DSS, Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2024

Overview

DSS, Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries (unless the context otherwise requires), referred to herein as “DSS,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”, currently operates five distinct business lines operate around the globe with primary operations in North America and Asia. The five divisions are:

1. Product Packaging,

2. Biotechnology,

3. Commercial Lending,

4. Securities and Investment Management, and

5. Direct Marketing,

Each of these business lines are in various stages of development, growth, and income generation. Due to these variations in the business cycle, including differences in revenue and assets acquired, the Company is currently reporting financial information for five of these operating segments:

1. Product Packaging,

2. Biotechnology,

3. Commercial Lending,

4. Securities and Investment Management, and

5. Direct Marketing

As the other divisions grow and start generating material operations and revenue, those operating segments will be added to our financial segmental reporting.

Our divisions, their business lines, subsidiaries, and operating territories:

1. Product Packaging: The Company’s consumer packaging and security printing business is led by its wholly owned subsidiary, Premier Packaging Corporation, Inc. (“Premier”), a New York corporation. Premier operates in the paper board and fiber based folding carton, consumer product packaging, and document security printing markets. It markets, manufactures, and sells sophisticated custom folding cartons, mailers, photo sleeves and complex 3-dimensional direct mail solutions. Premier is currently located in its new facility in Rochester, NY, and primarily serves the US market.

**2. Biotechnology: (“**Biotech”) Biotechnology, a science-driven industry sector that uses living organisms and molecular biology to produce healthcare-related products. This division is committed to both funding research and developing intellectual property portfolio. It is currently focus on research in three main areas: (i) development of a universal therapeutic drug platform; (ii) a new sugar substitute; and (iii) a multi-use fragrance. Biotech discovers, confirms, and patents unique science and technologies which can be developed into new offerings in human healthcare and wellness in collaboration with external partners through licensing, co-development, joint ventures, and other relationships. By leveraging technology and new science with strategic partnerships, we provide advances in biopharmaceuticals and over the counter direct to consumer wellness offerings, and drug discovery for the prevention, inhibition, and treatment of neurological, oncology and immuno-related diseases. Assets of this group are organized under the holding company, DSS BioHealth Security, Inc. Its subsidiaries are currently operating in Houston, TX and Rochester, NY.

3. Commercial Lending: American Pacific Financial, Inc. (“APF”) represents our banking and financing business line. Looking ahead, to better meet the needs of the current financial market, the company is looking to transition away from certain industries like direct marketing and focus more on growing its inventory / equipment loan portfolio as well as engaging in more specialized areas of lending like broker/dealer loans.

4. Securities and Investment Management: In 2024, DSS continued our strategic investments in three broker dealers; WestPark Capital, BMI Capital Investments, and Sentinel Brokers Company, Inc. Additionally, we have become the Registered Investment Advisor (“RIA”) for DSS AmericaFirst Quantitative Funds (DSS AmericaFirst) family. This group of businesses is led by its holding company, DSS Securities, Inc., (“DSS Securities”) and the group is currently headquartered in Houston, Texas, with operations in Chicago, Illinois, Sacramento, California, Los Angeles, California, and New York, NY. Also in this segment is the Company’s real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), organized for the purposes of acquiring hospitals and other acute or post-acute care centers from leading clinical operators with dominant market share in secondary and tertiary markets, and leasing each property to a single operator under a triple-net lease. The REIT was formed to originate, acquire, and lease a credit-centric portfolio of licensed medical real estate. This group is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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**5. Direct Marketing: (“**Direct”) Led by the holding corporation, Decentralized Sharing Systems, Inc. (“Decentralized”) provides services to assist companies in the emerging growth “Gig” business model of peer-to-peer decentralized sharing marketplaces. Direct specializes in licensing its products and services through its subsidiary HWH World, Inc. (“HWH World”) using the popular gig economic marketing strategy as a form of direct marketing. Direct’s products include, among other things, nutritional and personal care products sold throughout North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

2024 RECAP

The following is a summary of the DSS reported transactions and investments since January 2024 that reflect the active advancements and investments in these business lines:

September 16, 2024, DSS, Inc. and its subsidiary Impact BioMedical Inc. (NYSE American: IBO), announced the successful pricing of Impact BioMedical’s initial public offering (IPO). Impact BioMedical, a trailblazer in advancing human healthcare and wellness solutions, has set its IPO price at $3.00 per share, with an initial offering of 1,500,000 shares. Trading under the ticker symbol “IBO,” these shares will begin trading on the NYSE American Market on September 16, 2024. This significant achievement underscores Impact BioMedical’s innovative contributions to the healthcare sector and represents a major milestone for DSS. We are particularly proud of the role this IPO plays in enhancing shareholder value, reflecting our ongoing commitment to providing substantial returns to our investors.

On September 10, 2024, DSS Wealth Management, Inc., the registered investment advisor for the DSS AmericaFirst Funds, announced that effective August 9, 2024, David Friedensohn, Monica Himes and Allan Siegel have resigned from their positions as independent directors. The Trust is pleased to announce the election of three new independent directors by shareholder proxy vote: Dr. Prabir Datta, Darryl Robinson and Mark Gronet. These individuals are seasoned senior investment executives who bring a wealth of experience and expertise in asset management, risk management, investment operations and sales.

On August 26, 2024, DSS announced the appointment of Jason Grady as its Interim CEO, effective August 23, 2024. Grady, who previously served as Chief Operating Officer of DSS, Inc., brings over 25 years of extensive experience in executive leadership, business development, restructuring, and operations management across a variety of industries. He will succeed Frank D. Heuszel, who is exiting the company to transition to a leadership role within one of its former subsidiaries. Throughout his career, Mr. Grady has held pivotal positions within DSS, including CEO and Director of DSS Biohealth Holdings, President of Premier Packaging Corporation, President and COO of DSS Financial Management, and Chief Business Officer of Impact Biomedical, among others.

On January 30, 2024, Impact Biomedical, Inc (“IBO”). IBO announced a milestone in its innovative Laetose™ technology platform. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued U.S. patent # 11,898,184, entitled “Low Glycemic Sugar Composition” developed within this platform. The Laetose™ technology demonstrates compelling potential in reducing caloric intake and glycemic index in foods, while also inhibiting tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a cytokine associated with inflammatory chronic diseases. The patented formulation is a novel combination of one or more sugars and myo-inositol, with potential to inhibit the inflammatory and metabolic response of sugar alone. This marks the first Laetose™ patent issued in the U.S., emphasizing IBO’s commitment to discovering, developing, and patenting unique technologies to address unmet needs in human healthcare. The term of this US patent will expire in 2037.

On January 04, 2024, DSS. announced a significant investment by its Chairman of the Board, Heng Fai Ambrose Chan. In a strategic move to bolster shareholder confidence and underscore his commitment to the company’s growth. Chairman Chan acquired an additional 672,173 shares of DSS, Inc. in an open market transaction on December 28, 2023.

STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN AND PROGRESSION

Here we highlight three specific developments:

As DSS, Inc. enters a new chapter, our strategic focus is to optimize operational efficiencies, realign resources, and position the company for sustainable long-term growth. This approach has already yielded meaningful results, as demonstrated in our most recent earnings report. Below, we outline our key initiatives moving forward:

Strategic Focus for Revenue Growth and Operational Excellence

• Expansion of High-Impact Business Lines: We are strategically expanding key business units, such as Premier Packaging, to drive growth and contribute to long-term revenue generation.
• Exploration of Untapped Markets: DSS, Inc. is committed to identifying and investing in high-growth markets, with a focus on creating scalable and recurring revenue streams across multiple sectors.
• Enhancing Accountability Across Business Units: To ensure consistent execution of high-priority opportunities, we are implementing metrics-driven accountability systems across all business units.

Cost Structure Optimization and Operational Efficiency

• Comprehensive Business Unit Review: We are conducting an extensive evaluation of all business units to identify underperforming segments. Our goal is to restructure, streamline, or divest from non-core areas to bolster our core strengths.
• Process and Technology Optimization: To improve productivity and reduce inefficiencies, DSS will introduce new operational tools and processes aimed at reducing waste in procurement, production, and logistics.
• Targeted Cost Reduction: We have set a target to reduce costs by 15-20% in the upcoming fiscal year, which will significantly improve profitability and strengthen our financial position.

Driving Innovation for Competitive Advantage

• Advancing Research and Development (R&D): DSS is leveraging its R&D capabilities to develop cutting-edge solutions in emerging sectors, such as biomedical technologies and sustainable packaging, ensuring our leadership in innovation.
• Cultivating Strategic Partnerships: We are actively building partnerships with key industry players to accelerate the market introduction of innovative products and solutions, enhancing our competitive advantage.
• Pilot Program Launches: Targeted pilot programs will be deployed in select regions or sectors to validate new initiatives, which, once proven, will be scaled company-wide.

Maximizing Shareholder Value Through Disciplined Growth

• Disciplined Financial Stewardship: DSS remains steadfast in our commitment to delivering consistent growth, profitability, and returns for shareholders, ensuring long-term value creation.
• Commitment to Transparency: We will provide regular updates on our progress, milestones, and strategic objectives, ensuring stakeholders remain well-informed of our activities.
• Exploring Shareholder Rewards: We are exploring initiatives to directly reward our shareholders for their continued trust and support, reinforcing our commitment to shareholder value.

Leadership Transition and Future Outlook

This pivotal moment in DSS, Inc.’s journey marks a clear path toward growth, innovation, and sustained value creation. With a focused strategy and commitment to execution, we are poised to unlock new opportunities and drive long-term shareholder returns. We extend our thanks to all stakeholders for their continued support and confidence in DSS, Inc. We look forward to updating you on our progress and invite any questions you may have through our Investor Relations team.

Three-Stage Development for Exponential Growth

For every completed acquisition, and taking into consideration market conditions and other constraints, we adhere to a well-structured three-stage development process with the goal of maximizing value creation and propelling our growth by expanding our capabilities, strength, and scale.

Stage 1: Asset Acquisition and Organizational Development. In this initial phase, our focus lies in identifying and acquiring assets, vehicles, asset structures, and assembling the necessary talent and organizations. This strategic step serves as the strong foundation upon which we build future growth.

Stage 2: Revenue Generation and Operational Excellence. Our second stage revolves around driving revenue through diverse channels, including revenue streams, licensing, and other scalable sources. Our primary objective during this phase is the creation of efficient and well-operating businesses that excel in operational performance.

Stage 3: Profitability and Positive EBITDA The third and final stage focuses on achieving positive EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) and profitability. This is realized through the optimization of business operations, capitalizing on scale and efficiency to generate sustained profits.

Growth Strategies

IPOs as a Growth Strategy: Our company has plans to pursue Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) as a means to share its success with shareholders. We aim to take our businesses public once they reach an optimal point for effective leverage and meet internal goals and expectations.

Decentralized Sharing Model: We firmly believe in our unique decentralized sharing model, combined with the three-stage development process, to create substantial shareholder value. This model involves distributing dividends from potential IPOs directly to benefit shareholders.

In summary, our strategy delineates a methodical approach encompassing asset acquisition, revenue generation, operational efficiency, profitability, and ultimately, taking businesses public through IPOs to reward our shareholders. We place a strong emphasis on our decentralized sharing model, ensuring that the benefits of our success are shared directly with our valued shareholders.

Premier Packaging Strategic Update and Progression

Premier Packaging Corp. is focusing on its core competencies and growth areas for 2024 and 2025, with a strong emphasis on expanding into targeted markets while enhancing internal capabilities. Here’s an update on the Company’s focus areas and plans:

Focus Areas & Growth Markets

1. Key Growth Markets

• Medical Device: Targeting the growing need for safe, compliant, and sustainable packaging solutions for medical products. This sector presents high-margin opportunities, especially for custom paperboard packaging that aligns with regulatory standards (cGMP certifications).
• Food & Beverage: With increasing demand for sustainable packaging, Premier Packaging is targeting secondary food packaging. The company is exploring the potential for obtaining SQF (Safe Quality Food) certification, addressing the growing concern for food safety and sustainability in packaging.
• Health & Beauty: The company is also focusing on providing cost-effective, sustainable packaging solutions for health and beauty products, particularly where companies are overpaying for high-end packaging.
• Mailers: Although not currently investing heavily in this category, the company continues to monitor the opportunity for growth in this space.

2. Sustainability Initiatives Premier is working towards aggressive sustainability certification and exploring green solutions across its offerings, ensuring that their products meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly packaging.

Key Strategic Initiatives for 2025

1. Sales Team Development and Specialization: We will prioritize investment in comprehensive, specialized training programs tailored to the unique needs of our key sectors—Food & Beverage, Medical Devices, and Health & Beauty. By equipping our sales force with sector-specific knowledge and customer insights, we aim to drive deeper client relationships, accelerate revenue growth, and position our team as experts in delivering high-value, tailored packaging solutions.

2. Capital Infrastructure and Technological Advancements: A critical component of our growth strategy for 2025 will be the strategic acquisition and installation of key capital assets. These investments will focus on advanced production technologies and equipment upgrades, including the procurement of glue systems, hot melt units, and enhanced press systems. These actions are expected to significantly expand production capacity, streamline operations, and improve product quality, contributing to both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

3. Optimization of the Quotation Process: To improve our operational efficiency and market competitiveness, we will undertake a comprehensive review and optimization of our quoting process. By leveraging automation tools and advanced analytics, we aim to reduce lead times, enhance the accuracy of cost estimates, and improve our responsiveness to customer inquiries, thereby increasing overall sales conversion rates and strengthening our market position.

4. Targeted Marketing and Brand Positioning: We will execute a focused marketing strategy designed to enhance brand visibility and reinforce our commitment to sustainability. This will include the development of impactful campaigns that highlight our leadership in eco-friendly packaging, showcase relevant case studies, and promote our ability to solve specific customer pain points. Additionally, we will strengthen our customer engagement initiatives, utilizing digital marketing channels, lead generation tactics, and thought leadership content to increase market penetration and foster long-term customer loyalty.

These strategic initiatives will be instrumental in positioning the company for sustained growth, profitability, and shareholder value in 2025 and beyond.

Impact BioMedical, Inc. IPO: A Key Milestone for DSS, Inc.

In 2024, Impact BioMedical, Inc., a subsidiary of DSS, Inc., achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of its initial public offering (IPO). This event marks a pivotal moment in the strategic evolution of DSS, Inc., reflecting our commitment to creating long-term shareholder value and providing a solid foundation for continued growth within the biotechnology and biomedical sectors.

IPO Overview

Impact BioMedical’s IPO, which was finalized in the latter half of 2024, resulted in the company being listed on a recognized public exchange. This public offering raised substantial capital, enabling Impact BioMedical to further accelerate its expansion into cutting-edge biomedical technologies, which align with the growing demand for advanced healthcare solutions. The funds raised from the IPO will be allocated to advancing R&D initiatives, scaling production capabilities, and enhancing market penetration.

Strategic Importance for DSS, Inc.

The successful IPO of Impact BioMedical is not only a significant achievement for the subsidiary but also serves as a key strategic move for DSS, Inc. By spinning off Impact BioMedical and enabling it to operate as an independent public company, DSS has effectively unlocked the value inherent in this high-potential subsidiary, providing both entities with the flexibility to pursue their respective growth trajectories. The IPO also enhances DSS’s ability to focus on its core operations while benefiting from any future financial or strategic synergies with Impact BioMedical.

Financial and Market Impact

The completion of Impact BioMedical’s IPO reflects a robust market appetite for innovative biotech companies with strong growth prospects. For DSS, Inc., the IPO has led to increased market visibility and raised investor confidence in our broader portfolio. The capital infusion into Impact BioMedical, combined with the increased operational independence of the subsidiary, positions both DSS, Inc. and Impact BioMedical for sustainable growth in the rapidly evolving biomedical sector.

Future Prospects

Looking ahead, Impact BioMedical’s IPO sets the stage for further innovation and value creation. As Impact BioMedical continues to advance in its mission to develop novel biomedical solutions, DSS, Inc. will remain an influential stakeholder, benefiting from the long-term growth potential of its investment. The IPO underscores DSS’s commitment to fostering successful subsidiaries and advancing shareholder value through strategic investments in high-growth industries.

Impact BioMedical’s successful IPO represents a transformative moment for both the subsidiary and DSS, Inc. It not only enhances financial stability and market position but also highlights our strategic ability to identify, nurture, and capitalize on high-value opportunities. This achievement positions DSS, Inc. to continue creating substantial value for its shareholders in the years ahead.

DSS AmericaFirst Funds Performance and Strategic Plans

DSS AmericaFirst Funds, a part of our Securities and Investment Management segment, has demonstrated strong performance relative to benchmarks for three of the four mutual funds under management in calendar year 2024, as well as cumulatively since the new investment advisory team took over in May 2023. This success is driven by the team’s focus on top-down, fundamental research, quantitative and technical analysis for stock selection and portfolio management.

Moving forward, the team will continue to prioritize enhancing relative performance while placing greater emphasis on improving operational efficiencies. In addition, they plan to execute targeted strategies to effectively market their services and attract new assets under management.

DSS AmericaFirst Funds, currently includes four mutual funds, each designed to outperform their respective benchmark indices. With a strategic focus on continued performance improvement, increased marketing and sales efforts, and the introduction of new investment products, DSS AmericaFirst Funds is poised for ongoing growth in assets under management.

Reporting Operating Segments:

As we have reported above, we financially report business operating results on five operating segments, which we believe will certainly increase and transition as the newer lines of business develop and mature. DSS’s operating segments in 2024 highlight the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation and diversification. Each segment is strategically positioned for growth, with Premier Packaging and Commercial Lending continuing to evolve and adapt to market demands. The Securities and Investment Management segment remains a key pillar of our growth strategy, with expanding initiatives that include real estate investment, digital securities, and wealth management solutions. As DSS continues to evolve and execute its strategic objectives, it is well-positioned to deliver sustained value to its shareholders and customers across these key business lines. The five business segments that we are reporting on in 2024 are as follows:

***Premier Packaging: (“***Premier”) Premier Packaging Corporation provides custom packaging services and serves clients in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, consumer goods, beverage, specialty foods, confections, photo packaging and direct marketing industries, among others. The group also provides active and intelligent packaging and document security printing services for end-user customers. In addition, the division produces a wide array of printed materials, such as folding cartons and paperboard packaging, security paper, vital records, prescription paper, birth certificates, receipts, identification materials, entertainment tickets, secure coupons and parts tracking forms. The division also provides resources and production equipment for our ongoing research and development of security printing, brand protection, consumer engagement and related technologies.

***Commercial Lending: (“***Commercial Lending”) through its operating company, American Pacific Financial, Inc. (“APF”) represents our banking and financing business line. is organized for the purposes of being a financial network holding company, focused providing commercial loans and on acquiring equity positions in (i) undervalued commercial bank(s), bank holding companies and nonbanking licensed financial companies operating in the United States, South East Asia, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, and (ii) companies engaged in—nonbanking activities closely related to banking, including loan syndication services, mortgage banking, trust and escrow services, banking technology, loan servicing, equipment leasing, problem asset management, SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) consulting, and advisory capital raising services. From this financial platform, the Company shall provide an integrated suite of financial services for businesses that shall include commercial business lines of credit, land development financing, inventory financing, third party loan servicing, and services that address the financial needs of the world Gig Economy.

***Biotechnology: (“***Biotech”) targets unmet, urgent medical needs and expands the borders of medical and pharmaceutical science. Biotech drives mission-oriented research, development, and commercialization of solutions for medical advances in human wellness and healthcare. By leveraging technology and new science with strategic partnerships, Biotech provides advances in drug discovery for the prevention, inhibition, and treatment of neurological, oncology and immuno-related diseases. Other exciting technologies include a breakthrough alternative sugar aimed to combat diabetes and functional fragrance formulations aimed at the industrial and medical industry.

Biotech has several important and valuable products, technology or compounds that are in continuing development and/or licensing stages:

• LineBacker: Multi-faceted therapeutic platform for metabolic, neurologic, cancer, and infectious diseases.
• Equivir: A polyphenol compound that is believed to be successful in antiviral infection treatments. Equivir/Nemovir technology is a novel blend of FDA Generally Recognized as Safe (“GRAS”) eligible polyphenols (e.g., Myricetin, Hesperetin, Piperine) which have demonstrated antiviral effects with additional potential application as health supplements or medication. Polyphenols are sourced from fruits, vegetables, and other natural substances. Myricetin is a member of the flavonoid class of polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant properties. Hesperitin is a flavanone and Piperine is an alkaloid, commonly found in black pepper.
• Procombin: Applications as food additive, and natural preservative for beauty and person care products as well as natural food preservative.
• VanXin: Food preservative booster made up of polyphenols that extend the shelf life.
• Bioplastics: Advanced bio-compatible plastics that mitigate accumulation of plastics in oceans and landfills and provide UVA and UVB protection for many types of material for including containers, hard surfaces, and fibers for clothing. The technology is presently in development and testing antimicrobial plastics for consumer products that control the spread of active pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, E. coli, Staph, and Rhinovirus, by exploiting key strategies found in the biological realm. These new plastics are specifically focused on solutions for common products such as cups, plates, utensils, plastic bags, and countertops. The first prototypes are currently undergoing antimicrobial resistance testing.
• Laetose: Laetose technology is derived from a unique combination of sugar and inositol, which demonstrates the ability to inhibit the inflammatory and metabolic response of sugar alone. A sugar alternative which is believed to lower human glycemic indexes and is believed to be a breakthrough alternative sugar aimed to combat diabetes. The use of Laetose in a daily diet, compared to sugar, could result in 30% lower sugar consumption and lower glycemic index/load.
• 3F: A botanical compound believed to serve as an insect repellent and anti-microbial agent. 3F is a unique formulation of specialized ingredients (e.g. terpenes) from botanical sources with demonstrated effect as an insect repellent and an antimicrobial.
• 3F Mosquito Repellent: 3F repellent contains botanical ingredients that mosquitos avoid. These ingredients are scientifically proven1 to affect the mosquito’s receptors, essentially making the insect blind to a human’s presence. This can be utilized as a stand-alone repellent or as an additive in detergents, lotions, shampoo, and other substances to provide mosquito protection.
• 3F Antimicrobial: 3F antimicrobial contains botanical ingredients known to kill viruses. These ingredients are scientifically proven to inhibit viral replication. This can be utilized as a stand-alone antimicrobial or as an additive in detergents, lotions, shampoo, fabrics, and other substances.
• Quantum: The solution to the Patent Cliff accomplished by creating a new class of medicinal chemistry that uses advanced methods to increase effectiveness and persistence of natural compounds and existing drugs. The safety attributes of the original molecules are maintained. Typically, drug discovery processes modify functional groups. Quantum’s new techniques alter behavior of molecules at the sub-molecular level. It is estimated that 65% of the World Health Organization Essential Medicines List can be improved and re-patented using Quantum and these methods can be used to enhance and patent natural compounds including many substances used in traditional medicines around the world.
• Bio Med (license): A probiotic gut health product that helps to regulate many physiological functions, ranging from energy regulation and cognitive processes to toxin neutralization and immunity against pathogens.

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***Securities and Investment Management: (“***Securities”) Securities was established to develop and/or acquire assets in the securities trading or management arena, and to pursue, among other product and service lines, real estate investment funds, broker dealers, and mutual funds management. This business sector has already established the following business lines/investments and associated products and services:

• REIT Management Fund: In March 2020, DSS Securities formed AMRE (“American Medical REIT”) and its management company AAMI (“AMRE Asset Management, Inc.) Through AAMI/AMRE, a medical real estate investment trust, fulfills community needs for quality healthcare facilities while enabling care providers to allocate their capital to growth and investment in their contemporary clinical and critical care businesses. Urban and suburban communities are in need of modern healthcare facilities that provide a range of medical outpatient services. The funds ultimate product is an investor opportunity in a managed medical real estate investment trust.
• Sentinel: Sentinel primarily operates as a financial intermediary, facilitating institutional trading of municipal and corporate bonds as well as preferred stock, and accelerates the trajectory of the DSS digital securities business.
• BMIC: BMIC is a private investment bank specializing in corporate finance advising, raising equity, and venture services, providing a global “one-stop” corporate consultancy to listed companies. From corporate finance to professional valuation, corporate communications to event management, BMIC services companies in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Canada, and Australia.
• DSS Wealth Management: AmericaFirst is a suite of mutual funds managed by DSS Wealth Management. AmericaFirst expects to expand into numerous investment platforms including additional mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. AmericaFirst currently consists of four mutual funds that seek to outperform their respective benchmark indices by applying top-down, fundamental research, quantitative and technical analysis to stock selection and portfolio management.

Direct Marketing Segment: provides services to assist companies in the emerging growth gig business model of peer-to-peer decentralized sharing marketplaces. It specializes in marketing and distributing its products and services through its subsidiary and partner network, using the popular gig economic marketing strategy as a form of direct marketing. Direct marketing products include, among other things, nutritional and personal care products sold throughout North America, Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe.

Intellectual Property

Patents

Impact Biomedical Inc. has nine (9) patents issued, and over forty (40) patents pending worldwide with expiration of US patents between 2029 and 2040. Pending patents could extend this exclusivity period in all regions.

The issued and allowed patents include composition and method of application for Linebacker, Equivir, 3F (Functional Fragrance), and Laetose.

Trademarks

We have several trademarks related to our DSS, Inc. businesses, which support the protection of our brand and products in various markets. These trademarks are critical to maintaining the distinctiveness and recognition of our offerings.

Websites:

The primary corporate website we maintain is www.dssworld.com (http://www.dssworld.com). Our other sites are:

American Medical REIT, Inc: http://www.americanmedreit.com

DSS AmericaFirst: https://www.afcm-quant.com

American Pacific Financial (“APF”): https://www.ampacbancorp.com

DSS PureAir, Inc.: https://dsspureair.com/

Premier Packaging: https://www.premiercustompkg.com

Impact Biomedical: https://www.impactbiomedinc.com

In addition to the active websites, the Company is building multiple new sites and owns several other domain names reserved for future use or for strategic competitive reasons. Information on our websites or any other website does not constitute a part of this annual report.

Markets and Competition

Product Packaging: In our packaging division, we face competition from a wide range of national and regional companies, many of which operate independently and are privately held. The competition is primarily concentrated in the consumer-packaged goods and health and beauty sectors, with major players including prominent integrated paper companies such as WestRock Company and Graphic Packaging Holding Company. These competitors have established significant market presence and brand recognition, which drives competitive dynamics in the industry.

Commercial Lending: American Pacific Financial, our commercial lending company, offers a comprehensive range of financial services tailored to businesses. Our services encompass commercial business lines of credit, land development financing, inventory financing, third-party loan servicing, and solutions designed to meet the diverse financial requirements of various business sectors. In this competitive landscape, APF competes with a wide array of traditional commercial banks and investment banking firms.

Biotechnology: Impact Biomedical Inc. is dedicated to the discovery, confirmation, and patenting of unique scientific advancements and technologies, which lead to innovative solutions in the realm of human healthcare and wellness. IBO collaborates closely with licensing partners, engages in co-development initiatives, forms joint ventures, and nurtures other valuable relationships to effectively introduce these groundbreaking solutions to the market. Within this competitive landscape, IBO faces competition from other biotechnology firms and research institutions that are also pursuing cutting-edge advancements in healthcare, wellness, and related technologies.

Securities and Investment Management: Was established to develop and/or acquire assets in the securities trading or management arena. This business unit faces competition from individual money managers, established financial institutions, and organizations that engage in securities trading and management, including both traditional Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and Broker-Dealers. Additionally, the division competes with Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), private equity firms, and other personal investment companies that offer similar investment opportunities and financial products to individual and institutional clients.

Customers

Product Packaging: During 2024, one customer accounted for approximately 22% of our consolidated revenue and second customer accounted for approximately 13% of our consolidated revenue. Customer diversification improvements have produced several new customers to our overall customer base and will continue to do so in 2025.

Commercial Lending: Since 2021, American Pacific Financial, Inc. has issued nearly $26 million in new loans to customers across a diverse portfolio of businesses.

Securities and Investment Management: Our Securities and Investment Management division has a mixture of retail and institutional investors.

Raw Materials

Product Packaging: The primary raw materials used in our packaging business are paper, paperboard, and ink. We work closely with leading suppliers to maximize purchasing efficiencies, utilizing a diverse range of paper grades, formats, ink formulations, and colors to meet the needs of our products. While certain materials continue to present challenges, we have seen improvements in both the cost and availability of raw materials, particularly in the latter half of 2024. Sustainability in procurement is a critical focus for the Company. We not only ensure that our suppliers meet rigorous sustainability standards, but we are also committed to continuous internal improvements in sustainability practices. We are proactively setting high standards for sustainability and working with our supply chain partners to ensure these standards are met, contributing to the overall progress and compliance within the industry.

Direct Marketing: Sources its products from 3rd party suppliers for nutritional, performance, and health and beauty product ingredients. We rely on our extensive supplier network for the availability of an extensive range of vitamins, minerals, botanicals, plant, and herb extracts, as well as nutritional supplements.

Environmental Compliance

The Company is committed to conducting its operations in full compliance with all applicable environmental laws, regulations, and other requirements. While the potential impact of future environmental matters, including remediation efforts and compliance initiatives, cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes that adherence to current environmental protection laws, excluding any potential recoveries from third parties, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. The Company remains focused on maintaining environmental responsibility while managing any future environmental liabilities in a prudent and cost-effective manner.

Government Regulation

Our biotechnology business is faced with potential government regulations. If new legislation, regulations, or rules are implemented either by Congress, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”), or the courts that impact the patent application process, the patent enforcement process or the rights of patent holders, these changes could negatively affect our patent monetization efforts and, in turn, our assets, expenses and revenue. United States patent laws have been amended by the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. The America Invents Act includes several significant changes to U.S. patent law. In general, the legislation attempts to address issues surrounding the enforceability of patents and the increase in patent litigation by, among other things, establishing new procedures for patent litigation. For example, the America Invents Act changes the way that parties may be joined in patent infringement actions, increasing the likelihood that such actions will need to be brought against individual parties allegedly infringing by their respective individual actions or activities. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has conducted reviews of the patent system to evaluate the impact of patent assertion entities, such as our Company, on industries in which those patents relate. It is possible that the findings and recommendations of the DOJ could adversely impact our ability to effectively license and enforce standards-essential patents and could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the enforcement of any such patented technologies.

Moreover, new rules regarding the burden of proof in patent enforcement actions could significantly increase the cost of our enforcement actions, and new standards or limitations on liability for patent infringement could negatively impact our revenue derived from such enforcement actions.

Corporate History

The Company, incorporated in the state of New York in May 1984 has formally conducted business in the name of Document Security Systems, Inc. On September 16, 2021, the board of directors approved an agreement and plan of merger with a wholly owned subsidiary, DSS, Inc. (a New York corporation, incorporated in August 2020), for the sole purpose of effecting a rebranding from Document Security Systems, Inc. to DSS, Inc. This change became effective on September 30, 2021. DSS, Inc. maintained the same trading symbol “DSS” and updated its CUSIP number to 26253C-102. In January 2024, in conjunction with a reverse split, DSS now operates under the CUSIP 26253C 201. See the “Overview” section above for further details about our acquisitions.

Human Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2024, DSS, Inc. had 100 employees. We continue to retain and attract qualified management and technical personnel. Our employees are not covered by any collective bargaining agreement, and we believe that our relations with our employees are in good standing.

Available information

Our website address is www.dssworld.com (http://www.dssworld.com). Information on our website is not incorporated herein by reference. We make available free of charge through our website our press releases, Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investing in our common stock involves risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our common stock, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below. There may be other unknown or unpredictable economic, business, competitive, regulatory or other factors that could have material adverse effects on our future results. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, business prospects, financial condition or results of operations could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. Please also read carefully the section contained in Part II, Item 7, below, entitled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

We have identified the following risks and uncertainties that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations in the future. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also significantly impair our business operations. If any of these risks occur, our business, results of operations or financial condition could suffer, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment in our common stock.

The value of our intangible assets and investments may not be equal to their carrying values.

As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $18.9 million of net intangible assets. Approximately $17.8 million is associated with Impact Biomedical, Inc. The Company has completed valuations for certain developed technology assets acquired in the transaction as well as the non-controlling interest portion of Impact BioMedical, Inc. and its subsidiaries. If licensing efforts are not successful, the values of these assets could be reduced. We are required to evaluate the carrying value of such intangibles and goodwill and the fair value of investments whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an intangible asset, including goodwill, and investment may not be recoverable. If any of our intangible assets, goodwill or investments are deemed to be impaired then it will result in a significant reduction of the operating results in such period.

We have secured indebtedness, and a potential risk exists that we may be unable to satisfy our obligations to pay interest and principal thereon when due or negotiate acceptable extensions or settlements.

We have outstanding indebtedness (described below), most of which is secured by assets of various DSS subsidiaries and guaranteed by the Company. Given our history of operating losses and our cash position, there is a risk that we may not be able to repay indebtedness when due. If we were to default on any of our other indebtedness that require payments of cash to settle such default and we do not receive an extension or a waiver from the creditor and the creditor were to foreclose on the secured assets, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.

As of December 31, 2024, we had the following significant amounts of outstanding indebtedness:

• Premier Packaging entered into master loan and security agreement (“BOA Note”) with Bank of America, N.A. (“BOA”) to secure financing approximating $3,710,000 to purchase a new Heidelberg XL 106-7+L printing press. The aggregate principal balance outstanding under the BOA Note shall bear interest at a variable rate on or before the loan closing. As of December 31, 2024, the outstanding principal on the BOA Note was $2,436,000 and had an interest rate of 4.63%. As of December 31, 2024, $520,000 was included in the current portion of long-term debt, net, and the remaining balance of approximately $1,916,000 recorded as long-term debt, The BOA Note contains certain covenants that are analyzed annually. As of December 31, 2024, Premier is in compliance with these covenants.
• Premier Packaging entered into a loan and security agreement with Union Bank & Trust Company for the principal amount of $790,000 and shall accrued interest at the rate of 7.44%. Principal and interest shall be repaid in the approximate amount of $14,000 through March 2029. This loan is collateralized by a Bobst Model Novacut and is guaranteed by DSS, Inc. As of December 31, 2024, the outstanding principal and interest approximates $605,000 of which $123,000 was included in the current portion of long-term debt, net, and the remaining balance of approximately $482,000 recorded as long-term debt.
• AMRE Shelton, LLC., (“AMRE Shelton”) a subsidiary of AMRE, entered into a loan agreement (“Shelton Agreement”) with Patriot Bank, N.A. (“Patriot Bank”) in an amount up to $6,155,000, with the amount financed approximating $5,105,000. The Shelton Agreement contains monthly payments of principal and an initial interest of 4.25%. The interest will be adjusted commencing on July 1, 2026 and continuing for the next succeeding 5-year period shall be determined one month prior to the change date and shall be an interest rate equal to two hundred fifty (250) basis points above the Federal Home Loan Bank Boston 5-Year/25-Year amortizing advance rate, but in no event less than 4.25% for the term of 120 months with a balloon payment approximating $2,829,000 due at term end. The net book value of these assets as of December 31, 2023 approximated $6,279,000. As of December 31, 2024, the outstanding principal and interest approximates $4,424,000 and is included in current portion of long-term debt on assets held-for-sale, net on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet
• $3,000,000 loan agreement with BMIC (“BMIC Loan”), between LVAM and BMIC with interest to be charged at a variable rate to be calculated at the maturity date. The BMIC Loan matured on October 12, 2022 and both parties agree based on the language of the loan documents that the loan will keep extending an additional 3 months until either party cancels the extension. As of December 31, 2024, the outstanding principal and interest approximated $464,000 and is included in current portion of long-term debt, net on the accompanying balance sheet.
• $3,000,000 loan agreement with Lee Wilson Tsz Kin (“Wilson Loan”) between LVAM and Wilson with interest to be charged at a variable rate to be calculated at the maturity date. The Wilson Loan matured on October 12, 2022 and both parties agree based on the language of the loan documents that the loan will keep extending an additional 3 months until either party cancels the extension. As of December 31, 2024, the outstanding principal and interest approximated $145,000 and is included in current portion of long-term debt, net on the accompanying balance sheet.
• AMRE LifeCare entered into a loan agreement (“LifeCare Agreement”) with Pinnacle Bank, (“Pinnacle Bank”) in the amount of $40,300,000. The LifeCare Agreement supported the acquisition of three medical facilities located in Fort Worth, Texas, Plano, Texas, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a purchase price of $62,000,000. The LifeCare Agreement has a variable interest rate which equated to 8.8% on December 31, 2024. The outstanding principal and interest approximated $46,069,000 and is included in current portion of long-term debt on assets held-for-sale, net on the accompanying balance sheet. This note is in default and is due as of the date of this filing.
• AMRE Winter Haven, LLC (“AMRE Winter Haven”) and Pinnacle Bank (“Pinnacle”) entered a term loan (“Pinnacle Loan”) whereas Pinnacle lent to AMRE Winter Haven the principal sum of $2,990,000, maturing on March 7, 2024. The interest rate as of December 31, 2024 is 9.6%. The outstanding principal and interest, approximates $3,040,000 and is included in current portion of long-term debt on assets held-for-sale, net on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2024. This note was assumed by SMS Financial on August 15, 2024. This note is in default and is past due.

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A significant amount of our revenue is derived by two customers.

As of December 31, 2024, two customers accounted for approximately 22% and 13% of our consolidated revenue and these two customers accounted for approximately 29% and 20% of our consolidated trade accounts receivable balance. As of December 31, 2023, two customers accounted for approximately 20% and 11% of our consolidated revenue and 39% and 30% of our trade accounts receivable balance. If we were to lose this customer or if the amount of business we do with this customer declines significantly, our business would be adversely affected.

We may face intellectual property infringement or other claims against us, our customers or our intellectual property that could be costly to defend and result in our loss of significant rights.

Although we have received patents with respect to certain of our core business technologies, there can be no assurance that these patents will afford us any meaningful protection. Although we believe that our use of the technology and products we have developed, and other trade secrets used in our operations do not infringe upon the rights of others, our use of the technology and trade secrets we developed may infringe upon the patents or intellectual property rights of others. In the event of infringement, we could, under certain circumstances, be required to obtain a license or modify aspects of the technology and trade secrets we developed or refrain from using the same. We may not be able to successfully terminate any infringement in a timely manner, upon acceptable terms and conditions or at all. Failure to do any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our operations and our financial condition. Moreover, if the patents, technology, or trade secrets we developed or use in our business are deemed to infringe upon the rights of others, we could, under certain circumstances, become liable for damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations and our financial condition. As we continue to market our products, we could encounter patent barriers that are not known today. A patent search may not disclose all related applications that are currently pending in the United States Patent Office, and there may be one or more such pending applications that would take precedence over any or all of our applications.

Furthermore, third parties may assert that our intellectual property rights are invalid, which could result in significant expenditures by us to refute such assertions. If we become involved in litigation, we could lose our proprietary rights, be subject to damages and incur substantial unexpected operating expenses. Intellectual property litigation is expensive and time-consuming, even if the claims are subsequently proven unfounded, and could divert management’s attention from our business. If there is a successful claim of infringement, we may not be able to develop non-infringing technology or enter into royalty or license agreements on acceptable terms, if at all. If we are unsuccessful in defending claims that our intellectual property rights are invalid, we may not be able to enter into royalty or license agreements on acceptable terms, if at all. Moreover, if we are unsuccessful in our pending patent infringement litigation, we could lose certain patents that have been collateralized by third party funding partners. This could prohibit us from providing our products and services to customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations and our financial condition.

Certain of our recently developed products are not yet commercially accepted and there can be no assurance that those products will be accepted, which would adversely affect our financial results.

We’ve acquired several patents in the bio-health field through our acquisition if Impact Biomedical, Inc. Our business plan includes plans to incur significant marketing, intellectual property development and sales costs for the bio-health related products. If we are not able to develop and sell these new products, our financial results will be adversely affected.

The results of our research and development efforts are uncertain and there can be no assurance of the commercial success of our products.

We believe that we will need to continue to incur research and development expenditures to remain competitive. The products we are currently developing or may develop in the future may not be technologically successful. In addition, the length of our product development cycle may be greater than we originally expected, and we may experience delays in future product development. If our resulting products are not technologically successful, they may not achieve market acceptance or compete effectively with our competitors’ products.

The markets in which we operate are highly competitive, and we may not be able to compete effectively, especially against established industry competitors with greater market presence and financial resources.

Our markets are highly competitive and characterized by rapid technological change and product innovations. Our competitors may have advantages over us because of their longer operating histories, more established products, greater name recognition, larger customer bases, and greater financial, technical and marketing resources. As a result, they may be able to adapt more quickly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements and devote greater resources to the promotion and sale of their products. Competition may also force us to decrease the price of our products and services. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in developing and introducing new technology on a timely basis, new products with enhanced features, or that these products, if introduced, will enable us to establish selling prices and gross margins at profitable levels.

If we are unable to respond to regulatory or industry standards effectively, our growth and development could be delayed or limited.

Our future success will depend in part on our ability to enhance and improve the functionality and features of our products and services in accordance with regulatory or industry standards. Our ability to compete effectively will depend in part on our ability to influence and respond to emerging industry governmental standards in a timely and cost-effective manner. If we are unable to influence these or other standards or respond to these or other standards effectively, our growth and development of various products and services could be delayed or limited.

Breaches in security, whether cyber or physical, and other disruptions and/or our inability to prevent or respond to such breaches, could diminish our ability to generate revenues or contain costs, compromise our assets, and negatively impact our business in other ways.

We face certain security threats, including threats to our information technology infrastructure, attempts to gain access to our proprietary or classified information, and threats to physical and cyber security. Our information technology networks and related systems are critical to the operation of our business and essential to our ability to successfully perform day-to-day operations. The risks of a security breach, cyber-attack, cyber intrusion, or disruption, particularly through actions taken by computer hackers, foreign governments and cyber terrorists, have increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Although we have acquired and developed systems and processes designed to protect our proprietary and/or classified information, they may not be sufficient and the failure to prevent these types of events could disrupt our operations, require significant management attention and resources, and could negatively impact our reputation among our customers and the public, which could have a negative impact on our financial condition, and weaken our results of operations and liquidity.

Our investments in Asia are subject to unique risks and uncertainties, including tariffs and trade restrictions.

Our investment in Alset International Limited, presents risks including, but not limited to, changes in share price of investments, changes in local regulatory requirements, changes in labor laws, local wage laws, environmental regulations, taxes and operating licenses, compliance with U.S. regulatory requirements, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, uncertainties as to application and interpretation of local laws and enforcement of contract and intellectual property rights, currency restrictions, currency exchange controls, fluctuations of currency, and currency revaluations, eminent domain claims, civil unrest, power outages, water shortages, labor shortages, labor disputes, increase in labor costs, rapid changes in government, economic and political policies, political or civil unrest, acts of terrorism, or the threat of boycotts, other civil disturbances and the possible impact of the imposition of tariffs as a result of the tariff dispute between the U.S. and China as well as any retaliating trade policies or restrictions. Any such disruptions could depress our earnings and have other material adverse effects on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Future growth in our business could make it difficult to manage our resources.

Future business expansion could place a significant strain on our management, administrative and financial resources. Significant growth in our business may require us to implement additional operating, product development and financial controls, improve coordination among marketing, product development and finance functions, increase capital expenditures and hire additional personnel. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully manage any substantial expansion of our business, including attracting and retaining qualified personnel. Any failure to properly manage our future growth could negatively impact our business and operating results.

If we fail to retain certain of our key personnel and attract and retain additional qualified personnel, we might not be able to remain competitive, continue to expand our technology or pursue growth.

Our future success depends upon the continued service of certain of our executive officers and other key sales and research personnel who possess longstanding industry relationships and technical knowledge of our products and operations. Although we believe that our relationship with these individuals is positive, there can be no assurance that the services of these individuals will continue to be available to us in the future. There can be no assurance that these persons will agree to continue to be employed by us after the expiration dates of their current contracts.

We have identified weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting structure; any material weaknesses may cause errors in our financial statements that could require restatements of our financial statements and investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could lead to a decline in our stock price.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires us to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of each year, and to include a management report assessing the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in each Annual Report on Form 10-K. We have had previously identified weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting following management’s annual assessment of internal controls over financial reporting and, as a result of that assessment, management had concluded our controls associated may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

We do not intend to pay cash dividends.

We do not intend to declare or pay cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that we will retain any earnings and other cash resources for investment in our business. The payment of dividends on our common stock is subject to the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our operations, financial position, financial requirements, general business conditions, restrictions imposed by financing arrangements, if any, legal restrictions on the payment of dividends and other factors that our board of directors deems relevant.

We may seek to develop additional new inventions and intellectual property, which would take time and would be costly. Moreover, the failure to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights for such inventions would lead to the loss of our investments in such activities.

Part of our business may include the development of new inventions and intellectual property that we would seek to monetize. However, this aspect of our business would likely require significant capital and would take time to achieve. Such activities could also distract our management team from our present business initiatives, which could have a material and adverse effect on our business. There is also the risk that these initiatives would not yield any viable new inventions or technology, which would lead to a loss of our investments in time and resources in such activities.

In addition, even if we are able to develop new inventions, in order for those inventions to be viable and to compete effectively, we would need to develop and maintain, and we would heavily rely on, a proprietary position with respect to such inventions and intellectual property. However, there are significant risks associated with any such intellectual property we may develop principally including the following:

• patent applications we may file may not result in issued patents or may take longer than we expect to result in issued patents;
• we may be subject to interference proceedings;
• we may be subject to opposition proceedings in the U.S. or foreign countries;
• any patents that are issued to us may not provide meaningful protection;
• we may not be able to develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable;
• other companies may challenge patents issued to us;
• other companies may design around technologies we have developed; and
• enforcement of our patents may be complex, uncertain and very expensive.

We cannot be certain that patents will be issued as a result of any future applications, or that any of our patents, once issued, will provide us with adequate protection from competing products. For example, issued patents may be circumvented or challenged, declared invalid or unenforceable, or narrowed in scope. In addition, since publication of discoveries in scientific or patent literature often lags behind actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that it will be the first to make our additional new inventions or to file patent applications covering those inventions. It is also possible that others may have or may obtain issued patents that could prevent us from commercializing our products or require us to obtain licenses requiring the payment of significant fees or royalties in order to enable us to conduct our business. As to those patents that we may license or otherwise monetize, our rights will depend on maintaining our obligations to the licensor under the applicable license agreement, and we may be unable to do so. Our failure to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights for our inventions would lead to the loss of our investments in such activities, which would have a material and adverse effect on our business.

Moreover, patent application delays could cause delays in recognizing revenue from our internally generated patents and could cause us to miss opportunities to license patents before other competing technologies are developed or introduced into the market.

Changes in the laws and regulations to which we are subject may increase our costs.

We are subject to numerous laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, environmental and health and welfare benefit regulations, as well as those associated with being a public company. These rules and regulations may be changed by local, state, provincial, national or foreign governments or agencies. Such changes may result in significant increases in our compliance costs. Compliance with changes in rules and regulations could require increases to our workforce, and could result in increased costs for services, compensation and benefits, and investment in new or upgraded equipment.

Declines in general economic conditions or acts of war and terrorism may adversely impact our business.

Demand for printing services is typically correlated with general economic conditions. The prolonged decline in United States economic conditions associated with the great recession adversely impacted our business and results of operations and may do so again. The overall business climate of our industry may also be impacted by domestic and foreign wars or acts of terrorism, which events may have sudden and unpredictable adverse impacts on demand for our products and services.

If we fail to comply with the continued listing standards of the NYSE American LLC Exchange, it may result in a delisting of our common stock from the exchange.

Our common stock is currently listed for trading on the NYSE American LLC Exchange (“NYSE American”), and the continued listing of our common stock on the NYSE American is subject to our compliance with a number of listing standards.

If our common stock were no longer listed on the NYSE American, investors might only be able to trade our shares on the OTC Bulletin Board ® or in the Pink Sheets ® (a quotation medium operated by Pink Sheets LLC). This would impair the liquidity of our common stock not only in the number of shares that could be bought and sold at a given price, which might be depressed by the relative illiquidity, but also through delays in the timing of transactions and reduction in media coverage.

If we are delisted from the NYSE American, your ability to sell your shares of our common stock may be limited by the penny stock restrictions, which could further limit the marketability of your shares.

If our common stock is delisted from the NYSE American, it could come within the definition of a “penny stock” as defined in the Exchange Act and could be covered by Rule 15g-9 of the Exchange Act. That rule imposes additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell securities to persons other than established customers and accredited investors. For transactions covered by Rule 15g-9, the broker-dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction prior to the sale. Consequently, Rule 15g-9, if it were to become applicable, would affect the ability or willingness of broker-dealers to sell our securities, and accordingly would affect the ability of stockholders to sell their securities in the public market. These additional procedures could also limit our ability to raise additional capital in the future.

If our common stock is not listed on a national securities exchange, compliance with applicable state securities laws may be required for certain offers, transfers and sales of the shares of our common stock.

Because our common stock is listed on the NYSE American, we are not required to register or qualify in any state the offer, transfer or sale of the common stock. If our common stock is delisted from the NYSE American and is not eligible to be listed on another national securities exchange, sales of stock pursuant to the exercise of warrants and transfers of the shares of our common stock sold by us in private placements to U.S. holders may not be exempt from state securities laws. In such event, it will be the responsibility of us in the case of warrant exercises or the holder of privately placed shares to register or qualify the shares for any offer, transfer or sale in the United States or to determine that any such offer, transfer or sale is exempt under applicable state securities laws.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they change their recommendations regarding our stock adversely, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. Our research coverage by industry and financial analysts is currently limited. Even if our analyst coverage increases, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our stock, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

Because certain of our stockholders control a significant number of shares of our common stock, they may have effective control over actions requiring stockholder approval.

As of March 24, 2025 our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders (those beneficially owning in excess of 5%), and their respective affiliates, beneficially own approximately 57% of our outstanding shares of common stock. As a result, these stockholders, acting together, could have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. As such, these stockholders, acting together, could have the ability to exert influence over the management and affairs of our company. Accordingly, this concentration of ownership might harm the market price of our common stock by: delaying, deferring or preventing a change in corporate control; impeding a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us; or discouraging a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.

Additional financing or future equity issuances may result in future dilution to our shareholders.

We expect that we will need to raise additional funds in the future to finance our internal growth, our merger and acquisition plans, investment activities, continued research and product development, and for other reasons. Any required additional financing may not be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, you may experience significant dilution of your ownership interest and the newly issued securities may have rights senior to those of the holders of our common stock. The price per share at which we sell additional securities in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share in this offering. Alternatively, if we raise additional funds by obtaining loans from third parties, the terms of those financing arrangements may include negative covenants or other restrictions on our business that could impair our operational flexibility and would also require us to fund additional interest expense. If adequate additional financing is not available when required or is not available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully execute our business plan.

We have a range of security measures that are designed to protect against the unauthorized access to and misappropriation of our information, corruption of data, intentional or unintentional disclosure of confidential information, or disruption of operations. These security measures include controls, security processes and monitoring of our manufacturing systems. We have cloud security tools and governance processes designed to assess, identify and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats. In addition, we maintain an information security training program designed to address phishing and email security, password security, data handling security, cloud security, operational technology security processes, and cyber-incident response and reporting processes.

Our Company is committed to maintaining the highest standards of cybersecurity to protect our data, intellectual property, and customer information from cyber threats. As part of this commitment, we leverage a sophisticated cybersecurity framework that integrates the robust capabilities of the Microsoft cloud ecosystem with the specialized services of a leading third-party cybersecurity service provider.

The Microsoft cloud ecosystem, including Microsoft 365, Azure, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Defender, and Microsoft InTune, forms the backbone of our cybersecurity infrastructure. These platforms offer advanced security features such as data encryption in transit and at rest, network security controls, identity and access management, and threat protection capabilities. Microsoft’s constant investment in cybersecurity research and development ensures that we benefit from cutting-edge security technologies and practices.

In addition to utilizing the Microsoft cloud ecosystem, we have engaged a third-party service provider to enhance our cybersecurity posture further. This provider brings additional layers of security through services including:

• Software Security Management: Ensuring that applications such as Office 365 and Azure are configured, maintained and following best security practices.
• Security Monitoring and Consultation Services: Continuous monitoring of our systems for suspicious activities and providing expert consultation to address and mitigate potential threats.

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• Data Storage and Backup of Source Systems: Implementing robust data storage solutions and backup protocols to ensure data integrity and availability.
• Security Policy Management: Developing and enforcing comprehensive security policies that govern all aspects of our cybersecurity efforts.
• Threat Response Management: Rapid identification and response to security incidents to minimize impact.
• Security Software Implementation: Deployment of state-of-the-art security software solutions that complement the security features of the Microsoft cloud ecosystem.

Our approach to cybersecurity is proactive and multifaceted, combining the scalability and reliability of the Microsoft cloud services with the agility and expertise of our third-party cybersecurity partner. Together, these resources form a comprehensive defense mechanism against a wide range of cyber threats, from phishing and malware attacks to sophisticated nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks. We continuously evaluate and adapt our cybersecurity strategy to respond to evolving threats and to align with best practices and regulatory requirements. Our commitment to cybersecurity is integral to our business operations, and we believe our strategic investments in this area significantly mitigate the risk of cybersecurity incidents that could impact our company’s reputation, financial position, or operational capabilities.

Governance

The management of the Company is responsible for overseeing risk for the Company and has delegated to the VP, Engineering & Technology (“VPE&T”) the responsibility for overseeing the cybersecurity risk management strategy for the Company. Management receives regular updates on our cybersecurity risk management process from the VPE&T. The VPE&T reviews our comprehensive cybersecurity framework, including reviewing our cybersecurity reporting protocol that provides for the notification, escalation and communication of significant cybersecurity events to the management team.

The Company’s cybersecurity program is overseen by our VPE&T, who is responsible for global information technology, including cybersecurity. Our VPE&T, is primarily responsible for assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats, including monitoring the measures used for prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents. The information security organization is comprised of internal IBO employees and external security suppliers who provide security monitoring and response.

The corporate group and the packaging division has occupied an approximate 105,000 square foot leased facility, located at 275 Wiregrass Parkway, Henrietta, New York since March 2022. This lease expires twelve years and 3 months later. Base rents escalate from $61,000 per month in year one to $78,000 per month in year twelve. In March 2021, the Company leased Suite 100 for approximately 3,800 sq. ft. in Houston for approximately $4,400 per month, in October 2022 the Company expanded the space by acquiring neighboring Suite 130. The Company currently leases both Suite 100 and Suite 130 at approximately 3,855 square feet for approximately $7,000 per month. The office is in Houston, Texas at 1400 Broadfield Blvd., Suite 100 and Suite 130, for corporate offices and subsidiary expansion.

Not applicable.

We may become subject to other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business and have not been finally adjudicated. Adverse decisions in any of the foregoing may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows or our financial condition. The Company accrues for potential litigation losses when a loss is probable and estimable.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained herein this report constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “1995 Reform Act”). Except for the historical information contained herein, this report contains forward-looking statements (identified by words such as “estimate”, “project”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “expect”, “intend”, “believe”, “hope”, “strategy” and similar expressions), which are based on our current expectations and speak only as of the date made. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties, and factors, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

Overview

The Company, which was incorporated in the state of New York in May 1984, previously conducted its business under the name of Document Security Systems, Inc On September 16, 2021, our board of directors approved an agreement and plan of merger with a wholly owned subsidiary, DSS, Inc. This subsidiary, incorporated in August 2020, was created for the sole purpose of facilitating a transformational name change from Document Security Systems, Inc. to DSS, Inc. This significant shift in our identity became official on September 30, 2021. With the name change, DSS, Inc. retained its trading symbol, “DSS,” and is currently trading under its CUSIP number to 26253C 201. This change reflects not only our evolution as a company but also our commitment to adapting and growing in an ever-changing business landscape. DSS, Inc. (referred to herein as “DSS,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) now operates across five distinct business lines, each with its own unique scope and presence on a global scale. These business lines encompass a wide range of industries and sectors, including:

Product Packaging: Our involvement in product packaging represents our dedication to delivering innovative and sustainable packaging solutions that meet the evolving needs of various markets.

Biotechnology: In the field of biotechnology, we are focused on pioneering scientific advancements and technologies that have the potential to transform human healthcare and wellness.

Direct Marketing: Our direct marketing endeavors involve strategic efforts to engage with customers and clients, providing tailored solutions and services that enhance their experiences.

Commercial Lending: We are actively engaged in commercial lending, offering a suite of financial services that cater to the unique needs of businesses, ranging from commercial lines of credit to land development financing.

Securities and Investment Management: In the world of securities and investment management, we aim to provide expertise and guidance to help our clients navigate the complexities of the financial markets and achieve their investment goals.

Each of these business lines is at a different stage of development, growth, and income generation, reflecting the diversity of our operations. This multi-faceted approach allows us to adapt to changing market conditions and explore new opportunities for expansion and success. We are committed to our continued evolution and to delivering value to our stakeholders across these diverse business lines.

The Company, initially incorporated in the state of New York in May 1984, had historically conducted its business under the name Document Security Systems, Inc. However, on September 16, 2021, our board of directors approved an agreement and plan of merger with a wholly owned subsidiary, DSS, Inc. (incorporated in August 2020). The primary purpose of this merger was to affect a name change from Document Security Systems, Inc. to DSS, Inc., which officially took effect on September 30, 2021. This change did not affect our trading symbol, which remained as “DSS,” and is currently trading under its CUSIP number to 26253C 201.

Diverse Business Lines and Global Presence:

Under the banner of DSS, Inc., we have diversified our operations into five distinct business lines, each with its own unique scope and geographical footprint. These business lines include:

Product Packaging: Led by Premier Packaging Corporation, Inc. (“Premier”), a New York corporation, this segment specializes in paperboard and fiber-based folding carton manufacturing, consumer product packaging, and document security printing. Premier is headquartered in its newly established facility in Rochester, NY, primarily serving the US market.

Biotechnology: This business line is dedicated to investing in or acquiring companies in the BioHealth and BioMedical fields, focusing on drug discovery, prevention, treatment of various diseases, and open-air defense initiatives against infectious diseases.

Direct Marketing: Operating under the umbrella of Decentralized Sharing Systems, Inc. (“Decentralized”), this division provides services to companies in the emerging growth “Gig” business model of peer-to-peer decentralized sharing marketplaces. It specializes in marketing and distributing products and services across North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

Commercial Lending: American Pacific Financial, Inc. (“APF”) represents our banking and financing business line. Looking ahead, to better meet the needs of the current financial market, the company is looking to transition away form certain industries like direct marketing and focus more on growing its inventory / equipment loan portfolio as well as engaging in more specialized areas of lending like broker/dealer loans. We will continue to monitor our managed loan portfolio, which earns 1.25% annually in service charges, and explore future opportunities. Importantly, the equity portfolio as a bank holding company is anticipated to remain relatively stable, regardless of stock market fluctuations.

Securities and Investment Management: This division focuses on acquiring assets in the securities trading and management arena, including broker-dealers and mutual funds management. It also oversees a real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires hospitals and care centers.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31,

Revenue

24

Revenue - For the year ended December 31, 2024, revenue decreased 26% to approximately $19.1 million as compared to revenues of approximately $25.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Printed products sales, which include sales of packaging and printing products, decreased 13% in 2024 as compared to 2023. The decrease is due primarily to orders expected to ship during the 4th quarter 2022 being pushed to the 1st quarter 2023 as well as decrease in orders from two existing customers during 2024. Rental income decreased 51% due a tenant at our AMRE LifeCare subsidiary not making rent payments. Net investment income of $226,000 as of December 31, 2024 decreased 41% from $385,000 as of December 31, 2023 due to a number of notes receivable deemed uncollectible and impaired during 2024. The Company’s Direct Marketing revenues decreased 100% in 2024 as compared to 2023 as the change in business plan from maintaining its own sales force to licensing its products at our subsidiary HWH World has been slow to generate revenue. Commission revenue, associated with Sentinel Brokers Company subsidiary, decrease 41% due to decreases in commissions on equity trading resulting from a change in clearing houses which required such transactions to be put on hold during the transition.

Costs and Expenses

Costs of revenue includes all direct costs of the Company’s printed products, including its packaging and printing sales and its direct marketing sales, materials, direct labor, transportation, and manufacturing facility costs. In addition, this category includes all direct costs associated with the Company’s technology sales, services and licensing including hardware and software that are resold, third-party fees, and fees paid to inventors or others because of technology licenses or settlements, if any. Cost of revenue for our REIT line of business includes all direct cost associated with the maintenance and upkeep of the related facilities, depreciation, amortization and the costs to acquire the facilities. Our Commercial Lending operating segment has costs of revenue associated with the impairment of notes receivable for those amounts at risk of collection. Total costs of revenue decreased 7% in 2024 as compared to 2023, primarily due to the decrease in revenue associate with the change in the Direct marketing business plan that has been slow to generate revenue as well as decrease in revenues from our Printed product business line.

Sales, general and administrative compensation costs, decreased 19% in 2024 as compared to 2023, primarily related the decrease in head count as the change in business plan from maintaining our own sales force for the Direct marketing business segment to licensing its products.

Professional fees decreased 16% in 2024 as compared to 2023, primarily due to a decrease in legal fees associated with the direct marketing segment, accounting fees, and due diligence fees related to potential acquisitions.

Stock based compensation includes expense charges for all stock-based awards to employees, directors, and consultants. Such awards include option grants, warrant grants, and restricted stock awards. Stock based compensation during the year ended December 31, 2024, is associated with such awards given to officers, directors and consultants of Impact BioMedical.

Sales and marketing costs, which includes internet and trade publication advertising, travel and entertainment costs, sales-broker commissions, and trade show participation expenses, increased 3% during 2024 as compared to 2023, primarily due to increases in our Printed Products and Biotechnology business segments offset by the decrease in such cost associated with our Direct marketing business segment,

Rent and utilities decreased 14% during the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the same period in 2023 respectively, primarily due to end of the lease in Tennessee for AMRE office space and California for the Company’s DSS Wealth Management subsidiary.

Research and development costs consist primarily of third-party research costs and consulting costs. During the year ended December 31, 2024, Research and development costs decreased 84% as compared to the same period in 2023 primarily due to decrease in such activities at our Impact Biomedical, Inc. subsidiary.

Impairment of goodwill during the 4th quarter of 2023, the Company performed qualitative and quantitative assessments of the goodwill value associated with its APF and Sentinel subsidiaries and determined that as of December 31, 2023 both assets required impairment. At December 31, 2023, the Company fully impaired the value of APF and Sentinel goodwill of approximately $29,744,000 and $1,234,000, respectively. Similarly, the Company performed a similar evaluation during the year ended December 31, 2024 and deemed an full impairment of the Impact BioMedical goodwill was necessary in the amount of $25,093,000.

Impairment of fixed assets is the impairment of marketing assets in development that the Company decided to forego completion.

Other operating expenses consist primarily of equipment maintenance and repairs, office supplies, IT support, and insurance costs. During the year ended December 31, 2024, other operating expenses decreased 68% compared to the same period in 2023, due primarily to the reserves put against rent receivables at our AMRE subsidiary approximating $3.0 million in 2023 as the tenant was unable to pay rent.

Other Income and Expense

Interest income is recognized on the Company’s money markets, and notes receivable identified in Note 5. The decrease of 79% year over year in interest income is driven by several notes being put on non-accrual as the related borrowers have shown an inability to pay timely.

Interest income on notes receivable, related party is recognized on the Company’s notes receivable with related parties identified in Note 5. The decrease of 40% year over year in interest income is driven by several notes being put on non-accrual as the related borrowers have shown an inability to pay timely.

Dividend income for the year ended December 31, 2023 represent dividends received on certain marketable securities owned by the Company. No such dividends were received in 2024.

Other income decreased 59% during the year 2024 as compared to 2023 due primarily to income incurred in 2023 regarding the Company’s distribution agreement with BioMed Technologies.

Interest expense decreased 49% year-over-year primarily due to the increase in debt at Premier Packaging and LVAM during 2024.

Gain (loss) from equity method investment represents the Company’s prorated portion of earnings for its investments accounted for under the equity method for the year ended December 31, 2024, and 2023. The transition from a loss of $34,000 in 2023 to a gain of $1,000 in 2024 is indicative of the related companies financial performance improving year over year.

Gain/(loss) on investments consists of net realized and unrealized losses on marketable securities which are recognized as the difference between the purchase price and sale price of the common stock investment, and net unrealized losses on marketable securities which are recognized on the change in fair market value on our common stock investment. The improvement in our marketable securities year over year is driven by an improved performance in our True Partners Capital Holdings Limited investment which incurred an approximate loss in fair value of $3,224,000 in 2023 as compared to gain in fair value of approximately $591,000 in 2024.

Impairment of intangible assets represents the impairment of certain intangible assets associated with our AMRE LifeCare properties that during 2023 were deemed unrecoverable.

Impairment of real estate represents a write-down of real estate assets associated with our AMRE LifeCare properties during 2023 based on a fair value analysis performed as of December 31, 2023. A fair value analysis was performed during 2024 which resulted in a $2,973,000 impairment of the AMRE LifeCare Pittsburgh and Fort Worth locations. Further, the Company executed a purchase agreement for its AMRE LifeCare Plano location with a sale price at approximately $4,250,000 below its 2023 fair value. This transaction closed on March 26, 2025.

Impairment of investments the Company determined an impairment of its investments in Nano9 and BioMed Technologies was necessary in the amounts of $150,000 and $632,000, respectively, at December 31, 2024.

Impairment of assets upon deconsolidation is driven by the Company’s distribution of approximately 280 million shares of SHRG in May 2023 which resulted in a decrease in its ownership percentage of SHRG’s common stock from approximately 81% to 7%.

Provision for loan losses represents a reserve put against certain notes receivable deemed uncollectible. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company reviewed the entire loan portfolio and determined specific loans required an allowance for credit losses. See Note 6.

Gain/(loss) on sale of assets the gain in 2024 is driven by the sale of its Linden, Ut facility while, the loss in 2023 is driven by the Company’s loss on the sale of equity of HWH Holdings Inc and loss on sale of assets of HWH World as identified in Note 8.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company has historically met its liquidity and capital requirements primarily through the sale of its equity securities and debt financing. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had cash of approximately $11.4 million. As of December 31, 2024, the Company believes that it has sufficient cash to meet its cash requirements for at least the next 12 months from the filing date of this Annual Report. In addition, the Company believes that it will have access to sources of capital from the sale of its equity securities and debt financing.

Cash Flow from Operating Activities

Net cash used by operating activities was approximately $9.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to approximately $19.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This decrease is driven by a decrease in payments of accrued expenses of approximately $15.8 million, accounts payable of $1.4 million year over year as well as an increase other liabilities incurred, not paid of approximately $3.2 million.

Cash Flow from Investing Activities

Net cash provided by investing activities was approximately $8.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 and $8.9 million for year ended December 31, 2023. The year ended December 31, 2024 included $5.6 million in cash provided by the sale of our Lindon, UT facility, $3.0 million of cash provided by the sale of marketable securities, as well as $4.2 million received from notes receivable offset by the $3.3 million purchases of investments. In comparison, the Company sold $9.5 million in marketable securities and issued $1.0 million in new notes receivable for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Cash Flow from Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $5.1 million due to $4.5 million of additional borrowings on long-term debt as well as $3.2 million of proceeds received from Impact BioMedical’s IPO offset by $2.6 million of payments toward long-term debt. Net cash used by financing activities was approximately $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 driven by payments toward long-term debt of $4.2 million offset by borrowings of long-term debt of $1.8 million.

Continuing Operations and Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. This basis of accounting contemplates the recovery of our assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. These consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to the specific amounts and classifications of assets and liabilities, which might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern. While the Company has approximately $11.4 million in cash, the Company has incurred operating losses as well as negative cash flows from operating activities over the past two years.

Aside from its $11.4 million in cash as of December 31, 2024, the Company believes it can continue as a going concern, due to its ability to generate operating cash through the sale of its $9.2 million of Marketable Securities. Between March 24, 2025 and March 27, 2025, the Company sold a shares of Impact BioMedical, a subsidiary, for approximately $1,969,000. Further, the Company has approximately 1,052,000 shares of Impact BioMedical shares available to sell. In addition, the Company has taken steps, and will continue to take measures, to materially reduce the expenses and cash burn at all corporate and business line levels. Although there are no assurances, we believe the above would allow us to fund our nine business lines current and planned operations for the twelve months from the filing date of this Annual Report. Based on this, the Company has concluded that substantial doubt of its ability to continue as a going concern has been alleviated.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have, or are reasonably likely to have, an effect on our financial condition, financial statements, revenues or expenses.

Inflation

Although our operations are influenced by general economic conditions, we do not believe that inflation had a material effect on our results of operations during 2024 or 2023 as we are generally able to pass the increase in our material and labor costs to our customers or absorb them as we improve the efficiency of our operations.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes. The financial statements as of December 31, 2024, describe the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of the financial statements. There have been no material changes to such critical accounting policies as of the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Allowance For Loans and Lease Losses

The Company adopted amended accounting guidance ASC Topic 326 which requires an allowance for credit losses to be deducted from the amortized cost basis of financial assets to present the net carrying value at the amount that is expected to be collected over the contractual term of the asset considering relevant information about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. In estimating expected losses in the loan and lease portfolio, borrower-specific financial data and macro-economic assumptions are utilized to project losses over a reasonable and supportable forecast period. Assumptions and judgment are applied to measure amounts and timing of expected future cash flows, collateral values and other factors used to determine the borrowers’ abilities to repay obligations. After the forecast period, the Company utilizes longer-term historical loss experience to estimate losses over the remaining contractual life of the loans.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Fair Value Measurement Topic of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). These tiers include:

• Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.
• Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and
• Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions, such as valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable.

The carrying amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheet of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, prepaids, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value because of the immediate or short-term maturity of these financial instruments. Marketable securities classify as a Level 1 fair value financial instrument. The fair value of notes receivable approximates their carrying value as the stated or discounted rates of the notes do not reflect recent market conditions. The fair value of revolving credit lines notes payable and long-term debt approximates their carrying value as the stated or discounted rates of the debt reflect recent market conditions. The fair value of investments where the fair value is not considered readily determinable, are carried at cost.

Investments

Investments in equity securities with a readily determinable fair value, not accounted for under the equity method, are recorded at that value with unrealized gains and losses included in earnings. For equity securities without a readily determinable fair value, the investment is recorded at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus adjustments related to observable transactions for the same or similar securities, with unrealized gains and losses included in earnings.

For equity method investments, the Company regularly reviews its investments to determine whether there is a decline in fair value below book value. If there is a decline that is other-than-temporary, the investment is written down to fair value. See Note 9 for further discussion on investments.

Revenue

The Company recognizes its revenue based on when the title passes to the customer or when the service is completed and accepted by the customer. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for shipped product or service provided. Sales and other taxes billed and collected from customers are excluded from revenue. The Company recognizes rental income associated with its REIT, net of amortization of favorable/unfavorable lease terms relative to market and includes rental abatements and contractual fixed increases attributable to operating leases, where collection has been considered probable, on a straight-line basis over the term of the related lease. The Company recognizes net investment income from its investment banking line of business as interest owed to the Company occurs. The Company generates revenue from its direct marketing line of business primarily through internet sales and recognizes revenue as items are shipped.

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had no unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with an original expected duration of greater than one year. Pursuant to Topic 606, the Company has applied the practical expedient with respect to disclosure of the deferral and future expected timing of revenue recognition for transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations. The Company elected the practical expedient allowing it to not recognize as a contract asset the commission paid to its salesforce on the sale of its products as an incremental cost of obtaining a contract with a customer but rather recognize such commission as expense when incurred as the amortization period of the asset that the Company would have otherwise recognized is one year or less.

Discontinued Operations

On May 4, 2023, the Company distributed approximately 280 million shares of Sharing Service Global Corporation (“SHRG”), beneficially held by the Company, in the form of a dividend to the shareholders of the Company’s common stock. Upon completion of this distribution, the Company retained an ownership interest in SHRG of approximately 7%. Effective May 1, 2023, SHRG was deconsolidated from the consolidated financial statements (the “Deconsolidation”). The consolidated statement of operations does not include SHRG activity after April 30, 2023 and the assets and liabilities of SHRG are no longer included within the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. The deconsolidation of SHRG is a strategic shift, as a significant portion of the Direct Marketing line of business was eliminated. While the Decentralized Sharing Systems part of the business will continue to provide these services, SHRG was a significant portion of this segment as it made up approximately 47% and 20%, respectively, of the total DSS revenue in 2022 and 2023. Accordingly, the Company has applied discontinued operations treatment for this deconsolidation as required by Accounting Standards Codification 205—Discontinued Operations. The operating results of the discontinued operations is reflected on the Consolidated Statements of Operations as Loss from Discontinued Operations. See Note 19.

Acquisitions

Business combinations and non-controlling interests are recorded in accordance with FASB ASC 805 Business Combinations. Under the guidance, the assets and liabilities of the acquired business are recorded at their fair values at the date of acquisition and all acquisition costs are expensed as incurred. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values is recorded as goodwill. If the fair value of the assets acquired exceeds the purchase price and the liabilities assumed, then a gain on acquisition is recorded. The application of business combination accounting requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions.

Acquisition of assets are recorded at their relative fair value based on total accumulated costs of the acquisition. Direct acquisition-related costs are expensed as incurred. This includes all costs related to finding, analyzing and negotiating a transaction. The allocation of the purchase price is an area that requires judgment and significant estimates. Tangible and intangible assets include land, building and improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment, acquired above market and below market leases, in-place lease value (if applicable). Acquisition-date fair values of assets and assumed liabilities are determined based on replacement costs, appraised values, and estimated fair values using methods like those used by independent appraisers and that use appropriate discount and/or capitalization rates and available market information.

Segment reporting

In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which improves reportable segment disclosure through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. The amendment is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024 and early adoption is permitted. The amendments should be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company has adopted the enhanced segment disclosures for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

An evaluation was carried out under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as of December 31, 2023. Based on their evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2023, to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that the Company files or submits under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Company’s CEO and CFO, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

We do not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and all instances of fraud. Disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and procedures are met. Further, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there were resource constraints, and the benefits must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all disclosure controls and procedures, no evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures can provide absolute assurance that we have detected all our control deficiencies and instances of fraud, if any. The design of disclosure controls and procedures also is based partly on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023. In making this assessment, management used the framework established in “Internal Control—Integrated Framework” promulgated by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in 2013, commonly referred to as the “COSO” criteria. Based on our assessment, we concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, our internal control over financial reporting was not effective based on those criteria.

In connection with management’s assessment of our internal control over financial reporting described above, the following weaknesses have been identified in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024:

1. The Company did not maintain a sufficient complement of qualified accounting personnel and controls associated with segregation of duties over complex transactions.

2. There was no systematic method of documenting that timely and complete monthly reconciliation and closing procedures take place.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission that permit us to provide only management’s report in this annual report.

Remediation of the Material Weaknesses

Management believes it has taken significant steps during 2023, and subsequently in 2024, to strengthen our overall internal controls and eliminate the material weakness of those controls. During the 2025 fiscal year, the Company will document and test the remediations put in place. Such remediation includes the following:

• The Company has re-assigned responsibilities of other staff members to assist in the Company’s financial reporting as well as segregating duties to serve as a check and balance on employees’ integrity and to maintain the best control system possible.
• The Company has centralized its accounting functions across all divisions. The goal of this process is to support the segregation of duties and to allow the Chief Financial Officer to focus on ensuring reporting packages, reconciliations, and other financial reports are accurate and timely reported.
• A monthly operations and financial review is performed with key members of the management team, executive committee, and accounting team which has enhanced the timeliness, formality and rigor of our financial statement preparation, review and reporting process.
• Routine account reconciliations for all key balance sheet accounts have been initiated. These account reconciliations are reviewed timely by an independent person.
• The Company will engage an external, independent expert to review significant and/or complex accounting transactions, when appropriate, to ensure the proper accounting treatment is applied.

The Company is committed to maintaining a strong internal control environment and believes that these remediation efforts will represent significant improvements in our controls. The Company has started to implement these steps, however, some of these steps will take time to be fully integrated and confirmed to be effective and sustainable. Additional controls may also be required over time.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

While changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting occurred during the year ended December 31, 2024 as the Company continued to implement the remediation steps described above, we have not been able to fully document and test these controls to ensure their effectiveness over financial reporting during the year ended December 31, 2024, and thus cannot conclude that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.