Forward Industries, Inc.
For the period ended Sep 30, 2025. Filed Dec 11, 2025.
View on SEC.govAbout this filing
A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.
FY2025 · Filed Dec 11, 2025
FWDI$5.700.0%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026
What changed in Risk Factors?
Read the current filingPrevious report: 10-K
Period ended 2024-09-30; filed 2024-12-27.
0001683168-24-009011
Item 1A. Risk FactorsCurrent report: 10-K
Period ended 2025-09-30; filed 2025-12-11.
0001683168-25-009068
Item 1A. Risk FactorsThe baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.
Compared 92 previous paragraphs and 161 current paragraphs.
23 unchanged; 28 reworded; 109 added; 41 removed; 0 previous and 1 current paragraphs rearranged.
Tables are not compared: 4 previous and 21 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.
A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.
Added paragraphs (109)
Current report
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that you should consider before investing in our common stock. Set forth below is a summary of the principal risks we face:
Current report
Risks Related to the Company’s Digital Assets Strategy and Holdings
Current report
We purchase digital assets, including SOL, the price of which has been, and will likely continue to be, highly volatile. Our operating results and share price may significantly fluctuate, including due to the highly volatile nature of the price of such digital assets and erratic market movements.
Current report
We purchase or otherwise acquire SOL for the establishment of our digital asset treasury operations. Digital assets, such as SOL, are highly volatile assets, as a result of many factors including shifts in market sentiment, speculative trading, macroeconomic trends, technology-related disruptions and regulatory announcements. In addition, digital assets do not pay interest or other returns, unless utilized in staking or financial applications, and so the ability to generate a return on investment from the net proceeds of any capital raisings will principally depend on whether there is appreciation in the value of digital assets following our purchases of digital assets with the net proceeds from such capital raisings. Future fluctuations in digital asset trading prices may result in our converting digital assets into cash with a value substantially below what we paid for such digital assets.
Current report
We adopted a digital asset treasury strategy with a focus on SOL, and we may be unable to successfully implement this new strategy.
Current report
We adopted a digital asset treasury primarily dedicated to SOL, including SOL acquisitions, staking and other decentralized finance activities. There is no assurance that we will be able to successfully implement this new strategy or operate Solana-related activities at the scale or profitability currently anticipated. Solana operates with a proof-of-stake combined with proof-of-history consensus mechanism, which differs significantly from bitcoin’s proof-of-work mining mechanism. This strategic shift requires specialized employee skillsets and operational, technical and compliance infrastructure to support SOL and related staking activities. This also requires that we implement different security protocols and treasury management practices. Further, there is ongoing scrutiny and limited formal guidance from regulatory agencies, including Nasdaq and the SEC, with respect to the treatment of public company cryptocurrency strategies. There is no assurance that we will be able to execute this strategy by building out the needed infrastructure within the timeframe that we currently anticipate. Errors by key management could result in significant loss of funds and reduced rewards. As a result, our shift towards SOL could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.** **
Current report
Our management relies upon the advice of the Asset Manager through the Asset Management Agreement to assist in building our new Treasury Policy and the execution of the Company’s Treasury Policy and may not yield the desired return.
Current report
We have engaged the Asset Manager to manage our digital assets holdings and provide discretionary investment management services with respect to all of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents, stablecoins, cryptocurrency and certain other investible assets (the “Treasury Assets”) including all digital assets, the proceeds of any bona fide capital raise or other financing transaction conducted by or on behalf of the Company or any of our subsidiaries and any investments of the Treasury Assets. Such Asset Manager (i) will have broad discretion in the application of our Treasury Policy and management of our Treasury Assets, (ii) will have sole responsibility and authority with respect to the discretionary investment management of the Treasury Assets and, (iii) from time to time direct the investment and reinvestment of our Treasury Assets. The Asset Manager’s investments decisions and use of the Treasury Assets could not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock. The failure to apply and manage these Treasury Assets effectively could result in financial losses that could cause the price of our common stock to decline.
Current report
Our shift towards a Solana-focused strategy requires substantial changes in our day-to-day operations and exposes us to significant operational risks.
Current report
Our shift towards a SOL treasury-focused strategy, including staking, liquid staking, and other decentralized finance activities, exposes us to significant operational risks. To participate in Solana’s Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism, we must either operate or delegate to validator nodes, and such validator nodes must keep software updated, maintain validator uptime and employ secure key management. In addition, the Solana ecosystem rapidly evolves, with frequent upgrades and protocol changes that may require significant adjustments to our operational setup if we are operating a validator node. The upgrades and protocol changes may require that we incur unanticipated costs and could cause temporary service disruptions to the Solana network. We may also need to employ third-party service providers in our operations, which may introduce risks outside of our control, including significant cybersecurity risks. Any of these operational risks could materially and adversely affect our ability to execute our SOL treasury strategy and may prevent us from realizing positive returns and could severely hurt our financial condition.
Current report
The concentration of our SOL holdings enhances the risks inherent in our Solana-focused strategy.
Current report
We have and intend to purchase SOL and increase our overall holdings of SOL in the future. The intended concentration of our SOL holdings limits the risk mitigation that we could achieve if we were to purchase a more diversified portfolio of treasury assets, and the absence of diversification enhances the risks inherent in our Solana-focused strategy. The price of SOL experienced a significant decline in 2022, and any similar future significant declines in the price of SOL could have a more pronounced impact on our financial condition than if we used our cash to purchase a more diverse portfolio of assets. Our initial purchases of SOL were valued at approximately $232 per SOL, or $1.58 billion in the aggregate, in early September. At September 30, 2025, the fair value of our SOL holdings was approximately $209 per SOL, or $1.43 billion in the aggregate, and at November 30, 2025, the fair value of our SOL holdings was approximately $133 per SOL, or $920.5 million in the aggregate.
Current report
Solana is created and transmitted through the operations of the peer-to-peer Solana network, a decentralized network of computers running software following the Solana protocol. If the Solana network is disrupted or encounters any unanticipated difficulties, the value of SOL could be negatively impacted.
Current report
If the Solana network is disrupted or encounters any unanticipated difficulties, then the processing of transactions on the Solana network may be disrupted, which in turn may prevent us from depositing or withdrawing SOL from our accounts with our custodian or otherwise affecting SOL transactions. Such disruptions could include, for example: the insolvency, business failure, interruption, default, failure to perform, security breach, or other problems of participants, custodians, or others; the closing of SOL trading platforms due to fraud, failures, security breaches or otherwise; or network outages or congestion, power outages, or other problems or disruptions affecting the Solana network. In 2021 and 2022, the Solana network experienced performance degradation including liveness disruptions due to network congestion; although the Solana network has been upgraded to address those congestion issues, there is no assurance that future issues may not arise. The implementation of material network upgrades, such as the proposed Alpenglow consensus upgrade or the continued integration of the Firedancer validator client, two initiatives taking place on the Solana blockchain, could result in future degradation of performance. Any disruption of the Solana network could materially impact the operation of decentralized finance on the network, resulting in the inability of the Company to transfer or sell SOL, and the price of SOL.
Current report
SOL and other digital assets are novel assets, and are subject to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty, which could materially adversely affect the Company’s financial position, operations and prospects.
Current report
SOL and other digital assets, as well as applications on blockchain networks such as Solana, are relatively novel and are subject to significant uncertainty, which could adversely impact their price. The application of state and federal securities laws and other laws and regulations to digital assets and blockchain-based applications is unclear in certain respects, and it is possible that regulators in the United States or foreign countries may interpret or apply existing laws and regulations in a manner that adversely affects the price of SOL or other digital assets, or the ability of blockchain-based applications to operate.
Current report
The U.S. federal government, states, regulatory agencies, and foreign countries may also enact new laws and regulations, or pursue regulatory, legislative, enforcement or judicial actions, that could materially impact the price of SOL or the ability of individuals or institutions such as us to own or transfer SOL and utilize blockchain-based applications on networks such as Solana. For example, the U.S. executive branch, the SEC, the European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation, among others, have been active in recent years, and in the United Kingdom, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 became law. It is not possible to predict whether, or when, any of these developments will lead to Congress granting additional authorities to the SEC, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), or other regulators, or whether, or when, any other federal, state or foreign legislative bodies will take any similar actions. It is also not possible to predict the nature of any such additional authorities, how additional legislation or regulatory oversight might impact the ability of digital asset markets to function or the willingness of financial and other institutions to continue to provide services to the digital assets industry, nor how any new regulations or changes to existing regulations might impact the value of digital assets generally and SOL specifically. The consequences of increased regulation of digital assets and digital asset activities could adversely affect the market price of SOL and in turn adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Current report
Moreover, the risks of engaging in a digital asset treasury strategy are relatively novel and have created, and could continue to create complications due to the lack of experience that third parties have with companies engaging in such a strategy, such as increased costs of director and officer liability insurance or the potential inability to obtain such coverage on acceptable terms in the future.
Current report
The growth of the digital assets industry in general, and the use and acceptance of SOL in particular, may also impact the price of SOL and is subject to a high degree of uncertainty. The pace of worldwide growth in the adoption and use of the Solana network and SOL may depend, for instance, on public familiarity with digital assets, ease of buying, accessing or gaining exposure to SOL, institutional demand for SOL as an investment asset, the participation of traditional financial institutions in the digital assets industry, consumer demand for SOL as a means of payment, and the availability and popularity of alternatives to SOL. Even if growth in SOL adoption occurs in the near or medium term, there is no assurance that SOL and Solana network usage will continue to grow over the long term.
Current report
Because SOL have no physical existence beyond the record of transactions on the Solana blockchain, a variety of technical factors related to the Solana blockchain could also impact the price of SOL. For example, malicious attacks by validators, inadequate validation and staking rewards to incentivize validating of Solana transactions, hard “forks” of the Solana blockchain into multiple blockchains, difficulties with upgrades to the Solana network (such as the proposed Alpenglow consensus upgrade or integration of the Firedancer validator client) and advances in digital computing, algebraic geometry, and quantum computing could undercut the integrity of the Solana blockchain and negatively affect the price of SOL. The liquidity of SOL may also be reduced and damage to the public perception of Solana may occur, if financial institutions were to deny or limit banking services to businesses that hold SOL, provide Solana-related services or accept SOL as payment, which could also decrease the price of SOL. Similarly, the open-source nature of the Solana blockchain means the contributors and developers of the Solana blockchain are generally not directly compensated for their contributions in maintaining and developing the blockchain, and any failure to properly monitor and upgrade the Solana blockchain could adversely affect the Solana blockchain and negatively affect the price of SOL.
Current report
The liquidity of SOL may also be impacted to the extent that changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements negatively impact the ability of exchanges and trading venues to provide services for SOL and other digital assets.
Current report
In connection with our SOL treasury strategy, we expect to interact with various smart contracts deployed on the Solana network, which may expose us to risks and technical vulnerabilities.
Current report
In connection with our SOL treasury strategy, including staking, liquid staking, and other decentralized finance activities, we expect to interact with various smart contracts deployed on the Solana network in order to optimize our strategy and generate income. Smart contracts are self-executing code that operate without human intervention once deployed. Although smart contracts are integral to the functionality of staking deposit contracts, liquid staking protocols, and decentralized finance applications, they are subject to many known risks such as technical vulnerabilities, coding errors, security flaws, and exploits. Any vulnerability in a smart contract we interact with could result in the loss or theft of SOL or other digital assets, which could have a materially adverse impact on our business. In addition, certain smart contracts are upgradable or subject to certain governance controls which could result in unforeseen code errors, asset or account freezing, or the loss of digital assets. A vulnerability in a smart contract could create an unintended and unforeseeable consequence that has adverse financial consequences, such as the loss of or inability to access funds. There is no assurance that the smart contracts we integrate with or rely upon will function as intended or remain secure. Exploitation of such vulnerabilities could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Current report
Part of our future business strategy may include acquisitions and investments in companies with Solana-focused or blockchain strategies, and there are risks associated with the integration of any assets or operations acquired and our ability to manage those risks. In addition, we may be unable to make attractive acquisitions or successfully integrate acquired businesses, assets or properties, and any inability to do so may disrupt our business and hinder our ability to grow.
Current report
We intend to pursue a strategy focused on both SOL accumulation and future acquisitions. Accordingly, in the future we may make acquisitions of businesses or assets that we expect to complement or expand our current assets. However, we may not be able to identify attractive acquisition opportunities in the future. Even if we do identify attractive acquisition opportunities, we may not be able to complete the acquisition or do so on commercially acceptable terms. No assurance can be given that we will be able to identify additional suitable acquisition opportunities, negotiate acceptable terms, obtain financing for acquisitions on acceptable terms or successfully acquire identified targets.
Current report
The success of any acquisition will depend on our ability to integrate effectively the acquired business or asset into our existing operations. The process of integrating acquired businesses and assets may involve unforeseen difficulties and may require a disproportionate amount of our managerial and financial resources. The integration of acquisitions is a complex, costly and time-consuming process, and our management may face significant challenges in such process. Some of the factors affecting integration will be outside of our control, and any one of them could result in increased costs and diversion of management’s time and energy, as well as decreases in the amount of expected revenue.
Current report
Our failure to achieve consolidation savings, to incorporate the acquired businesses and assets into our existing operations successfully or to minimize any unforeseen operational difficulties could have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Current report
Additional ability to achieve the objectives of our business strategy depends in significant part on our ability to obtain equity and debt financing. If we are unable to obtain equity or debt financing on favorable terms or at all, we may not be able to successfully execute on our business strategy.
Current report
Certain of the Sponsors and their affiliates have been, and may continue to be, the subjects of legal and regulatory proceedings and investigations.
Current report
Certain of the Sponsors and their affiliates have been, and may continue to be, the subjects of legal and regulatory proceedings and investigations. For example, Galaxy Digital Inc. agreed to pay $200 million as part of an agreement with the New York Attorney General to resolve civil claims related to certain investments, trading, and public statements made in connection with the LUNA digital asset from late 2020 to 2022. Separately, Multicoin Capital Management, LLC and its managing partner Kyle Samani have been named as co-defendants along with Solana Labs in a putative class-action litigation related to the promotion and sale of SOL for which a motion to dismiss is pending. Certain of these matters have involved, among other things, allegations of improper marketing practices and misrepresentations, as well as unregistered securities offerings with respect to SOL and other digital assets. Any adverse outcome in these proceedings or other future litigation or regulatory inquiries could negatively affect public perception of the Sponsors, the Company, and Solana itself, which could constrain trading activity and suppress the price and liquidity of SOL. Any such development could materially and adversely affect the value of our digital asset treasury, the market price of our stock and our ability to execute on our digital asset treasury strategy.
Current report
The regulatory regime for digital assets in the U.S. and elsewhere is uncertain. The Company may be unable to effectively react to proposed legislation and regulation of digital assets, which could adversely affect its business.
Current report
If regulatory changes or interpretations require us to register as a money services business with The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) under the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, or as a money transmitter under state laws, we may be subject to extensive regulatory requirements, resulting in significant compliance costs and operational burdens. In such a case, we may incur extraordinary expenses to meet these requirements or, alternatively, may determine that continued operations are not viable. If we decide to cease certain operations in response to new regulatory obligations, such actions could occur at a time that is unfavorable to investors.
Current report
Multiple states have implemented or proposed regulatory frameworks for digital asset businesses. Compliance with such state-specific regulations may increase costs or impact our business operations. Further, if we or our service providers are unable to comply with evolving federal or state regulations, we may be forced to dissolve or liquidate certain operations, which could materially impact our investors.
Current report
If any of the digital assets that we hold are classified as a security, we may be subject to extensive regulation, which could result in significant costs or force us to cease operations.
Current report
Regulatory changes or interpretations that classify digital assets that we hold as a security under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Investment Company Act, could require us to register as an investment company and comply with additional regulations. Compliance with these requirements could impose extraordinary, non-recurring expenses on our business. If the costs and regulatory burdens become too great, we may be forced to modify or cease certain operations, which could be detrimental to our investors.
Current report
The SEC has previously indicated that certain digital assets may be considered securities depending on their structure and use. Future developments could change the legal status of digital assets that we may hold, requiring us to comply with securities laws. If we fail to do so, we may be forced to discontinue some or all of our business activities, negatively impacting investments in our securities.
Current report
If the SEC or other regulators determine that digital assets that we may hold qualify as securities, we may be required to change our operations, wind down our operations, or register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. This classification would subject us to additional periodic reporting, disclosure requirements, and regulatory compliance obligations, significantly increasing our operational costs. Compliance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act applicable to registered investment companies may make it difficult for us to continue our current operations, and this would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if SOL or another digital asset we hold were determined to constitute a security for purposes of the federal securities laws, we would likely take steps to reduce the percentage of SOL or such other digital assets that constitute investment assets under the Investment Company Act. These steps may include, among others, selling SOL that we might otherwise hold for the long term and deploying our cash in non-investment assets, and we may be forced to sell our SOL or other digital assets at unattractive prices, or cease our operations.
Current report
Although we do not currently engage in investing, reinvesting, or trading securities, and we do not hold ourselves out as an investment company, we could inadvertently be deemed one under the Investment Company Act. If we are unable to rely on an exclusion, we would be required to register with the SEC, which could impose additional financial and regulatory burdens.
Current report
Further, state regulators may conclude that the digital assets we hold are securities under state laws, requiring us to comply with state-specific securities regulations. States like California have stricter definitions of “investment contracts” than the SEC, increasing the risk of additional regulatory scrutiny.
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Removed paragraphs (41)
Previous report
We have experienced recurring losses and our ability to continue as a going concern is in doubt.
Previous report
We incurred net losses of approximately $1,951,000 and $3,737,000 in Fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively. We expect to generate losses for the foreseeable future. We will need to generate increased revenues to achieve profitability in the future. Despite our efforts, we may not achieve profitability in the future or sustain profitability for a prolonged period of time. In December 2024, our largest design customer notified us of its plan to discontinue their insulin patch program on which we were providing design services. In Fiscal 2024, this design customer was responsible for 25.2% of our revenues. While we plan to mitigate the impact of this lost revenue with cost reduction efforts, seeking continued flexibility on payments to Forward China and exploring additional sources of financing, these efforts may not be sufficient to meet our liquidity needs through December 31, 2025.
Previous report
Accordingly, our independent registered public accounting firm stated in their report on our annual financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, that these conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, our shareholders will likely lose all of their investment in the Company.
Previous report
The COVID-19 pandemic, or any other future pandemic, has had, and may continue to have, a material and adverse effect on our business and results of operations.* *
Previous report
On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the end of the Public Health Emergency for COVID-19. Though the severity of COVID-19 has subsided, new variants or any other future pandemic could interrupt business, cause renewed labor and supply chain disruptions, and negatively impact the global and US economy, which could materially and adversely impact our business. During the height of COVID-19 our supply chain experienced significant disruptions which, together with other factors such as the increase in global consumer demand and the global shipping container shortage, resulted in longer delivery times and higher importation costs for most of our products. While our supply chain appears to generally be stable at this time, should a resurgence of COVID-19, or a similar pandemic, occurs, our supply chain could again be negatively impacted; for example, the factories that manufacture our products could be required by government authorities to temporarily cease operations or might be limited in their production capacity. If governments take protective actions in response to a resurgence of COVID-19 or the outbreak of a new pandemic, it may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results for the reasons described above.
Previous report
Our OEM distribution business remains highly concentrated in our diabetic products line. If our diabetic products line were to suffer the loss of a principal customer or a material decline in revenues from any such large customer, our business would be materially and adversely affected.
Previous report
In Fiscal 2024, revenues from diabetic products accounted for 77% of our OEM distribution revenues and OEM distribution revenue accounted for 34% of our consolidated net revenue. As a result, our financial condition and results of operations are subject to higher risk from the loss of a major diabetic products customer or changes in their business practices. Many new diabetes monitoring products brought to the market in recent years do not use a carrying case. If consumer demand continues to increase for diabetes product lines that do not use carrying cases, our business would be materially and adversely affected.
Previous report
If any one or more of our OEM distribution customers elect to reduce or discontinue inclusion of cases “in box”, our results of operations and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.
Previous report
The predominant percentage of our OEM distribution revenues is derived from sales of case accessories to our OEM customers who package our cases “in box” with their electronics. During recent years, there have been numerous federal legislative and administrative actions that have affected government programs, including adjustments that have reduced or increased payments to healthcare providers and patients. Any measures to restrict healthcare spending could result in decreased sales of our products. If one or more of our distribution customers reduce or discontinue the practice of including carry case accessories “in box” or if our customers experience reduced demand for their products as a result of political changes, we may incur a significant decline in our revenues and our results of operations and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.
Previous report
Rising threats of international tariffs, including tariffs applied to goods between the U.S. and China, may materially and adversely affect our business.
Previous report
Rising threats of international tariffs, including tariffs applied to goods traded between the U.S. and China, could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Since the beginning of 2018, there has been increasing rhetoric, in some cases coupled with legislative or executive action, from several U.S. and foreign leaders regarding the possibility of instituting tariffs on the foreign imports of certain materials and products. More specifically, throughout 2019 and 2020, the U.S. and China imposed tariffs or announced proposed tariffs to be applied in the future to certain of each other’s exports. As of the date of this report, the Company has not been directly affected by any tariffs previously implemented by former President Trump on the medical technology industry which currently remain in place. In May 2022 the U.S. Trade Representative (the “USTR”) announced a statutory four-year review of the tariffs against China. The USTR also announced in May 2022 that it reinstated or extended various eligible tariff exclusions on certain products from China through December 2023. In September 2024, the USTR completed its statutory four-year review and announced tariff increases on imports from China on various products. Further, we do not know if the administration that takes office in 2025 will implement any new tariffs or alter current tariffs. If any tariffs or restrictions are imposed on products that we import for our customers, we would be required to raise our prices, which may result in the loss of customers and harm our business. Additionally, some of our non-diabetic distribution customers and customers in the design and development business have been affected by these tariffs, specifically those who manufacture non-medical electronic products. This may cause these customers to reduce the amount of discretionary spending they use on outsource product design and engineering services supplied by our design segment.
Previous report
Changes in political conditions in China and changes in the state of China-U.S. relations, including any tensions relating to potential military conflict between China and Taiwan, are difficult to predict and could adversely affect the operations or financial condition of the Company. In addition, because of our involvement in the Chinese market, any deterioration in political or trade relations might cause a public perception in the U.S. or elsewhere that might cause our business to become less attractive. Such an impact could adversely affect our revenues and cash flows.
Previous report
We continue to encounter pressure from our largest customers to maintain or even decrease prices, or to provide lower priced solutions, and expect such pressure to persist. The effects of such price constraints on our business may be exacerbated by inflationary pressures that affect our costs of supply and labor.
Previous report
During Fiscal 2024, we continued to experience significant pricing pressure from many customers, including some of our largest distribution customers, to reduce the prices we charge them. When we are unable to extract comparable concessions from our suppliers on prices they charge us, our product sales margins erode. In Fiscal 2023, due to increased pricing pressure, we did not renew our contract with one major OEM distribution customer, which expired in March 2023. If pricing pressures continue and we are unable to find comparable concessions from our suppliers, we may be unable to renew future contracts with our customers. The recent inflationary environment in the U.S. and globally has caused production costs to increase in Fiscal 2023 and in Fiscal 2024. Similarly, due to continued trends of high demand and low supply in the labor market which have persisted despite Federal Reserve interest rate increases, the cost of labor has risen in both our design and distribution businesses. These developments have a material adverse impact on our margins and our ability to achieve or maintain profitability. In addition, competitors may reduce their average selling prices faster than we are able to reduce costs, which can also accelerate the rate of decline of our selling prices.
Previous report
In addition to margin compression from customers in general, we are encountering increased costs from our Chinese suppliers who are reacting to inflationary increases in materials and labor costs incurred by them. In addition, prices that our Chinese vendors charge to us may reflect any appreciation of the Chinese currency against the U.S. dollar, which can be passed through to us in the form of higher U.S. dollar prices. This in turn will tend to reduce gross profit if we are unable to raise our prices. Any decrease in demand for our products or services, coupled with pressure from the market and our customers to decrease our prices, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Previous report
Increasingly, our OEM distribution customers are requesting that we enter into supply agreements with them that have restrictive terms and conditions. These agreements typically include provisions that increase our financial exposure, which could result in significant costs to us.
Previous report
Increasingly, our OEM distribution customers are requesting that we enter into supply agreements with them. These agreements typically do not include volume commitments but do include provisions that generally serve to increase our exposure for product liability and limited sales returns, which could result in higher costs to us as a result of such claims. In addition, these agreements typically contain provisions that seek to limit our operational and pricing flexibility and extend payment terms, which could materially adversely affect our cash flow, business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Previous report
Our distribution business depends on a single exclusive buying agent who, in turn, depends on a limited number of key suppliers.
Previous report
Our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and largest shareholder is the owner of Forward China, our exclusive sourcing agent in the Asia Pacific region. We have a Buying Agency and Supply Agreement with Forward China under which Forward China acts as the Company’s exclusive agent to arrange for sourcing, manufacturing and exporting the Company’s distribution products. Historically, Forward China has relied on a limited number of suppliers to supply the component parts and pieces necessary for the production of our carry and protective solutions products. As a result, our ability to effectively push back against rising material costs may diminish. In addition, any inability to obtain supplies from a single or limited number of suppliers may result in difficulty obtaining the supplies necessary for our business and may restrict our ability to produce our carry and protective solutions products. Where practical, we intend to establish alternative sources through Forward China to mitigate the risk that the failure of any single supplier will adversely affect our business. Nevertheless, either a prolonged inability to obtain certain components or the failure of one of our suppliers to do so could impair our ability to ship products and generate revenues, which could adversely affect our operating results and damage our customer relationships.
Previous report
In addition, we depend significantly on Forward China as our exclusive buying agent for substantially all of our component parts. As a result, we have limited visibility as to our supplier base, making it difficult to forecast future events and to plan our operations. In addition, if Forward China fails to satisfactorily perform its obligations, including payment obligations, to our suppliers or its duties to us as our exclusive buying agent as a result of financial or other difficulties or for any other reason, or if our relationship with Forward China was to suffer or we are unable to maintain our agreement with Forward China, which is currently in effect until April 30, 2025, but may be terminated prior to that with 30 days’ notice, we could suffer irreparable harm resulting in substantial damage to the distribution business.
Previous report
Our business has benefited from customers deciding to outsource their carry and protective solutions assembly needs, as well as product development and design functions, to us. If our customers choose to provide these services in-house or select other providers, our business could suffer.
Previous report
Our future revenue growth partially depends on new outsourcing opportunities from our current and prospective customers. Current and prospective customers continuously evaluate our performance against other providers. They also evaluate the potential benefits of developing, designing, manufacturing and transporting their products themselves. To the extent that outsourcing opportunities are not available either due to these customers deciding to develop, design, produce or transport these products themselves or to use other providers, our financial results and future growth could be materially adversely affected.
Previous report
Our results of operations are subject to the risks of fluctuations in the values of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.
Previous report
Our results of operations are expressed in U.S. dollars. When the U.S. dollar appreciates or depreciates in value against a currency in which all or a significant portion of revenues or other accounts receivable are denominated, such as the Euro, our results of operations can be adversely affected or benefited, respectively. The degree of impact is proportional to the amount of foreign currency expense or revenue, as the case may be, and the fluctuations in exchange rates over the period in which the effect is measured on our consolidated financial statements. In addition, such currency fluctuations may affect the comparability of our results of operations between financial periods.
Previous report
Product manufacture is often outsourced by our distribution customers to contract manufacturing firms and in these cases, it is the contract manufacturer to which we must look for payment.
Previous report
Contract manufacturing firms perform manufacturing, assembly, and product packaging functions, including the bundling of our product accessories with the OEM distribution customer’s product. As a consequence of this business practice, we often sell our carry solutions products directly to the contract manufacturing firm. This is particularly significant in the case of diabetic product sales to certain customers. In these cases, we invoice the contract manufacturing firm and not the OEM distribution customer. Therefore, it is the contract manufacturing firm to which we must look for payment in such cases and not our OEM distribution customer. If we fail to receive payment from the contract manufacturer, our ability to be paid for products already delivered would be limited. In such event, our results of operations and cash flows will be adversely affected.
Previous report
Our dependence on foreign manufacturers creates quality control and other risks to our business. From time to time, we may experience certain quality control, on-time delivery, cost, or other issues that may jeopardize customer relationships.
Previous report
Our reliance on foreign suppliers, manufacturers and other contractors involves significant risks, including risk of product quality issues and reduced control over quality assurance, manufacturing yields and costs, pricing, timely delivery schedules, the potential lack of adequate manufacturing capacity and availability of product, the lack of capital and potential misappropriation of our designs. In any such event, our reputation and our business will be harmed.
Previous report
Our shipments of products may become subject to delays or cancellation due to work stoppages or slowdowns, piracy, damage to port facilities, and congestion due to inadequacy of port terminal equipment and other causes.
Previous report
To the extent that there are disruptions or delays in loading container cargo in ports of origin or off-loading cargo at ports of destination as a result of labor disputes, work-rules related slowdowns, tariff or World Trade Organization-related disputes, piracy, physical damage to port terminal facilities or equipment caused by severe weather or terrorist incidents, congestion in port terminal facilities, inadequate equipment to load, dock and offload container vessels or energy-related tie-ups or otherwise, or for other reasons, product shipments to our customers will be delayed. For example, in Fiscal 2024, we experienced shipping delays resulting from cargo ship piracy in the Red Sea, and in March 2021, a container ship carrying some of our products ran aground in the Suez Canal and was immobilized for six days. Although these events did not have a material adverse effect on our business, there is no assurance that, if they happened again, that they would not. In any such case, our customers may cancel or change the terms of their purchase orders, resulting in a cancellation or delay of payments to us. A closure or partial closure of port facilities or other causes of delays in the loading, importation, offloading or movement of our products to the shipping destination agreed to with our customer could result in increased expenses, as we try to avoid such delays, delayed shipments or cancelled orders, or all of the above. Depending on the severity of such consequences, this may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Previous report
Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is a significant shareholder, which makes it possible for him to have significant influence over the outcome of all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval and which influence may be alleged to conflict with our interests and the interests of our other shareholders.
Previous report
Terence Wise, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is a significant shareholder who beneficially owns approximately 19.9% of the outstanding shares of our common stock as of December 9, 2024. Mr. Wise would beneficially own significantly more shares without a 19.9% blocker (shareholder approval cap) under our Series A-1 Convertible Preferred Stock. Mr. Wise has substantial influence over the outcome of all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, including the election of our directors and other corporate actions. This influence may be alleged to conflict with our interests and the interests of our other shareholders. In addition, such influence by Mr. Wise could have the effect of discouraging potential business partners or create actual or perceived governance instabilities that could adversely affect the price of our common stock.
Previous report
Failure to meet the continued listing standards of Nasdaq could result on the delisting of our common stock.
Previous report
Our common stock is listed on Nasdaq. As part of being listed on Nasdaq, we are required to meet certain continued listing requirements.
Previous report
On July 31, 2023, the Company received a notice from Nasdaq that the Company had failed to comply with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Minimum Bid Price Rule”) by failing to maintain a minimum bid price of at least $1.00 per share of common stock for 30 consecutive business days. The Company was given a 180-day grace period to regain compliance, but the Company failed to regain compliance within the grace period. The Company then timely requested a hearing before an independent Nasdaq Hearings Panel. The hearing occurred on April 9, 2024.
Previous report
Further, on February 22, 2024, the Company received a notice from Nasdaq that the Company’s stockholders’ equity did not comply with the applicable Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) (the “Stockholders’ Equity Rule”), requiring listed companies to maintain a stockholders’ equity of at least $2,500,000, as reported in the Company’s Form 10-Q for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2023. The Company was instructed to present its views with respect to its failure to meet the requirements of the Stockholders’ Equity Rule at the April 9, 2024, hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel.
Previous report
As a result of the reverse stock split effected in June 2024 and the entrance into the Accounts Payable Conversion Agreements with Forward China (described in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements), the Company regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Rule and Stockholders’ Equity Rule in July 2024 and was formally notified by Nasdaq that such requirements were met. Until July 24, 2025, the Company is subject to a Nasdaq “Panel Monitor” which provides for in the event the Company fails to satisfy the Stockholders’ Equity Rule during the monitoring period, the Company will be required to request a hearing before the Panel in order to maintain its listing rather than taking the interim step of submitting a compliance plan for the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Staff’s review or receiving any otherwise applicable grace period. We can provide no assurance that if the Company fails to satisfy the Stockholders’ Equity Rule during this period that the Company will be able to maintain its Nasdaq listing.
Previous report
If our stock price declines below $1.00 for more than 30 consecutive business days, and thereby fails to satisfy the Minimum Bid Price Rule, we may ask shareholders to approve another reverse stock split. Reverse stock splits require approval by stockholders who hold a majority of our voting power. Because many of our shares are held in street name and brokers do not necessarily vote unvoted shares, we may not receive approval for another reverse split. Additionally, a reverse stock split typically has the effect of reducing the number of holders of shares in “round lots” meaning those holding 100 or more shares. Another requirement for being listed on Nasdaq is that the Company have a minimum of 300 round lot holders, so if our stock price falls too low, a reverse split may not be sufficient to cure noncompliance based on the minimum round lot requirement.
Previous report
If we fail to meet continued listing requirements in the future and are unable to get an extension to regain compliance, Nasdaq may delist our common stock. If our common stock is delisted, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:
Previous report
We have incurred, and may in the future incur, impairment charges related to our goodwill, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Showing the first 40 of 41 passages. Open the source sections for the rest.
Reworded paragraphs (28)
Previous wording
During Fiscal 2024, we generated a net loss. We cannot assure you that we will regain profitability in the future.
Current wording
Our design business has experienced recurring losses. We cannot assure you that we will regain profitability in the future.
Previous wording
In Fiscal 2024, we generated a net loss of approximately $1,951,000. While we generated income from continuing operations in Fiscal 2023, we can provide no assurance that we will not experience operating losses in the future. Forward China holds a $600,000 note which is due on June 30, 2025. Additionally, we owe Forward China approximately $7,226,000 in accounts payable. See Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements for a discussion on these payables and the limited amounts that we are required to pay over any 12-month period. Forward China, which is owned by our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, has previously agreed to extend the note on numerous occasions to assist the Company with its liquidity. We cannot provide any assurance that Forward China will continue to grant us extensions on this note. If we cannot generate sufficient revenues to operate profitably, we may be forced to cease, limit or suspend operations, or we may be required to raise capital or incur additional debt to maintain or grow our operations. There is no assurance that we will be able to raise such capital and if so on terms that are not onerous and dilutive to the Company and its shareholders.
Current wording
Our design business generated a net loss of approximately $5,159,000 in Fiscal 2025. We can provide no assurance that our design business will not experience losses in the future. Our design business will need to generate increased revenues to achieve profitability in the future. Despite our efforts, our design business may not achieve profitability in the future or sustain profitability for a prolonged period of time. If our design business cannot generate sufficient revenues to operate profitably, we may be forced to cease, limit or suspend operations, or we may be required to raise additional capital or incur additional debt to maintain or grow our design business. There is no assurance that we will be able to raise such capital and if so on terms that are not onerous and dilutive to the Company and its shareholders.
Previous wording
The loss of any of, or a material reduction in orders from, our largest customers would materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Current wording
The loss of any of, or a material reduction in orders from, our largest design customers would materially and adversely affect our design business results of operations and financial condition.
Previous wording
Each of our distribution and design businesses can at times be concentrated with certain larger customers. In Fiscal 2024, our largest design customer accounted for 25.2% of our consolidated net revenue and one OEM distribution customer accounted for 13.0% of our consolidated net revenue. In Fiscal 2023, our largest design customer accounted for 27.9% of our consolidated net revenue and one OEM distribution customer accounted for 11.2% of our consolidated net revenue. In December 2024, our largest design customer notified the Company of its plan to discontinue their insulin patch program, on which the Company was working. We expect this to cause a material decrease in our revenues beginning with the second quarter of fiscal 2025. We are currently working on cost reduction efforts to mitigate the reduction in revenue.
Current wording
Our design business can at times be concentrated with certain larger customers. In Fiscal 2024, our largest design customer accounted for over 30% of our consolidated net revenues In December 2024, our largest design customer notified the Company of its plan to discontinue their insulin patch program, on which the Company was working. We expect this to continue to cause a material decrease in our revenues relative to Fiscal 2024. We have implemented cost reduction efforts to mitigate this reduction in design revenue.
Previous wording
Although our customer concentration changes from year to year, and we continue our efforts to diversify our business, we cannot provide any assurance that we will be successful. The loss of any of these customers would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.
Current wording
Although our design customer concentration changes from year to year, and we continue our efforts to diversify our design business, we cannot provide any assurance that we will be successful. The loss of any of these customers would have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, liquidity and results of operations of our design business.
Previous wording
If we are unable to provide our customers with high-quality products and services or if we are unable to deliver our products and/or services to our customers in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.
Current wording
If we are unable to provide our design customers with high-quality products and services or if we are unable to deliver our products and/or services to our customers in a timely manner, the financial condition, and results of operations of our design business may be materially adversely affected.
Previous wording
In order to maintain our existing customer base and obtain business from new customers, we must demonstrate our ability to develop, design and produce products and services at the level of quality, responsiveness, timeliness, and cost that our customers require. If our products or services are provided at what customers believe are of a substandard quality, if they are not delivered on time, if we are not responsive to our customers’ demands or cannot meet their needs, our reputation as a reliable supplier of high-quality products and a sophisticated product designer and developer would likely be damaged. If we are unable to meet anticipated product and service standards imposed by contractual arrangements, customer expectations, industry practices, regulatory requirements and competitive forces, we may be unable to obtain new or keep our existing customers, and this would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Current wording
In order to maintain our existing design business customer base and obtain business from new customers, we must demonstrate our ability to develop, design and produce products and services at the level of quality, responsiveness, timeliness, and cost that our customers require. If our products or services are provided at what customers believe are of a substandard quality, if they are not delivered on time, if we are not responsive to our customers’ demands or cannot meet their needs, our reputation as a reliable supplier of high-quality products and a sophisticated product designer and developer would likely be damaged. If we are unable to meet anticipated product and service standards imposed by contractual arrangements, customer expectations, industry practices, regulatory requirements and competitive forces, we may be unable to obtain new or keep our existing customers, and this would have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, and results of operations of our design business.
Previous wording
Our results of operations could suffer if we are not able to maintain adequate utilization of our workforce.
Current wording
Our design business results of operations could suffer if we are not able to maintain adequate utilization of our workforce.
Previous wording
If we over-utilize our workforce, our employees may become disengaged, which could impact employee attrition. If we under-utilize our workforce, our profit margin and profitability would suffer.
Current wording
If we over-utilize our workforce, our employees may become disengaged, which could impact employee attrition. If we under-utilize our workforce, our profit margin and profitability will suffer.
Previous wording
Future revenues are difficult to predict and are likely to show significant variability as a consequence of customer concentration and operating in more than one segment.
Current wording
Future design revenues are difficult to predict and are likely to show significant variability as a consequence of customer concentration.
Previous wording
Because our revenues can at times be concentrated in a few large customers, and because the volumes of these customers’ order flows to us can fluctuate markedly in a short period of time, our quarterly revenues, and consequently our results of operations, may be highly variable and subject to significant changes over a relatively short period of time. Our largest OEM distribution customers may keep consumer products with which our carry solutions are packaged “in-box” in active promotion for many months, or for a very short period of time, depending on various factors, including sales trends for the product, product development cycles, new product introductions, and our customers’ competitors’ product offerings. As demand for the consumer products relating to the in-box program matures and decreases, we may be forced to accept significant price and/or volume reductions in customer orders for our carry solutions, which will adversely affect revenues. Additionally, our large design and development customers may have their budgets limited from many factors including economic declines (resulting from a pandemic or any other reason) causing discretionary budgets to decline or may from-time-to-time choose to do their development work in-house. Further, in our design and development business, customers may decline to use us for future work after a project is completed, which may be due to lack of continued need for our services after their product has been developed, produced, and marketed or because they are dissatisfied with our pricing or performance. All of these factors tend to lead to a high degree of variability in our quarterly revenue levels. Significant, rapid shifts in our operating results may occur if and when one or more of these customers increases or decreases the size(s) of, or eliminates, their orders or engagement from us by amounts that are material to our business.
Current wording
Because our design revenues can at times be concentrated in a few large customers, and because the volumes of these customers’ order flows to us can fluctuate markedly in a short period of time, our quarterly design revenues, and consequently our design business results of operations, may be highly variable and subject to significant changes over a relatively short period of time. Our large design customers may have their budgets limited from many factors including economic declines (resulting from a pandemic, tariffs or any other reason) causing discretionary budgets to decline or may from-time-to-time choose to do their development work in-house. Further, in our design business, customers may decline to use us for future work after a project is completed, which may be due to lack of continued need for our services after their product has been developed, produced, and marketed or because they are dissatisfied with our pricing or performance. All of these factors tend to lead to a high degree of variability in our quarterly design revenue levels. Significant, rapid shifts in our operating results may occur if and when one or more of these customers increases or decreases the size(s) of, or eliminates, their orders or engagement from us by amounts that are material to our design business.
Previous wording
Our gross margins, and therefore our potential profitability, vary considerably by customer and by product and service offering, and if the revenue contribution from one or more customers or products or project changes materially, relative to total revenues, our gross profit percentage may fluctuate.
Current wording
The gross margins, and therefore the potential profitability, in our design business vary considerably, and if the revenue contribution from one or more customers or projects changes materially, our gross profit percentage may fluctuate.
Previous wording
Our gross profit margins on the products and services we sell can vary widely depending on the product or project type, customer, and contract or order size. Because of the broad variability in price ranges and product and project types, we anticipate that gross margins, and accordingly their impact on operating income or loss, may fluctuate depending on the relative revenue contribution from each customer or product. Similarly, because we offer a wide range of services which often vary with each customer and project, we face challenges in maintaining and enhancing operational efficiencies. For example, because of the range of products and services we offer and our general lack of specializations within our fields relative to some of our competitors, we may not enjoy the advantages offered by more focused or streamlined operations, such as economies of scale or improved production capabilities from our labor, facilities, and procedures with the passage of time. If our gross margins decrease, our results of operations will be adversely affected.
Current wording
Our design business gross profit margins can vary widely depending on the project type, customer, and contract size. Because of this variability, we anticipate that gross margins, and accordingly their impact on operating income or loss, may fluctuate significantly depending on the relative revenue contribution from each customer or project. Similarly, because we offer a wide range of services which often vary with each customer and project, we face challenges in maintaining and enhancing operational efficiencies. For example, because of the range of products and services we offer and our general lack of specializations within our fields relative to some of our competitors, we may not enjoy the advantages offered by more focused or streamlined operations, such as economies of scale or improved production capabilities from our labor, facilities, and procedures with the passage of time. If our gross margins decrease, the results of operations in our design business will be adversely affected.
Previous wording
We may experience issues with products that we source or develop, or with the services we render, that may lead to product liability, personal injury or property damage claims, recalls, withdrawals, replacements of products, or regulatory actions by governmental authorities. Any of these activities could result in increased governmental scrutiny, harm to our reputation, reduced demand by consumers for products or services, decreased willingness by customers to purchase our products or procure our services, absence or increased cost of insurance, or additional safety and testing requirements. Such results could divert development and management resources, adversely affect our business operations, decrease sales, increase legal fees and other costs, and put us at a competitive disadvantage compared to other companies not affected by similar issues with products and services, any of which could have a significant adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Although the Company carries product liability insurance and works with its customers to satisfy product quality concerns (the cost of such efforts are typically covered by our sourcing agent, Forward China) we can provide no assurance that customers will not seek damages beyond what we warranty or beyond our insurance coverage. Although we have not had significant claims for damages or losses from the products we distribute in our distribution business or assist in the development, design or production of in our design business, any uninsured claim, if successful and of significant magnitude, could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations or financial condition.
Current wording
Our design business may experience issues with products that we develop, or with the services we render, that may lead to product liability, personal injury or property damage claims, recalls, withdrawals, replacements of products, or regulatory actions by governmental authorities. Any of these activities could result in increased governmental scrutiny, harm to our reputation, reduced demand by consumers for our services, decreased willingness by customers to procure our services, absence or increased cost of insurance, or additional safety and testing requirements. Such results could divert development and management resources, adversely affect our business operations, decrease sales, increase legal fees and other costs, and put us at a competitive disadvantage compared to other companies not affected by similar issues, any of which could have a significant adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. The Company carries liability insurance and works with its customers to satisfy quality concerns; however, there can be no assurance that customers will not seek damages beyond our insurance coverage limits. While we have not experienced significant claims for damages or losses from the development or design of products to date, any uninsured or underinsured claim, if successful and of significant magnitude, could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations or financial condition. Our insurance coverage is subject to policy limits, deductibles, and exclusions that may not adequately cover all potential liabilities arising from our operations.
Previous wording
The product distribution and design businesses are highly competitive and do not pose significant barriers to entry.
Current wording
The design business is highly competitive and does not pose significant barriers to entry.
Previous wording
There are many competitors in the sale of carry solutions products to our customers including OEMs, and competition is intense. Since little or no significant proprietary technology is involved in the design, production or distribution of the types of products we sell, others may enter the business with relative ease and compete against us. Such competition may result in the diminution of our market share or the loss of one or more major customers, thereby adversely affecting our net revenues, results of operations, and financial condition. Further, with respect to our design business, while management believes there are a limited number of customers offering the broad range of design and development services we do, there are numerous design and engineering companies that compete with us in specific industries and/or with specific targeted skills or competitive advantages, and some prospective customers might prefer a competitor that focuses in a specialty area in which they operate or target over an offering such as ours that is not limited to any specific industry or product type.
Current wording
There are many competitors in the engineering design business and competition is intense. Since little or no significant proprietary technology is involved in the services we sell, others may enter the business with relative ease and compete against us. Such competition may result in the diminution of our market share or the loss of one or more major customers, thereby adversely affecting the net revenues, results of operations, and financial condition of our design business. Further, while management believes there are a limited number of competitors offering the broad range of design and development services we do, there are numerous design and engineering companies that compete with us in specific industries and/or with specific targeted skills or competitive advantages, and some prospective customers might prefer a competitor that focuses in a specialty area in which they operate or target over an offering such as ours that is not limited to any specific industry or product type.
Previous wording
Many of our competitors are larger, better capitalized and more diversified than we are and may be better able to withstand a downturn in the general economy or in the product areas in which we specialize. Potential customers may prefer the pricing terms offered by competitors. These competitors may also have less sales concentration than we do and be better able to withstand the loss of a key customer or diminution in its orders. If we are not effectively able to compete, our results of operations will be adversely affected.
Current wording
Many of our competitors are larger and more diversified than we are and may be better able to withstand a downturn in the general economy or in the product areas in which our design business specializes. Potential customers may prefer the pricing terms offered by competitors. These competitors may also have less sales concentration than we do and be better able to withstand the loss of a key customer or diminution in its orders. If we are not effectively able to compete, the results of operations in our design business will be adversely affected.
Previous wording
If we experience system interruptions, it may cause us to lose customers and may harm our business.
Current wording
If we experience system interruptions, it may cause us to lose customers and may harm our design business.
Previous wording
Our inability to maintain and improve our information technology systems and infrastructure may result in system interruptions. System interruptions and slow delivery times, unreliable service levels, prolonged or frequent service outages, or insufficient capacity may prevent us from efficiently providing services to our customers, which could result in our losing customers and revenue.
Current wording
Our inability to maintain and improve our information technology systems and infrastructure may result in system interruptions. System interruptions and slow delivery times, unreliable service levels, prolonged or frequent service outages, or insufficient capacity may prevent us from efficiently providing services to our design customers, which could result in our losing customers and revenue.
Previous wording
Our IT infrastructure including power, security, connectivity and other services is housed within our office space in which we lease. We also rely on third-party providers for bandwidth. We do not control these vendors, and it would take significant time and effort to replace them. We have experienced, and may experience in the future, website disruptions, outages and other performance problems due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, human or software errors and capacity constraints.
Current wording
Certain of our IT infrastructure including power, security, connectivity and other services is housed within our office space in which we lease. We also rely on third-party providers for bandwidth. We do not control these vendors, and it would take significant time and effort to replace them. We have experienced, and may experience in the future, website disruptions, outages and other performance problems due to a variety of factors, including infrastructure changes, human or software errors and capacity constraints.
Previous wording
A party who is able to breach the security measures on our networks could misappropriate either our or our customers’ proprietary information, or cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations. Hacking of companies’ infrastructure is a growing problem. Although we believe our systems and engineering team have the capability of protecting the Company from any such hacking, we can provide you with no such assurance. If we grow and obtain more visibility, we may be more vulnerable to hacking. We may be required to expend significant capital and other resources to protect against such threats or to alleviate problems caused by breaches in security, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance and operating results.
Current wording
A party who is able to breach the security measures on our networks could misappropriate either our or our design customers’ proprietary information, or cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations. Hacking of companies’ infrastructure is a growing problem. While we have implemented security measures and maintain an engineering team focused on protecting our systems, no security measures are foolproof, and we cannot provide absolute assurance against unauthorized access or data breaches. If we grow and obtain more visibility, we may be more vulnerable to hacking. We may be required to expend significant capital and other resources to protect against such threats or to alleviate problems caused by breaches in security, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance and operating results.
Previous wording
Risks Relating to Our Business, Liquidity and Operations
Current wording
Risks Related to Our Business, Liquidity and Operations
Previous wording
Our future depends, in part, on our ability to attract and retain key sales personnel and the continued contribution of our executive officers including Terence Wise, our Chief Executive Officer, who would be difficult to replace. Further, as part of the Company’s ongoing efforts to reduce expenses, we recently reduced the salaries of three of our executive officers. While the salary reductions were agreed to by the executives, it is possible that the decrease in salary may cause either or both officers to look for employment elsewhere. Our design and development business is highly labor intensive and, therefore, our ability to attract and retain professional and technical staff is an important factor in our future success. The market for qualified engineers is competitive and, from time to time, it may be difficult to attract and retain qualified individuals with the required expertise within the timeframe demanded by our clients. The loss of the services of any of our key personnel and the process to replace any key personnel would involve significant time and expense and may significantly delay or prevent the achievement of our business objectives.
Current wording
Our future depends, in part, on our ability to attract and retain key personnel and the continued contribution of our executive officers. Our digital assets strategy requires specialized knowledge in a rapidly evolving industry. Our design and development business is highly labor intensive, therefore, our ability to attract and retain professional and technical staff is an important factor in our future success. The market for qualified engineers is competitive and, from time to time, it may be difficult to attract and retain qualified individuals with the required expertise within the timeframe demanded by our clients. The loss of the services of any of our key personnel and the process to replace any key personnel would involve significant time and expense and may significantly delay or prevent the achievement of our business objectives.
Previous wording
Third party lawsuits alleging our infringement of patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition to our products, potential adverse developments involving intellectual property described above may occur with respect to customers’ products incorporating our products or services that we render.
Current wording
Third party lawsuits alleging our infringement of patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Potential adverse developments involving intellectual property described above may occur with respect to design customers’ products incorporating the products or services that we render.
Previous wording
Misconduct, fraud, non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations, or other improper activities by one of our employees or agents could have a significant negative impact on our business and reputation. Such misconduct could include the failure to comply with various procurement regulations, regulations regarding the protection of confidential information, regulations prohibiting bribery and other foreign corrupt practices, regulations regarding the pricing of labor and other costs in contracts, regulations on lobbying or similar activities, regulations pertaining to the internal controls over financial reporting, environmental laws, and any other applicable laws or regulations. For example, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-U.S. officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Our policies mandate compliance with these regulations and laws, and we take precautions to prevent and detect misconduct. However, since our internal controls are subject to inherent limitations, including human error, it is possible that these controls could be intentionally circumvented or become inadequate because of changed conditions. As a result, we cannot assure that our controls will protect us from reckless or criminal acts committed by our employees or agents. Our failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations or acts of misconduct could subject us to fines and penalties and suspension or debarment from contracting, any or all of which could harm our reputation, reduce our revenue and profits, and subject us to criminal and civil enforcement actions.
Current wording
Misconduct, fraud, non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations, or other improper activities by one of our employees or agents could have a significant negative impact on our business and reputation. Such misconduct could include the failure to comply with various procurement regulations, regulations regarding the protection of confidential information and personal data, regulations prohibiting bribery and other foreign corrupt practices, regulations regarding the pricing of labor and other costs in contracts, regulations on lobbying or similar activities, regulations pertaining to the internal controls over financial reporting, environmental laws, and any other applicable laws or regulations. For example, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-U.S. officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Our policies mandate compliance with these regulations and laws, and we take precautions to prevent and detect misconduct. However, since our internal controls are subject to inherent limitations, including human error, it is possible that these controls could be intentionally circumvented or become inadequate because of changed conditions. As a result, we cannot assure that our controls will protect us from reckless or criminal acts committed by our employees or agents. Our failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations or acts of misconduct could subject us to fines and penalties, including substantial monetary penalties under data privacy laws, and suspension or debarment from contracting, any or all of which could harm our reputation, reduce our revenue and profits, and subject us to criminal and civil enforcement actions.
Previous wording
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results. As a result, current and potential stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which could harm our business and the trading price of our stock.
Current wording
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results. As a result, current and potential shareholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which could harm our business and the trading price of our stock.
Previous wording
We maintain our cash assets at commercial banks in the U.S. in amounts in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limit of $250,000 and in Europe in amounts that may exceed any applicable deposit insurance limits. In the event of a failure at a commercial bank where we maintain our deposits or money market or other cash, we may incur a loss to the extent such loss exceeds the insurance limitation, which could have a material adverse effect upon our financial conditions and our results of operations.
Current wording
We maintain our cash assets at commercial banks in the U.S. in amounts in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limit of $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category. In the event of a failure at a commercial bank where we maintain our deposits, money market accounts, or other cash assets, we may incur a loss to the extent such loss exceeds the applicable insurance limitation, which could have a material adverse effect upon our financial condition and results of operations. As of November 30, 2025, the Company maintained approximately $40.4 million in uninsured deposits.
Previous wording
From time to time, we may receive inquiries from regulators regarding our compliance with laws and other matters. In 2019, we incurred significant expenses responding to an SEC investigation into potential insider trading by certain insiders of the Company. Although that investigation has concluded, responding to, or defending other such actions would cause us to incur substantial expenses and divert our management’s attention.
Current wording
From time to time, we may receive inquiries from regulators regarding our compliance with laws and other matters. In 2019, we incurred significant expenses responding to an SEC investigation into potential insider trading by certain insiders of the Company. Although that investigation has concluded with no enforcement action taken against the Company, responding to or defending against other such regulatory inquiries or investigations would cause us to incur substantial expenses and divert our management’s attention.
Rearranged current paragraphs (1)
Current report — wording carried from elsewhere
Risks Relating to Our Design Business