long-term experience with the effect of these combinations. In addition, interactions of these products with other products, prescription medicines and over-the-counter treatments have not been fully explored or understood and may have unintended consequences.
Any product liability claim may increase our costs and adversely affect our revenue and operating income. Moreover, liability claims arising from a serious adverse event may increase our costs through higher insurance premiums and deductibles and may make it more difficult to secure adequate insurance coverage in the future. In addition, our product liability insurance may fail to cover future product liability claims, which, if adversely determined, could subject us to substantial monetary damages.
The success of our business will depend upon our ability to create and expand our brand awareness.
The markets we compete in, including the wellness drink market, sexual wellness and hair growth markets we intend to compete in, are highly competitive, with many well-known brands leading the industry. Our ability to compete effectively and generate revenue will be based upon our ability to create and expand awareness of our products distinct from those of our competitors. It is imperative that we are able to convey to consumers the benefits of our products. However, advertising and packaging and labeling of such products will be limited by various regulations. Our success will be dependent upon our ability to convey to consumers that our products are superior to those of our competitors.
We must develop and introduce new products to succeed.
Our industry is subject to rapid change. New products are constantly introduced to the market. Our ability to remain competitive depends in part on our ability to enhance existing products, to develop and manufacture new products in a timely and cost-effective manner, to accurately predict market transitions, and to effectively market our products. Our future financial results will depend to a great extent on the successful introduction of several new products. We cannot be certain that we will be successful in selecting, developing, manufacturing and marketing new products or in enhancing existing products.
- The success of new product introductions depends on various factors, including, without limitation, the following: Successful sales and marketing efforts;
- Timely delivery of new products;
- Availability of raw materials;
- Pricing of raw materials;
- Regulatory allowance of the products; and
- Customer acceptance of new products.
Adverse publicity associated with our products or ingredients, or those of similar companies, could adversely affect our sales and revenue.
Adverse publicity concerning any actual or purported failure by us to comply with applicable laws and regulations regarding any aspect of our business could have an adverse effect on the public perception of us. This, in turn, could negatively affect our ability to obtain financing, endorsers and attract distributors or retailers for our products, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to generate sales and revenue.
Our distributors’ and customers’ perception of the safety and quality of our products or even similar products distributed by others can be significantly influenced by national media attention, publicized scientific research or findings, product liability claims and other publicity concerning our products or similar products distributed by others. Adverse publicity, whether or not accurate, that associates consumption of our products or any similar products with illness or other adverse effects, will likely diminish the public’s perception of our products. Claims that any products are ineffective, inappropriately labeled or have inaccurate instructions as to their use, could have a material adverse effect on the market demand for our products, including reducing our sales and revenue.
If serious adverse or undesirable side effects are identified during the development of our product candidates, we may abandon or limit our development or commercialization of such product candidates.
If our product candidates are associated with undesirable side effects or have unexpected characteristics, we may need to abandon their development or limit development to certain uses or subpopulations in which the undesirable side effects or other characteristics are less prevalent, less severe or more acceptable from a risk-benefit perspective.
If we elect or are forced to suspend or terminate any clinical trial with one of our product candidates, the commercial prospects of such product candidate will be harmed, and our ability to generate revenue from such product candidate will be delayed or eliminated. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, financial condition and prospects significantly.
If we experience delays or difficulties in the enrollment of subjects to our clinical trials, our ability to complete such trials will be adversely affected
Identifying, screening and enrolling patients to participate in clinical trials of our product candidates is critical to our success, and we may not be able to identify, recruit, enroll and dose a sufficient number of patients with the required or desired characteristics to complete our clinical trials in a timely manner. The timing of our clinical trials depends on our ability to recruit patients to participate as well as to subsequently dose these patients and complete required follow-up periods. In particular, because our planned clinical trials may be focused on indications with relatively small patient populations, our ability to enroll eligible patients may be limited or may result in slower enrollment than we anticipate.
In addition, we may experience enrollment delays related to increased or unforeseen legal and logistical requirements at certain clinical trial sites. These delays could be caused by reviews by contractual discussions with individual clinical trial sites. Any delays in enrolling and/or dosing patients in our planned clinical trials could result in increased costs, delays in advancing our product candidates, delays in testing the effectiveness of our product candidates or in termination of the clinical trials altogether.
Participant enrollment may also be affected by other factors, including:
- coordination with clinical research organizations to enroll and administer the clinical trials;
- coordination and recruitment of collaborators and investigators at individual sites;
- size of the participant population and process for identifying participants;
- design of the clinical trial protocol;
- eligibility and exclusion criteria;
- perceived risks and benefits of the product candidates under study;
- time of year in which the trials are initiated or conducted;
- ability to obtain and maintain subject consents;
- ability to enroll participants in a timely manner;
- risk that enrolled subjects will drop out before completion of the trials;
- proximity and availability of clinical trial sites for prospective participants;
- ability to monitor subjects adequately during and after treatment.
It is uncertain whether product liability insurance will be adequate to address product liability claims, or that insurance against such claims will be affordable or available on acceptable terms in the future.
Clinical research involves the testing of products on human volunteers pursuant to a clinical trial protocol. Such testing involves a risk of liability for personal injury to or death of patients due to, among other causes, adverse side effects, improper administration of the new product, or improper volunteer behavior. Claims may arise from patients, clinical trial volunteers, consumers, physicians, hospitals, companies, institutions, researchers, or others using, selling, or buying our products, as well as from governmental bodies. In addition, product liability and related risks are likely to increase over time, in particular upon the commercialization or marketing of any products by us or parties with which we enter into development, marketing, or distribution collaborations. Although we are contracting for general liability insurance in connection with our ongoing business, there can be no assurance that the amount and scope of such insurance coverage will be appropriate and sufficient in the event any claims arise, that we will be able to secure additional coverage should we attempt to do so, or that our insurers would not contest or refuse any attempt by us to collect on such insurance policies. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that suitable product liability insurance (at the clinical stage and/or commercial stage) will continue to be available on terms acceptable to us or at all, or that, if obtained, the insurance coverage will be appropriate and sufficient to cover any potential claims or liabilities.
If we are unable to establish relationships with licensees or collaborators to carry out sales, marketing, and distribution functions or to create effective marketing, sales, and distribution capabilities, we will be unable to market our products successfully.
Our business strategy may include out-licensing product candidates to or collaborating with larger firms with experience in marketing and selling pharmaceutical products. There can be no assurance that we will successfully be able to establish marketing, sales, or distribution relationships with any third-party, that such relationships, if established, will be successful, or that we will be successful in gaining market acceptance for any products we might develop. To the extent that we enter into any marketing, sales, or distribution arrangements with third parties, our product revenues per unit sold are expected to be lower than if we marketed, sold, and distributed our products directly, and any revenues we receive will depend upon the efforts of such third parties.
If we are unable to establish such third-party marketing and sales relationships, or choose not to do so, we would have to establish in-house marketing and sales capabilities. To market any products directly, we would have to establish a marketing, sales, and distribution force that has technical expertise and could support a distribution capability. Competition in the dietary supplement industry for technically proficient marketing, sales, and distribution personnel is intense and attracting and retaining such personnel may significantly increase our costs.
There can be no assurance that we will be able to establish internal marketing, sales, or distribution capabilities or that these capabilities will be sufficient to meet our needs.
Natural disasters and other events beyond our control could materially adversely affect us.
Natural disasters or other catastrophic events may cause damage or disruption to our operations, international commerce and the global economy, and thus could have a strong negative effect on us. Our business operations are subject to interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, pandemics and other events beyond our control. Such events could make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver our services to our customers and could decrease demand for our services.
We have a limited operating history upon which investors can evaluate our future prospects.
We have a limited operating history upon which an evaluation of its business plan or performance and prospects can be made. The business and prospects of the Company must be considered in the light of the potential problems, delays, uncertainties and complications encountered in connection with a newly established business and new industry. The risks include, but are not limited to, the possibility that we will not be able to develop functional and scalable products and services, or that although functional and scalable, our products and services will not be economical to market; that our competitors hold proprietary rights that preclude us from marketing such products; that our competitors market a superior or equivalent product; that we are not able to upgrade and enhance our technologies and products to accommodate new features and expanded service offerings; or the failure to receive necessary regulatory clearances for our products. To successfully introduce and market our products at a profit, we must establish brand name recognition and competitive advantages for our products. There are no assurances that we can successfully address these challenges. If it is unsuccessful, we and our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially and adversely affected.
The current and future expense levels are based largely on estimates of planned operations and future revenues rather than experience. It is difficult to accurately forecast future revenues because our business is new and our market has not been developed. If our forecasts prove incorrect, the business, operating results and financial condition of the Company may be materially and adversely affected. Moreover, we may be unable to adjust our spending in a timely manner to compensate for any unanticipated reduction in revenues. As a result, any significant reduction in revenues may immediately and adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
Our products and manufacturing activities are subject to extensive government regulation, and failure to comply with these laws and regulations, as they currently exist or as modified in the future, may increase our costs, limit or eliminate our ability to sell certain products, subject us or our suppliers to the risk of enforcement action, or otherwise adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The manufacture, packaging, labeling, advertising, promotion, distribution, import, export and sale of our products are subject to regulation by numerous national and local governmental agencies in the United States and other countries, including but not limited to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Failure to comply with FDA regulatory requirements may result in, among other things, injunctions, product withdrawals, recalls, product seizures, fines, and criminal prosecutions. Any action of this type by the FDA could materially adversely affect our ability to market our products successfully.
The manufacture of nutritional or dietary supplements and related products in the United States requires compliance with dietary supplement current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations, which are based on the food-model GMP regulations, with additional requirements that are specific to dietary supplements. We believe the manufacturing processes for the Safety Shot Dietary Supplement substantially complies with the applicable dietary supplement GMP requirements. Nevertheless, any FDA action determining that such processes do not comply with dietary supplement GMPs could materially adversely affect our ability to manufacture and market the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement in the United States. In addition, the Dietary Supplement & Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act requires dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors to notify the FDA when they receive reports of serious adverse events associated with their products that occur within the United States.
Individual U.S. states also regulate nutritional supplements. A state may seek to interpret claims or products presumptively valid under federal law as illegal under that state’s regulations, or otherwise seek to create restrictions to access under state law. For example, during the 204 legislative session, several states are considering bills that would restrict the sale of muscle building and/or weight management supplements to people over the age of 18. Government agencies, as well as legislative bodies, can change existing regulations, or impose new ones, or could take aggressive measures, causing or contributing to a variety of negative consequences, including:
- requirements for the reformulation of products to meet new standards;
- the recall or discontinuance of products;
- additional record-keeping requirements;
- expanded documentation of the properties of certain or all products;
- expanded or different labeling or advertising for products;
- expanded adverse event tracking and reporting requirements; and
- additional scientific substantiation to support product claims.
We cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations, interpretations, or applications, nor can we determine what effect additional governmental regulations or administrative orders, when and if promulgated, could have on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We are subject to government regulations of the processing, formulation, packaging, labeling and advertising of our wellness and dietary supplement products.
Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act), companies that manufacture and distribute functional foods and dietary supplements, such as our Safety Shot Dietary Supplement, are limited in the claims that they are permitted to make about nutritional support on the product label without FDA approval. Any failure by us to adhere to the labeling requirements could lead to the FDA requiring that our products be repackaged and relabeled, which would have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, companies are responsible for the accuracy and truthfulness of, and must have adequate scientific substantiation for, any nutritional or functional claims. These claims must be truthful and not misleading. Promotional claims about foods and dietary supplements also must not include statements that the product can diagnose, mitigate, treat, cure or prevent a specific disease or class of disease.
We believe we are able to market our Sure Shot Dietary Supplement product in reliance on the self-affirmed Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status of our formulation’s current ingredients. No governmental agency or other third party has made a determination as to whether or not the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement has achieved GRAS status. We make this determination based on independent scientific opinions that the individual ingredients and formulation as a whole are not harmful under their intended conditions of use. If the FDA, another regulatory authority or other third party denied our self-affirmed GRAS status for the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement, we could face significant penalties or be required to undergo the regulatory approval process in order to market our product, and our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected. We cannot guarantee that in such a situation the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement would be approved.
The processing, formulation, packaging, labeling and advertising of our products may also be subject to regulation by the FTC, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and various agencies of the states and localities in which the products are sold. Any changes in the current regulatory environment could impose requirements that would limit our ability to market our supplement products and make bringing new products to market more expensive. In addition, the adoption of new regulations or changes in the interpretation of existing regulations may result in significant compliance costs or discontinuation of product sales and may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
While we have positioned the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement as a dietary supplement, it is possible that the FDA or a state regulatory agency could classify our product as a drug. If the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement is determined to be a drug, we would not be able to market it further without making significant changes to the product and labeling or going through the drug approval process, which would limit our ability to effectively market the product and would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Additional clinical trials may be necessary in order to support any new drug approval for the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement, and clinical trials designed to support drug approval may be time consuming, expensive, and uncertain. If required, such additional studies may take years to complete, and we may never generate the necessary data or results required to obtain marketing authorization of Safety Shot Dietary Supplement as an over-the-counter drug product. Accordingly, there can be no assurances that any such drug approval, if required, could be obtained for the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement. If the FDA or a state regulatory agency ultimately determines the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement is a drug rather than a dietary supplement, the agency could claim that the product is misbranded and require that we recall, repackage and relabel the product and impose civil and/or criminal penalties. Any of these situations could adversely affect our business and operations, and any public actions taken by the FDA or other regulatory agency against us could lead to consumer complaints, civil lawsuits, retail customers terminating any supply agreements we may have with them, and significant reputational harms to the company.
Our failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations could result in substantial monetary penalties and could adversely affect our operating results.
In recent years, the marketing and labeling of functional foods and beverages and dietary supplements has brought increased risk that consumers will bring class action lawsuits and that the FTC and/or state attorneys general will bring legal action concerning the truth and accuracy of the marketing and labeling of such products, seek removal of such products from the marketplace, and/or impose fines and penalties. Our Sure Shot Dietary Supplement product is marketed with express and implied statements relating to the ingredients or health and wellness related attributes, which may increase the potential risk of regulatory scrutiny over such claims. The lack of specific regulations or guidance on common supplement terms and statements used in product labeling has contributed to legal challenges against many supplement companies, and plaintiffs have commenced legal actions against several nutritional supplement companies, asserting false, misleading and deceptive advertising and labeling claims. In addition, the FTC has instituted numerous enforcement actions against dietary supplement companies for failure to have adequate substantiation for claims made in advertising or for the use of false or misleading advertising claims. Our failure to comply with applicable regulations could result insubstantial monetary penalties, which would likely have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
Even when unmerited, class action lawsuits, action by the FTC or state attorneys general enforcement actions can be expensive to defend against and may adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential customers and consumers and our corporate and brand image, which would likely have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. The number of private consumer class actions relating to false or deceptive advertising against nutritional supplement companies has increased in recent years.
In addition, the FDA has aggressively enforced its regulations with respect to different types of product claims that may or may not be made for food or dietary supplement products. These events could interrupt the marketing and sales of our Sure Shot Dietary Supplement product, severely damage our brand reputation and public image, increase our legal expenses, result in product recalls or litigation, and impede our ability to deliver our products in sufficient quantities or quality, which would likely result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Congress and/or regulatory agencies may impose additional laws or regulations or change current laws or regulations, and state attorneys general may increase enforcement of existing or new laws, and compliance with new or changed governmental regulations, or any state attorney proceeding, could increase our costs significantly and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
From time to time, Congress, the FDA, the FTC, or other federal, state, local or foreign legislative and regulatory authorities may impose additional laws or regulations that apply to us, repeal laws or regulations that we consider favorable to us or impose more stringent interpretations of current laws or regulations. We are not able to predict the nature of such future laws, regulations, repeals or interpretations or to predict the effect that additional governmental regulation, when and if it occurs, would have on our business in the future. Those developments could require reformulation of certain products to meet new standards, recalls or discontinuance of certain products not able to be reformulated, additional record-keeping requirements, increased documentation of the properties of certain products, additional or different labeling, additional scientific substantiation, adverse event reporting or other new requirements.
For example, in recent years, the FDA has issued warning letters to several dietary supplement companies alleging improper and unapproved drug claims regarding their products marketed for use as hangover cures or to prevent hangovers. If the FDA determines that we have disseminated inappropriate and unapproved drug claims for our Safety Shot Dietary Supplement, which we are positioning as a dietary supplement, we could receive a warning or untitled letter, be required to modify our product claims or take other actions to satisfy the FDA. Such a public warning or untitled letter from the FDA could harm our reputation and could lead to potential customer or consumer complaints or even civil lawsuits and other financial damages. While we would intend to vigorously defend our company and the Safety Shot product line in such a situation, any developments of this nature could increase our costs significantly and would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our reliance on third parties to manufacture and supply our products, including the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement, may harm our business, financial condition and operating results.
We contract with third-party suppliers and manufacturers for the production of our products, including the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement. These third-party suppliers and manufacturers produce and, in most cases, pack our products according to formulations and specifications that have been developed by or in conjunction with our in-house product development team. Products manufactured by third-party suppliers at their facilities must also pass through quality control and assurance procedures to ensure they are manufactured in conformance with our specifications. We cannot assure you that our third-party contract manufacturers will continue to reliably supply products to us at the levels of quality, or the quantities, we require, and in compliance with our specifications or applicable laws, including under the FDA’s dietary supplement GMP regulations and the FD&C Act’s food safety provisions. Should our contract manufacturers experience quality issues or supply us with non-conforming products, we may need to terminate relationships or secure alternative suppliers. Identifying and obtaining acceptable replacement manufacturing sources, on a timely basis or at all, for FDA-regulated functional beverages and dietary supplement products is challenging. Additionally, any future need to transfer our third-party manufacturing business to another contract manufacturer could be expensive, time-consuming, result in delays in our production or shipping, reduce our net sales, damage our relationship with customers and damage our reputation in the marketplace.
We rely on third parties to conduct clinical trials and most nonclinical studies of our products, including the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement. If these third parties do not perform as contractually required, fail to satisfy regulatory or legal requirements or miss expected deadlines, our product development and commercialization efforts could be delayed with material and adverse effects on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
While we recently completed a clinical trial for the Safety Shot Dietary Supplement and may sponsor clinical trials in the future for the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement or other products, we do not independently conduct clinical trials or the majority of nonclinical studies involving our products or product candidates. Accordingly, while we perform certain functions internally, we currently rely on third-party contract research organizations (CROs), such as the Center for Applied Health Sciences, as well as laboratories, clinical investigators, clinical data management organizations, and consultants, to help us design, conduct, supervise and monitor research involving our products and human participants. As a result, we have less control over the timing, quality and other aspects of our clinical trials than we would have had we conducted them on our own. There is a limited number of third-party service providers that specialize in the wellness space or have the expertise required to achieve our business objectives. If any of our relationships with these third-party CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or investigators or to do so on commercially reasonable terms. Further, these laboratories, investigators, CROs and consultants are not our employees and we have limited control over the amount of time and resources that they dedicate to our product development programs. These third parties may have contractual relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors, which may draw time and resources from our programs. The third parties with which we contract might not be diligent, careful or timely in conducting our nonclinical studies or clinical trials. If we cannot contract with acceptable third parties on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, or if these third parties do not carry out their contractual duties, satisfy the legal and regulatory requirements for the conduct of nonclinical studies or clinical trials or meet expected deadlines for any reason, our product development efforts could be delayed and otherwise adversely affected.
In all events, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our nonclinical studies and clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan and protocols for the relevant study or trial. For example, the FDA requires certain nonclinical studies to be conducted in accordance with good laboratory practices and clinical trials to be conducted in accordance with good clinical practices, including practices and requirements for designing, conducting, recording and reporting the results of nonclinical studies and clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of clinical trial participants are protected. Our reliance on third parties we do not control do not relieve us of these responsibilities and requirements. Any adverse development or delay in our nonclinical studies or clinical trials could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Further, should the FDA determine that the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement is a drug rather than a dietary supplement and require us to secure new drug approval or another form of marketing authorization for the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement, there can be no assurance that the nonclinical and clinical data we have generated to date would be sufficient to meet applicable regulatory standards for demonstrating substantial evidence of effectiveness. “Substantial evidence” represents the evidentiary threshold in the FD&C Act for the efficacy of new drugs, and it requires at least one adequate and well-controlled clinical investigation to establish effectiveness. Because we have positioned the Sure Shot Dietary Supplement as a dietary supplement, our recently completed clinical trial may not meet FDA’s expectations for a well-controlled clinical investigation adequate to support a potential drug approval.
We may not meet our product development and commercialization milestones.
We have established milestones, based upon our expectations regarding our technologies at that time, which we use to assess our progress toward developing our products. These milestones relate to technology and design improvements as well as dates for achieving development goals. If our products exhibit technical defects or are unable to meet cost or performance goals, our commercialization schedule could be delayed, and potential purchasers of our initial commercial products may decline to purchase such products or may opt to pursue alternative products.
We may also experience shortages of equipment due to manufacturing difficulties. Multiple suppliers provide the components used in manufacturing our products. Our manufacturing operations could be disrupted by fire, earthquake or other natural disaster, a labor-related disruption, failure in supply or other logistical channels, electrical outages or other reasons. If there were a disruption to manufacturing facilities, we would be unable to manufacture until we have restored and re-qualified our manufacturing capability or developed alternative manufacturing facilities.
Our operations in international markets involve inherent risks that we may not be able to control.
Our business plan includes the marketing and sale of our proposed products in international markets. Accordingly, our results could be materially and adversely affected by a variety of uncontrollable and changing factors relating to international business operations, including:
- Macroeconomic conditions adversely affecting geographies where we intend to do business;
- Foreign currency exchange rates;
- Political or social unrest or economic instability in a specific country or region;
- Higher costs of doing business in foreign countries;
- Infringement claims on foreign patents, copyrights or trademark rights;
- Difficulties in staffing and managing operations across disparate geographic areas;
- Difficulties associated with enforcing agreements and intellectual property rights through foreign legal systems;
- Trade protection measures and other regulatory requirements, which affect our ability to import or export our products from or to various countries;
- Adverse tax consequences;
- Unexpected changes in legal and regulatory requirements;
- Military conflict, terrorist activities, natural disasters and medical epidemics; and
- Our ability to recruit and retain channel partners in foreign jurisdictions.
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Compliance with new and existing laws and governmental regulations could increase our costs significantly and adversely affect our results of operations.
The processing, formulation, safety, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, advertising and distribution of our products are subject to federal laws and regulation by one or more federal agencies, including the FDA, the FTC, the CPSC, the USDA, and the EPA. These activities are also regulated by various state, local and international laws and agencies of the states and localities in which our products are sold. Government regulations may prevent or delay the introduction, or require the reformulation, of our products, which could result in lost revenues and increased costs to us. For instance, the FDA regulates, among other things, the composition, safety, manufacture, labeling and marketing of dietary ingredients and dietary supplements (including vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other dietary ingredients for human use). Dietary supplements and dietary ingredients that do not comply with FDA’s regulations and/or the DSHEA will be deemed adulterated or misbranded. Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded, and the FDA may take enforcement action against any adulterated or misbranded dietary supplement on the market. The FDA has broad enforcement powers. If we violate applicable regulatory requirements, the FDA may bring enforcement actions against us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations. The FDA may not accept the evidence of safety for any new dietary ingredient that we may wish to market, may determine that a particular dietary supplement or ingredient presents an unacceptable health risk based on the required submission of serious adverse events or other information, and may determine that a particular claim(such as reducing Blood Alcohol Content) or statement of nutritional value that we use to support the marketing of a dietary supplement is an impermissible drug claim or is not substantiated. Any of these actions could prevent us from marketing particular dietary supplement products or making certain claims or statements with respect to those products. The FDA could also require us to remove a particular product from the market. Any future recall or removal would result in additional costs to us, including lost revenues from any products that we are required to remove from the market, any of which could be material. Any product recalls or removals could also lead to an increased risk of litigation and liability, substantial costs, and reduced growth prospects.
Additional or more stringent laws and regulations of dietary supplements and other products have been considered from time to time. These developments could require reformulation of some products to meet new standards, recalls or discontinuance of some products not able to be reformulated, additional record-keeping requirements, increased documentation of the properties of some products, additional or different labeling, additional scientific substantiation, or other new requirements. Any of these developments could increase our costs significantly. In addition, regulators’ evolving interpretation of existing laws could have similar effects.
International trade disputes, including U.S. trade tariffs and retaliatory tariffs, could adversely impact our business.
International trade disputes, including threatened or implemented tariffs by the United States and threatened or implemented tariffs by foreign countries in retaliation, could adversely impact our business. Many of our tenants sell imported goods and tariffs or other trade restrictions could increase costs for these tenants. To the extent our tenants are unable to pass these costs on to their customers, our tenants could be adversely impacted. In addition, international trade disputes, including those related to tariffs, could result in inflationary pressures that directly impact our costs, such as costs for steel, lumber and other materials applicable to our redevelopment projects. Trade disputes could also adversely impact global supply chains which could further increase costs for us and our tenants or delay delivery of key inventories and supplies.
Significant political, trade, regulatory developments, and other circumstances beyond our control, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
Significant political, trade, or regulatory developments in the jurisdictions in which we sell our products, such as those stemming from the change in U.S. federal administration, are difficult to predict and may have a material adverse effect on us. Similarly, changes in U.S. federal policy that affect the geopolitical landscape could give rise to circumstances outside our control that could have negative impacts on our business operations. For example, during the prior Trump administration, increased tariffs were implemented on goods imported into the U.S., particularly from China, Canada, and Mexico. On February 1, 2025, the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, which were subsequently suspended for a period of one month, and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China. Historically, tariffs have led to increased trade and political tensions, between not only the U.S. and China, but also between the U.S. and other countries in the international community. In response to tariffs, other countries have implemented retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. Political tensions as a result of trade policies could reduce trade volume, investment, technological exchange, and other economic activities between major international economies, resulting in a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets. Any changes in political, trade, regulatory, and economic conditions, including, but not limited to, U.S. and China trade policies, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
Regulatory changes or actions may alter the nature of an investment in us or restrict the use of cryptocurrencies in a manner that adversely affects our business, prospects, or operations.
As cryptocurrencies have grown in both popularity and market size, governments around the world have reacted differently to cryptocurrencies; certain governments have deemed them illegal, and others have allowed their use and trade without restriction, while some jurisdictions, such as the United States, subject the mining, ownership and exchange of cryptocurrencies to extensive, and in some cases overlapping, unclear and evolving regulatory requirements.
In January 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order forming a presidential working group to establish a clear regulatory framework for digital assets, and leaders in both houses of the U.S. Congress have announced a bicameral working group with the objective of passing legislation to provide regulatory clarity for the industry. Committees in both houses of the U.S. Congress have held hearings to ensure fair access to financial services, including for companies operating in the digital asset space. Additionally, President Trump and members of the U.S. Congress announced that they are studying the possibility of creating a national strategic digital asset reserve to include Bitcoin, and at least twelve states have introduced legislation to create strategic Bitcoin reserves.
While these ongoing regulatory developments appear to be positive, and we anticipate greater regulatory certainty in the future, given the difficulty of predicting the outcomes of ongoing and future regulatory actions and legislative developments, it is possible that future developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, or operations.
Our business, operations, financial position and timelines, could be materially adversely affected by the continuing military action in Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas.
As a result of the military action commenced in February 2022 by the Russian Federation and Belarus in Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas commenced in October 2023, and related economic sanctions imposed or that may in the future be imposed by certain governments, our financial position and operations may be materially and adversely affected. As our ability to continue to operate will be dependent on raising debt and equity finance, any adverse impact to those markets as a result of these conflicts, including due to increased market volatility, decreased availability in third-party financing and/or a deterioration in the terms on which it is available (if at all), could negatively impact our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition, and/or prospects. The extent of any potential impact is not yet determinable, however.
Risks Related to our Financial Position and Capital Needs
Our accountant has indicated doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
As of December 31, 2024, and 2023, the Company had $348,816 and $3,833,349 in cash, accumulated deficit of $115,090,347 and $65,480,715 and cash flow used in operations of $18,089,748 and $10,715,314, respectively. The Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of its expansion and development plans. These conditions raise doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern and accordingly our auditors have included a going concern opinion in our annual report.
In connection with certain public and private offerings (the “Financing”), the Company offered warrants as part of the Financing packages. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Warrant Holders exercised a total of 2,996,127 warrants for shares of common stock for a total exercise price of $3,962,714 and during the year ended December 31, 2023, the Warrant Holders exercised a total of 10,266,845 warrants for shares of common stock for a total exercise price of $8,887,837. At December 31, 2024, the Company has 18,803,334 warrants outstanding at an average exercise price of $2.09. The Company expects, although there can be no assurance, that a majority of the outstanding warrants will be exercised in the near future.
The Company also holds 2,623,342 shares of SRM Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRM) valued at $0.63 per share (as of December 31, 2024) and these shares are considered trading shares and are held as marketable securities on the balance sheet. These shares are not covered by an effective registration statement but may be sold subject to Rule 144.
At December 31, 2024, the Company had $348,816 in cash and the Company recognizes that it may need to raise additional capital in order to continue to execute its business plan in the future. There is no assurance that the Warrant Holders will exercise their warrants or additional financing will be available if needed or that the Company will be able to obtain financing on terms acceptable to it or whether the Company will become profitable and generate positive operating cash flow. If the Company is unable to obtain revenue producing contracts or financing or if the revenue or financing it does obtain is insufficient to cover any operating losses it may incur, it may be forced to substantially curtail its operations or seek other business opportunities through strategic alliances, acquisitions or other arrangements that may dilute the interests of existing stockholders.
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or other assets.
We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings, strategic partnerships and alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, existing ownership interests will be diluted and the terms of such financings may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of existing stockholders. Debt financings may be coupled with an equity component, such as warrants to purchase shares, which could also result in dilution of our existing stockholders’ ownership. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also result in certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business and may result in liens being placed on our assets and intellectual property. If we were to default on such indebtedness, we could lose such assets and intellectual property.
Our potential for rapid growth and our entry into new markets make it difficult for us to evaluate our current and future business prospects, and we may be unable to effectively manage any growth associated with these new markets, which may increase the risk of your investment and could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.
Our proliferation into new markets may place a significant strain on our resources and increase demands on our executive management, personnel and systems, and our operational, administrative and financial resources may be inadequate. We may also not be able to effectively manage any expanded operations or achieve planned growth on a timely or profitable basis, particularly if the number of customers using our technology significantly increases or their demands and needs change as our business expands. If we are unable to manage expanded operations effectively, we may experience operating inefficiencies, the quality of our products and services could deteriorate, and our business and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Changes in tax laws and unanticipated tax liabilities could adversely affect our effective income tax rate and ability to achieve profitability.
Our effective income tax rate in the future could be adversely affected by a number of factors including changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities and changes in tax laws. We regularly assess all of these matters to determine the adequacy of our tax provision which is subject to discretion. If our assessments are incorrect, it could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition. There can be no assurance that income tax laws and administrative policies with respect to the income tax consequences generally applicable to us or to our subsidiaries will not be changed in a manner which adversely affects our shareholders.
Risks Related to our Intellectual Property
We may incur substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patent and other intellectual property rights.
A third party may sue us or one of our strategic collaborators for infringing its intellectual property rights. Likewise, we may need to resort to litigation to enforce licensed rights or to determine the scope and validity of third-party intellectual property rights.
The cost to us of any litigation or other proceeding relating to intellectual property rights, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial, and the litigation would divert our efforts. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. If we do not prevail in this type of litigation, we or our strategic collaborators may be required to pay monetary damages; stop commercial activities relating to the affected products or services; obtain a license in order to continue manufacturing or marketing the affected products or services; or attempt to compete in the market with a substantially similar product.
Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could limit our ability to continue some of our operations. In addition, a court may require that we pay expenses or damages, and litigation could disrupt our commercial activities.
Any inability to protect our intellectual property rights could reduce the value of our products and brands, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and business.
Our business is partly dependent upon our trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights and other intellectual property rights. Effective intellectual property rights protection, however, may not be available under the laws of every country in which we and our sub-licensees may operate. There is a risk of certain valuable trade secrets, beyond what is described publicly in patents, being exposed to potential infringers. Regardless of our technology being protected by patents or otherwise, there is a risk that other companies may employ the technology without authorization and without recompensing us.
The efforts we have taken to protect our proprietary rights may not be sufficient or effective. Any significant impairment of our intellectual property rights could harm our business or our ability to compete. In addition, protecting our intellectual property rights is costly and time consuming. There is a risk that we may have insufficient resources to counter adequately such infringements through negotiation or the use of legal remedies. It may not be practicable or cost effective for us to fully protect our intellectual property rights in some countries or jurisdictions. If we are unable to successfully identify and stop unauthorized use of our intellectual property, we could lose potential revenue and experience increased operational and enforcement costs, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and business.
The intellectual property behind our products may include unpublished know-how as well as existing and pending intellectual property protection. All intellectual property protection eventually expires, and unpublished know-how is dependent on key individuals.
The commercialization of our licensed products is partially dependent upon know-how and trade secrets held by certain individuals working with and for us. Because the expertise runs deep in these few individuals, if something were to happen to any or all of them, the ability to properly manufacture our products without compromising quality and performance could be diminished greatly.
Knowledge published in the form of any future intellectual property has finite protection, as all patents and trademarks have a limited life and an expiration date. While continuous efforts will be made to apply for patents and trademarks if appropriate, there is no guarantee that additional patents or trademarks will be granted. The expiration of patents and trademarks relating to our products may hinder our ability to sub-license or sell our products for a long period of time without the development of a more complex licensing strategy.
If we are not able to adequately protect our intellectual property, then we may not be able to compete effectively, and we may not be profitable.
Our existing proprietary rights may not afford remedies and protections necessary to prevent infringement, reformulation, theft, misappropriation and other improper use of our products by competitors. We own the formulations contained in our products and we consider these product formulations to be our critical proprietary property, which must be protected from competitors. Although trade secret, trademark, copyright and patent laws generally provide a certain level of protection, and we attempt to protect ourselves through contracts with manufacturers of our products, we may not be successful in enforcing our rights. In addition, enforcement of our proprietary rights may require lengthy and expensive litigation. We have attempted to protect some of the trade names and trademarks used for our products by registering them with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but we must rely on common law trademark rights to protect our unregistered trademarks. Common law trademark rights do not provide the same remedies as are granted to federally registered trademarks, and the rights of a common law trademark are limited to the geographic area in which the trademark is actually used. Our inability to protect our intellectual property could have a material adverse impact on our ability to compete and could make it difficult for us to achieve a profit.
Risks Related to Our Securities and Other Risks
We are an “emerging growth company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we intend to 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 auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stockless attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and distract our management, which could make it difficult to manage our business, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.”
We are required to comply with various regulatory and reporting requirements, including those required by the SEC. Complying with these reporting and other regulatory requirements is time-consuming and results in increased costs to us and could have a negative effect on our results of operations, financial condition or business. As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended, the “Exchange Act”) and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. These requirements may place a strain on our systems and resources.
The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting. To maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, we will need to commit significant resources, hire additional staff and provide additional management oversight. We will be implementing additional procedures and processes for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to public companies. Sustaining our growth also will require us to commit additional management, operational and financial resources to identify new professionals to join our firm and to maintain appropriate operational and financial systems to adequately support expansion. These activities may divert management’s attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or business.
As an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain temporary exemptions from various reporting requirements including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. We may also delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies, as permitted by the JOBS Act.
We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from any offerings and may not use them effectively.
Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from any offerings and may spend or invest these proceeds in a way with which our stockholders disagree. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business and financial condition. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from any offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.
Our management has limited experience in managing the day-to-day operations of a public company and, as a result, we may incur additional expenses associated with the management of our Company.
We only became a public company in October 2020. The management team is responsible for the operations and reporting of the Company. The requirements of operating as a public company are many and sometimes difficult to navigate. This may require us to obtain outside assistance from legal, accounting, investor relations, or other professionals that could be more costly than planned. If we lack cash resources to cover these costs of being a public company in the future, our failure to comply with reporting requirements and other provisions of securities laws could negatively affect our stock price and adversely affect our potential results of operations, cashflow and financial condition after we commence operations.
Compliance with changing corporate governance regulations and public disclosures may result in additional risks and exposures.
Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and new regulations from the SEC, have created uncertainty for public companies such as ours. These laws, regulations, and standards are subject to varying interpretations in many cases, and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. As a result, our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations, and standards have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, increased expense and significant management time and attention.
Certain of our stockholders hold a significant percentage of our outstanding voting securities, which could reduce the ability of minority stockholders to effect certain corporate actions.
At March 25, 2025, our officers and directors are the beneficial owners of approximately 14.7% our issued and outstanding voting securities. As a result, they possess significant influence over our elections and votes. As a result, their ownership and control may have the effect of facilitating and expediting a future change in control, merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination, or encouraging a potential acquirer to make a tender offer. Their ownership and control may also have the effect of delaying, impeding, or preventing a future change in control, merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination, or discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer.
If securities or industry analysts publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. Once our common stock is quoted, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our common stock price would likely decline.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation contains an exclusive forum provision for certain claims, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, New York shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (b) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee, or agent of the Company to the Company or the Company’s shareholders or (c) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to said court having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. This provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with the company and its directors, officers, or other employees and may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. This provision does not apply to actions arising under the Exchange Act or Securities Act.
Our issuance of additional common stock or preferred stock may cause our common stock price to decline, which may negatively impact your investment.
Issuances of a substantial number of additional shares of our common or preferred stock, or the perception that such issuances could occur, may cause prevailing market prices for our common stock to decline. In addition, our board of directors is authorized to issue additional series of shares of preferred stock without any action on the part of our stockholders. Our board of directors also has the power, without stockholder approval, to set the terms of any such series of shares of preferred stock that may be issued, including voting rights, conversion rights, dividend rights, preferences over our common stock with respect to dividends or if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our business and other terms. If we issue cumulative preferred stock in the future that has preference over our common stock with respect to the payment of dividends or upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or if we issue preferred stock with voting rights that dilute the voting power of our common stock, the market price of our common stock could decrease.
Anti-takeover provisions in the Company’s charter and bylaws may prevent or frustrate attempts by stockholders to change the board of directors or current management and could make a third-party acquisition of the Company difficult.
The Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. Furthermore, the Board of Directors has the ability to increase the size of the Board and fill newly created vacancies without stockholder approval. These provisions could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of the Company’s common stock.
Our common stock may become subject to the SEC’s penny stock rules and accordingly, broker-dealers may experience difficulty in completing customer transactions and trading activity in our securities may be adversely affected.
The SEC has adopted regulations, which generally define “penny stock” to be an equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to specific exemptions. The market price of our common stock is less than $5.00 per share and therefore would be a “penny stock” according to SEC rules, unless we are listed on a national securities exchange. Under these rules, broker-dealers who recommend such securities to persons other than institutional accredited investors must:
- Make a special written suitability determination for the purchaser;
- Receive the purchaser’s prior written agreement to the transaction;
- Provide the purchaser with risk disclosure documents which identify certain risks associated with investing in “penny stocks” and which describe the market for these “penny stocks” as well as a purchaser’s legal remedies; and
- Obtain a signed and dated acknowledgment from the purchaser demonstrating that the purchaser has actually received the required risk disclosure document before a transaction in a “penny stock” can be completed.
Although our common stock is not currently subject to these rules, it were to become subject to such rules, broker-dealers may find it difficult to effectuate customer transactions and trading activity in our securities may be adversely affected. As a result, the market price of our securities may be depressed, and you may find it more difficult to sell your securities.
Cybersecurity
As filed, 4,146 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
We have established policies and processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material risk from cybersecurity threats, and have integrated these processes into our overall risk management systems and processes. We routinely assess material risks from cybersecurity threats, including any potential unauthorized occurrence on or conducted through our information systems that may result in adverse effects on the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of our information systems or any information residing therein.
We conduct periodic risk assessments to identify cybersecurity threats, as well as assessments in the event of a material change in our business practices that may affect information systems that are vulnerable to such cybersecurity threats. These risk assessments include identification of reasonably foreseeable internal and external risks, the likelihood and potential damage that could result from such risks, and the sufficiency of existing policies, procedures, systems, and safeguards in place to manage such risks.
Following these risk assessments, we re-design, implement, and maintain reasonable safeguards to minimize identified risks; reasonably address any identified gaps in existing safeguards; and regularly monitor the effectiveness of our safeguards. Primary responsibility for assessing, monitoring and managing our cybersecurity risks rests with NeTTronix Technology Solutions who reports to our CFO, to manage the risk assessment and mitigation process.
We engage consultants, or other third parties in connection with our risk assessment processes. These service providers assist us to design and implement our cybersecurity policies and procedures, as well as to monitor and test our safeguards. We require each third-party service provider to certify that it has the ability to implement and maintain appropriate security measures, consistent with all applicable laws, to implement and maintain reasonable security measures in connection with their work with us, and to promptly report any suspected breach of its security measures that may affect our company.
We have not encountered cybersecurity challenges that have materially impaired our operations or financial standing.
Governance
Our board of directors addresses the Company’s cybersecurity risk management as part of its general oversight function. The board of directors’ audit committee is responsible for overseeing Company’s cybersecurity risk management processes, including oversight and mitigation of risks from cybersecurity threats.
Our cybersecurity risk assessment and management processes are implemented and maintained by certain Company management, including the information technology team at the direction of NeTTronix Technology Solutions. Our executive team including our Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer are responsible for hiring appropriate personnel, helping to integrate cybersecurity risk considerations into the Company’s overall risk management strategy, and communicating key priorities to relevant personnel. This executive team is responsible for approving budgets, helping prepare for cybersecurity incidents, approving cybersecurity processes, and reviewing security assessments and other security-related reports.
Our cybersecurity incident response and vulnerability management policies are designed to escalate certain cybersecurity incidents to members of management depending on the circumstances, including our Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. In addition, the Company’s incident response and vulnerability management policies include reporting to the audit committee of the board of directors for certain cybersecurity incidents including significant breaches to the Company’s networks or systems. The audit committee receives regular reports from the information technology team concerning the Company’s significant cybersecurity threats and risk and the processes the Company has implemented to address them. The audit committee also has access to various reports, summaries or presentations related to cybersecurity threats, risk and mitigation.
Properties
As filed, 482 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Currently, we do not own any real property. We rent office space at 1061 E. Indiantown Rd., Ste. 110, Jupiter, FL 33477 for $15,038 per month. The Company entered into the office lease effective July 1, 2021, which has a primary term of the lease of five years with one renewal option for an additional three years. As part of the Separation Agreement, Caring Brands, Inc. has agreed to assume to lease obligations upon it reaching certain milestones. We do not own any real estate.
Legal proceedings
As filed, 7,944 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
On November 30, 2023, Intracoastal Capital, LLC (“Intracoastal”) filed a lawsuit against the Company in the New York County Supreme Court, alleging that (i) the Company is in breach of a common stock warrant issued to Intracoastal on or about July 26, 2021, and (ii) that the Company should be ordered by the court to deliver to Intracoastal 330,619 free trading shares of Company common stock (the “Intracoastal Litigation”). The Intracoastal Litigation seeks compensatory damages in an amount no less than $2 million, in addition to liquidated damages and attorney’s fees. On January 14, 2025, the Company settled all issues and claims relating to the Intracoastal Litigation pursuant to the terms of the Intracoastal Settlement Agreement. Under the Intracoastal Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to issue to Intracoastal Capital the following: (i) the Intracoastal Settlement Shares and (ii) a settlement payment of $175,000. The number of Intracoastal Settlement Shares shall be the greater of the Initial Share Amount or the Adjusted Share Amount. The Intracoastal Settlement Agreement is filed herein as Exhibit 10.33.
On September 5, 2023, “Sabby” Volatility Warrant Master Fund Ltd. filed a lawsuit against the Company in the federal district court for the Southern District of New York case captioned Sabby Volatility Warrant Master Fund Ltd. v. Jupiter Wellness, Inc., No.1:23-cv-07874-KPF (the “Litigation”). Sabby’s initial complaint in the Litigation alleges that the Company’s delayed spin-off and distribution of the common stock of “SRM” Entertainment. Inc. give rise to claims of breach-of-contact, promissory estoppel, and negligent misrepresentation. On November 10, 2023, Jupiter sought judicial permission to move to dismiss Sabby’s complaint, arguing that Sabby had no legal right to the delayed distribution occurring on the original record date, and that regardless, no law requires the Company to compensate Sabby for the costs of covering its short position against the Company. In response, the Court allowed the parties to bypass that dismissal motion briefing so long as Sabby filed an amended complaint by December 15, 2023.
Sabby seeks compensatory damages estimated to exceed $500,000. The Company has filed a motion to dismiss Sabby’s amended complaint and is awaiting the Court’s ruling. The Company intends to vigorously defend itself against Sabby’s claims and does not believe that the Litigation’s ultimate disposition or resolution will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity. The case was dismissed with prejudice by the federal district court for the Southern District of New York on September 23, 2024. On October 10, 2024, Sabby filed an appeal of the Southern District’s dismissal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The Company is awaiting the decision from the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
On February 9, 2024, “Sabby” Volatility Warrant Master Find Ltd. sued the Company in the federal district court for the Southern District of New York, case captioned, Sabby Volatility Warrant Master Fund Ltd. v. Safety Shot, Inc., No. 1:24-cv-920-NRB (the “Litigation”). Sabby’s initial complaint alleges that the Company has improperly refused to honor Sabby’s exercise of a Warrant to acquire 2,105,263 shares of common stock. On March 8, 2024, Sabby filed an amended complaint. The Company has answered the amended complaint is due on March 29, 2024. Sabby seeks “liquidated and compensatory damages in an amount to be proven at trial,” including compensatory damages “estimated to be at least $750,000,” liquidated damages “estimated to be at least $600,000,” specific performance, attorneys’ fees, expenses and costs. The Company intends to vigorously defend itself against Sabby’s claims and does not believe that the Litigation’s ultimate disposition or resolution will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity.
On January 16, 2024, 3i LP (“3i”), filed a lawsuit against the Company in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in the County of New York, case captioned, 3i LP v. Safety Shot, Inc. No. 650196/24 (the “Litigation”). The case stems from the Company’s alleged denial of 3i’s attempt to exercise certain warrants and states causes of action for actual damages and liquidated damages in an amount of approximately $380,000. The Company filed its answer to the complaint on or about March 7, 2024. The Company intends to defend itself vigorously against Sabby’s claims and does not believe that the Litigation’s ultimate disposition will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity.
On January 10, 2024, Bigger Capital Fund, L.P. (“Bigger Capital”), filed a lawsuit against the Company in the Supreme Court for the State of New York, Case No. 650148/2024 (the “Bigger Litigation”). The Litigation stemmed from the Company’s warrant to purchase 1,656,050 shares of Company common stock issued to Bigger Capital on July 20, 2021, and asserts causes of action for Breach of Contract, Specific Performance and Declaratory Relief. Pursuant to the Bigger Litigation, Bigger capital sought compensatory damages of $3 million, liquidated damages in an estimated amount of $4 million, specific performance, attorney’s fees and declaratory relief.
On January 20, 2025, the Company entered into the Bigger Settlement Agreement. In exchange for a resolution to all issues and claims that relate to the previously filed action against the Company in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, Index No. 65018/2024. Pursuant to the Bigger Settlement Agreement, the Company agreed to pay or issue to Bigger Capital the following: (i) pay Bigger Capital $375,000; (ii) issue a secured convertible note in the principal amount of $1.75 million maturing on December 31, 2026 (the “Secured Convertible Bigger Note”); (iii) a convertible note in the principal amount of $3.5 million maturing June 30, 2025 (the “Convertible Bigger Note,” and, together with the Secured Convertible Bigger Note, the “Bigger Notes”); and (iv) 5,332,889 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of common stock purchase warrants to purchase shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $0.4348 per share (the “Bigger Warrants”). A significant shareholder of the Company and Bigger Capital entered into a voting agreement in favor of Bigger Capital in addition to the Bigger Settlement Agreement. The Bigger Settlement Agreement is filed herein as Exhibit 10.32. The Secured Convertible Bigger Note is filed herein as Exhibit 4.5 and the Convertible Bigger Note is filed herein as Exhibit 4.6.
On or about January 18, 2024, Alta Partners, LLC, (“Alta”) filed a lawsuit against the Company in the federal district court for the Southern District of New York, case captioned, Alta Partners, LLC v. Safety Shot, Inc. No. 24-cv-373 (S.D.N.Y.) (the “Litigation”). The Litigation stems from the Company’s warrant to purchase shares of Company common stock and asserts causes of action for Breach of Contract Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing (in the alternative) and violation of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933. The Litigation seeks compensatory general and liquidated damages in an amount to be proven at trial. On or about January 29, 2025, the Company settled the Litigation by agreeing to pay $350,000 in exchange for a release of all claims by Alta.
The Company may be subject to legal proceedings and claims arising from contracts or other matters from time to time in the ordinary course of business. Management is not aware of any pending or threatened litigation where the ultimate disposition or resolution could have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or liquidity.
Management's discussion and analysis
As filed, 29,353 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
This annually report contains forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward- looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.
Our audited financial statements are stated in United States Dollars (US$) and are prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes that appear elsewhere in this annually report. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed below and elsewhere in this annually report.
In this annually report, unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts are expressed in United States dollars and all references to “common shares” refer to the common shares in our capital stock.
As used in this annually report and unless otherwise indicated, the terms “we”, “us”, “our”, “SHOT” and the “Company” mean Safety Shot, Inc.
Company Overview
Safety Shot Inc. (NASDAQ: SHOT) was formerly known as Jupiter Wellness Inc. In August 2023, the Company successfully completed the asset purchase of the functional beverage Safety Shot from GBB Drink Lab, Inc. (“GBB”), thereby gaining ownership of various assets, including the intellectual property, trade secrets, and trademarks associated with its dietary supplement Safety Shot Beverage (the “Safety Shot Beverage”). Concurrently with the asset purchase, the Company changed its name to Safety Shot, Inc. and changed its NASDAQ trading symbol to SHOT. The Company launched its e- commerce sale of the Safety Shot Beverage in December 2023.
The Safety Shot Beverage has been formulated to reduce the accumulation of blood alcohol. Noteworthy is the fact that the Safety Shot Beverage comprises 28 active ingredients, all falling under the Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) category. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a dietary supplement, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excepted from the definition of a dietary supplement.
It’s crucial to note that the Safety Shot Beverage is currently manufactured in a facility adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), ensuring the highest standards of quality and safety throughout its production process. The Company currently maintains a workforce comprising eight full-time employees of its own.
Specializing in Consumer Packaged Goods, our focus centers on the commercialization of a 12-ounce beverage positioned as a dietary supplement. Beyond our existing product, we are actively pursuing a future product line, including a convenient powdered stick pack version. This strategic expansion aligns with our corporate vision to address evolving consumer demands, positioning the Company in the market for dietary supplements. We believe that this initiative not only enriches our product portfolio but also emphasizes our dedication to innovation and adaptability, catering to the discerning preferences of health-conscious consumers. The Company intends to continue its current product lines, except for its products which contain CBD, which the Company no longer sells. Our product pipeline also includes a diverse range of products, such as hair loss treatments, vitiligo solutions, and sexual wellness products, that cater to different health and wellness needs and our commitment to supporting health and wellness by developing innovative solutions to a range of conditions but will focus our efforts on the commercialization of the Safety Shot Beverage.
The Safety Shot Beverage has established a development infrastructure that the Company believes fits with its existing over-the-counter and prescription-grade health and wellness products.
To achieve our mission, we rely on our team of highly skilled and experienced professionals who are committed to advancing our vision of health and wellness. Our team includes individuals with scientific backgrounds, an experienced researcher, product developers, and business experts who collaborate to create new products and enhance existing ones. We also seek to partner with industry leaders and organizations to gain access to the latest technologies and expand our reach.
We generate revenue through various channels, our primary sales include our “nostingz” suncare products which are sold through e-commerce platforms, licensing revenues from Photocil and sales of the Safety Shot Beverage. Photocil is currently sold in India through a licensing agreement. We received FDA approval of our labelling and composition to sell Photocil as an OTC product in the US and plan to relaunch the product in the US in the fourth quarter of 2024 through e-commerce channels. Safety Shot Beverage is currently sold through e-commerce and social media platforms. Additionally, we are collaborating with other companies to license our intellectual property, to create additional revenue streams and expand our global presence. At present, we do not experience concentration risk or dependence on major customers.
We maintain a diverse network of raw material suppliers integral to our production processes. Acquisition strategies encompass both direct procurement and collaborative efforts with our co-packers. The selection of suppliers is contingent upon various factors, including ingredient specificity, availability, and other essential considerations. Notably, these suppliers coincide with those currently providing materials to other facilities engaged in the manufacturing of drinks, powders, tablets, and capsules. Our roster of suppliers comprises reputable entities such as Jiaherb, Compound Solutions, Kyowa- Hakko, Mitsubishi Ingredients, Nura, Sensapure Flavors, Brenntag, E3 Ingredients, Ingredients Online, among others. This strategic alliance with established industry players underscores our commitment to sourcing high-quality raw materials essential for the production of our innovative product line. Furthermore, our approach to supplier relationships reflects a dedication to maintaining a seamless and reliable supply chain. We believe that this not only ensures the consistency of our current offerings but also positions us favorably for future developments. The Management believes that as we continue to expand our product portfolio, we believe that these partnerships with trusted suppliers play a pivotal role in upholding the standards that we expect of our brand.
As a result of recent changes to the laws governing CBD products, as well as the declining popularity of CBD products, the Company no longer markets or sells any CBD products. The Company hopes to find a suitor or partner to dispose of its CBD related assets but has not entered into any agreements to do so.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, which have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The preparation of the financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements as well as the reported revenue generated, and expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions and any such differences may be material. We believe that the accounting policies discussed below are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving management’s judgments and estimates.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and are expressed in United States Dollars. Significant accounting policies are summarized below:
Revenue Recognition
The Company generates its revenue from the sale of its products directly to the end user or distributor (collectively the “customer”).
The Company recognizes revenues by applying the following steps in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Codification 606 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASC 606”). Under ASC 606, revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services are transferred to a customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration that the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The Company applies the following five steps in order to determine the appropriate amount of revenue to be recognized as it fulfills its obligations under each of its agreements:
- identify the contract with a customer;
- identify the performance obligations in the contract;
- determine the transaction price;
- allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract; and
- recognize revenue as the performance obligation is satisfied.
The Company’s performance obligations are satisfied when goods or products are shipped on an FOB shipping point basis as title passes when shipped. Our product is generally paid in advance of shipment or standard net 30 days and we offer no specific right of return, refund or warranty related to our products except for cases of defective products of which there have been none to date.
Inventory
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. The Company periodically reviews the value of items in inventory and provides write-downs or write-offs of inventory based on its assessment of market conditions. Write-downs and write-offs are charged to cost of goods sold. Inventory is based upon the average cost method of accounting.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires 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. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
We evaluate long-lived assets (including intangible assets) for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a long-lived asset may not be recoverable. An asset is considered impaired if its carrying amount exceeds the undiscounted future net cash flow the asset is expected to generate.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill is tested for impairment at a minimum on an annual basis. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level by first performing a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If the reporting unit does not pass the qualitative assessment, then the reporting unit’s carrying value is compared to its fair value. The fair values of the reporting units are estimated using market and discounted cash flow approaches. Goodwill is considered impaired if the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value. The discounted cash flow approach uses expected future operating results. Failure to achieve these expected results may cause a future impairment of goodwill at the reporting unit.
Intangible assets consist of patents and trademarks, purchased customer contracts, purchased customer and merchant relationships, purchased trade names, purchased technology, and non-compete agreements. Intangible assets are amortized over the period of estimated benefit using the straight- line method and estimated useful lives ranging from one to twenty years. No significant residual value is estimated for intangible assets. We evaluate long- lived assets (including intangible assets) for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a long-lived asset may not be recoverable. An asset is considered impaired if its carrying amount exceeds the undiscounted future net cash flow the asset is expected to generate.
Investments Held-to-Maturity
Investments that the Company’s management has the “positive intent and ability” to hold through maturity are classified and accounted for as hold-to-maturity investments (“HTM”). HTM investments are carried at amortized cost in the financial statements. For investments classified as HTM, no unrealized gains and losses will be recognized in financial statements.
Earnings (Loss) Per Share
Net income (loss) per common share is computed pursuant to section 260-10-45 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. Basic net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. If applicable, diluted earnings per share assume the conversion, exercise or issuance of all common stock instruments such as options, warrants, convertible securities and preferred stock, unless the effect is to reduce a loss or increase earnings per share. Warrants are not considered in the calculations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, as the impact of the potential common shares would be to decrease the loss per share.
| For the Years Ended December 31, 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Numerator: | (49,409,632) | (15,083,041) |
| Net (loss) | ||
| Deemed Dividend | (2,293,301) | - |
| Loss attributable to shareholders | $(51,702,933) | $(15,083,041) |
| Denominator: | ||
| Denominator for basic earnings per share - Weighted-average common shares issued and outstanding during the period | 54.441,190 | 30,877,804 |
| Denominator for diluted earnings per share | 54,441,190 | 30,877,804 |
| Basic (loss) per share | $(0.91) | $(0.49) |
| Diluted (loss) per share | $(0.91) | $(0.49) |
| Loss per share attributed to common shareholders | $(0.95) | - |
Cash
We consider all short-term investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash and equivalents for purposes of the statement of cash flows. There were no cash equivalents as December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Foreign Currency Translation
Assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated using the exchange rate at the balance sheet date, while revenue and expense accounts are translated at the average exchange rates prevailing during the period. Equity accounts are translated at historical exchange rates. Gains and losses from foreign currency transactions and translation for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 and the cumulative translation gains and losses as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 were not material.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable are generated from sales of the Company’s products. The Company provides an allowance for doubtful collections, which is based upon a review of outstanding receivables, historical collection information, and existing economic conditions. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized no allowance for doubtful collections.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair value of our assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.
Income Taxes
We account for income taxes under ASC 740 Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). ASC 740 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. ASC 740 additionally requires a valuation allowance to be established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
ASC 740 also clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position 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. ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim period, disclosure and transition. Based on our evaluation, it has been concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions requiring recognition in our financial statements. Since we were incorporated on October 24, 2018, the evaluation was performed for 2018 tax year, which would be the only period subject to examination. We believe that our income tax positions and deductions would be sustained on audit and does not anticipate any adjustments that would result in a material changes to our financial position. Our policy for recording interest and penalties associated with audits is to record such items as a component of income tax expense.
The Company’s deferred tax asset at December 31, 2024 and 2023 consists of net operating loss carry forwards calculated using federal and state effective tax rates equating to approximately $14,660,582 and $8,658,484, respectively. Due to the Company’s lack of earnings history, the deferred tax asset has been fully offset by a valuation allowance of $14,660,582 and $8,658,484 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Research and Development
The Company accounts for research and development costs in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification subtopic 730-10, Research and Development (“ASC 730-10”). Under ASC 730-10, all research and development costs must be charged to expense as incurred. Accordingly, internal research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Third-party research and developments costs are expensed when the contracted work has been performed or as milestone results have been achieved. Company-sponsored research and development costs related to both present and future products are expensed in the period incurred. The Company incurred research and development expenses of $ 271,719 and $100,591 for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Stock Based Compensation
We recognize compensation costs to employees under FASB Accounting Standards Codification 718 “Compensation - Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”). Under ASC 718, companies are required to measure the compensation costs of share-based compensation arrangements based on the grant- date fair value and recognize the costs in the financial statements over the period during which employees are required to provide services. Share-based compensation arrangements include stock options and warrants. As such, compensation cost is measured on the date of grant at their fair value. Such compensation amounts, if any, are amortized over the respective vesting periods of the option grant. For options granted to employes, we use a plain vanilla Black-Scholes calculation to calculate fair value with standard market inputs.
On October 24, 2018, the inception date (“Inception”), we adopted ASU No. 2018-07 “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” These amendments expand the scope of Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation (which currently only includes share-based payments to employees) to include share-based payments issued to non-employees for goods or services. Consequently, the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees and employees will be substantially aligned.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, which simplifies the accounting for non-employee share-based payment transactions. The amendments specify that Topic 718 applies to all share-based payment transactions in which a grantor acquires goods or services to be used or consumed in a grantor’s own operations by issuing share-based payment awards. The standard will be effective for us in the first quarter of our fiscal year 2020, although early adoption is permitted (but no sooner than the adoption of Topic 606). The Company has adopted this standard beginning January 1, 2019. The adoption of this standard has not had a significant impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.
In February 2016, Topic 842, “Leases” was issued to replace the leases requirements in Topic 840, “Leases”. The main difference between previous GAAP and Topic 842 is the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous GAAP. A lessee should recognize in the balance sheet a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, a lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset not to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. If a lessee makes this election, it should recognize lease expense for such leases generally on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The accounting applied by a lessor is largely unchanged from that applied under previous GAAP. Topic 842 will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those annual periods and is to be retrospectively applied. The Company has adopted this standard beginning January 1, 2019. The adoption of this standard has not had a significant impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, and financial statement disclosures.
Results of Operations
For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
The following table provides selected financial data about us for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
| December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | $701,967 | $202,670 |
| Cost of Sales | 3,147,724 | 277,127 |
| Gross Profit (Loss) | (2,445,757) | (74,457) |
| Total operating expenses | 39,611,915 | 12,524,869 |
| Other (income) expenses | 6,354,158 | 2,222,187 |
| Net Loss from continuing operations | $(48,411,830) | $(14,821,513) |
| Income (loss) from discontinued operations | (997,802) | (261,528) |
| Net Loss | $(49,409,632) | $(15,083,041) |
| Deemed Dividend | $(2,293,301) | - |
| Loss attributable to shareholders | $(51,702,933) | (15,083,041) |
Revenues
We generated $701,967 in revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $202,670 revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase is due to the Company the commencement of marketing and selling its Safety Shot beverage in December 2023.
Operating Expenses
We had total operating expenses of $39,611,915 for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $12,524,869 for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024, totaled $39,611,915 and were in connection with our daily operations as follows: (i) marketing expenses of $7,038,078; (ii) research and development of $232,161 which included clinical trials; (iii) legal and professional expenses of $8,063,858 primarily for due diligence and legal work on a proposed merger and litigation along with corporate advisory services, registration statement preparation fees, general corporate governance fees; (iv) rent and utilities of $275,247; (v) depreciation and amortization of $428,827; (vi) general and administrative expenses of $3,117,507, consisting of payroll and related taxes, travel, meals and entertainment, office supplies and expense and other normal office and administration expenses; and (vii) stock based compensation of $20,456,237 consisting of the fair value of stock issued in lieu of cash.
Operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023, totaled $12,524,869 and were in connection with our daily operations as follows: (i) marketing expenses of $566,666; (ii) research and development of $100,591 which included clinical trials; (iii) legal and professional expenses of
$4,856,586 primarily for due diligence and legal work on two proposed mergers and litigation along with corporate advisory services, registration statement preparation fees, general corporate governance fees; (iv) rent and utilities of $206,871; (v) depreciation and amortization of $215,175; (vi) general and administrative expenses of $4,296,899, consisting of payroll and related taxes, travel, meals and entertainment, office supplies and expense and other normal office and administration expenses; (vii) stock based compensation of $2,082,081 consisting of the fair value of stock issued in lieu of cash and (viii) impairment of a $200,000 advance to an affiliate.
Other income and expense
Other income and expense for the year ended December 31, 2024, included realized gains of $1,193,666 on the sale of marketable securities and $862,407 of unrealized losses on unsold marketable securities, net interest expense of $118,325 and other income of $6,567,092.
Other income and expense for the year ended December 31, 2023, included realized gains of $244,504 on the sale of marketable securities and $1,511,488 of unrealized losses on unsold marketable securities, unrealized loss of $864,418 on equity investment, net interest expense of $114,093 and other income of $23,308.
Income and loss f rom discontinued operations
For the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, The Company had losses from discontinued operations of $997,802 and $261,528, respectively.
Income/Losses
Net losses were $49,409,632 and $15,083,041 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Deemed Dividend
In connection with the settlement with Bigger Capital, Company agreed to cancel 1,656,050 original warrants with an exercise price of $1.40 held by Bigger in exchange for 5,332,889 “exchange” warrants with an exercise price of $0.4348. The fair value of the exchange warrants is $2,732,329 which is offset by the fair value of the remaining life of the original warrant of $439,028 and is considered a deemed dividend attributable to the shareholders in the determination of earnings (loss) per share.
Impact of Inflation
We believe that inflation has had a negligible effect on operations since inception. We believe that we can offset inflationary increases in the cost of operations by increasing sales and improving operating efficiencies.
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have off-balance sheet arrangements, financings, or other relationships with unconsolidated entities or other persons, also known as “variable interest entities.”
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company is in commercialization mode, while continuing to pursue the development of its next generation products as well as new products that are being developed.
We generally require cash to:
- launch sales initiatives,
- fund our operations and working capital requirements,
- develop and execute our product development and market introduction plans,
- fund research and development efforts, and
- pay any expense obligations as they come due.
Controls and procedures
As filed, 6,392 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Company’s Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time communicated to the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure based closely on the definition of “disclosure controls and procedures” in Rule 13a-15(e). The Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide a reasonable level of assurance of reaching the Company’s desired disclosure control objectives. In designing periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. The Company’s certifying officers have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are not effective in reaching that level of assurance.
At the end of the period being reported upon, the Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures. Based on the foregoing, our Chief Executive Officer and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were ineffective to ensure that the material information required to be included in our Securities and Exchange Commission reports is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive and financial officer, recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms relating to the Company, based on the assessment and control of disclosure decisions currently performed by a small team. The Company plans to expand its management team and build a fulsome internal control framework required by a more complex entity.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Section 13a-15(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the Company’s principal financial officer to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of the Company’s financial statements for external reporting purposes in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and include those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and disposition of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorization of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
As of December 31, 2024, management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on the framework established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission. Based on the criteria established by COSO management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was ineffective as of December 31, 2024.
This Report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting as smaller reporting companies are not required to include such report and EGC’s are exempt from this requirement entirely until they are no longer an EGC. Management’s report is not subject to attestation by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.
Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls
Management has confidence in its internal controls and procedures. The Company’s management believes that a control system, no matter how well designed and operated can provide only reasonable assurance and cannot provide absolute assurance that the objectives of the internal control system are met, and no evaluation of internal controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within a company have been detected. Further, the design of an internal control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitation in all internal control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issuers and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected.
Changes in Internal Controls
There were no changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial reporting.
Internal control systems, no matter how well designed and operated, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even a system which is determined to be effective cannot provide absolute assurance that all control issues have been detected or prevented. Our systems of internal controls are designed to provide reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.
Figures reported in this filing
Standardized line items from the XBRL in this filing, for the period ended 2024-12-31. Comparative periods it repeats are left out.
| Line item | Period | Value | XBRL concept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 12 months2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $702.0k | us-gaap:Revenues |
| Cost of revenue | 12 months2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $3.1m | us-gaap:CostOfRevenue |
| Gross profit | 12 months2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | −$2.4m | us-gaap:GrossProfit |
| Research and development | 12 months2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $271.7k | us-gaap:ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense |
| Net income | 12 months2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | −$49.4m | us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss |
| Diluted EPS | 12 months2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | −$0.91 | us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted |
| Basic EPS | 12 months2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | −$0.91 | us-gaap:EarningsPerShareBasic |
| Diluted shares (weighted) | 12 months2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | 54,441,190 shares | us-gaap:WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstanding |
| Capital expenditure | 12 months2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $87.2k | us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment |
| Cash and equivalents | At period end2024-12-31 | $348.8k | us-gaap:Cash |
| Current assets | At period end2024-12-31 | $2.6m | us-gaap:AssetsCurrent |
| Total assets | At period end2024-12-31 | $7.3m | us-gaap:Assets |
| Current liabilities | At period end2024-12-31 | $9.4m | us-gaap:LiabilitiesCurrent |
| Total liabilities | At period end2024-12-31 | $9.5m | us-gaap:Liabilities |
| Shareholders' equity | At period end2024-12-31 | −$2.2m | us-gaap:StockholdersEquity |
Source: SEC EDGAR, the filing index for accession 0001641172-25-001259. Last ingested by Listed: Nov 10, 2026, 06:27 ET. Listed shows no prices and gives no investment advice.