Starco Brands Inc

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE

THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2024 AND 2023

NOTE 1–ORGANIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Starco Brands, Inc. (STCB) was incorporated in the State of Nevada on January 26, 2010, under the name Insynergy, Inc. On September 7, 2017, STCB filed an Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation to change the corporate name to Starco Brands, Inc. The Board determined the change of STCB’s name was in the best interests of the Company due to changes in its current and anticipated business operations. In July 2017, STCB entered into a licensing agreement with The Starco Group (“TSG”), located in Los Angeles, California. The companies pivoted to commercializing novel consumer products manufactured by TSG. TSG is a private label and branded aerosol and liquid fill manufacturer with manufacturing assets in the following verticals: DIY/Hardware, paints, coatings and adhesives, household, hair care, disinfectants, automotive, motorcycle, arts & crafts, personal care cosmetics, personal care FDA, sun care, food, cooking oils, beverages, and spirits and wine.

During the third quarter of 2021*,* STCB formed two subsidiaries, Whipshots, LLC, a Wyoming limited liability company (“Whipshots LLC”) and Whipshots, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company that was subsequently renamed Whipshots Holdings, LLC (“Whipshots Holdings”). Whipshots LLC was a wholly-owned subsidiary of STCB at formation which was subsequently contributed to Whipshots Holdings. Whipshots Holdings is a majority-owned subsidiary of STCB in which STCB owns 85% of the vested voting interests. There are vested interests not owned by the Company for an additional 15% of the equity which has been issued.

On September 12, 2022, STCB, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Starco Merger Sub Inc. (“Merger Sub”), completed its acquisition (the “AOS Acquisition”) of The AOS Group Inc., a Delaware corporation (“AOS”). The AOS Acquisition consisted of Merger Sub merging with and into AOS, with AOS being the surviving corporation. AOS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of STCB.

On December 29, 2022, STCB, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Starco Merger Sub II. Inc. (“First Merger Sub”) completed its acquisition (the “Skylar Acquisition”) of Skylar Body, Inc. (“Skylar Inc.”). The Skylar Acquisition consisted of First Merger Sub merging with and into Skylar Inc. (“First Merger”) with Skylar Inc. being the surviving corporation, and immediately following the First Merger, and as part of the same overall transaction as the First Merger, Skylar Inc. merged with and into Second Merger Sub (the “Second Merger”) with the Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity Skylar Body, LLC (“Skylar”). Skylar is a wholly-owned subsidiary of STCB.

On February 15, 2023, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Starco Merger Sub I, Inc. (“Starco Merger Sub I”), completed its acquisition (the “Soylent Acquisition”) of Soylent Nutrition, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Soylent”). The Soylent Acquisition consisted of Starco Merger Sub I merging with and into Soylent, with Soylent being the surviving corporation. Soylent is a wholly-owned subsidiary of STCB.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are of STCB and its subsidiaries AOS, Skylar, Soylent, Whipshots Holdings and its wholly owned subsidiary Whipshots LLC (collectively, the “Company”).

On January 3, 2023, the board of directors of the Company approved the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Starco Brands, Inc. (the “Amended and Restated Articles). On January 6, 2023, the stockholders of the Company representing 53.47% of the Company’s outstanding common stock adopted the Amended and Restated Articles. On February 9, 2023, the Company filed the Amended and Restated Articles, which, among other things, (i) increased the authorized shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, from 300,000,000 shares (the “Old Common Stock”) to 2,000,000,000 shares, (ii) established two classes of Common Stock, consisting of (y)1,700,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Class A common stock”), and (z)300,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share and (iii) reclassified all issued, outstanding or authorized Old Common Stock of the Company into Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis. As a result, following the filing of the Amended and Restated Articles with the Nevada Secretary of State, the Company’s prior “common stock” was renamed Class A common stock on its trading symbol.

NOTE 2–GOING CONCERN

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company identified that a substantial doubt exists related to the Company’s ability to meet its obligations as they become due within one year of the date of the financial statements being issued. Principal conditions that gave rise to this substantial doubt include historical net losses as indicated by the Company’s accumulated deficit of approximately $68,000,000 at March 31, 2024, which includes the impact of its net loss of $4,270,556 for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and total debt on the balance sheet of $7,631,247 as of March 31, 2024, with all debt coming due within one year of the date of the financial statements being issued. Management evaluated the principal conditions that initially give rise to the substantial doubt and note that the historical net losses and accumulated deficit impact are justified as they are primarily made up of non-cash expenses or one-time non-recurring expenses, such as goodwill impairment, stock-based compensation expense, fair value share adjustment loss and acquisition transaction expenses. Total debt of $7,631,247 on the balance sheet as of March 31, 2024 includes $4,472,500 of notes payable to Ross Sklar (“Sklar”), who has a large minority ownership of the Company that provides incentive for Mr. Sklar to extend or refinance the notes before the notes become due, as seen historically (see Note 8). Management plans include (i) continuing to increase net cash provided by operating activities, which was $822,453 for the three months ended March 31, 2024, while decreasing net cash provided by financing activities, and (ii) obtaining an alternative financing source to pay off all current debt outstanding and to provide additional working capital, if needed. To achieve these objectives, management has proposed and approved plans to increase top line revenue for each segment while decreasing overall expenses as a percentage of revenue, as a result of realizing synergies from the acquisitions of AOS, Skylar and Soylent, and utilizing the Company’s back-end shared service model to reduce expenses. The Company is in ongoing negotiations to obtain additional financing to repay historical debt and provide additional working capital. These conditions and the ability to successfully resolve these factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of the aforementioned uncertainties.

NOTE 3 -SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

*Basis of Consolidation *

The condensed consolidated financial statements of Starco Brands, Inc. include the accounts of STCB, our wholly owned subsidiary AOS, our wholly owned subsidiary Skylar, our wholly owned subsidiary Soylent, and our 85% owned subsidiary Whipshots Holdings and its wholly owned subsidiary, which are comprised of voting interest entities in which we have a controlling financial interest in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810, Consolidation. All significant intercompany profits, losses, transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation in the condensed consolidated financial statements.

Our consolidated subsidiaries at March 31, 2024 include: AOS, Skylar, Soylent, Whipshots Holdings and its wholly owned subsidiary Whipshots LLC. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.

Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company and the accompanying notes included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for the fair presentation of the condensed consolidated financial statements have been included. Such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. The condensed consolidated financial statements, and the accompanying notes, are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and do not contain certain information included in the Company’s Annual Report and Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. Therefore, the interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with that Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and equity-based transactions at the date of the financial statements and the revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The Company bases its estimates and assumptions on current facts, historical experience, and various other factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the accrual of costs and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. The actual results experienced by the Company may differ materially and adversely from the Company’s estimates. To the extent there are material differences between the estimates and the actual results, future results of operations will be affected.

The Company believes the following critical accounting policies affect its more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements. Significant estimates include the timing for revenue recognition, testing goodwill for impairment, recoverability of long-lived assets, income taxes and related valuation allowances, fair value of contributed services, and assumptions used in the Black-Scholes valuation methods, such as expected volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend rate.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

We maintain our cash in bank deposit accounts, the balances of which at times may exceed federally insured limits. We continually monitor our banking relationships and consequently have not experienced any losses in our accounts. We believe we are not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. There wereno cash equivalents as of March 31, 2024 or December 31, 2023.

Accounts Receivable

We measure accounts receivable at net realizable value. This value includes an appropriate allowance for credit losses to present the net amount expected to be collected on the financial asset. We calculate the allowance for credit losses based on available relevant information, in addition to historical loss information, the level of past-due accounts based on the contractual terms of the receivables, reasonable and supportable forecasts, and our relationships with, and the economic status of, our partners and customers. The allowance for credit losses is evaluated quarterly, which is $431,380 and $350,112 as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company follows paragraph 825-10-50-10 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification for disclosures about fair value of its financial instruments and paragraph 820-10-35-37 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“Paragraph 820-10-35-37”) to measure the fair value of its financial instruments. Paragraph 820-10-35-37 establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. To increase consistency and comparability in fair value measurements and related disclosures, Paragraph 820-10-35-37 establishes a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three (3) broad levels. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs. The three (3) levels of fair value hierarchy defined by Paragraph 820-10-35-37 are described below:

The carrying amount of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial assets and liabilities, such as cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, prepaid expenses, and accrued expenses approximate their fair value because of the short maturity of those instruments. The Company’s notes payable approximate the fair value of such instruments based upon management’s best estimate of interest rates that would be available to the Company for similar financial arrangements at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

The following table summarizes the financial instruments of the Company at fair value based on the valuation approach applied to each class of security as of March 31, 2024:

Pursuant to the Soylent acquisition, the Company may be required to issue the Share Adjustment (as defined in Note 5) to the former owners of Soylent based upon the stock price of the Company on the Adjustment Date (as defined in Note 5). The Company engaged a third-party valuation firm to estimate the fair value of this contingent liability by performing a Monte Carlo simulation to forecast the value of the Company’s stock and the implied value of the Share Adjustment. See NOTE 5 – ACQUISITIONS for further discussion. The fair value of the share adjustment on the Soylent acquisition date was $36,715,800. The inputs to estimate the fair value of the share adjustment were the market price of the Company’s common stock, the option expected term, the volatility of the Company’s common stock price and the risk-free interest rate. Significant changes to any unobservable input may result in a significant change in the fair value measurement.

The following table presents a reconciliation of the opening and closing balances of the Fair Value of Share Adjustment for the three months ended March 31, 2024:

Property and Equipment, net

Property and equipment is recorded at historical cost, net of depreciation. All property and equipment with a cost of $2,000 or greater are capitalized. Depreciation is computed using straight-line over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Expenditures that enhance the useful lives of the assets are capitalized and depreciated. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. When assets are sold or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is recognized in operations.

Revenue Recognition

STCB, excluding its subsidiaries, earns a majority of its revenue as royalties from the licensing agreements it has with TSG, a related entity, and other related parties. STCB licenses the right for TSG to manufacture and sell certain Starco Brands products. The amount of the licensing revenue received varies depending upon the product and the royalty percentage is determined beforehand in each agreement. The Company recognizes its revenue under these licensing agreements only when sales are made by TSG or other related parties to a third party.

AOS, one of STCB’s wholly owned subsidiaries, earns its revenues through the sale of premium body and skincare products. Revenue from retail sales is recognized at shipment to the retailer. Revenue from eCommerce sales, including Amazon Fulfillment by Amazon (“Amazon FBA”), is recognized upon shipment of merchandise.

Skylar, one of STCB’s wholly owned subsidiaries, earns its revenues through the sale of fragrances. Revenue from retail sales is recognized at shipment to the retailer. Revenue from eCommerce sales, including Amazon FBA, is recognized upon shipment of merchandise.

Soylent, one of STCB’s wholly owned subsidiaries, earns its revenues through the sale of nutritional drinks. Revenue from retail sales is recognized at shipment to the retailer. Revenue from eCommerce sales, is recognized upon shipment of merchandise.

Whipshots Holdings, an 85% owned subsidiary, earns its revenues as royalties from the licensing agreements it has with Temperance, a related entity. STCB licenses the right for Temperance to manufacture and sell vodka infused whipped cream. The amount of the licensing revenue received varies depending upon the product and the royalty percentage is based on contractual terms. The Company recognizes its revenue under these licensing agreements only when sales are made by Temperance to a third party.

The Company applies the requirements of ASC 606,Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which includes the following five-step model in order to determine the recognition of revenue: (i) Identify the contract with a customer; (ii) Identify the performance obligation in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price, including the constraint on variable consideration; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations; and (v) recognition of revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies each performance obligation.

The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the licensee transferring goods or services to the customer. Once a contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606 at contract inception, the Company reviews the contract to determine which performance obligations the Company’s licensee must deliver and which of these performance obligations are distinct. The Company recognizes as revenues the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when the performance obligation is satisfied or as it is satisfied. Generally, the Company’s licensee’s performance obligations are transferred to customers at a point in time, typically upon delivery.

Income Taxes

The Company follows Section 740-10-30 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification, which requires recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the condensed consolidated financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are based on the differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the fiscal year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent management concludes it is more likely than not that the assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the fiscal years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the Statements of Income in the period that includes the enactment date.

The Company adopted section 740-10-25 of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“Section 740-10-25”) with regards to uncertainty income taxes. Section 740-10-25 addresses the determination of whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should be recorded in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Under Section 740-10-25, the Company may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the condensed consolidated financial statements from such a position should be measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent (50%) likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Section 740-10-25 also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties on income taxes, accounting in interim periods and requires increased disclosures. The Company had no material adjustments to its liabilities for unrecognized income tax benefits according to the provisions of Section 740-10-25.

Stock-based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation per the provisions of ASC 718, Share-based Compensation (“ASC 718”), which requires the use of the fair-value based method to determine compensation for all arrangements under which employees and others receive shares of stock or equity instruments (warrants, options, and restricted stock units). The fair value of each warrant and option is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model that uses assumptions for expected volatility, expected dividends, expected term, and the risk-free interest rate. The Company has not paid dividends historically and does not expect to pay them in the future. Expected volatilities are based on the volatility of comparable companies’ common stock. The expected term of awards granted is derived using estimates based on the specific terms of each award. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for the period of the expected term. The grant date fair value of a restricted stock unit equals the closing price of our common stock on the trading day of the grant date.

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

Net income (loss) per share of common stock is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year. All outstanding options are considered potential common stock. The dilutive effect, if any, of stock payable and warrants are calculated using the treasury stock method. All outstanding convertible notes are considered common stock at the beginning of the period or at the time of issuance, if later, pursuant to the if-converted method. Since the effect of common stock equivalents is anti-dilutive with respect to losses, outstanding warrants have been excluded from the Company’s computation of net loss per share of common stock for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023.

The following table summarizes the securities that were excluded from the diluted per share calculation because the effect of including these potential shares was antidilutive due to the Company’s net loss position even though the exercise price could be less than the average market price of the common stock:

Intangible Assets

Definite-lived intangible assets consist of certain domain names. Definite-lived intangible assets are amortized utilizing the straight-line method over the assets’ estimated useful lives, which approximate 10-16 years.

Indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of certain trademarks and formula lists. These intangible assets are not amortized but are tested for impairment annually or whenever impairment indicators exist.

The Company assesses potential impairment of its long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that an asset or asset group’s carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors that are considered important that could trigger an impairment review include a current period operating or cash flow loss combined with a history of operating or cash flow losses and a projection or forecast that demonstrates continuing losses or insufficient income associated with the use of a long-lived asset or asset group. Other factors include a significant change in the manner of the use of the asset or a significant negative industry or economic trend. This evaluation is performed based on estimated undiscounted future cash flows from operating activities compared with the carrying value of the related assets. If the undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value, an impairment loss is recognized, measured by the difference between the carrying value, and the estimated fair value of the assets, with such estimated fair values determined using the best information available and in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company did not record asset impairment charges related to its intangible assets.

Royalties and Licenses

Royalty-based obligations with content licensors are either paid in advance and capitalized as prepaid royalties or are accrued as incurred and subsequently paid. These royalty-based obligations are generally expensed to cost of revenue generally at the greater of the contractual rate or an effective royalty rate based on the total projected net revenue for contracts with guaranteed minimums. Prepayments made are generally made in connection with the development of a particular product, and therefore, we are generally subject to risk during the product phase. Payments earned after completion of the product (primarily royalty-based in nature) are generally expensed as cost of revenue.

Our contracts with some licensors include minimum guaranteed royalty payments, which are initially recorded as an asset and as a liability at the contractual amount when no performance remains with the licensor. When performance remains with the licensor, we record guarantee payments as an asset when actually paid and as a liability when incurred, rather than recording the asset and liability upon execution of the contract.

Each quarter, we also evaluate the expected future realization of our royalty-based assets, as well as any unrecognized minimum commitments not yet paid to determine amounts we deem unlikely to be realized through future revenue. Impairments or losses determined post-launch are charged to cost of revenue. We evaluate long-lived royalty-based assets for impairment using undiscounted cash flows when impairment indicators exist. If an impairment exists, then the related assets are written down to fair value. Unrecognized minimum royalty-based commitments are accounted for as executory contracts, and therefore, any losses on these commitments are recognized when the underlying intellectual property is abandoned (i.e., cease use) or the contractual rights to use the intellectual property are terminated.

Our minimum contractual royalty-based obligations remaining as of March 31, 2024 are approximately $1,257,500, $20,000 and $0 for the years ending December 31, 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively.

Leases

With the adoption of ASC 842, operating lease agreements are required to be recognized on the balance sheet as Right-of-Use (“ROU”) assets and corresponding lease liabilities. ROU assets include any prepaid lease payments and exclude any lease incentives and initial direct costs incurred. Lease expense for minimum lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease if it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option.

AOS, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary leased its corporate office (“AOS Lease”). The AOS Lease was classified as an operating lease and had a term of 2 years, for approximately 1,372 square feet of office space located in West Hollywood, California. The lease expired in September 2023 and had a monthly base rental of $7,564 which increased 4% each year. At the end of the lease term in September 2023, the Company did not renew the lease. In March 2022, AOS entered into a sublease, whereby, the sublessor took over the entire AOS Lease office space and the lease payment until the completion of the original AOS Lease term.

In accordance with ASC 842, Leases, the Company recognized a ROU asset and corresponding lease liability on the condensed consolidated balance sheet for long-term office leases. See Note 11 – Leases for further discussion, including the impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures*.*

Inventory

Inventory consists of premium body and skincare products, fragrances and nutritional products. Inventory is measured using the first-in, first-out method and stated at average cost as of March 31, 2024. The value of inventories is reduced for excess and obsolete inventories. We monitor inventory to identify events that would require impairment due to obsolete inventory and adjust the value of inventory when required. We did not record any inventory impairment losses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023.

Acquisitions, Intangible Assets and Goodwill

The condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the operations of an acquired business beginning as of the date of acquisition. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their fair values at the date of acquisition; goodwill is recorded for any excess of the purchase price over the fair values of the net assets acquired. Significant judgment is required to determine the fair value of certain tangible and intangible assets and in assigning their respective useful lives. Accordingly, we typically obtain the assistance of third-party valuation specialists for significant tangible and intangible assets. The fair values are based on available historical information and on future expectations and assumptions deemed reasonable by management but are inherently uncertain. The Company typically employs an income method to measure the fair value of intangible assets, which is based on forecasts of the expected future cash flows attributable to the respective assets. Significant estimates and assumptions inherent in the valuations reflect a consideration of other marketplace participants and include the amount and timing of future cash flows (including expected growth rates and profitability), the underlying product or technology life cycles, economic barriers to entry and the discount rate applied to the cash flows. Unanticipated market or macroeconomic events and circumstances could affect the accuracy or validity of the estimates and assumptions. Determining the useful life of an intangible asset also requires judgment. Intangible assets are amortized over their estimated lives. Any intangible assets associated with acquired in-process research and development activities (“IPR&D”) are not amortized until a product is available for sale.

Goodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. While we use our best estimates and assumptions to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, our estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement.

We review goodwill for impairment at least annually or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. Our goodwill impairment test may require the use of qualitative judgements and fair-value techniques, which are inherently subjective. Impairment loss, if any, is recorded when the fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill is less than its carrying value.

No impairment losses related to goodwill were recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 goodwill was $26,689,391 and $26,689,391, respectively.

Segments

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) is the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) and views the Company’s operations and manages its business in three reportable operating segments: (i) Starco Brands, which includes AOS, Whipshots Holdings and Whipshots LLC, (ii) Skylar, and (iii) Soylent. The CODM assesses performance of operating segments and determines the allocation of resources based primarily on gross profit as a whole.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

All newly issued but not yet effective accounting pronouncements have been deemed to be not applicable or immaterial to the Company.

NOTE 4–SEGMENTS

The Company has the following reportable segments:

Starco Brands. The Starco Brands segments generate revenue through the development and sales of consumer good products. The Starco Brands segment includes STCB, AOS, Whipshots Holdings and Whipshots LLC.

*Skylar.*The Skylar segment generates revenue through the sale of fragrances.

*Soylent.*The Soylent segment generates revenue through the sale of nutritional products, mainly drinks.

Balance sheet data are reviewed by the CODM on a consolidated basis; therefore, disaggregated balance sheet data are not presented.

The following tables present gross profit by reporting segment:

Depreciation expense allocated to the Starco Brands, Skylar and Soylent segments was $0,3,611 and $1,055, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Depreciation expense allocated to the Starco Brands, Skylar and Soylent segments was $0,3,079 and $640, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2023.

NOTE 5–ACQUISITIONS

Soylent Acquisition

On February 15, 2023, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Starco Merger Sub I completed the Soylent Acquisition. The Soylent Acquisition consisted of Starco Merger Sub I merging with and into Soylent, with Soylent being the surviving corporation. Soylent is the maker of a wide range of plant-based “complete nutrition” and “functional food” products with a lineup of plant-based convenience shakes, powders and bars that contain proteins, healthy fats, functional amino acids and essential nutrients. Through its relationship with TSG and other strong partners, the Company has access to intellectual property that will allow Soylent to vertically integrate manufacturing and expand, positioning Soylent to be the future of nutritional products. The Soylent Acquisition was completed through a cash and stock deal, where the Company paid $200,000 in cash as reimbursement of Soylent’s closing expenses and the Company’s shares were issued at $0.15 per share, which amount was equal to the fair value of the stock on the acquisition date. As consideration for the Soylent Acquisition, the Company reserved an (a) aggregate of up to 165,336,430 restricted shares of Class A common stock to Soylent shareholders, (b)12,617,857 restricted shares of Class A common to satisfy existing Soylent change in control obligations, (c) up to 18,571,429 additional restricted shares of Class A common stock based on final determination of calculations of Soylent’s working capital, cash at closing, indebtedness at closing and certain unpaid transaction expenses in excess of the amount reimbursed by the Company (the “Opening Balance Holdback”), and (d) an adjustment to the shares of Class A common stock received by the Company Holders (as defined in the agreement) in the event that the trading price for STCB’s Class A common stock price per share on the first anniversary of the closing date (February 14, 2024, or the “Adjustment Date”) is below $0.35 per share of Class A common stock. If, on the Adjustment Date, STCB’s Class A common stock is trading below $0.35 per share of Class A common stock, STCB shall issue additional shares of Class A common stock based on the Closing Merger Consideration (as defined in the agreement) after adjustments divided by the trading price (which must be below $0.35 per share for any additional shares to be issued) minus the total share issuance after adjustments (such additional shares, the “Share Adjustment”).

On March 15, 2024, the Company and certain former stockholders of Soylent and current stockholders of the Company’s Class A common stock (the “Consenting Stockholders”), entered into a stockholder agreement (“Stockholder Agreement”) with the Company, which modified the treatment of certain terms of the Soylent Acquisition merger agreement with respect to the Consenting Stockholders. The Stockholder Agreement (i) revises the calculation for the Consenting Stockholders’ respective pro rata share of the Share Adjustment (as defined in the Soylent Acquisition merger agreement) to utilize a customary 30-day moving volume weighted trading average (“vwap”) in calculating the price per share of the Class A common stock at each adjustment date, and (ii) bifurcates the calculation for Consenting Stockholders’ respective pro rata share of the Share Adjustment into two adjustments, the first adjustment calculable based on the vwap ending February 14, 2024 (“First Adjustment Date”), and the second adjustment calculable based on the vwap ending May 15, 2025 (“Second Adjustment Date”). Generally, if the trading price of the Acquiror Common Stock (as defined in the Soylent Acquisition merger agreement) based on the vwap, is below $0.35 per share on each of February 14, 2024 and May 15, 2025, then, at no additional cost to the Consenting Stockholders, additional shares of Acquiror Common Stock are issuable based on the calculation methodology set forth in the Stockholder Agreement. As of the date of this filing, the Consenting Stockholders represent approximately 88.9% of the total shares held by all former stockholders of Soylent issued pursuant to the Soylent Acquisition merger agreement. Certain other former stockholders of Soylent may sign joinders to the Stockholder Agreement following the date of this filing.

The fair value of the rights to receive these shares were estimated by a third-party valuation firm to be $0.189 per share on the acquisition date or an approximate share adjustment value of $36,715,800. For the former Soylent shareholders (the “Soylent Shareholders”) that did not join the Stockholder Agreement, the fair value of the rights to receive these shares were $0.136 per share on December 31, 2023, or the Company’s stock price as of February 14, 2024, the “Adjustment Date”, or a share adjustment value of $6,101,455. For the Consenting Stockholders, the fair value of the rights to receive these shares were estimated by a third-party valuation firm to be $0.186 per share on December 31, 2023 or an approximate share adjustment value of $30,829,876. Included in the Consenting Stockholders approximate share adjustment value of $30,829,876, are the fair value rights to receive shares on the First Adjustment Date in the Stockholder Agreement of $15,506,101, or $0.16 per share, the 30-day wvap of the Company’s stock price as of February 14, 2024.

Effective February 14, 2024, the First Adjustment Date, the Company settled $18,099,951 of the $36,931,130 fair value liability outstanding on December 31, 2023 by issuing 133,087,875 shares of Class A common stock to the Soylent Shareholders as outlined in the Soylent merger agreement and Stockholders Agreement, as applicable. The total share adjustment value as of March 31, 2024 is $20,753,328. The settlement amount of $18,099,951 includes an adjustment for additional shareholders that agreed to amend their Stockholders Agreement subsequent to December 31, 2023. As a result, approximately 7.0 million shares were returned to the Company and the liability amount as of December 31, 2023 was amended.

Effective February 14, 2024, the Company settled the Soylent Opening Balance Holdback by issuing 16,309,203 shares of Class A common stock to the Soylent Shareholders as outlined in the Soylent merger agreement. The Soylent Opening Balance Holdback was recorded as equity consideration payable on the December 31, 2023 balance sheet in the amount of $2,446,380.

The Soylent Acquisition was accounted for as a business combination in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations.

NOTE 6–**NOTES PAYABLE **

In September 2022, the Company received a second financing loan in the amount of $92,334 for its Directors and Officers Insurance (“D&O Loan #2”). D&O Loan #2 bore interest at 5.82% and required monthly payments through June 2023. D&O Loan #2 was paid off in its entirety in June 2023.

In September 2023, the Company received a third financing loan in the amount of $98,039 for its Directors and Officers Insurance (“D&O Loan #3”, and together with D&O Loan #1 and D&O Loan #2 the “D&O Loans”). D&O Loan #3 bears interest at 9.3% and required monthly payments through July 2024. As of March 31, 2024 the remaining balance of the D&O Loan #3 was $40,126.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the D&O Loans incurred approximately $1,388 and $756, respectively, of interest expense.

On February 10, 2023 the Company’s subsidiary Soylent entered into a line of credit with a revolving credit commitment of $5,000,000. The revolving credit commitment bore interest at a rate per annum equal to the greater of (a) two and half percent (2.5%) and (b) prime rate plus one percent (1%). The revolving credit commitment had a maturity date of February 10, 2024. If the Company defaults on the revolving credit commitment, the default interest rate will bear an additional interest at a fluctuating rate equal to five percent (5%) per annum higher than the applicable interest rate. As of March 31, 2024 the outstanding balance on the revolving line of credit is $3,063,995 and has accrued interest of $16,171. For the three months ended March 31, 2024, the revolving line of credit incurred $86,904 of interest expense.

The Soylent Line of Credit matured on February 10, 2024 and is in default under the Soylent Line of Credit loan documents for failing to pay off the Soylent Line of Credit balance at maturity. The Company entered into an agreement with the bank to forbear the banks rights to exercise its rights and remedies under the Soylent Line of Credit loan documents until June 10, 2024, for a forbearance fee of $57,590 and payment of accrued interest of $10,009.

In December 2023, the Company received a financing loan in the amount of $29,109 for its General Liability Insurance (“G&A Loan #1”). G&A Loan #1 bears interest at 9.3% and requires monthly payments through July 2024. As of March 31, 2024 the remaining balance of the G&A Loan #1 was $14,797.

In February 2024, the Company received a second financing loan in the amount of $20,983 for its General Liability Insurance (“G&A Loan #2, and together with G&A Loan #1 the “G&A Loans”). G&A Loan #2 bears interest at 9.3% and requires monthly payments through July 2024. As of March 31, 2024 the remaining balance of the G&A Loan #2 was $14,204.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 the G&A Loan #1 incurred approximately $509 andzero, respectively, of interest expense.

See Note 8 - Related Party Transactions for loans to STCB from the Company’s CEO.

NOTE 7–**COMMITMENTS & CONTINGENCIES **

Whipshots

On September 8, 2021, Whipshots LLC, a Wyoming limited liability company (“Whipshots LLC”) entered into an Intellectual Property Purchase Agreement, effective August 24, 2021, with Penguins Fly, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company (“Penguins”). The agreement provided that Penguins would sell the trademarks “Whipshotz” and “Whipshots”, the accompanying domain and social media handles of the same nomenclature, and certain intellectual property, documents, digital assets, customer data and other transferable rights under non-disclosure, non-compete, non-solicitation and confidentiality contracts benefiting the purchased intellectual property and documents (collectively, the “Acquired Assets”) to Whipshots LLC. The purchase price for the Acquired Assets will be payable to Penguins, over the course of seven years, based on a sliding scale percentage of gross revenues actually received by the Company solely from the sale of Whipshots/Whipshotz Products. The payment are subject to a minimum amount in each contract year and a maximum aggregate amount. In connection with this agreement the Company paid $20,000 during 2021, zero in 2022 and $38,620 in 2023 and the Company has accrued $318,050 to be paid pursuant to this agreement in 2024, all of which has been recorded as an indefinite-lived intangible asset.

On September 14, 2021, Whipshots Holdings, LLC (formerly Whipshots, LLC) a Delaware limited liability company (“Whipshots Holdings”), entered into a License Agreement (the “Washpoppin License Agreement”) with Washpoppin Inc., a New York corporation (“Washpoppin”). Pursuant to the Washpoppin License Agreement, Washpoppin licensed certain Licensed Property (as defined therein) of the recording artist professionally known as “Cardi B” (the “Artist”) to us. Whipshots Holdings and Washpoppin entered into an amended and restated Washpoppin License Agreement (“A&R Washpoppin License Agreement”), with an effective date of November 27, 2023. As part of the A&R Washpoppin License Agreement, in exchange for royalty rates based on Net Sales (as defined therein) during each applicable contract period, the Washpoppin warrants to cause the Artist to attend certain in person events, media interviews, participate in the development of the Licensed Products (as defined therein), and promote the Licensed Products through social media posts on the Artist’s social media platforms. We have committed to a minimum royalty payment under the A&R Washpoppin License Agreement of an aggregate of $3,300,000 subject to Washpoppin’s satisfaction of its obligations. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company incurred expenses related to this agreement of approximately $412,500 and $275,000, respectively.

Skylar Acquisition

Following the 18-month holdback period from the date of the Skylar Acquisition on December 29, 2022, the Company expects to issue former Skylar shareholders up to an aggregate amount of 11,573,660 shares of Class A common stock, for which it has recorded $2,314,732 equity consideration payable on the balance sheet as of March 31, 2024.

NOTE 8–RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

During the year ended December 31, 2017, Sanford Lang, the Company’s former Chairman and CEO, advanced STCB $289,821 to pay for general operating expenses. The advance required a monthly interest payment of $2,545 and was due on demand. In June 2021, Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod executed agreements with STCB whereby the advance from Mr. Lang and all other amounts owed to each were repaid and both Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod resigned from the Board of Directors. Further, for a period of 36 months beginning in July 2021, STCB will repurchase an aggregate of $10,950 worth of shares each month from Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod, with the share price for each purchase to be set according to the volume weighted average trading price of the common stock over the last 10 days of the month. In the three months ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023 STCB paid an aggregate of zero and $32,850, respectively, to Mr. Lang and Mr. Goldrod. As of March 31, 2024, the Company settled final repurchase transfers of 1,862,154 shares in the amount of $328,500. The share repurchases are recorded as treasury stock payable on the balance sheet. The foregoing agreements terminated and are of no further force or effect.

Ross Sklar, CEO Notes

On August 11, 2023, the Company issued to Sklar a consolidated secured promissory note (the “Consolidated Secured Promissory Note”) in the principal sum of $4,000,000, with a maturity date of December 31, 2023. The Consolidated Secured Promissory Note carries a floating interest rate comprised of the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate (re-assessed on the first date of each month (plus 2%), and is secured by an amended and restated consolidated security agreement (the “Amended and Restated Consolidated Security Agreement”), by and between the Company and Sklar, dated August 11, 2023, The Consolidated Secured Promissory Note consolidated the outstanding loan obligations of the Company to Sklar evidenced pursuant to (i) the January 24, 2020 Amended Note, (ii) the June 28, 2021 Note, (iii) the September 17, 2021 Note, (iv) the December 13, 2021 Note, (v) the December 29, 2022 Note, and (vi) the March 3, 2023 Note, as summarized in the table below. The Amended and Restated Consolidated Security Agreement merged and integrated the December 29, 2022 Security Agreement and the March 3, 2023 Security Agreement, and provides a security interest in the Collateral (as defined in the Amended and Restated Consolidated Security Agreement) to secure the repayment of all principal, interest, costs, expenses and other amounts then or thereafter due under the Consolidated Secured Promissory Note until by the maturity date. Sklar was authorized to file financing statements to perfect the security interest in the Collateral without authentication by the Company. The following table represents Prior Notes that were part of the restructuring and related prior and updated terms (under the Consolidated Secured Promissory Note):

The Company did not include the February 14, 2022 Note in the principal amount of $472,500 in the note consolidation. The restructuring is accounted for as a debt modification.

The February 14, 2022 Note bears interest at 4% per annum, is unsecured, and matured two years from the original date of issuance. This note may also convert into shares of Company common stock at the 10-day volume weighted average trading price of the Company common stock for the 10-day period prior to the issuance of the Note, which was calculated as $0.29 per share. On May 10, 2024, the Company and Sklar entered into an amendment to the February 14, 2022 Note to extend the maturity date of the February 14, 2022 Note to December 31, 2024.

As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the outstanding principal due to Mr. Sklar under outstanding notes was $4,472,500. As of March 31, 2024 and 2023, there waszero and $32,439 of accrued interest due on these notes, respectively.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 the notes to Mr. Sklar incurred interest expense of approximately $109,528 and $80,456, respectively.

Other Related Party Transactions

During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized revenue from related parties of $2,310,196 and $2,787,485, respectively. There were $2,417,096 and $2,742,508 of accounts receivable and accrued accounts receivable from TSG and Temperance Distilling Company (“Temperance”) as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. All revenues earned in relation to these accounts receivable is from related parties, TSG and Temperance. Sklar serves as the Chairman of Temperance.

During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company received contributed services at a value of approximately zero and $24,049, respectively. Such costs have been expensed and recorded as additional paid-in capital in the period the services were provided.

NOTE 9–STOCK WARRANTS

On each of September 12, 2022, November 1, 2022, November 3, 2022, and June 1, 2023, the Company entered into agreements with members of the Board and consultants for services to be performed. As consideration therefore, the Company granted those individuals stock warrants to purchase an aggregate of 38,400,000 shares of common stock. The warrants vest over various terms for periods from one tofive years. The warrants were valued using the Black-Scholes option pricing model under the assumptions as found in the table below.

On December 29, 2022 and March 3, 2023, the Company entered into agreements with Sklar, for warrants to purchase shares of common stock to be issued as a funding fee for an aggregate principal amount of $2,800,000 in secured promissory notes (see Note 7). The warrants were valued using the Black-Scholes option pricing model under the following assumptions as found in the table below.

The table below summarizes the grants of stock warrants and includes the assumptions used for valuation under the Black-Scholes option pricing model.

A summary of the status of the Company’s outstanding stock warrants and changes during the periods is presented below:

The fair value of stock warrants granted and vested during the three months ended March 31, 2024 waszero and $241,359, respectively.

The fair value of stock warrants granted and vested during the three months ended March 31, 2023 was $18,710 and $278,649 respectively.

The following table summarizes information about stock warrants to purchase shares of the Company’s Class A common stock outstanding and exercisable as of March 31, 2024:

The compensation expense attributed to the issuance of the stock warrants is recognized as they are vested.

Total compensation expense related to the stock warrants was $390,747 and $375,501 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and was included in compensation expense on the statement of operations. As of March 31, 2024, there was $2,364,196 in future compensation cost related to non-vested stock warrants.

The aggregate intrinsic value as of March 31, 2024 is $50,800 for total outstanding and exercisable warrants, which was based on our estimated fair value of the common stock of $0.14, had all warrant holders exercised their warrants as of that date, net of the aggregate exercise price.

NOTE 10-STOCK OPTIONS

On November 27, 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Equity Plan”). The Equity Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, and other stock-based awards, collectively, the “Stock Awards”. Stock Awards may be granted under the Equity Plan to the Company’s, and its subsidiaries’, employees, officers, directors and consultants. The maximum number of shares of Class A common stock available for issuance under the Equity Plan is 100,000,000 shares.

On January 1, 2024, the Company entered into agreements with employees and consultants for services to be performed. As consideration therefore, the Company granted stock options (the “Options”) under the Company’s Equity Plan to purchase up to 4,660,000 shares of Class A common stock. Options were valued using the Black-Scholes option pricing model under the following assumptions as found in the table below. There were no stock options issued or outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2023.

A summary of the status of the Company’s outstanding stock options and changes during the periods is presented below:

The fair value of stock options granted and vested during the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $731,548 andzero, respectively.

The compensation expense attributed to the issuance of the stock options is recognized as they are vested. Total compensation expense related to the stock options was$92,719 andzero for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and was included in compensation expense on the statement of operations. As of March 31, 2024, there was $638,829 in future compensation cost related to non-vested stock warrants.

The aggregate intrinsic value as of March 31, 2024 iszero for total outstanding and exercisable warrants, which was based on our estimated fair value of the common stock of $0.14, had all option holders exercised their options as of that date, net of the aggregate exercise price.

NOTE 11–STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Common Stock Issuances for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2024

Effective February 14, 2024, the First Adjustment Date, the Company settled $18,099,951 of the $36,931,130 fair value liability outstanding on December 31, 2023 by issuing 133,087,875 shares of Class A common stock to the Soylent Shareholders as outlined in the Soylent merger agreement and Stockholders Agreement, as applicable. The total share adjustment value as of March 31, 2024 is $20,753,328. The settlement amount of $18,099,951 includes an adjustment for additional shareholders that agreed to amend their Stockholders Agreement subsequent to December 31, 2023. As a result, approximately 7.0 million shares were returned to the Company and the liability amount as of December 31, 2023 was amended.

Effective February 14, 2024, the Company settled the Soylent Opening Balance Holdback and $2,446,380 equity consideration payable by issuing 16,309,203 shares of Class A common stock to the Soylent Shareholders as outlined in the Soylent merger agreement.

On March 12, 2024, the 18-month holdback period from the date of the AOS Acquisition was completed, the Company had no outstanding claims and issued the former shareholders of AOS an aggregate of 4,979,731 shares of Class A common stock and $6,137 in cash that was being held back on the December 31, 2023 balance sheet.

NOTE 12 –PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

Property and equipment, net consist of the following:

For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company incurred $4,666 and $3,719 of depreciation expense, respectively.

NOTE 13 –INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Intangible assets, net consists of the following:

For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company incurred $701,604 and $3,742 of amortization expense, respectively.

As of March 31, 2024, future expected amortization expense of intangible assets was as follows:

NOTE 14 –INVENTORY

Inventory by major class are as follows:

NOTE 15–SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management has evaluated subsequent events pursuant to the requirements of ASC Topic 855, from the balance sheet date through the date the financial statements were issued, and has determined that the following subsequent event exists:

On May 10, 2024, the February 14, 2022 Note agreement between the Company and Sklar was amended to extend the maturity date to December 31, 2024.

Amendment to the Soylent Voting Agreement

On February 15, 2023 in connection with the closing of the Soylent Acquisition, STCB entered into a Voting Agreement (the “Original Soylent Voting Agreement”) with Mr. Sklar and certain other stockholders of STCB. Effective May 14, 2024, STCB, Mr. Sklar and certain other stockholders holding a majority of the shares then held by such stockholders entered into an amendment to the Soylent Voting Agreement (the “Soylent Voting Agreement Amendment” and together with the Original Soylent Voting Agreement, the “Soylent Voting Agreement”). The Soylent Voting Agreement Amendment generally provides that (i) until February 15, 2025, the stockholders and Mr. Sklar vote all shares such person has voting control over in favor of limited acquisitions, with the approval of the Stockholder Representative (defined in the Soylent Merger Agreement); (ii) requires that until the termination of the Soylent Voting Agreement the stockholders and Mr. Sklar shall vote all shares such person has voting control over in favor of the election of (a) a board of directors consisting of seven (7) members, inclusive of (1) Sklar, (2) two such other person as may be designated by Mr. Sklar from time to time, (3) three directors as designated by a majority of the former Soylent preferred stockholders party to the Soylent Voting Agreement (the “Stockholder Directors”), and (4) an independent director designated by mutual agreement of Sklar and a majority of the former Soylent preferred stockholders party to the Soylent Voting Agreement; and (iii) provides that the elected directors adopt a Compensation Committee, Audit Committee and Governance Committee and customary charters. This description does not attempt to be exhaustive and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Soylent Voting Agreement Amendment which is an exhibit to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

On February 15, 2023 in connection with the closing of the Soylent Acquisition, STCB entered into a Registration Rights Agreement (the “Original Soylent RRA”) with the Stockholder Representative. Effective May 14, 2024, STCB and the Stockholder Representative entered into an amendment to the Soylent Voting Agreement (the “Soylent RRA Amendment” and together with the Original Soylent RRA. the “Soylent RRA”). The Soylent RRA Amendment generally extended the Filing Date to May 15, 2025, and referenced the Second Share Adjustment to align with the Stockholder Agreement. This description does not attempt to be exhaustive and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Soylent Voting Agreement Amendment which is an exhibit to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.