Eastside Distilling Inc

1. Description of Business

Eastside Distilling (the “Company” or “Eastside Distilling”) was incorporated under the laws of Nevada in 2004 under the name of Eurocan Holdings, Ltd. In December 2014, the Company changed its corporate name to Eastside Distilling, Inc. to reflect the acquisition of Eastside Distilling, LLC. The Company manufactures, acquires, blends, bottles, imports, markets and sells a wide variety of alcoholic beverages under recognized brands. The Company currently employs 47 people in the United States.

The Company operates a beverage packaging and services business that operates in the beverage segment. During 2022, the Company made substantial investments to expand its product offerings to include digital can printing in the Pacific Northwest (together Craft Canning + Printing, “Craft C+P”). Craft C+P operates mobile filling lines and offers co-packing services with end-to-end production capabilities in Portland, Oregon.

The Company’s spirits’ brands span several alcoholic beverage categories, including whiskey, vodka, rum, and tequila. The Company sells products on a wholesale basis to distributors in open states and through brokers in control states.

2. Liquidity

The Company’s primary capital requirements are for cash used in operating activities and the repayment of debt. Funds for the Company’s cash and liquidity needs have historically not been generated from operations but rather from loans as well as from convertible debt and equity financing. The Company has been dependent on raising capital from debt and equity financing to meet the Company’s operating needs.

The Company had an accumulated deficit of $82.7 million as of December 31, 2023, having incurred a net loss of $7.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2023.

The Company reduced debt in 2023 through a debt for preferred swap. However, the Company’s ability to meet its ongoing operating cash needs over the next 12 months depends on growing revenues and gross margins, and generating positive operating cash flow primarily through increased sales, improved profit growth, and controlling expenses. In addition, the Company has been negotiating with creditors to reduce the interest burden and improve cash flow. if the Company is unable to reach an agreement with creditors or obtain additional financing, or additional financing is not available on acceptable terms, the Company may seek to sell assets, reduce operating expenses, reduce or eliminate marketing initiatives, and take other measures that could impair its ability to be successful.

Although the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023 were prepared under the assumption that it would continue operations as a going concern, the report of its independent registered public accounting firm that accompanied the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023 contained a going concern explanatory paragraph in which such firm expressed substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, based on the financial statements at that time. If the Company cannot continue as a going concern, its stockholders would likely lose most or all of their investment in it.

3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Eastside Distilling, Inc.’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Craft Canning + Bottling, LLC (doing business as Craft Canning + Printing) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Galactic Unicorn Packaging, LLC (the Company’s newly acquired fixed co-packing assets). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

Net sales include product sales, less excise taxes and customer programs and incentives. The Company recognizes revenue by applying the following steps in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606 –Revenue from Contracts with Customers: (1) identify the contract with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when each performance obligation is satisfied.

The Company recognizes spirits sales when merchandise is shipped from a warehouse directly to wholesale customers (except in the case of a consignment sale). For consignment sales, which include sales to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, the Company recognizes sales upon the consignee’s shipment to the customer. Postage and handling charges billed to customers are also recognized as sales upon shipment of the related merchandise. Shipping terms are generally FOB shipping point, and title passes to the customer at the time and place of shipment or purchase by customers at a retail location. For consignment sales, title passes to the consignee concurrent with the consignee’s shipment to the customer. The customer has no cancellation privileges after shipment or upon purchase at retail locations, other than customary rights of return.

In the Craft C+P segment, sales are recognized when printed cans are delivered or when mobile filling services are performed.

Customer Programs

Customer programs, which include customer promotional discount programs, are a common practice in the alcoholic beverage industry. The Company reimburses wholesalers for an agreed amount to promote sales of products and to maintain competitive pricing. Amounts paid in connection with customer programs are recorded as reductions to net sales in accordance with ASC 606 -Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Amounts paid in customer programs totaled $0.2 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Excise Taxes

The Company is responsible for compliance with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) regulations, which includes making timely and accurate excise tax payments. The Company is subject to periodic compliance audits by the TTB. Individual states also impose excise taxes on alcoholic beverages in varying amounts. The Company calculates its excise tax expense based upon units produced and on its understanding of the applicable excise tax laws. Excise taxes totaled $0.1 million and $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales consists of all direct costs related to both spirits and canning for service, labor, overhead, packaging, and in-bound freight charges. Raw materials account for the largest portion of the cost of sales, followed by packaging and production costs.

Sales and Marketing Expenses

Sales and marketing expenses consist of sponsorships, agency fees, digital media, salary and benefit expenses, travel and entertainment expenses. Sales and marketing costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expenses totaled $0.2 million and $0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses consist of salary and benefit expenses, travel and entertainment expenses for executive and administrative staff, rent and utilities, professional fees, insurance, and amortization and depreciation expense. General and administrative costs are expensed as incurred.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes as compensation expense all stock-based awards issued to employees. The compensation cost is measured based on the grant-date fair value of the related stock-based awards and is recognized over the service period of stock-based awards, which is generally the same as the vesting period. The fair value of stock options is determined using the Black-Scholes valuation model, which estimates the fair value of each award on the date of grant based on a variety of assumptions including expected stock price volatility, expected terms of the awards, risk-free interest rate, and dividend rates, if applicable. Stock-based awards issued to nonemployees are recorded at fair value on the measurement date and are subject to periodic market adjustments at the end of each reporting period and as the underlying stock-based awards vest.

Concentrations

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of trade receivables. As of December 31, 2023, one distributor represented 18% of trade receivables. As of December 31, 2022, one distributor represented 15% of trade receivables. Sales to one distributor customer accounted for 19% of consolidated sales for the year ended December 31, 2023. Sales to one distributor and one wholesale customer together accounted for 40% of consolidated sales for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Fair Value Measurements

GAAP defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and requires certain disclosures about fair value measurements. GAAP permits an entity to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value and contains financial statement presentation and disclosure requirements for assets and liabilities for which the fair value option is elected. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, management has not elected to report any of the Company’s assets or liabilities at fair value under the “fair value option” provided by GAAP.

The hierarchy of fair value valuation techniques under GAAP provides for three levels: Level 1 provides the most reliable measure of fair value, whereas Level 3, if applicable, generally would require significant management judgment. The three levels for categorizing assets and liabilities under GAAP’s fair value measurement requirements are as follows:

None of the Company’s assets or liabilities were measured at fair value as of December 31, 2023 or 2022. However, GAAP requires the disclosure of fair value information about financial instruments that are not measured at fair value. Financial instruments consist principally of trade receivables, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, notes payable, and the secured credit facilities. The estimated fair value of trade receivables, accounts payable, and accrued liabilities approximate their carrying value due to the short period of time to their maturities. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the principal amounts of the Company’s notes approximate fair value.

Items Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

Certain assets and liabilities acquired in a business acquisition are valued at fair value at the date of acquisition due to having indefinite lives. The Company, on an annual basis, tests the indefinite life assets for impairment. If an indefinite life asset is found to be impaired, then the Company will estimate its useful life and amortize the asset over the remainder of its useful life.

Inventories

Inventories primarily consist of bulk and bottled liquor and raw materials and are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using an average costing methodology, which approximates cost under the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method. A portion of the Company’s finished goods inventory is held by certain independent distributors on consignment until it is sold to a third party. The Company regularly monitors inventory quantities on hand and records write-downs for excess and obsolete inventories based primarily on the Company’s estimated forecast of product demand and production requirements. Such write-downs establish a new cost basis of accounting for the related inventory.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, ranging from three to 12.5 years. Amortization of leasehold improvements is computed using the straight-line method over the life of the lease or the useful lives of the assets, whichever is shorter. The cost and related accumulated depreciation and amortization of property and equipment sold or otherwise disposed of are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss is reported as current period income or expense. The costs of repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.

Intangible Assets / Goodwill

The Company accounts for certain intangible assets at cost. Management reviews these intangible assets for probable impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. If there is an indication of impairment, management would prepare an estimate of future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. If these estimated cash flows were less than the carrying amount, an impairment loss would be recognized to write down the asset to its estimated fair value. As of December 31, 2023, the Company performed a qualitative assessment of certain of its intangible and then performed a quantitative analysis after which it was determined that the Azuñia assets were impaired and reduced its carrying cost by $0.4 million.

Long-lived Assets

The Company accounts for long-lived assets, including certain intangible assets, at amortized cost. Management reviews long-lived assets for probable impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. If there is an indication of impairment, management would prepare an estimate of future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. If these estimated cash flows were less than the carrying amount of the asset, an impairment loss would be recognized to write down the asset to its estimated fair value. The Company performed a qualitative assessment of certain of its long-lived assets as of December 31, 2023 and determined that they were not impaired.

Comprehensive Income

The Company did not have any other comprehensive income items in either the year ended December 31, 2023 or 2022.

Accounts Receivable Factoring Program

The Company had two accounts receivable factoring programs: one for its spirits customers (the “spirits program”) that had a zero balance as of December 31, 2023 and another for its co-packing customers (the “co-packing program”) that terminated in August 2023. Under the programs, the Company has the option to sell certain customer account receivables in advance of payment for 75% (spirits program) or 85% (co-packing program) of the amount due. When the customer remits payment, the Company receives the remaining balance. For the spirits program, interest is charged on the advanced 75% payment at a rate of 2.4% for the first 30 days plus 1.44% for each additional ten-day period. For the co-packing program, interest is charged against the greater of $0.5 million or the total funds advanced at a rate of 1% plus the prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal. Under the terms of both agreements, the factoring provider has full recourse against the Company should the customer fail to pay the invoice. In accordance with ASC Topic 860 –Transfers and Servicing, the Company has concluded that these agreements have met all three conditions identified in ASC Topic 860-10-40-5 (a) – (c) and have accounted for this activity as a sale. Given the quality of the factored accounts, the Company has not recognized a recourse obligation. In certain limited instances, the Company may provide collection services on the factored accounts but does not receive any fees for acting as the collection agent, and as such, the Company has not recognized a service obligation asset or liability. The Company factored $0.7 million of invoices and incurred $20,821 in fees associated with the factoring programs during the year ended December 31, 2023.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07,Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures(“ASU 2023-07”)*.*ASU 2023-07 seeks to improve disclosures about a public entity’s reportable segments and add disclosures around a reportable segment’s expenses. The updated guidance is effective for the Company for annual periods beginning January 1, 2024, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning January 1, 2025. The Company does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on its financial statements and disclosures.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09,Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures(“ASU 2023-09”)*.*ASU 2023-09 seeks to improve transparency in income tax disclosures by requiring consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid disclosures. The updated guidance is effective for the Company on January 1, 2025. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2023-09 to have a material impact on its financial statements and disclosures.

Reclassification of Prior Year Presentation

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on the reported results of operations.

4. Business Segment Information

The Company’s internal management financial reporting consists of Craft C+P, Eastside spirits and corporate. Craft C+P offers digital can printing and co-packing services in Portland, Oregon, allowing it to offer end-to-end production capabilities. Craft C+P operates multiple mobile lines in Oregon. The spirits brands span several alcoholic beverage categories, including whiskey, vodka, rum, and tequila and are sold on a wholesale basis to distributors in open states, and to brokers in control states. The Company’s principal area of operation is in the U.S. It has one spirits customer that represents 19% of its revenue. Corporate consists of key executive and accounting personnel and corporate expenses such as public company and board costs, as well as interest on debt.

The measure of profitability reviewed are condensed statements of operations and gross margins. These business segments reflect how operations are managed, operating performance is evaluated and the structure of internal financial reporting. Total asset information by segment is not provided to, or reviewed by, the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) as it is not used to make strategic decisions, allocate resources or assess performance. The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described for the Company in the Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in Note 3.

Segment information was as follows for the years ended December 31:

Craft C+P’s sales increased from growth in its digital can printing revenues, offset by lower mobile revenues. Spirits’ sales in 2022 included bulk inventory sales of $4.4 million compared to $0.8 million in 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company undertook restructuring actions to reduce volumes in unprofitable market segments and incrementally restricting actions to lower production costs and improve profitability.

5. Inventories

Inventories consisted of the following as of December 31:

6. Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

Prepaid expenses and other current assets consisted of the following as of December 31:

7. Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consisted of the following as of December 31:

Purchases of property and equipment totaled $0.2 million and $2.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Depreciation expense totaled $0.9 million and $1.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company disposed of fixed assets for proceeds of $0.3 million, including future proceeds of installment sales of $0.4 million, with a net book value of $0.3 million resulting in a gain of $0.4 million. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company disposed of fixed assets with a net book value of $0.2 million resulting in a loss on disposal of fixed assets of $0.1 million. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company wrote off obsolete fixed assets with a net book value of $25,304 and $5,270, respectively.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company entered into a master equity lease agreement with Enterprise FM Trust (“Enterprise”). Per the agreement, the Company delivered to Enterprise the titles to certain vehicles resulting in a loss on disposal of $0.1 million, which is included in the $0.1 million loss from 2022 above. In return, the Company directly leased the vehicles from Enterprise, which also managed the maintenance of the vehicles. In April 2023, the master equity lease agreement matured and the titles to the vehicles were returned to the Company.

8. Intangible Assets

Intangible assets consisted of the following as of December 31:

The customer list is being amortized over aseven-year life. Amortization expense totaled $0.4 million for both the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

The permits and licenses and the Azuñia brand have all been determined to have an indefinite life and will not be amortized. The Company, on an annual basis, tests the indefinite life assets for impairment. If the carrying value of an indefinite life asset is found to be impaired, then the Company will record an impairment loss and reduce the carrying value of the asset. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company determined that the Azuñia assets were impaired and recorded an impairment cost of $0.4 million and $7.5 million, respectively.

9. Other Assets

Other assets consisted of the following as of December 31:

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had $0.4 million of capitalized costs related to services provided for the rebranding of its existing product line. This amount is being amortized over aseven-year life.

Amortization expense totaled $0.1 million for both the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

The deposits represent office lease deposits.

10. Leases

The Company has various lease agreements in place for facilities, equipment and vehicles. Terms of these leases include, in some instances, scheduled rent increases, renewals, purchase options and maintenance costs, and vary by lease. These lease obligations expire at various dates through 2027. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. As the rate implicit in each lease is not readily determinable, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on information available at commencement to determine the present value of the lease payments. Right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less (“short-term leases”) are not recorded on the balance sheet and are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. As of December 31, 2023, the amount of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities were $2.6 million and $2.7 million, respectively. Aggregate lease expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $1.3 million, consisting of $1.2 million in operating lease expense for lease liabilities and $0.1 million in short-term lease cost.

Maturities of lease liabilities as of December 31, 2023 were as follows:

11. Notes Payable

Notes payable consisted of the following as of December 31:

The Company paid $0.1 million and $0.5 million in interest on notes for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Maturities on notes payable as of December 31, 2023 were as follows:

12. Secured Credit Facilities

Note Purchase Agreement

On October 7, 2022, the Company entered into a Note Purchase Agreement dated as of October 6, 2022 with Aegis Security Insurance Company (“Aegis”). Pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, Aegis purchased from the Company a secured promissory note in the principal amount of $4.5 million (the “Aegis Note”). Aegis paid for the Aegis Note by paying $3.3 million to TQLA to fully satisfy a secured line of credit promissory note that the Company issued to TQLA on March 21, 2022; and the remaining $1.2 million was paid in cash to the Company. The Aegis Note bears interest at 9.25% per annum, payable every three months. The principal amount of the Aegis Note will be payable on March 31, 2025. The Company pledged substantially all of its assets to secure its obligations to Aegis under the Aegis Note.

On September 29, 2023, the Company entered into a Debt Satisfaction Agreement with Aegis and other creditors, pursuant to which the Aegis Note was amended and restated.See: Note 15, Stockholders Equity – Debt Satisfaction Agreement. Principal and interest of $1.9 million were exchanged for equity issued to a special purpose vehicle, The B.A.D. Company, LLC (the**“SPV”**), in which Aegis holds a 29% interest. As of December 31, 2023, the principal balance of the Aegis Note was $2.6 million and interest expense accrued was $0.4 million.

6% Secured Convertible Promissory Notes

On April 19, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement (“Purchase Agreement”) with accredited investors (“Subscribers”) for their purchase of up to $3.3 million of principal amount of 6% secured convertible promissory notes of the Company (“Note” or “Notes”), which notes are convertible into shares (“Conversion Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Notes with an initial conversion price of $44.00. In connection with the purchase of such Notes, each Subscriber received a warrant (“Existing Warrant”), to purchase a number of shares of common stock (“Warrant Shares”) equal to 60% of the principal amount of any Note issued to such Subscriber divided by the conversion price of the Note issued to such Subscriber, at an exercise price equal to $52.00. In connection with the Purchase Agreement, the Company entered into a Security Agreement under which it granted the Subscribers a security interest in certain assets of the Company (the “Security Agreement”) and a Registration Rights Agreement under which the Company agreed to register for resale the Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares. Concurrently therewith, the Company and the investors closed $3.3 million of the private offering.

Roth Capital, LLC acted as placement agent in the private offering, and the Company paid the Placement Agent a cash fee of five percent (5%) of the gross proceeds therefrom. The Company received $3.1 million in net proceeds from the closing, after deducting the fee payable to the Placement Agent and the legal fees of the Subscribers in connection with the transaction. The Company used the proceeds to repay prior outstanding notes payable and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Interest on the Notes accrued at a rate of 6% per annum and was payable either in cash or in shares of the Company’s common stock at the conversion price in the Note on each of the six and twelve month anniversaries of the issuance date and on the maturity date of October 18, 2022.

All amounts due under the Notes are convertible at any time after the issuance date, in whole or in part (subject to rounding for fractional shares), at the option of the holders into the Company’s common stock at a fixed conversion price, which is subject to adjustment as summarized below. The Notes were initially convertible into the Company’s common stock at an initial fixed conversion price of $44.00 per share. This conversion price is subject to adjustment for stock splits, combinations, or similar events, among other adjustments. On April 1, 2022, the Company and the holders agreed to a reduction of the conversion price of the 6% secured convertible promissory notes to $26.00 per share in connection with the Company’s issuance of a common stock purchase warrant to TQLA covering its loan amount of $3.5 million with a common stock value of $24.00 per share.

The Notes contain customary triggering events including but not limited to: (i) failure to make payments when due under the Notes; and (ii) bankruptcy or insolvency of the Company. If a triggering event occurs, each holder may require the Company to redeem all or any portion of the Notes (including all accrued and unpaid interest thereon), in cash.

The Notes are secured by a subordinated security interest in the Company’s assets pursuant to the terms of a Security Agreement entered into between the Company and the Subscribers.

On October 13, 2022, the Company entered into an Amendment Agreement with the holders of the 6% Secured Convertible Promissory Notes. The Amendment Agreement changed the Maturity Date of the Notes from October 18, 2022 to November 18, 2022. In consideration of the extension, the Company issued 4,808 shares of its common stock to each of the Subscribers.

On September 29, 2023, the Company entered into a Debt Satisfaction Agreement with the Subscribers and other creditors, pursuant to which the Maturity Date of the Notes was extended from November 18, 2022 to March 31, 2025 and interest accrues at 9% per annum.See: Note 15, Stockholders Equity – Debt Satisfaction Agreement. Principal and interest on the Notes of $3.3 million was exchanged for equity issued to the SPV, in which the Subscribers held a 50% ownership interest, and the Notes were then amended and restated. As of December 31, 2023, the principal balance was $0.4 million and interest expense accrued was $0.1 million.

13. Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes results in effective tax rates which are different than the federal income tax statutory rate. The provision (benefit) for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows, assuming a 21% federal effective tax rate. The Company also has a state tax rate for Oregon of 6.6% for both the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

The provision of income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows:

The components of the net deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31 consisted of the following:

As of December 31, 2023, the Company has a cumulative net operating loss carryforward (“NOL”) of approximately $74 million, to offset against future income for federal and state tax purposes. These federal and state NOLs can be carried forward for 20 and 15 years, respectively. The federal NOLs begin toexpire in 2034, and the state NOLs begin to expire in 2029. The utilization of the net operating loss carryforwards may be subject to substantial annual limitation due to ownership change provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (as amended, the Internal Revenue Code) and similar state provisions. In general, if the Company experiences a greater than 50 percentage aggregate change in ownership of certain significant stockholders over a three-year period (a “Section 382 ownership change”), utilization of its pre-change NOL carryforwards are subject to an annual limitation under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (and similar state laws). The annual limitation generally is determined by multiplying the value of the Company’s stock at the time of such ownership change (subject to certain adjustments) by the applicable long-term tax-exempt rate. Such limitations may result in expiration of a portion of the NOL carryforwards before utilization and may be substantial.

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Due to the uncertainty of the realizability of the deferred tax assets, management has determined a full valuation allowance is appropriate.

14. Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Matters

On March 1, 2023, Sandstrom Partners, Inc. filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the County of Multnomah alleging the Company failed to pay for its services pursuant to an agreement entered into on October 16, 2019. The complaint seeks damages of $285,000, plus a judicial declaration, due to the Company’s failure to pay for the services. The Company believes that it paid for services rendered and, if any balance is outstanding, it is minimal. The Company intends to defend the case vigorously.

On December 15, 2020, Grover Wickersham filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon against the Company. Mr. Wickersham, the former CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Company, has asserted causes of action for fraud in the inducement, breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, defamation, interference with economic advantage, elder financial abuse, and dissemination of false and misleading proxy materials. The Company disputes the allegations and intends to defend the case vigorously.

The Company is not currently subject to any other material legal proceedings; however, it could be subject to legal proceedings and claims from time to time in the ordinary course of its business, or legal proceedings it considered immaterial may in the future become material. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can, among other things, be time consuming and expensive to resolve, and can divert management resources.

15. Net Income (Loss) per Common Share

Basic income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, without considering any dilutive items. Potentially dilutive securities consist of the incremental common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options, convertible notes and warrants. Potentially dilutive securities are excluded from the computation if their effect is anti-dilutive. There were no anti-dilutive common shares included in the calculation of income (loss) per common share as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.

16. Stockholders’ Equity

Reverse Stock Split

All shares and per share information in these financial statements has been adjusted to give effect to the 1-for-20 reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock effected on May 12, 2023.

Debt Satisfaction Agreement

On September 29, 2023, the Company entered into a Debt Satisfaction Agreement (the “DSA”) with the SPV, Aegis, Bigger Capital Fund, LP (“Bigger”), District 2 Capital Fund, LP (“District 2”), LDI Investments, LLC (“LDI”) and TQLA, LLC. The SPV is a special purpose vehicle whose equity is shared 50% by Bigger and District 2 and 50% by Aegis and LDI.

Pursuant to the DSA, on September 29, 2023, the Company issued to the SPV 296,722 shares of the Company’s common stock and 200,000 shares of its Series C Preferred Stock, and executed a Registration Rights Agreement providing that the Company will register for public resale that common stock and the common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series C Preferred Stock. In exchange for that equity, the Company’s debts to the members of the SPV were reduced by a total of $6.5 million and the Company recognized a loss on the conversion of $1.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Specifically, the debt was reduced as follows:

Further pursuant to the DSA:

Issuance of Common Stock

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company issued 162,849 shares of common stock to directors and employees for stock-based compensation of $0.7 million. The shares were valued for accounting purposes using the closing share price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant, within the range of $1.29 to $7.40 per share and issued within the range of $3.05 to $7.40 per share

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company sold 343,495 shares of common stock for net proceeds of $1.4 million in at-the-market public placements.

On September 29, 2023, pursuant to the DSA (see discussion above), the Company issued to the SPV 296,722 shares of common stock and 200,000 shares of its Series C Preferred Stock. In exchange for that equity, the Company’s debts to the members of the SPV were reduced by a total of $6.5 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company issued 19,265 shares of common stock to directors and 4,808 shares of its common stock to each of the Subscribers of the 6% Secured Convertible Promissory Notes for stock-based compensation of $0.3 million These shares were valued using the closing share price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant, within the range of $5.60 to $19.20 per share.

On April 5, 2022, the Company sold 10,000 shares of common stock to its Chief Executive Officer for proceeds of $0.2 million based on the market price of the stock at that date.

On February 4, 2022,8,500 shares were issued at $24.20 per share to the Company’s former Chief Executive Officer pursuant to his separation agreement for stock-based compensation of $0.2 million.

Issuance of Series B Preferred Stock

On October 19, 2021, Company entered into a securities purchase agreement (“Purchase Agreement”) with an accredited investor (“Subscriber”) for its purchase of 2.5 million shares (“Preferred Shares”) of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series B Preferred Stock”) at a purchase price of $1.00 per Preferred Share, which Preferred Shares are convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in a Certificate of Designation Establishing Series B Preferred Stock of the Company with an initial conversion price of $62.00 per share.42,500 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance in the event of conversion of the Preferred Shares.

The Series B Preferred Stock accrues dividends at a rate of 6% per annum, payable annually on the last day of December of each year. Dividends shall accrue from day to day, whether or not declared, and shall be cumulative. Dividends are payable at the Company’s option either in cash or “in kind” in shares of common stock; provided, however that dividends may only be paid in cash following the fiscal year in which the Company has net income (as shown in its audited financial statements contained in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for such year) of at least $0.5 million. For “in-kind” dividends, holders will receive that number of shares of common stock equal to (i) the amount of the dividend payment due such stockholder divided by (ii) the volume weighted average price of the common stock for the 90 trading days immediately preceding a dividend date (“VWAP”). For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company issued dividends of 92,957 shares of common stock at a VWAP of $1.61 per share to its Series B Preferred stockholders. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company issued dividends of 23,004 shares of common stock at a VWAP of $6.60. For both the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company accrued $0.2 million of preferred dividends.

Issuance of Series C Preferred Stock

On September 29, 2023, the Company entered into the DSA, pursuant to which the Company issued to the SVP 200,000 shares of its Series C Preferred Stock. Each share of Series C Preferred Stock has a stated value of $28.025 and is convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in a Certificate of Designation Establishing Series C Preferred Stock with an initial conversion price of $3.05 per share.

Stock-Based Compensation

On September 8, 2016, the Company adopted the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”). Pursuant to the terms of the plan, on January 1, 2023 the number of shares available for grant under the 2016 Plan reset to 437,993 shares, equal to 8% of the number of outstanding shares of the Company’s capital stock, calculated on an as-converted basis, on March 31 of the preceding calendar year, and then added to the prior year plan amount. As of December 31, 2023, there were 2,120 options and 196,619 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) outstanding under the 2016 Plan, with vesting schedules varying between immediate or three (3) years from the grant date.

A summary of all stock option activity as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023 is presented below:

The aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding as of December 31, 2023 was $0. As of December 31, 2023, all options had vested.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes valuation model to measure the grant-date fair value of stock options. The grant-date fair value of stock options issued to employees is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Stock-based awards issued to nonemployees are recorded at fair value on the measurement date and are subject to periodic market adjustments as the underlying stock-based awards vest.

To determine the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes valuation model, the calculation takes into consideration the effect of the following:

The calculation includes several assumptions that require management’s judgment. The expected term of the options is calculated using the simplified method described in GAAP. The simplified method defines the expected term as the average of the contractual term and the vesting period. Estimated volatility is derived from volatility calculated using historical closing prices of common shares of similar entities whose share prices are publicly available for the expected term of the options. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury constant maturities in effect at the time of grant for the expected term of the options.

The Company did not issue any additional options during the year ended December 31, 2023.

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, net compensation expense related to stock options was $0 and $2,926, respectively.

Warrants

On March 21, 2022, the Company entered into a promissory note with TQLA LLC to accept a one year loan of $3.5 million. In addition, the Company issued a common stock purchase warrant to TQLA covering the loan amount with an exercise price of $24.00 per share. The note payable was fully repaid in October 2022. The common stock purchase warrant expires in March 2027. The warrants were amended pursuant to the Debt Satisfaction Agreement*(See discussion above)*to prevent any exercise that would result in the warrant-holder and affiliates acquiring cumulative voting power in excess of 9.99%. This Beneficial Ownership Limitation may be increased to 19.99% upon 61 days advance notice to the Company.

From April 19, 2021 through May 12, 2021, the Company issued in a private placement Existing Warrants to purchase up to 45,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $52.00 per Warrant Share. On July 30, 2021, the Company entered into Inducement Letters with the holders of the Existing Warrants whereby such holders agreed to exercise for cash their Existing Warrants to purchase the 45,000 Warrant Shares in exchange for the Company’s agreement to issue new warrants (the “New Warrants”) to purchase up to 45,000 shares of common stock (the “New Warrant Shares”). The New Warrants have substantially the same terms as the Existing Warrants, except that the New Warrants have an exercise price of $60.00 per share and are exercisable until August 19, 2026. On September 29, 2023, pursuant to the Debt Satisfaction Agreement (see above), the exercise price of the Existing Warrants was reduced to $33.08 per share and the term during which the Existing Warrants may be exercised was extended to June 23, 2028.

On January 15, 2020, the Company and its subsidiaries entered into a loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) between the Company and Live Oak Banking Company (“Live Oak”), a North Carolina banking corporation (the “Lender”) to refinance existing debt of the Company and to provide funding for general working capital purposes In connection with the Loan Agreement, the Company issued to the Lender a warrant to purchase up to 5,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $78.80 per share (the “Warrant”). The Warrant expires on January 15, 2025. In connection with the issuance of the Warrant, the Company granted the Lender piggy-back registration rights with respect to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrant, subject to certain exceptions.

A summary of all warrant activity as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023 is presented below:

17. Related Party Transactions

The following is a description of transactions since January 1, 2022 as to which the amount involved exceeds the lesser of $0.1 million or one percent (1%) of the average of total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years, which was $0.3 million, and in which any related person has or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than equity, compensation, termination and other arrangements.

TQLA, LLC

During 2022, the Company entered into a Secured Line of Credit Promissory Note (the “TQLA Note”) with TQLA LLC and amended it twice for total borrowing of $3.3 million. TQLA LLC is owned by Stephanie Kilkenny, a member of the Company’s Board of Directors, and her husband, Patrick Kilkenny.

Aegis Security Insurance Company

On October 7, 2022, the Company entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with Aegis. Pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, Aegis purchased from the Company a secured promissory note in the principal amount of $4.5 million (the “Aegis Note”). $3.3 million of the purchase price was paid to TQLA, LLC to satisfy the TQLA Note.See discussion of the Aegis transaction in Note 12. Patrick Kilkenny is the principal owner of Aegis.

LD Investments LLC

On September 29 2023, the Company entered into a Secured Promissory Note with LDI in the principal amount of $1.4 million, representing advances made by LDI to the Company between December 2022 and August 2023. Patrick Kilkenny is the principal owner of LDI.

On September 29, 2023, the Company entered into the DSA with LDI and other creditors.See: Note 16, Stockholders Equity – Debt Satisfaction Agreement. The entire principal and interest on the LDI Note were exchanged for equity issued to theSPV, in which LDI holds a 21% interest.

18. Subsequent Events

During February 2024, LD Investments advanced the Company $0.6 million. The principal owner of LD Investments is Patrick Kilkenny.