Item 1. Business
Overview
Union Bridge Holdings Limited (the “Company” or “we”) was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on May 6, 2014 under the name Costo, Inc. to engage in the business of distributing automobile parts and components necessary for the maintenance and repair of automobiles and specialty equipment, including construction and road machinery, principally in China, Europe and certain Commonwealth of Independent States countries (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan). We changed our name to Union Bridge Holdings Limited on May 23, 2016 in connection with our expanded business plan under which we determined to expand operations into the health care industry. We never achieved any revenues from our automobile and specialty equipment business and during the fourth quarter of 2017 we determined to discontinue that area of business.
Throughout this Annual Report references to the Company also include reference to our wholly owned subsidiaries, First Channel Limited (“First Channel”), a British Virgin Islands company formed on March 12, 2016, Windsor Honour Limited (“Windsor”), a British Virgin Islands company formed on October 30, 2017, Phoenix Creation Global Limited (“Phoenix”), a British Virgin Islands company formed on October 26, 2017, First Channel’s wholly owned subsidiary, Union Beam Investment Limited (“Union Beam”), a Hong Kong company formed on February 18, 2016, Union Beam’s wholly owned subsidiary Qianhai Lianqiao Investment Consulting (Shenzen) Company Limited, a Chinese company formed on February 2, 2018, Phoenix’s wholly owned subsidiary, Union Care Investment Limited (“Union Care”) a Hong Kong company formed on February 13, 2018.
Since May 23, 2016 we have taken steps to position our company to operate in two segments of the health care industry: (i) as a distributor in Asia of technologically advanced medical equipment devices and other lifestyle products and services for the elderly, including, but not limited to wheelchairs and telemedic devices, and (ii) as an operator of senior care facilities in Asia, including, but not limited to Hong Kong, China and Thailand.
We intend to grow primarily through mergers and acquisitions. Prospective targets are companies in the biotech industry, healthcare hospitality and service providers and manufacturers and suppliers of innovative healthcare products and devices, including health supplements. Our intended expansion will require us to raise additional working capital. We do not have any present commitments from any potential providers of funds.
The medical device industry in Asia offers distributors many opportunities. While many sectors are affected by economic downturns, the growth of medical technology remains largely undeterred due to its indispensable nature within an aging population. We intend to compete in this market based upon product quality and cost effectiveness. Competitive product pricing combined with an evolving product line is expected to provide us with the opportunity to efficiently operate in designated territories. We will need to engage local sales distribution channels in connection with our medical products and devices. Our present management does not have experience in the sale of such products and devices.
The core elements of our senior health care facility strategy are to:
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Acquire, develop, lease, own and/or manage a diversified portfolio of quality, high level, healthcare properties across multiple geographic locations, initially in Hong Kong, China and Thailand; Align ourselves with leading healthcare companies, operators and service providers, which, over the long term, should result in higher net operating cash flows and appreciation of property values; and
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Establish name recognition in the geographic areas in which we operate.
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We intend to operate in the most attractive sectors of the senior living industry in Asia. Our goal is to be a first choice in senior living by being a most trusted and effective senior living provider. Our senior housing facilities are intended to provide personalized care tailored to fit individual preferences and needs while treating residents with dignity and encouraging independence. Our community and service offerings are intended to combine housing, health care, hospitality and ancillary services. Our senior living communities will offer residents a supportive home-like setting, assistance with activities of daily living and, in certain communities, licensed skilled nursing services. By providing residents with a range of service options as their needs change, we expect to provide greater continuity of care, enabling seniors to “age-in-place”, which we believe enables them to maintain residency with us for longer periods of time. The ability of residents to age-in-place is also beneficial to our residents and their families who are concerned with care decisions for their elderly relatives. With our planned platform of a range of community and service offerings, we believe that we will be positioned to take advantage of favorable demographic trends over time.
We also intend to offer in-home services for the elderly, including housing care, meal preparation, feeding, bathing and dressing services. In addition, we intend to establish community centers at which home-based seniors can receive medical support and rehabilitation training. Our present management does not have experience in the operation of senior care facilities. In connection with this segment, we intend to partner with experienced operators of senior care facilities.
Our proposed healthcare business is at an early stage of development. No assurances can be given that we will obtain capital as and when needed or that, if obtained, we will successfully develop our healthcare business.
Recent Developments
Distribution of Medical and Lifestyle Equipment and Services
On November 3, 2017, our wholly owned subsidiary, First Channel Limited (“FCL”), entered into two binding Memoranda of Understanding (the “MOUs”) with G Medical Innovations Asia Limited (“G Medical Asia”), a Hong Kong company which develops and markets clinical and consumer medical-grade health monitoring solutions, for the distribution of G Medical Asia’s Prizma device (“Prizma”) and its related services in India and Taiwan. Prizma is a small “telemedic” device that neatly encases a regular smart-phone making it a constant companion of the user. With Prizma, consumers are able to record their vital medical parameters such as ECG, heart rate and rhythm, oxygen saturation levels in the body, body temperature and overall stress levels. The recorded data is then transmitted over the internet to a special G Medical center, where they are interpreted by G Medical and users are alerted if any abnormalities are observed. Prizma has US Food and Drug Administration clearance and European Union CE Mark approval. The MOUs obligate the parties to hold good faith negotiations in order to execute binding definitive agreements. G Medical Asia is a subsidiary of G Medical Innovations Holdings Limited, a company whose stock trades on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX:GMV). The monitoring service through the G Medical center has yet to be established. We are presently conducting additional diligence on Prizma and will need to apply for licenses and other governmental approvals prior to any distribution and sale of Prizma. There can be no guaranty that definitive agreements pursuant to the MOUs will be successfully negotiated and executed.
On December 21, 2017, FCL signed an Official Distributor Contract (the “Contract”) with Changzhou Airwheel Technology Co., Ltd. (“Airwheel”) one of the world’s leading smart transportation device manufacturers. Thereunder, FCL was appointed as one of Airwheel’s overseas wheelchair distributors in Hong Kong for a period of three years from the date of the contract with exclusivity for the first year. Airwheel designs and manufactures state of the art wheelchairs with certain artificial intelligence features primarily for the use of the elderly. Pursuant to the contract, FCL will also receive priority in the distribution of any future products that are launched by Airwheel. The Contract covers Airwheel’s H3, H8, A6, A6S and D3 models.
We have not yet purchased or sold any Prizma devices or Airwheel wheelchairs other than the samples purchased for marketing and promotion purpose.
Senior Care Facilities
We are presently seeking acquisition opportunities to fulfill our senior care facility vision. In February 2018, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding , through an agent, with Japan Genki Group (“Genki”), a well-known senior care group based in Japan, as a strategic partner in Asia to operate senior care facilities and provide senior care services in Thailand and Hong Kong.
As of December 31, 2016 Genki was operating 79 senior care facilities in Japan and several senior care centers in Shanghai, Taiwan and Thailand. Genki’s senior care centers offer a wide range of services. Genki also operates a training school for nursing practitioners. Many of the markets in which we intend to operate are experiencing nursing shortages and the availability of trained nursing practitioners through such training school is expected to help us address our nursing needs.
As of December 31, 2016 Genki was operating 79 senior care facilities in Japan and several senior care centers in Shanghai, Taiwan and Thailand. Genki’s senior care centers offer a wide range of services. Genki also operates a training school for nursing practitioners. Many of the markets in which we intend to operate are experiencing nursing shortages and the availability of trained nursing practitioners through such training school is expected to help us address our nursing needs.
Our first senior care facility is expected to be established on a property of approximately 4,250 sq. meters in Chang Mai, Thailand. Our subsidiary, Windsor Honour Limited (“WHL”), has entered into a Binding Heads of Agreement to enter into a cooperative venture with the owner of the land parcel. The facility is proposed to have four blocks, each with eight floors, and house approximately 400 residents. The parties will negotiate in good faith toward definitive agreements regarding the project. WHL would lease the land and be the developer of the project and would own the buildings on the site. WHL would have full control of the design and supervision of the construction of the project, as well as daily operations and management of the project. The land owner would be responsible for obtaining necessary construction, operation and other permits for the project and would provide necessary liaison with government officials. Total investment in the project for development and construction is estimated to be approximately 200 million Thai Baht (approximately US$6.4 million at current exchange rates), for which WHL would be responsible to obtain financing. WHL would also be responsible for arranging financing of operating costs until they can be funded from operations. The project would lease the land for 90 years with automatic renewals, each for 30 years. The total rent for the first 90 years would be 10 million Thai Baht (approximately US$320,000 at current exchange rates). In addition to the rent, WHL may consider a discretionary bonus to the land owner (with details to be agreed in the definitive agreements).
Upon signing definitive agreements, WHL will pay 2 million Thai Baht (approximately US$64,300 at current exchange rates) as a deposit to the land owner within 90 days, which will be refundable if the development plan for the land as a senior nursing home facility has not been approved by the competent government authority within one year, or if before that date such authority has definitively denied the application for the development plan upon the request of WHL. Otherwise, the deposit will be applied to the rent for the land.
We believe that co-operative development with Genki and Beijing Yi Yue will complement both side strengths and bring mutual benefits. No assurances can be given however that we will raise the capital required to fund such development or that definitive agreements pursuant to the Memorandums of Understanding will be successfully negotiated and executed.
Industry and Market Overview
The healthcare industry in Asia is expected to grow by 11.1% in 2018, representing one of the fastest growing regions in the world. This positive growth is fueled by the increasing adoption of technology, innovative healthcare access programs and the delivery of care outside of traditional hospital settings. Frost & Sullivan estimates that the Asian healthcare industry will grow to US$517 billion in 2018.
The world’s aging population has received growing attention in recent years bringing the issue of the need for quality elder care options to the forefront. As the elderly population grows at an accelerating rate, many businesses now view elder care as a “sunrise industry” which can offer attractive returns for investors. Today, growth in senior living market presents both tremendous opportunities and challenges.
The senior living industry is generally highly fragmented and characterized by numerous local and regional operators. We believe that a number of trends will contribute to the continued growth of the senior living industry in coming years. As a result of scientific and medical breakthroughs over the past 30 years, seniors are living longer. Due to demographic trends, and continuing advances in science, nutrition and healthcare, the senior population will continue to grow, and we expect the demand for senior living services to continue to increase in future years. There is a growing consumer awareness among seniors and their families concerning the types of services provided by senior living operators, which has further contributed to the demand for senior living services
Challenges in this industry include increased regulation of the assisted living and skilled nursing sectors. The regulatory environment continues to intensify in the number and types of laws and regulations affecting this industry, accompanied by increased enforcement activity by governmental officials.
Competition
Our competition includes other distributors of technologically advanced medical equipment and other lifestyle products and services for the elderly and operators of senior care facilities. Some of our competitors may have significantly greater financial, marketing and human resources than we do. Our competitors may undertake more far-reaching marketing campaigns, including Internet based advertisements, and adopt more aggressive pricing policies that may allow them to build larger customer and distribution bases than ours. Our competitor’s products and services may achieve greater market acceptance than ours.
Customers
We have no customers and have not achieved any operating revenues to date. We do not expect to achieve revenues from our medical and lifestyle equipment and service business or our senior care facilities business until the second half of 2018, at the earliest. We do not expect a single or small group of customers to account for a substantial portion of our revenues.
Employees
At April 2, 2018 we have five employees, including our three executive officers, a marketing manager, an accountant and an administrative clerk. None of our employees are represented by a union.
Government Regulation
The healthcare industry in Asia and elsewhere is highly regulated at the local, regional and national level and is subject to evolving standards. Healthcare laws, rules and regulations require compliance with establish standards and are intended to provide safe healthcare to the general public. The costs of compliance with such rules and regulation can be significant.
Share Purchase Agreement
On February 18, 2016, Yuhua Xu, the controlling shareholder, Chief Executive Officer and sole director of the Company, entered into and closed on a Share Purchase Agreement with Mary Ho, Rudolf Novotny, Shan Ho, Lily Ho and Moana Ho (each a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”) whereby the Purchasers purchased a total of 7,990,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Shares”) from Yuhua Xu, for an aggregate price of $223,720. The Shares acquired represent approximately 74.53% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the Company.
Concurrently with the closing of the Share Purchase Agreement, Yuhua Xu, resigned as an officer and director of the Company and Moana Ho was appointed President and Chairman of the Board of Directors and Hui Zhou was appointed as Chief Financial Officer and Director.
Amended and Restated Articles
In connection with our desire to expand our business, we filed Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation with the Nevada Secretary of State on May 23, 2016 to:
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Change the Company’s corporate name from Costo Inc. To Union Bridge Holdings Limited;
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Increase the number of authorized shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, from 75,000,000 to 1,000,000,000;
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Create a class of preferred stock consisting of 20,000,000 shares, the designations and attributes of which are left for future determination by our board of directors; and
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Effect a 1 for 5 forward stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock.
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The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation became effective on June 21, 2016 upon approval by The Financial Information Regulatory Authority.
Change in Fiscal Year End
On May 23 ,2016 we changed our fiscal year end from November 30 to December 31.
Available Information
We make available, free of charge, or through our Internet website, at
www.ughl-us.com
, our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Our Internet website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended to be, and are not, incorporated into this Annual Report.
Our reports, registration statements and other information can be inspected on the SEC’s website at
www.sec.gov
and such information can also be inspected, and copies ordered, at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at the following location: 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. Information regarding the operation of the SEC’s public reference facilities may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act, enacted in April 2012. An emerging growth company may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to:
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not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002, or Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
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reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, proxy statements and registration statements; and
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exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
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We may take advantage of these provisions through December 31, 2020. If certain events occur prior to December 31, 2020, including if we become a “large accelerated filer,” our annual gross revenues exceed $1 billion or we issue more than $1 billion of non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we would cease to be an emerging growth company prior to December 31, 2020.
We may choose to take advantage of some but not all of these reduced burdens. We have taken advantage of certain of the reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this registration statement and may elect to take advantage of other reduced burdens in future filings. As a result, the information that we provide to our stockholders may be different than you might receive from other public reporting companies in which you hold equity interests.
Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. However, we have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and have elected to take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosure available to smaller reporting companies.
Our Corporate Information
Our corporate headquarters are located at Room 1205, 12/F, Harcourt House,39 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong and our telephone number is +852 2468 3012. Our filings with the Securities Exchange Commission, or SEC, are available free of charge through the SEC website.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Investors should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all of the other information included in this Annual Report, before making an investment decision. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could suffer. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and investors may lose all or part of their investment. Investors should read the section entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above for a discussion of what types of statements are forward-looking statements as well as the significance of such statements in the context of this Annual Report.
Risks Related To Our Business and Financial Condition
There is substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern.
Since our inception, we have not achieved revenues and have suffered recurring losses from operations. We do not expect to achieve revenues until the second half of 2018 at the earliest. We had a working capital deficiency of $196,643 as of December 31, 2017. Further losses are anticipated in the development of our business. Therefore, our continuation as a going concern is dependent upon our completion of a future financing. However, there is no assurance that we will be successful in completing such a financing. If we are unable to fund future operations by way of financing, including public or private offerings of equity or debt securities, our business and financial condition will be adversely impacted. As a result, there is substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern.
The audit opinion and notes that accompany our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, refer to the substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty. We do not have sufficient cash to fund planned operations or meet our obligations for the next 12 months without raising additional funds.
Because we have a very limited operating history, investors have little basis to evaluate our ability to operate
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Our activities to date have been focused on raising capital, developing a business plan, and positioning the Company to act on such business plan. We have not generated any revenues from our business. Consequently, we face all of the risks commonly encountered by businesses that lack an established operating history including the need for additional capital, personnel and intense competition. There is no assurance that our business plan will be successful.
The global nature of our operations exposes us to numerous risks that could materially adversely affect our consolidated financial condition and results of operations.
We intend to offer and sell our products and services in several countries subjecting us to the risks inherent in foreign operations. Economic uncertainty in some of the geographic regions in which we intend to operate, including developing regions, could result in the disruption of commerce and negatively impact cash flows in those areas.
Risks inherent in our international operations include:
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foreign currency exchange controls and tax rates;
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foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, including devaluations;
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the potential for changes in regional and local economic conditions, including local inflationary pressures;
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restrictive governmental actions such as those on transfer or repatriation of funds and trade protection matters, including antidumping duties, tariffs, embargoes and prohibitions or restrictions on acquisitions or joint ventures;
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changes in laws and regulations, including laws and policies affecting trade and foreign investment;
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the difficulty of enforcing agreements and collecting receivables through certain foreign legal systems;
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more expansive legal rights of foreign unions or works councils;
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changes in labor conditions and difficulties in staffing and managing international operations;
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the potential for nationalization of enterprises or facilities; and
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unsettled political conditions and possible terrorist attacks
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These and other factors may have material adverse effect on our operations and, consequently, on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations.
Political and economic instability and risk of government actions affecting our business and our customers or suppliers may adversely impact our business, results of operations and cash flows.
We will be exposed to risks inherent in doing business in each of the countries or regions in which we or our customers or suppliers operate including civil unrest, acts of terrorism, sabotage, epidemics, force majeure, war or other armed conflict and related government actions, including sanctions/embargoes, the deprivation of contract rights, the inability to obtain or retain licenses or permits required to operate facilities or import or export goods or raw materials, the expropriation or nationalization of our assets, and restrictions on travel, payments or the movement of funds.
Manufacturing risks may adversely affect our ability to distribute our products and could reduce our gross margin and our profitability.
Our business strategy depends, in part, on the ability of third party manufacturers and suppliers to manufacture the products we intend to distribute in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis so as to meet customer demand, while adhering to product quality standards, complying with regulatory requirements and managing manufacturing costs. We are subject to numerous risks relating to the manufacturing capabilities of such third party manufacturers including:
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quality or reliability defects in product components that are sourced from third-party suppliers;
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their inability to secure product components in a timely manner, in sufficient quantities or on commercially reasonable terms;
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their failure to increase production of products to meet demand;
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their inability to modify production lines to enable them to efficiently produce future products or implement changes in current products in response to regulatory requirements;
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difficulty identifying and qualifying alternative suppliers for components in a timely manner; and
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potential damage to or destruction of manufacturing equipment or manufacturing facilities.
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We intend to conduct business in China which subjects us to certain risks.
We intend to conduct certain of our distribution and senior care operations in China. As a result, our business is subject to risks associated with doing business in China, including:
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trade protection measures, such as tariff increases, and import and export licensing and control requirements;
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potentially negative consequences from changes in tax laws;
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difficulties associated with the Chinese legal system, including increased costs and uncertainties associated with enforcing contractual obligations in China;
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historically lower protection of intellectual property rights;
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unexpected or unfavorable changes in regulatory requirements; and
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changes and volatility in currency exchange rates.
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We may enter into strategic collaborations or alliances with third parties that may not result in the development of commercially viable operations or the generation of significant future revenue.
In the ordinary course of our business, we may enter into strategic collaborations or alliances to distribute product candidates, to operate senior care facilities and to pursue new markets. Proposing, negotiating and implementing strategic collaborations or alliances may be a lengthy and complex process. Other companies, including those with substantially greater financial, marketing, sales, technology or other business resources, may compete with us for these opportunities or arrangements. We may not identify, secure, or complete any such transactions or arrangements in a timely manner, on a cost-effective basis, on acceptable terms or at all. In particular, these collaborations may not result in the development of products that achieve commercial success or result in significant revenue.
Additionally, we may not be in a position to exercise sole decision making authority regarding the transaction or arrangement, which could create the potential risk of creating impasses on decisions, and our collaborators may have economic or business interests or goals that are, or that may become, inconsistent with our business interests or goals. We may have limited control over the amount and timing of resources that any future collaborators devote to our joint ventures. Disputes between us and our collaborators may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase our expenses and divert the attention of our management. Further, these transactions and arrangements are contractual in nature and may be terminated or dissolved under the terms of the applicable agreements and, in such event, we may not continue to have rights to the products and services relating to such transaction or arrangement or may need to purchase such rights at a premium.
We may seek to grow our business through acquisitions of complementary businesses, and the failure to manage acquisitions, or the failure to integrate them with our existing business, could impair our ability to execute our business strategies.
From time to time, we may consider opportunities to acquire other businesses that may enhance our then existing business or, expand the breadth of our markets or customer base, or advance our business strategies. Potential acquisitions involve numerous risks, including:
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problems assimilating the new business;
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issues maintaining uniform standards, procedures, controls and policies;
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unanticipated costs associated with acquisitions;
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diversion of management’s attention from then existing businesses;
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risks associated with entering new markets in which we have limited or no experience; and
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increased legal and accounting costs relating to the acquisitions or compliance with regulatory matters.
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We do not know if we will be able to identify acquisitions we deem suitable, whether we will be able to successfully complete any such acquisitions on favorable terms or at all, or whether we will be able to successfully integrate any acquired products or technologies. Our inability to integrate any acquired products or technologies effectively could impair our ability to execute our business strategies.
We will need to raise additional funds in the future, and these funds may not be available on acceptable terms or at all.
We require additional capital to further our business plans and grow our business. The expected growth of our business will significantly increase our expenses. As a result, we will need to raise additional capital, which may not be available on reasonable terms, if at all. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
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the revenue generated by our products and services;
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the costs associated with expanding our operations;
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the costs associated with developing and commercializing our senior care operations;
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the costs of obtaining and maintaining regulatory clearance or approval for products and services;
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the costs of ongoing compliance and regulatory requirements;
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expenses we incur in connection with potential litigation or governmental investigations;
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anticipated or unanticipated capital expenditures; and
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unanticipated general and administrative expenses.
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As a result of these and other factors, we do not know the extent to which we may be required to raise additional capital from public or private offerings of our capital stock, borrowings under credit lines or other sources. If we issue equity or debt securities to raise additional funds, our existing stockholders may experience dilution, and the new equity or debt securities may have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our existing stockholders.
If we are unable to raise additional capital, we will not be able to expand our infrastructure, enhance our products and services or take advantage of future opportunities, or respond to competitive pressures, changes in supplier relationships, or unanticipated changes in customer demand. Any of these events could adversely affect our ability to achieve our strategic objectives and impact our ability to continue as a going concern.
We will face competition from numerous companies, many of whom will have greater resources than we do.
We will compete with a number of companies engaged in the senior care product business segments in which we intend to operate. Many of these competitors will be large, well-capitalized companies with significantly greater market share and resources than we have. As a result, these companies may be better positioned than we are to spend more aggressively on marketing, sales, and other product and service initiatives.
In addition, competitors may be able to respond more quickly and effectively than we can to new or changing opportunities, technologies, standards or customer requirements. If we are unable to offer products and services that compete effectively against the products and services of existing or future competitors, our future revenue could be negatively impacted. Some of our competitors may compete by changing their pricing model or by lowering the price of their products and services. If these competitors’ pricing techniques are effective, it could result in downward pressure on the price of our products and services. If we are unable to maintain or increase our selling prices in the face of competition, we may not improve our gross margins.
We may acquire other businesses, form joint ventures or make investments in other companies or technologies that could negatively affect our operating results, dilute our stockholders’ ownership, increase our debt or cause us to incur significant expense.
We intend to pursue acquisitions of businesses and capabilities. We also intend to pursue strategic alliances and joint ventures that leverage our industry experience to expand our offerings or distribution capabilities. We have no experience with acquiring other companies and forming strategic partnerships. We may not be able to find suitable partners or acquisition candidates, and we may not be able to complete such transactions on favorable terms, if at all. If we make any acquisitions, we may not be able to integrate these acquisitions successfully into our existing business, and we could assume unknown or contingent liabilities. Any future acquisitions could also result in the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities or future write-offs of intangible assets or goodwill, any of which could have a negative impact on our cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Integration of an acquired company may also disrupt ongoing operations and require management resources that we would otherwise focus on developing our existing business. We may experience losses related to investments in other companies, which could harm our financial condition and results of operations. We may not realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisition, strategic alliance or joint venture.
Foreign acquisitions involve unique risks in addition to those mentioned above, including those related to integration of operations across different cultures and languages, currency risks and the particular economic, political and regulatory risks associated with specific countries.
To finance any acquisitions or joint ventures, we may choose to issue common stock as consideration, which could dilute the ownership of our stockholders. Additional funds may not be available on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. If the price of our common stock is low or volatile, we may not be able to acquire other companies or fund a joint venture project using our stock as consideration.
Risks Related to Administrative, Organizational and Commercial Operations and Growth
We may be unable to manage our anticipated future growth effectively, which could make it difficult to execute our business strategy.
We anticipate growth in our business operations. This future growth could create a strain on our organizational, administrative and operational infrastructure. We may not be able to maintain the quality of our products or satisfy customer demand as it grows. Our ability to manage our growth properly will require us to continue to improve our operational, financial and management controls, as well as our reporting systems and procedures. We may implement new enterprise software systems in a number of areas affecting a broad range of business processes and functional areas. The time and resources required to implement these new systems is uncertain and failure to complete this in a timely and efficient manner could harm our business.
If we are unable to support demand for our products and services, including ensuring that we have adequate resources to meet increased demand, our business could be harmed.
As our commercial operations and sales volume grow, we will need to continue to increase our workflow capacity for manufacturing, customer service, billing and general process improvements and expand our internal quality assurance program, among other things. We cannot assure you that any of these increases in scale, expansion of personnel, purchase of equipment or process enhancements will be successfully implemented.
The loss of our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Director for Business Development our inability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel could negatively impact our business. Our management has no experience in the segments of the healthcare industry in which we are intend to operate.
Our success depends on the skills, experience and performance of our President and Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Ho, our Chief Financial Officer, Kam Pang Chim, and our Director for Business Development, Felip Wai Lap Fai. The individual and collective efforts of these employees will be important as we continue to develop our business and as we expand our commercial activities. The loss or incapacity of existing members of our executive management team could negatively impact our operations if we experience difficulties in hiring qualified successors. Our executive officers do not presently have employment agreements. Our executive officers have no experience in the segments of the healthcare industry in which we intend to operate. We expect to hire qualified employees with industry experience and/or partner with persons or entities with such experience.
Our future operations will depend, in part, on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled employees and project partners. We may not be able to attract or retain qualified employees and project partners in the future due to the competition for qualified personnel among our competitors. Recruiting and retention difficulties can limit our ability to support our current operations and anticipated future growth programs. All of our employees are and will be at-will, which means that either we or the employee may terminate his or her employment at any time.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
There is currently a limited market for our common stock and there can be no assurance that any market will ever develop. You may therefore be unable to re-sell shares of our Common Stock at times and prices that you believe are appropriate.
Our common stock is not listed on a national securities exchange or any other exchange, and is presently quoted on the OTCQB tier of OTC Markets. There is no active trading market for our common stock and our common stock may never be included for trading on any stock exchange. Accordingly, our common stock is highly illiquid and you may experience difficulty in re-selling shares of our common stock at times and prices that you may desire.
The designation of our common stock as a “penny stock” may limit the liquidity of our Common Stock.
Our common stock may be deemed a “penny stock” (as that term is defined under Rule 3a51-1 of the Exchange Act) in any market that may develop in the future. Generally, a “penny stock” is a common stock that is not listed on a securities exchange and trades for less than $5.00 a share. Prices often are not available to buyers and sellers and the market may be very limited. Broker-dealers who sell penny stocks must provide purchasers of these stocks with a standardized risk-disclosure document prepared by the SEC. The document provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks involved in investing in the penny stock market. A broker must also provide purchasers with bid and offer quotations and information regarding broker and salesperson compensation and make a written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and obtain the purchaser’s written agreement to the purchase. Many brokers choose not to participate in penny stock transactions. Because of the penny stock rules, there may be less trading activity in penny stocks in any market that develops for our common stock in the future and stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.
FINRA sales practice requirements may limit a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our stock.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, has adopted rules requiring that, in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative or low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA has indicated its belief that there is a high probability that speculative or low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. If these FINRA requirements are applicable to us or our securities, they may make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that at least some of their customers buy our Common Stock, which may limit the ability of our stockholders to buy and sell our Common Stock and could have an adverse effect on the market for and price of our Common Stock.
The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile, and may be influenced by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control.
If an active market for our common stock develops, its market price could fluctuate substantially due to a variety of factors, including market perception of our ability to meet our growth projections and expectations, quarterly operating results of other companies in the same industry, trading volume in our common stock, changes in general conditions in the economy and the financial markets or other developments affecting our business and the business of others in our industry. In addition, the stock market itself is subject to extreme price and volume fluctuations. This volatility has had a significant effect on the market price of securities issued by many companies for reasons related and unrelated to their operating performance and could have the same effect on our common stock. The market price of shares of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to many risk factors listed in this section, and others beyond our control, including:
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regulatory actions with respect to our products and services or our competitors’ products and services;
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actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial condition and operating results;
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publication of research reports by securities analysts about us or our competitors or our industry;
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our failure or the failure of our competitors to meet analysts’ projections or guidance that we or our competitors may give to the market;
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additions and departures of key personnel;
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strategic decisions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, joint ventures, strategic investments or changes in business strategy;
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the passage of legislation or other regulatory developments affecting us or our industry;
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fluctuations in the valuation of companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;
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sales of our Common Stock by us, our insiders or our other stockholders;
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speculation in the press or investment community;
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announcement or expectation of additional financing efforts;
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changes in accounting principles;
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terrorist acts, acts of war or periods of widespread civil unrest;
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natural disasters and other calamities; and
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changes in general market and economic conditions.
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Our principal stockholders and management own a significant percentage of our stock and will be able to exercise significant influence over matters subject to stockholder approval.
As of April 2, 2018, our executive officers, directors and principal (5% or greater) stockholders, together with their respective affiliates, owned approximately 74.5% of our common stock. Accordingly, these stockholders will be able to exert a significant degree of influence over our management and affairs and over matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of our board of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership could have the effect of entrenching our management and/or the board of directors, delaying or preventing a change in our control or otherwise discouraging a potential acquirer from attempting to obtain control of us, which in turn could have a material and adverse effect on the fair market value of our common stock.
Because we became a reporting company under the Exchange Act by means other than a traditional underwritten initial public offering, we may not be able to attract the attention of research analysts at major brokerage firms.
Because we did not become a reporting company by conducting an underwritten initial public offering of our common stock, and because our common stock is not listed on a national securities exchange, security analysts of brokerage firms may not provide coverage of our company. In addition, investment banks may be less likely to agree to underwrite secondary offerings on our behalf than they might if we became a public reporting company by means of an underwritten initial public offering, because they may be less familiar with our company as a result of more limited coverage by analysts and the media. The failure to receive research coverage or support in the market for our shares will have an adverse effect on our ability to develop a liquid market for our common stock.
If we fail to implement and maintain proper and effective internal controls, our ability to produce accurate and timely financial statements could be impaired, which could harm our operating results, our ability to operate our business and investors’ views of us.
We are required to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), subject to certain exceptions. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires public companies to conduct an annual review and evaluation of their internal controls and to obtain attestations of the effectiveness of internal controls by independent auditors. However, as discussed in detail below, as an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company, we are not required to obtain an auditor attestation. As a private company, Sincerity Australia Pty Ltd. was not subject to requirements to establish, and did not establish, internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures consistent with those of a public company. Our management team and board of directors will need to devote significant efforts to implementing and maintaining adequate and effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting in order to comply with applicable regulations, which may include hiring additional legal, financial reporting and other finance and accounting staff. Any of our efforts to improve our internal controls and design, implement and maintain an adequate system of disclosure controls may not be successful and will require that we expend significant cash and other resources.
Ensuring that we have adequate internal financial and accounting controls and procedures in place so that we can produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis is a costly and time-consuming effort that will need to be evaluated frequently. Our failure to maintain the effectiveness of our internal controls in accordance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on the tradability of our common stock, which in turn would negatively impact our business. We could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which could have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock. In addition, if our efforts to comply with new or changed laws, regulations, and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be harmed.
We currently have a small team with primary responsibility for performing most of our accounting and financial reporting duties. As a result, certain aspects of internal accounting control which require adequate segregation of duties are missing. We believe we do not currently have sufficient accounting and supervisory personnel with the appropriate level of technical accounting experience and training necessary or adequate accounting policies, processes and procedures, particularly in the areas of revenue recognition, equity related transactions and other complex, judgmental areas for U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, financial reporting and SEC reporting purposes and consequently, we must rely on third party consultants. These deficiencies represent a material weakness (as defined under the Exchange Act) in our internal control over financial reporting in both design and operation. We may identify additional material weaknesses in the future. Under the Exchange Act, a material weakness is defined as 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 a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by the company’s internal controls. We are currently developing a plan to design, review, implement and refine internal control over financial reporting. However, we may identify deficiencies and weaknesses or fail to remediate previously identified deficiencies in our internal controls. If material weaknesses or deficiencies in our internal controls exist and go undetected or unremediated, our financial statements could contain material misstatements that, when discovered in the future, could cause us to fail to meet our future reporting obligations and cause the price of our common stock to decline.
We are not subject to compliance with rules requiring the adoption of certain corporate governance measures and as a result, our stockholders have limited protections against interested director transactions, conflicts of interest and similar matters.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as resulting rule changes enacted by the SEC, the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Stock Market, require the implementation of various measures relating to corporate governance. These measures are designed to enhance the integrity of corporate management and the securities markets and apply to securities which are listed on those exchanges. Because we are not listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange, we are not presently required to comply with many of the corporate governance provisions and we have not yet adopted most of these measures. Until we comply with such corporate governance measures, regardless of whether such compliance is required, the absence of such standards of corporate governance may leave our stockholders without protections against interested director transactions, conflicts of interest and similar matters.
We are a smaller reporting company, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to smaller reporting companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are currently a “smaller reporting company,” meaning that we are not an investment company, an asset-backed issuer, or a majority-owned subsidiary of a parent company that is not a smaller reporting company and have a public float of less than $75 million and annual revenues of less than $50 million during the most recently completed fiscal year. “Smaller reporting companies” are able to provide simplified executive compensation disclosures in their filings; are exempt from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting; and have certain other decreased disclosure obligations in their SEC filings, including, among other things, only being required to provide two years of audited financial statements in annual reports and in a registration statement under the Exchange Act on Form 10. Decreased disclosures in our SEC filings due to our status as a “smaller reporting company” may make it harder for investors to analyze our results of operations and financial prospects.
If we are deemed to have been a former shell company, Rule 144 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, will be available to our shareholders only during such times that we remain current with our SEC reporting requirements and satisfy other Rule 144 requirements applicable to former shell companies.
We do not believe that we are or have ever been a “shell company” as such term is defined in Rule 405 and Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Rule 144 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) provides conditions under which restricted and control securities of issuers can be sold without registration under the Securities Act. Rule 144(i) limits the availability of Rule 144 to shareholders of former shell companies to circumstances where former shell companies have ceased to be shell companies, have filed Form 10 type information, one year has elapsed since the filing of such Form 10 type information and the former shell company is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and has filed all reports and other materials required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 month period or such shorter period that the former shell company was subject to such reporting requirements. Should it be determined that we were a shell company, absent registration or other exemption therefrom, holders of our restricted and control shares will not be able to sell their shares in the public market.
Investors may experience dilution of their ownership interests because of the future issuance of additional shares of our common or preferred stock or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for our common or preferred stock.
In the future, we may issue our authorized but previously unissued equity securities, resulting in the dilution of the ownership interests of our existing stockholders. We are authorized to issue an aggregate of one billion shares of common stock and 20 million shares of “blank check” preferred stock. We may issue additional shares of common stock or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock in connection with hiring or retaining employees, future acquisitions, future sales of our securities for capital raising purposes, or for other business purposes. The future issuance of any such additional shares of our common stock may create downward pressure on the trading price of the common stock. We may need to raise additional capital in the near future to meet our working capital needs, and there can be no assurance that we will not be required to issue additional shares, warrants or other convertible securities in the future in conjunction with these capital raising efforts.
Issuance of stock to fund our operations may dilute your investment and reduce your equity interest.
We will need to raise capital in the future to fund the development of our products and services or for other purposes. Any equity financing may have a significant dilutive effect to stockholders and a material decrease in our stockholders’ equity interest in us. Equity financing, if obtained, could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders. At its sole discretion, our board of directors may issue additional securities without seeking stockholder approval, and we do not know when we will need additional capital or, if we do, whether it will be available to us.
Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be your sole source of gain.
You should not rely on an investment in our Common Stock to provide dividend income. We do not anticipate that we will pay any cash dividends to holders of our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. Instead, we plan to retain any earnings to maintain and expand our operations. In addition, any future debt financing arrangement may contain terms prohibiting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our Common Stock. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their Common Stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any return on their investment. As a result, investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase our Common Stock.