AMPG Amplitech Group Inc

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this report, including the financial statements, before making a decision to invest in our common stock. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risk factors described below are not necessarily exhaustive and you are encouraged to perform your own investigation with respect to us and our business.

Risks Relating to our Business

Our revenue, earnings, margins and other operating results have fluctuated significantly in the past and may fluctuate significantly in the future. If demand for our products fluctuates, as a result of economic conditions or for other reasons, our revenue and profitability could be impacted. Our future operating results will depend on many factors affecting our new market segments, including the following, many of which are out of our control: the continued market acceptance of our current and new products for 5G, cryogenic quantum computing, internet of things (IoT) and MMICs. Although hard to predict under the current global environment, we believe our core LNA product line, as well as Spectrum Semiconductor Material product lines will continue to be in demand and generate top line and cash flow to sustain ongoing activities without the need of additional funding for fiscal year 2022. 

Our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely impacted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The global health crisis caused by the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its resurgences has and may continue to negatively impact global economic activity, which, despite progress in vaccination efforts, remains uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence. In addition, variants of COVID-19, including Delta and Omicron, continue to emerge, the impact of which cannot be predicted at this time, and could depend on numerous factors, including vaccination rates among the population, the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines against COVID-19 variants along with the response by governmental bodies and regulators. Given the ongoing and dynamic nature of the circumstances, it is difficult to predict the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business. Many countries around the world have continued to impose quarantines and restrictions on travel and mass gatherings to slow the spread of the virus. Accordingly, our ability to continue to operate our business may also be limited. Such events may result in a period of business, supply and manufacturing disruptions, and in reduced operations, any of which could materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. A continuation or worsening of the levels of market disruption and volatility seen in the recent past could have an adverse effect on our ability to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect our liquidity. In addition, a recession or market correction resulting from the spread of COVID-19 could materially affect our business and the value of our common stock. We continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and on our business operations. Although we expect the vaccinations for COVID-19 will continue to improve conditions, the ultimate impact from COVID-19 on our business operations and financial results will depend on, among other things, the ultimate severity and scope of the pandemic, including the new variants of the virus, the pace at which governmental and private travel restrictions and public concerns about public gatherings will ease, the rate at which historically large increases in unemployment rates will decrease, if at all, and whether, and the speed with which, the economy recovers. . We are not able to fully quantify the impact that these factors will have on our business, but developments related to COVID-19 may impact our ability to meet customer demand and thus materially affect financial condition and results of operations in future periods.

The Company is dependent on the global supply chain and has experienced supply chain constraints, as well as increased costs on components and shipping resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company has experienced supply chain constraints resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has slowed down production and will negatively impact the timing of deploying ASRs (Available Supply Rate) to our clients. These supply constraints include, but are not limited to, semiconductor shortages as well as shortages of certain commodities. Extended lead times on certain parts as well as a lack of immediate availability may delay our ability to deploy ASRs, and consequently, may delay our ability to recognize revenue. In addition, the Company has also faced increased costs of components and freight resulting from COVID-19. Further, current or future governmental policies may increase the risk of inflation, which could further increase the costs of raw materials and components for our business. Similarly, if costs of goods continue to increase, our suppliers may seek price increases from us. If we are unable to mitigate the impact of supply chain constraints and inflationary pressure through price increases or other measures, our results of operations and financial condition could be negatively impacted. Even if we are able to raise the prices of our products, consumers might react negatively to such price increases, which could have a material adverse effect on, among other things, our brand, reputation, and sales. If our competitors substantially lower their prices, we may lose customers and mark down prices. Our profitability may be impacted by lower prices, which may negatively impact gross margins. Even though we are working to alleviate supply chain constraints through various measures, we are unable to predict the impact of these constraints on the timing of revenue and operating costs of our business in the near future. Raw material supply shortages and supply chain constraints, including cost inflation, have impacted and could continue to negatively impact our ability to meet increased demand, which in turn could impact our net sales revenues and market share. The increased cost of components and freight as well as ongoing delays in production are likely to have an impact on sales and profitability throughout 2022 as well as 2023.

Our market is very competitive. If we fail to compete successfully, our business and operating results will suffer. We face significant competition in the amplifier industry from both established and emerging players such as Locus Microwave, Lucix, Cernex, Erzia, HEICO and L-3 Harris Technologies. Some of our competitors have longer operating histories and significantly greater financial, research and development, marketing and other resources than us. As a result, some of these competitors are able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion, sale and support of their products. These competitors may also have the ability to provide discounted pricing on their products to gain market share. In addition, consolidation in the amplifier industry could intensify the competitive pressures that we face. Many of our existing and potential competitors may be better positioned than we are to acquire other companies, technologies or products.

Some of our customers may also maintain diverse supplier bases to enhance competition and maintain multiple providers of amplifier products. Our ability to increase order sizes from these customers and maintain or increase our market share would be constrained by these policies. In addition, any decline in quality or availability of our products or any increase in the number of suppliers that such a customer uses may decrease demand for our products and adversely affect our operating results, business and prospects.

Our ability to compete successfully depends on numerous factors, including our ability to:

We cannot assure you that our solutions will compete favorably or that we will be successful in the face of increasing competition from new products and enhancements introduced by our existing competitors or new companies entering our market. In addition, we cannot assure you that our competitors do not have or will not develop processes or product designs that currently or in the future will enable them to produce competitive products at lower costs than ours. Any failure to compete successfully would materially adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition

Global economic uncertainty and financial market volatility caused by political instability, changes in international trade relationships and conflicts, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, could make it more difficult for us to access financing and could adversely affect our business and operations. Our abilities to raise capital and operate our business are subject to the risk of adverse changes in the market value of our securities. Periods of macroeconomic weakness or recession and heightened market volatility caused by adverse geopolitical developments could increase these risks, potentially resulting in adverse impacts on our ability to raise further capital on favorable terms. The impact of geopolitical tension, such as a deterioration in the bilateral relationship between the US and China or an escalation in conflict between Russia and Ukraine, including any resulting sanctions, export controls or other restrictive actions that may be imposed by the US and/or other countries against governmental or other entities in, for example, Russia, also could lead to disruption, instability and volatility in global trade patterns, which may in turn impact our ability to source necessary reagents, raw materials and other inputs for our operations. 

Economic conditions may adversely impact our business, operating results and financial condition. Economic conditions, market and political instability, changes in trade agreements and conflicts, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, could adversely affect global markets and transactions and may adversely affect our customers and suppliers. Any adverse financial or economic impact to our customers may impact their ability to pay timely or result in their inability to pay. It may also impact their ability to fund future purchases or increase the sales cycles which could lead to a reduction in revenue and accounts receivable. Our suppliers may increase their prices or may be unable to supply needed raw materials on a timely basis which could result in our inability to meet customers’ demand or affect our gross margins. Our suppliers may also impose more stringent payment terms on us. The timing and nature of any recovery from the effects of adverse economic conditions or market and political instability on credit and financial markets is uncertain, and there can be no assurance that market conditions will improve in the near future or that our results will not be materially and adversely affected.

Changes in our product mix could cause our overall gross margin to decline, which may adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. Our gross margin is dependent on product mix. A shift in sales mix away from our higher margin products could adversely affect our gross margins, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain our historical gross margins. In addition, as our product mix becomes more customer specific and diversified, our cost of manufacturing has increased. If revenue from LNAs and customer-specific products continues to grow relative to our other products and services, our company-wide gross margin will likely decline. Additionally, increased competition and the existence of product alternatives, weaker than expected demand and other factors may lead to further price erosion, lower revenue and lower margins for us in the future, adversely affecting our operating results and financial condition.

Our products must meet exacting technical and quality specifications. Defects, errors in or interoperability issues with our products or the failure of our products to operate as expected could affect our reputation, result in significant costs to us and impair our ability to sell our products. Our products may contain defects or errors or not operate as expected, which could materially and adversely affect our reputation, result in significant costs to us and impair our ability to sell our products in the future. Our customers have demanding specifications for quality, performance and reliability that our tag and reader products must meet. Our products are highly technical and designed to be deployed in large and complex systems, networks and other settings under a wide variety of conditions. Customers and end users may discover errors, defects or incompatibilities in our products only after they have been fully deployed. In addition, users of our products may experience compatibility or interoperability issues between our products and their enterprise software systems or networks, or between our products and other amplifying products they use.

We may also experience quality problems with our products that are combined with or incorporated into products from other vendors, such as tags produced by our inlay manufacturers, or that are assembled by subcontractors. We may have difficulty identifying and correcting the source of problems when third parties are combining, incorporating or assembling our products.

If we are unable to fix errors or other problems, we could experience:

We may be required to indemnify our customers against liabilities arising from defects in our products or their solutions which incorporate our products. These liabilities may also include costs incurred by our customers or end users to correct the problems or replace our products.

While we test our products for defects or errors prior to product release, defects or errors are occasionally identified by our customers. Such defects or errors have occurred in the past and may occur in the future. To the extent product failures are material, they could adversely affect our business, operating results, customer relationships, reputation and prospects.

We may face claims of intellectual property infringement, which could be time consuming, costly to defend or settle and result in the loss of significant rights. Our industry is characterized by companies that hold large numbers of patents and other intellectual property rights and which may vigorously pursue, protect and enforce their intellectual property rights. We may in the future be required to license patent and other intellectual property rights to technologies that are important to our business, which may be costly or prohibitively expensive to our business operations. We may also receive assertions against us, our customers or distributor, claiming that we infringe patent or other intellectual property rights. Claims that our products, processes, technology or other aspects of our business infringe third-party intellectual property rights, regardless of their merit or resolution, could be costly to defend or settle and could divert the efforts and attention of our management and technical personnel. If we decline to accept an offer, the offering party may allege that we infringe such patents, which could result in litigation.

In addition, many of our customer agreements require us to indemnify and defend our customers from third-party infringement claims and pay damages in the case of adverse rulings. Moreover, we may not know whether we are infringing a third party’s rights, due to the large number of patents related to amplifiers or to other systemic factors. For instance, patent applications in the United States are maintained in confidence for up to 18 months after their filing or, in some cases, for the entire time prior to issuance as a patent. Thus, we would not be able to account for such rights before publication. Competitors may also have filed patent applications or received patents and may obtain additional patents and proprietary rights that block or compete with our patents. Claims of this sort could harm our relationships with our customers or distributor and might deter future customers from doing business with us. We do not know whether we will prevail in any such future proceedings given the complex technical issues and inherent uncertainties in intellectual property litigation. If any pending or future proceedings result in an adverse outcome, we could be required to:

Any of the foregoing results could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

We may incur substantial costs enforcing or acquiring intellectual property rights and defending against third-party claims as a result of litigation or other proceedings. We may incur substantial costs enforcing or acquiring intellectual property rights and defending against third-party claims as a result of litigation or other proceedings. In connection with the enforcement of our own intellectual property rights, the acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights or disputes related to the validity or alleged infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, including patent rights, we may be subject to claims, negotiations or complex, protracted litigation. Intellectual property disputes and litigation may be costly and can be disruptive to our business operations by diverting attention and energies of management and key technical personnel, and by increasing our costs of doing business. If we fail to prevail in any future litigation and disputes, it could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Third-party intellectual property claims asserted against us could subject us to significant liabilities, require us to enter into royalty and licensing arrangements on unfavorable terms, prevent us from assembling or licensing certain of our products, subject us to injunctions restricting our sale of products, cause severe disruptions to our operations or the marketplaces in which we compete or require us to satisfy indemnification commitments with our customers, including contractual provisions under various license arrangements. In addition, we may incur significant costs in acquiring the necessary third-party intellectual property rights for use in our products. Any of these could seriously harm our business.

If we are unable to obtain patent protection for our products or otherwise protect our intellectual property rights, our business could suffer. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to obtain patent protection for or maintain as trade secrets our proprietary products, technologies and inventions and to maintain the confidentiality of our trade secrets and know‑how, operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others and prevent others from infringing upon our business proprietary rights. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, it is possible that competitors or other unauthorized third parties may obtain, copy, use or disclose our technologies, inventions, processes or improvements. We cannot assure you that any of our existing or future patents or other intellectual property rights will be enforceable, will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or will otherwise provide us with meaningful protection or any competitive advantage. In addition, our pending patent applications may not be granted. If our patents do not adequately protect our technology, our competitors may be able to offer additive manufacturing systems or other products similar to ours. Our competitors may also be able to develop similar technology independently or design around our patents, and we may not be able to detect the unauthorized use of our proprietary technology or take appropriate steps to prevent such use. Any of the foregoing events would lead to increased competition and lower revenues or gross margins, which could adversely affect our operating results.

Confidentiality agreements with employees and third parties may not prevent unauthorized disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information, and our inability to maintain the confidentiality of that information, due to unauthorized disclosure or use, or other events, could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition to the protection afforded by patents, we seek to rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary know-how that is not patentable or that we elect not to patent, processes for which patents are difficult to enforce, and any other elements of our product discovery and development processes that involve proprietary know-how, information, or technology that is not covered by patents. Trade secrets, however, may be difficult to protect. We seek to protect our proprietary processes, in part, by entering into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, advisors, contractors and collaborators. Although we use reasonable efforts to protect our trade secrets, our employees, consultants, advisors, contractors, and collaborators might intentionally or inadvertently disclose our trade secret information to competitors. In addition, competitors may otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or independently develop substantially equivalent information and techniques. Furthermore, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent or in the same manner as the laws of the United States. As a result, we may encounter significant problems in protecting and defending our intellectual property both in the United States and abroad. If we are unable to prevent unauthorized material disclosure of our intellectual property to third parties, or misappropriation of our intellectual property by third parties, we will not be able to establish or maintain a competitive advantage in our market, which could materially adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

We are subject to order and shipment uncertainties. Inaccuracies in our estimates of customer demand and product mix could negatively affect our inventory levels, sales and operating results. We derive revenue primarily from customer purchase orders rather than long-term purchase commitments. To ensure availability of our products, in some cases we start manufacturing based on forecasts provided by customers in advance of receiving purchase orders from them. In some cases, our supply chain has been affected by both tariffs and by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of our products are manufactured according to our estimates of customer demand, which requires us to make demand forecast assumptions for every customer, and which may introduce significant variability into our aggregate estimate. We typically sell to channel partners and end users, and we consequently have limited visibility into future end-user demand, which could adversely affect our revenue forecasts and operating margins. Additionally, we sometimes receive soft commitments for larger order sizes which do not materialize. If we manufacture more products than we are able to sell to our customers or channel partners, we will incur losses and our results of operation and financial condition will be harmed.

Our sales and marketing efforts may be unsuccessful in maintaining and expanding existing sales channels, developing new sales channels and increasing the sales of our products. To grow our business, we must add new customers for our products in addition to retaining and increasing sales to our current customers. Our ability to attract new customers will depend in part on the success of our sales and marketing efforts. There can be no guarantee that we will be successful in implementing our sales and marketing strategy. If suitable sales channels do not develop, we may not be able to sell certain of our products in significant volumes and our operating results, business and prospects may be harmed.

Our business would be adversely affected by the departure of members of our executive management team. Our success depends, in large part, on the continued contributions of Fawad Maqbool, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Maqbool is not bound by any employment contract to remain with us for a specified period. Although we have additional engineering, technical and sales personnel, the loss of Mr. Maqbool’s service could harm our ability to implement our business strategy and respond to the rapidly changing market conditions in which we operate.

If we are unable to attract, train and retain qualified personnel, especially our design and technical personnel, we may not be able to effectively execute our business strategy. Our future success depends on our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, including our management, sales and marketing, finance and especially our design and technical personnel. For example, we currently have limited number of personnel for the assembling and testing processes. We do not know whether we will be able to retain all of these personnel as we continue to pursue our business strategy. As the source of our technical and product innovations, our design and technical personnel are a significant asset. The competition for qualified personnel in the New York area where we are headquartered constrains our ability to attract qualified personnel. The loss of the services of one or more of our key employees, especially of our key design and technical personnel, or our inability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.

Failure to remediate a material weakness in internal accounting controls could result in material misstatements in our financial statements. Our management has identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting related to lack of segregation of duties resulting from our limited personnel and ineffective control over financial statement disclosure as controls were not designed and in place to ensure that all disclosures required were originally addressed in our financial statements and has concluded that, due to such material weakness, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2021. If not remediated, or if we identify further material weaknesses in our internal controls, our failure to establish and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could result in material misstatements in our financial statements and a failure to meet our reporting and financial obligations, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and the trading price of our common stock.

If we fail to implement proper and effective internal controls, our ability to produce accurate financial statements would be impaired, which could adversely affect our operating results, our ability to operate our business and our stock price. We must ensure that we have adequate internal financial and accounting controls and procedures in place to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis. We have tested our internal controls and identified two material weaknesses and may find additional areas for improvement in the future. Remediating these material weaknesses will require us to hire and train additional personnel. Implementing any future changes to our internal controls may require compliance training of our directors, officers and employees, entail substantial costs to modify our accounting systems and take a significant period of time to complete. Such changes may not, however, be effective in establishing the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, and our failure to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis could increase our operating costs and could materially impair our ability to operate our business. In addition, investors’ perceptions that our internal control over financial reporting is inadequate or that we are unable to produce accurate financial statements may materially adversely affect our stock price.

We may need to raise additional capital, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all, and which may cause dilution to holders of our common stock, restrict our operations or adversely affect our ability to operate our business. If we need to raise additional funds due to unforeseen circumstances or material expenditures or if our operating results are worse than expected, we cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain additional financing on favorable terms, if at all, and any additional financings could result in additional dilution to holders of our common stock. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions such as incurring additional debt, expending capital or declaring dividends, or which impose financial covenants on us that limit our ability to achieve our business objectives. If we need additional capital and cannot raise it on acceptable terms, we may not be able to meet our business objectives, our stock price may fall, and you may lose some or all of your investment.

Our secured indebtedness could have important consequences to you. For example, it could:

In addition, our ability to make scheduled payments or refinance our obligations depends on our successful financial and operating performance, cash flows and capital resources, which in turn depend upon prevailing economic conditions and certain financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include, among others:

If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell material assets or operations, obtain additional capital or restructure our debt. If we are required to dispose of material assets or operations to meet our debt service and other obligations, the value realized on such assets or operations will depend on market conditions and the availability of buyers. Accordingly, any such sale may not, among other things, be for a sufficient dollar amount. Certain of our obligations are secured by a security interest in all of our assets. The foregoing encumbrances may limit our ability to dispose of material assets or operations. We also may not be able to restructure our indebtedness on favorable economic terms, if at all.

Our loan agreement contains various covenants limiting the discretion of our management in operating our business. Our business loan agreement contains, subject to certain carve-outs, various restrictive covenants that limit our management’s discretion in operating our business. In particular, these instruments limit our ability to, among other things:

If we fail to comply with the restrictions in our loan agreement, a default may allow the lender under the relevant instruments to accelerate the repayment obligation of the related debt and to exercise its remedies under these agreements, which will typically include the right to declare the principal amount of that debt, together with accrued and unpaid interest and other related amounts, immediately due and payable, to exercise any remedies the lender may have to foreclose on assets that are subject to liens securing that debt and to terminate any commitments they had made to supply further funds. The loan agreement also contains various covenants that may limit our ability to pay dividends.

Our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Fawad Maqbool, has provided a personal guarantee using his personal property, including his equity interest in our company, to secure a line of credit for the Company. A default under the credit facility could result in the sale by court order of Mr. Maqbool’s property, including his equity interest in the Company, and the resultant sale of those shares. A sale of such equity interest, whether by court order or otherwise, would likely cause a significant drop in the price of our common stock. Moreover, Mr. Maqbool, who could thereafter have a substantially smaller or no equity interest in our company, could have substantially less or no personal stake or interest in the commercial success of our company. On November 20, 2021, the Company renewed its business line of credit for $750,000 with Dime Bank, maturing on November 1, 2022 (the “Dime LOC”). In order to procure the DIME LOC, AmpliTech Group, Inc., as well as Mr. Maqbool, our chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (the “Guarantors”), agreed to guarantee the loan. The guarantees provided by the two Guarantors cover the full amount of the loans, interest, and any damages and related costs. Under the personal guarantees provided by the two Guarantors, the two Guarantors have agreed to perform the obligations under the agreement in the event that the Company is unable to perform its obligations. If the guarantee is enforced against Mr. Maqbool, he could be obliged to use his personal property, including the equity interest in our company, to fulfill his obligations under the DIME LOC. Mr. Maqbool owes a fiduciary duty of loyalty to us. However, there is potential for conflicts of interest between his personal interests and ours whether his guaranty is called upon or not. No assurance can be given that material conflicts will not arise that could be detrimental to our operations and financial prospects

As of the date of this report, Mr. Maqbool beneficially owns 28.61% of our outstanding common stock. A sale of a portion or all of Mr. Maqbool’s equity interest, whether voluntary or as a result of a court order, would likely cause a significant drop in the price of our common stock and could adversely affect our business operations, our business relationships and the marketability of our common stock and substantially reduce Mr. Maqbool’s beneficial ownership interest. If Mr. Maqbool’s beneficial ownership of the Company is substantially reduced or eliminated, he would have little or no stake or interest in the business operations of the Company, and he could potentially leave the Company or not perform his duties as diligently as he otherwise might have.

Breaches of network or information technology security, natural disasters or terrorist attacks could have an adverse effect on our business. Cyber-attacks or other breaches of network or information technology (IT) security, natural disasters, terrorist acts or acts of war may cause equipment failures or disrupt our systems and operations. We may be subject to attempts to breach the security of our networks and IT infrastructure through cyber-attacks, malware, computer viruses and other means of unauthorized access. We have previously been subject to the unauthorized use of certain company credentials that were used to issue a false press release in April 2018. While we were able to have the false press release withdrawn, any similar unauthorized use of company credentials or other information could compromise our systems and operations, materially adversely impact our financial condition and subject us to scrutiny and/or litigation from regulators and our customers. A failure to protect the privacy of customer and employee confidential data against breaches of network or IT security could result in damage to our reputation. To date, we have not been subject to cyber-attacks or other cyber incidents which, individually or in the aggregate, resulted in a material impact to our operations or financial condition.

The unfavorable outcome of any future litigation or administrative action could negatively impact us. Our financial results could be negatively impacted by unfavorable outcomes in any future litigation or administrative actions. We cannot assure favorable outcomes in litigation or administrative proceedings. Costs associated with litigation and administrative proceedings are very high and could negatively impact our financial results.

Non-compliance with, or changes in, the legal and regulatory environment in the countries in which we operate could increase our costs or reduce our net operating revenues. Our business is subject to various laws and regulations in the US and in the countries throughout the world in which we do business, including laws and regulations relating to commerce, intellectual property, trade, environmental, health and safety, commerce and contracts, privacy and communications, consumer protection, web services, tax and state corporate laws and securities laws, and specifically those conducting business of electronics, many of which are still evolving and could be interpreted in ways that could harm our business. There is no assurance that we will be completely effective in ensuring our compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Changes in applicable laws or regulations or evolving interpretations thereof, including increased government regulation, may result in increased compliance costs, capital expenditures and other financial obligations for us and could affect our profitability or impede the production or distribution of our products, which could affect our net operating revenues.

U.S. government audits and investigations could adversely affect our business. Federal government agencies, including the Defense Contract Audit Agency and the Defense Contract Management Agency, routinely audit and evaluate government contracts and government contractors’ administrative processes and systems. These agencies review the Company’s performance on contracts, pricing practices, cost structure, financial capability and compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards. These agencies also review the adequacy of the Company’s internal control systems and policies, including the Company’s purchasing, accounting, estimating, compensation and management information processes and systems. Any costs found to be improperly allocated to a specific contract will not be reimbursed, while such costs already reimbursed must be refunded. If an audit or investigation of our business were to uncover improper or illegal activities, then we could be subject to civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, including termination of contracts, forfeiture of profits, suspension of payments, fines and suspension or prohibition from doing business with the U.S. government. In addition, responding to governmental audits or investigations may involve significant expenses and divert management attention.

Acquisitions may expose us to additional risks. We may acquire or make investments in businesses, technologies or products, whether complementary or otherwise, as a means to expand our business, if appropriate opportunities arise. There can be no assurance that we will be able to identify suitable candidates or consummate these transactions on favorable terms. If required, the financing for these transactions could result in an increase in our indebtedness, dilute the interests of our stockholders or both. The purchase price for some acquisitions may include additional amounts to be paid in cash in the future, a portion of which may be contingent on the achievement of certain future operating results of the acquired business. If the performance of any such acquired business exceeds such operating results, then we may incur additional charges and be required to pay additional amounts. Acquisitions including strategic investments or alliances entail numerous risks, which may include:

Many of these factors are outside of our control and any one of these factors could result in, among other things, increased costs and decreases in the amount of expected revenues, which could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, even if we are able to successfully integrate acquired businesses, the full benefits, including the synergies, cost savings, revenue growth, or other benefits that are expected, may not be achieved within the anticipated time frame, or at all. All of these factors could decrease or delay the expected accretive effect of the acquisitions, and negatively impact our business, operating results, and financial condition.

We may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of our acquisition of Spectrum Semiconductor Materials Inc. On December 15, 2021, we acquired Spectrum Semiconductor Materials Inc. (“SSM”), a distributor of packages and lids for IC assembly. The principal benefits expected to result from our acquisition of SSM will not be fully achieved unless we are able to successfully integrate SSM’s operations with our current business operations and realize the anticipated synergies, cost savings and growth opportunities from such integration. Challenges we may face in this regard include, but are not limited to:

Many of these factors are outside of our control and any one of these factors could result in, among other things, increased costs and decreases in the amount of expected revenues, which could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, even if we are able to successfully integrate Spectrum, the full benefits, including the synergies, cost savings, revenue growth or other benefits that are expected, may not be achieved. All of these factors could decrease or delay the expected accretive effect of the acquisition, and negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our revenue and operating results can fluctuate from period to period. We derive revenue primarily from customer purchase orders rather than long-term purchase commitments. Our revenue from period to period can significantly fluctuate for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, our supply chain as well as receipt of customer orders being negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such fluctuations may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

Risks Relating to our Common Stock and our Listed Warrants

The price of our common stock could be volatile and could decline at a time when you want to sell your holdings. Numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate significantly. These factors include:

Securities class action litigation is often instituted against companies following periods of volatility in their stock price. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs to us and divert our management’s attention and resources.

Moreover, securities markets may from time-to-time experience significant price and volume fluctuations for reasons unrelated to operating performance of particular companies, such as the uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapidly developing conflict in Ukraine. These market fluctuations may adversely affect the price of our common stock and other interests in our company at a time when you want to sell your interest in us.

Future sales or perceived sales of our common stock could depress our stock price. If holders of our currently outstanding shares of common stock were to attempt to sell a substantial amount of their holdings at once, the market price of our common stock could decline. Moreover, the perceived risk of this potential dilution could cause shareholders to attempt to sell their shares and investors to short the common stock, a practice in which an investor sells shares that he or she does not own at prevailing market prices, hoping to purchase shares later at a lower price to cover the sale. As each of these events would cause the number of shares of our common stock being offered for sale to increase, our common stock market price would likely further decline. All of these events could combine to make it very difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem appropriate.

Our common stock may be affected by limited trading volume and price fluctuations, which could adversely impact the value of our common stock. Our common stock has experienced, and is likely to experience in the future, significant price and volume fluctuations, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock without regard to our operating performance. In addition, we believe that factors such as quarterly fluctuations in our financial results and changes in the overall economy or the condition of the financial markets could cause the price of our common stock to fluctuate substantially. These fluctuations may also cause short sellers to periodically enter the market in the belief that we will have poor results in the future. We cannot predict the actions of market participants and, therefore, can offer no assurances that the market for our common stock will be stable or appreciate over time.

Provisions in our articles of incorporation and bylaws could discourage a change in control, or an acquisition of us by a third party, even if the acquisition would be favorable to you, thereby adversely affecting existing shareholders. Our articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may have the effect of making more difficult or delaying attempts by others to obtain control of our Company, even when these attempts may be in the best interests of our shareholders. For example, our articles of incorporation authorize our Board of Directors, without stockholder approval, to issue one or more series of preferred stock, which could have voting and conversion rights that adversely affect or dilute the voting power of the holders of common stock. These provisions and others that could be adopted in the future could deter unsolicited takeovers or delay or prevent changes in our control or management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then-current market prices. These provisions may also limit the ability of stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in their best interests.

The ability of Fawad Maqbool, our Chairman, to sell his stake in us and speculation about any such sale may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Mr. Maqbool owns a significant number of our shares of outstanding common stock, and he may sell any or all of his shares at any time without approval by other shareholders. Speculation by the press, stock analysts, our shareholders or others regarding the intention of Mr. Maqbool to dispose of his shares could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Moreover, the market price of our common stock may be adversely impacted by the fact that the public float of our common stock is relatively small.

Because Fawad Maqbool, our Chairman controls a significant number of shares of our voting capital stock, he has the ability to influence actions requiring stockholder approval. As of the date of this report, Fawad Maqbool, our Chairman, President Chief Executive Officer, held 28.61% of our outstanding shares of common stock. As a result, Mr. Maqbool has the ability to significantly influence the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. In addition, Mr. Maqbool has the ability to influence the management and affairs of our company. Accordingly, any investors who purchase shares will likely be minority shareholders and as such will have little to no say in the direction of us and the election of directors. Additionally, this concentration of ownership might harm the market price of our common stock by:

Because we do not intend to pay cash dividends on our shares of common stock, any returns will be limited to the value of our shares. We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to the increase, if any, of our share price that stockholders may be able to realize if they sell their shares.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the continued listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market, a failure which could result in the de-listing of our common stock. The Nasdaq Capital Market requires that the trading price of its listed stocks remain above one dollar in order for the stock to remain listed. If a listed stock trades below one dollar for more than 30 consecutive trading days, then it is subject to delisting from the Nasdaq Capital Market. In addition, to maintain a listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, we must satisfy minimum financial and other continued listing requirements and standards, including those regarding director independence and independent committee requirements, minimum stockholders’ equity and certain corporate governance requirements. If we are unable to satisfy these requirements or standards, we could be subject to delisting, which would have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our common stock when you wish to do so. In the event of a delisting, we would expect to take actions to restore our compliance with the listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our common stock to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our common stock, prevent our common stock from dropping below the minimum bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with the listing requirements.

The Listed Warrants are speculative in nature. The Listed Warrants do not confer any rights of common stock ownership on their holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of our common stock at a fixed price for a limited period of time. Specifically, commencing on the date of issuance, holders of the Listed Warrants may exercise their right to acquire the common stock and pay an exercise price of $7.00 per share, prior to five years from the date of issuance, after which date any unexercised Listed Warrants will expire and have no further value. In addition, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Listed Warrants will develop.

Holders of the Listed Warrants will have no rights as a common stockholder until they acquire our common stock. Until holders of the Listed Warrants acquire shares of our common stock upon exercise of the Listed Warrants, the holders will have no rights with respect to shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of the Listed Warrants. Upon exercise of the Listed Warrants, the holder will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder as to the security exercised only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise. 

Provisions of the Listed Warrants could discourage an acquisition of us by a third party. Certain provisions of the Listed Warrants could make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire us. The Listed Warrants prohibit us from engaging in certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions” unless, among other things, the surviving entity assumes our obligations under the Listed Warrants. These and other provisions of the Listed Warrants offered by this prospectus could prevent or deter a third party from acquiring us even where the acquisition could be beneficial to you.