ODII Odyssey Semiconductor Technologies Inc (CE)

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

The risks and uncertainties described below could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations and projections. You should read these Risk Factors in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7 and our Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes in Item 8. There also may be other factors that we cannot anticipate or that are not described in this report generally because we do not currently perceive them to be material. Those factors could cause results to differ materially from our expectations.

We face risks related to health epidemics and other outbreaks, which could significantly disrupt our operations and could have a material adverse impact on us. The recent coronavirus outbreak could materially and adversely affect our business.

An outbreak of a new respiratory illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) has resulted in millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide as of the date hereof, and continues to spread across the globe, including within the United States. The outbreak of COVID-19 or by other epidemics could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If the spread of the virus worsens in regions in which we have material operations or sales, our business activities originating from affected areas, including sales, manufacturing and supply chain related activities, could be adversely affected. Disruptive activities could include the temporary closure of our facilities and those used in our supply chain processes, restrictions on the shipment of our products, business closures in impacted areas, and restrictions on our employees’ and consultants’ ability to travel and to meet with customers. If workers at one or more of our offices or the offices of our suppliers or manufacturers become ill or are quarantined and in either or both events are therefore unable to work, our operations could be subject to disruption. Further, if our manufacturers become unable to obtain necessary raw materials or components, we may incur higher supply costs or our manufacturers may be required to reduce production levels, either of which may negatively affect our financial condition or results of operations.

⁵ CleanTechnica. Electric Motors Use 45% of Global Electricity, Europe Responding {+ Electric Motor Efficiency Infographic},. June 16, 2011. https://cleantechnica.com/2011/06/16/electric-motors-consume-45-of-global-electricity-europe-responding-electric-motor-efficiency-infographic/.

⁶ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/variable-frequency-speed-drives-vfd-vsd-market

⁷ https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/electric-vehicles-market-sales-will-surge-to-4-million-units-in-2020-12-million-units-in-2025-and-21-million-units-in-2030-858019212.html

⁸ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/automotive-power-electronics-market-226516353.html

⁹ https://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-2018-q3

¹⁰ https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pv-inverter-market-size-worth-10-37-billion-by-2026-cagr-3-9-grand-view-research-inc-300902312.html

As events are rapidly changing, we do not know how long the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures that have been introduced to respond to it will disrupt our operations or the full extent of that disruption. Further, once we are able to restart normal business hours and operations doing so may take time and will involve costs and uncertainty. We also cannot predict how long the effects of COVID-19 and the efforts to contain it will continue to impact our business after the pandemic is under control. Governments could take additional restrictive measures to combat the pandemic that could further impact our business or the economy in the geographies in which we operate. It is also possible that the impact of the pandemic and response on our suppliers, customers and markets will persist for some time after governments ease their restrictions. These measures have negatively impacted, and may continue to impact, our business and financial condition as the responses to control COVID-19 continue.

We are recently formed and are currently operating at a loss. Our lack of operating history makes it difficult to evaluate our business and prospects and may increase the risks associated with an investment in our shares of common stock (“Common Stock”).

The Company was recently formed in 2019 and is currently operating at a loss. Therefore, the Company is subject to the risks involved with any speculative early-stage enterprise. There is no assurance that the Company will successfully offer, market and distribute its products or services. The Company may continue to experience net losses and negative cash flows from operations or become only marginally profitable. The time required to reach substantial profitability is highly uncertain. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to achieve substantial profitability or that profitability, if achieved, can be sustained on an ongoing basis. There is no assurance that actual cash requirements will not exceed our estimates. Such risks for the Company include, but are not limited to:

In order to address these risks, the Company must, among other things:

The Company cannot assure investors that it will succeed in addressing these risks.

Our business depends substantially on the continuing efforts of our executive officers and our business may be severely disrupted if we lose their services.

Our future success depends substantially on the continued services of our executive officers. We do not maintain key man life insurance on any of our executive officers and directors. If one or more of our executive officers are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them readily, if at all. Under such circumstances our business may be severely disrupted and we may incur additional expenses attempting to recruit and retain new officers.

We may be unable to attract and retain highly skilled personnel.

Our success depends on our ability to attract, motivate and retain highly skilled personnel, including research, technical, marketing, management and staff personnel. In the semiconductor industry, the competition for qualified personnel, particularly experienced design engineers and other technical employees, is intense, particularly when the business cycle is improving. During such periods, competitors may try to recruit our most valuable technical employees. Moreover, there can be no assurance that we will be able to retain our current personnel or recruit the key personnel we require. Loss of the services of, or failure to effectively recruit, qualified personnel, including senior managers, could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position and on our business.

There may be limitations on the effectiveness of our internal controls. Failure of our internal control over financial reporting could harm our business and financial results.

Proper systems of internal controls over financial accounting and disclosure are critical to the operation of a public company. Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is a process to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Internal control over financial reporting includes maintaining records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect our transactions; providing reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary for preparation of the financial statements; providing reasonable assurance that receipts and expenditures of our assets are made in accordance with management authorization; and providing reasonable assurance that unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements would be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Any failure to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting could limit our ability to report our financial results accurately and timely or to detect and prevent fraud.

We do not expect that disclosure controls or internal control over financial reporting, even if established, will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. Failure of our control systems to prevent error or fraud could materially adversely impact us. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that a reasonable possibility exists that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

We are a small organization and we do not have a Chief Financial or Accounting Officer. In connection with the evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 that was undertaken by management in connection with the preparation of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, management determined that our internal controls were not operating effectively.

We may be unable to complete our analysis of our internal controls over financial reporting in a timely manner, or these internal controls may not be determined to be effective, which may adversely affect investor confidence in our company and, as a result, the value of our Common Stock.

We are required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by our management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for each fiscal year. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting, as well as a statement that our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an opinion on our internal control over financial reporting.

If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or, if applicable, our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which would cause the price of our Common Stock to decline, and we may be subject to investigation or sanctions by the SEC. We will also be required to disclose changes made in our internal control and procedures on a quarterly basis.

However, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 until the date we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the recently enacted JOBS Act, if we continue to take advantage of the exemptions contained in the JOBS Act. We will remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years, although if the market value of our Common Stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, we would cease to be an “emerging growth company” as of the following December 30.

At such time, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our controls are documented, designed or operating. Our remediation efforts may not enable us to avoid a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. Any of the foregoing occurrences, should they come to pass, could negatively impact the public perception of our company, which could have a negative impact on our stock price.

Our management team has limited experience managing a public company.

Most members of our management team have limited experience managing a publicly-traded company, interacting with public company investors and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies. Our management team may not successfully or efficiently manage the Company as a public company subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under the federal securities laws and the continuous scrutiny of securities analysts and investors. These obligations and constituents will require significant attention from our senior management and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

We depend on a limited number of customers and the loss of one or more of these customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, approximately 56% of revenues were generated from two governmental entities (“Governmental client”). Our contracts with both of such Governmental clients expired in 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2020, approximately 85% of revenues were generated from one Governmental client pursuant to our contract with such entity. No other client accounted for more than 10% of revenues.

Due to the concentration of revenues from a limited number of customers, if we do not receive the payments expected from any of these major customers, our revenue, results of operation and financial condition will be negatively impacted.

In addition, we cannot assure that any of our customers in the future will not cease purchasing products or services from us in favor of products or services produced by other suppliers, significantly reduce orders or seek price reductions in the future, and any such event could have a material adverse effect on our revenue, profitability, and results of operations.

Furthermore, if a significant portion of our revenue is derived from customers in certain industries, a downturn or lower sales to customers in such industries could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

If we do not have access to capital on favorable terms, on the timeline we anticipate, or at all, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

We currently anticipate that our current cash on hand, grant revenue and customer payments will be sufficient to fund our operations for the next 12 months. However, we anticipate that we will routinely incur significant costs to conduct research and development, implement new manufacturing and information technologies, to increase our productivity and efficiency, to upgrade equipment and to expand production capacity. There can be no assurance that we will realize a return on the capital expended. We also anticipate incurring material amounts of debt to fund these requirements in the future. Significant volatility or disruption in the global financial markets may result in us not being able to obtain additional financing on favorable terms, on the timeline we anticipate, or at all, and we may not be able to refinance, if necessary, any outstanding debt when due, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. We currently have no commitments for any additional capital and there can be no assurance that we will receive any such commitments, or that any commitments for capital will be on terms that are acceptable to us. Any inability to obtain additional funding on favorable terms, on the timeline we anticipate, or at all, may cause us to curtail our operations significantly, reduce planned capital expenditures and research and development, or obtain funds through arrangements that management does not currently anticipate, including disposing of our assets and relinquishing rights to certain technologies, the occurrence of any of which may significantly impair our ability to remain competitive. If our operating results falter, our cash flow or capital resources prove inadequate, or if interest rates increase significantly, we could face liquidity problems that could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

If our estimates related to expenditures and/or expected revenue are inaccurate, our business may fail.

The success of our business is dependent in part upon the accuracy of our management’s estimates of expenditures and revenue for the next 12 months and beyond. If such estimates are inaccurate or we encounter unforeseen expenses and delays or significant unexpected reduction of revenue, we may not be able to carry out our business plan, which could result in the failure of our business.

If the Company cannot effectively manage growth by implementing and improving its operational and financial systems, the Company’s business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

In order to maximize the potential growth in the Company’s market opportunities, the Company may have to expand rapidly and significantly. The impetus for expansion could place a significant strain on the management, operational and financial resources of the Company. In order to manage growth, the Company will be required to implement and continually improve its operational and financial systems, expand operations, attract and retain superior management and train, manage and expand its employee base. The Company can give no assurance that it will effectively manage its operations, that its system, procedures, or controls will adequately support operations or that management of the Company will successfully implement its business plan. If the Company cannot effectively manage growth, the Company’s business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

We may not obtain insurance coverage to adequately cover all significant risk exposures.

We will be exposed to liabilities that are unique to the products we provide. There can be no assurance that we will acquire or maintain insurance for certain risks, that the amount of our insurance coverage will be adequate to cover all claims or liabilities, or that we will not be forced to bear substantial costs resulting from risks and uncertainties of business. It also may not be possible to obtain insurance to protect against all operational risks and liabilities. The failure to obtain adequate insurance coverage on terms favorable to us, or at all, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If product liability lawsuits are brought against us, we may incur substantial liabilities.

We face a potential risk of product liability as a result of any of the products that we develop, manufacture and/or offer for sale. For example, we may be sued if any product we develop, manufacture and/or sell allegedly causes injury or is found to be otherwise unsuitable during product testing, manufacturing, marketing or sale. Any such product liability claims may include allegations of defects in manufacturing, defects in design, a failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product, negligence, strict liability and a breach of warranties. Claims could also be asserted under state consumer protection acts. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we may incur substantial liabilities. Even successful defense would require significant financial and management resources. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:

We currently do not maintain any product liability insurance. We may obtain product liability insurance in the future. However, there is no guarantee that we will be able to obtain product liability insurance or that such insurance will be affordable or sufficient. If we are unable to obtain or retain sufficient product liability insurance coverage, it could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of products we develop. Even if we obtain product liability insurance in the future, we may have to pay amounts awarded by a court or negotiated in a settlement that exceed our coverage limitations or that are not covered by our insurance, and we may not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient capital to pay such amounts.

Warranty claims, product liability claims and product recalls could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Manufacturing semiconductors is a highly complex and precise process, requiring production in a tightly controlled, clean environment. Minute impurities in our manufacturing materials, contaminants in the manufacturing environment, manufacturing equipment failures, and other defects can cause our products to be non-compliant with customer requirements or otherwise nonfunctional. We face an inherent business risk of exposure to warranty and product liability claims in the event that our products fail to perform as expected or such failure of our products results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury or property damage (or both). In addition, if any of our designed products are or are alleged to be defective, we may be required to participate in their recall. A successful warranty or product liability claim against us in excess of our available insurance coverage, if any, and established reserves, or a requirement that we participate in a product recall, could have material adverse effects on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, in the event that our products fail to perform as expected or such failure of our products results in a recall, our reputation may be damaged, which could make it more difficult for us to sell our products to existing and prospective customers and could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Since a defect or failure in our product could give rise to failures in the goods that incorporate them (and claims for consequential damages against our customers from their customers), we may face claims for damages that are disproportionate to the revenue and profits we receive from the products involved. We plan to attempt to limit our liability through our standard terms and conditions of sale and other customer contracts in certain instances; however, there is no assurance that such limitations will be effective. To the extent that we are liable for damages in excess of the revenue and profits we received from the products involved, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

A significant product defect or product recall could materially and adversely affect our brand image, causing a decline in our sales and profitability, and could reduce or deplete our financial resources.

Provided we are successful in developing and selling our products, any product defect could materially harm our brand image and could force us to conduct a product recall. This could damage our relationships with our customers. A product recall would be particularly harmful to us because we will likely have limited financial and administrative resources to effectively manage a product recall and it would detract management’s attention from implementing our core business strategies. As a result, a significant product defect or product recall could cause a decline in our sales and profitability and could reduce or deplete our financial resources.

We will be dependent on the services of third-party suppliers and contract manufacturers, and any disruption in or deterioration of the quality of the services delivered by such third parties could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We plan to use third-party contractors for certain of our manufacturing activities. Our agreements with these manufacturers may require us to commit to purchase services based on forecasted product needs, which may be inaccurate, and, in some cases, require longer-term commitments. We may be also dependent upon a limited number of highly specialized third-party suppliers for required components and materials for certain of our key technologies. Arranging for replacement manufacturers and suppliers can be time consuming and costly, and the number of qualified alternative providers can be extremely limited. Our business operations, productivity and customer relations could be materially adversely affected if these contractual relationships were disrupted or terminated, the cost of such services increased significantly, the quality of the services provided deteriorated or our forecasted needs proved to be materially incorrect.

Natural disasters and other business disruptions could cause significant harm to our business operations and facilities and could adversely affect our supply chain and our customer base, any of which may materially adversely affect our business, results of operation, and financial condition.

We expect that our manufacturing and other facilities, as well as the operations of our third-party suppliers, are susceptible to losses and interruptions caused by floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, and similar natural disasters, as well as power outages, telecommunications failures, industrial accidents, and similar events. The occurrence of natural disasters in any of the regions in which we or our suppliers will operate could severely disrupt the operations of our businesses by negatively impacting our supply chain, our ability to deliver products, and the cost of our products. Such events can negatively impact revenue and earnings and can significantly impact cash flow, both from decreased revenue and from increased costs associated with the event. In addition, these events could cause consumer confidence and spending to decrease. We may in the future carry insurance to generally compensate for losses of the type noted above, however, even if we obtain such insurance it may not be adequate to cover all losses that may be incurred or continue to be available in the affected area at commercially reasonable rates and terms. To the extent any losses from natural disasters or other business disruptions are not covered by insurance, any costs, write-downs, impairments and decreased revenue can materially adversely affect our business, our results of operations and our financial condition.

We may be subject to litigation from time to time during the normal course of business, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

From time to time in the normal course of business or otherwise, we may become subject to litigation that may result in liability material to our financial statements as a whole or may negatively affect our operating results if changes to business operation are required. The cost to defend such litigation may be significant and may require a diversion of our resources. There also may be adverse publicity associated with litigation that could negatively affect customer perception of our products and business, regardless of whether the allegations are valid or whether we are ultimately found liable. As a result, litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

There is no assurance on the future successful completion of strategic transactions by us to successfully implement our business strategies.

Our ability to complete future strategic transactions could be important to the successful implementation of our business strategies, including our strategies to strengthen our geographic diversity and broaden its customer base. Successful completion of an acquisition or other similar transaction depends on a number of factors that are not entirely within our control, including our ability to negotiate acceptable terms, conclude satisfactory agreements and obtain all necessary regulatory approvals. In seeking to acquire a target company, we may face competition from other companies interested in acquiring the target company that have significantly greater financial and other resources than us. If we need to finance a transaction, we may not be able to obtain the necessary financing on satisfactory terms and within the timeframe that would permit the transaction to proceed. If any of these factors prevents us from completing one or more strategic transactions, we may not be able to expand our business in the manner and on the schedule that we plan. In addition, we may incur significant costs arising from our efforts to engage in strategic transactions. These costs may exceed the returns that we realize from a given transaction. Moreover, these expenditures may not result in the successful completion of a transaction.

Even if we complete one or more strategic transactions, we may be unable to integrate successfully the personnel and operations of a new business or achieve the operational synergies or other benefits that we had anticipated. Moreover, we might fail to discover liabilities of a business or operating or other problems prior to completing a transaction. We could experience adverse accounting and financial consequences, such as the need to make large provisions against the acquired assets or to write down acquired assets. We might also experience a dilutive effect on our earnings. Depending on how any such transaction is structured, there may be an adverse impact on our capital structure. Further, an acquisition could disrupt our ongoing business, distract management and employees or lead to increased expenses.

Risks Related to the Semiconductor Industry

The semiconductor industry is highly competitive, and our inability to compete effectively could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The semiconductor industry is highly competitive, and our ability to compete successfully depends on elements both within and outside of our control. We will face significant competition from major global semiconductor companies as well as smaller companies focused on specific market niches. In addition, companies not currently in direct competition with us may introduce competing products in the future.

Our inability to compete effectively could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations. Products or technologies developed by competitors that are larger and have more substantial research and development budgets, or that are smaller and more targeted in their development efforts, may render our products or technologies obsolete or noncompetitive. We also may be unable to market and sell our products if they are not competitive on the basis of price, quality, technical performance, features, system compatibility, customized design, innovation, availability, delivery timing and reliability. If we fail to compete effectively on developing strategic relationships with customers and customer sales and technical support, our sales and revenue may be materially adversely affected. Competitive pressures may limit our ability to raise prices, and any inability to maintain revenue or raise prices to offset increases in costs could have a significant adverse effect on our gross margin. Reduced sales and lower gross margins would materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid consolidation and our inability to compete with large competitors or failure to identify attractive opportunities to consolidate may materially adversely affect our business.

The semiconductor industry is characterized by the high costs associated with developing marketable products and manufacturing technologies as well as high levels of investment in production capabilities. As a result, the semiconductor industry has experienced, and may continue to experience, significant consolidation among companies and vertical integration among customers. Larger competitors resulting from consolidations may have certain advantages over us, including, but not limited to: substantially greater financial and other resources with which to withstand adverse economic or market conditions and pursue development, engineering, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of their products; longer independent operating histories; presence in key markets; patent protection; and greater name recognition. In addition, we may be at a competitive disadvantage to our peers if we fail to identify attractive opportunities to acquire companies to expand our business. Consolidation among our competitors and integration among our customers could erode our market share, negatively impact our capacity to compete and require us to restructure our operations, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

Downturns or volatility in general economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

In recent years, worldwide semiconductor industry sales have tracked the impact of the financial crisis, subsequent recovery and persistent economic uncertainty. We believe that the state of economic conditions in the United States is particularly uncertain due to the global pandemic as well as recent and expected shifts in legislative and regulatory conditions concerning, among other matters, international trade and taxation, and that an uneven recovery or a renewed global downturn may put pressure on our sales due to reductions in customer demand as well as customers deferring purchases. Volatile and/or uncertain economic conditions can adversely impact sales and profitability and make it difficult for us and our competitors to accurately forecast and plan our future business activities. To the extent we incorrectly plan for favorable economic conditions that do not materialize or take longer to materialize than expected, we may face oversupply of our products relative to customer demand. Reduced customer spending may in the future drive us and our competitors, to reduce product pricing, which will result in a negative effect on gross profit. Moreover, volatility in revenue as a result of unpredictable economic conditions may alter our anticipated working capital needs and interfere with our short-term and long-term strategies. To the extent that our sales, profitability and strategies are negatively affected by downturns or volatility in general economic conditions, our business and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

The semiconductor industry is highly cyclical, and significant downturns or upturns in customer demand can materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The semiconductor industry is highly cyclical and, as a result, is subject to significant downturns and upturns in customer demand for semiconductors and related products. We cannot accurately predict the timing of future downturns and upturns in the semiconductor industry or how severe and prolonged these conditions might be. Significant downturns often occur in connection with, or in anticipation of, maturing product cycles (for semiconductors and for the end-user products in which they are used) or declines in general economic conditions and can result in reduced product demand, production overcapacity, high inventory levels and accelerated erosion of average selling prices, any of which could materially adversely affect our operating results as a result of increased operating expenses outpacing decreased revenue, reduced margins, underutilization of our manufacturing capacity and/or asset impairment charges. On the other hand, significant upturns can cause us to be unable to satisfy demand in a timely and cost-efficient manner. In the event of such an upturn, we may not be able to expand our workforce and operations in a sufficiently timely manner, procure adequate resources and raw materials, or locate suitable third-party suppliers to respond effectively to changes in demand for our existing products or to the demand for new products requested by our customers, and our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Rapid innovation and short product life cycles in the semiconductor industry can result in price erosion of older products, which may materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The semiconductor industry is characterized by rapid innovation and short product life cycles, which often results in price erosion, especially with respect to products containing older technology. Products are frequently replaced by more technologically advanced substitutes and, as demand for older technology falls, the price at which such products can be sold drops, in some cases precipitously. In addition, our and our competitors’ excess inventory levels can accelerate general price erosion.

Shortages or increased prices of raw materials could materially adversely affect our results of operations.

Our manufacturing processes will rely on many raw materials. Generally, we expect that our agreements with suppliers of raw materials will impose no minimum or continuing supply obligations, and we will obtain our raw materials and supplies from a large number of sources on a just-in-time basis. From time to time, suppliers of raw materials may extend lead times, limit supplies or increase prices due to capacity constraints or other factors beyond our control. Shortages could occur in various essential raw materials due to interruption of supply or increased demand. If we are unable to obtain adequate supplies of raw materials in a timely manner, the costs of our raw materials increase significantly, their quality deteriorates or they give rise to compatibility or performance issues in our products, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Our facilities and processes may be interdependent and an operational disruption at any particular facility could have a material adverse effect on our ability to produce our products, which would materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We may utilize an integrated manufacturing platform in which multiple facilities may each produce one or more components necessary for the assembly of a single product. If we do, an operational disruption at a facility toward the front-end of our manufacturing process may have a disproportionate impact on our ability to produce our products. For example, if our multiple facilities rely predominantly on one third-party for manufacturing at the front-end of its manufacturing process, in the event of any operational disruption, natural or man-made disaster or other extraordinary event at such third-party facility, we may be unable to effectively source replacement components on acceptable terms from qualified third parties, in which case our ability to produce our products could be materially disrupted or delayed.

Conversely, if our facilities are single source facilities that only produce one of our end-products, a disruption at any such facility would materially delay or cease production of the related product. In the event of any such operational disruption, we may experience difficulty in beginning production of replacement components or products at new facilities (for example, due to construction delays) or transferring production to other existing facilities (for example, due to capacity constraints or difficulty in transitioning to new manufacturing processes), any of which could result in a loss of future revenues and materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

If we are unable to protect the intellectual property we use, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

The enforceability of any patents, trademarks, copyrights, software licenses and other intellectual property (“IP”) we own may be uncertain in certain circumstances. Effective IP protection may be unavailable, limited or not applied for in the U.S. and internationally. The various laws and regulations governing registered and unregistered IP assets, patents, trade secrets, trademarks, mask works and copyrights to protect products and technologies are subject to legislative and regulatory change and interpretation by courts. With respect to our IP generally, we cannot assure you that:

If we seek to enforce our rights, we may be subject to claims that the IP right is invalid, is otherwise not enforceable or is licensed to the party against whom we are asserting a claim. In addition, our assertion of IP rights may result in the other party seeking to assert alleged IP rights of its own against us, which may materially adversely impact our business. An unfavorable ruling in these sorts of matters could include money damages or an injunction prohibiting us from manufacturing or selling one or more products, which could in turn negatively affect our business, results of operations or cash flows.

In addition, some of our products and technologies may not be covered by any patents or pending patent applications. We intend to protect our proprietary technologies, including technologies that may not be patented or patentable, in part by confidentiality agreements and, if applicable, inventors’ rights agreements with our collaborators, advisors, employees and consultants. We cannot assure you that these agreements will not be breached, that we will have adequate remedies for any breach or that persons or institutions will not assert rights to IP arising out of our research. Should we be unable to protect our IP, competitors may develop products or technologies that duplicate our products or technologies, benefit financially from innovations for which we bore the costs of development and undercut the sales and marketing of our products, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

If our technologies are subject to claims of infringement on the intellectual property rights of third parties, efforts to address such claims could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We may from time to time be subject to claims that we may be infringing third-party IP rights. If necessary or desirable, we may seek licenses under such IP rights. However, we cannot assure you that we will obtain such licenses or that the terms of any offered licenses will be acceptable to us. The failure to obtain a license from a third-party for IP we use could cause us to incur substantial liabilities or to suspend the manufacture or shipment of products or our use of processes requiring such technologies. Further, we may be subject to IP litigation, which could cause us to incur significant expense, materially adversely affect sales of the challenged product or technologies and divert the efforts of our technical and management personnel, whether or not such litigation is resolved in our favor. In the event of an adverse outcome in any such litigation, we may be required to:

The outcome of IP litigation is inherently uncertain and, if not resolved in our favor, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be unable to maintain manufacturing efficiency, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We believe that our success will materially depend on our ability to maintain or improve our margin levels related to manufacturing. Semiconductor manufacturing requires advanced equipment and significant capital investment, leading to high fixed costs, which include depreciation expense. Manufacturing semiconductor components also involves highly complex processes that we and our competitors are continuously modifying to improve yields and product performance. In addition, impurities, waste or other difficulties in the manufacturing process can lower production yields. Our manufacturing efficiency will be an important factor in our future profitability, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to manufacture efficiently, increase manufacturing efficiency to the same extent as our competitors, or be successful in our manufacturing rationalization plans. If we are unable to utilize manufacturing and testing facilities at expected levels, or if production capacity increases while revenue does not, the fixed costs and other operating expenses associated with these facilities will not be fully absorbed, resulting in higher average unit costs and lower gross profits, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

The failure to successfully implement cost reduction initiatives, including through restructuring activities, could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

From time to time, we may implement cost reduction initiatives in response to significant downturns in our industry, including relocating manufacturing to lower cost regions, transitioning higher-cost external supply to internal manufacturing, working with our material suppliers to lower costs, implementing personnel reductions and voluntary retirement programs, reducing employee compensation, temporary shutdowns of facilities with mandatory vacation and aggressively streamlining our overhead.

We cannot assure you that any cost reduction initiatives will be successfully or timely implemented or that they will materially and positively impact profitability.

If we are unable to identify and make the substantial research and development investments required to remain competitive in our business, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

The semiconductor industry requires substantial investment in research and development in order to develop and bring to market new and enhanced technologies and products. The development of new products is a complex and time-consuming process and often requires significant capital investment and lead time for development and testing. We cannot assure you that we will have sufficient resources to maintain the level of investment in research and development that is required to remain competitive.

In addition, the lengthy development cycle for our products will limit our ability to adapt quickly to changes affecting the product markets and requirements of our customers and end-users. There can be no assurance that we will win competitive bid selection processes, known as “design wins,” for new products. In addition, design wins do not guarantee that we will make customer sales or that we will generate sufficient revenue to recover design and development investments, as expenditures for technology and product development are generally made before the commercial viability for such developments can be assured. There is no assurance that we will realize a return on the capital expended to develop new products, that a significant investment in new products will be profitable or that we will have margins as high as we anticipate at the time of investment or have experienced historically. To the extent that we underinvest in our research and development efforts, or that our investments and capital expenditures in research and development do not lead to sales of new products, we may be unable to bring to market technologies and products that are attractive to our customers, and as a result our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

We may be unable to develop new products to satisfy changing customer demands or regulatory requirements, which may materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The semiconductor industry is characterized by rapidly changing technologies, evolving regulatory and industry standards and certifications, changing customer needs and frequent new product introductions. Our success will be largely dependent on our ability to accurately predict, identify and adapt to changes affecting the requirements of our customers in a timely and cost-effective manner. Additionally, the emergence of new industry or regulatory standards and certification requirements may adversely affect the demand for our products. We plan to focus our new product development efforts on market segments and applications that we anticipate will experience growth, but there can be no assurance that we will be successful in identifying high-growth areas or develop products that meet industry standards or certification requirements in a timely manner. A fundamental shift in technologies, the regulatory climate or consumption patterns and preferences in our existing product markets or the product markets of our customers or end-users could make our current products obsolete, prevent or delay the introduction of new products that we planned to make or render our current or new products irrelevant to our customers’ needs. If our new product development efforts fail to align with the needs of our customers, including due to circumstances outside of our control like a fundamental shift in the product markets of our customers and end users or regulatory changes, our business and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Uncertainties regarding the timing and amount of customer orders could lead to excess inventory and write-downs of inventory that could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We expect that our sales will be typically made pursuant to individual purchase orders or customer agreements, and we do not expect to have long-term supply arrangements with our customers requiring a commitment to purchase. We expect that the agreements with our customers may allow them to cancel orders prior to shipment for standard products and, generally prior to start of production for custom products without incurring a penalty. We anticipate to routinely generate inventory based on customers’ estimates of end-user demand for their products, which is difficult to predict. In times of under supply for certain products, some customers could respond by inflating their demand signals. As markets level off and supply capacity begins to match actual market demands, we could experience an increased risk of inventory write-downs, which may materially adversely affect our results of operations and our financial condition. In addition, our customers may change their inventory practices on short notice for any reason. Furthermore, short customer lead times are standard in the industry due to overcapacity. The cancellation or deferral of product orders, the return of previously sold products, or overproduction of products due to the failure of anticipated orders to materialize could result in excess obsolete inventory, which could result in write-downs of inventory or the incurrence of significant cancellation penalties under our arrangements with our raw materials and equipment suppliers. Unsold inventory, canceled orders and cancellation penalties may materially adversely affect our results of operations, and inventory write-downs, which may materially adversely affect our financial condition.

Our customers may require our products to undergo a lengthy and expensive qualification process without any assurance of product sales.

Prior to purchasing our products, our customers may require that our products undergo an extensive qualification process, which involves testing of the products in the customer’s system as well as rigorous reliability testing. This qualification process may continue for a few months or longer. However, qualification of a product by a customer does not ensure any sales of the product to that customer. Even after successful qualification and sales of a product to a customer, a subsequent revision to the product or software, changes in the product’s manufacturing process or the selection of a new supplier by us may require a new qualification process, which may result in delays and in us holding excess or obsolete inventory. After our products are qualified, it can take an additional few months or more before the customer commences volume production of components or devices that incorporate our products. Despite these uncertainties, we will devote substantial resources, including design, engineering, sales, marketing and management efforts, toward qualifying our products with customers in anticipation of sales. If we are unsuccessful or delayed in qualifying any of our products with a customer, such failure or delay would preclude or delay sales of such product to the customer, which may impede our growth and cause our business to suffer.

Our products are based on novel Gallium Nitride (GaN) processing technology, which makes it difficult to predict the time and cost of product development.

Our products are based on novel GaN processing technology. Our future success depends on the successful development of high-voltage power switching components and systems based on GaN processing technology. There can be no assurance that any development problems we experience in the future related to our products will not cause significant delays or unanticipated costs, or that such development problems can be solved. We may also experience delays in developing a sustainable, reproducible and manufacturing process, which may prevent us from commercializing our products on a timely or profitable basis, if at all.

Our potential future global operations may subject us to risks inherent in doing business on a global level that could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We anticipate that a certain amount of our total revenue may be derived from countries outside of the United States, and we might maintain certain operations in these regions. In addition, we may rely on a number of contract manufacturers whose operations are primarily located in outside of the United States. Risks inherent in doing business on a global level include, among others, the following:

We cannot assure you that we will be successful in overcoming the risks that relate to or arise from operating in international markets, the materialization of any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in tariffs or other government trade policies may materially adversely affect our business and results of operations, including by reducing demand for our products.

The imposition of tariffs and trade restrictions as a result of international trade disputes or changes in trade policies may adversely affect our sales and profitability. For example, the U.S. government imposed, among other actions, new or higher tariffs on specified imported products originating from China in response to what it characterizes as unfair trade practices, and China has responded by imposing and proposing new or higher tariffs on specified products including some semiconductors fabricated in the United States. There can be no assurance that a broader trade agreement will be successfully negotiated between the United States and China to reduce or eliminate these tariffs. These tariffs, and the related geopolitical uncertainty between the United States and China, may cause decreased end-market demand for our products from distributors and other customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. For example, certain of our future foreign customers may respond to the imposition of tariffs or threat of tariffs on products we produce by delaying purchase orders, purchasing products from our competitors or developing their own products. Ongoing international trade disputes and changes in trade policies could also impact economic activity and lead to a general contraction of customer demand. In addition, tariffs on components that we may import from China or other nations that have imposed, or may in the future impose, tariffs will adversely affect our profitability unless we are able to exclude such components from the tariffs or we raise prices for our products, which may result in our products becoming less attractive relative to products offered by our competitors. Future actions or escalations by either the United States or China that affect trade relations may also impact our business, or that of our suppliers or customers, and we cannot provide any assurances as to whether such actions will occur or the form that they may take. To the extent that our sales or profitability are negatively affected by any such tariffs or other trade actions, our business and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

Changes in government trade policies could limit our ability to sell our products to certain customers, which may materially adversely affect our sales and results of operations.

The U.S. Congress or U.S. regulatory authorities may take administrative, legislative or regulatory action that could materially interfere with our ability to make sales, particularly in China. We could experience unanticipated restrictions on our ability to sell to certain foreign customers where sales of products and the provision of services may require export licenses or are prohibited by government action. For example, the U.S. Department of Commerce could ban the export of U.S. products to foreign customers. The terms and duration of any such restrictions may not be known to us in advance and may be subject to ongoing modifications. Even to the extent such restrictions are subsequently lifted, any financial or other penalties imposed on affected foreign customers could have a negative impact on future orders. Such foreign customers may also respond to sanctions or the threat of sanctions by developing their own solutions or adopting alternative solutions or competitors’ solutions. The loss or temporary loss of customers as a result of such future regulatory limitations could materially adversely affect our sales, business and results of operations.

Environmental and health and safety liabilities and expenditures could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Our future manufacturing operations may be subject to various environmental laws and regulations relating to the management, disposal and remediation of hazardous substances and the emission and discharge of pollutants into the air, water and ground, and we may be identified as either a primary responsible party or a potentially responsible party at sites where we or our predecessors operated or disposed of waste in the past. Our operations may also be subject to laws and regulations relating to workplace safety and worker health, which, among other requirements, regulate employee exposure to hazardous substances. We do not currently maintain environmental insurance to cover certain claims related to historical contamination and future releases of hazardous substances. Moreover, we cannot assure you that even if such insurance is purchased, that it will cover any or all of our material environmental costs. In addition, the nature of our future operations may expose us to the continuing risk of environmental and health and safety liabilities including:

To the extent that we face unforeseen environmental or health and safety compliance costs or remediation expenses or liabilities that are not covered by insurance, we may bear the full effect of such costs, expense and liabilities, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We may be subject to disruptions or breaches of our secured network that could irreparably damage our reputation and our business, expose us to liability and materially adversely affect our results of operations.

We may routinely collect and store sensitive data, including IP and other proprietary information about our business and our customers, suppliers and business partners. The secure processing, maintenance and transmission of this information will be critical to our operations and business strategy. We may be subject to disruptions or breaches of our secured network caused by computer viruses, illegal hacking, criminal fraud or impersonation, acts of vandalism or terrorism or employee error. Our security measures and/or those of our third-party service providers and/or customers may not detect or prevent such security breaches. The costs to us to reduce the risk of or alleviate cyber security breaches and vulnerabilities could be significant, and our efforts to address these problems may not be successful and could result in interruptions and delays that may materially impede our sales, manufacturing, distribution or other critical functions. Any such compromise of our information security could result in the misappropriation or unauthorized publication of our confidential business or proprietary information or that of other parties with which we do business, an interruption in our operations, the unauthorized transfer of cash or other of our assets, the unauthorized release of customer or employee data or a violation of privacy or other laws. In addition, computer programmers and hackers also may be able to develop and deploy viruses, worms and other malicious software programs that attack our systems, or that otherwise exploit any security vulnerabilities, and any such attack, if successful, could expose us to liability to customer claims. Any of the foregoing could irreparably damage our reputation and business, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Sales through distributors and other third parties will expose us to risks that, if realized, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We may sell a significant portion of our products through distributors. Distributors may sell products that compete with our products, and we may need to provide financial and other incentives to focus distributors on the sale of our products. We may rely on one or more key distributors for a product, and the loss of these distributors could reduce our revenue. Distributors may face financial difficulties, including bankruptcy, which could harm our collection of accounts receivable and financial results. Violations of the FCPA or similar laws by distributors or other third-party intermediaries could have a material impact on our business. Failure to manage risks related to our use of distributors may reduce sales, increase expenses, and weaken our competitive position, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

The failure to comply with the terms and conditions of our contracts could result in, among other things, damages, fines or other liabilities.

We expect to have a diverse customer base consisting of both private sector clients and public sector clients, including the U.S. government. Sales to our private sector clients are generally expected to be based on stated contractual terms, the terms and conditions on our website or terms contained in purchase orders on a transaction-by-transaction basis. Sales to our public sector clients are generally expected to be derived from sales to federal, state and local governmental departments and agencies through various contracts and programs, which may require compliance with regulations covering many areas of our operations, including, but not limited to, accounting practices, IP rights, information handling, and security. Noncompliance with contract terms, particularly with respect to highly-regulated public sector clients, or with government procurement regulations could result in fines or penalties against us, termination of such contracts or civil, criminal and administrative liability to the Company. With respect to public sector clients, the government’s remedies may also include suspension or debarment from future government business. The effect of any of these possible actions or the adoption of new or modified procurement regulations or practices could materially adversely affect our business, financial position and results of operations

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

An investment in our company should be considered illiquid.

An investment in the Company requires a long-term commitment, with no certainty of return. Because we did not become an SEC reporting company by the traditional means of conducting an initial public offering of our Common Stock, we may be unable to establish a liquid market for our Common Stock. Moreover, we do not expect security analysts of brokerage firms to provide coverage of the Company in the near future. In addition, investment banks may be less likely to agree to underwrite primary or secondary offerings on behalf of the Company or its stockholders in the future than they would if we were to become a public reporting company by means of an initial public offering of common stock. If all or any of the foregoing risks occur, it would have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Our common stock is not listed on a national securities exchange which may affect the price and liquidity of our common stock and impair our ability to obtain future equity financing.

Our Common Stock is presently quoted on the OTCQB Venture Market (the “OTCQB”) and there is currently limited trading activity of our common stock. The OTCQB is not a national securities exchange, and provides significantly less liquidity than a national exchange such as NASDAQ and the NYSE American (formerly NYSE MKT, formerly NYSE AMEX). Consequently, selling our common stock is likely to be more difficult because of diminished quantities of shares of our Common Stock being bought and sold. These factors could result in lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for the Shares. As a result, investors may be unable to sell their Shares at such times and in such quantities as they may desire.

There is no guarantee that our Common Stock will qualify to be listed on a national exchange in the future. The inability to list our Common Stock on a national security exchange may impair our ability to raise additional necessary capital in such amounts, at such times and at such prices as we may require.

Our Common Stock may be considered a “penny stock,” and thereby be subject to additional sale and trading regulations that may make it more difficult to sell.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00 (other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system). The OTCQB does not meet such requirements and if the price of our Common Stock is less than $5.00, our Common Stock will be deemed penny stocks. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that prior to effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our Common Stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.

FINRA sales practice requirements may also limit an investor’s ability to buy and sell our Common Stock, which could depress the price of our Common Stock.

FINRA rules require broker-dealers to have reasonable grounds for believing that an investment is suitable for a customer before recommending that investment to the customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status and investment objectives, among other things. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that such speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. FINRA requirements may make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our Common Stock, which may limit an investor’s ability to buy and sell shares of Common Stock, have an adverse effect on the market for our Common Stock, and thereby depress the price of our Common Stock. In addition, it has been more difficult in recent years for holders of “penny stocks” to deposit their shares with brokerage firms, which may limit any shareholder’s ability to sell shares of our Common Stock.

The shares of our Common Stock may experience dilution by exercises of outstanding warrants and options.

As of the date hereof, we have outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 155,966 shares of our Common Stock at a price of $1.50 per share, warrants to purchase an aggregate of 89,730 shares of our Common Stock at a price of $4.00 per share, and outstanding options granted under our 2019 Equity Compensation Plan to purchase 1,398,246 shares of Common Stock.  In addition, there are 2,886,129 shares available to be issued in the future under the Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Compensation Plan. The exercise of such outstanding options and warrants, as well as any future issuance of other warrants and options, will result in substantial dilution of the investment of our shareholders. In addition, our shareholders may experience additional dilution if we issue Common Stock in the future for additional capital raises. Any of such dilution may have adverse effect on the price of our Common Stock.

There are a significant number of shares of Common Stock eligible for sale, which could depress the market price of such shares.

We previously filed a registration statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-234741), which is currently effective registering the resale of a total of 1,794,977 shares of Common Stock, and a registration statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-257178), which is currently effective registering the resale of a total of 1,341,355 shares of Common Stock. The availability of such a large number of shares of Common Stock for sale in the public market could harm the market price of the stock. Further, other shares may be offered from time to time in the open market pursuant to Rule 144, and these sales may have a depressive effect as well.

We are an “emerging growth company,” and will be able take advantage of reduced disclosure requirements applicable to “emerging growth companies,” which could make our Common Stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or JOBS Act, and, for as long as we continue to be an “emerging growth company,” we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies but not to “emerging growth companies,” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, as an “emerging growth company,” we have chosen to take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, which will allow us to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. Accordingly, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with all public company accounting standards which could impact the valuation of our securities.

We could be an “emerging growth company” for up to five years, or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1.07 billion, (ii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our Common Stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, or (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three year period. We cannot predict if investors will find our Common Stock less attractive if we choose to rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our Common Stock less attractive as a result of any choices to reduce future disclosure, there may be a less active trading market for our Common Stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

We will incur significantly increased costs and devote substantial management time as a result of operating as a public company particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.”

As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. For example, we will be required to comply with certain of the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as well as rules and regulations subsequently implemented by the SEC, including the establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and changes in corporate governance practices. We expect that compliance with these requirements will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time consuming and costly. In addition, we expect that our management and other personnel will need to divert attention from operational and other business matters to devote substantial time to these public company requirements. In particular, we expect to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We are just beginning the process of compiling the system and processing documentation needed to comply with such requirements. We may not be able to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion. In that regard, we currently do not have an internal audit function, and we will need to hire additional accounting and financial staff with appropriate public company experience and technical accounting knowledge.

However, for as long as we remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We intend to take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.”

After we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we expect to incur additional management time and cost to comply with the more stringent reporting requirements applicable to companies that are deemed accelerated filers or large accelerated filers, including complying with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur as a result of becoming a public company or the timing of such costs.

Our officers and directors have significant control over shareholder matters.

Our officers and directors own (or can own subject to exercise within a 60-day period from the date hereof) approximately 46.95% of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock, and thus collectively have significant control over shareholder matters, such as election of directors, amendments to our Articles of Incorporation, and approval of significant corporate transactions. As a result, the Company’s minority shareholders may have little or no effective control over our affairs.

We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future, and consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our Common Stock.

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our Common Stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends to holders of our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, investors must rely on sales of their shares after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investments. There is no guarantee that shares of our Common Stock will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which our stockholders have purchased their shares.

Upon dissolution of the Company, you may not recoup all or any portion of your investment.

In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our company, whether voluntary or involuntary, the proceeds and/or assets of the Company remaining after giving effect to such transaction, and the payment of all of our debts and liabilities will be distributed to the stockholders of Common Stock on a pro rata basis. There can be no assurance that we will have available assets to pay to the holders of Common Stock, or any amounts, upon such a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our Company. In this event, you could lose some or all of your investment.

If securities industry analysts do not publish research reports on us, or publish unfavorable reports on us, then the market price and market trading volume of our securities could be negatively affected.

Any trading market for our Common Stock may be influenced in part by any research reports that securities industry analysts publish about us. We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by securities industry analysts. If no securities industry analysts commence coverage of us, the market price and market trading volume of our securities could be negatively affected. In the event we are covered by analysts, and one or more of such analysts downgrade our securities, or otherwise reports on us unfavorably, or discontinues coverage of us, the market price and market trading volume of our securities could be negatively affected.

We are authorized to issue “blank check” preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could adversely impact the rights of holders of our securities.

Our certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of blank check preferred stock. Any preferred stock that we issue in the future may rank ahead of our securities in terms of dividend priority or liquidation premiums and may have greater voting rights than our securities. In addition, such preferred stock may contain provisions allowing those shares to be converted into shares of Common Stock, which could dilute the value of our securities to current stockholders and could adversely affect the market price, if any, of our securities. In addition, the preferred stock could be utilized, under certain circumstances, as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control of our company. Although we have no present intention to issue any shares of authorized preferred stock, there can be no assurance that we will not do so in the future.