UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Form
10-Q
☒ QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the Quarterly Period Ended: June 30, 2023
or
☐ TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For
the transition period from to _______ to _______
Commission
File Number: 000-22333
Nanophase
Technologies Corporation
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware |
36-3687863 |
(State or other jurisdiction
of |
(I.R.S. Employer |
incorporation or
organization) |
Identification No.) |
1319
Marquette Drive, Romeoville, Illinois 60446
(Address
of principal executive offices, and zip code)
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (630) 771-6708
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 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 past 90 days. Yes ☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post 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 “accelerated filer”, “large accelerated filer”,
“smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ |
Accelerated filer ☐ |
Non-accelerated filer ☐ |
Smaller reporting company ☑ |
|
Emerging growth company ☐ |
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. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☑
As
of August 10, 2023, there were 49,589,204
shares outstanding of common stock, par value $.01, of the registrant.
NANOPHASE
TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
QUARTER
ENDED JUNE 30, 2023
INDEX
PART
I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Financial Statements
NANOPHASE
TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited
Consolidated Condensed)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in
thousands except share
and per share data) |
|
ASSETS |
|
June
30,
2023 |
|
|
December
31,
2022 |
|
Current assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash |
|
$ |
2,197 |
|
|
$ |
2,186 |
|
Trade accounts receivable,
less allowance for doubtful accounts of $324 for June 30, 2023, and $139 for December 31, 2022 |
|
|
5,718 |
|
|
|
4,734 |
|
Inventories, net |
|
|
8,412 |
|
|
|
8,839 |
|
Prepaid expenses
and other current assets |
|
|
1,043 |
|
|
|
866 |
|
Total current assets |
|
|
17,370 |
|
|
|
16,625 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equipment and leasehold improvements, net |
|
|
8,459 |
|
|
|
7,949 |
|
Operating leases, right of use |
|
|
8,468 |
|
|
|
8,978 |
|
Other assets, net |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
Total assets |
|
$ |
34,302 |
|
|
$ |
33,558 |
|
LIABILITIES AND
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lines of credit, related party |
|
$ |
8,592 |
|
|
$ |
7,282 |
|
Accounts payable |
|
|
4,957 |
|
|
|
6,363 |
|
Current portion of long-term debt, related party |
|
|
2,338 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Current portion of deferred revenue |
|
|
2,053 |
|
|
|
2,167 |
|
Accrued expenses |
|
|
1,442 |
|
|
|
1,023 |
|
Total current liabilities |
|
|
19,382 |
|
|
|
16,835 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Long-term portion of operating lease obligations |
|
|
9,482 |
|
|
|
9,823 |
|
Long-term debt, related party |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
1,000 |
|
Long-term portion of deferred revenue |
|
|
45 |
|
|
|
21 |
|
Asset retirement obligations |
|
|
234 |
|
|
|
230 |
|
Total long-term liabilities |
|
|
9,761 |
|
|
|
11,074 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shareholders’ equity: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred stock, $.01 par value, 24,088 shares
authorized, and no shares issued and outstanding |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Common stock, $.01 par value, 60,000,000 shares
authorized; 49,589,204 and 49,320,680 shares issued and outstanding on June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively |
|
|
496 |
|
|
|
493 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
105,762 |
|
|
|
105,226 |
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
|
(101,099 |
) |
|
|
(100,070 |
) |
Total Shareholders’ equity |
|
|
5,159 |
|
|
|
5,649 |
|
Total liabilities and shareholders’
equity |
|
$ |
34,302 |
|
|
$ |
33,558 |
|
See
Notes to Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements
NANOPHASE
TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited
Consolidated Condensed)
(in
thousands except share and per share data)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three
months ended
June 30, |
|
|
Six
months ended
June 30, |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
Revenue: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Product
revenue |
|
$ |
11,844 |
|
|
$ |
10,796 |
|
|
$ |
21,180 |
|
|
$ |
18,842 |
|
Other revenue |
|
|
28 |
|
|
|
426 |
|
|
|
149 |
|
|
|
536 |
|
Total revenue |
|
|
11,872 |
|
|
|
11,222 |
|
|
|
21,329 |
|
|
|
19,378 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating expense: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of revenue |
|
|
8,197 |
|
|
|
8,486 |
|
|
|
15,505 |
|
|
|
14,474 |
|
Gross profit |
|
|
3,675 |
|
|
|
2,736 |
|
|
|
5,824 |
|
|
|
4,904 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development
expense |
|
|
991 |
|
|
|
797 |
|
|
|
1,994 |
|
|
|
1,463 |
|
Selling, general and administrative expense |
|
|
2,105 |
|
|
|
1,816 |
|
|
|
4,255 |
|
|
|
3,213 |
|
Income (loss) from
operations |
|
|
579 |
|
|
|
123 |
|
|
|
(425 |
) |
|
|
228 |
|
Interest expense |
|
|
246 |
|
|
|
73 |
|
|
|
400 |
|
|
|
116 |
|
Provision for income
taxes |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Net income (loss) |
|
$ |
333 |
|
|
$ |
50 |
|
|
$ |
(825 |
) |
|
$ |
112 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss)
per basic share |
|
$ |
0.01 |
|
|
$ |
0.00 |
|
|
$ |
(0.02 |
) |
|
$ |
0.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number of basic common shares
outstanding |
|
|
49,567,338 |
|
|
|
49,045,047 |
|
|
|
49,498,755 |
|
|
|
49,014,847 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) per diluted share |
|
$ |
0.01 |
|
|
$ |
0.00 |
|
|
$ |
(0.02 |
) |
|
$ |
0.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number of diluted common shares
outstanding |
|
|
50,136,338 |
|
|
|
51,008,047 |
|
|
|
49,498,755 |
|
|
|
50,990,847 |
|
See
Notes to Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements
NANOPHASE
TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(Unaudited
Consolidated Condensed)
| |
|
|
|
|
| | |
|
|
|
|
| | |
| | |
| | |
| |
|
|
Preferred
Stock |
|
|
Common
Stock |
|
|
Additional
Paid-in |
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
|
|
Description |
|
Shares |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
Capital |
|
|
Deficit |
|
|
Total |
|
Balance on December 31, 2021 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
48,893,573 |
|
|
$ |
489 |
|
|
$ |
104,423 |
|
|
$ |
(97,447 |
) |
|
$ |
7,465 |
|
Issuance of shares and stock option exercises |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
133,168 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
72 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
73 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
148 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
148 |
|
Net income for the three months ended March
31, 2022 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
62 |
|
|
|
62 |
|
Balance on March 31, 2022 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
49,026,741 |
|
|
$ |
490 |
|
|
$ |
104,643 |
|
|
$ |
(97,385 |
) |
|
$ |
7,748 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance of shares and stock option exercises |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
110,289 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
33 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
34 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
155 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
155 |
|
Net income for the three months ended June 30,
2022 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
50 |
|
|
|
50 |
|
Balance on June 30, 2022 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
49,137,030 |
|
|
$ |
491 |
|
|
$ |
104,831 |
|
|
$ |
(97,335 |
) |
|
$ |
7,987 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance on December 31, 2022 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
49,320,680 |
|
|
$ |
493 |
|
|
$ |
105,226 |
|
|
$ |
(100,070 |
) |
|
$ |
5,649 |
|
Issuance of shares and stock option exercises |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
199,891 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
99 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
101 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
209 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
209 |
|
Cumulative effect of accounting changes related
to expected credit losses |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(203 |
) |
|
|
(203 |
) |
Net loss for the three months ended
March 31, 2023 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(1,159 |
) |
|
|
(1,159 |
) |
Balance on March 31, 2023 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
49,520,571 |
|
|
$ |
495 |
|
|
$ |
105,534 |
|
|
$ |
(101,432 |
) |
|
$ |
4,597 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance of shares and stock option exercises |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
68,633 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
33 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
34 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
195 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
195 |
|
Net income for the three months ended June 30,
2023 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
333 |
|
|
|
333 |
|
Balance on June 30, 2023 |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
49,589,204 |
|
|
$ |
496 |
|
|
$ |
105,762 |
|
|
$ |
(101,099 |
) |
|
$ |
5,159 |
|
See
Notes to Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.
NANOPHASE
TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited
Consolidated Condensed)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Six
months ended June 30, |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
|
(in
thousands) |
|
Operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net (loss) income |
|
$ |
(825 |
) |
|
$ |
112 |
|
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to
cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
346 |
|
|
|
271 |
|
Share-based compensation |
|
|
404 |
|
|
|
303 |
|
Changes in assets and liabilities related to
operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trade accounts receivable |
|
|
(1,187 |
) |
|
|
(2,600 |
) |
Inventories |
|
|
427 |
|
|
|
(2,854 |
) |
Prepaid expenses and other assets |
|
|
(177 |
) |
|
|
(290 |
) |
Accounts payable |
|
|
(1,447 |
) |
|
|
661 |
|
Accrued expenses |
|
|
419 |
|
|
|
480 |
|
Deferred revenue |
|
|
(90 |
) |
|
|
(60 |
) |
Change in ROU asset and lease liability, net |
|
|
169 |
|
|
|
596 |
|
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
|
(1,961 |
) |
|
|
(3,381 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Investing activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition of equipment and leasehold improvements |
|
|
(811 |
) |
|
|
(1,128 |
) |
Net cash used in investing activities |
|
|
(811 |
) |
|
|
(1,128 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financing activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Principal payments on finance leases |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(75 |
) |
Proceeds from line of credit, related party |
|
|
17,804 |
|
|
|
18,675 |
|
Payments to line of credit, related party |
|
|
(16,494 |
) |
|
|
(14,191 |
) |
Proceeds from term loan, related party |
|
|
1,338 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Proceeds from exercise of stock options |
|
|
135 |
|
|
|
107 |
|
Net cash provided by financing activities |
|
|
2,783 |
|
|
|
4,516 |
|
Increase in cash and cash equivalents |
|
|
11 |
|
|
|
7 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period |
|
|
2,186 |
|
|
|
657 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period |
|
$ |
2,197 |
|
|
$ |
664 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental cash flow information: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest paid |
|
$ |
318 |
|
|
$ |
87 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental non-cash investing and financing
activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts payable incurred for the purchase of
equipment and leasehold improvements |
|
$ |
39 |
|
|
$ |
141 |
|
ROU assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities |
|
$ |
36 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
See
Notes to Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.
NANOPHASE
TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited
Consolidated Condensed)
(in
thousands, except share and per share data or as otherwise noted herein)
(1) Basis
of Presentation
The
accompanying unaudited consolidated condensed interim financial statements of Nanophase Technologies Corporation (“Nanophase”,
“Company”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal
recurring adjustments) which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of our financial position and operating
results for the interim periods presented. All statements include the results from both Nanophase and our wholly-owned subsidiary,
Solésence, LLC (“Solésence,” or our “Solésence® subsidiary”). Operating results
for the six months ended June 30, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending
December 31, 2023.
These
financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended
December 31, 2022, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 as filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.
(2)
Description of Business
Nanophase
Technologies Corporation (“Nanophase,” “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”)
is a science-driven company which, along with its wholly owned subsidiary, Solésence, LLC (our “Solésence
beauty science subsidiary”), is focused in various beauty- and life-science markets. Using consumer health as our
end-goal and science and innovation to guide the path, skin health and medical diagnostics combined currently make up the great
majority of our business and drive our forward growth strategy. We offer engineered materials, formulation development
and commercial manufacturing through an integrated family of technologies. Our expertise in materials engineering allows us to
effectively coat and disperse particles on a nano and “non-nano” scale for use in a variety of skin health markets,
including for use in sunscreens as active ingredients and as fully developed prestige skin care and cosmetics products, marketed
and sold through our Solésence beauty science subsidiary. In terms of our life sciences focus, we have seen demand
significantly decrease for our medical diagnostics ingredients. Additionally, we continue to sell products in legacy markets,
including architectural coatings, industrial coating applications, abrasion-resistant additives, plastics additives, and surface
finishing technologies (polishing) applications, all of which, along with medical diagnostics, fall into the advanced materials
product category.
We
target markets, primarily related to skin health products and ingredients, as well as diagnostic life sciences ingredients where
we believe our materials and products offer practical and competitive minerals-based solutions. We traditionally work closely
with current customers in these target markets to identify their material and performance requirements. We market our materials
to various end-use applications manufacturers, and our Solésence® products to cosmetics and skin care brands.
Recently
developed technologies have made certain new products possible and opened potential new markets. During 2015 we were granted a
patent on a new type of particle surface treatment (coating) — now called Active Stress Defense ™ Technology —
which became the cornerstone of our new product development in personal care, with first revenue recognized during 2016. Active
Stress Defense™ now refers to a suite of three proprietary technologies — Original Active Stress Defense™, Kleair™,
and Bloom™ — all three of which either utilize a unique and proprietary, mineral-based technology or work synergistically
with one of our unique and proprietary, mineral-based technologies to improve performance and/or aesthetics. Our ongoing innovation
efforts include new IP in areas that advance environmental protection, align with market needs, and complement our existing technologies.
Through the creation of our Solésence beauty science subsidiary, we utilize our technology suite to manufacture and sell
fully developed solutions to targeted customers in the skin care industry, typically in prestige skin care and cosmetics markets,
in addition to the ingredients we have traditionally sold in the personal care area.
Although
our primary strategic focus has been the North American market, we currently sell materials to customers overseas and have been
working to expand our reach within foreign markets. Our common stock trades on the OTCQB marketplace under the symbol NANX.
While
product sales comprise the majority of our revenue, we also recognize revenue from other sources from time to time. These activities
are not expected to drive the long-term growth of the business. For this reason, we classify such revenue as “other revenue”
in our Consolidated Statements of Operations, as it does not represent revenue directly from the sale of our products.
(3)
Revenues
Revenues
are recognized when control of the promised goods is transferred to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we
expect to receive in exchange for those goods. When our ingredients and finished products are shipped, with control being transferred
at the shipping point almost universally, is the point in time at which we recognize the related revenue.
We
generally expense sales commissions when incurred because the amortization period would have been one year or less. These costs
are recorded within selling, general and administrative expenses. Customers’ deposits, deferred revenue and other receipts
are deferred and recognized when the revenue is realized and earned. Cash payments to customers are classified as reductions of
revenue in our statements of operations.
Contract
balances at June 30, 2023, December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021 are as follows:
|
|
|
Accounts
Receivable |
|
|
Contract
Assets |
|
|
Contract
Liabilities |
|
Balance, December 31, 2021 |
|
|
$ |
3,937 |
|
|
$ |
179 |
|
|
$ |
1,444 |
|
Balance, December 31, 2022 |
|
|
|
4,734 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2,188 |
|
Balance, June 30, 2023 |
|
|
|
5,718 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2,098 |
|
Revenue
recognized in the reporting period that was included in the contract liability balance at the beginning of the period was $726
and $89, for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $2,024 and $212 for the six months ended June 30,
2023 and 2022, respectively.
Other
revenue may include revenue from technology license fees and paid development projects. Technology license fees and paid development
projects are recognized over time when the obligations under the agreed upon contractual arrangements are performed on our part.
Other revenue recognized over time was $28 and $76, for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $149
and $186 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Other revenue recognized at a point in time was $350 for
the three months ended June 30, 2022, and $350 for the six months ended June 30, 2022.
(4)
Earnings Per Share
Options
to purchase approximately 569,000 of common stock that were outstanding as of June 30, 2023 were included in the computation
of diluted earnings per share for the three months ended June 30, 2023. Options to purchase approximately 726,000 shares
of common stock that were outstanding as of June 30, 2023 were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share for
the six months ended June 30, 2023, respectively. The inclusion of these shares for the six months ended June 30, 2023 would have
resulted in an anti-dilutive effect and were thus omitted from disclosure. Options to purchase approximately 1,963,000 and
1,976,000 shares of common stock that were outstanding as of June 30, 2022 were included in the computation of earnings per share
for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively.
Earnings
applicable to common stock and common stock shares used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three
months ended June 30, |
|
|
Six
months ended June 30, |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
Numerator: (in Thousands) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net (loss) income |
|
$ |
333 |
|
|
$ |
50 |
|
|
$ |
(825 |
) |
|
$ |
112 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average number of basic shares outstanding |
|
|
49,567,338 |
|
|
|
49,045,047 |
|
|
|
49,498,755 |
|
|
|
49,014,847 |
|
Weighted average additional shares assuming
conversion of in-the-money stock options to common shares and assumed repurchase of common shares by the Company |
|
|
569,000 |
|
|
|
1,963,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
1,976,000 |
|
Weighted average number of diluted common shares
outstanding |
|
|
50,136,338 |
|
|
|
51,008,047 |
|
|
|
49,498,755 |
|
|
|
50,990,847 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic earnings per common share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) per share – basic |
|
$ |
0.01 |
|
|
$ |
0.00 |
|
|
$ |
(0.02 |
) |
|
$ |
0.00 |
|
Diluted earnings per common share: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) per share – diluted |
|
$ |
0.01 |
|
|
$ |
0.00 |
|
|
$ |
(0.02 |
) |
|
$ |
0.00 |
|
(5)
Financial Instruments
We
follow ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring
fair value, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The fair value framework requires the categorization of assets
and liabilities into three levels based upon the assumptions (inputs) used to price the assets or liabilities. Level 1 provides
the most reliable measure of fair value, whereas Level 3 generally requires significant management judgment.
Our
financial instruments include cash, any cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses, along with
any short-term and long-term borrowings as described in Note 6. The carrying
values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable and accrued expenses are reasonable estimates of
their fair value due to the short-term nature of these accounts. The fair value of short-term and long-term debt approximates
carrying value based on comparison of terms to similar debt offering in the marketplace.
There
were no financial instruments adjusted to fair value on June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
(6)
Notes and Lines of Credit
Notes
and lines of credit consist of the following:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As
of June 30, 2023 |
|
|
As
of December 31, 2022 |
|
|
|
Rate |
|
Total
Borrowing Capacity |
|
|
Outstanding
Borrowed Balance |
|
|
Total
Borrowing Capacity |
|
|
Outstanding
Borrowed Balance |
|
Libertyville Bank & Trust
(1) |
|
9.25% |
|
$ |
30 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Libertyville Bank & Trust (2) |
|
9.25% |
|
|
500 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Strandler, LLC(3) |
|
9.00% |
|
|
1,000 |
|
|
|
1,000 |
|
|
|
1,000 |
|
|
|
1,000 |
|
Beachcorp, LLC (4) |
|
9.00% |
|
|
5,958 |
|
|
|
4,592 |
|
|
|
4,392 |
|
|
|
4,282 |
|
Beachcorp, LLC (5) |
|
9.00% |
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
|
3,000 |
|
Beachcorp, LLC (6) |
|
9.00% |
|
|
1,750 |
|
|
|
1,388 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Beachcorp,
LLC and Strandler, LLC are affiliates of Mr. Bradford T. Whitmore, who beneficially owns a majority of the Company’s common
stock and is the brother of Ms. R. Janet Whitmore, a director of the Company and the chair of the Company’s board of directors.
The A/R Revolver Facility, the Inventory Facility and the New Term Loan are all secured by all the unencumbered assets of the
Company and subordinated to the Company’s credit facility with Libertyville Bank & Trust. The Company’s loan agreements
with Strandler, LLC and Beachcorp. LLC currently are set to expire on March 31, 2024. If we are unable to refinance or extend
the maturity dates, it would have a significant impact on the ability of the Company to continue as a going concern.
Related
party interest summary:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three
months ended June 30, |
|
|
Six
months ended June 30, |
|
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
Interest expense, related
parties |
|
$ |
211 |
|
|
$ |
68 |
|
|
$ |
361 |
|
|
$ |
107 |
|
Accrued interest expense, related parties |
|
|
78 |
|
|
|
29 |
|
|
|
78 |
|
|
|
29 |
|
(7)
Inventories
Inventories
consist of the following:
|
|
June
30,
2023 |
|
|
December
31,
2022 |
|
Raw materials |
|
$ |
5,689 |
|
|
$ |
6,797 |
|
Finished goods |
|
|
2,723 |
|
|
|
2,041 |
|
Total inventories, net |
|
$ |
8,412 |
|
|
$ |
8,839 |
|
The Company had reserves
for excess and obsolete inventory of $525 and $500 as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
(8)
Significant Customers and Contingencies
The
portion of total revenue from our significant customers are as follows for the periods ending June 30, 2023, and 2022:
|
|
|
|
|
Three
months ended
June 30, |
|
|
Six
months ended
June 30, |
|
Customer # |
|
|
Product Category |
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
1 |
|
|
Personal Care Ingredients |
|
|
26 |
% |
|
|
29 |
% |
|
|
31 |
% |
|
|
29 |
% |
2 |
|
|
Solésence® |
|
|
15 |
% |
|
|
15 |
% |
|
|
13 |
% |
|
|
16 |
% |
3 |
|
|
Solésence® |
|
|
16 |
% |
|
|
14 |
% |
|
|
11 |
% |
|
|
14 |
% |
4 |
|
|
Solésence® |
|
|
11 |
% |
|
|
4 |
% |
|
|
10 |
% |
|
|
6 |
% |
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
68 |
% |
|
|
62 |
% |
|
|
65 |
% |
|
|
65 |
% |
Accounts
receivable balances for these four customers were approximately:
|
|
|
|
|
June
30, |
|
|
June
30, |
|
Customer
# |
|
|
Product
Category |
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
1 |
|
|
Personal Care Ingredients |
|
$ |
824 |
|
|
$ |
1,737 |
|
2 |
|
|
Solésence® |
|
|
643 |
|
|
|
798 |
|
3 |
|
|
Solésence® |
|
|
1,587 |
|
|
|
1,470 |
|
4 |
|
|
Solésence® |
|
|
914 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
3,968 |
|
|
$ |
4,008 |
|
We
currently have exclusive supply agreements with BASF Corporation (“BASF”), our largest customer, that have contingencies
outlined which could potentially result in “triggering” the sale of production equipment from the Company to the customer
intended to provide capacity sufficient to meet the customer’s production needs. This outcome may occur if we fail to meet
certain performance requirements. In the event of an equipment sale, upon incurring a triggering event, the equipment would be
sold to the customer at either 115% of the equipment’s net book value or the greater of 30% of the original book
value of such equipment, and any associated upgrades to it, or 115% of the equipment’s net book value, depending on
the equipment and related products.
If
a triggering event were to occur and BASF elected to proceed with the equipment sale mentioned above, we would lose both significant
revenue and the ability to generate significant revenue to replace that which was lost in the near term. Replacement of necessary
equipment that could be purchased and removed by the customer pursuant to this triggering event could take in excess of twelve
months. Any additional capital outlays required to rebuild capacity would probably be greater than the proceeds from the purchase
of the assets as dictated by our agreement with the customer. Similar consequences would occur if we were determined to have materially
breached certain other provisions of the supply agreement with BASF. Any such event would also likely result in the loss of many
of our key staff and line employees due to economic realities. We believe that our employees are a critical component of our success,
and it could be difficult to replace them quickly. Given the occurrence of any such event, we might not be able to hire and retain
skilled employees given the stigma relating to such an event and its impact on us.
(9)
Business Segmentation and Geographical Distribution
Revenue
from international sources approximated $752 and $2,187 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, respectively, compared
to $435 and $490 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively. All of this revenue was product revenue.
Our
operations comprise a single business segment and all of our long-lived assets are located within the United States. We categorize
our revenue stream into three main product categories, Personal Care Ingredients, Advanced Materials and Solésence. The
revenues, by category, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 are as follows:
|
|
Three
months ended June 30, |
|
|
Six
months ended June 30, |
|
Product
Category |
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
Solésence |
|
$ |
7,779 |
|
|
$ |
7,099 |
|
|
$ |
12,823 |
|
|
$ |
12,659 |
|
Personal Care Ingredients |
|
|
3,037 |
|
|
|
3,305 |
|
|
|
6,581 |
|
|
|
5,687 |
|
Advanced Materials |
|
|
1,056 |
|
|
|
818 |
|
|
|
1,925 |
|
|
|
1,032 |
|
Total Sales |
|
$ |
11,872 |
|
|
$ |
11,222 |
|
|
$ |
21,329 |
|
|
$ |
19,378 |
|
(10) |
Commitments and
Contingencies |
On
August 9, 2022, BASF filed a complaint against Nanophase in New Jersey state court (the “New Jersey Complaint”), alleging
that Nanophase had breached the 1999 Zinc Oxide Supply Agreement (the “Agreement”). BASF alleges several issues, the
one having the biggest potential impact on Nanophase being a claim that our sales through Solésence violate the exclusivity
provision of the Agreement. BASF seeks an unspecified amount of damages, a permanent injunction enjoining sales to any party (other
than BASF) of a broad range of zinc oxide products that BASF contends are within the scope of the exclusivity provision, counsel
fees and litigation expenses. On September 7, 2022, Nanophase filed a Complaint for Declaratory Judgement in Illinois state court
(the “Illinois Complaint”), asking for a declaration that contrary to BASF’s allegation, the exclusivity provision
of the Agreement does not apply to all products containing zinc oxide as an ingredient for uses designated under the Agreement,
nor does the exclusivity provision prohibit Nanophase’s sales of Solésence products containing zinc oxide as an ingredient.
Both companies filed Motions to Dismiss (MTD) the other’s respective complaint. Nanophase’s MTD BASF’s New Jersey
Complaint was denied on procedural grounds on February 10, 2023, with the New Jersey court superficially noting that it did not
consider whether BASF could prove its claims. On February 28, 2023, Nanophase filed its answer to BASF’s New Jersey Complaint,
denying all wrongdoing and, as mandated by New Jersey procedural requirements, counterclaims including a request for a declaration
similar to that Nanophase sought in its Illinois Complaint. On March 16, 2023, the Illinois court granted BASF’s MTD Nanophase’s
Illinois Complaint, finding it duplicative of the New Jersey litigation. Discovery in that litigation is ongoing. Management believes
at this time that the allegations of BASF’s complaint are without merit and are unsupported by the terms of the Agreement
and governing law. Per ASC 450 for the period ending June 30, 2023, an estimated contingent loss was not recorded, and an estimated
range of loss is not disclosed as the outcome is not probable at this time and nor is a range of loss estimable.
(11) |
Accounting Standards
Adopted During 2023 |
On
January 1, 2023, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13 “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement
of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” which updates the manner in which entities assess expected losses from financial
instruments exposed to credit risk. While this update has a greater impact on issuers with loans, notes, and credit card receivables,
the scope of Topic 326 extends to both financial assets measured at amortized cost as well as available-for-sale debt securities.
As such, trade receivables are subject to the Topic’s provisions, requiring entities to consider past events, current conditions,
and reasonable and supportable forecasts in determining the amount of expected loss over the life of the respective financial
instrument. Nanophase uses the loss-rate method in developing its allowance for credit losses, which involves identifying pools
of assets with similar risk characteristics, reviewing historical losses within the last three years, and consideration of reasonable
and supportable forecasts. Changes in estimates, developing trends, and other new information can have a material impact on future
evaluations.
This
differs from prior allocation methodologies in that in addition to solely considering an aging schedule for amounts to reserve,
management must now also consider current events as well as the future macroeconomic environment when making such loss assessments.
On January 1, 2023, the Company applied the accounting change retrospectively with an opening adjustment to retained earnings
in the amount of $203.
Item
2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Overview
Nanophase
is a health-oriented, science-driven company, which, along with its wholly owned subsidiary, Solésence, LLC (our “Solésence
beauty science subsidiary”), is focused in various beauty- and life-science markets. Our primary skin health products are
fully developed prestige skin care formulations with mineral-based UV protection, marketed and sold through our Solésence
beauty science subsidiary, enabled by our proprietary Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (“APIs”) which are also marketed
as APIs for sale to manufacturers of other types of skin health products, including sunscreens and daily care products.
In terms of our life sciences focus,
we have seen demand significantly decrease for our medical diagnostics ingredients.
Additionally, we continue to sell products in legacy markets including architectural coatings, industrial coating applications,
abrasion-resistant additives, plastics additives, and surface finishing technologies (polishing) applications— all of which,
along with medical diagnostics, currently fall into the advanced materials product category.
Leveraging
a platform of integrated patented and proprietary technologies, we create products with unique performance to enhance end-consumers’
health and well-being. We offer soup-to-nuts production, from engineered materials, formulation development, and finished product
development, to commercial manufacturing and packaging capabilities. Our expertise in materials engineering allows us to effectively
coat and disperse materials on a nano and “non-nano” scale for use in a variety of markets in skin health, including
for use in sunscreens as APIs and as fully developed prestige skin care products, marketed and sold through our
Solésence beauty science subsidiary. We believe that we have developed technological advantages with respect to our
APIs sold for use as ingredients, while our Solésence beauty science technologies lead to enhanced efficacy and aesthetics
in our finished products, which have received broad acceptance in the marketplace. Due to the enhanced efficacy and aesthetic
qualities offered by our proprietary technology platform, Solésence finished products satisfy growing consumer demands
around “clean” and inclusive beauty. Solésence beauty science also benefits from the Company’s vertical
integration with each product’s key active ingredient that delivers its point-of-difference. This vertical integration helps
us to improve efficiency and avoid potential major supply chain challenges while also addressing ongoing sustainability efforts.
Given
our technological position, in addition to the historical market acceptance of our APIs for use in skin health products and sunscreens
and, rapidly growing sales for our suite of Solésence® finished products, in 2021 we announced that we reoriented our
Company strategy. We continue to see unprecedented demand in the beauty science. The market has shown an appetite for what
we are producing, and management believes that this growth is happening now due to a confluence of our technology, market conditions
that favor what we produce, and our expanded expertise in these areas.
Nanophase,
primarily through Solésence, now partners with brands to develop, manufacture, and market products and ingredients that
enhance lives through healthy skin. We are focusing our combined business, ingredient, and product development capabilities on
products with unique performance in this area. While we will continue to produce and sell materials to our other advanced materials
customers, it is not our strategic focus. We may develop additional technologies or find unique applications outside of our core
markets in the future, but to maximize the use of our resources today, we plan on expanding efforts in areas where we have proven
we can deliver innovation and growth.
Results
of Operations
Total
revenue increased to $11,872 for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to $11,222 for the same period in 2022. Total
revenue increased to $21,329 for the six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to $19,378 for the same period in 2022. A substantial
majority of our revenue was from our four largest customers for the three- and six-month periods ended June, 2023, and 2022, respectively.
This reflects sales of APIs to our largest customer in skin care and sunscreen applications and, our three largest customers for
our finished skin health products marketed through our Solésence subsidiary. This
is the revenue breakdown, as a percentage of total revenue, from the four customers referenced above:
|
|
|
|
|
Three
months ended
June 30, |
|
|
Six
months ended
June 30, |
|
Customer # |
|
|
Product Category |
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
1 |
|
|
Personal Care Ingredients |
|
|
26 |
% |
|
|
29 |
% |
|
|
31 |
% |
|
|
29 |
% |
2 |
|
|
Solésence® |
|
|
15 |
% |
|
|
15 |
% |
|
|
13 |
% |
|
|
16 |
% |
3 |
|
|
Solésence® |
|
|
16 |
% |
|
|
14 |
% |
|
|
11 |
% |
|
|
14 |
% |
4 |
|
|
Solésence® |
|
|
11 |
% |
|
|
4 |
% |
|
|
10 |
% |
|
|
6 |
% |
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
68 |
% |
|
|
62 |
% |
|
|
65 |
% |
|
|
65 |
% |
Product
revenue, the primary component of our total revenue, increased to $11,844 for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to
$10,796 during the same period of 2022, and increased to $21,180 for the six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to $18,842 during
the same period of 2022. This increase was due to continued growth in the adoption of our Solésence® products, along
with an increase in API sales to our largest customer in our personal care ingredients business. We saw little revenue from medical
diagnostics materials in 2023 and 2022.
Other
revenue decreased to $28 and $149 for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, compared to $426 and $536 for the
same periods in 2022, respectively. Other revenue is typically comprised primarily of developmental or licensing fees.
Cost
of revenue generally includes costs associated with commercial production and customer development arrangements. Cost of
revenue decreased to $8,197 for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to $8,486 for the same period in 2022, and increased
to $15,505 for the six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to $14,474 for the same period in 2022. The decrease for the
three months in the cost of revenue was due to better labor utilization compared to the previous year. The increase for the six
months in cost of revenue was primarily driven by increased volume and price inflation on materials and manufacturing inefficiencies
related to Solésence® product launches. While we typically pass-through costs to our customers, we sometimes cannot
pass through 100% of pricing increases on raw materials, and even with pass throughs, our gross margin percentage is negatively
impacted by higher material costs.
Our
business has a certain cyclicality of demand, often based upon seasonal demands, industry launch cycles, or a confluence of both.
Our lack of burst capacity has created strains, in terms of people and costs, when new product launches occur at the same time
that we are experiencing demand from previously launched products. Since late 2020, the Company has found itself in a situation
where our ability to produce and ship materials has been exceeded by customer demand. It is a key area of focus to increase
throughput first, followed quickly by increased cost efficiency once we can achieve greater scale. Our planning has had us
adding to our current fixed manufacturing cost structure through 2023 to accommodate additional growth, and to build a better
base for further growth beyond that level. The extent to which margins grow, as a percentage of total revenue, will be dependent
upon revenue mix, revenue volume, our ability to cut costs and pass commodity market-driven raw materials increases on to customers,
and the speed and efficiency with which we are able to scale up production for our Solésence products. We expect that,
as product revenue volume increases, our fixed manufacturing costs will be more efficiently absorbed, which should lead to increased
margins as we grow. While additional production capacity is our most critical operational issue today, we expect to continue to
focus on reducing controllable variable product manufacturing costs, with potential variability related to the commodity metals
markets, but may or may not realize significant percentage growth in our gross margins in the remainder of 2023, depending upon
the factors discussed above.
Research
and development expense, which includes all expenses relating to the technology and advanced engineering groups, primarily consists
of costs associated with the development or acquisition of new finished product formulations for skin care, new product applications
for our skin care ingredients, advancement of our medical diagnostics ingredient knowledge, and the cost of enhancing our manufacturing
processes. As an example, we are currently focusing the bulk of our resources on developing new product formulations, and related
new technologies, as we expand marketing and sales efforts relating to our Solésence products. This work has led to several
new products and additional potential new products. Our efforts in research and development, cosmetic formulating, process engineering
and advanced engineering groups are focused in three major areas: 1) application development for our products; 2) creating or
obtaining additional core materials technologies and/or materials that have the capability to serve multiple skin health-related
markets; and 3) continuing to improve our core technologies to improve manufacturing operations and reduce costs.
Research
and development expense increased to $991 for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to $797 for the same period in 2022.
For the six months ended June 30, 2023 research and development expense increased to $1,994 compared to $1,463 for the same period
in 2022. Most of this increase was due to expanded staffing to aid in supporting new product development for current and future
customers. Management expects research and development expense to increase at a slower rate during the balance of 2023 to support
continued revenue- and customer-expansion.
Selling,
general and administrative expense increased to $2,105 for the three months ended June 30, 2023, compared to $1,816 for the same
period in 2022. For the six months ended June 30, 2023, selling, general and administrative expense increased to $4,255, compared
to $3,213 for the same period in 2022. The increase is due in large part to increased
legal costs in 2023 compared to 2022 and increased employee related costs when compared to 2022.
Inflation
We
believe inflation has had an incremental impact on our costs of operations and financial position to date. However, supplier price
increases and wage and benefit inflation, both of which represent a significant component of our costs of operations, could have
a material effect on our operations and financial position in 2023 if we are unable to pass through any applicable increases under
our present contracts or through to our markets in general. We have begun to increase pricing where possible and continue to adjust
our pricing to the extent supported by the markets we are in, and under any contract limitations we may have.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Cash,
cash proceeds and use of cash for the six months ended June 30, 2023, 2022, and year ended December 31, 2022 were:
|
|
Six
months ended
June 30, 2023 |
|
|
Six
months ended
June 30, 2022 |
|
|
Year
ended
December 31, 2022 |
|
Total
cash |
|
$ |
2,197 |
|
|
$ |
664 |
|
|
$ |
2,186 |
|
Cash (used in) operating
activities |
|
|
(1,961 |
) |
|
|
(3,381 |
) |
|
|
(1,650 |
) |
Net cash (used in)
investing activities |
|
|
(811 |
) |
|
|
(1,128 |
) |
|
|
(2,823 |
) |
Net cash provided
by financing activities |
|
|
2,783 |
|
|
|
4,516 |
|
|
|
6,002 |
|
The
net cash used during the six months ended June 30, 2023 was primarily due to net loss for the 1st quarter and increased
accounts payables. Net cash used in investing activities was attributable to expenditures on capital equipment for all periods
presented above. The Company’s loan agreements with Strandler, LLC and Beachcorp. LLC currently are set to expire on March
31, 2024. If we are unable to refinance or extend the maturity dates, it would have a significant impact on the ability of the
Company to continue as a going concern.
Our
actual future capital requirements in 2023 and beyond will depend on many factors, including customer acceptance of our current
and potential finished Solésence products, APIs sold as ingredients in to the skin health markets, medical
diagnostics ingredients, and other engineered materials, applications, and products, continued progress in research and development
activities and product testing programs, the magnitude of these activities and programs, and the costs necessary to increase and
expand our manufacturing capabilities and to market and sell these products and ingredients. Other important issues that will
drive future capital requirements will be the development of new markets and new customers as well as the potential for significant
unplanned growth with existing customers. Depending on the success of certain projects, and conditions within the markets supplying
labor and materials for capital equipment, we expect that capital spending relating to currently known capital needs for 2023
will be between $1.5 million and $3 million, to be funded by profit from operations, our existing loans and lines of credit, and
possible new debt financing. If those projects are delayed or ultimately prove unsuccessful, or if we fail to be able to support
the additional cost of funding them in the near term, we expect our capital expenditures may fall below the lower end of the range.
Similarly, substantial success in business development projects may cause the actual 2023 capital investment to exceed the top
of this range.
Additional
Consideration
We
had federal net operating loss carryforwards for tax purposes of approximately $56 million on December 31, 2022. Because
the Company may experience “ownership changes” within the meaning of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”)
in connection with any future equity offerings, future utilization of this carryforward may be subject to certain limitations
as defined by the IRC. If not utilized, $51 million of this loss carryforward will expire between 2023 and 2037. Given changes
to the IRC, net operating loss carryforwards generated after January 1, 2018 do not expire, therefore, $5 million in net operating
losses generated since January 1, 2018 do not expire. We have Illinois net loss deduction carryforwards for tax purposes of approximately
$21 million on December 31, 2022. Due to the provisions of Illinois Public Act 102-0669 signed November 16, 2021, Illinois net
loss deductions expire between 2029 and 2039.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
We
have not created, and are not party to, any special-purpose or off-balance sheet entities for the purposes of raising capital,
incurring debt or operating our business. We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements or relationships with entities that
are not consolidated into our financial statements that are reasonably likely to materially affect our liquidity or the availability
of capital resources.
Safe
Harbor Provision
We
want to provide investors with more meaningful and useful information. As a result, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (the
“Form 10-Q”) contains and incorporates by reference certain “forward-looking statements”, as defined in
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These statements reflect
our current expectations of the future results of our operations, performance, and achievements. Forward-looking statements are
covered under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We have tried, wherever possible,
to identify these statements by using words such as “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”,
“expects”, “plans”, “intends” and similar expressions. These statements reflect management’s
current beliefs and are based on information now available to it. Accordingly, these statements are subject to certain risks,
uncertainties and contingencies that could cause our actual results, performance, or achievements in 2023 and beyond to differ
materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors include, without limitation:
our ability to be consistently profitable despite the losses we have incurred since our incorporation; a decision by a customer
to cancel a purchase order or supply agreement in light of our dependence on a limited number of key customers; the terms of our
supply agreements with BASF which could trigger a requirement to transfer technology and/or sell equipment to that customer; our
potential inability to obtain working capital when needed on acceptable terms or at all; our ability to obtain materials at costs
we can pass through to our customers, including Rare Earth elements, specifically cerium oxide, as well as high purity zinc; uncertain
demand for, and acceptance of, our Solésence products, and our advanced materials; our manufacturing capacity and product
mix flexibility in light of customer demand; our limited marketing experience, including with our suite of Solésence products;
changes in development and distribution relationships; the impact of competitive products and technologies; our dependence on
patents and protection of proprietary information; our ability to maintain an appropriate electronic trading venue for our securities;
the impact of any potential new governmental regulations, especially any new governmental regulations focusing on the processing,
handling, storage or sale of nanomaterials, that could be difficult to respond to or costly to comply with; business
interruptions due to unexpected events or public health crises, including viral pandemics such as COVID-19; and the resolution
of litigation or other legal proceedings in which we may become involved. In addition, our forward-looking statements could be
affected by general industry and market conditions and growth rates. Readers of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should not
place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Except as required by federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation
to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or uncertainties.
Item
3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Not
required for a smaller reporting company.
Item
4. Controls and Procedures
Disclosure
controls
We
are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information
required to be disclosed by us in the reports filed by us under the Exchange Act is: (a) recorded, processed, summarized
and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms; and (b) accumulated and communicated to
our management, including our principal executive and principal financial officers, to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosures. It should be noted that in designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, we recognize that any
controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired
control objectives, and that our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment regarding the design of our disclosure
controls and procedures. As of the end of the period covered by this report, we conducted an evaluation, under the supervision
(and with the participation) of our management, including our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, of
the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)
of the Exchange Act. Based on that evaluation, our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer concluded that
our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at reaching that level of reasonable assurance.
Internal
control over financial reporting
The
Company’s management, including the CEO (who is also currently acting as both the Company’s principal executive officer
and the Company’s principal financial officer), confirm that there was no change in the Company’s internal control
over financial reporting during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
PART
II – OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1. Legal Proceedings
On
August 31, 2022, counsel for Nanophase Technologies Corporation (“Nanophase”) received a letter from lawyers representing
BASF Corporation (“BASF”) stating that BASF had filed a complaint against Nanophase in the Superior Court of New Jersey
(“SCNJ”) on August 9, 2022 (the “New Jersey Complaint”) and that Nanophase’s registered agent for
service of process had been served with the New Jersey Complaint on August 11, 2022. The August 31, 2022 letter from BASF’s
lawyers was Nanophase’s first notice of the New Jersey Complaint.
The
New Jersey Complaint claims that Nanophase breached the Zinc Oxide Supply Agreement dated as of September 16, 1999 between Nanophase
and BASF, as assignee, as amended through January 1, 2019 (the “Agreement”). The New Jersey Complaint specifically
alleges that Nanophase breached the exclusivity provision of the Agreement by selling zinc oxide to entities other than BASF,
including sales to Nanophase’s subsidiary Solésence, LLC (“Solésence”), in markets designated
as being in the field of use (the “Field”) under the Agreement. The New Jersey Complaint also relatedly alleges that
Nanophase breached the capacity and inventory provisions of the Agreement. In addition, the New Jersey Complaint alleges claims
for unjust enrichment and violation of the duty of good faith and fair dealing. The New Jersey Complaint seeks an unspecified
amount of damages, a permanent injunction, counsel fees, and litigation expenses. The New Jersey Complaint is not seeking termination
of the Agreement.
Management
believes that the allegations of BASF’s New Jersey Complaint are without merit and are unsupported by the terms of the Agreement
and governing law. On September 8, 2022, Nanophase filed a Motion to Dismiss (“MTD”) the New Jersey Complaint with
the SCNJ, arguing that BASF’s claims in its New Jersey Complaint are not supported by the terms of the Agreement. Following
completion of briefing and a hearing on the MTD, the SCNJ denied Nanophase’s MTD on February 10, 2023, finding that under
the “liberality” standards of New Jersey procedure, the allegations of BASF’s complaint were “sufficient
to survive” the MTD. The SCNJ specifically noted that it did not consider whether BASF could prove its claims. Thereafter,
on February 28, 2023, Nanophase answered BASF’s New Jersey Complaint, denying all wrongdoing and, as mandated by New Jersey
procedural requirements, filed certain counterclaims including a request for a declaration that contrary to BASF’s views,
the exclusivity provision of the Agreement does not apply to all products containing zinc oxide as an ingredient for uses designated
under the Agreement nor does the exclusivity provision prohibit Nanophase’s sales of Solésence products containing
zinc oxide as an ingredient. On September 7, 2022, Nanophase filed a Complaint for Declaratory Judgment against BASF in the Circuit
Court of Cook County, Illinois (the “Illinois Complaint”). The Illinois Complaint asked the court for a declaration
similar to that subsequently sought in Nansphase’s counterclaim in the New Jersey litigation. On November 3, 2022, BASF
moved to dismiss Nanophase’s Illinois Complaint, arguing that it duplicates the New Jersey litigation. Following briefing
and a hearing, the Illinois court granted BASF’s motion on procedural grounds on March 16, 2023. Discovery in the New Jersey
litigation is ongoing.
Given
our view, we have decided that it is not appropriate to record a contingent liability relating to these actions at this time.
Nanophase
intends to continue negotiating with BASF in good faith to resolve these issues. In the event that an acceptable solution is not
reached, and litigation proceeds, the ultimate resolution cannot now be determined with certainty.
Item
1A. Risk Factors
Not
required for a smaller reporting company.
Item
2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None
Item
3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item
4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not
applicable.
Item
5. Other Information
None.
Item
6. Exhibits
|
Exhibit 31.1 |
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Exchange Act. |
|
|
|
|
Exhibit 31.2 |
Certification
of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Exchange Act. |
|
|
|
|
Exhibit 32 |
Certification
of the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350. |
|
|
|
|
Exhibit 101 |
The following materials
from Nanophase Technologies Corporation’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, formatted
in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language): (1) the Balance Sheets, (2) the Statements of Operations, (3) the Statements
of Shareholders Equity, (4) the Statements of Cash Flows, and (5) the Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial
Statements. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
|
NANOPHASE
TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION |
|
|
|
|
Date: August 10,
2023 |
|
By: |
/s/ JESS
A. JANKOWSKI |
|
|
|
Jess A. Jankowski |
|
|
|
President and Chief
Executive Officer |
|
|
|
(principal executive
officer, and principal financial officer) |