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Ispire Technology Inc

For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Feb 7, 2025.

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A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.

Dec 31, 2024 · Filed Feb 7, 2025

ISPR$1.55+8.4%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026

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Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

1. ORGANIZATION AND PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES

Ispire Technology Inc. (the “Company” or “Ispire”) was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on June 13, 2022. Through its subsidiaries, the Company is engaged in the research and development, design, commercialization, sales, marketing and distribution of branded e-cigarettes and cannabis vaping products.

Ispire Technology Inc. is a holding company and does not engage in any active operations. Its business is mainly conducted by its two operating subsidiaries, Aspire North America, which is engaged in the development, marketing and sales of cannabis vapor products, which were introduced in mid-2020, and Aspire Science, which is engaged in the marketing and sales of nicotine vaping products, and the products are mainly sold in Europe and Asia Pacific (excluding the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”).

In July 2024, the Company established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Aspire AME Electronic Cigarettes Trading LLC (“Ispire UAE”) under the laws of the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), in order to establish sales and marketing in the UAE.

In October 2024, the Company established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Magellan Trading LLC (Magellan Trading) incorporated under the laws of the State of California to assist in operations and logistics for the Company.

The following table sets forth information concerning the Company and its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2024:

Name of EntityDate of OrganizationPlace of Organization% of OwnershipPrincipal Activities
Ispire Technology Inc.June 13, 2022DelawareParent CompanyHolding Company
Ispire InternationalJuly 6, 2022BVI100%Holding Company
Aspire North AmericaFebruary 22, 2020California100%Research and Development, Sales and Marketing
Aspire ScienceDecember 9, 2016Hong Kong100%Sales and Marketing
Ispire MalaysiaAugust 2, 2023Malaysia100%Manufacturing, Sales and Marketing
Ispire Global Products LLCJanuary 19, 2024Delaware100%Sales and Marketing
Aspire AME Electronic Cigarettes Trading LLCJuly 19, 2024UAE100%Sales and Marketing
Magellan Trading LLCOctober 1, 2024California100%Operations and Logistics

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of presentation

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present a fair statement of the Company’s consolidated financial position as of December 31, 2024 and the results of operations for the three and six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary in order to make the financial statements not misleading have been included. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") and applicable rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and accordingly do not include all of the disclosures normally made in the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, these unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

The unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2024 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at such date. The results of operations for the three and six months ended December 31, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that may be expected for any other interim periods or for the year ending June 30, 2025.

Use of significant estimates

The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates include allowance for credit losses, revenue recognition, fair value of equity instruments, inventory reserve, incremental borrowing rate, and determination of the valuation allowances for deferred taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fair value measurement

The Company applies ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and expands financial statement disclosure requirements for fair value measurements.

ASC Topic 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received from the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) on the measurement date in an orderly transaction between market participants in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability.

ASC Topic 820 specifies a hierarchy of valuation techniques, which is based on whether the inputs into the valuation technique are observable or unobservable. The hierarchy is as follows:

●Level 1 inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
●Level 2 inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the assets or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instruments.
●Level 3 inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value. Unobservable inputs are valuation technique inputs that reflect the Company’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

The carrying value of certain of the Company’s financial instruments, including cash, accounts receivable, prepaid expenses and other receivables, accounts payable, accounts payable related party, contract liabilities, accrued liabilities and other payables and due to related parties, approximates their fair value because of their short-term maturity.

Allowance for credit losses

The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” on July 1, 2023, under the modified retrospective method of adoption. The Company estimates its allowance for current expected credit losses based on an expected loss model, compared to prior periods which were estimated using an incurred loss model which did not require the consideration of forward-looking economic variables and conditions in the reserve calculation across the portfolio. The impact related to adopting the new standard was not material.

Based on the current expected credit loss model, the Company consider many factors, including age of balance, past events, any historical default, current information available about the customers, current economic conditions and certain forward-looking information, including reasonable and supportable forecasts.

Inventories

Inventories mainly consist of finished goods purchased from suppliers. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The cost of an inventory item is determined using the weighted average method.

When management determines that certain inventories may not be saleable, or there is an indicator that certain inventory costs may exceed expected market value, the Company will record the difference between the cost and the net realizable value as a write down of inventories. The net realizable value is determined based on the estimated selling price, in the ordinary course of business, less estimated costs necessary to make the sale. The Company records an allowance for slow moving and potentially obsolete inventory based upon recent sales history, the quantity of inventory on-hand, and an estimate of expected sellable life of the inventory. The Company periodically reviews inventory to identify slow moving inventories and compares the forecast sales with the quantities and expected sellable life of inventory. Any inventories identified during this process are reserved for at rates based upon management’s judgment and historical rates. The quantity thresholds and reserve rates are based on management’s judgment and knowledge of current and projected demand. The reserve estimates may, therefore, be revised if there are changes in the overall market for the Company’s products or market changes that in management’s judgment, impact its ability to sell potentially obsolete inventory. As of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, the Company recorded inventory reserves of $279,286 and $205,594, respectively.

Intangible assets

Intangible assets refer to capitalized external costs, such as filing fees and associated attorney fees, incurred to obtain issued patents and patent license rights. The Company expenses costs associated with maintaining patents subsequent to their issuance in the period incurred. Capitalized patent costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over estimated useful lives of 15 –20 years, which are based on the length of the license agreements as the Company expects to receive economic benefits over that time. The Company assesses the potential impairment to capitalized patent costs when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of our patent portfolio may not be recoverable. $124,832 and $255,650 of patent fees were capitalized during the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 respectively. $781,254 and $731,593 of patent fees were capitalized during the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The amortization of the intangible assets was $20,270 and $4,615 for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The amortization of the intangible assets was $36,553 and $4,615 for the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The amortization expenses were included in the general and administrative expenses.

Revenue recognition

The Company sells its vaping products to customers and recognizes revenue in accordance with the guidance of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Many customers are distributors that resell the Company’s products in various geographic regions. The performance obligations are for the Company to transfer the title and control of the goods to a customer for a determined price. Each order is considered a separate contract with a single performance obligation. Revenue is recognized when control of goods has transferred to customers. For the majority of the Company’s customer arrangements, control transfers to customers at a point-in-time when goods have been delivered to the pickup location specified by the customer or a forwarder appointed by the customer, as that is generally when legal title, physical possession and risks and rewards of goods transfer to the customer.

Revenue is recognized at the transaction price based on the purchase order as adjusted for the anticipated rebates, discounts and other sales incentives. When determining the transaction price, management estimates variable consideration applying the portfolio approach practical expedient under ASC 606. The main sources of variable consideration for the Company are trade promotion funds and cash discounts. These sales incentives are recorded as a reduction of revenue at the time of the initial sale using the most-likely amount estimation method. The most-likely amount method is based on the single most likely outcome from a range of possible consideration outcomes.

The Company offers different payment terms to different customers. For nicotine vaping products, the general payment term is a deposit of 30% of sales amount upon placing order, and the payment of the remaining 70% to be made before shipment. For cannabis vaping products, a tailored payment term is designed for each customer, based on the business relationship, order size and other considerations. All contract liabilities at the beginning of the period were recognized as revenues in the reporting period. The Company offers a thirty-day warranty. The warranty is an assurance-type warranty, and it offers replacement of products in case the products sold do not function as expected. In certain sales contracts, a right of return is offered. With a right of return, a customer is given the right to return the products if they are not satisfied with the product, and a credit would be given. The Company has a very low rate of return in history and a return reserve is accrued based on historical return rate and the management’s judgement. The Company has minimal incremental costs of obtaining a contract and are expensed when incurred. Sales taxes, which are sales and use or other similar taxes collected from the customer and remitted to the applicable taxing authority by the Company in accordance with applicable law, are excluded from revenue.

Disaggregated Revenue

The Company has taken into consideration the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows, and has determined to disaggregate its net sales by region. The net sales disaggregated by region for the three and six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, were as follows:

Three months ended December 31,Six months ended December 31,
2024202320242023
Europe$23,987,678$15,653,902$45,939,051$35,516,154
North America (the U.S. and Canada)10,916,26019,962,60720,653,14837,829,972
Asia Pacific (excluding PRC)3,613,3595,983,3567,488,74311,060,664
Africa2,674,15585,6965,722,066143,418
South America636,408-1,363,165-
Total$41,827,860$41,685,561$81,166,173$84,550,208

Cost of revenue

Cost of revenue for the three and six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 consisted primarily of the cost of purchasing vaping products, freight-in cost and inventory impairment, which were mostly purchased from a related party. See Note 10.

Stock-based compensation

The Company measures and recognizes compensation expenses for stock-based payment awards, including stock options, restricted stock granted to directors and advisors, and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) granted to employees, based on the grant date fair value of the awards. The Company engages a third-party valuer to assist in determining the fair value of stock options using the binomial option pricing model, with significant assumption of exercise multiple, expected volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend yield. The fair value of RSUs is measured on the grant date based on the closing market price of the Company’s common stock. The stock-based payment awards typically include time-based vesting conditions, however, certain of the Company’s stock-based payment awards may include performance-based vesting conditions.

For stock-based payment awards with time-based vesting conditions, the resulting cost is recognized over the period during which an employee or service provider is required to provide service in exchange for the awards, usually the vesting period. For stock-based payment awards with performance-based vesting conditions, the Company will estimate the probability that the performance condition will be met at each reporting date. Stock-based compensation expense is only recognized for stock-based payment awards that are probable of vesting.

Stock-based compensation expense is recorded in the general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company recognizes forfeitures of stock-based payment awards upon occurrence.

Recent accounting pronouncements

As an emerging growth company, the Company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. The Company intends to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period for all accounting standards described below, if applicable.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280), Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. The new guidance requires enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. ASU 2023-07 will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023,* and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, *on a retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU on our segment disclosures.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. ASU 2023-09 requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as additional information on income taxes paid. The guidance is effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, and for private entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2025, on a prospective basis. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

Customer and Supplier Concentration

For the three and six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company’s major customers, who accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s consolidated revenue, were as follows:

Three months ended December 31,Six months ended December 31,
2024202320242023
Major Customers
Customer A28%26%24%30%
Customer B*13%**
*Represented less than 10% of consolidated revenue.

For the three and six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company’s suppliers, who accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s total purchases, were as follows:

Three months ended December 31,Six months ended December 31,
2024202320242023
Major Suppliers
Supplier C93%71%93%73%
(1)Major Supplier C is Shenzhen Yi Jia, a Chinese company that is 95% owned by the Company’s co-chief executive officer and principal stockholder. See Note 10.

*Credit Risk ** ***

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash and accounts receivable. The Company maintains its cash in financial institutions. Accounts at United States financial institutions are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation(“FDIC”) up to $250,000. Accounts at Malaysian financial institutions are insured by the Perbadanan Insurans Deposit Malaysia (“PIDM”) up to RM 250,000. The Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board pays compensation up to a limit of Hong Kong Dollar (“HKD”)800,000. The Company may carry cash balances at financial institutions in excess of the insured limits. The amount in excess of the deposit insurance as of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 was $33,986,484 and $34,698,647. The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes, based upon the quality of the financial institutions, that the credit risk with regard to these deposits is not significant.

As of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, the Company’s customers, whose accounts receivable balances accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s total accounts receivable, were as follows:

As of December 31,As of June 30,
Customers20242024
D14%16%
E10%*

3. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, RESTRICTED CASH

Below is a breakdown of the Company’s cash balances in banks as of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, both by geography and by currencies (translated into U.S. dollars):

As of December 31,As of June 30,
By Geography:20242024
Cash in HK$32,897,783$32,667,486
Cash in U.S.1,193,7822,240,874
Cash in Malaysia281,286162,934
Total$34,372,851$35,071,294
By Currency:
USD$24,677,891$25,399,331
RM182,52788,598
HKD132,210121,628
EUR9,34013,056
GBP22,13822,233
RMB9,348,7459,426,448
Total$34,372,851$35,071,294

“HKD” refers to Hong Kong dollars, “GBP” refers to British pounds, “EUR” refers to Euros and “RM” refers to Malaysia ringgit.

As of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, restricted cash totaled $22,535 and $0, and is included in Malaysia in RM. It represents a bank guarantee with the customs department in Malaysia. This amount will be reviewed annually and may increase depending on the Company’s Malaysian import and export forecasts for the coming year.

4. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, NET

As of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, accounts receivable consisted of the following:

As of December 31,As of June 30,
20242024
Accounts receivable – gross$79,005,575$65,620,003
Allowance for credit losses(11,305,112)(5,885,238)
Accounts receivable, net$67,700,463$59,734,765

The Company recorded $4,183,998 and $1,900,797 bad debt expense for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company recorded $7,286,079 and $2,126,284 bad debt expense for the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company wrote off accounts receivable against allowance for credit losses of $257,488 and $311,379, respectively. For the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company wrote off accounts receivable against allowance for credit losses of $1,866,205 and $706,160, respectively.

Activity in the allowance for credit losses is below:

For the six months ended December 31,
20242023
Balance at July 1$5,885,238$1,498,806
Current period provision for expected losses7,286,0792,126,284
Write-offs charged against the allowance(1,866,205)(706,160)
Balance at December 3111,305,1122,918,930

5. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, NET

As of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, property, plant and equipment consisted of the following:

As of December 31,As of June 30,
20242024
Leasehold improvements$1,325,830$1,363,654
Office and other equipment1,587,5011,466,840
Furniture and fixtures345,785270,983
Construction-in-progress18,27436,483
3,277,3903,137,960
Less: accumulated depreciation(912,275)(555,503)
Total$2,365,115$2,582,457

For the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, depreciation expense amounted to $168,248 and $41,848, respectively. For the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, depreciation expense amounted to $356,772 and $70,545, respectively.

6. EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENT

On April 5, 2024, Aspire North America entered into a capital contribution, subscription, and joint venture agreement with several other parties. Pursuant to joint venture agreement, the parties created a legal entity, IKE Tek LLC (“IKE”), whose business will be licensing, owning, operating and developing an industry-standard age-verification solution for vapor (e-cigarette) devices in the U.S. market as the related planned submission of PMTA applications that seek FDA marketing orders for cutting-edge technologies across the U.S. e-cigarette market. Ispire contributed $1 million to IKE in cash for funding its operating activities and entered into a binding commitment to make an additional capital contribution to IKE in the aggregate amount of up to $9 million. In exchange for Ispire’s total investment of $10 million, IKE issued to Ispire membership interests in an aggregate amount initially equal to forty percent (40%) of the membership interests in IKE.

As of December 31, 2024, the investment in joint venture accounted for under the equity method amounted to $10,071,380. As of December 31, 2024, the Company noticed no indicator of impairment regarding the investment.

For the three months ended December 31, 2024, the Company’s share of the joint venture’s net loss was $100,618. For the six months ended December 31, 2024, the Company’s share of the joint venture’s net loss was $176,668. The loss was included in “other (expense) income, net” in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

For the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $32,479 and $0 in other income from IKE from charging administrative fees. For the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $72,072 and $0 in other income from IKE from charging administrative fees. As of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, the Company had total accounts receivable of $40,976 and $17,280 due from IKE.

The tables below present the summarized financial information, as provided to the Company by the investee, for the unconsolidated company:

Three months ended December 31,Six months ended December 31,
20242024
Net revenue · $ · - · $ · -
Gross profit (loss)--
Loss from operations251,545441,671
Net loss251,545441,671

7. CONTRACT LIABILITIES

These liabilities are advance deposits received from customers after an order has been placed. As of December 31, 2024, the Company expects all of the contract liabilities to be settled in less than one year. The decrease in the balance at December 31, 2024 was due to less orders on hand on that date. The amount of revenue recognized in the six months ended December 31, 2024, that was included in the opening contract liability balance was $1,924,847.

Changes in the contract liabilities is below:

For the six months ended December 31,
20242023
Balance at July 1$2,218,166$988,556
Contract liabilities recognized related to advanced deposits23,052,44917,290,984
Revenue recognized in current period(23,387,872)(16,574,369)
Balance at December 311,882,7431,705,171

8. LEASES

The Company has operating lease arrangements for office premises in Hong Kong, California and Malaysia. These leases typically have terms oftwo tofive years.

Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not presented as right-of-use assets on the consolidated balance sheet and are expensed over the lease term. All other lease assets and lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term at commencement date.

The balances for the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities where the Company is the lessee are presented as follow:

As of December 31, 2024As of June 30, 2024
Operating lease right-of-use assets$2,949,756$3,579,140
Operating lease liabilities – current$1,245,061$1,207,832
Operating lease liabilities – non-current1,572,5742,194,094
Total$2,817,635$3,401,926

As of December 31, 2024, the maturities of our lease liabilities (excluding short-term leases) are as follows:

January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025716,165
July 1, 2025 to June 30, 20261,395,767
July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027857,144
July 1, 2027 to June 30, 202880,676
Total future lease payments3,049,752
Less: imputed interest(232,117)
Total lease liabilities2,817,635

The Company incurred lease costs, which include the payment of short-term leases, of $383,174 and $335,678 on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company incurred lease costs, which include the payment of short-term leases, of $765,733 and $734,991 on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

The Company made payments of $330,020 and $379,600 under the lease agreements during three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company made payments of $720,640 and $712,421 under the lease agreements during six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

The weighted-average remaining lease term related to the Company’s lease liabilities as of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 was 2.2 years and 2.7 years, respectively.

The discount rate related to the Company’s lease liabilities as of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 was 7.9% and 7.9%, respectively. The discount rates are generally based on estimates of the Company’s incremental borrowing rate, as the discount rates implicit in the Company’s leases cannot be readily determined.

9. ACCRUED LIABILITIES AND OTHER PAYABLES

As of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, accrued liabilities and other payables consisted of the following:

As of December 31,As of June 30,
20242024
Joint venture investment payable$8,750,000$9,000,000
Other payables783,705575,115
Accrued salaries and related benefits66,596432,863
Accrued expenses1,179,0811,012,353
Reserve for product returns795,689717,058
Other tax payable950950
Total$11,576,021$11,738,339

10. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

a)The table below sets forth the major related parties and their relationships with the Company:

Name of related parties and Relationship with the Company

- Tuanfang Liu is the Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Company.

- Jiangyan Zhu is the wife of Tuanfang Liu and a director of the Company.

- Eigate (Hong Kong) Technology Co., Limited (“Eigate”) is a wholly-owned and controlled by the Company’s Chairman.

- Aspire Global is a company controlled by the Chairman of the Company.

- Aspire International Hong Kong Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aspire Global.

- Shenzhen Yi Jia, a Chinese company that is 95% owned by the Company’s Chairman and 5% by the Chairman’s cousin.

- IKE Tek LLC, a join venture that the Company has 40% membership interests in

b)Tuanfang Liu is also Aspire Global’s chief executive officer and a director of both the Company and Aspire Global, and his wife, Jiangyan Zhu, is also a director of both companies. As of December 31, 2024, Mr. Liu and Ms. Zhu beneficially own 66.5% and 5.0%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of Aspire Global. As of December 31, 2024, Mr. Liu and Ms. Zhu beneficially own 58.7% and 4.4%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of the Company.
c)For the three and six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the majority of the Company’s nicotine and cannabis vaping products were purchased from Shenzhen Yi Jia. As of December 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, the accounts payable–related party was $86,375,645 and $67,046,472, respectively, which was payable to Shenzhen Yi Jia. Pricing for products purchased from Shenzhen Yi Jia is determined by the volume of products ordered and shall be the most favorable market price offered by Shenzhen Yi Jia in negotiations. There are no fixed payment terms regarding these balances and they are classified as current liabilities. The relationship between the related parties, including the payment terms, is reviewed on a quarterly basis. As long as strategic objectives are met, the Company expects the relationship will continue without significant modification. For the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the purchases from Shenzhen Yi Jia were $30,975,378 and $25,464,800, respectively. For the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the purchases from Shenzhen Yi Jia were $61,558,483 and $48,983,213, respectively.

11. INCOME TAXES

For the three and six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 loss before income taxes consists of:

Three months ended December 31,Six months ended December 31,
2024202320242023
HK$2,601,917$2,538,994$5,533,109$5,691,070
U.S.(9,427,325)(5,963,668)(17,204,217)(9,872,671)
Malaysia(713,204)(215,058)(1,005,767)(303,673)
Total$(7,538,612)$(3,639,732)$(12,676,875)$(4,485,274)

Income taxes recorded for the three and six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, were estimated using the discrete method. Income taxes are based on the Company’s financial results through the end of the period, as well as the related change in the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets. The Company is unable to estimate the annual effective tax rate with sufficient precision for purposes of the effective tax rate method, which requires the Company to consider a projection of full-year income and the expected change in the valuation allowance. The estimated annual effective tax rate method was not reliable due to its sensitivity to small changes to forecasted annual pre-tax earnings and the effect of the valuation allowance, which create results with significant variations in the customary relationship between income tax expense and pre-tax income for the interim periods. As a result, the Company determined that using the discrete method is more appropriate than using the annual effective tax rate method.

The Company’s effective tax rate from operations was (6.10%) and (9.68%) for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company’s effective tax rate from operations was (7.23%) and (18.91%) for the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company’s effective tax rate differs from the federal statutory rate of 21% in each period primarily due to the Company’s net loss position, nondeductible expenses, and valuation allowance.

As of December 31, 2024, income tax expense of $460,031 and $916,784 was from income generated during the three and six months ended December 31, 2024. At December 31, 2023, income tax expense of $352,180 and $848,225 was from income generated during the three and six months ended December 31, 2023. All income tax expenses arose solely from Hong Kong operation.

12. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

In October 2022, the board of directors and stockholders of the Company approved the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended, the “Plan”) pursuant to which up to 15,000,000 shares of common stock may be issued pursuant to options, restricted stock or RSUs grants. The Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Awards under the Plan may be granted to officers, directors, employees and those consultants who qualify as a consultant or advisor under the instructions to the Company’s Form S-8 (File No. 333-273458) initially filed with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 26, 2023. The Compensation Committee has broad discretion in making awards, provided that any options shall be exercisable at the fair market value on the date of grant.

Restricted stock

During the three and six months ended December 31, 2024,36,941 and 57,346 shares of common stock were issued to the Company’s board of directors and employees in settlement of restricted stock granted under the Plan, respectively. Restricted stock granted to directors vests over three months and was fully vested as of December 31, 2024. The Company recognized share-based compensation expense totaling $35,710 related to the restricted stock issued to the Company’s board of directors, based the grant date fair value of the awards. There areno unrecognized compensation expenses related to these restricted stock awards as of December 31, 2024.

The Company entered into consulting agreements with two consultants in June 2024, which provide for the issuance of up to 150,000 shares of common stock to each consultant (a total of 300,000 shares of common stock). Under the terms of the consulting agreements, (a)25,000 shares of common stock vested upon execution of the consulting agreements (a total of 50,000 shares of common stock, issued during the year ended June 30, 2024), (b)100,000 shares of common stock will vest upon the attainment of five separate sales-based targets, in 20,000 share increments (a total of 200,000 shares of common stock), and (c)25,000 shares of common stock will vest on October 1, 2027, if the consulting agreements have not been terminated (a total of 50,000 shares of common stock). The Company estimated the grant date fair value of the shares issuable under the consulting agreements to be $7.14 per share.

In July 2024, the Company entered into consulting agreements with two consultants, which provide for the issuance of up to 140,000 shares of common stock to each consultant (a total of 280,000 shares of common stock). Under the terms of the consulting agreements, these 140,000 shares of common stock will vest upon the attainment of six separate sales-based targets, in 20,000 share increments, if the consulting agreements have not been terminated.

In July 2024, the Company entered into consulting agreements with two consultants, which provide for the issuance of up to 400,000 shares of common stock to each consultant (a total of 800,000 shares of common stock). Under the terms of the consulting agreements, (a)75,000 shares of common stock vested upon execution of the consulting agreements (a total of 150,000 shares of common stock issued during the three months ended September 30, 2024), (b)300,000 shares of common stock will vest upon the attainment of three separate sales-based targets, in 100,000 share increments (a total of 300,000 shares of common stock), and (c)25,000 shares of common stock will vest upon the attainment of one separate sales-based target, if the consulting agreements have not been terminated.

The shares of common stock that vest upon the attainment of the sales-based targets include performance-based vesting conditions, which the Company has determined were not probable of being achieved at December 31, 2024. As such, the Company has not recognized any compensation expense as of December 31, 2024, related to the restricted common stock with performance-based vesting conditions. The shares of common stock that vest on October 1, 2027, include time-based vesting criteria. For these shares, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense based on the grant date fair value on a straight-line basis over the required service period. For the quarter ended December 31, 2024, the stock-based compensation expense related to the restricted common stock with time-based vesting conditions was not material.

Stock Options

The following is a summary of stock option activity transactions as of and for the six months ended December 31, 2024:

Number Of options · Weighted average exercise price · Weighted average fair value per option · Weighted average remaining contractual life in years
Outstanding at June 30, 20243,255,000$9.10$5.139.1
Granted312,500$7.36$4.489.6
Exercised-$-$--
Expired-$-$--
Forfeiture(1,395,416)$9.71$5.518.7
Outstanding at December 31, 20242,172,084$8.45$4.798.6
Exercisable at December 31, 2024535,695$9.21$4.937.1

The aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding with an exercise price less than the closing price of the Company’s common stock as of December 31, 2024 was $0. Aggregate intrinsic value represents the value of the Company’s closing stock price on the last trading day of the period in excess of the weighted-average exercise price multiplied by the number of options outstanding or exercisable.

Total expense of options vested for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, was $(942,397) and $1,201,114, respectively. Total expense of options vested for the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, was $(374,796) and $1,707,093, respectively. The options granted during the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 were valued using the binomial option pricing model based on the following range of assumptions:

Six months ended December 31, 2024Six months ended December 31, 2023
Exercise multiple2.82.8
Expected volatility60%50%
Risk-free interest rate3.650% - 4.390%4.197%
Expected dividend yield0%0%

RSUs

RSUs granted to employees vest cumulatively as to one-third of the restricted stock units on each of the first three anniversaries of the date of grant based on continues service. Each vested RSU entitles holder to receive one share of common stock upon exercise. RSUs are accounted for as equity using the fair value method, which requires measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all awards granted to employees, directors and consultants based upon the grant-date fair value.

SharesWeighted average grant date fair value
Unvested, June 30, 2024483,606$9.76
Granted1,130,3466.26
Vested(553,608)7.29
Canceled and forfeited(431,465)8.00
Unvested, December 31, 2024628,879$6.85

Total expense for the RSUs during the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $2,351,973 and $468,361. Total expense for the RSUs during the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $2,672,849 and $604,325.

The following table summarizes the allocation of stock-based compensation in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss:

Three months ended December 31,Six months ended December 31,
2024202320242023
General and administrative expenses$1,357,591$1,850,380$2,315,984$2,802,033
Sales and marketing expenses87,69532,5411,136,89048,447
Total$1,445,286$1,882,921$3,452,874$2,850,480

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had approximately $10,680,495 in unrecognized compensation expenses related to all non-vested options and RSUs that will be recognized over the weighted-average period of 2.7 years.

13. LOSS PER SHARE

The following table presents a reconciliation of basic net loss per share:

Three months ended December 31,Six months ended December 31,
2024202320242023
Net loss$(7,998,643)$(3,991,912)$(13,593,659)$(5,333,499)
Weighted average basic and diluted share of common stock outstanding56,658,01254,270,23656,629,66654,258,224
Net loss per basic and diluted share of common stock$(0.14)$(0.07)$(0.24)$(0.10)

The Company computes earnings per share (“EPS”) in accordance with ASC 260, Earnings per Share. ASC 260 requires companies with complex capital structures to present basic and diluted EPS. Basic EPS is measured as net loss divided by the weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS is similar to basic EPS but presents the dilutive effect on a per share basis of potential common shares (for example, convertible securities, options and warrants) as if they had been converted at the beginning of the periods presented, or issuance date, if later. Potentially dilutive shares could dilute basic EPS in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because to do so would have been antidilutive for the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. Potentially dilutive shares were as follows:

For the six months ended December 31,
20242023
Share options2,172,0842,845,000
Unvested restricted stock units628,879574,140
Warrants173,211-
Total2,974,1743,419,140

14. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

From time to time, the Company may be subject to legal or regulatory proceedings, investigations and claims incidental to the conduct of its business. The Company is not a party to, nor is the Company aware of, any legal or regulatory proceedings, investigations or claims which, in the opinion of our management, are likely to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Concurrently with the joint venture agreement (see Note 6), Ispire entered into an exclusive supply agreement with Berify, whereby Ispire is obligated to purchase all Bluetooth enabled integrated circuits to be used on vape type devices to control the activation of the device that are to be sold to IKE at cost plus a 20% mark-up.

15. SUBSEQUENT EVENT

In February 2025, Ispire executed a cost reduction initiative. The initiative was part of a larger effort to optimize costs and leverage the Company’s global resources more effectively. It is a proactive measure to improve the Company’s operating efficiency and profitability. The Company expects savings in salary and benefits over $4,000,000 annually, and additional savings in other operating expenses.

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