UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM ____ TO _______

Commission File Number: 001-41266

CEA INDUSTRIES INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(303) 993-5271

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒.

Indicate by check mark whether the issuer (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the last 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer, “accelerated filer,” “non-accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒.

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was approximately $5,956,865 based upon a closing price of $0.75 reported for such date on the Nasdaq Capital Markets.

As of March 29, 2024, the number of outstanding shares of common stock of the registrant was 8,212,737.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

None.

CEA Industries Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K

For Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2023

Table of Contents

In this Annual Report, unless otherwise indicated, the “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our” refer to CEA Industries Inc. and, where appropriate, its wholly-owned subsidiary.

Hemp and marijuana are technically both part of the “Cannabis sativa L.” plant. “Hemp” is a term used to classify varieties of cannabis that contain 0.3% or less tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) content (by dry weight), the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. Hemp and its derivatives were federally legalized in the United States as part the Agricultural Act of 2018. “Marijuana” is a term used to classify varieties of cannabis that contain more than 0.3% THC (by dry weight). Marijuana is not federally legal in the United States. Many states, however, have taken action to make marijuana legal for all purposes, made it available for medical uses, decriminalized it, or a combination thereof. We currently provide nearly all of our products and services to customers that cultivate marijuana. In this Annual Report, unless otherwise indicated, “cannabis” refers to “marijuana.”

Although our customers do, we neither grow, manufacture, distribute nor sell cannabis (marijuana) and hemp or any of their related products.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Item 7, contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but are based on current management expectations that involve substantial risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. We generally identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar words. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, any projections of revenue, gross profit, earnings or loss, tax provisions, cash flows or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies or objectives of management for future operations; any statements regarding current or future macroeconomic or industry-specific trends or events and the impact of those trends and events on us or our financial performance; any statements regarding pending investigations, legal claims or tax disputes; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing.

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause our actual results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, performance, prospects, opportunities, achievements or industry results, as well as those of the markets we serve or intend to serve, to differ materially from those expressed in, or suggested by, these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions regarding our present and future business strategies and the environment in which we operate. Important factors that could cause those differences include, but are not limited to:

These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read with the other cautionary statements in this report.

Although we believe that the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be inaccurate. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statement in this annual report on Form 10-K should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include those described or identified in “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements and projections contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our financial results on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) basis, we use non-GAAP measures including net bookings, backlog, as well as adjusted net income (loss) which reflects adjustments for certain non-cash expenses such as stock-based compensation, certain debt-related items and depreciation expense. We believe these non-GAAP measures are helpful in understanding our past performance and are intended to aid in evaluating our potential future results. The presentation of these non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to our GAAP results and are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information prepared or presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way to view aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business. For purposes of this Annual Report, (i) “adjusted net income (loss)” and “adjusted operating income (loss)” mean GAAP net income (loss) and operating income (loss), respectively, after adjustment for non-cash equity compensation expense, debt-related items and depreciation expense, and (ii) “net bookings” means new sales contracts executed during the quarter for which we received an initial deposit, net of any adjustments including cancellations and change orders during the quarter.

Our backlog, remaining performance obligations and net bookings may not be indicative of future operating results, and our customers may attempt to renegotiate or terminate their contracts for a number of reasons, including delays in or inability to obtain project financing or licensing or abandonment of the project entirely. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that contracts included in the backlog or remaining performance obligations will actually generate revenues or when the actual revenues will be generated.

PART I

Item 1. Business

Overview

CEA Industries, through our subsidiary, Surna Cultivation Technologies LLC, is focused on selling environmental control and other technologies and services to the Controlled Environment Agriculture (“CEA”) industry. The CEA industry aims to optimize the use of horticultural resources such as water, energy, space, capital, and labor, to create an agriculture business that is more efficient and more productive than those that use traditional farming methods. Typically, the CEA industry is focused on indoor agriculture and vertical farming.

Headquartered in Colorado, we aim to provide customers with a variety of value-added technology solutions that help improve their overall crop quality and yield, optimize energy and water efficiency, and satisfy the evolving state and local codes, permitting and regulatory requirements. We do this by offering our customers a variety of service and product offerings that include: (i) architectural design and licensed engineering of commercial scale thermodynamic systems specific to cultivation facilities, (ii) liquid-based process cooling systems and other climate control systems, (iii) air handling equipment and systems, (iv) air sanitation products, (v) LED lighting, (vi) benching and racking solutions for indoor cultivation, (vii) proprietary and third party controls systems and technologies used for environmental, lighting and climate control, and (viii) preventative maintenance services, through our partnership with a certified service contractor network, for CEA facilities.

CEA growers currently face a challenging business environment that includes high energy costs, water usage and conservation issues, continuously evolving waste removal regulations, inflationary pressures, and labor shortages. In addition to these issues, our cannabis growing customers face increasingly rigorous quality standards and declining cannabis prices in a growing industry whose standards are constantly evolving. The part of the CEA industry focused on food related crops is also facing disruption from evolving market demand, competition, and reorganization, including the lack of growth capital and several noteworthy bankruptcies.

We support our clients by providing integrated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (“MEP”) engineering design, proprietary and curated environmental control equipment, and automation offerings that serve the CEA industry. During our years in business we have served hundreds of commercial indoor CEA facilities.

We believe our customers partner with us because we have the reputation and experience to help them make cost-conscious and effective decisions on the design and engineering of their indoor cultivation facilities. CEA facilities are resource intensive, and a growing list of states have implemented building code changes that limit energy consumption in cultivation facilities. Energy and resource efficiency is a high priority to us as engineers, and the senior engineers on our team hold the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”) credential. We believe this sustainability-focused technical experience is crucial in the value we provide to our customers.

Shares of our common stock and warrants currently are traded on the Nasdaq Capital Markets under the ticker symbols “CEAD” and “CEADW”, respectively.

We received a continued listing deficiency letter and must satisfy the deficiency prior to April 9, 2024. If we do not satisfy the deficiency our securities will be removed from trading on Nasdaq by action of the exchange. We believe our securities will then trade on the OTC. We do not anticipate applying for listing on the higher tiers of the OTC. We will continue to be a reporting company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and we anticipate that brokers will continue to be able to make share transactions in our securities, although they will be subject to trading requirements that will substantially restrict the ability of our stockholders to make share sales and others to make share purchases.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Our Business

The impact of the government and the business economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic affected demand across the majority of our markets and disrupted workflow and completion schedules on projects. We believe we continue to have adverse effects on our sales, project implementation, supply chain infrastructure, operating margins, costs, and working capital, as a result of the pandemic. Due to this uncertainty, we continue to monitor costs and continue to take actions to reduce costs in order to mitigate the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the best of our ability. However, these actions may not be sufficient in the long run to avoid reduced sales, increased losses, and reduced operating cash flows in our business. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, and continuing since then, the Company experienced delays in the receipt of equipment it had ordered to meet its customer orders due to disruption and delays in its supply chain. Consequently, our revenue recognition of some customer sales has been delayed until future periods when the shipment of orders can be completed.

Impact of Ukrainian and Israeli Conflicts

We believe that the conflicts involving Ukraine and Israel do not have any direct impact on our operations, financial condition, or financial reporting. We believe the conflicts will have only a general impact on our operations in the same manner as it is having a general impact on all businesses that have their operations limited to North America resulting from international sanction and embargo regulations, possible shortages of goods and goods incorporating parts that may be supplied from countries involved in the conflicts, supply chain challenges, and the international and US domestic inflation resulting from the conflict and government spending in relation to the conflicts. As our operations are related only to the North American controlled agricultural industry, largely within the cannabis space, we do not believe we will be targeted for cyber-attacks related to the conflicts. We have no operations in the countries directly involved in the conflict or are specifically impacted by any of the sanctions and embargoes, as we principally operate in the United States and Canada. We do not believe that the conflicts will have any impact on our internal control over financial reporting. Other than general securities market trends, we do not have reason to believe that investors will evaluate the company as having special risks or exposures related to the conflicts.

Our Services and Equipment Solutions

Our goal is to develop relationships with our prospects and customers that will afford us the opportunity to provide comprehensive services and equipment for the complete lifecycle of indoor agriculture facilities. This lifecycle includes designing and engineering the facility, providing the many required infrastructure technologies, advising on and ensuring proper installation of the technologies, providing training and start-up support, and ultimately providing preventative and other ongoing services for ensuring proper maintenance and operations.

We provide a comprehensive range of service solutions that include facility design and budgeting, equipment selection and specification, equipment installation advisory, and preventative maintenance services. In addition, we provide our customers with product offerings that include both proprietary products and value-added reseller (“VAR”) products.

Our Customers and Prospects

We aim to provide our services and products to customers who are building, upgrading, or expanding an indoor cultivation facility for any crop. Our customers vary based on the size of the facility, type of crop being cultivated, and extent of construction or retrofitting of the facility.

Most of our customers are new entrants to the CEA industry and have no other cultivation facilities. Some customers have one or more facilities which we classify as MFOs (multi-facility operators). We currently do not have projects with the largest, publicly traded firms (typically referred to as “MSOs,” or Multi-State Operators).

Sales and Marketing

Our sales strategy involves reaching out to potential customers on leads developed by our marketing efforts and developing those relationships. Our sales cycle can range from several months to 18 months from first contact with a prospect to signing a contract. Since we do not install any of the products we sell, our customers are required to use third-party installation contractors, which adds to the variability of the sales cycle.

Our Competition

Our environmental control systems and our related engineering and design services compete with various national and local Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) engineering firms. We also compete with national and local HVACD contractors and traditional HVACD equipment suppliers who resell, design, and implement climate control systems for commercial and industrial facilities, but most of whom do not have the specific knowledge that we have about the complexities and challenges of CEA facilities. We have positioned ourselves to differ from these competitors by providing a broad range of engineering and design services and environmental control systems, across most major HVACD solutions, including chilled water systems, custom air handling units, split systems, and packaged roof-top units. Each is tailored specifically for managing the distinct challenges involved in CEA facilities. We believe our industry-specific applications and experience in the CEA market allow us to deliver the right solution to our cultivation customers. Unlike many of our competitors, our solutions are designed specifically for cultivators to provide tight temperature and humidity control, reduce bio-security risks, reduce energy requirements, and minimize maintenance complexity, costs and downtime. However, we are seeing more competitors enter the CEA market, focused on emulating the same types of crop-specific climate control systems and engineering services that we offer. We believe this increased competition may adversely impact our ability to obtain new facility projects from both MFOs and independent smaller growers and could require us to accept lower gross margins on our projects.

Intellectual Property

We rely on a combination of patent and trademark rights, licenses, trade secrets, and laws that protect intellectual property, confidential procedures, and contractual restrictions with our employees and others to establish and protect our intellectual property rights. While we have several issued patents, we do not believe that these issued patents currently provide us with a meaningful competitive advantage. We have registered trademarks around our core Surna brand in the United States and select foreign jurisdictions, as well as the Surna logo and the combined Surna logo and name in the United States. Our Surna trademark is also registered in the European Union and Canada. We also recently secured trademark registration for our proprietary SCA platform, SentryIQ, in the United States and Canada. Subject to ongoing use and renewal, trademark protection is potentially perpetual. We actively protect our inventions, new technologies, and product developments by maintaining trade secrets and, in limited circumstances, filing for patent protection.

Employees

We currently have 10 active full-time employees. We review our staffing needs in light of our contract obligations and attempt to size and skill match our employees as required. However, we may engage, and have in the past utilized, the services of consultants, independent contractors, and other non-employee professionals. Additional employees may be hired in the future depending on need, available resources, and our achieved growth.

The Company has experienced a decline in activity, as indicated in its 2023 sales and its current backlog. This decline is due to many factors, including (i) recent challenges in the cannabis market, (ii) continued supply chain-related delays and cancellations that have affected many of its vendors and partners, and (iii) a broader slowdown in the macroeconomic environment. As a result, the Company evaluated its current operations, personnel needs and liquidity to make sure our personnel levels match the activity we expect to service over the next several months. On January 5, 2024, we implemented a downsizing of our operations, including a 23% reduction in our workforce, and significant non-personnel cost reductions in order to preserve our cash resources and better reflect our activity levels.

US Government Regulation

While we do not generate any revenue from the direct sale of cannabis products, we have historically, and continue to, offer our services and engineering solutions to indoor cultivators that are engaged in various aspects of the cannabis industry. Cannabis is a Schedule I controlled substance and is illegal under federal law. Even in those states in which specific uses of marijuana have been legalized, such as medical marijuana or for adult recreational purpose, its use remains a violation of federal laws.

A Schedule I controlled substance is defined as a substance that has no currently accepted medical use in the United States, a lack of safety for use under medical supervision and a high potential for abuse. The Department of Justice defines Schedule I controlled substances as “the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.” If the federal government decides to enforce the Controlled Substances Act with respect to cannabis, persons that are charged with distributing, possessing with intent to distribute, or growing cannabis could be subject to fines and terms of imprisonment, the maximum being life imprisonment and a $50 million fine. Any change in the federal government’s enforcement of current federal laws could cause significant financial damage to us. While we do not intend to harvest, manufacture, distribute or sell cannabis or cannabis products, we may be irreparably harmed by a change in the enforcement of cannabis laws by the federal or state governments.

In the past, the Obama administration took the position that it was not an efficient use of resources to direct federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute those lawfully abiding by state-designated laws allowing the use and distribution of medical marijuana. The Trump administration revised this policy but made no major changes in enforcement through Attorney General Jeffrey Sessions rescinding the Cole Memorandum. Although President Biden stood for decriminalization and descheduling during his campaign, his administration has not formulated an explicit policy on cannabis. The Biden administration has implemented pardons for past federal cannabis possession convictions and encouraged governors to do the same. Also, in May 2021 the Drug Enforcement Administration approved licensed facilities to grow cannabis for the purpose of medical research, and on December 2, 2022, President Biden signed the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This act is “the first standalone marijuana-related bill approved by both chambers of the United States Congress” and allows medical marijuana research. The act requires the Drug Enforcement Administration to register researchers and suppliers of cannabis for medical research in a timely manner, who will then be able to legally manufacture, distribute, dispense and possess the substance. It also creates a mechanism for FDA approval of drugs derived from the cannabis plant and “protects doctors who may now discuss the harms and benefits of using cannabis and cannabis derivatives.” It also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate the medical utility of cannabis and barriers that exist to conducting research and requires the U.S. Attorney General to conduct an annual review to ensure that cannabis is being adequately produced for research purposes. In January 2023, the FDA stated that given the growing cannabidiol (CBD) products market, it had convened a high-level internal working group to explore potential regulatory pathways for CBD products and is prepared to find a new regulatory pathway for CBD to balance individuals’ desire for access to CBD products with the regulatory oversight needed to manage risks.

Currently, there is much legislation being considered to reform cannabis products and use. The proposed laws cover a wide spectrum from complete federal legalization to specific industry nuances. In September 2023, the MORE Act was introduced that would provide full federal legalization through descheduling with a particular focus on equity provisions, including expungement for certain cannabis offenses and a community reinvestment program. The MORE Act has not passed through committee. There are two proposed federal bills that would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) entirely and task the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with regulation of cannabis products. One of these bills, The States Reform Act, adopts a dual federal-state regulatory model, like the regulation of alcohol. Another bill, the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) 2.0 Act, would permit states to to maintain the prohibition of cannabis, but interstate commerce in state-law-compliant cannabis would be legalized, so non-legal states would not be able to prohibit shipments to and from legal states from crossing through their borders. Finally, only one piece of legislation took the rescheduling approach to cannabis legalization in 2023. The Marijuana 1-to-3 Act of 2023, opens new tab would simply direct the Attorney General to transfer cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the CSA without clarifying or addressing any other provisions of federal law. However, that was not the only piece of rescheduling-related legislation introduced last year.

Lawmakers continued to offer various solutions for providing financial relief for cannabis businesses and legal protections for ancillary businesses in 2023. The most well-known of these bills is the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act, which would provide safe harbor for financial institutions and other ancillary businesses that work with cannabis industry clients, thus increasing the industry’s access to traditional financial services like loans and deposit accounts. Similar to SAFER but with a narrower scope, the Clarifying Law Around Insurance of Marijuana (CLAIM) Act would provide a specific safe harbor for insurance companies that serve the cannabis industry. As for financial support, the Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2023, would exempt cannabis sales conducted in compliance with state law from the prohibition of 26 U.S.C. § 280E, thereby allowing businesses to deduct normal business expenses from their taxes.

During 2023, there have been a myriad of additional bills introduced that govern the expungement and/or sealing of criminal records for non-violent cannabis offenses, legalizing hem and CBD products and adding FDA regulation for these products, facilitating research on cannabis, access for veterans to medical cannabis, and restoring eligibility for federal employment and the right of medical cannabis patient to purchase and possess firearms.

Notwithstanding the actions of the Biden administration, it should be expected that the Department of Justice will continue at this time to enforce the Controlled Substances Act with respect to cannabis under established principles in setting their law enforcement priorities to prevent:

Since the use of marijuana is illegal under federal law, most federally chartered banks will not accept deposit funds from businesses involved with marijuana. Consequently, businesses involved in the marijuana industry generally bank with state-chartered banks and credit unions to provide banking to the industry.

In 2014, Congress passed a spending bill containing a provision (the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment and sometimes referred to as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment) blocking federal funds and resources allocated under the federal appropriations bills from being used to “prevent such States from implementing their own State medical marijuana laws.” The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, however, did not codify any federal protections for medical marijuana patients and producers operating within state law. The Justice Department maintains that it can still prosecute violations of the federal cannabis laws and continue cases already in the courts. The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment must be re-enacted every year, and it is continued through March 8, 2024. However, state laws do not supersede the prohibitions set forth in the federal drug laws.

In order to participate in either the medical or the adult use aspects of the cannabis industry, all businesses and employees must obtain licenses from the state and, for businesses, local jurisdictions as well. As an example, Colorado issues four types of business licenses including cultivation, manufacturing, dispensing, and testing. In addition, all owners and employees must obtain an occupational license to be permitted to own or work in a facility. All applicants for licenses undergo a background investigation, including a criminal record check for all owners and employees.

Colorado has also enacted stringent regulations governing the facilities and operations of cannabis businesses that are involved with the plant and its products. All facilities are required to be licensed by the state and local authorities and are subject to comprehensive security and surveillance requirements. In addition, each facility is subject to extensive regulations that govern its businesses practices, which includes mandatory seed-to-sale tracking and reporting, health and sanitary standards, packaging and labeling requirements, and product testing for potency and contaminants.

Laws and regulations affecting the medical marijuana industry are constantly changing, which could detrimentally affect our proposed operations. Local, state and federal medical marijuana laws and regulations are broad in scope and subject to evolving interpretations, which could require us to incur substantial costs associated with compliance or alter our business plan. In addition, violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt our business and result in a material adverse effect on our operations. It is also possible that regulations may be enacted in the future that will be directly applicable to our business. We cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations, interpretations or applications, nor can we determine what effect additional governmental regulations or administrative policies and procedures, when and if promulgated, could have on our business.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Investing in our securities involves significant risks. Certain factors may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, in addition to other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.

Summary Of Risk Factors

Our business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those risks discussed at length in the section below titled “Risk Factors.” These risks include, among others, the following:

Risk Factors

Risks Relating to Our Business

Our revenues have been limited, and we will need to obtain financing for any substantive growth, and possibly our continued operations, which may not be available to us.

Historically, we have raised equity and debt capital to support our operations. We raised approximately $22 million from a public offering completed in February 2022. As of December 31, 2023, we had working capital of approximately $12,110,000 and our cash balance was approximately $12,508,000. Notwithstanding that capital raise, we expect to need additional funds in the longer term, from time to time, to complete aspects of the overall development of our business plan, such as in connection with the acquisition of strategic assets. The precise amount and timing of our funding needs cannot be determined accurately at this time, and will depend on a number of factors, including market demand for our products and services, the success of our product development efforts, the timing of receipts for customer payments, the management of working capital, and the continuation of normal payment terms and conditions for our purchase of goods and services. The continuation of normal payment terms and conditions with our customers and suppliers, including our ability to obtain advance payments from our customers, significantly impacts our ability to fund our ongoing operations.

Any future equity offering will result in dilution to our shareholders; obtaining borrowed capital may not be possible for us.

To the extent that we raise equity and equity linked securities in any future offerings, our existing shareholders will experience a dilution in the voting power and ownership of their common stock, and our earnings per share, if any, would be impacted. Any borrowings made to finance operations, which are difficult to obtain from most traditional banks due to the federal laws prohibiting cannabis, could make us more vulnerable to a downturn in our operating results, a downturn in economic conditions, or increases in interest rates on borrowings that are subject to interest rate fluctuations. The amount and timing of additional financing needs will vary principally depending on the timing of new product launches, investments and/or acquisitions, and the amount of cash flow from our operations. If our resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to issue additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility.

The results of the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to adversely impact, the Company’s operations and financial results.

The impact of the government and the business economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic affected demand across the majority of our markets and disrupted workflow and completion schedules on projects. We believe we continue to see adverse effects on our sales, project implementation, supply chain infrastructure, operating margins, costs, and working capital.

Due to this uncertainty, we continue to monitor costs and continue to take actions to reduce costs in order to mitigate the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the best of our ability. However, these actions may not be sufficient in the long run to avoid reduced sales, increased losses, and reduced operating cash flows in our business. During the years ended December 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, and continuing into the current fiscal quarter, the Company experienced delays in the receipt of equipment it had ordered to meet its customer orders due to disruption and delays in its supply chain.

Although our current accounting estimates contemplate current and expected future conditions, as applicable, it is reasonably possible that actual business conditions could differ from our expectations, which could materially affect our results of operations and financial position. Such changes could result in future impairments of goodwill, intangible assets, long-lived assets, incremental credit losses on accounts receivable, or excess and obsolete inventory. Any of these events could amplify the other risks and uncertainties described in this Annual Report and could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.

There is no assurance that we will be able to convert our backlog into revenue or make a profit.

We may be unable to convert the full contract value of our backlog in a timely manner, or at all. We inconsistently convert our backlog into revenue on a quarter-to-quarter basis. The performance of our obligations under a sales contract, and the timing of our revenue recognition, is dependent upon our customers’ ability to secure funding and real estate, obtain a license and then build their cultivation facility so they can use our services and take possession of the equipment we provide. Our sales contracts currently are not time specific as to when our customers are required to take delivery of our services and equipment. More recently, we determined that some of our new construction facility projects are becoming larger and more complex and, as a result, delays were more likely due to licensing and permitting, lack of, or delay in, funding, staged facility construction, and/or the shifting priorities of certain customers with multiple facility projects in progress at one time. Even if we obtain more customers, or increase the average size of our projects, there is no guarantee that we will be able to generate a profit. Because we are a small company with limited capital, limited products and services, and limited marketing activities, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to operate profitably. If we cannot operate profitably, we may have to suspend or cease operations.

We may extend credit to our customers in the future and, if we are unable to collect these accounts receivable, our future profitability could be adversely impacted.

Historically, we had little exposure to the collection risk on accounts receivable since we typically received payments from our customers in advance of our performance of services or delivery of equipment. However, in certain situations, especially as we expand our products and services offering for a customer’s entire facility lifecycle, we may extend credit to our customers, in which case we are at risk for the collection of account receivables. Accordingly, we will be at greater risk for the collection of account receivables. Any customer credit arrangements are negotiated and may not protect us if a customer develops operational difficulty or incurs operating losses which could lead to a bankruptcy. In these cases, we may lose most of the outstanding balance due. In addition, we are typically not able to insure our accounts receivables. The risk is that we derive our revenue and profits from selling products and services to the emerging cannabis industry. The failure of our customers to pay the full amounts due to us could negatively affect future profitability.

Because we currently do not maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud, and investor confidence and the market price of our common stock may, therefore, be adversely impacted.

Our reporting obligations as a public company place significant requirements on our management, operational and financial resources, and systems, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Annually, we are required to prepare a management report on our management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting is currently not effective. In the event that our status with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) changes to that of an accelerated filer from a smaller reporting company, our independent registered public accounting firm will be required to attest to and report on our management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Under such circumstances, even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm may still decline to attest to our management’s assessment, or may issue a report that is qualified, if it is not satisfied with our controls, or the level at which our controls are documented, designed, operated or reviewed, or if it interprets the relevant requirements differently from us.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and, if we do not remediate the material weakness or are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, the accuracy and timeliness of our financial reporting may be adversely affected.

The Company did not maintain effective controls over certain aspects of the financial reporting process because: (i) we lack a sufficient complement of personnel with a level of accounting expertise and an adequate supervisory review structure that is commensurate with our financial reporting requirements, (ii) there is inadequate segregation of duties due to the limitation on the number of our accounting personnel, and (iii) we have insufficient controls and processes in place to adequately verify the accuracy and completeness of spreadsheets that we use for a variety of purposes including revenue, taxes, stock-based compensation and other areas, and place significant reliance on, for our financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency or a combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. If we are unable to achieve effective internal control over financial reporting, or if our independent registered public accounting firm determines we continue to have a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our shares could decline, and our reputation may be damaged.

The inability to effectively manage our operational reorganization could harm our business and materially and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

If there is any growth in or reorganization of our business and operations, it is likely to place a strain on our management and administrative resources, infrastructure and systems. We expect that in those instances we will need to further refine and expand our business development capabilities, our systems and processes and our access to financing sources. We also will need to hire, train, supervise, and manage employees. These processes are time consuming and expensive, will increase management responsibilities and will divert management attention. We cannot assure that we will be able to:

Our inability or failure to manage our company effectively could harm our business and materially and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

Our operating results may fluctuate significantly based on customer acceptance of our services and products, industry uncertainty, project financing concerns, and the licensing and qualification of our prospective customers. As a result, period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations are unlikely to provide a good indication of our future performance.

Management expects that, under typical operating conditions, we will experience substantial variations in our revenues and operating results from quarter to quarter. More recently, we have been experiencing a decline in revenues, which has also affected our operating results. Our revenue recognition is dependent upon shipment of the equipment portions of our sales contracts, which, in many cases, may be delayed while our customers complete permitting, prepare their facilities for equipment installation or obtain project financing. Industry uncertainty, project financing concerns, and the licensing and qualification of our prospective customers, which are out of our control, make it difficult for us to predict when we will recognize revenue. If customers are unable to obtain licensing, permitting or financing, our sales and revenue will decline, resulting in a reduction in our operating income or possible increase in losses. Also, because of the coronavirus responses and our own cost savings actions, we cannot predict the course of our revenues and operating results with accuracy at this time.

To date, the majority of our revenues have been generated from clients that operate in the legal cannabis industry in the United States and Canada.

We provide the overwhelming majority of our facility engineering design and equipment integration and solutions to facilities in the legal cannabis industry. While we are hopeful that the proportion of non-cannabis revenues might increase over time, decreases in demand from the legal cannabis industry will have a material adverse effect on our revenues and the success of our business operations.

The cannabis industry has been an emerging industry over the last several years, and cannabis has only been legalized in some states and remains illegal in other states and under U.S. federal law, making it difficult to accurately forecast the demand for our engineering and product solutions in this specific industry. Losing clients from the cannabis industry may have a material adverse effect on our revenues and the success of our business.

The cannabis industry is still developing in the United States. While the majority of U.S. states now have legal cannabis, it remains illegal under U.S. federal law, making it difficult to accurately predict and forecast the demand for our engineering and product solutions. If the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) did take action against the cannabis industry, we believe those of our clients operating in the legal cannabis industry would be lost to us.

In our operations, we rely heavily upon the various U.S. federal governmental memos issued in the past, including the memorandum issued by the DOJ on October 19, 2009, known as the “Ogden Memorandum”, the memorandum issued by the DOJ on August 29, 2013, known as the “Cole Memorandum” and other guidance, in the attempt to keep our operations acceptable to those state and federal entities that regulate, enforce, or choose to defer enforcement of certain current regulations regarding cannabis. By doing this, we seek to avoid the many possible consequences of providing grow equipment to the cannabis industry as our customers continue to comply with their state and local jurisdictional laws, rules and regulations and the interpretations of relevant authorities.

The legal cannabis industry is not yet well or fully developed, and many aspects of this industry’s development and evolution cannot be accurately predicted. Therefore, the loss of any of our current clients or our inability to capture new client contracts will have a material adverse effect on our business. While we have attempted to identify our business risks in the legal cannabis industry, you should carefully consider that there are other risks that cannot be foreseen or are not described in this report, which could materially and adversely affect our business and financial performance.

There is heightened scrutiny by Canadian regulatory authorities related to the cannabis industry.

We seek grower customers in the CEA Canadian market, some of which are cannabis growers. Therefore, our existing and future operations may become the subject of heightened scrutiny by those regulators and other authorities in Canada that oversee the cannabis industry. As a result, we may become subject to direct and indirect interaction with public officials in one or both the United States and Canada. No assurance can be provided that any heightened scrutiny will not in turn lead to the imposition of restrictions on our ability to operate in Canada, in addition to those described herein.

If we do not successfully have additional products and services, or if those products and services are not successfully commercialized, we could lose revenue opportunities.

Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to expand our product and service offerings. We intend to collaborate with manufacturing partners to optimize products for the CEA (including cannabis) market. The processes of identifying and commercializing products are complex and uncertain, and if we fail to accurately predict customers’ changing needs and emerging technological trends our business could be harmed. We have already and may have to continue to commit significant resources to commercializing products before knowing whether our investments will result in products the market will accept. We may be unable to differentiate our products from those of our competitors, and our products may not be accepted by the market. There can be no assurance that we will successfully identify additional product opportunities, develop and bring products to market in a timely manner, or achieve market acceptance of our products or that products and technologies developed by others will not render our products or technologies obsolete or non-competitive. Furthermore, we may not execute successfully on commercializing those products because of errors in product planning or timing, technical hurdles that we fail to overcome in a timely fashion, or a lack of appropriate resources. This could result in competitors providing those solutions before we do and a reduction in revenue and earnings.

Our future success depends on our ability to grow and expand our customer base. Our failure to achieve such growth or expansion could materially harm our business.

Our success depends on us achieving greater and broader acceptance of our products and services. This will require us to expand our commercial customer base and win larger contracts. Recently, in later 2022 and in 2023, we have not been as successful in these endeavours as in the past. There can be no assurance our overall sales efforts will be successful to result in profitability. There can be no assurance that customers will purchase our services or products or that we will continue to expand our customer base. If we are unable to effectively market or expand our product and service offerings, we will be unable to grow and expand our business or implement our business strategy. This could materially impair our ability to increase sales and revenue, and materially and adversely affect our margins, which could harm our business and cause our stock price to decline.

Our suppliers could fail to fulfill our orders for parts used to assemble our products, which would disrupt our business, increase our costs, harm our reputation, and potentially cause us to lose our market.

We depend on third party suppliers around the world, including those in The People’s Republic of China, for materials used to assemble our products. Any of these suppliers could fail to produce products to our specifications or in a workmanlike manner and may not deliver the material or products on a timely basis. Our suppliers may also have to obtain inventories of the necessary parts and tools for production. Any change in our suppliers’ approach to resolving production issues could disrupt our ability to fulfill orders and could also disrupt our business due to delays in finding new suppliers, providing specifications and testing initial production.

Our suppliers could experience uncontrollable delays in delivering our products.

We have experienced some unexpected and uncontrollable delays with our international supply of products and shipments from vendors due to a significant increase in shipments to U.S. ports, less cargo being shipped by air, unavailability of truckers and a general shortage of containers. We expect this to continue for some time. These disruptions are also causing price increases, which may become an inflationary force in the marketplace.

Equipment failures or poor performance may negatively impact our business.

We rely on third party manufacturers for equipment which we sell or lease. From time to time, such equipment may not perform to specifications or to our customers’ satisfaction. Such equipment deficiencies may lead to down time impacting our revenue. Further, frequent downtime at customers’ sites due to equipment failures may result in such customers generating less revenue and increasing credit default risk. In addition, these failures may also result in additional time spent by our personnel, decreasing profit margins on certain ancillary services.

We have a concentration of customers and suppliers, which could affect our financial results.

Three customers accounted for 37%, 21% and 12% of the Company’s revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023. Three customers accounted for 27%, 26% and 11% of the Company’s revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022. The Company’s accounts receivable from three customers made up 59%, 29%, and 12%, respectively, of the total balance as of December 31, 2023. The Company’s accounts receivable from two customers made up 57%, and 43%, respectively, of the total balance as of December 31, 2022. Three suppliers accounted for 34%, 17%, and 16% of the Company’s purchases of inventory for the year ended December 31, 2023, and four suppliers accounted for 30%, 17%, 16%, and 11% of the Company’s purchases of inventory for the year ended December 31, 2022. Our results of operations will be significantly affected if we lose our primary customer, or if we are not able to replace the customer at the conclusion of our services to that customer. Our operations will also be impacted negatively if we are not able to find suppliers to replace those that we currently use. Overall, our operations and, therefore, financial results are dependent on a limited number of customers and suppliers.

International trade disputes could result in tariffs and other protectionist measures that could adversely affect the Company’s business.

Tariffs could increase the cost of our products and the components and raw materials that go into making them. These increased costs could adversely impact the gross margin that we earn on sales of our products. Tariffs could also make our products more expensive for customers, which could make our products less competitive and reduce customer demand. Countries may also adopt other protectionist measures that could limit our ability to offer our products and services.

Our inability to effectively protect our intellectual property would adversely affect our ability to compete effectively, our revenue, our financial condition, and our results of operations.

We may be unable to obtain intellectual property rights to effectively protect our branding, products, and other intangible assets. Our ability to compete effectively may be affected by the nature and breadth of our intellectual property rights. While we intend to defend against any threats to our intellectual property rights, there can be no assurance that any such actions will adequately protect our interests. If we are unable to secure intellectual property rights to effectively protect our branding, products, and other intangible assets, our revenue and earnings, financial condition, or results of operations could be adversely affected.

We also rely on non-disclosure and non-competition agreements to protect portions of our intellectual property portfolio. There can be no assurance that these agreements will not be breached, that we will have adequate remedies for any breach, that third parties will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or proprietary knowledge, or that third parties will not independently develop competitive products with similar intellectual property.

We may become subject to additional regulation of CEA facilities.

Our engineering and design services and solutions are focused on CEA facilities that are able to grow a wide variety of crops beyond that of cannabis, such as leafy greens (kale, Swiss chard, mustard, cress), microgreens (leafy greens harvested at the first true leaf stage), ethnic vegetables and small fruits (such as strawberries, blackberries and raspberries), bell peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Some of these crops and their growing methodologies are subject to regulation by the United States Food and Drug Administration, environmental agencies, public utility agencies and other federal, state or foreign agencies. Changes to any regulations and laws that complicate the design and engineering of a subject CEA facility, such as wastewater treatment and electricity-related mandates, make it possible that potential related zoning and enforcement could decrease the demand for our services, and in turn negatively impact our revenues and business opportunities.

The CEA industry is highly competitive, and we have less capital and resources than many of our competitors, which may give them an advantage in developing and marketing services and products similar to ours or make our services and products obsolete.

There are many competitors in the CEA industry, including some companies that focus on the cannabis industry. These companies generally offer products and services similar or the same as those offered by us. There can be no guarantees that in the future other companies will not enter this arena by developing products that are in direct competition with us or even superior in quality or price. The barriers to entry into the CEA industry are not overly significant. Over time we anticipate growth and intensity in our competition. Some of our current and future competition may have longer operating histories, greater name recognition, larger client bases and significantly greater financial, technical, sales and marketing resources. One or more of these qualities may allow them to respond more quickly than us to market opportunities. They may be able to devote greater resources to the marketing, promotion and sale of their products and/or services. Competitors may also adopt more aggressive pricing policies and make more attractive offers to clients, employees, strategic partners, distribution channels and advertisers. Increased competition is likely to result in price reductions, reduced gross margins and a potential loss of market share.

While we believe we are better positioned to meet the exacting demands of a controlled cultivation environment through precise temperature, humidity, light, and process controls and to satisfy the evolving code and regulatory requirements being imposed at the state and local levels, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully compete against these other contractors and suppliers.

We will be required to have top quality talent to compete in the marketplace.

We believe our success will depend in part on our ability to have skilled managerial, product development, sales and marketing, and finance personnel. Our ability to attract and retain personnel with the requisite credentials, experience and skills will depend on several factors including, but not limited to, our ability to offer competitive wages, benefits and professional growth opportunities. There can be no assurance of success in attracting and retaining such personnel. Shortages in qualified personnel could limit our ability to increase sales of existing products and services and launch new product and service offerings.

We are dependent upon certain key sales, managerial and executive personnel for our future success. If we lose any of our key personnel, our ability to implement our business strategy could be significantly harmed.

We depend on the industry knowledge, technical and financial skill, and network of business contacts of certain key employees. Our future success will depend on the continued service of these key employees or our ability to engage others who are similarly situated in the industry. While we may have employment agreements with certain of these key employees, they are free to terminate their employment with us at any time, although they may be subject to certain restrictive covenants on their post-termination activities. We do not carry key-man life insurance on the lives of our key employees. The departure of any one of our key employees could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our business objective and maintain the specialized services that we offer our customers.

We have a limited number of employees that may not be sufficient to service our contracts.

As a result of various factors affecting the CEA industry in which we operate, we have made employee reductions from time to time in the last year. We believe we are operating as leanly as needed to be able to service our contract obligations. The mix of our current employees and their number may not be sufficient for our current needs and if we increase our business we will need additional employees, which may not be available. If we are not able to service our contract obligations, our business will suffer and we may be liable for contract damages.

System security risks, data protection breaches, cyber-attacks and systems integration issues could disrupt our internal operations or services provided to customers, and any such disruption could reduce our expected revenue, increase our expenses, damage our reputation and adversely affect our stock price.

Experienced computer programmers and hackers may be able to penetrate our network security and misappropriate or compromise our confidential information or that of third parties, create system disruptions or cause shutdowns. Computer programmers and hackers also may be able to develop and deploy viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs that attack or otherwise exploit any security vulnerabilities of the products that we may sell in the future, especially our SentryIQ® sensors, controls and automation platform. The costs to us to eliminate or alleviate cyber or other security problems, bugs, viruses, worms, malicious software programs and security vulnerabilities could be significant, and our efforts to address these problems may not be successful and could result in interruptions, delays, cessation of service and loss of existing or potential customers that may impede our engineering, sales, manufacturing, distribution or other critical functions.

Portions of our IT infrastructure may also experience interruptions, delays or cessations of service or produce errors in connection with systems integration or migration work that takes place from time to time. We may not be successful in implementing new systems and transitioning data, which could cause business disruptions and be more expensive, time consuming, disruptive and resource intensive. Such disruptions could adversely impact our ability to fulfill orders and interrupt other processes. Delayed sales, lower profits, or lost customers resulting from these disruptions could adversely affect our financial results, stock price and reputation.

We incur significant costs as a result of being a public company, which will make it more difficult for us to achieve profitability.

As a public company, we incur legal, accounting and other expenses, including costs associated with the periodic reporting requirements applicable to a company whose securities are registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as well as additional corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and other rules implemented by the SEC. These costs will make it more difficult for us to achieve profitability.

Changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters could significantly affect our financial results.

U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and related pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with regard to a wide variety of matters that are relevant to our business, such as, but not limited to, revenue recognition, stock-based compensation, trade promotions, and income taxes are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by our management. Changes to these rules or their interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates or judgments by our management could significantly change our reported results.

Our ability to use net operating losses to offset future taxable income may be subject to limitations.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company has U.S. federal and state net operating losses (“NOLs”) of approximately $28,840,000, of which $11,196,000 will expire, if not utilized, in the years 2034 through 2037. However, the balance of $17,644,000 NOLs generated subsequent to December 31, 2017, do not expire but may only be used against taxable income to 80%. In addition, under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and corresponding provisions of state law, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. We have experienced ownership changes in the past and we may experience additional ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent changes in our stock ownership, some of which may be outside of our control. Our September 2021 and February 2022 securities sales also will have to be taken into account for determination of any “ownership change” that we have undergone during a determination period. If an ownership change occurs and our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards is materially limited, it would harm our post tax income by effectively increasing our future tax obligations.

We may not be able to successfully identify, consummate or integrate acquisitions or to successfully manage the impacts of such transactions on our operations.

Part of our business strategy includes evaluating and pursuing synergistic and other acquisitions. Material acquisitions and other strategic transactions involve a number of risks, including: (i) the potential disruption of our ongoing business; (ii) the distraction of management away from the ongoing oversight of our existing business activities; (iii) incurring additional indebtedness; (iv) the anticipated benefits and cost savings of those transactions not being realized fully, or at all, or taking longer to realize than anticipated; (v) an increase in the scope and complexity of our operations; (vi) the disruption of a significant reorganization of the company; and (vii) the loss or reduction of control over certain of our assets.

The pursuit of acquisitions may pose certain risks to us. We may not be able to identify acquisition candidates that fit our criteria for growth and profitability. Even if we are able to identify such candidates, we may not be able to acquire them on terms or financing satisfactory to us. We will incur expenses and dedicate attention and resources associated with the review of acquisition opportunities, whether or not we consummate such acquisitions.

Recent developments in financial institutions could adversely affect our current and projected business operations, financial condition and results of operations.

Recent events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance and other adverse developments that affect financial institutions have led to market-wide liquidity concerns. For example, on March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, as receiver. On March 12, 2023, Signature Bank and Silvergate Capital Corp. were also placed into receivership. The company may experience delayed access or a loss of its uninsured deposits or other financial assets should its existing financial institution experience financial distress. While the U.S. Department of Treasury, FDIC and Federal Reserve Board have provided access to uninsured funds in connection with the SVB crisis, there is no guarantee that these institutions will provide access to uninsured funds in the future in the event of the closure of other banks or financial institutions, or that they would do so in a timely fashion. The Company currently has all of its funds in one bank and is currently evaluating its banking relationships with the intent of increasing the amount of deposits that are fully insured or invested in risk free instruments.

The results of events or concerns that involve non-performance by financial institutions could include a variety of material and adverse impacts on our current and projected business operations and our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any further deterioration in the macroeconomic economy or financial services industry could lead to losses or defaults by companies with whom we do business, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our current and/or projected business operations, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, a company could be adversely affected by any of the liquidity or other risks that are described above as factors that could result in material adverse impacts on us, including but not limited to delayed access or loss of access to uninsured deposits or loss of the ability to draw on existing credit facilities involving a troubled or failed financial institution.

Risks Related to the Cannabis Industry

Cannabis remains illegal under federal law, and therefore, strict enforcement of federal laws regarding cannabis, particularly against our customers, would likely result in our inability to execute our business plan.

Marijuana legalization is mixed across the country. And it is constantly evolving. In four states it continues to be fully illegal. In the other states it is either legalized, available for medical uses and decriminalized, available for medical uses, decriminalized, or permitted for low-tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”)/high-CBD extracts.

Under U.S. federal law, however, those activities are illegal.

Cannabis, other than hemp (defined by the U.S. government as Cannabis sativa L. with a THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis), is a Schedule I controlled substance under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 801, et seq.) (the “CSA”). Even in states or territories that have legalized cannabis to some extent, the cultivation, possession, and sale of cannabis all violate the CSA and are punishable by imprisonment, substantial fines and forfeiture. Moreover, individuals and entities may violate federal law if they aid and abet another in violating the CSA, or conspire with another to violate the law, and violating the CSA is a predicate for certain other crimes, including money laundering laws and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government has the authority to regulate and criminalize the sale, possession and use of cannabis, even for individual medical purposes, regardless of whether it is legal under state law. For over six years, however, the U.S. government has not enforced those laws against companies complying with state cannabis law and their vendors.

The likelihood of any future adverse enforcement against companies complying with state cannabis laws remains uncertain. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will follow established principles that govern all federal prosecutions when deciding which cannabis activities to prosecute. As a result, federal prosecutors could and still can use their prosecutorial discretion to decide to prosecute even state-legal cannabis activities. However, generally, U.S. Attorneys have not targeted state law compliant entities. The policy of not prosecuting companies complying with state cannabis laws is likely to continue under the Biden Administration.

Additionally, since 2014, versions of the U.S. omnibus spending bill have included a provision prohibiting the DOJ, which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, from using appropriated funds to prevent states from implementing their medical-use cannabis laws. In USA vs. McIntosh, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the provision prohibits the DOJ from spending funds to prosecute individuals who engage in conduct permitted by state medical-use cannabis laws and who strictly comply with such laws. The court noted that, if the spending bill provision were not continued, prosecutors could enforce against conduct occurring during the statute of limitations even while the provision was previously in force. Other courts that have considered the issue have ruled similarly, although courts disagree about which party bears the burden of proof of showing compliance or noncompliance with state law.

We cannot predict the timing of any change in federal law or possible changes in federal enforcement. In the unlikely event that the federal government were to reverse its long-standing hands-off approach to the state legal cannabis markets and start more broadly enforcing federal law regarding cannabis, we would likely be unable to execute our business plan, and our business and financial results would be adversely affected.

Certain of our customers may be outside any protections extended to medical-use cannabis under the spending bill provision and more recent medical-use and research laws. This could subject them to greater and/or different federal legal and other risks as compared to businesses where cannabis is sold exclusively for medical use, which could in turn materially adversely affect our business. Furthermore, any change in the federal government’s enforcement posture with respect to state-licensed cannabis sales, including the enforcement postures of individual federal prosecutors in judicial districts where we operate, could result in our inability to execute our business plan, and we would likely suffer significant losses with respect to our customer base, which would adversely affect our operations, cash flow and financial condition.

We are and will be subject to applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations.

We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the United States and Canada that involve money laundering, financial recordkeeping and proceeds of crime, including the U.S. Currency and Foreign 125 Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 (commonly known as the Bank Secrecy Act), as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (Canada), as amended and the rules and regulations thereunder, and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by governmental authorities in the United States, Canada and internationally. Further, under U.S. federal law, banks or other financial institutions that provide a cannabis business with a checking account, debit or credit card, small business loan, or any other service could be found guilty of money laundering if certain other elements are met.

Despite these laws, the FinCEN Memorandum states that in some circumstances, it is permissible for banks to provide services to cannabis-related businesses without risking FinCEN enforcement. It refers to and incorporates supplementary Cole Memo guidance issued to federal prosecutors relating to the prosecution of money laundering offenses predicated on cannabis-related violations of the CSA on the same day.

Notwithstanding former Attorney General Sessions’ revocation of the Cole Memo, the status of the FinCEN Memorandum has not been affected, nor has the Department of the Treasury given any indication that it intends to rescind the FinCEN Memorandum itself. Though it was originally intended for the Cole Memo and the FinCEN Memorandum to work in tandem, the FinCEN Memorandum appears to remain in effect as a standalone document which explicitly lists the eight enforcement priorities originally cited in the rescinded Cole Memo. Although the FinCEN Memorandum remains intact, indicating that the Department of the Treasury and FinCEN intend to continue abiding by its guidance, it is unclear whether the current administration will continue to follow the guidelines of the FinCEN Memorandum.

We face risks related to civil asset forfeiture due to the regulatory environment of the cannabis industry in the United States.

Because the cannabis industry remains illegal under U.S. federal law, any property owned by participants in the cannabis industry, which are either used in the course of conducting such business, or are the proceeds of such business, could be subject to seizure by law enforcement and subsequent civil asset forfeiture. Even if the owner of the property were never charged with a crime, the property in question could still be seized and subject to an administrative proceeding by which, with minimal due process, it could be subject to forfeiture. As a result, the equipment that our customers acquire from us in the United States may be subject to such seizure and forfeiture. Additionally, a broad interpretation of the law could potentially result in the seizure and forfeiture of proceeds we generate from client payments who are subject to property seizure.

Public opinion and perception of the cannabis industry may have an adverse effect on our business reputation.

Government policy changes or public opinion may also result in a significant influence over the regulation of the cannabis industry in the United States, Canada, or elsewhere. Public opinion and support for medical and adult-use marijuana has traditionally been inconsistent and varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. While public opinion and support appears to be improving for legalizing medical and adult-use marijuana, it remains a controversial issue subject to differing opinions surrounding the level of legalization (for example, medical marijuana as opposed to legalization in general). A negative shift in the public’s perception of cannabis in the United States or any other applicable jurisdiction could affect future legislation or regulation. Among other things, such a shift could cause state jurisdictions to abandon initiatives or proposals to legalize medical and/or adult-use cannabis, thereby limiting the number of new state jurisdictions into which we could expand. Any inability to fully implement our expansion strategy may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or prospects.

We may have difficulty accessing bankruptcy courts.

Because cannabis is illegal under federal law, federal bankruptcy protection is currently not available to parties who engage in the cannabis industry or cannabis-related businesses. Recent bankruptcy rulings have denied bankruptcies for dispensaries upon the justification that businesses cannot violate federal law and then claim the benefits of federal bankruptcy for the same activity and upon the justification that courts cannot ask a bankruptcy trustee to take possession of and distribute cannabis assets as such action would violate the CSA. Therefore, we may not be able to seek the protection of the bankruptcy courts, and this could materially affect our business or our ability to obtain credit.

Our business efforts in Canada present opportunities, but no assurance can be given that our revenues and earnings will be improved on the basis of our addressing the Canadian business.

In addition to U.S. operations, we seek to sell products and services to CEA and cannabis growers in Canada, where medical and recreational cannabis has been legal since 2018 across the country both federally and provincially (subject to certain restrictions relating to CBD). We believe Canada, with its federal legal regime, represents a business opportunity for us, but we have noticed softening demand from Canadian prospects due, in part, to limited capital being available for new facilities and an overbuilding of cultivation capacity following federal legalization. As a result, Canada now appears to be in a period of correction. There can be no assurance that we will be able to make any additional sales of products or services in Canada.

Variations in state and local regulation and enforcement in states that have legalized cannabis may impose certain restrictions on cannabis-related activities that may adversely impact our revenue and earnings.

Variations exist among states that have legalized, decriminalized, or created medical cannabis programs. For example, Alaska and Colorado have limits on the number of cannabis plants that can be grown by an individual in the home. In most states, the cultivation of cannabis for personal use continues to be prohibited except by those states that allow small-scale cultivation by the individual in possession of cannabis for medicinal purposes or that person’s caregiver. Active enforcement of state laws that prohibit personal cultivation of cannabis may indirectly and adversely affect our revenue and earnings.

The cannabis industry could face strong opposition from other industries.

We believe that established businesses in other industries may have a strong economic interest in opposing the development of the cannabis industry. Cannabis may be seen by companies in other industries as an attractive alternative to their products, including recreational marijuana as an alternative to alcohol, and medical marijuana as an alternative to various commercial pharmaceuticals. Many industries that could view the emerging cannabis industry as an economic threat are well established, with vast economic and United States federal and state lobbying resources. It is possible that companies within these industries could use their resources to attempt to slow or reverse legislation legalizing cannabis. Any inroads these companies make in halting or impeding legislative initiatives that would be beneficial to the cannabis industry could have a detrimental impact on our clients and, in turn on our operations.

Changing legislation and evolving interpretations of law, could negatively impact our clients and, in turn, our operations.

Laws and regulations affecting the medical and adult-use marijuana industry are constantly changing, which could detrimentally affect our clients involved in that industry and, in turn, our operations. Local, state and federal cannabis laws and regulations are often broad in scope and subject to constant evolution and inconsistent interpretations, which could require our clients and ourselves to incur substantial costs associated with modification of operations to ensure compliance. In addition, violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt our clients’ business and result in a material adverse effect on our operations. In addition, it is possible that regulations may be enacted in the future that will limit the amount of cannabis grown or related products that our commercial clients are authorized to produce. We cannot predict the nature of any future laws, regulations, interpretations or applications, nor can it determine what effect additional governmental regulations or administrative policies and procedures, when and if promulgated, could have on our operations.

The fact that we provide products and services to companies in the cannabis industry may impact our ability to raise adequate capital for future expansion, which could hinder our growth potential as well as our revenue and earnings.

A very large percentage of our customers are operating in an industry that is still illegal under U.S. federal law. With the lingering uncertainty of federal enforcement, many potential investors, especially institutional investors, either refuse to invest in the industry or are very reluctant to make such investments. Our inability to raise adequate capital for future expansion could substantially hinder our growth potential as well as our revenue and earnings.

Our success may be dependent on additional states legalizing recreational and/or medical cannabis use.

Continued development of the recreational and medical cannabis markets is dependent upon continued legislative authorization of cannabis at the state level for recreational and/or medical purposes. Any number of factors could slow or halt the progress. Furthermore, progress, while encouraging, is not assured, and the process normally encounters setbacks before achieving success. While there may be ample public support for legislative proposals, key support must be created in the relevant legislative committee, or a bill may never advance to a vote. Numerous factors impact the legislative process. Any one of these factors could slow or halt the progress and adoption of cannabis for recreational and/or medical purposes, which would limit the overall available market for our products and services, which could adversely impact our business, revenue and earnings.

Our customers may have difficulty accessing the service of banks, which may make it difficult for them to purchase our products and services.

As a result of the federal illegality of marijuana, many banks do not provide banking services to the cultivation and distribution segments of the cannabis industry, the argument being that they would be accepting for deposit funds derived from the operation of a federally illegal business. On February 14, 2014, the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) released guidance to banks “clarifying Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) expectations for financial institutions seeking to provide services to marijuana-related businesses.” In addition, there have been legislative attempts to allow banks to transact business with state-authorized cannabis businesses. While these are positive developments, there can be no assurance that legislation will be successful, or that, even with the FinCEN guidance, banks will decide to do business with cannabis companies, or that, in the absence of actual legislation, state and federal banking regulators will not strictly enforce current prohibitions on banks handling funds generated from an activity that is illegal under federal law. Moreover, the FinCEN guidance may be rescinded or amended at any time in order to reconcile the now conflicting guidance of the Sessions Memo. At present, few banks have taken advantage of the FinCEN guidance, resulting in many cannabis businesses still operating on an all-cash basis. This makes it difficult for cannabis businesses to manage their businesses and pay their employees and taxes; in addition, having so much cash on hand creates significant public safety issues. Many ancillary businesses that service cannabis businesses have to deal with the unpredictability of their clients or customers not having a bank account. The inability of our customers to open bank accounts and otherwise access the services of banks, including obtaining credit, may make it more difficult and costly for them to operate and more difficult for such customers to purchase our products and services, which could materially harm our business, revenue and earnings.

We are subject to certain federal regulations relating to cash reporting.

The BSA, enforced by FinCEN, requires us to report currency transactions in excess of $10,000, including identification of the customer by name and social security number, to the Internal Revenue Service. This regulation also requires us to report certain suspicious activity, including any transaction that exceeds $5,000 that we know, suspect or have reason to believe involves funds from illegal activity or is designed to evade federal regulations or reporting requirements and to verify sources of funds. Substantial penalties can be imposed against us if we fail to comply with this regulation. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations, the imposition of a substantial penalty could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

State and municipal governments in which our customers do business or seek to do business may have or may adopt laws that adversely affect our ability to do business with such customers.

While the federal government has the right to regulate and criminalize cannabis, state and municipal governments may adopt or amend additional laws and regulations that further criminalize or adversely affect cannabis businesses. States that currently have laws that decriminalize or legalize certain aspects of cannabis, such as medical marijuana, could in the future, reverse course and adopt new laws that further criminalize or adversely affect cannabis businesses. Additionally, municipal governments in certain states may have laws that adversely affect cannabis businesses, even though there are no such laws at the state level. For example, municipal governments may have zoning laws that restrict where cannabis operations can be located and the manner and size of which they can expand and operate. These municipal laws, like the federal laws, may adversely affect our customers’ ability to do business. Also, given the complexity and rapid change of the federal, state and local laws pertaining to cannabis, our customers may incur substantial legal costs associated with complying with these laws and in acquiring the necessary state and local licenses required by their business endeavors. All of the foregoing may impact our customers’ ability to purchase our products and services, which may adversely affect our business, revenue and earnings.

Most, if not all, of our customers are impacted by Section 280E of the Code, which limits certain expenses marijuana companies can deduct. This negative impact could affect the financial condition of our customers, which in turn may negatively affect the ability of our customers to purchase our products and services.

Section 280E of the Code forbids businesses from deducting otherwise ordinary business expenses from gross income associated with the “trafficking” of Schedule I or II substances, as defined by the CSA. The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) has subsequently applied Section 280E to state-legal cannabis businesses since marijuana is still a Schedule I substance. Section 280E states that no deductions should be allowed on any amount “in carrying on any trade or business if such trade or business consists of trafficking in controlled substances.” Section 280E affects all businesses that engage in the cultivation, sale or processing of marijuana. This includes cultivators, medical dispensaries, marijuana retail stores and infused product manufacturers, as well as marijuana-derived concentrates and oil manufacturers. Because Section 280E limits certain deductions, it can have a dramatic effect on the profitability of these businesses, which in turn may adversely affect their ability to purchase our products and services. Such result may adversely impact our revenue and earnings.

There may be difficulty enforcing certain of our commercial agreements and contracts.

Courts will not enforce a contract deemed to involve a violation of law or public policy. Because cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal law, parties to contracts involving the state legal cannabis industry have argued that the agreement was void as federally illegal or against public policy. Some courts have accepted this argument in certain cases, usually against the company trafficking in cannabis. While courts have enforced contracts related to activities by state-legal cannabis companies, and the trend is generally to enforce contracts with state-legal cannabis companies and their vendors, there remains doubt and uncertainty that we will be able to enforce our commercial agreements in court for this reason. We cannot be assured that we will have a remedy for breach of contract, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

Due to our involvement in the cannabis industry, we may have a difficult time obtaining the various insurances that are desired to operate our business, which may expose us to additional risk and financial liability.

Insurance that is otherwise readily available, such as general liability and directors’ and officers’ insurance, is more difficult for us to find, and more expensive, because we are product and service providers to companies in the cannabis industry. There are no guarantees that we will be able to find such insurances in the future, or that the cost will be affordable to us. If we are forced to go without such insurances, it may prevent us from entering into certain business sectors, may inhibit our growth, and may expose us to additional risk and financial liabilities.

A drop in the retail price of cannabis products may negatively impact our business.

The fluctuations in economic and market conditions that impact the prices of commercially grown cannabis, such as increases in the supply of cannabis and decreases in demand for cannabis, could have a negative impact on our clients that are cannabis producers, and therefore could negatively impact our business.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

Our securities prices may be volatile and may decrease substantially.

The public trading prices of our securities fluctuate, in some cases substantially, and we expect that they will continue to do so. The price of our securities in the market on any particular day depends on many factors including, but not limited to, the following:

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Due to the potential volatility of our securities prices, we may therefore be the target of securities litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our business.

In addition, if the market for equity stocks of companies in our industry, or the stock market in general, experiences a loss of investor confidence, the market price of our securities could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, financial condition, or results of operations. If any of the foregoing occurs, it could cause the price of our securities to fall and may expose us to lawsuits that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend and a distraction to our Board of Directors and management.

If we are unable to maintain our listing on The Nasdaq Markets for either the common stock or the warrants, or both, it could become more difficult to sell our securities in the public market.

Currently, our common stock and warrants are listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market. We received a de-listing letter in April 2023, and we must cure the deficiency prior to April 9, 2024, to regain compliance with the continued listing requirements. To maintain our listing on this market, we must meet Nasdaq’s listing maintenance standards. If we are unable to meet Nasdaq’s listing maintenance standards for any reason, our common stock and warrants will be delisted. If our securities are delisted, we may seek to list our securities on the NYSE American or on a regional stock exchange or, if one or more broker-dealer market makers comply with applicable requirements, the over-the-counter (OTC) market. Listing on such other market or exchange could reduce the liquidity of our securities. If our securities were to trade in the OTC market, an investor would find it more difficult to dispose of, or to obtain accurate quotations for the price of, the securities.

A delisting from The Nasdaq Capital Market and failure to obtain listing on another market or exchange would subject our securities to so-called penny stock rules that impose additional sales practice and market-making requirements on broker-dealers who sell or make a market in those securities. Consequently, removal from The Nasdaq Capital Market and failure to obtain listing on another market or exchange could affect the ability or willingness of broker-dealers to sell or make a market in our securities and the ability of purchasers of our securities to sell their securities in the secondary market.

Our Board of Directors is authorized to reclassify any unissued shares of our preferred stock into one or more classes, which could convey special rights and privileges to its owners.

Our articles of incorporation permit our Board of Directors to reclassify any authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock into one or more classes. Our Board of Directors will generally have broad discretion over the size and timing of any such classification, subject to a finding that the classification and issuance of preferred stock is in our best interests. In the event our Board of Directors opts to classify a portion of our unissued shares of preferred stock into a class of preferred stock, those preferred shares would have a preference over our common stock with respect to dividends and liquidation. The class voting rights of any preferred shares we may issue could make it more difficult for us to take some actions that may, in the future, be proposed by the Board of Directors and/or the holders of our common stock, such as a merger, exchange of securities, liquidation, or alteration of the rights of a class of our securities, if these actions were perceived by the holders of preferred shares as not in their best interests. These effects, among others, could have an adverse effect on your investment in our common stock.

Registration rights and Rule 144 sales contain risks for shareholders.

From time to time, we issue our securities on an unregistered basis, which may be eligible for resale under SEC Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act or may require us to register with the SEC the securities for resale. In the event there are securities outstanding that can be sold under Rule 144 or under a registration statement for resale, there may be market pressure on our stock to absorb the securities in respect of the then market value of the company.

We have a substantial number of options and warrants outstanding, which if exercised for shares of common stock, may put pressure on the market price of a share.

We have sold to public investors a substantial number of warrants to purchase common stock from time to time over the next several years. In addition, we have a substantial number of options and warrants outstanding held by investment bankers who provided us with underwriting and placement services that were issued warrants and employees that were issued options. To the extent that these are exercised for shares, there may be pressure on our stock price while the market absorbs them. The potential of exercise may also have the same effect. Investors should expect that the options and warrants will be exercised when the stock price is substantially above the exercise price.

We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, for the foreseeable future, to repay indebtedness and to fund our business. We do not intend to pay any dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our Board taking into account various factors, including our business, operating results and financial condition, current and anticipated cash needs, plans for expansion, any legal or contractual limitations on our ability to pay dividends under our loan agreements or otherwise. As a result, if our Board does not declare and pay dividends, the capital appreciation in the price of our common stock, if any, will be your only source of gain on an investment in our common stock, and you may have to sell some or all of your common stock to generate cash flow from your investment.

The market price of our securities may be adversely affected by the sale of shares by our management or large stockholders.

Sales of our shares of common stock by our officers or senior managers through 10b5-1 plans or otherwise or by large stockholders could adversely and unpredictably affect the price of our common stock. Additionally, the price of our shares of common stock could be affected even by the potential for sales by these persons. We cannot predict the effect that any future sales of our common stock, or the potential for those sales, will have on our share price. Furthermore, due to relatively low trading volume of our stock, should one or more large stockholders seek to sell a significant portion of their stock in a short period of time, the price of our stock may decline.

An active, liquid trading market for our common stock and warrants may not develop or be sustained, and as a result, investors may not be able to sell their common stock at or above their acquisition price, or at all.

Prior to February 10, 2022, our common stock was quoted on the OTC Markets Group, Inc., OTCQB. Trading on the OTCQB marketplace was infrequent and in limited volume. Although our common stock is now listed on Nasdaq, along with our public warrants, an active trading market for these securities may never develop or be sustained. If an active trading market does not develop, investors will have difficulty selling their shares of common stock and warrants at an attractive price, or at all. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital and may impair our ability to expand our business by using our common stock and common stock related securities as consideration in an acquisition. If we are unable to maintain our listing on the Nasdaq Market, it is possible that our securities will once again trade on the OTC with the limitations noted above. We received a continued listing deficiency letter and must satisfy the deficiency prior to April 9, 2024. If we do not satisfy the deficiency our securities will be removed from trading on Nasdaq by action of the exchange. In that event, there is no assurance that we will list our securities on any other trading platform.

You may be diluted by future issuances of preferred stock or additional common stock in connection with our incentive plans, acquisitions or otherwise; future sales of such shares in the public market, or the expectations that such sales may occur, could lower our stock price.

Our articles of incorporation authorizes us to issue shares of our common stock and options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to our common stock for the consideration and on the terms and conditions established by our Board in its sole discretion. We could issue a significant number of shares of common stock in the future in connection with investments or acquisitions. Any of these issuances could dilute our existing stockholders, and such dilution could be significant. Moreover, such dilution could have a material adverse effect on the market price for the shares of our common stock.

The future issuance of shares of preferred stock with voting rights may adversely affect the voting power of the holders of shares of our common stock, either by diluting the voting power of our common stock if the preferred stock votes together with the common stock as a single class, or by giving the holders of any such preferred stock the right or ability to block an action on which they have a separate class vote, even if the action were approved by the holders of our shares of our common stock.

The future issuance of shares of preferred stock with dividend or conversion rights, liquidation preferences or other economic terms favorable to the holders of preferred stock, when compared to the rights of the common stockholders, could adversely affect the market price for our common stock by making an investment in the common stock less attractive. For example, investors in the common stock may not wish to purchase common stock at a price above the conversion price of a series of convertible preferred stock because the holders of the preferred stock would effectively be entitled to purchase common stock at the lower conversion price, causing economic dilution to the holders of common stock.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and therefore we are not required to provide information under this item.

Item 1C. Cybersecurity

We have a cybersecurity program to identify, monitor, and mitigate cybersecurity risks. The security program consists of responsibilities for information security and incident response and is overseen by a third-party consultant with guidance from subcontracted cybersecurity vendors that our third-party consultant contracts. We consider cybersecurity risks alongside other company risks and consult with subject matter experts where necessary to identify cybersecurity risks, and evaluate their nature and severity.

Management offers cybersecurity updates to the Audit Committee on at least an annual basis, and more frequently if circumstances warrant. These briefings include assessments of risks, the threat landscape, and updates on any incidents.

Our third-party consultant provides and assists with implementation on a formal IT Security Policy to provide appropriate governance over information security including control requirements for change management and patching, multifactor authentication, data backup, security monitoring, and mobile device management. Management coordinates with its third-party consultant on security controls and any issues are reported to the Audit Committee. In addition, we carry insurance that provides levels of reimbursement protection against the potential losses arising from a cybersecurity incident; however, the insurance may not cover all the costs that we might incur, and we may suffer direct economic loss.

We have not had any reportable cybersecurity breaches, including what we may perceive or recognize as cybersecurity incidents or credible threats during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. To date, as a result, there has not been any material adverse effect on our business operations or financial condition. If there is a cybersecurity attack and an infiltration of our files, data, customer data and the like, there would be a material adverse effect on our business, our reputation, our operations and financial condition. For example, our reputation would be damaged in the event of a cybersecurity infiltration. If there were a cybersecurity infiltration, we could lose access to our data which would disrupt our operations, and we even may not be able to operate. Such a loss of access might be temporary or permanent, and it might be localized or general. The level of disruption will depend on our backup systems. Our clients financial and other data could be taken and used against us reputationally or to damage our clients in different ways. In the latter instance, we may be liable for monetary damages to our clients. We may be held for cyber ransom, which would be loss to our financial resources. Our inability to operate, payment of damages, payment of ransom, and the costs of reparation of our systems, consultants and tangential expenses will all result in damage to our business and our financial resources.

Item 2. Properties

We own no real property. On July 28, 2021, we executed a lease, which became effective November 1, 2021, for our manufacturing and headquarters office space at 385 S. Pierce Avenue, Suite C, Louisville, Colorado 80027. The term of the lease commenced November 1, 2021, and continues through January 31, 2027. Our leased space is approximately 11,491 square feet. We believe that our lease is at market rates and that there is sufficient space available in the Louisville, Colorado area to obtain additional or other space if and when required.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

On October 20, 2023, Sweet Cut Grow, LLC and Green Ice, LLC (collectively, “Claimant”) a client of the Company with which it had an equipment contract and engineering contract, filed a demand for arbitration asserting claims for breach of contract, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment, and demand for $1,049,280 in damages, plus interest (“Claims”). The Company continues to deny all the Claims and has asserted a counterclaim. The Company believes Claimant is owed nothing as the Company fulfilled all its obligations under the contracts to Claimant, and further, that the negligence of a third-party supplier is the basis of the Claims. The Company’s equipment contract with Claimant requires the parties to arbitrate their disputes under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). The arbitration will be heard in Denver, Colorado. The matter is in the preliminary phase. The parties will pay their own legal fees and expenses. The Company intends to defend itself vigorously, believing there are no merits to the claims as currently presented.

Given the current uncertainty around estimability and success of claims, we have not recorded an accrual for any potential loss related to this matter.

Regardless, we intend to generally defend the claims on the basis that we promptly addressed all problems, and that any issues with defective HVAC equipment are the responsibility of our third-party equipment manufacturer.

From time to time, we may be a party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of our rights under contracts with our customers. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Public Securities: Common Stock and Warrants

Our shares of common stock currently are quoted on Nasdaq under the symbol “CEAD”. In addition, we have a class of publicly traded warrants to purchase shares of common stock that are quoted on Nasdaq under the symbol “CEADW.” We received a continued listing deficiency letter and must satisfy the deficiency prior to April 9, 2024. If we do not satisfy the deficiency our securities will be removed from trading on Nasdaq by action of the exchange. We believe our securities will then trade on the OTC. We do not anticipate applying for listing on the higher tiers of the OTC. We will continue to be a reporting company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and we anticipate that brokers will continue to be able to make share transactions in our securities, although they will be subject to trading requirements that will substantially restrict the ability of our stockholders to make share sales and others to make share purchases. The limited trading will also restrict our ability to use our equity to fund our operations.

As of March 9, 2024, we had approximately 32 shareholders of record and as of October 25, 2023, we had approximately 11,694 shareholders who hold their shares in street name.

We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, for the foreseeable future, to repay indebtedness and to fund our business. We do not intend to pay any dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our Board taking into account various factors, including our business, operating results and financial condition, current and anticipated cash needs, plans for expansion, any legal or contractual limitations on our ability to pay dividends under our loan agreements or otherwise.

Equity Compensation Plans

2017 Equity Incentive Plan

On August 1, 2017, our Board of Directors adopted and approved the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Equity Plan”) in order to attract, motivate, retain, and reward high-quality executives and other employees, officers, directors, consultants, and other persons who provide services to us by enabling such persons to acquire an equity interest in us. Under the 2017 Equity Plan, our Board of Directors may award stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock awards (“RSAs”), restricted stock unit awards (“RSUs”), shares granted as a bonus or in lieu of another award, and other stock-based performance awards. The 2017 Equity Plan allocates 333,333 shares of our common stock (“Plan Shares”) for issuance of equity awards under the 2017 Equity Plan. As of December 31, 2023, we have granted, under the 2017 Equity Plan, awards in the form of RSAs for services rendered by independent directors and consultants, non-qualified stock options, RSUs, and stock bonus awards.

The information for our 2017 Equity Plan as of December 31, 2023 is summarized as follows:

(1) Of the 333,333 Plan Shares allocated for issuance under the 2017 Equity Plan, as of December 31, 2023, 163,692 shares have been issued, non-qualified stock options over 145,512 shares were issued and outstanding and securities in respect of the remaining 24,129 shares were available for future issuance.

2021 Equity Incentive Plan

On March 22, 2021, the Board approved the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2021 Equity Plan”), which was approved by the stockholders on July 22, 2021. The 2021 Equity Plan permits the Board to grant awards of up to 666,667 shares of common stock. The 2021 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options intended to qualify under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock awards and restricted stock unit awards and other equity linked awards to our employees, consultants and directors. If an equity award (i) expires or otherwise terminates without having been exercised in full or (ii) is settled in cash (i.e., the holder of the award receives cash rather than stock), such expiration, termination or settlement will not reduce (or otherwise offset) the number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to this Plan. As of December 31, 2023, we have granted under the 2021 Equity Plan, incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, and a stock bonus award.

(1) Of the 666,667 Plan Shares allocated for issuance under the 2021 Equity Plan, as of December 31, 2023, 132,568 shares have been issued, non-qualified stock options over 172,815 shares were issued and outstanding, incentive stock options over 40,816 shares were issued and outstanding, and securities in respect of the remaining 320,467 shares were available for future issuance.

Refer to Note 13 – Equity Incentive Plan of our consolidated financial statements, which are included as part of this Annual Report for further details on our 2017 Equity Plan and 2021 Equity Plan.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

We are a smaller reporting company, as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and therefore we are not required to provide the information under this item.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this Annual Report, which include additional information about our accounting policies, practices, and the transactions underlying our financial results. In addition to historical information, this Annual Report contains forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated by such forward-looking information due to the factors discussed under “Cautionary Statements” appearing elsewhere herein and the risks and uncertainties described or identified in “Item 1A – Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.

Please also refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Item 1 – Business in this Annual Report, and our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report. Our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is segregated into four sections, including:

Executive Overview. This section provides a summary of our operating performance and cash flows, industry trends and our strategic initiatives.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates. This section describes the accounting areas where management makes critical estimates to report our financial condition and results of operations.

Results of Operations. This section provides an analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the two comparative periods presented in our consolidated financial statements.

Liquidity, Capital Resources and Financial Position. This section provides an analysis of cash flow, contractual obligations, and certain other matters affecting our financial position.

Executive Overview

CEA Industries Inc. is focused on selling environmental control and other technologies and services to the Controlled Environment Agriculture (“CEA”) industry. Our service and product offerings include: (i) floor plans and architectural design of cultivation facilities, (ii) licensed mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering of commercial scale environmental control systems specific to cultivation facilities, (iii) process cooling systems and other climate control systems, (iv) air handling equipment and systems, (v) LED lighting, (vi) benching and racking solutions for indoor cultivation, (vii) automation and control devices, systems and technologies used for environmental, lighting and climate control, and (viii) preventative maintenance services for CEA facilities. Our customers include commercial, state- and provincial-regulated CEA growers in the U.S. and Canada as well as in other international locations. Customers are those growers building new facilities and those expanding or retrofitting existing facilities, with both ranging in size from several thousand to more than 100,000 square feet.

Historically, our revenue stream is derived primarily from supplying our products, services and technologies to commercial indoor facilities that grow cannabis, but we have served facilities growing other crops and we intend to pursue such facilities as customers more in the future.

Historically, nearly all of our customers have been in the cannabis cultivation business. We believe our customers engage us for their environmental and climate control systems because they value our reputation as experts in the industry. We leverage our reputation and know-how against the many local contractors and MEP engineers who collectively constitute our largest competitors.

The following table summarizes results for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

Our adjusted net income (loss) is our GAAP net income (loss) after addback for our non-cash equity compensation expenses, debt-related items, goodwill impairment charges, and depreciation expense. Historically, one of the most significant financial challenges we face is the inconsistent and unpredictable revenue we generate quarter-over-quarter, and our revenue and cash flow remain difficult to predict. 

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Our Business

The impact of the government and the business economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic affected demand across the majority of our markets and disrupted workflow and completion schedules on projects. We believe we continue to have adverse effects on our sales, project implementation, supply chain infrastructure, operating margins, costs, and working capital. Due to this uncertainty, we continue to monitor costs and continue to take actions to reduce costs in order to mitigate the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the best of our ability. However, these actions may not be sufficient in the long run to avoid reduced sales, increased losses, and reduced operating cash flows in our business. During the year ended December 31, 2022, and continuing into the current fiscal quarter, the Company experienced delays in the receipt of equipment it had ordered to meet its customer orders due to disruption and delays in its supply chain. Consequently, our revenue recognition of some customer sales has been delayed until future periods when the shipment of orders can be completed.

Impact of Ukrainian and Israeli Conflicts

We believe that the conflicts involving Ukraine and Israel do not have any direct impact on our operations, financial condition, or financial reporting. We believe the conflicts will have only a general impact on our operations in the same manner as it is having a general impact on all businesses that have their operations limited to North America resulting from international sanction and embargo regulations, possible shortages of goods and goods incorporating parts that may be supplied from countries involved in the conflicts, supply chain challenges, and the international and US domestic inflation resulting from the conflict and government spending in relation to the conflicts. As our operations are related only to the North American controlled agricultural industry, largely within the cannabis space, we do not believe we will be targeted for cyber-attacks related to the conflicts. We have no operations in the countries directly involved in the conflict or are specifically impacted by any of the sanctions and embargoes, as we principally operate in the United States and Canada. We do not believe that the conflicts will have any impact on our internal control over financial reporting. Other than general securities market trends, we do not have reason to believe that investors will evaluate the company as having special risks or exposures related to the conflicts.

Revenue. Our 2023 revenue was approximately $6,911,000. Our 2023 revenue represents a decrease of 39% compared to 2022.

Gross Margin. Our 2023 gross margin was 7.8%, a decrease from 10.1% in 2022. This decrease was primarily due to lower revenue and an increase in our fixed cost base as a percent of revenue. We experienced a small decrease in variable costs as a percentage of revenue. See Results of Operations below.

Profitability. Our 2023 adjusted net loss was approximately $2,698,000, compared to a 2022 adjusted net loss of approximately $4,526,000, a decrease of $1,828,000, or 40%. See Results of Operations below. Our adjusted net income (loss) is a key management metric for us because it provides a proxy for the cash we generate from (use in) operations.

Capital Resources. We continue to experience softening demand in the markets we serve, and an inability to replace our backlog of projects. As a result, we have taken steps during 2023 and early 2024 to reduce our operating costs and general and administrative expenses to better reflect the activity levels we are observing in the industry.

Nonetheless, there remain risks and uncertainties regarding our ability to grow revenue and generate sufficient revenues and cash flows. And there can be no assurances that we will be able to raise future capital on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

Contract Bookings. Our bookings decreased in 2023, and our backlog at December 31, 2023, was $435,000, a decrease of $5,142,000, or 92%, from our December 31, 2022 backlog. During 2023, we had net bookings of $1,535,000, consisting of: (i) $1,848,000 of new sales contracts executed in 2023, (ii) $59,000 in net positive changes orders, and (iii) $372,000 in project cancellations.

The following table sets forth: (i) our beginning backlog (the remaining contract value of outstanding sales contracts for which we have received an initial deposit as of the previous period), (ii) our net bookings for the period (new sales contracts executed during the period for which we received an initial deposit, net of any adjustments including cancellations and change orders during the period), (iii) our recognized revenue for the period, and (iv) our ending backlog for the period (the sum of the beginning backlog and net bookings, less recognized revenue). Based on the current economic climate and our cost cutting measures, there is no assurance that we will be able to continue to obtain the level of bookings that we have had in the past and or fulfill our current backlog, and we may experience contract cancellations, project scope reductions and project delays.

Our recognized revenue for the quarters ended March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023, September 30, 2023, and December 31, 2023 in the table below, excludes $149,000, $56,000, $29,000, and $0, respectively, in revenue arising from the forfeiture of non-refundable deposits from former customers on previously cancelled contracts. The contracts were removed from the backlog at the time of cancellation.

The completion of a customer’s new build facility project is dependent upon the customer’s ability to secure funding and real estate, obtain a license and then build their cultivation facility so they can take possession of the equipment. Accordingly, the time it takes for these customers to complete a new build project, which corresponds to when we are able to recognize revenue, is driven by numerous factors including: (i) the large number of first-time participants interested in the indoor cannabis cultivation business; (ii) the complexities and uncertainties involved in obtaining state and local licensure and permitting; (iii) local and state government delays in approving licenses and permits due to lack of staff or the large number of pending applications, especially in states where there is no cap on the number of cultivators; (iv) the customer’s need to obtain cultivation facility financing; (v) the time needed, and coordination required, for our customers to acquire real estate and properly design and build the facility (to the stage when climate control systems can be installed); (vi) the large price tag and technical complexities of the climate control and air sanitation systems; (vii) the availability of power; and (viii) delays that are typical in completing any construction project.

We have provided an estimate in our consolidated financial statements of when we expect to recognize revenue on our remaining performance obligations (i.e., our Q4 2023 backlog), using separate time bands, with respect to engineering only paid contracts and partial equipment paid contracts. However, there continues to be significant uncertainty regarding the timing of our recognition of revenue in our Q4 2023 backlog. Refer to the Revenue Recognition section of Note 2 in our consolidated financial statements, included as part of this Annual Report for additional information on our estimate of future revenue recognition on our remaining performance obligations.

Our backlog, remaining performance obligations and net bookings may not be indicative of future operating results, and our customers may attempt to renegotiate or terminate their contracts for a number of reasons, including delays in, or inability to, obtain project financing or licensing or abandonment of the project entirely. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that contracts included in backlog or remaining performance obligations will actually generate revenues or when the actual revenues will be generated. Net bookings and backlog are considered non-GAAP financial measures, and therefore, they should be considered in addition to, rather than as a substitute for, our GAAP measures for recognized revenue, deferred revenue and remaining performance obligations. Further, we can provide no assurance as to the profitability of our contracts reflected in remaining performance obligations, backlog and net bookings.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

This discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Certain accounting policies are particularly important to the understanding of our financial position and results of operations and require the application of significant judgment by our management or can be materially affected by changes from period to period in economic factors or conditions that are outside of our control. As a result, they are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty. In applying these policies, management uses its judgment to determine the appropriate assumptions to be used in the determination of certain estimates. Those estimates are based on our historical operations, our future business plans and projected financial results, the terms of existing contracts, observance of trends in the industry, information provided by our customers, and information available from other outside sources, as appropriate. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. For information regarding our critical accounting policies as well as recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 2 of our consolidated financial statements.

Our management has discussed the development and selection of critical accounting estimates with the Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors has reviewed our disclosure relating to critical accounting estimates in this Annual Report. We believe the following are the more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

Accounts receivable and allowance for accounts receivable. Accounts receivables are recorded at the invoiced amount or based on revenue earned for items not yet invoiced, and generally do not bear interest. In accordance with ASU No. 2016-13 (as amended), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which the Company adopted on a prospective basis effective January 1, 2023, an allowance for doubtful accounts is recorded against the Company’s receivables by applying an expected credit loss model. Each period, management assesses the appropriateness of the level of allowance for credit losses by considering credit risk inherent within its receivables as of the end of the period. The Company considers a receivable past due when a debtor has not paid us by the contractually specified payment due date. Account balances are written off against the allowance for credit losses if collection efforts are unsuccessful and the receivable balance is deemed uncollectible (debtor default), based on factors such as the debtor’s credit rating as well as the length of time the amounts are past due. As of December 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, the allowance for doubtful accounts was $125,000 and $127,000, respectively. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required.

Inventory. Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The inventory is valued based on a first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis. Lower of cost or net realizable value is evaluated by considering obsolescence, excessive levels of inventory, deterioration and other factors. Adjustments to reduce the cost of inventory to its net realizable value, if required, are made for estimated excess, obsolescence or impaired inventory. Excess and obsolete inventory is charged to cost of revenue and a new lower-cost basis for that inventory is established; subsequent changes in facts and circumstances do not result in the restoration or increase in that newly established cost basis. As of December 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, the allowance for excess and obsolete inventory was $193,000 and $71,000, respectively.

Product warranty. We warrant the products that we manufacture for a warranty period equal to the lesser of 12 months from start-up or 18 months from shipment. Our warranty provides for the repair, rework, or replacement of products (at our option) that fail to perform within stated specification. Our third-party suppliers also warrant their products under similar terms, which are passed through to our customers. We assess the historical warranty claims on our manufactured products and, since 2016, warranty claims have been approximately 1% of annual revenue generated on these products. We continue to assess the need to record a warranty reserve at the time of sale based on historical claims and other factors. As of December 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, we had an accrued warranty reserve amount of $191,000 and $180,000, respectively, which are included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.

Share-based compensation. We recognize the cost resulting from all share-based compensation arrangements, including stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units that we grant under our equity incentive plan in our consolidated financial statements based on their grant date fair value. The expense is recognized over the requisite service period or performance period of the award. The service inception date is typically the grant date, but the service inception date may be prior to the grant date. Awards with a graded vesting period based on service are expensed on a straight-line basis for the entire award. Awards with performance-based vesting conditions which require the achievement of a specific company financial performance goal at the end of the performance period and required service period are recognized over the performance period. Each reporting period, we reassess the probability of achieving the respective performance goal. If the goals are not expected to be met, no compensation cost is recognized, and any previously recognized amount recorded is reversed. If the award contains market-based vesting conditions, the compensation cost is based on the grant date fair value and expected achievement of market condition and is not subsequently reversed if it is later determined that the condition is not likely to be met or is expected to be lower than initially expected. The grant date fair value of stock options is based on the Black-Scholes Model. The Black-Scholes Model requires judgmental assumptions including volatility and expected term, both based on historical experience. The risk-free interest rate is based on U.S. Treasury interest rates whose term is consistent with the expected term of the option.

Revenue Recognition. We account for revenue in accordance with ASC 606. Under the revenue standard, a performance obligation is a promise in a contract with a customer to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. Most of our contracts contain multiple performance obligations that include engineering and technical services as well as the delivery of a diverse range of climate control system equipment and components, which can span multiple phases of a customer’s project life cycle from facility design and construction to equipment delivery and system installation and start-up. We do not provide construction services or system installation services. Some of our contracts with customers contain a single performance obligation, typically engineering only services contracts.

A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. When there are multiple performance obligations within a contract, we allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation based on standalone selling price. When estimating the selling price, we use various observable inputs. The best observable input is our actual selling price for the same good or service, however, this input is generally not available for our contracts containing multiple performance obligations. For engineering services, we estimate the standalone selling price by reference to certain physical characteristics of the project, such as facility size and mechanical systems involved, which are indicative of the scope and complexity of the mechanical engineering services to be provided. For equipment sales, the standalone selling price is determined by forecasting the expected costs of the equipment and components and then adding an appropriate margin, based on a range of acceptable margins established by management. Depending on the nature of the performance obligations, we may use a combination of different methods and observable inputs if certain performance obligations have highly variable or uncertain standalone selling prices. Once the selling prices are determined, we apply the relative values to the total contract consideration and estimates the amount of the transaction price to be recognized as each promise is fulfilled.

Generally, satisfaction occurs when control of the promised goods is transferred to the customer or as we recognize revenue for the sale of goods when control transfers to the customer, which primarily occurs at the time of shipment. We have elected to exclude from the measurement of the transaction price all taxes (e.g., sales, use, value added, and certain excise taxes) that are assessed by a governmental authority in connection with a specific revenue-producing transaction and collected by us from the customer. Accordingly, we recognize revenue net of sales taxes. The revenue and cost for freight and shipping is recorded when control over the sale of goods passes to our customers.

We also have performance obligations to perform certain engineering services that are satisfied over a period of time. Revenue is recognized from this type of performance obligation as services are rendered based on the percentage completion towards certain specified milestones.

We offer assurance-type warranties for its products and products manufactured by others to meet specifications defined by the contracts with customers and does not have any material separate performance obligations related to these warranties. We maintain a warranty reserve based on historical warranty costs.

Remaining performance obligations. The revenue standard requires certain quantitative and qualitative disclosures about our remaining performance obligations, which are defined as performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) as of the end of the reporting period, including (i) the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to the remaining performance obligations, and (ii) when we expect to recognize as revenue with respect to such amounts on either: (x) a quantitative basis using appropriate time bands for the duration of the remaining performance obligations, or (y) by using qualitative information. Industry uncertainty, project financing concerns, and the licensing and qualification of our prospective customers, which are out of our control, make it difficult for us to predict when we will recognize revenue on our remaining performance obligations. There are risks that we may not realize the full contract value on customer projects in a timely manner or at all, and completion of a customer’s cultivation facility project is dependent upon the customer’s ability to secure funding and real estate, obtain a license and then build their cultivation facility so they can take possession of the equipment. Accordingly, the time it takes for customers to complete a project, which corresponds to when we are able to recognize revenue, is driven by numerous factors including: (i) the large number of first-time participants interested in the indoor cannabis cultivation business; (ii) the complexities and uncertainties involved in obtaining state and local licensure and permitting; (iii) local and state government delays in approving licenses and permits due to lack of staff or the large number of pending applications, especially in states where there is no cap on the number of cultivators; (iv) the customer’s need to obtain cultivation facility financing; (v) the time needed, and coordination required, for our customers to acquire real estate and properly design and build the facility (to the stage when climate control systems can be installed); (vi) the significant price and technical complexities of the climate control and air sanitation system; (vii) the availability of power; and (viii) delays that are typical in completing any construction project. Further, based on the current economic climate, and the Company’s recent cost cutting measures, there is no assurance that the Company will be able to fulfill its backlog, and the Company may experience contract cancellations, project scope reductions and project delays.

There is significant uncertainty regarding the timing of our recognition on all remaining performance obligations as of December 31, 2023. Customer contracts for which we have only received an initial advance payment to cover the allocated value of our engineering services (“engineering only paid contracts”) carry enhanced risks that the equipment portion of these contracts will not be completed or will be delayed, which could occur if the customer is dissatisfied with the quality or timeliness of our engineering services or there is a delay or abandonment of the project due to the customer’s inability to obtain project financing or licensing. In contrast, after the customer has made an advance payment for a portion of the equipment to be delivered under the contract (“partial equipment paid contracts”), we are typically better able to estimate the timing of revenue recognition since the risks and delays associated with licensing, permitting and project funding are typically mitigated once the initial equipment payment is received.

Commitments and contingencies. In the normal course of business, we are subject to loss contingencies, such as legal proceedings and claims arising out of our business, that cover a wide range of matters, including, among others, customer disputes, government investigations and tax matters. An accrual for a loss contingency is recognized when it is probable that an asset has been impaired, or a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated.

Results of Operations

Comparison of Years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022

Revenues and Cost of Goods Sold

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $6,911,000 compared to $11,283,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, a decrease of $4,372,000, or 39%. This revenue decrease was primarily the result of our decreased net bookings in 2023 which dropped from $6,042,000 in 2022 to $1,535,000 in 2023, or 75%. We believe the lower bookings are due to the suppression of capital expenditures in the cannabis market environment as a result of the prolonged effects of pricing and inflationary pressure, in addition to a reduced sales effort by the Company.

Cost of revenue decreased by $3,769,000, or 37%, from $10,138,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022 to $6,369,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The factors impacting this change are discussed below.

The gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $542,000 compared to $1,145,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022. Gross profit margin decreased by 2.3 percentage points from 10.1% for the year ended December 31, 2022 to 7.8% for the year ended December 31, 2023. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease in revenue, an increase in our fixed cost base as a percent of revenue, offset by slightly lower variable costs as a percent of revenue.

Our revenue cost structure is comprised of both fixed and variable components. The fixed cost component represents engineering, manufacturing and project management salaries and benefits and manufacturing overhead that totaled $1,279,000, or 18.5% of total revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $1,572,000, or 13.9% of total revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease of $293,000 was primarily due to a decrease in salaries and benefits (including stock-based compensation) of $267,000, and a decrease of $26,000 in fixed overhead. The variable cost component, which represents our cost of equipment, outside engineering costs, shipping and handling, travel and warranty costs, totaled $5,090,000, or 73.6% of total revenue, in the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $8,567,000, or 75.9% of total revenue, in the year ended December 31, 2022. In the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the prior year, our cost of equipment decreased by $3,109,000 primarily due to the decrease in revenue, offset by a decrease in our equipment margin. Additionally in the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022: (i) our warranty expense decreased by $195,000, (ii) travel was down by $101,000, (iii) our outside engineering costs were down by $43,000, (iv) other variable costs decreased by $41,000, and (iv) shipping and handling expenses decreased by $26,000. These decreases were offset by an increase in excess and obsolete inventory expense of $37,000.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses decreased by 49% from $6,869,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022 to $3,495,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, a decrease of $3,374,000. The operating expense increase consisted of: (i) a decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A expenses”) of $1,615,000, (ii) a decrease in advertising and marketing expenses of $884,000, (iii) a decrease in goodwill impairment charges of $631,000, and (iv) a decrease in product development expenses of $244,000.

The decrease in SG&A expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, was due primarily to: (i) a decrease of $998,000 in salaries, benefits (including equity-based compensation) and other employee related costs, (ii) a decrease of $314,000 in accounting and other professional fees, (iii) a decrease in commissions of $111,000, (iv) a decrease in travel of $104,000, (v) a decrease of $96,000 for facility and office expenses, and (vi) a decrease in bad debt of $89,000, (vii) a decrease of $5,000 for insurance and, (viii) lower losses on asset disposals of $5,000, offset by (ix) an increase of $67,000 for investor relations expense, (x), higher business taxes and licenses of $31,000 , and (xi) an increase of $10,000 for Board of Director fees.

The decrease in advertising and marketing expenses was due primarily to: (i) a decrease in salaries and benefits (including equity-based compensation) of $358,000, (ii) a decrease of $296,000 for advertising and promotion, web development and other marketing expenses, (iii) a decrease in expenses for industry trade shows and events of $194,000, and (iv) a decrease of $36,000 for outside marketing services.

The decrease in product development costs was primarily due to (i) a decrease in salaries and benefits (including equity-based compensation) of $193,000, (ii) a decrease in material costs of $35,000 and, (iii) a decrease in travel of $16,000.

Operating Loss

We had an operating loss of $2,953,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to an operating loss of $5,724,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, a decrease of $2,771,000, or 48%. The operating loss included $188,000 of non-cash, stock-based compensation expenses and $26,000 for depreciation and amortization in the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $631,000 for a goodwill impairment charge, $314,000 for stock-based compensation, and $26,000 of depreciation and amortization for the year ended December 31, 2022. Excluding these non-cash items, our adjusted operating loss decreased by $2,013,000.

Other Income (Expense)

Our other income (net) decreased by $185,000 from $227,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, to $42,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The other income for 2023 primarily consisted of (i) $34,000 for interest on our money market account, and (ii) $8,000 for and adjustment to our ERC credit and unclaimed property. The other income for 2022 primarily consisted of (i) $185,000 from an insurance settlement, and (ii) $35,000 for interest on a money market account.

Net Loss

Overall, we had a net loss of $2,912,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to a net loss of $5,497,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, a decrease of $2,585,000. The net loss included $188,000 of non-cash, stock-based compensation costs and depreciation and amortization expense of $26,000 in the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $631,000 for a goodwill impairment charge, $314,000 of non-cash, stock-based compensation costs and depreciation and amortization expense of $26,000 in the year ended December 31, 2022. Excluding these non-cash items, our adjusted net loss decreased by $1,828,000.

Liquidity, Capital Resources and Financial Position

Cash and Cash Equivalents

As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $12,508,000, compared to cash and cash equivalents of $18,637,000 as of December 31, 2022. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents during the year ended December 31, 2023 was the result of cash used in operations of $6,129,000. Our cash is held in bank depository accounts in certain financial institutions. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we held deposits in financial institutions that exceeded the federally insured amount.

On February 15, 2022, we received the net proceeds from the offering of shares of common stock and warrants to purchase common stock in the amount of $21,711,000.

As of December 31, 2023, we had accounts receivable (net of allowance for doubtful accounts) of $19,000, contract assets of $224,000, inventory (net of excess and obsolete allowance) of $296,000, and prepaid expenses and other of $313,000 (including $5,500 in advance payments on inventory purchases). While we typically require advance payment before we commence engineering services or ship equipment to our customers, we have made exceptions requiring us to record accounts receivable, which carry a risk of non-collectability, especially since most of our customers are funded on an as-needed basis to complete facility construction.

As of December 31, 2023, we had no indebtedness, total accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $625,000, deferred revenue of $500,000, and the current portion of operating lease liability of $127,000. As of December 31, 2023, we had working capital of $12,110,000, compared to a working capital of $14,724,000 as of December 31, 2022.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

Because of the challenges to the CEA industry economy and the specific challenges of our business, we cannot predict the continuing level of working capital that we will have in the future. As mentioned elsewhere, we have taken steps to conserve our cash resources by reducing staff and taking other cost cutting measures and we will continue to evaluate further such measures in the future.

Summary of Cash Flows

The following summarizes our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022:

Operating Activities

We incurred a net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 of $2,912,000 compared to a net loss for the year ended December 31, 2022 of $5,497,000. We had an accumulated deficit of $37,190,000 as of December 31, 2023.

Cash used in operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $6,129,000 compared to cash used in operations of $3,190,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $2,939,000. The increase was primarily attributable to: (i) an increase in cash used for working capital of $4,965,000, (ii) a decrease in net loss of $2,586,000 and, (iii) a decrease in non-cash operating charges of $560,000. Significant non-cash items during 2023 included: (i) stock-related compensation of $188,000, (ii) excess and obsolete inventory charges of $122,000, and (iii) $107,000 for the amortization on an ROU asset. Significant non-cash items during 2022 included: (i) a goodwill impairment charge of $631,000, (ii) stock-related compensation of $314,000, and (iii) $103,000 for the amortization on an ROU asset.

Investing Activities

Cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was less than $1,000, compared to $28,000 cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022. The change was related to lower purchases of property and equipment.

Financing Activities

There were no cash flows from financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2023.

Cash flows from financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2022, was the result of cash proceeds from the sale of common stock and warrants (net of issuance costs) of $21,711,000, offset by a cash payment of $2,016,000 for the redemption of series B preferred stock, including related dividends.

Common Stock Equity Offering

On February 10, 2022, the Company signed a firm commitment underwriting agreement for the public offering of shares of common stock and warrants, which closed on February 15, 2022. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $21,711,000, for the sale of 5,811,138 shares of common stock and 6,572,808 warrants, each warrant to purchase one share of common stock for five years, exercisable immediately, at an exercise price of $5.00. The Company also issued to the representative of the underwriters 290,557 warrants, each warrant to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $5.16, during the period commencing August 9, 2022, and expiring on February 10, 2027.

The net proceeds from the offering have been used for general corporate and working capital purposes. In connection with the offering, we listed our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “CEAD” and our warrants under the symbol “CEADW”. As a result, effective February 10, 2022, trading started for both shares of the Company’s common stock and certain of the Company’s warrants commenced on Nasdaq. We received a continued listing deficiency letter and must satisfy the deficiency prior to April 9, 2024, which if not satisfied will require Nasdaq to delist both securities.

Capital Raising

Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses and have funded our operations primarily through issuances of equity securities, debt, and operating revenue. As of December 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $37,190,000, working capital of $12,110,000, and stockholders’ equity of $12,261,000.

Inflation

Our operations are being influenced by the inflation existent in the larger economy and in the industries related to building renovations, retrofitting and new build CEA facilities in which we operate. We believe that we will continue to face inflationary increases in the cost of products and our operations, which will adversely affect our margins and financial results and the pricing of our service and product supply contracts. Inflation is reflected in higher wages, increased pricing of equipment, delivery and transportation costs, and general operational expenses. As we move forward, we plan to continuously monitor our various contract terms and may decide to add clauses that will permit us to adjust pricing if inflation and price increase pressures on us will impact our ability to perform our contracts and maintain our margins.

Contractual Payment Obligations

Refer to Note 3 – Leases of our consolidated financial statements, which are included as part of this Annual Report for further details on our obligations under a lease for our manufacturing and office space.

Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation

On October 20, 2023, Sweet Cut Grow, LLC and Green Ice, LLC (collectively, “Claimant”) a client of the Company with which it had an equipment contract and engineering contract, filed a demand for arbitration asserting claims for breach of contract, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment, and demand for $1,049,280 in damages, plus interest (“Claims”). The Company continues to deny all the Claims and has asserted a counterclaim. The Company believes Claimant is owed nothing as the Company fulfilled all its obligations under the contracts to Claimant, and further, that the negligence of a third-party supplier is the basis of the Claims. The Company’s equipment contract with Claimant requires the parties to arbitrate their disputes under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”). The arbitration will be heard in Denver, Colorado. The matter is in the preliminary phase. The parties will pay their own legal fees and expenses. The Company intends to defend itself vigorously, believing there are no merits to the claims as currently presented.

Given the current uncertainty around estimability and success of claims, we have not recorded an accrual for any potential loss related to this matter.

Regardless, we intend to generally defend the claims on the basis that we promptly addressed all problems, and that any issues with defective HVAC equipment are the responsibility of our third-party equipment manufacturer.

From time to time, in the normal course of our operations, we are subject to litigation matters and claims. Litigation can be expensive and disruptive to normal business operations. Moreover, the results of complex legal proceedings are difficult to predict, and our view of these matters may change in the future as the litigation and events related thereto unfold. An unfavorable outcome to any legal matter, if material, could have an adverse effect on our operations or our financial position, liquidity or results of operations.

Other Commitments

In the ordinary course of business, we may provide indemnifications of varying scope and terms to customers, vendors, lessors, business partners, and other parties with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of our breach of such agreements, services to be provided by us, or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and certain of our officers and employees that will require us to, among other things, indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors, officers, or employees. We maintain director and officer insurance, which may cover certain liabilities arising from our obligation to indemnify our directors and certain of our officers and employees, and former officers, directors, and employees of acquired companies, in certain circumstances.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We are required to disclose any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, or capital resources that are material to investors. As of December 31, 2023, we had no off-balance sheet arrangements. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we did not engage in any off-balance sheet financing activities.

Recent Developments

Refer to Note 15 - Subsequent Events of our consolidated financial statements, included as part of this Annual Report, for the significant events occurring since December 31, 2023.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We are a smaller reporting company, as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, therefore are not required to provide the information under this item.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Our consolidated financial statements are included herein, beginning on page F-1. The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the consolidated financial statements set forth in Item 15. “Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules” of this Annual Report.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management conducted an evaluation, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Principal Financial and Accounting Officer concluded that as a result of the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting described below, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2023.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for the preparation of our financial statements and related information. Management uses its best judgment to ensure that the financial statements present fairly, in material respects, our financial position and results of operations in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in the Exchange Act. These internal controls are designed to provide reasonable assurance that the reported financial information is presented fairly, that disclosures are adequate and that the judgments inherent in the preparation of financial statements are reasonable. There are inherent limitations in the effectiveness of any system of internal controls including the possibility of human error and overriding of controls. Consequently, an effective internal control system can only provide reasonable, not absolute, assurance with respect to reporting financial information.

Our internal control over financial reporting includes policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to maintaining records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect our transactions; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary for preparation of our financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and that the receipts and expenditures of company assets are made in accordance with our management and directors authorization; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding the prevention of or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of assets that could have a material effect on our financial statements.

Under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and our Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) published in 2013 and subsequent guidance prepared by COSO specifically for smaller public companies. Based on that evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2023, for the reasons discussed below.

A material weakness is a deficiency or a combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

Management identified the following material weakness in its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023:

The Company did not maintain effective controls over certain aspects of the financial reporting process because: (i) we lack a sufficient complement of personnel with a level of accounting expertise and an adequate supervisory review structure that is commensurate with our financial reporting requirements, (ii) there is inadequate segregation of duties due to our limited number of accounting personnel, and (iii) we have insufficient controls and processes in place to adequately verify the accuracy and completeness of spreadsheets that we use for a variety of purposes including revenue, taxes, stock-based compensation and other areas, and place significant reliance on, for our financial reporting.

We intend to take appropriate and reasonable steps to make the necessary improvements to remediate these deficiencies. We are committed to taking steps to improve our financial organization including, without limitation, evaluating our accounting staff requirements and improving our systems and controls to reduce our reliance on the manual nature of our existing systems. However, due to our size and our financial resources, remediating the several identified weaknesses has not always been possible and may not be economically feasible now or in the future.

Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Due to the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within our Company have been detected.

The material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, remained unchanged from December 31, 2022. Management believes that the material weaknesses set forth above did not have an effect on our financial reporting for the year ended December 31, 2023.

We will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting on an ongoing basis and are committed to taking further action and implementing additional enhancements or improvements, as necessary and as funds allow. We do not, however, expect that the material weaknesses in our disclosure controls will be remediated until such time as we have improved our internal control over financial reporting.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the SEC that permit us to provide only management’s report in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes identified in connection with our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2023, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. Other Information

None.

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

Information about our Directors

The Company’s current directors are set forth below:

Certain information with respect to the Company’s current directors is set forth below. The business address of each of the directors is 385 South Pierce Avenue, Suite C, Louisville, Colorado 80027.

Each of the directors on our Board of Directors was elected or appointed because he has demonstrated an ability to make meaningful contributions to our business and affairs and has skills, experience and background that are complementary to those of our other Board members.

Board Diversity

While a company is listed on Nasdaq, each year the board of directors, pursuant to the requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market, will review the appropriate characteristics, skills, and experience required for the board of directors as a whole and its individual members. In evaluating the suitability of individual candidates, we will consider factors including, without limitation, an individual’s character, integrity, judgment, potential conflicts of interest, other commitments, and diversity. While we have no formal policy regarding board diversity for our board of directors as a whole nor for each individual member, our board of directors will consider such factors as gender, race, ethnicity and experience, area of expertise, as well as other individual attributes that contribute to the total diversity of viewpoints and experience represented on the board of directors. If we are not listed on Nasdaq, we may not continue to consider diversity in the nominations or appointment of directors.

The following is a table indicating the current board diversity as of March 29, 2024.

Director Independence

The Nasdaq marketplace rules require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation and nominations committees be independent, or, if a listed company has no nominations committee, that director nominees be selected or recommended for the board’s selection by independent directors constituting a majority of the board’s independent directors. The Nasdaq marketplace rules further require that audit committee members satisfy independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and that compensation committee members satisfy the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10C-1 under the Exchange Act. If we are not listed on Nasdaq or another exchange or trading medium that does not have similar marketplace rules, then we may not continue to adhere to such rules and committee compositions and policies.

Our Board has affirmatively determined that each of Messrs. Shipley, Etten, Mariathasan, and Reisner qualify as an independent director, as defined under the applicable corporate governance standards of Nasdaq.

Audit Committee

Our Board has established an Audit Committee, which as of the date of this report consists of three independent directors, Mr. Reisner (Chairman), Mr. Shipley and Mr. Etten. The committee’s primary responsibilities include recommending the selection of our independent registered public accounting firm; evaluating the appointment, compensation and retention of our registered public accounting firm; receiving formal written statements from our independent registered public accounting firm regarding its independence, including a delineation of all relationships between it and the Company; reviewing with such independent registered public accounting firm the planning, scope and results of their audit of our financial statements; pre-approving the fees for services performed; reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy of internal control systems; reviewing our annual financial statements and periodic filings, and receiving our audit reports and financial statements. The Audit Committee also considers the effect on the Company of any changes in accounting principles or practices proposed by management or the independent registered public accounting firm, any changes in service providers, such as the accountants, that could impact the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, and any changes in schedules (such as fiscal or tax year-end changes) or structures or transactions that required special accounting activities, services or resources. The Audit Committee annually will conduct an enterprise fraud risk assessment, and generally will oversee the enterprise risk assessment and management process framework to insure monitoring for identification, assessment and mitigation of all significant enterprise risk. The Audit Committee will oversee compliance with the code of ethics of the Company and assess waivers of the code. At least annually, the Audit Committee will review and approve all related party transactions that are required to be disclosed publicly in the Company SEC reports.

The Committee may act in reliance on management, the Company’s independent auditors, internal auditors, and advisors and experts, as it deems necessary or appropriate. The Committee has the power, in its discretion, to conduct any investigation it deems necessary or appropriate to enable it to carry out its duties.

The Board has determined that each of our Audit Committee members are independent of management and free of any relationships that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment and are independent, as that term is defined under the enhanced independence standards for audit committee members in the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder.

The Board has determined that Mr. Reisner is an “audit committee financial expert,” as that term is defined in the rules promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2012. The Board has further determined that each of the members of the Audit Committee shall be financially literate and that at least one member of the committee has accounting or related financial management expertise, as such terms are interpreted by the Board in its business judgment.

Compensation Committee

Our Board has established a Compensation Committee, which as of the date of this report consists of two independent directors, Mr. Shipley (Chairman), and Mr. Reisner. The committee’s primary responsibilities include approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to executive officer compensation and evaluate executive officer performance in light of those goals and objectives, determining and approving executive officer compensation, including base salary and incentive awards, making recommendations to the Board regarding compensation plans, and administering our stock plan.

Our Compensation Committee determines and approves all elements of executive officer compensation. It also provides recommendations to the Board with respect to non-employee director compensation. The Compensation Committee may not delegate its authority to any other person, other than to a subcommittee.

The Company compensation policies for executive officers has two fundamental objectives: (i) to provide a competitive total compensation package that enables the Company to attract and retain highly qualified executives with the skills and experience required for the achievement of business goals; and (ii) to align certain compensation elements with the Company’s annual performance goals. With respect to each of the Company’s executive officers, the total compensation that may be awarded, including base salary, discretionary cash bonuses, annual stock incentive awards, stock options, restricted stock units and other equity awards, and other benefits and perquisites will be evaluated by the committee. Under certain circumstances, the committee may also award compensation payable upon termination of the executive officer under an employment agreement or severance agreement (if applicable). The Board recognizes that its overall goal is to award compensation that is reasonable when all elements of potential compensation are considered. The committee believes that cash compensation in the form of base salary and discretionary cash bonuses provides our executives with short-term rewards for success in operations, and that long-term compensation through the award of stock options, restricted stock units and other equity awards aligns the objectives of management with those of our stockholders with respect to long-term performance and success. The Board also has historically focused on the Company’s financial condition when making compensation decisions and approving performance objectives and compensation has been weighted more heavily toward equity-based compensation. The committee will continue to periodically reassess the appropriate weighting of cash and equity compensation in light of the Company’s expenditures in connection with commercial operations and its cash resources and working capital needs.

Nominating Committee

Our Board has established a Nominating Committee, which as of the date of this report consists of two independent directors, Mr. Etten (Chairman), and Mr. Mariathasan. The committee’s primary responsibilities include identifying individuals qualified to serve on the Board as directors and on committees of the Board, establishing procedures for evaluating the suitability of potential director nominees consistent with the criteria approved by the Board, reviewing the suitability for continued service as a director when his or her term expires and at such other times as the committee deems necessary or appropriate, and determining whether or not the director should be re-nominated, and reviewing the membership of the Board and its committees and recommending making changes, if any.

In evaluating director nominees, the Nominating Committee will generally consider the following factors:

There are no stated minimum criteria for director nominees, although the committee may consider such factors as it may deem are in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. The Nominating Committee also believes it is appropriate for certain key members of our management to participate as members of the Board of Directors.

The Nominating Committee identifies nominees by first evaluating the current members of the Board willing to continue in service. Current members of the Board with skills and experience that are relevant to our business and who are willing to continue in service are considered for re-nomination, balancing the value of continuity of service by existing members of the Board with that of obtaining a new perspective. If any member of the Board does not wish to continue in service, or if the Nominating Committee decides not to re-nominate a member for re-election, the committee identifies the desired skills and experience of a prospective director nominee in light of the criteria above or determines to reduce the size of the Board. Research may also be performed to identify qualified individuals. To date, we have not engaged third parties to identify or evaluate or assist in identifying potential nominees, nor do we anticipate doing so in the future.

Stockholder Communications with Directors

Stockholders may communicate with the Board by sending a letter to the Corporate Secretary, CEA Industries Inc., 385 South Pierce Avenue, Suite C, Louisville, Colorado 80027. Each communication must set forth the name and address of the stockholder on whose behalf the communication is sent and should indicate in the address whether the communication is intended for the entire Board, the non-employee directors as a group or an individual director. Each communication will be screened by the Corporate Secretary or his designee to determine whether it is appropriate for presentation to the Board or any specified director(s). Examples of inappropriate communications include junk mail, spam, mass mailings, resumes, job inquiries, surveys, business solicitations and advertisements, as well as unduly hostile, threatening, illegal, unsuitable, frivolous, patently offensive or otherwise inappropriate material. Communications determined to be appropriate for presentation to the Board, or the director(s) to whom they are specifically addressed, will be submitted to the Board or such director(s) on a periodic basis. Any communications that concern accounting, internal control or auditing matters will be handled in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Directors.

Code of Ethics

Our Board has adopted a Code of Ethics, which is available for review on our website at www.ceaindustries.com and is also available in print, without charge, to any stockholder who requests a copy by writing to us at CEA Industries Inc., 385 South Pierce Avenue, Suite C, Louisville, Colorado 80027 Attention: Corporate Secretary. Each of our directors, employees and officers, including our Chief Executive Officer, and all of our other principal executive officers, are required to comply with the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. There have not been any waivers of the Code of Ethics relating to any of our executive officers or directors in the past year.

Insider Trading Arrangements and Policies

We have adopted an insider trading compliance policy governing the purchase, sale, and/or other dispositions of our securities by our directors, officers, and employees that we believe is reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations, and the exchange listing standards applicable to us. The insider trading policy prohibits the use of material non-public information about the Company when making decisions to purchase, sell, give away or otherwise trade in the Company’s securities or to provide such information to others outside the Company. We have established black-out periods to which covered persons are subject related to the filing of our regular reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company may impose additional black-out periods from time to time as other types of material non-public information occur when material non-public events or disclosures are pending. Covered persons are permitted to trade in the Company’s securities only when there is no black-out period in effect and such trade has been pre-cleared by the appointed Company officer, or when a qualified 10b5-1 plan has been established in accordance with federal securities laws. No covered person has adopted or terminated a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan during the last fiscal quarter of the fiscal year to which this report relates.

Clawback Policy

Our board of directors has adopted a written policy to recover “excess” compensation that is granted, earned, or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a financial reporting measure. The compensation includes both cash-based and equity-based incentives. The compensation covered includes incentive awards awarded to any individuals (including former employees) who served as an executive officer during the three most recently completed fiscal years preceding the date on which the preparation of an accounting restatement is required, provided that the executive officers were awarded more incentive awards than they would have received if the financial statements had been prepared correctly. The recovery will include an executive incentive award even if the executive was not involved in preparing the financial statements or did not commit misconduct that led to the restatement. Restatements attributable to an inadvertent error also will subject executive officers to the recovery of previously received incentive awards.

Meetings and Committees of the Board

Our Board is responsible for overseeing the management of our business. We keep our directors informed of our business at meetings and through reports and analyses presented to the Board and the committees of the Board. Regular communications between our directors and management also occur outside of formal meetings of the Board and committees of the Board.

Meeting Attendance

Our Board generally holds meetings on a quarterly basis but may hold additional meetings as required. In 2023, the Board held four meetings. Most of our directors attended 100% of the Board meetings that were held during the periods when he was a director and each of our directors attended 100% of the meetings of each committee of the Board on which he served that were held during the periods that he served on such committee. The Board also took a number of actions by unanimous consent, pursuant to Nevada corporate law and our by-laws. We do not have a policy requiring that directors attend our annual meetings of stockholders.

Board Leadership Structure

The Board may, but is not required to, select a Chairman of the Board who presides over the meetings of the Board and meetings of the stockholders and performs such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Board. The positions of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer may be filled by one individual or two different individuals. Currently the positions of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer are held by Mr. McDonald.

Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

While risk management is primarily the responsibility of the Company’s management team, the Board is responsible for the overall supervision of the Company’s risk management activities. The Board as a whole has responsibility for risk oversight, and each Board committee has responsibility for reviewing certain risk areas and reporting to the full Board. The oversight responsibility of the Board and its committees is enabled by management reporting processes that are designed to provide visibility to the Board about the identification, assessment, and management of critical risks and management’s risk mitigation strategies in certain focus areas. These areas of focus include strategic, operational, financial and reporting, succession and compensation and other areas.

The Board oversees risks associated with their respective areas of responsibility. The Board oversees: (i) risks and exposures associated with our business strategy and other current matters that may present material risk to our financial performance, operations, prospects or reputation, (ii) risks and exposures associated with management succession planning and executive compensation programs and arrangements, including equity incentive plans, and (iii) risks and exposures associated with director succession planning, corporate governance, and overall board effectiveness.

Management provides regular updates to the Board regarding the management of the risks they oversee at each regular meeting of the Board. We believe that the Board’s role in risk oversight must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and that our existing Board’s role in risk oversight is appropriate. However, we continually re-examine the manners in which the Board administers its oversight function on an ongoing basis to ensure that they continue to meet the Company’s needs.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) requires our executive officers, directors and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of our common stock to file initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership with the SEC. Such persons are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) reports filed by such persons.

Based solely on our review of the copies of reports furnished to us, other than as noted below, we believe that during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, all executive officers, directors and greater than 10% beneficial owners of our common stock complied with the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act.

Executive Officers

Executive officers are appointed by our Board and serve at its discretion. Set forth below is information regarding our executive officers as of the date of this report.

*Mr. Patel commenced employment in the stated positions on March 11, 2022, replacing Mr. Brian Knaley, who resigned on February 18, 2022.

Mr. McDonald’s biographical information is included with such information for the other members of our Board.

Mr. Patel served as an advisor to Maxwell Financial Labs, LLC, from October 2021 to March 2022. From July 2018 through September 2021, he served as Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations for FourPoint Energy LLC, where he was responsible for finance, treasury, corporate development and strategy. Prior to FourPoint, Mr. Patel served as Chief Financial Officer of S&A Resources, LLC, a private equity backed oil and gas company. Mr. Patel began his career as an investment banker with Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. During his investment banking career, Mr. Patel executed over $30 billion of M&A/advisory assignments and led capital market transactions of over $15 billion for clients. Mr. Patel holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a JD from Harvard Law School, and a BS from the University of California at Riverside.

Item 11. Executive Compensation

Director Compensation Program

On January 17, 2022 (the “Effective Date”), the Board of Directors adopted a revised compensation plan for directors. The Plan was effective retroactively for the then current independent directors and provided compensation for subsequent directors elected or appointed after the Effective Date of the plan.

The plan is divided into two phases: from the Effective Date of the Plan until February 9, 2022, the day prior to the uplisting of the Company to Nasdaq (the “Pre-uplist”) and from February 10, 2022, the Nasdaq uplist date forward (“Post-uplist”).

Pre-uplist phase: The Company paid its independent directors an annual cash fee of $15,000, payable quarterly in advance on the first business day of each quarter, as consideration for their participation in: (i) any regular or special meetings of the Board or any committee thereof attended in person, (ii) any telephonic meeting of the Board or any committee thereof in which the director is a member, (iii) any non-meeting consultations with the Company’s management, and (iv) any other services provided by them in their capacities as directors (other than services as the Chairman of the Board, the Chairman of the Company’s Audit Committee, and the Committee Chairman).

At the time of initial election or appointment, each independent director received an equity retention award in the form of restricted stock units (“RSUs”). The aggregate value of the RSUs at the time of grant was to be $25,000, with the number of shares underlying the RSUs to be determined based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date immediately prior to the date of grant. Vesting of the RSUs was as follows: (i) 50% at the time of grant, and (ii) 50% on the first anniversary of the grant date.

In addition, on the first business day of January each year, each independent director will also receive an equity retention award in the form of RSUs. The aggregate value of the RSUs at the time of grant will be $25,000, with the number of shares underlying the RSUs to be determined based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date immediately prior to the date of grant. These RSUs will be fully vested at date of grant.

The Company pays the Audit Committee Chairman an additional annual fee of $10,000, payable quarterly in advance, for services as the Audit Committee Chairman.

The Company pays the Chairmen of any other committees of the Board an additional annual fee of $5,000, payable quarterly in advance, for services as a Committee Chairman.

There is no additional compensation paid to members of any committee of the Board. Interested (i.e. Executive directors) serving on the Board do not receive compensation for their Board service.

Post-uplist phase: The Company will pay its independent directors an annual cash fee of $25,000, payable quarterly in advance on the first business day of each quarter. All other terms remain the same.

The Company reimburses independent directors for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending Board and committee meetings and undertaking certain matters on the Company’s behalf.

All independent directors, Messrs. Shipley, Etten, Reisner, and Mariathasan, are subject to the plan.

Each independent director is responsible for the payment of any and all income taxes arising with respect to the issuance of any equity awarded under the plan, including the exercise of any non-qualified stock options.

Indemnification; Insurance

Under the Nevada Revised Statutes and pursuant to our charter and bylaws, as currently in effect, the Company may indemnify the Company’s officers and directors for various expenses and damages resulting from their acting in these capacities. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our officers and directors pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and executive officers. The indemnification agreements are intended to provide the Company’s directors the maximum indemnification permitted under the Nevada Revised Statutes, unless otherwise limited by the Company’s charter and bylaws. Each indemnification agreement provides that the Company shall indemnify the director or executive officer who is a party to the agreement (an “Indemnitee”), including the advancement of legal expenses, if, by reason of his corporate status, the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be, made a party to or a witness in any threatened, pending, or completed proceeding. Each indemnification agreement further provides that the applicable provisions of the Company’s charter and bylaws regarding indemnification shall control in the event of any conflict with any provisions of such indemnification agreements.

The Company may secure insurance on behalf of any person who is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Company for any liability arising out of his actions, regardless of whether the Nevada Revised Statues would permit indemnification. The Company currently has obtained liability insurance for its officers and directors.

Director Compensation Table

The following table sets forth the compensation earned by or awarded or paid in 2023 and 2022 to the individuals who served as our independent directors during such period.

⁽¹⁾ Excludes reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.

⁽²⁾ Reflects grants to two independent directors of 3,367 each of restricted stock units on January 17, 2022, in connection with their appointment. 1,684 shares were immediately vested and 1,683 vested on January 17, 2023.

⁽³⁾ Reflects grants to each independent director of 29,758 of restricted stock units on January 3, 2023, in connection with the director compensation plan. The shares vested immediately.

⁽⁴⁾ Reflects the dollar amount of the grant date fair value of awards, measured in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 718 (“Topic 718”) without adjustment for estimated forfeitures. For a discussion of the assumptions used to calculate the value of equity awards, refer to Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 included in this Annual Report.

⁽⁵⁾ Reflects a grant to each independent director on January 3, 2022 of non-qualified stock options to purchase 3,125 shares of the Company’s common stock.

The aggregate number of non-qualified stock options and restricted stock units held as of December 31, 2023, by each independent director are as follows:

⁽¹⁾ Includes grant to each independent director on June 24, 2020 of non-qualified stock options to purchase 6,667 shares of the Company’s common stock, a grant to each independent director on August 20, 2021 of non-qualified stock options to purchase 769 shares of the Company’s common stock, and a grant on January 3, 2022 of non-qualified stock options to purchase 3,125 shares of the Company’s common stock.

Subsequent to the financial statement date, the following cash fees were paid to directors based on the January 17, 2022 compensation plan.

Subsequent to the financial statement date, the following restricted stock units were issued to directors based on the January 17, 2022 compensation plan.

Mr. Shipley declined to receive the 45,455 restricted stock units which he was entitled to receive under the January 17, 2022 compensation plan.

These restricted stock units vested upon grant.

Executive Compensation

Summary Executive Compensation Table

The following table summarizes compensation earned by or awarded or paid to our named executive officers for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

⁽¹⁾ Reflects the dollar amount of the grant date fair value of awards granted in 2022 or 2023, measured in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 718 (“Topic 718”) without adjustment for estimated forfeitures. For a discussion of the assumptions used to calculate the value of equity awards, refer to Note 13 to our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, included in this Annual Report.

⁽²⁾ Mr. McDonald was appointed Chief Executive Officer and President in November 2018. Amounts presented include all compensation for Mr. McDonald for the full 2023 and 2022 years. The 2023 and 2022 bonuses were paid in recognition of services rendered and contributions to the Company’s performance in the prior year, in respect of the 2021 Annual Incentive Plan. 2023 option awards include non-qualified stock options to purchase 36,642 shares of common stock which vested upon grant. 2022 option awards include non-qualified stock options to purchase 9,230 shares of common stock which vested upon grant. The options for both years were awarded in recognition of services rendered and contributions to the Company’s performance in the prior year, pursuant to the 2021 Annual Incentive Plan.  Other compensation in 2023 and 2022 includes (i) employer-paid portion of health plan benefits ($9,045 and $7,113, respectively), and (ii) employer matching contributions under our 401(k) plan ($13,200 and $12,200, respectively).

⁽³⁾ Mr. Patel was appointed Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer in March 2022. Amounts presented include all compensation for Mr. Patel for 2023 and 2022. The 2023 bonus was paid in recognition of services rendered and contributions to the Company’s performance in the prior year, in respect of the 2021 Annual Incentive Plan. 2023 option awards include non-qualified stock options to purchase 21,592 shares of common stock which vested upon grant. The options were awarded in recognition of services rendered and contributions to the Company’s performance in the prior year, pursuant to the 2021 Annual Incentive Plan. 2022 option awards include non-qualified stock options to purchase 15,000 shares of common stock awarded subject to his employment agreement. Some of these options are subject to certain vesting (see Outstanding Equity Awards table, below). Other compensation in 2023 and 2022 includes (i) employer-paid portion of health plan benefits ($5,325 and $0, respectively), and (ii) employer matching contributions under our 401(k) plan ($11,258 and $7,615, respectively).

⁽⁴⁾ Mr. Knaley was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in June 2021. Amounts presented include all compensation for Mr. Knaley for the full 2022 year.  Option awards include non-qualified stock options to purchase 13,333 shares of common stock awarded subject to his employment agreement. Some of these options are subject to certain vesting (see Outstanding Equity Awards table, below). Other compensation includes the employer-paid portion of health plan benefits.  Mr. Knaley resigned his position effective February 18, 2022, and the options to purchase the shares under the common stock award were terminated on March 20, 2022.

Outstanding Equity Awards

The following table sets forth certain information regarding outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2023.